Here's a chatcast about those "everyday phrases" in common usage in English.
The book I mention is "Red Herrings and White Elephants" by Albert Jack which is available from Amazon.com ISBN 1-84358-129-9
It's surprising how much we use these phrases and expressions in English conversation...
Feedback/comments welcome :-)
Hello everyone,
Today I’d like to talk about "everyday phrases" that we use so often in English. In fact it’s only when we native speaker start to talk with non-native speakers that we start to realise just how much we use these sort of expressions and how much we need them in our everyday speech.
I found a book called "Red Herrings and White Elephants" by Albert Jack (ISBN 1-84358-129-9) which I’m acknowledging as the source of the explanations of my examples today to introduce some of these common phrases. It is available on amazon.com should you wish to buy a copy for yourself. The book is really good as not only does it give us the meaning, but also some of the history behind why we use each expression.
Here are some typical ones. I’ll start obviously with the two in the title of the book:
Red Herring. (BOOK)" This is used to describe something that provides a false of misleading clue"
Example: "That tourist brochure is a bit of a red herring, as the seaside resort it told us was so good was nothing like that when we went there!"
White Elephant (BOOK)"is an expression used to describe something useless that has, or will become a huge burden to those who possess it"
Example: "That car you bought is a white elephant, it is always breaking down and it cost you too much money!"
Here are some more everyday phrases with examples (which are my examples – you won’t find these in the book) There are many more in the book – but I’ve chosen some of the phrases I use a lot in conversation.
"Codswallop" is something worthless, rubbish or nonesense. "That’s codswallop! – you can’t use those scissors to cut wire!" Actually, I also use it to dismiss something as rubbish " You can buy a beer for a 50 pence? Codswallop! Where??
Tarred with the same brush – is to be part of a group regarded as all having the same faults and weaknesses, often unfairly.
"I’d tar him with the same brush – he can’t draw a picture any better than his brother"
"Neck of the woods" is used to imply a person’s neighbourhood. " He’s from the same neck of the woods as that friend of yours" (same town as your friend)
"Bite off more than you can chew" is an expression we use to indicate someone has taken on more than they can cope with or manage
" I’m learning French, German, Spanish and now Chinese. Do you think I have bitten off more than I can chew?"
You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours" Is a saying we use to suggest two people will do each other a favour, or look out for each other so that both benefit from each others’ actions.
"Can you baby-sit for me next Saturday please? You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours – I’ll baby-sit for you next month…"
Take care, let me know if you like these and I’ll record some more for you
See you next time
Monday, August 20, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Something about the East coast of Yorkshire in Northern England
Hello everybody
I’ve just come back from a nice holiday “by the sea”. I went to the North East coast of England with my wife and son last week. This area is well-loved area for tourism in England and there are some nice sea-side resorts as well as the National Park the “North Yorkshire Moors”.
A few things that you may not know, Whitby is a small fishing town on the East Coast – and is really popular with tourists. It has a fine beach, some really good fish restaurants and an interesting old abbey, but it is also famous for being the place where Captain James Cook worked and set sail for his voyages of discovery in the southern hemisphere. There is therefore a “Captain Cook museum” and many references to the famous explorer are in the town – most notably a fine statue on the hill near the beach.
Whitby also is famous for being the place where Dracula came to England aboard a russian ship and the author of the book Bram Stoker was living in Whitby when he wrote the book.
Further inland, there is a steam railway called the North Yorkshire Moors railway. The journey starts in a market town called Pickering and goes all the way to Whitby. On of the train stations on this line is in a village called Goathland, and this train station is well-known as the train station used for filming the Harry Potter train that takes Harry to Hogsmeade.
In Goathland, there is also the oldest railway tunnel in the world.
We also went to a place called Eden Camp near the town of Malton which was originally a prison camp for Italian and German prisoners of war – which is now a second warld war museum and very well restored.
Pickering has a steam rally every August – which is where many restored steam tractors are shown in working order. The steam engines will slowly travel around the town and many people come to watch the old engines puff out their smoke – it really gives an impression to what it was like around 100 years ago.
Other towns on the Yorkshire coast are Scarborough – which is a popular seaside resort with a castle and Filey, a small seaside resort with a fine beach and rocky coves.
We also visited York – which is the county town and probably the most historic city outside of London. It used to be England’s second most important town after London and has been there since Roman Times.
I’ll tell you more about York in another podcast.
Bye for now
I’ve just come back from a nice holiday “by the sea”. I went to the North East coast of England with my wife and son last week. This area is well-loved area for tourism in England and there are some nice sea-side resorts as well as the National Park the “North Yorkshire Moors”.
A few things that you may not know, Whitby is a small fishing town on the East Coast – and is really popular with tourists. It has a fine beach, some really good fish restaurants and an interesting old abbey, but it is also famous for being the place where Captain James Cook worked and set sail for his voyages of discovery in the southern hemisphere. There is therefore a “Captain Cook museum” and many references to the famous explorer are in the town – most notably a fine statue on the hill near the beach.
Whitby also is famous for being the place where Dracula came to England aboard a russian ship and the author of the book Bram Stoker was living in Whitby when he wrote the book.
Further inland, there is a steam railway called the North Yorkshire Moors railway. The journey starts in a market town called Pickering and goes all the way to Whitby. On of the train stations on this line is in a village called Goathland, and this train station is well-known as the train station used for filming the Harry Potter train that takes Harry to Hogsmeade.
In Goathland, there is also the oldest railway tunnel in the world.
We also went to a place called Eden Camp near the town of Malton which was originally a prison camp for Italian and German prisoners of war – which is now a second warld war museum and very well restored.
Pickering has a steam rally every August – which is where many restored steam tractors are shown in working order. The steam engines will slowly travel around the town and many people come to watch the old engines puff out their smoke – it really gives an impression to what it was like around 100 years ago.
Other towns on the Yorkshire coast are Scarborough – which is a popular seaside resort with a castle and Filey, a small seaside resort with a fine beach and rocky coves.
We also visited York – which is the county town and probably the most historic city outside of London. It used to be England’s second most important town after London and has been there since Roman Times.
I’ll tell you more about York in another podcast.
Bye for now
Saturday, August 04, 2007
English can be a bit silly sometimes
Hello,
Today I’d like to talk about how the meaning of what we say in English can vary or change, either depending on the stress on the words, or sometimes just the words that we use. This happens in quite simple sentences – not just in complicated ones.
An example for you:- If I say this sentence:
Take your bag
without accent, it can sound like a simple instruction or invitation
If I say:
Take your BAG. This would mean a bag, not your camera, watch, cup or anything else you may feel like taking
If I say:
Take YOUR bag - I’m meaning your bag, not someone else’s bag
If I say:
TAKE your bag - this emphasises the word "take" rather than kicking it, or whatever else...
Even with so simple a sentence, a changed accent can give a different meaning.
Another example of the way English can be difficult is when the meaning isn’t so clear. We can emphasise this in two silly examples
I like Ice cream sundaes - I like Ice cream on Sundays
Do you like fruit fool? Do you like fruit you fool?
There are some ways of saying things that sound a bit strange
Hang up the telephone (put the telephone receiver back on the telephone or press the button to finish the call)
Lay the table (hens lay eggs... why do we say lay the table for meaning put the knives and forks and crockery onto the table before a meal)
Climb the stairs (we climb mountains as well!) simply means go up the stairs
Mow the lawn – which just means cut the grass
Catch a cold – how do we catch the virus that we can’t see? It just means we become ill with a cold
I go to bed – but when I get to the bed – I have to get on the bed to sleep I think....
Fall asleep – which means to go to sleep – Personally I just lie in bed and then sleep – I don’t fall anywhere...well, hopefully I don’t fall out of bed...
Throw away my old clothes – I don’t ever throw them – I just put them in a waste bin
Put the kettle on – I just switch on my electric kettle on to heat water. This is an old saying from when people placed the pot on a fire to heat water.
Take a bath – (have a bath) – My bath is still in the same place it hasn’t moved.
To fire someone – means they lose their job – they don’t get burned – we’ll unless the boss has other ideas.... It’s no easier in England as we say "to sack someone" which also means to lose their job – do we put someone in a sack??
Why do we say "I can’t wait for Christmas!" (meaning, "I’m eager for Christmas to arrive") when quite obviously we have to wait
So, English is quite a silly language sometimes
Bye for now
See you next time
Today I’d like to talk about how the meaning of what we say in English can vary or change, either depending on the stress on the words, or sometimes just the words that we use. This happens in quite simple sentences – not just in complicated ones.
An example for you:- If I say this sentence:
Take your bag
without accent, it can sound like a simple instruction or invitation
If I say:
Take your BAG. This would mean a bag, not your camera, watch, cup or anything else you may feel like taking
If I say:
Take YOUR bag - I’m meaning your bag, not someone else’s bag
If I say:
TAKE your bag - this emphasises the word "take" rather than kicking it, or whatever else...
Even with so simple a sentence, a changed accent can give a different meaning.
Another example of the way English can be difficult is when the meaning isn’t so clear. We can emphasise this in two silly examples
I like Ice cream sundaes - I like Ice cream on Sundays
Do you like fruit fool? Do you like fruit you fool?
There are some ways of saying things that sound a bit strange
Hang up the telephone (put the telephone receiver back on the telephone or press the button to finish the call)
Lay the table (hens lay eggs... why do we say lay the table for meaning put the knives and forks and crockery onto the table before a meal)
Climb the stairs (we climb mountains as well!) simply means go up the stairs
Mow the lawn – which just means cut the grass
Catch a cold – how do we catch the virus that we can’t see? It just means we become ill with a cold
I go to bed – but when I get to the bed – I have to get on the bed to sleep I think....
Fall asleep – which means to go to sleep – Personally I just lie in bed and then sleep – I don’t fall anywhere...well, hopefully I don’t fall out of bed...
Throw away my old clothes – I don’t ever throw them – I just put them in a waste bin
Put the kettle on – I just switch on my electric kettle on to heat water. This is an old saying from when people placed the pot on a fire to heat water.
Take a bath – (have a bath) – My bath is still in the same place it hasn’t moved.
To fire someone – means they lose their job – they don’t get burned – we’ll unless the boss has other ideas.... It’s no easier in England as we say "to sack someone" which also means to lose their job – do we put someone in a sack??
Why do we say "I can’t wait for Christmas!" (meaning, "I’m eager for Christmas to arrive") when quite obviously we have to wait
So, English is quite a silly language sometimes
Bye for now
See you next time
Friday, August 03, 2007
Isn't English a bit odd sometimes?
Hello,
Today I’d like to talk about how the meaning of what we say in English can vary or change, either depending on the stress on the words, or sometimes just the words that we use. This happens in quite simple sentences – not just in complicated ones.
An example for you:- If I say this sentence:
Take your bag
without accent, it can sound like a simple instruction or invitation
If I say:
Take your BAG. This would mean a bag, not your camera, watch, cup or anything else you may feel like taking
If I say:
Take YOUR bag - I’m meaning your bag, not someone else’s bag
If I say:
TAKE your bag - this emphasises the word “take” rather than kicking it, or whatever else...
Even with so simple a sentence, a changed accent can give a different meaning.
Another example of the way English can be difficult is when the meaning isn’t so clear. We can emphasise this in two silly examples
I like Ice cream sundaes - I like Ice cream on Sundays
Do you like fruit fool? Do you like fruit you fool?
There are some ways of saying things that sound a bit strange
Hang up the telephone (put the telephone receiver back on the telephone or press the button to finish the call)
Lay the table (hens lay eggs... why do we say lay the table for meaning put the knives and forks and crockery onto the table before a meal)
Climb the stairs (we climb mountains as well!) simply means go up the stairs
Mow the lawn – which just means cut the grass
Catch a cold – how do we catch the virus that we can’t see? It just means we become ill with a cold
I go to bed – but when I get to the bed – I have to get on the bed to sleep I think....
Fall asleep – which means to go to sleep – Personally I just lie in bed and then sleep – I don’t fall anywhere...well, hopefully I don’t fall out of bed...
Throw away my old clothes – I don’t ever throw them – I just put them in a waste bin
Put the kettle on – I just switch on my electric kettle on to heat water. This is an old saying from when people placed the pot on a fire to heat water.
Take a bath – (have a bath) – My bath is still in the same place it hasn’t moved.
To fire someone – means they lose their job – they don’t get burned – we’ll unless the boss has other ideas.... It’s no easier in England as we say “to sack someone” which also means to lose their job – do we put someone in a sack??
Why do we say “I can’t wait for Christmas!” (meaning, “I’m eager for Christmas to arrive”) when quite obviously we have to wait
So, English is quite a silly language sometimes
Bye for now
See you next time
Today I’d like to talk about how the meaning of what we say in English can vary or change, either depending on the stress on the words, or sometimes just the words that we use. This happens in quite simple sentences – not just in complicated ones.
An example for you:- If I say this sentence:
Take your bag
without accent, it can sound like a simple instruction or invitation
If I say:
Take your BAG. This would mean a bag, not your camera, watch, cup or anything else you may feel like taking
If I say:
Take YOUR bag - I’m meaning your bag, not someone else’s bag
If I say:
TAKE your bag - this emphasises the word “take” rather than kicking it, or whatever else...
Even with so simple a sentence, a changed accent can give a different meaning.
Another example of the way English can be difficult is when the meaning isn’t so clear. We can emphasise this in two silly examples
I like Ice cream sundaes - I like Ice cream on Sundays
Do you like fruit fool? Do you like fruit you fool?
There are some ways of saying things that sound a bit strange
Hang up the telephone (put the telephone receiver back on the telephone or press the button to finish the call)
Lay the table (hens lay eggs... why do we say lay the table for meaning put the knives and forks and crockery onto the table before a meal)
Climb the stairs (we climb mountains as well!) simply means go up the stairs
Mow the lawn – which just means cut the grass
Catch a cold – how do we catch the virus that we can’t see? It just means we become ill with a cold
I go to bed – but when I get to the bed – I have to get on the bed to sleep I think....
Fall asleep – which means to go to sleep – Personally I just lie in bed and then sleep – I don’t fall anywhere...well, hopefully I don’t fall out of bed...
Throw away my old clothes – I don’t ever throw them – I just put them in a waste bin
Put the kettle on – I just switch on my electric kettle on to heat water. This is an old saying from when people placed the pot on a fire to heat water.
Take a bath – (have a bath) – My bath is still in the same place it hasn’t moved.
To fire someone – means they lose their job – they don’t get burned – we’ll unless the boss has other ideas.... It’s no easier in England as we say “to sack someone” which also means to lose their job – do we put someone in a sack??
Why do we say “I can’t wait for Christmas!” (meaning, “I’m eager for Christmas to arrive”) when quite obviously we have to wait
So, English is quite a silly language sometimes
Bye for now
See you next time
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
French song - Ne me quitte pas (Jacques Brel 1959)
Ne me quitte pas
Il faut oublier
Tout peut s'oublier
Qui s'enfuit déjà
Oublier le temps
Des malentendus
Et le temps perdu
A savoir comment
Oublier ces heures
Qui tuaient parfois
A coups de pourquoi
Le cœur du bonheur
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Do not leave me
It is necessary to forget
All can be forgotten
Who flees already
To forget the time of
Misunderstandings
And wasted time
Namely how
To forget these hours
Who killed sometimes
With blows of why
The heart of happiness
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Moi je t'offrirai
Des perles de pluie
Venues de pays
Où il ne pleut pas
Je creuserai la terre
Jusqu'après ma mort
Pour couvrir ton corps
D'or et de lumière
Je ferai un domaine
Où l'amour sera roi
Où l'amour sera loi
Où tu seras reine
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Me I will offer to you
Pearls of rain
Arrivals from a country
Where it does not rain
I will dig the ground
Until after my death
To cover your body
Of gold and light
I will make a land
Where the love will be a king
Where the love will be law
Where you will be queen
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Ne me quitte pas
Je t'inventerai
Des mots insensés
Que tu comprendras
Je te parlerai
De ces amants-là
Qui ont vu deux fois
Leurs cœurs s'embraser
Je te raconterai
L'histoire de ce roi
Mort de n'avoir pas
Pu te rencontrer
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Do not leave me
I will invent you
Foolish words
That you will understand
I will speak to you
Of these lovers
Who saw twice
Their hearts ablaze
I will tell you the
History of this king
who died not having met you
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
On a vu souvent
Rejaillir le feu
D'un ancien volcan
Qu'on croyait trop vieux
Il est paraît-il
Des terres brûlées
Donnant plus de blé
Qu'un meilleur avril
Et quand vient le soir
Pour qu'un ciel flamboie
Le rouge et le noir
Ne s'épousent-ils pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
One has often seen
The rekindled flame
Of an old volcano
That one believed too old
It is it seems
Burned grounds
Giving more corn
Than the best April
And when comes the evening
with it's blazing sky
Red and black
don't they match together
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Ne me quitte pas
Je ne vais plus pleurer
Je ne vais plus parler
Je me cacherai là
A te regarder
Danser et sourire
Et à t'écouter
Chanter et puis rire
Laisse-moi devenir
L'ombre de ton ombre
L'ombre de ta main
L'ombre de ton chien
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas.
Do not leave me
I will not cry any more
I will not speak any more
I will hide there
With you to look at
To dance and smile
And to listen to you
To sing and then to laugh
Let me become the
Shadow of your shadow
Shadow of your hand
Shadow of your dog
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me.
Il faut oublier
Tout peut s'oublier
Qui s'enfuit déjà
Oublier le temps
Des malentendus
Et le temps perdu
A savoir comment
Oublier ces heures
Qui tuaient parfois
A coups de pourquoi
Le cœur du bonheur
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Do not leave me
It is necessary to forget
All can be forgotten
Who flees already
To forget the time of
Misunderstandings
And wasted time
Namely how
To forget these hours
Who killed sometimes
With blows of why
The heart of happiness
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Moi je t'offrirai
Des perles de pluie
Venues de pays
Où il ne pleut pas
Je creuserai la terre
Jusqu'après ma mort
Pour couvrir ton corps
D'or et de lumière
Je ferai un domaine
Où l'amour sera roi
Où l'amour sera loi
Où tu seras reine
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Me I will offer to you
Pearls of rain
Arrivals from a country
Where it does not rain
I will dig the ground
Until after my death
To cover your body
Of gold and light
I will make a land
Where the love will be a king
Where the love will be law
Where you will be queen
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Ne me quitte pas
Je t'inventerai
Des mots insensés
Que tu comprendras
Je te parlerai
De ces amants-là
Qui ont vu deux fois
Leurs cœurs s'embraser
Je te raconterai
L'histoire de ce roi
Mort de n'avoir pas
Pu te rencontrer
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Do not leave me
I will invent you
Foolish words
That you will understand
I will speak to you
Of these lovers
Who saw twice
Their hearts ablaze
I will tell you the
History of this king
who died not having met you
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
On a vu souvent
Rejaillir le feu
D'un ancien volcan
Qu'on croyait trop vieux
Il est paraît-il
Des terres brûlées
Donnant plus de blé
Qu'un meilleur avril
Et quand vient le soir
Pour qu'un ciel flamboie
Le rouge et le noir
Ne s'épousent-ils pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
One has often seen
The rekindled flame
Of an old volcano
That one believed too old
It is it seems
Burned grounds
Giving more corn
Than the best April
And when comes the evening
with it's blazing sky
Red and black
don't they match together
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Ne me quitte pas
Je ne vais plus pleurer
Je ne vais plus parler
Je me cacherai là
A te regarder
Danser et sourire
Et à t'écouter
Chanter et puis rire
Laisse-moi devenir
L'ombre de ton ombre
L'ombre de ta main
L'ombre de ton chien
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas.
Do not leave me
I will not cry any more
I will not speak any more
I will hide there
With you to look at
To dance and smile
And to listen to you
To sing and then to laugh
Let me become the
Shadow of your shadow
Shadow of your hand
Shadow of your dog
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me.
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