VOCABULARY

Aloof:
1. Some politicians are criticized for being too aloof.
2. They worked hard, but tended to stay aloof from the local inhabitants.
3. She had always kept herself aloof from the boys in class.
...

Aloof: unfriendly and deliberately not talking to other people

Incubator:
1. a piece of hospital equipment into which very small or weak babies are put to keep them alive and warm
2. a heated container for keeping eggs warm until they hatch.

Knoll:
a small round hill

silage
grass or other plants cut and stored so that they can be used as winter food for cattle

Canvass:
1. Candidates from all three parties were out canvassing today.
2. Chapman spent the rest of May canvassing for votes.
3. The US has been canvassing support from other Asian states.
...

to try to persuade people to support a political party, politician, plan etc by going to see them and talking to them, especially when you want them to vote for you in an election

Hallo dear lovely fans! Emoticono smile
Turn up trumps = Emoticono smile Emoticono frown
Examples:...
1. I didn't honestly think he'd pass the exam, but he turned up trumps on that day.

2. Turn up your trumps and smile! Emoticono smile
Turn up trumps = to do what is necessary to make a particular situation successful
Best,
Mohammad Emoticono smile

1. Kids will love these stories about Annie Oakley's exploits.
2. The kids were telling their own exploits.

exploit : noun
a brave and exciting adventure that someone has had

1. When the alarm sounded, the whole gang took flight.
2. The old woman took to flight when the gun went off.
take flight / take to flight
when you leave a place in order to try and escape from a person or a dangerous situation

Manger:
a long open container that horses, cattle etc eat from

1. The army was in ignominious retreat.
2. He was no hero: his final exit was ignominious.
3. They would wipe out the shame of their ignominious defeat!
ignominious / ˌɪɡnəˈmɪniəs / ...
making you feel ashamed or embarrassed

A~R

1. There was a small fence to stop people trampling on the flowers.
2. The children were in danger of being trampled underfoot in the crowd.
3. Several people were nearly trampled to death in the rush to get out.
4. Kids chasing balls have trampled the flower beds.
...

Trample:
to step heavily on something, so that you crush it with your feet

Gore:
if an animal gores someone, it wounds them with its horns or tusks
1. He was attacked and gored by a bull.
2. All the men were gored and bitten

1. Five soldiers were shot in the back and killed in the ambush.
2. Enemy forces waiting in ambush opened fire on the vehicle.
3. Armed police lay in ambush behind the hedge.
4. They moved slowly, knowing that in the next clump of trees enemy soldiers might be lying in ambush.
...

Ambush: a sudden attack by people who have been waiting and hiding, especially an attack on a vehicle or people who are travelling somewhere

1. ‘Don’t go to sleep,’ she said, prodding me in the ribs.
2. Theo prodded at the dead snake.
Prod:
to quickly push something or someone with your finger or a pointed object

skirmish /ˈskɜːrmɪʃ /
a fight between small groups of soldiers, ships etc, especially one that happens away from the main part of a battle – used in news reports
1. The young soldier was killed in a skirmish with government troops.
2. Government soldiers ran into a group of rebels, and a skirmish followed....
3. Last night skirmishes were reported along the border.
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Escaramuza / ˈSkɜːrmɪʃ /
Una pelea entre pequeños grupos de soldados, barcos, etc, especialmente uno que pasa lejos de la parte principal de una batalla - utilizados en los informes de noticias
1. El joven soldado fue asesinado en una escaramuza con tropas del gobierno.
2. Soldados del gobierno se topó con un grupo de rebeldes, y una escaramuza seguido.
3. Anoche se comunicaron las escaramuzas a lo largo de la frontera.

...Vicious: / ˈvɪʃəs / adjective 

violent and cruel in a way that hurts someone physically; very unkind
1. Keep away from that dog, he can be vicious.
2. She was shocked by the vicious tone in his voice....
3. Apparently the girl was the victim of a vicious sex attack.
4. John gets pretty vicious when he's drunk.
5. The Senator launched a vicious attack on the former President.

1. Hens pecked at the corn scattered on the ground.
2. There was a red mark where the pigeon had pecked her hand.
3. The birds are pecking at breadcrumbs on the pavement.

Peck: if a bird pecks something or pecks at something, it makes quick repeated movements with its beak to try to eat part of it, make a hole in it etc

Alight:
if a bird or insect alights on something, it stops flying and stands on it
A red bird alighted in our garden

Whirl: to turn or spin around very quickly, or to make someone or something do this
1. Dust and sand were whirling around in the air, as the desert wind began to get stronger.
2. Flies whirled round the piles of sticky sweets.
3. The blades of the helicopter whirled powerfully overhead....
4. The seagulls were whiling in the sky.


Cannibal :
- a person who eats human flesh
- an animal that eats the flesh of other animals of the same kind

indefatigable / ˌɪndɪˈfætɪɡəbəl /
determined and never giving up
1. He's such an indefatigable campaigner for human rights....
2. My father is an indefatigable worker.
3. She won because of her indefatigable energy.

busy yourself with something: to use your time dealing with something
1. He busied himself with answering letters.
2. She busied herself with organizing the files.
3. Franca naturally busied herself with genuine tasks, of which there were always plenty.

Recreation:
an activity that you do for pleasure or amusement
1. His only recreations are drinking beer and watching football.
2. It's a recreation area for children to play in ...
3. The park is not just a place for recreation.
4. The afternoon was given up to recreation.

wean / wiːn /
to gradually stop feeding a baby or young animal on its mother’s milk and start giving it ordinary food
1. It’s time to start weaning her onto solid foods.

2. Some infants are weaned at six months


Welcome to another vocabulary lesson!
As you know by now, idioms are expressions that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words.
Well, this English vocabulary class is all about idioms that are quite humorous.
Ready to smile?

1. The lights are on, but nobody’s home

We use this expression to describe someone not very intelligent. A similar expression is: “The wheel is still spinning, but the hamster is dead”. Both intend to describe someone who is physically active, but not mentally active.
For example:
“This waitress keeps forgetting my food! It’s like the lights are on, but nobody’s home”

2. To have Van Gogh’s ear for music

Van Gogh is a very famous post-impressionist painter. He is also very well-known for cutting off his own ear. They still do not know exactly why it happened.
The expression, therefore, is ironic since someone who has Van Gogh’s ear for music means they have no sense of music at all.
For example:
“I have Van Gogh’s ear for music… I sing so badly and never remember the melody for any songs”

3. To put a sock in it

This idiom means “to be quiet” and we say it to someone who is very loud, noisy or won’t stop talking. Maybe it means we should put a sock in their mouth?
For example:
“Her little brother is always banging on the table and shouting when I am trying to study. I wish he would put a sock in it!”

4. When pigs fly

We already explained this idiom in our Animal Idioms post, but to remind you: we use it to express that something will probably never happen. It is also used in disbelief.
For example:
“Josephine told me she will pass all of her exams but she has not studied at all! She’ll pass when pigs fly…”

5. Couch potato

To be a couch potato means to be lazy and spend all day lying on the sofa, watching TV or playing games.  A couch and a sofa are the same thing.
For example:
“My boyfriend is such a couch potato! All he does all day, every day, is watch National Geographic and MTV on the television”


Which idiom did you like most?

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