Re: True English

gerardM Jeu 24 Aoû - 22:43

... written test to come... Smile

MurielB Jeu 24 Aoû - 22:47

In that case I will read the list a second time !

gerardM Jeu 24 Aoû - 22:58

> Tx Gérard, I have learnt a lot !
I don"t dare say it's wrong but it hurts my eyes Very Happy

MurielB Ven 25 Aoû - 12:28

Ok for those who speak :-)

I have learned

gerardM Ven 25 Aoû - 21:15

Wonderful!

MurielB Sam 26 Aoû - 22:42

you're welcome Gérard ! Surprised

gerardM Dim 3 Sep - 23:03

I recently realized something weird in French.

Usually, English language uses French abbreviations, words or expressions such as RSVP, cliché, honi (single in En) soit qui mal y pense...

We use in French the abbreviation "c/o" which means "care of" though we had the expression "aux bons soins de" or "chez".
Isn't it weird?

gerardM Lun 4 Sep - 11:37

I learned a new English word today.

"paraphernalia".
God I would have never imagined English people could deal with such long words Very Happy

5 syllables!!

gerardM Lun 4 Sep - 11:46

... learned another one... enough for my day Wink

"rigmarole" - where did they take these words scratch

gerardM Lun 4 Sep - 12:03

Hi everyone,

My Kiwi niece has been to the UK, here are the messages with her friends ie vocab, culture and fun. Enjoy.

Alison - Happy to give the rental car back today - it had six forward gears but, driving in London, I only used the first two! Mental
Julie - You drove in London?? Even I don't do that
Alison - No choice. I can't get on the tube with an ironing board - I have a reputation to uphold dahling
Todd - Biggest car park in the Northern Hemisphere.
Alison - Seriously - why would anyone drive? It's utter madness!
Pamela - U were brave.. I always used the public transport
Alison - Difficult with an ironing board, bucket and mop!
Pamela - Lovely look, traveling on the underground.
Bruce - you can buy new ones for less than the cost of the rental
Alison - I already had the car Bruce - I'm not that daft!
Anne-Marie - Gears and London !!! You are hard core haha
Alison - Oh how quickly we forget - never again! It drove me to drink!
Anne-Marie - Alison I know even when I go home I hire an auto although I passed in a manual. We just get so lazy with the autos
Alison - I don't mind driving a manual but two hours to travel 8 miles and never out of second gear is just depressing!
Anne-Marie - Alison, yes that's depressing. Would have been quicker to walk. Have a safe flight back
Alison - I hope you meant "safe"
Anne-Marie - Alison, I did haha. Predictive text. Hope they're kind to you and give you another free upgrade
Alison -
Julie - Next time take an automatic. I got sick and tired of depressing the clutch every 30 seconds.
Alison - It took me three hours from Guildford to London - 50 mins to London and then over two hours to cover 8 miles, and it wasn't even rush hour! Why anyone would have a car in London is beyond me!
Amanda - Agree - and you can't park. Public transport the way to ho
Alison - Surprisingly, I was really lucky with parking - not a single ticket this time! I couldn't get on public transport with all the paraphernalia I had and I needed the car in Guildford but so happy to ditch it now. How anyone would want to drive in London is beyond me - it is soul destroying!
Amanda - Yup. Safe travels back to the sandpit.Lets get together next time - Book club drinks!!!
Alison - Sure - sounds like a plan. Hope you've settled well and are not finding it too cold already! I never expect it to be cold in Aug/Sep so am never prepared!
Amanda - York - freezing!! Ugg boots on in July, but love the log fires.
Amanda - Are you kidding? When are they going to be used???

I love these informal conversations; I can learn oodles of things and it's one of the reasons why I'm a FB member: true English.

MurielB Lun 4 Sep - 23:57

gerardM a écrit:I learned a new English word today.

"paraphernalia".
God I would have never imagined English people could deal with such long words 5 syllables!!

all the objects needed for or connected with a particular activity No I didn't know that word !

gerardM Jeu 28 Sep - 10:26

Everyday we learn new things... cheers

I learned the correct pronunciation of the Christian name Hugh (about Hugh Heffner's death): take a look, it's pronounced a bit like "U", that's all, no "H" no "gh" (eg ask Google Translate).
Nobody ever told me this! scratch

I mean no teacher, no coach, nobody. Smile

gerardM Jeu 28 Sep - 10:33

Today I learned another point of English.
You must not say "I'm warm" but "I'm hot"; or "I'm cold".

Apart feeling cold in your bed...The "traditional couples are "hot / cold" and "warm / cool".

NB: Tis strange as my dictionary doesn't confirm. Does it depend on regions? confused

MurielB Ven 29 Sep - 15:03

I'm warm" but "I'm hot"; or "I'm cold".

Gérard I have already heard "It's very warm here" not "I'm warm"

gerardM Ven 29 Sep - 21:14

Hi Muriel,

> NB: Tis strange as my dictionary
"Tis" is short for "it is".

gerardM Ven 29 Sep - 21:15

Muriel, I learned another expression today Very Happy

"Close, but no cigar."

MurielB Sam 30 Sep - 11:50

Tx Gérard Do you know its origin ?
https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/close-but-no-cigar.html

It appears in U. S. newspapers widely from around 1949 onwards; for example, a story from The Lima News, Lima, Ohio, November 1949, where The Lima House Cigar and Sporting Goods Store narrowly avoided being burned down in a fire, was titled 'Close But No Cigar'

gerardM Sam 30 Sep - 23:55

Thanks for this story Muriel.
I didn't have yours but

From the practice of giving cigars as prizes at carnivals in the US in the 19th century; this phrase would be said to those who failed to win a prize.

gerardM Mar 3 Oct - 23:55

... a word I already saw but I'd forgotten: a tad means a little; a bit, a few...

MurielB Mer 4 Oct - 11:55

... a word I already saw but I'd forgotten: a tad means a little; a bit, a few...

Tx for teaching a new word Gérard !

gerardM Mer 4 Oct - 14:49

You're welcome Muriel.

Tad - Sorry, I forgot to say: it is American.
Tis also used for a child (=Fr bambin).

gerardM Ven 6 Oct - 0:44

Another word I met today; I knew it but I'd never used it for years: to soar means to rise sharply.
I was used to preferring to rocket but I'll try to go back to to soar.

MurielB Ven 6 Oct - 14:20

Another word I met today; I knew it but I'd never used it for years:

Neither did I and it is very useful to come across it again. :-)

gerardM Ven 10 Nov - 21:45

Howdy.
A friend of mine, Elsa -born in Toulouse- is now living in Australia...

A bloody very nice girl I worked with a few years ago...
She went to Australia for the Olympics and took advantage of the event to get a job in a famous hotel in order to visit this unknown part of the world, welcome the French athlets, teams and tourists, and master English.

She met an Aussie boyfriend.
She came back to Paris with the boyfriend.

She got married, then they went to Singapore for a few years before settling in Sydney.
She is now a mother of 2 cute girlies.

I continue to discuss with Elsa via social networks.
Today she posted photos from Melbourne with the words: "We had a ball today!", which puzzled me. scratch

Thanks Elsa.

So
"To have a ball" means to have big fun (Fr s'amuser comme un fou/une folle).

gerardM Ven 10 Nov - 21:53

Ball -

There're several vaious meanings, several expressions around "ball".
Take a thorough look especially to learn what to avoid: as often in English, the word is very tricky.