20 Quaint British Phrases – Britain and Britishness In his short story The Canterville Ghost from 1887, Oscar Wilde wrote: We really have everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language. Throw a few British idioms into the mix and our American friends and colleagues may be left scratching their heads and reaching for their phones. From hundreds of British phrases, we’ve selected 20 of our favorites that have an old-fashioned quaintness. 1. Meaning to receive information from a secret informant, the root source is thought to be from the Bible, Ecclesiastes 10-20: Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say. Sophie Lee’s comedy The Chapter of Accidents (1780) also uses the phrase: I had a little bird told me all this. And Shakespeare himself makes reference to it in Henry IV, Part 2: As far as France: I heard a bird so sing, Whose musick, to my thinking, pleas’d the king. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Noun Suffixes | Grammar Quizzes Grammar-Quizzes › Noun Phrases › Nouns–Suffixes › Noun Suffixes Recognize a variety of noun forms In Context Our plane departed from San Francisco on time. The departure of our plane from San Francisco was on time. an affix — is a small unit of meaning that is added to another word to change its meaning; affixes include: prefix (before) pre-pare; infix (between) [rare in English]; and suffix (after) prepara-tion. derive (V) — come from a source or origin; derivation (N) the formation of a word from another word or base prompt (Adj) — on time or timely, not delayed morpheme (N) — a small unit of meaning which is dependent upon the word to which it is added a suffix, a morpheme (small dependent unit of meaning) placed at the end of a word, can change a word as follows: [1] word category—noun "nominalization", adjective "adjectivalization", verb "verbalization", adverb of manner -ly; [2] person (3rd per. sing.); [3] number (singular/plural); [4] tense (present/past). Pop-Q "The fix" Verb or noun?
I was so sorry to hear your news: Expressing sympathy – About Words – Cambridge Dictionaries Online blog by Liz Walter It can often be difficult to know what to say to someone we know who has experienced loss, illness or another painful event, and even harder if we have to do it in another language. Today’s post looks at phrases we use to express sympathy in a sincere and empathetic way. Choosing appropriate words will of course depend on how well we know the person concerned, and also the type of event and how upset we think that person is likely to be. Let’s start with death. I am writing to express my sincere condolences on the death of your (wife/son/grandmother, etc.). Please accept our deepest sympathies. People often try to avoid the words ‘death’ or ‘die’, and a very common way of doing that is to speak about someone’s loss or sad news: I was so sorry to hear about your loss/the sad news about your sister. When someone has died, it is usual to say something nice about the person if you knew them. Your dad/brother was such a lovely person/was always kind to me, etc. That really sucks.
11 Idioms & Expressions You’ll Hear In An International Workplace By: Neya Abdi Discovering idioms and new expressions is a fun part of learning any language. It can also be frustrating, especially when you hear them for the first time in a setting where you want to make the best impression. Most expressions you’ll come across in office environments are throwaway lines that are not industry specific. “Let’s table it.” Meaning: Postpone a discussion or activity until later. From: Parliamentary procedure. Example: “You’ve all raised some good points. 2. Meaning: To update someone or have a quick conversation with them. From: Baseball. Example: “The website needs some work. 3. Meaning: To make a difference; to have a noticeable impact on something. From: Scales. Example: “They hired her to increase sales, but her strategies failed to move the needle.” 4. Meaning: A complicated situation with a lot of variables or components. From: Mechanics, we’re assuming 5. Meaning: Getting yourself organized before doing something. From: There are a couple of theories. 6. 7.
Neologisms Database - Terminology Coordination Unit [DGTRAD] - European Parliament Languages are constantly evolving. Though purists may shudder at what they see as the degradation of ‘correct’ language use, innovative and new ways of using grammar, syntax and vocabulary show a bill of good health for a language. At the vocabulary level, we find neologisms. A neologism is a new word or expression: a newly coined term. New terms appear in order to put a name to a new reality; this is why they are often linked to a specific period, event or person. At TermCoord we are also on the look-out for new words that may be of importance to translators and make the object of new entries in IATE. Insert one or more search filters alicament [FR] Definition food given an additional function (often one related to health-promotion or disease prevention) by adding new ingredients or more of existing ingredients Source Wikipedia Domain 6026-Foodstuff Type Noun apericena [IT] aperitivo as a main meal to save money Origin Combination of ’aperitivo’ and ’cena’ (dinner), often used by students. apli [ES]
Adjective Suffixes Grammar-Quizzes › Modifiers to Nouns › Adjective Summary › Adjective Forms Form adjectives from other word forms This evening, we saw a spectacular sunset. The sky reflected colors from violet to red. As the high clouds moved overhead, they created an awesome light show of changing colors. Gradually, the colors faded to gray, and the spectacle ended in the darkness of the night sky. ¹It + be + adjective (predicate adjective or predicate complement) See Specifying vs. glow (N) – shine, giving off brightness The glow of a candle filled the room. gradually (Adv) – changing or moving in small degrees, bit by bit; The color gradually changes as it ages. reflect (V) – give back (light) A mirror reflects your image. rose (V) – went up, the appearance on the horizon of the moon or the sun; (rise, rose, risen) See Rise vs. soil (N) – dirt, earth Pineapples grow well in reddish-brown soil. NP –noun phrase; N – noun; Det – determiner; AdjP– adjective phrase; Adj – adjective Cutting Back Read for Errors
English to French, Italian, German & Spanish Dictionary 10 Examples of Homonyms You Might Be Getting Wrong [Download This Guide] Text Version: Is the English language trying to trip people up? Because it sure seems that way. You know homonyms. Homophones are words that sound the same—hence the use of the suffix “phone,” which might make you think of a telephone. Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, and unfortunately I don’t have anything clever to say about “graph” to make the word clearer. Unfortunately for those who are trying to master English, homonyms aren’t going anywhere, so you have to be aware of them to make sure that you’re actually saying—and writing—what you mean. Compliment/complement The first one is a flattering remark you might give to a student, friend, or loved one. Sight/site/cite Here’s one that all serious students need to remember. Do/due These words, pronounced “doo,” can mean “to carry something out” (do) or (as due) can refer to the time when something is scheduled to be completed or when someone is owed something. Do/doe/dough/d’oh
25 Online Games for English Language Learners GameZone: Dozens of simple, straightforward games about grammar, spelling, and vocabulary reach out to English language learners at all levels. Keep in mind, however, that this site is based in the U.K. and follows a different set of linguistic rules than American English.Vocabulary.co.il:This series of vocabulary and games runs the gamut from elementary to high school levels of proficiency. Each is recommended for both native speakers as well as students learning English as a second or third (or more) language.Power Words:PBS’ WordGirl and her simian sidekick Captain Huggy Face do battle against Fair City’s most sinister citizens, but it’s up to players to determine the course of the action. Picking the wrong words means letting the villains follow through with their sneaky plots.LearnEnglish Kids:The British Council presents a suite of super cool games covering different elements of the English language.
Slang Dictionary - Text Slang, Internet Slang, & Abbreviations The Internet slang dictionary is sorted by letter.Click on a letter above to see the corresponding slang terms and definitions. Internet slang consists of slang and acronyms that users have created as an effort to save keystrokes. Terms have originated from various sources including Bulletin Boards, AIM, Yahoo, IRC, Chat Rooms, Email, Cell Phone Text Messaging, and some even as far back as World War II. Internet Slang is also called AOL speak, AOLese, AOLbonics, netspeak, or leetspeak (although leetspeak traditionally involves replacing letters with numbers and is reseved for games). While it does save keystrokes, netspeak can prove very hard to read. Below is a list of 196 user submitted internet slang terms starting with the letter a. Are we missing slang?
18 English words that mean very different things in Britain and America As the old adage famously goes: you say tom-MAY-toes, and I say tom-MAH-toes. We should probably call the whole thing off, right? Ever since the might of the British Empire was expelled from the United States, ordinary folk from both sides of the pond have chuckled at each other's use of the English language and pronunciation. Here are several important examples you need to remember - simply to make sure no one gives you a weird look when you're off on your holidays. 1. UK: A woollen pullover worn in the winter US: Someone who commits suicide by leaping from a building or bridge 2. UK: An eraser for a pencil US: A condom 3. UK: Something a baby wears (noun) US: Frizzy or hairy (adjective) 4. UK: The floor above the ground floor US: The ground floor of a building UK: Flaps attached to a race horse's face to restrict its vision US: Indicators on a car 6. UK: Another word for jewellery box US: Another word for coffin 7. UK: Informal party wear, dressing up as a well-known character 8. 9. US: An old man
Grab Onto Phrasal Verbs Welcome back to Everyday Grammar from VOA Learning English. Today we look at a very common verb form in English – phrasal verbs. There are over 5,000 verbs that fall in this category. Do you know how to use them? Phrasal verbs in history Our story begins back when other languages - French and Old Norse - began to influence Middle English. There were small particles, or prefixes, placed before verbs in Middle English to change their meaning. One that we still use is for as in forlorn. William Shakespeare, who wrote many plays between 1589 and 1613, is a well-known writer of the time. Formal language and phrasal verbs In Modern English, we use phrasal verbs more often in informal language. As English learners know well, daily conversation in English is almost never formal. Another general fact about phrasal verbs is that British English uses different ones from American English. The structure of phrasal verbs Let’s start with the basic structure of phrasal verbs. Let’s look at some examples.