Today’s phrase was suggested by my Aunt Karen. My grandmother just received a special reading machine from the “Blind Institute”. Using the machine, she was able to read a bill for an oil change. My aunt said that my grandmother was pleased as Punch. From context, you might be able to figure out the meaning. … Read More
Have you ever had plans that didn’t work out the way you wanted? In English, we sometimes say that things just didn’t pan out. It just means that it was an unexpected or unfavorable outcome. Example: I tried to get a job at Samsung, but it didn’t pan out. The idea with this phrase is … Read More
Today’s phrase is a fairly recent one. Languages change over time. It is often said that languages are alive and evolve. It is not surprising then that as society changes, so does our language. Over the last 30 years, video gaming has become more and more popular. Some of the largest channels on YouTube are … Read More
Two days ago I posted about the phrase Taking the Piss, let’s continue our journey in toilet phrases today. Today’s phrase is shit happens. This phrase says that life is unpredictable. It is often used to show our powerlessness. The phrase is usually applied to unfavorable situations that you could not foresee. Example: I’m sorry … Read More
Yesterday I had to go to work, even though I am on sick leave. My leg is feeling well enough, and I needed to complete some things for class on Monday. One of my coworkers was doing her club activity. A club activity is something we do in some of our teacher training courses where … Read More
Taking the piss is my second favorite British slang. However, since I am Canadian, I would like any British people to correct me. I am aware that Australia also uses this phrase, so it is fairly widespread. Taking the piss means to tease, trick, ridicule, or make fun of someone. In North America we would … Read More
Do you know the game Kendama? Kendama is a traditional Japanese game. There are two wooden cups attached to a handle. There is also a string connecting the handle to a ball. The objective of the game is to catch the ball in each cup and on the ends of the handle. It is fairly … Read More
The dodo is a famously extinct animal. So, as you can imagine, this phrase means that something is no longer useful. It could be obsolete or outdated because a better product has come along. Maybe it is being phased out (slowly replaced by something else). Example: Cellphones are so useful, there is no reason to … Read More
To shoot yourself in the foot means to sabotage your own chances. People might do something foolish that harms their ability to succeed at something. Shooting yourself in the foot can also be applied in a situation where someone accidentally makes a situation worse for their self. Example: She was going to pass the course, … Read More
I hear this phrase a lot. It means that if you plan carefully and use your brain, you can get away with doing less physical work. An example might be delegating (giving responsibilities to other workers) to reduce your own workload. Another example that is more applicable to teaching is the use of downloading material. … Read More
