I don’t know what your schedule is like, but at my job we have an interesting schedule. We start at 9:00am on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. On Wednesday and Friday, we start at 8:30. This can cause issues if you forget what day it is. I have accidently come in around 9ish on a Wednesday … Read More
Self-Study
-ish
Today we are going to do something a little different and talk about a suffix. “-ish” modifies words to mean approximately or similar to. It usually modifies adjectives, but it can also modify nouns. Example (approximately): Let’s meet at the café around 4ish. Example (similar to): I am hungryish. Ish can exist as a word … Read More
Cringe
One word that has been increasing in popularity is cringe. It has gained a new function over the past two decades, but the meaning is still fairly similar. Cringe means to move your body as a response to fear, pain, or disgust. Think about something really disgusting. Now imagine touching it. Did your body just move … Read More
The Other Day
The other day is a day that happened recently in the past. Most often it is used to talk about the day before yesterday, but it can refer to any recent day. This expression, with its current meaning, dates to 1421. However, in Old English (1400s) it meant the next day. Example: The other day … Read More
Back on Track
My friend recently posted about an outdoor railway museum in Gunsan (Korea Travel Advice). I go to Gunsan at least a few times a year on bicycle, and I didn’t know about it. I thought that it might be around the Japanese village, so I looked it up. As it turns out, it is right … Read More
In the Doghouse
At my job, we have the pleasure of working with a lot of wonderful Korean teachers. Some of them are ambitious. Two of my coworkers recently took the test (and passed) to become supervisors. In Korea, big accomplishments like that are cause for celebration. Some people will celebrate by buying a new vehicle. One of … Read More
Live Your Best Life
Last night while listening to the latest MapleNamu podcast, I heard Chris say, “live your best life.” It is a phrase that I have wanted to cover before. I only started noticing people using it as a catchphrase in the last five years, but it has been growing in popularity since the start of the … Read More
It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask
Today we were brainstorming ways to improve the new facilities at work. My coworker suggested that we move the TV. It was a good idea. She asked me if she should call general affairs and I said, “It doesn’t hurt to ask.” The phrase, ‘it doesn’t hurt to ask’, is used to encourage someone to … Read More
The Tides are Turning
TIDE: The movement of water due to the gravity of the moon. Today, I walked to an island! You might be wondering how that is possible, but there are a few places in Korea where you can do this. I went to Ssang-do island (쌍도) by Biin beach. When the tide goes out, a path … Read More
Bite the Bullet
To bite the bullet means to do something that you do not want to do, but that you have to do. For example, you might be afraid of the dentist, but your tooth is hurting. You should just bite the bullet and go to the dentist. There is a commonly held belief that the phrase … Read More