Taking a load off (#idiom)

Taking a load off

Monday is President’s Day, a holiday in the U.S., so we’re getting a three-day weekend, which means I finally get to TAKE A LOAD OFF. It’s been so busy at work lately that I’m making it a point to take it easy this weekend. Sure, I still have a list of things to do, but… Read more »

Christmas 2015

It’s Christmas!

We’re having an unseasonably warm Christmas here in New York City. It’s strange, but no one’s complaining. Most of us are enjoying it, especially as we know the brutal wintry weather will eventually return. I, myself, have been busy lately, so Christmas this year means slowing down, taking it easy, and getting plenty of rest…. Read more »

Pasta dish for English vocabulary lesson

It’s Thanksgiving!

It’s Thanksgiving once again! I wish you all a day of fun, great food, quality time with family and friends, and plenty of things to be grateful for. If you are celebrating Thanksgiving, you will most likely pig out on a huge meal with some fantastic desserts. You will probably have seconds. You will be… Read more »

Image of autumn leaves for English lesson on the future perfect

Reviewing the Future Perfect

. We’re halfway through November. The autumn leaves have fallen, and winter is fast approaching. The year 2015 is almost over, and we just have a month or so before the new year begins. Do you have anything that you want to accomplish by the end of the year? Are you working on a task… Read more »

cute pumpkin photos for Halloween post

Is Halloween becoming less scary? :-|

Halloween has always been a spooky holiday where people put up creepy decorations and wear scary costumes. When you think of Halloween, you think skeletons & vampires & haunted houses & witches flying in the dark. People get pumpkins and carve Jack ‘o lanterns that are supposed to give passersby chills, right? SPOOKY, CREEPY –… Read more »

photo of lunch for #vocabulary lesson

Calling in sick & feeling under the weather

I’ve been home feeling under the weather the past two days. I think I caught my cold early last week when I started sniffling off and on. I must say I did a pretty good job keeping it at bay until Sunday, when it suddenly got worse and my nose started to run nonstop. 😐… Read more »

image of the simple present and the present progressive from a grammar booklet

Have you mastered the English present tenses?

The Simple Present and the Present Progressive/Continuous are the first two tenses that you learn when you first start studying English. Because of this, many students who have been studying English for a long time don’t want to practice them anymore because they think these tenses are too easy. Unfortunately, even advanced students can have a… Read more »

photos for English lesson on the slang phrase "the skinny"

Here’s the skinny on “the skinny”!

You probably already know that the word “skinny” also means “thin,” which is the opposite of “fat.” A person who doesn’t need to lose weight and who probably needs to gain weight is skinny, right? However, did you also know that the phrase “the skinny” is slang for “information” about some topic? That’s right! This… Read more »

photo to teach English vocabulary

Are you a night owl or an early bird?

People are usually either a night owl or an early bird. If you love to stay up until the wee hours of the morning, you are definitely a night owl. On the other hand, if you prefer to hit the sack early and get up early the next day, you can call yourself an early… Read more »

PB&J photo for an English vocabulary blog post

Becoming FOND OF blueberry jam

I usually make a PB&J to take to work every day–or my wife does it for me. 🙂 Recently, we decided to try blueberry instead of my usual raspberry, but I quickly realized I wasn’t too fond of the flavor. 😐 I like blueberry in pies and cakes, but it just didn’t go with peanut… Read more »

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Latest

  • out of the question

    1. Their mom said watching another movie was out of the question. It was time for bed.2. He wanted to get a motorcycle, but his wife said it was out of the question.3. Her parents want her to marry the guy, but she’s told them it’s absolutely out of the question.4. Going on vacation right… Read more »

  • splurge (v)

    1. She loves to splurge when she’s out shopping.2. They had reservations at a cheap motel, but they decided to splurge at the last minute and checked into a fancy one, instead.3. Let’s splurge on a nice dinner and try that new sushi place on 5th Avenue. It’s pricey, but it’s supposed to be excellent.4…. Read more »

  • skimp (v)

    1. You shouldn’t skimp on sleep. You need at least 8 hours a night.2. He’s skimping on groceries so he can save money to go on vacation.3. You don’t have to skimp on sugar; we still have a lot of it. Besides, I like my cake extra sweet.4. The company’s going through tough economic times;… Read more »

  • Have your work cut out for you

    1. You can start the report tomorrow. You already have your work cut out for you today.2. Alright folks, let’s get started. We have our work cut out for us.3. The boss wants me to finish the project by Friday, and I haven’t even started yet. I definitely have my work cut out for me… Read more »

  • What you get yourself into

    1. He didn’t know what he was getting himself into when he started a business.2. What did we get ourselves into? We didn’t know it was going to be this stressful.3. My friend knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to join the program, but I didn’t. I wish I had listened… Read more »

  • Be in for something

    1. Get some rest tonight. We’re in for a busy day tomorrow.2. The kids can’t wait. They know they’re in for a fun weekend at Disney World.3. Have you seen the syllabus? I think we’re in for a tough semester.4. We’re in for some heavy thunderstorms tonight as the storm moves into our area.5. Her… Read more »

  • debunk (v)

    1. They continue to insist their restaurant serves the best pasta even though their claim has been debunked twice by food critics. 2. The 12-year-old’s science experiment debunked the commonly-accepted idea that toilet bowls always have more bacteria than the kitchen tap.3. The news article debunked the manufacturer’s claim that the new kitchen gadget was… Read more »

  • Weigh in on something

    1. The president attended the meeting to weigh in on the proposed projects.2. Could you weigh in on our idea for the party? We’d like to know what you think.3. Tom loves to weigh in on everything his brother does.4. Everyone weighed in on her new tattoo. Most of them were positive though.5. Millions of… Read more »

  • TT4BS – the /e/ sound

    In this TongueTwisting4BetterSpeech, let’s practice the /e/ sound. Click the red speaker below for an audio recording to help you practice your pronunciation. Practice the following words first: when, send, lend, fence, hence Any, says, yes, best, dressLesson, oppress, digress, message, fresh Practice this tongue twister slowly first; then go faster as it gets easier…. Read more »

  • Quick Reminder: Practice makes perfect

    I came across a quote posted by @CoachCoreyWayne on Twitter. The quote is by the German literary great Johann Von Goethe and says, “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Wishing is not enough; we must do.” This quote is relevant to whatever endeavor you are engaged in, of course, but it caught my attention because it… Read more »