juice vs. pop

A drink made from fruit (or vegetables) is called 'juice' in English.

A drink made with gas (carbon dioxide) for bubbles is called Coke, or pop or soda or 'carbonated beverages' in English, but not 'juice'.

-proof

The suffix "-proof" means: "protected against".

This is my Walkman. It's waterproof. Even if it rains, the Walkman will still work.

Police wear bulletproof vests. Bullets cannot go through the vest.

Hockey rinks use shatterproof glass. If hockey players hit the glass, it will not shatter (break).

Bad Hair Day

... "I'm having a BAD HAIR DAY." means:

I was sleeping on my hair last night, and when I woke up in the morning, I couldn't comb it or make it lie flat.

Sushi Roll

I had a sushi roll at the Chinese store yesterday.

X

'X' means 'times' in English.

For example: 2 X 3 = 6
means: two times three equals six

A new survey in the U.S. shows that the average white family has 20 times as much money as the average African-American family, and 18 times as much money as a Hispanic family (Hispanics are people who speak Spanish).

Trailer

A 'trailer' is a thing on wheels that is pulled by a car or truck (or animal).

A 'tractor trailer' is a big truck that is pulling a big trailer.
It is also called an '18-wheeler' because it has 18 wheels.

fairy tale

'fairy tale' means: a story that is told to children.

Usually a fairy tale begins with the expression "Once upon a time".

'fairy tale' can also mean: something that is not true.

For example: The United Nations is supposed to prevent war, but that is a fairy tale.

THE 12 VERB TENSES IN ENGLISH

B

In the stock market, a 'bull market' is when stocks are rising. Bulls are good because they move fast.

A 'bear market' is when stocks are going down. Bears are bad because they move slowly.

(The correct grammar is 'move quickly', but for normal spoken English we say 'move fast' -- because it's shorter.)

A - the elephant in the room

There is a saying:
If there is an elephant in the room, everyone knows about it and no one talks about it.

For example: The elephant in the room is the unemployment problem.

means: Everyone knows that there is an unemployment problem, but no one talks about it.

Happiness is ...

... this expression comes from the Peanuts comic strip:

"Happiness is a warm puppy."

or

"Happiness is winning the lottery."

etc.

scorcher

It's a scorcher today. It's the hottest day in the history of Toronto.
'to scorch' is a verb meaning: to burn quickly;
for example: You should scorch the meat in the frying pan.

The high was 38 Celsius today.

Heat Wave

There's a heat wave in most of North America this week.

Today it was 34 degrees.

Tomorrow the forecast is 38 degrees.
That's the record-high temperature for Toronto. It's never been that hot before here.

CROCS

'Crocs' are the name for this kind of hard rubber/plastic shoe.

The name comes from 'crocs' (crocodiles) -- the animal with a tough skin.

muggy

It's muggy today - hot and humid.

Ferris Wheel

A 'Ferris wheel' is the big round thing that you can ride in.

up the creek

...
A 'creek' is a small river.

The expression 'up the creek without a paddle' or 'up the creek' means:
to be in trouble and not able to do anything.

For example: If you go to a country and you can't speak the language, you're up the creek.

classic

'classic' is an adjective for something that is old and good, for example: classic cars, classic movies, classical music, classical literature (books).

voice

...
'voice' is a grammar term. The normal voice in English is Active. The passive voice is used when you don't know what the subject is, or you don't want to say what the subject is.

Active voice: SUBJECT-VERB-OBJECT: Charlie Brown is kicking the ball.

Passive voice: OBJECT-VERB-(SUBJECT): The ball is being kicked. The ball is being kicked by Charlie Brown.

at a snail's pace

"at a snail's pace" means: going very slowly.

For example: The repairs to the Fukushima reactor are going at a snail's pace.

---

I went to MacDonald's today and I had the salad. I am very healthy :)

tractor trailer

A common expression on radio traffic reports is :
There's a tractor trailer jacknifed on the 401.

'jacknifed' means that the tractor and the trailer are bent like a jacknife.
or
... that the first trailer and the second trailer are bent like a jacknife.
but I don't see double trailers anymore.
I think the government has banned rigs with 2 trailers.

11/07/2011

date format:

In the U.S., 11/07/2011 means November 7, 2011. The first number is the month.

In Canada and England, it means July 11, 2011. The first number is the day.





The game with 3 rows and 3 columns is called

'tic-tac-toe'

or

X's and O's

box van

A 'box van' is a truck where the back is shaped like a box.

'Dimpflmeier' is a company here that makes German bread.

Beetle

'Beetle' or "bug" is slang for a Volkswagen like this:

skeleton crew

...

Today is the last launch of the space shuttle. It is carrying a skeleton crew of 4.
A 'skeleton' crew is an expression meaning: a crew smaller than normal, as small as possible. For example, if an airline is on strike, it is still operating with a skeleton staff (only a few people).

onomatopoiea

...
...
'onomatopoiea' is a grammar term for words that sound like what they mean. An example in English is 'hiss'.

BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE

"like a bolt out of the blue" means: something that is not expected. This is because when the sky is blue, you don't expect a lightning bolt.

For example:

His resignation came like a bolt out of the blue.

limousine

A limousine is a car that is longer than a normal car.

It usually has a separate compartment at the front for the chauffeur (driver).

'limousine' and 'chauffeur' are French words borrowed into English.

Beware of falling rocks.

A lot of signs use pictures because a lot of people don't speak English (or can't read).

overpass

This is an overpass. An 'overpass' is when they build a road above the ground so that the cars can pass over people's heads.

An 'underpass' is when they dig a tunnel under something so that the cars can pass under it. For example, Manhattan Island is connected to the mainland by underpasses.

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I had to do a lot of exercise today to burn off all the calories from the fast food yesterday.

fast food

'fast food' is food that you get fast because it is already made.

fast food is not good for you because it usually has a lot of fat.

bulrushes

These plants are called bulrushes.