Archive for January, 2010
Idiom: the lion’s share
The lion’s share of something is almost all of it; more than one’s fair share.
Example of use:
There was enough food for everyone but he ate the lion’s share, and the rest of us had what was left.
Image by wwarby
Idiom: tip of the iceberg
If something is the tip of the iceberg it is only a small, easily visible, part of a problem – there is much more to the problem than is immediately obvious.
Most of an iceberg is under the water, and only a small part of it can be seen above the water.
Example of use:
Her debts are only the tip of the iceberg. We think she might have lost her job as well.
Image by kae44
Idiom: in clover
To be in clover means to have an easy, prosperous and happy life, without any worries.
Clover is a favourite food of cattle and this idiom comes from cattle happily feeding in a field of clover.
Examples of use:
1. If we won the lottery we would be in clover for the rest of our lives!
2. He is living in clover in a beautiful home in Barbados, with his lovely family.
Image by Dendroica cerulea
Idiom: a show of hands
If someone asks for a show of hands they take a vote and ask a group of people to show who agrees with a proposal put forward, by raising their hands.
Examples of use:
1. Let’s have a show of hands and see who agrees with the proposal for a new road through the village.
2. The factory workers had a show of hands and voted to go on strike.
Image by stevehicks
Phrasal Verb: eat up
To eat up is to eat all of some food or all of a meal you have been given.
Examples of use:
1. The baby ate up all of his pasta today.
2. Eat up your cabbage. It’s good for you.
When something eats up something else; for example, time or money, it uses it all.
Examples of use:
1. The housework eats up my spare time at weekends.
2. The electricity bill has eaten up all my wages this month.
infinitive – eat up
present simple – eat up and eats up
-ing form – eating up
past simple – ate up
past participle – eaten up
See also, eat out
Image by lostajy
Phrasal Verb: flood out
To flood out somebody (or flood somebody out) is to force them to leave their business or home because of floods.
Example of use:
1. There was a torrential downpour last night and we were flooded out. The house is a mess and we’re staying in a hotel for a few days.
2. Every time it rains heavily the river rises and floods them out.
infinitive – flood out
present simple – flood out and floods out
-ing form – flooding out
past simple – flooded out
past participle – flooded out
Image by David Pfeffer
Phrasal Verb: pack out
To pack out somewhere (or pack somewhere out) is to fill a place with people. British English.
If a place is packed out (adjective) it is full of people.
Examples of use:
1. Stevie Wonder always packs out stadiums when he puts on concerts.
2. The football stadium was packed out.
infinitive – pack out
present simple – pack out and packs out
-ing form – packing out
past simple – packed out
past participle – packed out
Image by Peter Rivera
Confusing British English accents
London property landlord Nick Parkin has written a guest blog post for us. In it he talks about different British English accents, and his experience of just how confusing they can be even for a native British English speaker!
British English accents
British Accents can be incredibly confusing to someone not born and bred in the country.
Any particular accent will often reveal much more than simply the area of the country that the speaker came from: it may often indicate their social class, and education. This explains why most call centres are situated in Yorkshire and Southern Scotland – these areas have accents which most of the UK population find pleasant, understandable, and socially neutral.
My own accent is very southern (London) middle class, educated. Early in my career I worked in a Lancashire Chemical Works with “Blue Collar” tradesmen (working class). When I started work I noticed a strange phenomenon – whenever I was nearby they would start talking in some strangulated high pitched language which I found harder to understand than their natural Lancashire accents (which were difficult enough for me!).
Northern folk are very welcoming and friendly so I was quickly able to unravel the story behind this new language I was hearing. They were actually teasing me about my southern accent, but getting things very very wrong!
Their ears were detecting a clear southern accent, but just as I can’t tell the difference between a Warrington accent and a Manchester accent, their ears wouldn’t distinguish between my middle class London accent, and a Cockney working class accent which to me is a different language to my own. So to tease me they were doing a Cockney accent thinking that it mimicked my own, and to make matters worse their Cockney mimicry was NOT good!
So, when you are learning English, and struggling to understand what someone is saying to you …… remember, it may not be you that doesn’t speak the language!
Nick Parkin, Renting London Flats
Read more about English accents and dialects in the UK
Listen to recordings of the diverse voices of the UK
And here's a selection of accents from the British Isles, from impressionist Mister Seanie. His characters and stereotypes are exaggerated of course (and perhaps insulting depending on which part of the UK you come from!), but it's an entertaining and mostly accurate account of some of the wide variety of English accents we have here.
Have you ever had problems understanding an English accent?
Image by Dimitry B
Idiom: raining cats and dogs
If it is raining cats and dogs it is raining very heavily.
Cats and dogs are traditionally thought of as old enemies and the raindrops are compared with cats and dogs fighting.
Example of use:
It’s raining cats and dogs today so I’m staying indoors.
Image by mindfulness
Phrasal Verb: pair off
To pair off is to start a romantic relationship or to form a group of two.
Examples of use:
1. Eileen and Pete met while on the same cruise last summer, and paired off in the last week of their holiday.
2. At our dance class this week we had to pair off with someone we hadn’t danced with before.
infinitive – pair off
present simple – pair off and pairs off
-ing form – pairing off
past simple – paired off
past participle – paired off
Image by kovapete
