VOCABULARY

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.
Ver más

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?

...

Active and passive voice, The difference between pain, hurt, relief and relieve, glad, please and happy, How to use 'as is' properly?, ' To beg the question','further' and 'farther'.

Would you mind to talk about active and passive voice?

We usually try to write in active voice because it’s easier to understand.

In the active voice the subject ‘does’ the action:

Notice how the subject in these examples is 'doing' the verb's action.

'The boy ate the cake.' [The boy is the subject and he is doing the eating]

'The girl kicks the ball.'

'I wrote the essay.'

But in passive voice the action is performed 'on' the subject. So we can say the subject is 'acted on.'

'The cake was eaten by the boy.' [The cake is the subject and it is acted upon]

'The ball is kicked by the girl.'

'The essay was written by me.'

  

What is the difference between pain, hurt, relief and relieve, glad, please and happy? Thank you for the answer.

The noun ‘pain’ refers to an unpleasant physical sensation caused by an injury or sickness.

‘I have a pain in my stomach.’

‘Do you feel any pain when I touch you?’

‘The pain was so bad I had to go to hospital.’

‘Hurt’ is a verb describing the act of feeling pain.

‘My leg hurts.’

‘Show me where it hurts.’

‘I hurt it when I fell off my bike.’

'Relief' is a noun, it refers to the good feeling you get when something bad has stopped, or has not happened.

‘What a relief, my leg has finally stopped hurting.’

‘It is a relief to know you are feeling better. I was very worried.’

'Relieve' is a verb, it describes the act of making something painful or unpleasant go away, or feel better.

‘The medication relieved my pain.’

‘I am relieved to see that you are healthy.’

'Pleasure' is a noun. It refers to a happy feeling.

‘Being here with you gives me great pleasure.’

‘What a pleasure it is to spend a day by the beach.’

'Glad' is an adjective that describes a good feeling of pleasure and happiness.

‘I’m glad you are feeling better today.’

‘I’m glad the school year is almost finished.’

‘I’m glad I can spend the weekend with my family.’

'Happy' is an adjective.

‘I am so happy to see you.’

‘I feel happy to know you are feeling better.’

 

How to use 'as is' properly?

As is' is a short way of saying 'as it is.'

We use in mainly when talking about buying a second-hand, or used, item. It means you will have to accept the item 'as it is', including any problems it has.

'I'll give it to you for $100, as is.'

‘You can buy the dress for $5 but it does have a hole in it, so you’ll have to take it as is.’

  

Could you please explain the phrase 'To beg the question'?

Most people use ‘beg the question’ to mean ‘pose the question’ or ‘forces me to ask the question.’

‘He said he wasn’t home when I knocked on the door. Which begs the question: Where was he?’

But many people who study logic argue that this meaning is not strictly correct. It originally comes from the Latin petitio principii, which means ‘assuming the initial point.’

Strictly, it refers to ‘circular reasoning’; when your only proof for an argument assumes the argument is true. Here are some examples of arguments that would be called 'begging the question':

‘Ghost are real because I have seen them.’

‘The reason these hats are so popular is because everybody wants them.’
But remember that in everyday speech you are most likely to hear the more common use of 'that begs the question,' to mean 'that forces me to ask the question.'

  

I'd like to know the meanings  of 'further' and 'farther'. 

Both ‘further’ and ‘farther’ are used to mean ‘a greater distance.’

Farther refers to actual, physical distances.

‘It was a lot farther than I expected, and I had not planned to walk in my good shoes.’

‘How much farther?’

'Further' is used for metaphorical distances. Note how in these sentences we are talking about the idea of distance, but not actual, physical distances that can be measured:

‘I do not want to talk about this any further.’

‘I can’t believe you said I was selfish. Nothing could be further from the truth.’

These days it is  more and more common for people to use ‘further’ in both cases, and ‘farther’ is becoming much less common.

happy' and 'glad, Idioms and Proverbs

Do you know the difference between 'happy' and 'glad'? What about the meaning of 'active' and 'passive' voice? These are just some of the questions we've answered this week.

Idioms and Proverbs

An 'idiom' is an expression that has a fixed meaning. An idiom can’t be understood from the meaning of its individual words.
For example, to be ‘sick as a dog,’ means to be very sick....
It something is ‘out of the blue’ it is unexpected.

As you can see, the meaning of an idiom can’t always be figured out by understanding the meaning of each word.
Idioms can be specific to a certain place or culture.
A ‘proverb’ is a short, well-known saying that expresses a truth or piece of advice. You could also call it a ‘wise saying.’
For example, ‘you get what you pay for,’ is a proverb. It means that if you don’t pay much for something it is likely to be of poor quality.
Another common proverb is ‘look before you leap’. It means that you should think before you act.

Two minds, Question tags

Two minds
To ‘be in two minds’ means to be unable to decide.
‘I’m in two minds about whether to go to a party tonight or stay home and go to bed early.’
‘Do you think we should take a holiday this year? I’m in two minds about it.’
...

What are you 'in two minds' about?

Question tags
A tag question is a question put at the end of a statement to encourage a response from the listener.'
It’s a hot day, isn’t it?'
...

We also use tag questions to ask for confirmation. They mean something like: 'is that right?' or 'do you agree?'
'This pie is delicious, isn’t it?'
'He lives in Sydney, doesn’t he?'
In a tag question, positive sentences are followed by a negative tag.
'She’s Italian, isn’t she?'
'They're coming to the party tonight, aren't they?'
Negative sentences are followed by a positive tag.
'We aren’t late, are we?'
'He doesn’t have any kids, does he?'

A load off my mind, How, when, where, what, who, which and why

A load off my mind
‘A load off your mind’ refers to a feeling of relief when a problem has been solved and doesn’t worry you anymore.
‘I am so happy to have the fence fixed. That is a load off my mind.’
‘My sister’s surgery was a success, so that’s a load off my mind.’
...

Flickr CC: tobym

How, when, where, what, who, which and why

There are seven words we use when asking for information.
‘How’ means 'in what way?'...
‘How did you learn to paint?’

‘When’ means 'at what time?'
‘When did you first start painting?’
‘Where’ means 'in what place?'
'Where do you get your ideas?'
‘What’ is used to ask about things.
‘What do you think about the new art gallery?
‘Who’ is used to ask about people.
'Who inspired you to start painting?'
‘Why’ is used when asking for an explanation.
‘Why do you enjoy painting?’
‘Which’ is used to specify one thing from a group or set.
'Which colours are your favourite?’ 

'A little' or 'A bit'?

'A little' or 'A bit'?
The phrases 'a little', 'a bit' and 'a little bit' are adverbs and can be used in similar ways to talk about a small or a limited amount of something:
‘She gave me a bit of money, just enough to help pay the rent.’
‘I didn’t eat a lot, I just had a little bit of cheese.’...
‘I felt a bit sick after dinner.’

And we can also use ‘a little’ with a determiner or pronoun to indicate a small part or portion:
‘Would you like a little salmon?’
‘I had a little cake after dinner and now I am full.’
In general, 'bit' is less formal than 'little'.
Flickr CC:Jara S


You can say a bit more sugar, a bit of sugar, some sugar or a little sugar. All are correct.

I feel a bit hungry
Give a bit of food for poor dog
I have a bit time to talk to you

'Give a bit of food to the poor dog.' Good examples.