I noticed that these phrases are often used with the wrong homophone, even by native English speakers. One can even argue that native speakers are more prone to these mistakes because they’re familiar with these phrases in conversations, but then choose the wrong word when using it in writing.<o:p></o:p>
Toe the line – not tow the line.
<o:p></o:p>
Say one’s piece – not say one’s peace.
<o:p></o:p>
Piqued one’s interest – not peaked or peeked one’s interest.
<o:p></o:p>
With bated breath – not baited breath.
<o:p></o:p>
Sleight of hand – not slight of hand.
<o:p></o:p>
I guess you can argue that the alternative versions make their own kind of sense, but I think the versions I gave are the ones most widely accepted as correct.
Just pointing out something I've noticed to those who might be interested.
Grammar Nazi refers to someone who likes to correct every little mistake in other people’s grammar. I admit I’ve used the term a few times without really thinking about the implication behind it. But the last time I was about to use it in writing, I paused to think about whether it’s appropriate or not. I decided if there’s a chance people might be offended then I should err on the safe side, so I opted for the term “grammar perfectionist” instead. I think “grammar police” is also a good alternative. <o:p></o:p>
Have you ever used the term “grammar Nazi?” Do you think it’s insensitive and trivializes something serious? Or do you think it’s obviously an exaggeration and therefore shouldn’t be taken too seriously?I was watching the movie “Invictus” and there was a scene where Nelson Mandela goes to Taiwan for a meeting, but the signs in the hotel he was at were in simplified Chinese. Taiwan uses traditional Chinese. Nowadays it might be possible in order to accommodate the numerous Chinese tourists we get, but at the time the film was supposed to take place, it would never happen.
A while back, I watched a stand-up comedy bit by Kumail Nanjiani. He was playing a level of Call of Duty that takes place in Karachi, Pakistan, where he’s from. He noticed all the street and store signs were in Arabic, but Pakistan’s language is Urdu. He joked about how the game makers spent years making even the eyelashes of the characters look realistic, yet couldn’t be bothered to spend 10 seconds to google what language is used in Pakistan.<o:p></o:p>
Most people are oblivious to these mistakes, but it’s very glaring to the people from that particular country. <o:p></o:p>
Have you ever noticed anything similar?An idiom I’ve been hearing a lot in the news lately is “get a fair shake,” mostly used to ask whether Donald Trump has been getting a fair shake, or fair treatment, from the media. It made me wonder what the origin of the idiom is. I found one plausible theory. <o:p></o:p>
During the Whiskey Rebellion Era of the US, a technique for assessing the alcohol content of whiskey was to shake it vigorously and see how long the bubbles linger. The faster the bubbles disappear, the higher the alcohol content, the purer the distillation. So how hard you shake the bottle affects the assessment; the harder you shake, the more bubbles form, the longer it takes for the bubbles to disappear. So to give a man a fair shake means to give a man a fair assessment of his whiskey. <o:p></o:p>
I don’t know if this is the true origin, but it’s an interesting theory.<o:p></o:p>
There is also an Australian slang called “fair shake of the sauce bottle” which I don’t think has the same meaning. Maybe an Australian can shed some light for us on that one. :)<o:p></o:p>
I've always used it to mean "a few," but I've been told by some people that it always means two. I guess I can see their point since "couple" is a pair, but I feel in practice it's not always used this way.
What do you think?
In Taiwan, garbage trucks play music to announce its arrival so people know it's time to take out the trash. One tune that's been played for as long as I can remember is Beethoven's "Fur Elise." The garbage truck comes at the same time everyday, so if you need to dump your trash, you know to listen for the music around that time.
Please share something about your country that is not commonly known. :)
This one had me scratching my head for days the first time I heard it.
The premise is simple: Imagine you’re the contestant of a game show. There are three boxes labeled 1, 2, and 3, with one containing one million dollars, the other two empty. If you pick the box with one million dollars you get to take it home. You pick Box 1. The game show host then opens Box 2 and reveals that it’s empty. Phew! That means the money’s in Box 1 or 3 so you’ve still got a chance. The host, trying to create some suspense and excitement, gives you a chance to change your choice and switch to Box 3.
Here’s the question: Does your chance of winning the million dollar increase if you switch?
The money is in either Box 1 or Box 3, so you have a 50/50 chance, so there’s no point in switching, right? Or is there?
有人說：「有華人的地方，就有金庸的小說。」我覺得金庸小說對人物和人性的詮釋都相當絲絲入扣。明明是同樣的作品，但在人生的不同階段看卻會有不同的感觸。母語是中文的人如果沒看過就太吃虧了。
我個人最愛《笑傲江湖》。我很喜歡令狐冲這個角色。他的坦率、見義勇為、玩世不恭和與世無爭都是我很欣賞的特質。
我第二喜歡的是《天龍八部》，因為劇情實在是太引人入勝了。不過看到第五冊時心情總是會感到很沉重。喬峰這悲劇性英雄身世的矛盾讓我印象非常深刻。有時突然想到還是會對這世間許多無解、無奈的事情感到感慨。
另外，學中文的朋友們，你們有看過武俠小說嗎? 你們對武俠小說的看法如何?
I just saw the movie “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” and there’s a scene that talks about oxymoron, which means words that are contradictory to each other. Some examples from the film are:
Deafening silence<o:p></o:p>
Original copies<o:p></o:p>
Found missing<o:p></o:p>
Clearly confused<o:p></o:p>
Living dead<o:p></o:p>
Genuine imitation<o:p></o:p>
Accidentally on purpose<o:p></o:p>
Jumbo shrimp
Student teacher
Liquid gas
Some more I found are:
Open secret
Seriously funny
Alone together
Act naturally
Virtual reality
Exact estimate
Definitely maybe
Unbiased opinion
Old news
Same difference
Just wanted to share because it's fun to think about. :)
Warning: This video contains swearing and marijuana usage (not essential to the plot). Don’t watch if you’re offended by it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naleynXS7yo
I like this video because it shows how sentences can often have multiple meanings and also how texts and online messages can be misconstrued when you can’t hear the other person’s tone and see their facial expression. I think it’s generally better to give the other person the benefit of the doubt and assume they mean no offense.
For non-native English speakers, knowing the double meaning of these phrases from the video may help you understand it better.
Whatever; I don’t care.
Good: I don’t mind what we do.
Bad: Taken as too dismissive.
You’re priceless.
Good: You’re precious.
Bad: You’re unbelievable (in a bad way).
You want to go right now?
Good: Do you want to meet up right now?
Bad: Do you want to fight with me?
You’re not putting me out.
Good: You’re not inconveniencing me.
Bad: You’re not going to beat me.
First round’s mine.
Good: First round of drinks is on me.
Bad: I’m going to win the first round of our fight.
