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 »

Latest
  • take you up on your offer

    take someone up on an offer – take advantage of someone’s offerYou may not need a friend’s help right away, but you may need it in the future. So if he offers to help, you can decline for now and then say that you might take him up on his offer in the future. like this:1…. Read more »

  • the offer still stands

    the offer still stands – the offer is still good; you can still take advantage of the offer. You use this expression when you’ve offered your help or your services to someone, but this person still hasn’t taken advantage of it. If you tell this person that your offer still stands, it means that you… Read more »

  • Get on my nerves

    This is another way of expressing your annoyance at someone or something. When someone or something gets on your nerves, you probably want to stay away from it or from that person. like this: 1. I like John, but he really gets on my nerves whenever he starts telling me what to do. He’s not… Read more »

  • A pain in the behind

    Here are different ways of expressing your annoyance at someone or something. All of them make reference to the buttocks. a pain in the ass – (You usually say this when you are angry.) When someone is a pain in the ass, you don’t want to be around that person. If something is a pain… Read more »

  • Show someone the ropes

    Show someone the ropes – teach someone how to do things usually at work; show someone the correct procedures; train someone. We often use this expression when we have a new coworker. When someone new has just been hired, this new worker needs to be shown the ropes before he or she can work independently…. Read more »

  • Get back into the swing of things

    Get back into the swing of things – return to your routine, your usual schedule, or a more regular emotional or mental state. We often use this expression when we feel or notice that our lives have returned to normal following a long absence. like this: 1. It took me awhile to get back into… Read more »

  • for good

    The phrase for good means that an action is final or permanent. We often use this phrase when talking about a change in our situation such as when we move to a different country. If you like your new country and you want to stay here permanently, you can say that you’re staying for good…. Read more »

  • Take her up on it

    Taking someone up on something means accepting someone’s offer. You can take someone up on a favor for the future, or you can take someone up on a favor that he or she has offered in the past. For example, if a friend offers to help you with your taxes and you think you may… Read more »

  • right off hand

    Today’s expression has the same meaning as yesterday’s. Like right off the bat, right off hand or simply off hand means thinking of something to say right now or right away. We can use the same examples we had yesterday and use off hand instead. So if you can’t think of anything to say or… Read more »

  • right off the bat

    Happy New Year everyone! Here we are again after a long break. Our next expression often has to do with quick thinking. Thinking of something to say right off the bat means thinking of something to say right away or right now. Sometimes it’s easy to think of an example or a funny story right… Read more »