In last month's October edition of the Yabla English Lesson, we discussed the Performing Arts, one of which is music. Let's take a look today at the English names of some of the most common musical instruments used in classical music.
The piano is one of the main instruments in western musical traditions, and many musicians who specialize in other instruments and singing are often required to learn some basic piano skills. This is because of the piano's large range, from deep bass to high treble, which allows it to cover all of the ranges used by orchestral instruments. The piano is also important for musical composition, and many works for orchestra have been composed using the piano. A person who plays the piano is called a pianist or a piano player.
Well, when I write songs, I sometimes will write it on a piano.
Caption 27, Bee and Flower: Interview
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Warren Beatty's a good pianist.
Caption 71, Chevy Chase: talks about his acting life
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The violin also has another common name in English: the fiddle. This term is usually more casual and used especially in country, folk, and bluegrass music. A person who plays the violin is called a violinist or a fiddler.
Good. Did you mind if I play the violin? -No, go right ahead.
Caption 10, Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Cunningham Heritage
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So, I picked up an instrument that was called the fiddle.
Caption 17, Sigrid: An American in Italy
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Of the remaining bowed string instruments, the viola is played by a viola player. The cello, actually short for "violoncello," is played by a cellist. The double bass—also called the upright bass or acoustic bass—is the deepest of the string instruments. It's played by a bassist, or double bass player, upright bass player, etc.
I'm Jasmine Beams. I'm from Milwaukee and I play viola.
Caption 9, Making Tracks: Dewayne Everettsmith & Jasmine Beams musical journey
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I grew up playing the cello.
Caption 10, Justin James: Booking Submission Video
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And did you take bass lessons when you were young?
Caption 12, Bee and Flower: Interview
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The highest of the woodwind reed instruments are the clarinet and the oboe. The clarinet is played by a clarinetist and the oboe by an oboist, although "clarinet player" and "oboe player" are fine too. The deepest is the bassoon, played by a bassoonist, or bassoon player.
I play the clarinet. -I play the bassoon.
Caption 8, Making Tracks: A musical journey inspired by Australia
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I played the oboe in middle school band.
Caption 85, Jennifer Lawrence & Chris Pratt: Answer the Web's Most Searched Questions
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There are also several non-reed woodwind instruments such as the flute and the recorder. A flute player is called a flutist (or flautist), and a recorder player is called just that.
When I was a girl, I studied flute like many girls,
Caption 36, Sigrid: An American in Italy
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And so I started playing recorder.
Caption 44, Sigrid: An American in Italy
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Of the brass instruments, the most commonly used are the trumpet and the French horn. The players of these instruments are a trumpeter (or trumpet player) and a French horn player. In the lower registers there's also the tuba, played by a tuba player.
Oh, yes, yes, practice trumpet every day.
Caption 23, They Might Be Giants: The Seven Days Of The Week
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Lastly, the main percussion instruments used are the marimba, the snare drum, and the timpani. The person in the orchestra playing these instruments is called a percussionist.
We know where the certain snare-hits are.
Caption 27, OK Go - Needing/Getting: Behind The Scenes
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above relating to musical instruments. You can also search for the names of the instruments and find other videos. Find a tandem partner in your class and make up some sentences in English using these musical instrument words, then compare what you both came up with. In next month's lesson, we'll talk about the different kinds of musical instruments used in pop music!
Last month we started learning about different kinds of Visual Art: architecture, ceramics, conceptual art, drawing, painting, and sculpture. Let's continue today with the Literary Arts and the Performing Arts.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines literature as "writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest." This does not usually include news journalism or technical writing, but usually includes poetry, drama, and fiction and non-fiction prose. A person who creates literature is usually called an author, a dramatist or playwright, a poet, or simply a writer.
By the year 2050, the whole literature of the past will have gone.
Captions 1-2, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four: BBC TV Movie
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The author Dave Eggers wanted to have a location that was accessible from the streets.
Captions 14-15, Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.: Learn about this fun shop in Brooklyn, NY!
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The next category of types of art is the Performing Arts. Merriam-Webster defines this as "types of art (such as music, dance, or drama) that are performed for an audience."
Dance as an art form, simply defined as "the art of dancing," is usually referring to contemporary dance and ballet, but may include figure skating, synchronized swimming, and some forms of gymnastics. A person who designs a dance performance is called a choreographer.
The inspiring story of a boy's struggle against the odds to become a ballet star.
Captions 20-21, Visit London: Top 10 London Musicals
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I came to America to become a professional dancer.
Caption 3, Another 7.4 Earthquake: Hits Japan
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Music is described by Merriam-Webster as "the art or skill of creating or performing music," although Wikipedia describes it more interestingly as "an art form whose medium is sound and silence, occurring in time." A person who performs music is a musician (or named after the instrument they play, such as a pianist, violinist, or guitarist). A person who writes music is called a composer or songwriter.
So you write music as well, as in literally "write music?"
Captions 36-37, Bee and Flower: Interview
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This is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was an Austrian musician and composer.
Captions 9-10, English Grammar in Use: Past Simple
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The last form of the performing arts is theater, defined by Merriam-Webster as "dramatic representation as an art or profession." Clearly, this extends beyond works performed in theaters to all forms of acting, which may also include any of the other performing arts of dance and music. Although theater and filmmaking encompass many kinds of work, the main performing artist is called an actor or actress, though it is usually best to refer to all genders of such performing artists simply as actors.
You're a repertory theater actor, you're expected to do everything.
Caption 14, Ask Jimmy Carter: Interview with Richard Gere
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above relating to art forms and professions. Find a tandem partner in your class and make up some sentences in English using these art words, then compare what you both came up with.
The arts are basically divided into three different categories: the Visual Arts, the Literary Arts, and the Performing Arts. Of course, there are art forms that combine the different categories—as well as art that is very difficult to categorize at all—but let's stick to the basics!
Today we'll focus on just the Visual Arts. The first type of art in this category is architecture, which the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as "the art or practice of designing and building structures, and especially habitable ones." The professional title of a person who creates architecture is an architect.
California's central coast is a gorgeous stretch dotted with Spanish architecture.
Captions 2-3, Travel + Leisure: Weekend Getaway, Santa Barbara
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The next type of art in the visual arts is ceramics, defined by Merriam-Webster as "the art or process of making ceramic articles." Works of art made of ceramic are also called pottery. You call a person who makes ceramics a ceramicist or a studio potter.
The most popular pieces, I would say, are the ceramic pieces.
Caption 17, New York City: Little Shop of Crafts
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The next type of art in the visual arts category is drawing, which the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as "the art or technique of representing an object or outlining a figure, plan, or sketch by means of lines".
So it's kind of a messy drawing, but it really helps to start to think of ideas.
Caption 27, Creative Space: What does an Interior Designer Do?
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A person who draws might be called a "drawer," but this is usually a person (such as a draftsman) who makes plans and sketches of machinery or structures, or a person who "draws up" or writes legal documents. Most visual artists use drawing as part of their skill set, if not as a finished product, then as a way to sketch out ideas.
Now we come to painting, a field practiced by painters, which is probably the traditional art form that most people think of when they think about art. It's simply defined in the dictionary as "the art or occupation of painting."
When I do an oil painting, it takes me a week or a month.
Captions 15-16, Creative Space: An Artist's Studio
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Next comes photography, practiced by photographers, which has many aspects that are not generally considered "high art," such as photojournalism for the news and commercial photography for advertising. Merriam-Webster defines it as "the art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy and especially light on a sensitive surface (such as film or an optical sensor)."
This rule applies to film-making, photography...
Caption 2, Filmmaking & Photography: The Rule of Thirds | What Is It?
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The next type of visual art is sculpture, a field practiced by sculptors, and defined by Merriam-Webster as "the action or art of processing (as by carving, modeling, or welding) plastic or hard materials into works of art."
She prays to be sculpted by the sculptor.
Caption 4, Alessia Cara: Scars To Your Beautiful
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The last form of visual arts is conceptual art, which Merriam Webster defines as "an art form in which the artist's intent is to convey a concept rather than to create an art object." A person who practices this art form is a conceptual artist. In the United Kingdom, conceptual art has come to mean any contemporary art that does not use the traditional skills of painting or sculpture. Since conceptual art may take the form of an installation, or a form that is not easily sold (in the way an object like a painting or sculpture can be sold), most conceptual artists live from art grants and other forms of financial support.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above relating to art forms and professions. Find a tandem partner in your class and make up some sentences in English using these art words, then compare what you both came up with.
The weather where you live may be different, but with cooler temperatures and rains, summer is already showing signs of being over. Summer officially ends on August 31st, so let's talk today about the season that comes after summer.
The most common American English name for the season after summer is fall. The word possibly came from Old English or Old Norse into British English. By the 20th century, it had fallen into disuse in Britain.
The fall is my favorite season in New York.
Caption 10, Caralie and Annie: Get to Know Each Other
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Spring is long gone, and summer's over, and we're ready for fall.
Captions 36-37, Food Talk with Sigrid: Simple Summer Vegetables
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Third, we have fall, or you could say autumn, when the leaves turn golden.
Captions 21-22, Lydia Explains: Weekdays, Seasons and Months
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The other English word for this season, as you can see in the last caption above, is autumn. This is the standard British English word for the season. It's also common in American English, though a bit more formal than "fall."
The Changing of the Guard happens throughout autumn and winter,
Caption 27, In London with Lauren: Buckingham Palace
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It's the end of October, so we are in the middle of autumn.
Captions 4-5, Sigrid: Pumpkin Season
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Meanwhile, autumn has painted its colors on the Alps.
Caption 21, The Last Paradises: Realm of the Golden Eagle
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The last caption does not mean that the season is literally taking up a brush to paint. It's metaphorically describing how in autumn, the green leaves of the trees change color to orange and gold!
Some years we get lucky and have a few weeks in fall (or autumn) when it's warm and sunny. This is commonly called Indian summer in English. Nobody knows where this phrase really came from, but other languages also have a name for this phenomenon. In many European languages, it is called "old woman's summer," and in some South American countries, it is called "little summer."
You're like an Indian summer in the middle of winter
Caption 27, Katy Perry - Thinking Of You: Behind The Scenes
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the Lydia Explains video to learn more about seasons. You can also find more videos by searching for "autumn" and "fall."
Spring and summer are the times of year that most flowers bloom in the Western Hemisphere. Let's take a look today at some of the more common types of flowers you'll come across in English.
This incredible variety of shades of purple lupines are springing up everywhere.Captions 25-26, New Zealand: 100% Pure New Zealand, Home of Middle-earth
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The Lupine (often spelled "Lupin" in British English), with its beautiful purple flowers, has become a problem in New Zealand, because it is not a native plant and has spread rapidly throughout the country.
If you come in June, you can see the roses.
Caption 11, Jessica: Brooklyn Sites
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The rose has been linked since ancient times to love, so it's the standard flower for people in love to give each other as a present.
This brief, rich time is crowned by the blooming of the alpine rose.
Caption 10, The Last Paradises: The Alps, Realm of the Golden Eagle
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The alpine rose is a kind of rose that is found in the mountains of central and southern Europe.
Anticipating the second her ears would open like lotuses...
Caption 15, White House Poetry Jam: Joshua Bennett
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The lotus flower is usually pink in Asia, and yellow in North America. It is considered a sacred plant in some eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism.
And who can believe that a kind of rhododendron is growing in the Alps as well?
Caption 12, The Last Paradises: The Alps, Realm of the Golden Eagle
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There are over a thousand kinds of rhododendrons. It's the national flower of Nepal.
There are Easter lilies and other flowers everywhere.
Caption 67, Holidays and Seasons with Sigrid: Easter
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The Easter lily is found most often in Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. In Ireland, a badge shaped like an Easter lily is worn during the Easter holidays in remembrance of people who died fighting for Irish independence.
Beside the red carpets shines the deep blue gentian.
Caption 13, The Last Paradises: The Alps, Realm of the Golden Eagle
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There are many different kinds of gentian, which usually have blue flowers. Some kinds are used medicinally or as a food or drink flavoring.
Dream if you can a courtyard, an ocean of violets in bloom.
Captions 4-5, Prince. When Doves Cry
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Violets are often—but not always—a shade of purple that is also called violet, but there are also blue varieties. People sometimes invent rhymes that start with the line "Roses are red, violets are blue..."
As did the queen of the Alps, the edelweiss.
Caption 18, The Last Paradises: The Alps, Realm of the Golden Eagle
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The edelweiss is usually found in the mountains of Europe.
So much for them daisy chains.
Caption 37, Diane Birch: Valentino
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"Daisy" is a common name for several different kinds of flowers, which if strung together in a garland, are called "daisy chains." But the term "daisy chain" is also used as a technical term for connecting things, such as computers, ropes for climbing, and even a kind of fishing lure!
Further Learning
Find out more about different kinds of flowers on English Wikipedia or Simple English Wikipedia. You can start by looking up some flowers from this list: daffodil, dahlia, hibiscus, jasmine, marigold, morning glory, pansy, petunia, tulip, sunflower, and lavender.
You can also go to Yabla English and find more videos that use the word "flower" or "flowers" to see the different ways it is used by native English speakers.
Let's take a look today at different idioms, or slang expressions, that are based on the verb "to run" and its noun version, "run." The primary meaning of "to run" is, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "to go faster than a walk; specifically, to go steadily by springing steps so that both feet leave the ground for an instant in each step." But there are a lot of other uses for this handy word whose meanings are meant as a figure of speech.
It's no secret that the both of us are running out of time
Caption 30, Adele Hello
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It just was a movie that didn't end with all the pizzazz that it should have because they ran out of money by the end.
Captions 70-71, Ask Jimmy Carter: Interview with Robin Williams
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To "run out" of something means that you will soon have no more of something left. The phrase "to run out of gas" literally means that your car will soon have no more gas. But it is also a figure of speech meaning that you are getting tired and have very little energy left. "I wanted to finish my homework, but I ran out of gas."
In the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on.
Captions 1-2, Led Zeppelin: Stairway to Heaven
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The phrase "in the long run" means over a long period of time, or eventually.
Yeah, she'd stay there till her blood ran cold.
Caption 22, Krayolas: La Conquistadora
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The saying "blood runs cold" means that somebody gets very frightened and fears for the worst.
And wonder runs in the family.
Caption 14, Selena Gomez: Ramona And Beezus
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If something "runs in the family," it suggests that some kind of illness is inherited in a family or some kind of behavior is seen in a family, as if it were inherited.
I was running late and I decided in order to make up the time, that I was gonna speed my car.
Caption 30, Drivers Wanted: Pizza Delivery
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To be "running late" does not necessarily mean that you are literally running—although people do often run when they are late—but simply that you are late for something like an appointment.
Further Learning
See if you can guess the meaning of the following figures of speech using "run." The answers are at the very bottom of the page, so you can check them afterwards.
A. to get off to a running start
B. to make a run for it
C. to run a fever or temperature
D. to run a tight ship
E. to run around in circles
F. to run into a stone wall
G. to run someone ragged
You can also go to Yabla English and find more videos that use run, running, ran etc. to see the different phrases used by native English speakers.
-------------------------------------------
A. to start something, such a project, very quickly and efficiently
B. to escape something, whether literally by running or any other means
C. to have a fever or a high temperature
D. to supervise very effectively and efficiently
E. to be inefficient, wasting time
F. to be stopped from making progress
G. to exhaust somebody by giving them too many tasks
This is the last part in our three-part Yabla series about sayings in English (called "idioms") that are not always so easy to understand, but that you will often hear native English speakers say.
But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time.
Caption 11, Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do
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To do something "in the nick of time" means to do it at the last possible moment. This comes from a 17th century meaning of "nick" that is otherwise no longer used, which means "a critical moment." Thus "in the nick of time" means "at a critical moment in time."
Having a serious deadline like that it caused
the whole team, to really buckle down and get it together.
Captions 43-44, Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World
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To "buckle down" means to "start working hard." Its origin is American, where it first appeared in print in the mid-19th century. The idiom "get it together" is probably related to the phrase to "get your act together," which means to get organized so that you can accomplish something effectively.
And I am sick and tired of my phone ringing.
Caption 58, Lady Gaga - Telephone, featuring Beyoncé
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This doesn't really mean that somebody is either ill or exhausted, but rather that something is annoying or getting on their nerves. It probably originated in North America in the 18th century.
You better step your game up on that.
Caption 40, Java - The "Java Life" Rap Music Video
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To "step up your game" means to improve your skills. This probably started as a phrase used in sports, but is now commonly used for any subject.
You keep your nose out of this.Caption 36, Dream to Believe - aka Flying
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The phrase "to stick your nose in somebody's business" means to involve yourself in something that is none of your concern. Thus "to keep your nose out" means to "not get involved" in something.
You wanna just kind of take it easy and rest?
Caption 52, Leonard Nimoy - Talking about Mr. Spock
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To "take it easy" means "to relax," but if someone "takes something hard" it means that something has had a negative emotional impact on them.
Because if they don't get him, we're up that creek without a paddle.
Caption 47, Karate Kids, USA - The Little Dragons
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As common sense implies, if you are in boat with no way to control it or make it move, you are in trouble. So "up a creek without a paddle" means to be in trouble!
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and review the three-part Yabla series about English idioms. See if you can make your own sentences using the idioms in different contexts to see if you understand them correctly.
An idiom is basically a phrase that is figurative and used to describe literal situations with words that may not be clear to a non-native speaker. Last month we went through a selection of common idioms, and in this lesson we can go through some more that you may hear when you are speaking English with somebody.
So I think to kitesurf all year around,
um, as a job and to do it 24/7,
you need a break, and I mean, it may not seem like time off!
Captions 19-21, Sam Light - In a Nutshell
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The slang expression "24/7" is best explained in this video:
It's basically 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Caption 22, World's Toughest Job - Official Video
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What do you want to get off your chest?
Caption 16, Comic-Con 2015 - Jennifer Lawrence
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To "get something off your chest" is to admit something that has been bothering you.
Alaska's wide and very isolated mountains ranges are a paradise for these animals,
but a nightmare for us,
because it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Captions 35-37, Nature & Wildlife - Search for the Ghost Bear
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A needle is a small, very fine object, and to find it in a haystack, which consists of countless fine pieces of hay, is very difficult indeed—and this phrase thus means that something is very difficult or nearly impossible.
If I was, for instance, being put into a courtroom with lawyers,
I am not a lawyer,
so therefore, I would feel like a fish out of water.
Captions 14-16, English - Common Phrases
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To feel "like a fish out of water" thus means to feel out of place or uncomfortable.
Hang in there, guys!
Caption 56, Movie Trailers - Disney's Frozen
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To "hang in there" means to be patient and to wait for something.
But they don't know where they're going
in the fast lane.
Captions 16-17, Echosmith - Cool Kids
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This is often used in the expression "to live life in the fast lane," which means figuratively to live an exciting or stressful lifestyle, which may, depending upon the context, be a good or bad thing. The phrase is often about somebody who is on the verge of losing control of their life. A song by the 1970s pop group the Eagles called "Life in the Fast Lane" states that it will "surely make you lose your mind."
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the "Common English" videos Part I and Part II to learn more about some English idioms.
Fair elections are an essential part of a working democracy. It's important to know the English words relating to elections when you read or hear the English-language news about an election. The recent US presidential election has been in the media a lot this month, and you may have heard many of the following words in news reports.
The verb "to vote" means "to choose" the person you are voting for:
We try really hard to persuade people
that we're right,
and then people vote.
Captions 47-49, Barack Obama - On Trump Presidential Victory - Part 2
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There is also the noun "vote," and a synonym for a vote is a ballot. A ballot is also the actual paper that you use to write your vote on.
The place you go to vote is called a "poll":
When it comes to election day, the public go to the polls to vote for one presidential ticket.
Caption 66, US Elections - How Do They Work?
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But a "poll" is also a survey that asks people who they intend to vote for:
That supports Jeb Bush, who has been struggling in some polls.
Caption 19, ABC News - The Broncos Win Super Bowl 50
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The person who is running for political office is a candidate:
So the candidate with the most votes wins.
Caption 48, US Elections - How Do They Work?
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Candidates often confront each other before the election in a debate:
Remember, he was just on the stage with Joe Biden at that debate.
Caption 19, ABC News - President Trump and First Lady Test Positive for COVID-19
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If somebody has "been elected," it means that they got the most votes and won the election:
Senators, like members of the House of Representatives,
are also elected to their seats by the public.
Captions 42-43, US Elections - How Do They Work?
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When a candidate for US President has won the election in November, he does not take office until the 20th of January the following year. In the two and a half months before he takes office, he is called the "President-elect." After the 20th of January, he is called the "President" and the person who left office is called the "former President."
So I have instructed my team to follow the example
that President Bush's team set eight years ago
and work as hard as we can
to make sure that this is a successful transition
for the President-elect.
Captions 25-28, Barack Obama - On Trump Presidential Victory - Part 1
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the US Elections: How Do They Work? video for a detailed description of the US national elections process.
The English language, which is spoken as an official language in countries as widely ranging as the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia, has gathered many idioms over the centuries that are still in use today. An idiom is basically a phrase that is figurative and used to describe literal situations with words that may not be clear to a non-native speaker. Let's take a look today at a few common idioms that you may hear when you are speaking English with somebody.
A team of scribes with the "wisdom of Solomon" "went the extra mile"
to make King James' translation "all things to all men."
Captions 6-7, The History of English - The King James Bible
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The idiom "to go the extra mile" means to make an extra effort at something. If you are not familiar with the Bible or the Quran, you may not know who Solomon (also written "Sulayman") was. To say someone is as "wise as Solomon" means they are very smart indeed, as King Solomon is considered by religious people to have been a very wise prophet.
So it's going to be forever
or it's going to go down in flames.
Captions 19-20, Taylor Swift - Blank Space
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The idiom "to go down in flames" probably originates from the time of the First World War, when airplanes were first used in combat and would literally "go down in flames." Its figurative meaning is to fail suddenly and dramatically. A similar phrase, "to be shot down in flames," means to be suddenly rejected.
So, the expression "once in a blue moon"
is a way of saying, "very, very rarely—almost never."
Captions 42-43, The Alphabet - the Letter M
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The meaning of this idiom is nicely explained in the example sentence. A "blue moon" has several different meanings, but all of them mean a type of moon that is not actually blue to the eye, but only occurs every several months or years. The phrase first appeared in print in the early 1500s and has thus been in common usage for 500 years!
But he said he could cut us some slack.
Caption 30, Business English - Difficulties with Coworkers and Contracts
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The idiom "to cut somebody some slack" means to not judge someone too harshly. Some think that the phrase, which has been in use for some hundreds of years, comes from the way sailors tie a ship to a dock with ropes. To "give slack to" or "to slacken" means to loosen or allow more line or rope.
You can eat all my food, smash up my walls, but I draw the line...
Caption 20, A Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Goofy's Grandma
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The idiom "to draw the line" means that a limit has been reached and something must stop. The ancient Romans would draw a line in the sand and order their troops not to proceed past that point. It has been used as an idiom in English for hundreds of years in a figurative sense.
Further Learning
Try using the above idioms in your own sentences and have another student or your teacher check your work to see if you properly understood the meanings. Thank you for using Yabla English!
Now that summer is finally here, it's a good time to improve your summer vocabulary. Let's take a look in this lesson at some of the important words you may need when heading outdoors into the sunny weather.
It's too sunny outside. Make sure you have your suntan lotion!
Caption 15, English with Lauren - The Weather
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Suntan lotion was originally intended to help people get suntans without getting a sunburn. A "suntan" occurs when skin darkens after being exposed to bright sunshine, while a "sunburn" is when it actually turns red from too much exposure. These days we know that too much sunshine can be dangerous to your health, so it's good to use a lotion that protects your skin. For this, you want sunscreen:
Protect your face. Sunscreen is really the biggest thing.
Caption 12, Katie Holmes - About Family, Beauty and Olay
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Sunscreens are rated by SPF, which stands for "Sun Protection Factor." A sunscreen with a SPF of 15 blocks 93% of the sun's rays, SPF 30 blocks 97%, and SPF 50 blocks 98%. Many people think that SPF 30 blocks twice as much sun as SPF 15, but this is not true. So while it is important to get a good sunscreen, the higher SPF sunscreens are often much more expensive and actually provide only a small percentage more protection. The important thing is to apply it often, especially after swimming!
Going camping is another popular summer activity:
I mean, camping out with my family.
Caption 12, Jimmy Kimmel’s Quarantine Minilogue - Home with Kids, Trump, Tom Brady & St. Patrick’s Day
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Unfortunately, most commercial camping spots may be closed this summer because of the coronavirus. But if you are an experienced camper, you may still be able to go camping in non-commericial places in nature where camping is allowed.
Going to the beach is also a popular summer activity:
With 46 kilometers of beautiful beaches,
it's the perfect spot to hit the beach.
Captions 10-11, Discover America - California Holidays: Surfing and Beach Town Santa Cruz
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The phrase "to hit the beach" is just a casual way of saying "to go to the beach." With the current coronavirus travel restrictions, we may have to settle for going to a local beach at a lake this summer instead of flying to a distant beach on the ocean. Those of you who are lucky enough to live near the sea won't have this problem!
Building sandcastles is something that is fun to do once you've hit the beach:
Last Fourth of July, they skipped putting out beach chairs or building sandcastles.
Caption 36, Toxic Lake - The Untold Story of Lake Okeechobee
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But when it starts to get too hot, you may need some help cooling off:
There is just something about homemade strawberry ice cream.
Caption 1, Nigella's Recipes - Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
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Further Learning
Think of some other things you like to do in the summertime and search for the words on Yabla English so you can get a better sense of the different contexts in which the words are used.
A lot of the things we used to take for granted are now seeming very special, such as when meeting up with friends again as the coronavirus lockdown starts loosening up and we begin returning to work and school. I realize this may not be happening quite yet where you live, but it will hopefully start in the coming weeks or by mid-summer at latest.
There are a lot of English slang words and idioms commonly used in informal speech, so let's take a look at a few of those today. Let's start with a phrase I used in the first sentence of this lesson:
Again, this assuming your opponent plays perfectly, but we'll take that for granted.
Caption 20, Numberphile - Connect Four
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"To take something for granted" means that you presume something automatically, without really thinking about it. When that something is not as you expected, you are surprised.
Let's start with some different ways that people greet each other besides the standard "hello," "good morning," "good afternoon," and "good evening."
What's up?
Caption 29, English with Annette O'Neil - Ways To Say Hello
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How's it going?Caption 30, English with Annette O'Neil - Ways To Say Hello
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What's happening?
Caption 31, English with Annette O'Neil - Ways To Say Hello
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All of the above questions are rhetorical, which means that people are usually not expecting you to tell them your life story or about real problems you might be having! Usually you just answer "fine," or "not much," or "I have been busy" or something simple like that. Note too that sometimes "what's up" is slurred into "'Sup," "what up," and similar variations.
Howdy.
Caption 46, English with Annette O'Neil - Ways To Say Hello
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"Howdy" is just a colloquial or casual way of saying "hello" that originally came from the more formal question "how do you do?". You can see from the bold letters where the word came from!
If you haven't seen each other in a long time, you might say something like "it seems like forever" or the odd-sounding "long time no see!" This last phrase, meaning "we have not seen each other for a long time," is thought to have come from the basic English first spoken by immigrants to North America over 100 years ago.
When meeting up with your friends for the first time in a long time, please remember to keep safe according the local rules of where you live. But also remember to enjoy yourself as we begin to have more social interactions again into summer!
Further Learning
Watch the entire conversational video series on Yabla English by Annette O'Neil and test your comprehension using the Yabla Flash Card Game.
On Sunday, April 5th, 2020, Queen Elizabeth II, the ruling monarch of the United Kingdom and the 16 Commonwealth realms, gave a speech to the nation about the coronavirus crisis. In our lesson today, let's take a look at some of the English terms she used in her address.
I'm speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time.
Caption 2, COVID-19 - The Queen's Coronavirus Address in Full
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The adjective "challenging" means "difficult and demanding" and is used to describe situations that test one's abilities.
A time of disruption in the life of our country, a disruption that has brought grief to some.
Captions 3-4, COVID-19 - The Queen's Coronavirus Address in Full
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The noun "disruption" means a break or interruption in the normal course or continuation of some activity or process.
Together we are tackling this disease, and I want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it.
Captions 19-21, COVID-19 - The Queen's Coronavirus Address in Full
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The verb "to tackle" is often used as a sports term in American football and soccer, but in this case means "to deal with" something.
...that the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet, good-humored resolve, and of fellow feeling still characterize this country.
Captions 26-28, COVID-19 - The Queen's Coronavirus Address in Full
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An "attribute," a noun, means a "quality, character, or characteristic."
This time, we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavor.
Caption 53, COVID-19 - The Queen's Coronavirus Address in Full
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The noun "endeavor" means a "serious determined effort" or an "activity directed toward a goal."
Using the great advances of science and our instinctive compassion to heal.
Caption 54, COVID-19 - The Queen's Coronavirus Address in Full
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The adjective "instinctive" is used to describe something that "comes from natural instinct" or something that "arises spontaneously." The noun "compassion" is described by the American Merriam-Webster Dictionary as "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it" and by the British Oxford Dictionary as "sympathetic pity, and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others." It's interesting that the American definition additionally includes the urge to make the suffering stop, whereas the British definition defines it only as noticing another's suffering. I think we can safely presume that the Queen was including the American definition in her use of the word!
Further Learning
Watch the entire video of the Queen's address on Yabla English and test your comprehension using the Yabla Flash Card Game.
The phrase "used to" is a great one to know in English, as it has three different functions.
1. First of all, "used to" is the participle of the verb "to use" combined with the preposition "to." Note that in this case the "s" in "use" is pronounced more or less like a "z." The sentences below are about something being utilized for a particular purpose:
Java isn't the same thing as JavaScript, which is a simple technology used to create web pages.
Captions 6-7, Business English - About Java
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"Kinda," for example, combines "kind" and "of," but the word "kinda" is most often used as a casual synonym for "rather," and is used to modify an adjective or an adverb.
Captions 16-18, English with Annette O'Neil - Colloquial Contractions
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2. The phrase “used to” can mean “accustomed to.” In this case, "used" is pronounced with a soft "s" rather than a "z" sound. To "get used to" something is to gain experience or become comfortable with it to the extent that you expect it:
Now I know that you're used to seeing me in warmer climates.
Caption 1, British Gas - Top Tips on Preparing Your Home for Cold Weather
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I remember Madonna saying the colored contacts she wore for “Evita” were pretty uncomfortable and hard to get used to, for example.
Captions 45-46, Bohemian Rhapsody - Six Facts about the True Story
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3. When we talk about habitual actions in the past in English, i.e. something you did on a regular basis, we often use the construction “used to” + infinitive. Here, the "s" in "used" is also pronounced with an "s" sound.
It's a lot more interesting and enticing than it used to be.
Caption 35, Alaska Revealed - Tidal Bores, Icebergs and Avalanches
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...and I used to go there every Saturday and go to the market.
Caption 32, Creative Space - An Artist's Studio
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Further Learning
You can discover many instances of "used to" on Yabla English and get used to using this phrase yourself! As you can see, it is used to discuss not only practical uses, but also life experiences in the past and present. When you watch the videos, make sure you pay special attention to the difference in the pronunciation of the "s."
As we saw in Part I of this series, many words of Spanish origin have been absorbed into the English language. You will find many English words of Spanish origin listed in American English dictionaries that you won't necessarily find in British English dictionaries, or in the latter they will be identified as Spanish words rather than English words with a Spanish origin.
Many words originating from Spanish are words that we associate with cowboys or the Southwest United States, which were originally territories of Spain.
I wore a sombrero once.
Caption 63, How 2 Travelers - Rethink What You Wear On the Plane!
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In English, a sombrero refers to a very wide-brimmed hat often seen in Mexico, but in Spanish, a sombrero is any kind of hat with a brim.
Ah, yeah, what a bonanza, a bonanza!
Caption 12, Tom Hanks - Forrest Gump
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A bonanza in English is a windfall or sudden good luck, which it can also mean in Spanish, although in Spanish it also means "fair weather."
California's central coast is a gorgeous stretch [weekend getaway] dotted with Spanish architecture, secret gardens, and chaparral-covered mountains.
Captions 2-3, Travel + Leisure - Weekend Getaway: Santa Barbara
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A chaparral is a dense growth of shrubs or small trees, stemming from the Spanish word chapparo, which is a kind of evergreen oak.
The trip through the labyrinth of flooded canyons is impressive.
Caption 11, The Last Paradises - America's National Parks - Part 8
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A canyon is a steep valley, often with a stream or river at the bottom. This is derived from the Spanish cañon, which has the same meaning.
185 of their friends are holed up in a crumbling adobe church down on the Rio Bravo.
Captions 25-27, John Wayne - The Alamo
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The word "adobe," the clay and straw bricks from which buildings are constructed in many drier climates, came to English via Spanish, but the word itself hearkens back to ancient Arabic, Coptic, and Egyptian!
[They] look like... kinda like chaps.
Caption 21, Chicago Bulls - Kid Picasso - Part 1
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Not to be confused with the informal British English "chap" (a "fellow"), chaps are the wide leather leggings worn by cowboys. This stems from the Mexican Spanish word of the same meaning, chaparreras.
Further Learning
See if you can find the English meaning for other words with Spanish origins which are in common usage in the Southwest United States: arroyo, bronco, buckaroo, coyote, desperado, hacienda, machete, mesa, mustang, poncho, pueblo, ranch, rodeo, serape, stampede, vamoose, vaquero, and vigilante. Then look at some of the video examples above English Yabla and see how they are used in specific context.
Many words of Spanish origin have been absorbed into the English language, especially in the United States, whose Hispanic and Latino residents account for nearly 18% of the total population. As well as having predominantly Spanish-speaking territories such as Puerto Rico, the United States also borders the mainly Spanish-speaking Mexico. Thus you will find many words of Spanish origin listed in American English dictionaries that you won't necessarily find in British English dictionaries, or in the latter they will be identified as Spanish words rather than English words with a Spanish origin.
Some of the most common words of Spanish origin in English are food-based:
Yellow split peas, boiled and grounded [sic] in the food processor, cilantro, habanero [pepper], garlic...
Captions 49-50, Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives - Pam's Trinidadian Caribbean Kitchen - Part 1
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The fresh herb "cilantro" is most commonly called "coriander" in British English, whereas in US English, "coriander" usually refers to the dried root of the plant and not the fresh leaves.
Habanero peppers (habeñero in Spanish) are among the hottest chilis around, rating at 100,000 to 350,000 on the Scoville scale. The word "chili" (also spelled "chile" in English) is, although also a Spanish word, derived from the indigenous Nahuatl language that is still spoken by 1.7 million people in Mexico. Chili is also a kind of thick stew made from beans, tomato sauce, and chilis:
Don't ever eat chili out of a dented can. That's my advice.
Caption 27, Karate Kids, USA - The Little Dragons - Part 9
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In the US, it's common to see canned (or "tinned" in British English) chili labeled as "chili con carne," so watch out if you are vegetarian, as con carne is Spanish for "with meat."
...and the good news is that I got some extra tortillas.
Caption 38, Travel + Leisure - Weekend Getaway: Santa Barbara
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In US and British English, as well as North American Spanish, a tortilla is a thin, round pancake made of corn meal or flour. But in Spain, a tortilla is more often a kind of egg omelette!
Packaged foods, like chocolate and tea and salsa...
Caption 9, New York City - The Union Square Holiday Market
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Come summer, this place is full of people sunbathing in bikinis, playing beach volleyball, and even dancing salsa.
Captions 24-25, World Cup 2018 - A Tour of Cities and Venues - Part 4
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Here you see "salsa" in its two meanings as a sauce and a kind of music and dance.
Of course, nearly everybody knows this one, from the Spanish adíos:
If you didn't worship him, it was out, adios, you know, off.
Caption 76, Ask Jimmy Carter - Interview with Anthony Hopkins
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Actor Anthony Hopkins is British-born, but has lived in Southern California off and on since the 1970s, and in fact got US citizenship in the year 2000.
With that, we'll say goodbye for now!
Further Learning
Take a look at this extensive list of Spanish words in English on Wikipedia and see if you can find some of them used in a real-world context on English Yabla.
The Oxford English dictionary defines "to run" as to "move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both or all the feet on the ground at the same time." There are a lot of other meanings and idiomatic uses of "to run," however, which are commonly used and with which you should make yourself familiar.
We will have young people to run the island.
Caption 48, Bishop Stanley - Island Cherries
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Here "to run" means "to operate," in the sense of "to run a business."
No, I'm not going to run for president.
Caption 46, Entertainment Weekly - The Obamas Answer Kids' Adorable Questions
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If you "run" for a political position, it means you are campaigning to win an election.
When your oil is running out, could you imagine doing the next film.
Caption 62, Fast & Furious 5 - Opening night in Cologne
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The phrase "to run out" of something means your supply is getting low.
But President Bush's team could not have been more professional or more gracious in making sure we had a smooth transition so that we could hit the ground running.
Captions 19-21, Barack Obama - on Trump Presidential Victory
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The phrase "to hit the ground running" is a metaphor that means "to take immediate action." Here you can see another metaphor using "run", albeit here as a noun:
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
Captions 1-2, Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
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The phrase "in the long run" means "eventually" or "after a long period of time."
Further Learning
Go to this page and learn some other uses of the verb "to run," as well as searching for the term "run" on Yabla English.
Last month we discussed terms relating to air travel, so this month we'll review some of the basic words related to train travel. Trains are not as commonly used in the United States as they used to be, but there are still a number of regular passenger trains running, especially on the the East Coast. In the United Kingdom, trains are still a standard mode of transportation, of course, as they are in the rest of Europe.
Firstly, the vehicle that you use to travel with:
We have many people coming on the train from Manhattan.
Captions 24-25, Surfshop in Long Beach - Long Island
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In the above example, the "train" referred to is probably the subway. New Yorkers often refer to the subway as "the train," unlike Londoners who refer to their local trains as "the tube."
Next, the place you leave from:
We will pick you up at the train station.
Caption 56, The Apartment - Maggie's visit - Part 1
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Then the action you carry out on the train:
… and then taking the train down to Basel, Switzerland.
Caption 11, Sigrid - An American in Italy - Part 1
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You can "take a train" or "ride on a train" or "travel by train," among several possibilities.
Next are the lengths of steel upon which trains travel:
When train tracks or roads intersect or meet, it's often called a "junction."
Caption 26, The Alphabet - the Letter J
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A junction is also called a "crossing." Train tracks are also called "rails," hence another term for trains in general:
We'll have to go to the railroad.
Caption 83, The New 3 Stooges - Hairbrained Barbers
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When you travel by train, you may not always have a ticket reservation and may need to buy a ticket at the train station. To find out when your train leaves, you will need to look at a schedule:
If we have a variation in a schedule, it means the schedule changes.
Caption 33, The Alphabet - the Letter V
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A train schedule is also called a timetable:
There is no need for a precise timetable today.
Caption 57, Brexit - David Cameron resigns as UK votes to leave
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With a train schedule or train timetable you can be certain of catching the right train at the right time! Only history will show, however, if with Brexit, Great Britain has indeed "missed the train." This expression can also be used metaphorically!
Further Learning
Go to this page and see some other examples of words relating to train travel in English, and then go to Yabla English to find other examples of train travel words used in a real-world context. Note in the above link the use of British English terms "single ticket" and "return ticket." In US English, a "single ticket" is a "one-way ticket" and a "return ticket" is a "round-trip ticket."
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