A valediction is a way of ending a conversation or letter. It is a word or phrase to say goodbye. The opposite of valediction is salutation. A valediction can also refer to the speech given at a graduation. There are many types of valediction including goodbye, sincerely, your friend, cordially, etc. Your signature (or printed … Read More
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch is an English proverb about expectations. The phrase warns us against counting on something to happen. We shouldn’t take things for granted (expecting a certain result). The proverb is an allusion to a chicken farmer who expects all his eggs to hatch and become chickens. With natural incubation, … Read More
I recently watched a video where the presenter was complaining about idioms. He seemed to be distraught at the fact that idioms exist. If you have seen my other posts here, you probably know I have the opposite opinion. I think they are very interesting and learning about them can show us a bit about … Read More
At this time of year, it is important to wear suntan lotion. Today, I went for a long walk. I was smart and I put suntan lotion on my arms, legs, and neck. However, I forgot to put lotion on my hands. Now, my hands are red. My story doesn’t have anything to do with … Read More
Yesterday I went cycling for the first time since my leg was injured about 2.5 months ago. It was nice to get back in the saddle (bicycle seat). I felt strange sitting on my bicycle. My injured leg felt like it was too short when I started. After about 10 minutes it was fine. Also, … Read More
A lot of people are surprised to learn that I am a smoker. Even though I only have a few cigarettes per day, I am a smoker. I only smoke after work and it helps me to fall asleep. The phrase ‘close but no cigar’ means that you almost accomplished something but fell just short. … Read More
It is really hot these days. In Korean, there are names for the hottest days of the year. Today is Chobok, the first of the hottest days. The other days are Jungbok (July 27th) and Malbok (August 16th). The ending phoneme, bok, comes from a Chinese character that looks like a dog lying on its … Read More
I am on vacation this week or at least I booked this week off work. Unfortunately, I still had to go to work most of Monday and a little bit on Tuesday. There were time sensitive tasks to do. Now, for the rest of the week, I am looking forward to letting my hair down … Read More
The phrase ‘apple of my eye’ refers to someone or something that is extremely special or important to someone. It is more often used to talk about a loved one rather than an object. This phrase is not commonly spoken, but most English speakers will know it. Example: My sweetheart. You are the apple of … Read More
From the get-go means from the beginning. An easy way to remember this is to think of it as get going. However, the history of this phrase is a little more complex. Example: I have been producing good work at this job from the get-go. Example: This projected was doomed from the get-go. From the … Read More
