the use of "being + participle" and "particple" ?? 1. Given the prices now "being put" on the website,.... (ps. this is the original sentence from journalism) 2. Given the prices now "put" on the website,.... (ps. this is how I would usually write) Could anyone help shed light on the difference in meanings here between the use of "being put" and "put" ? And how to properly use " Noun + being + participle" or " Noun + particple" ?? I always use the latter. It seems the former one emphasizes an "action occurring at the moment when being written"? Many thanks !!

What is the expression "You beat me"? About 10 years ago, I heard the expression "You beat me" used in non-literal way; if my perception was correct, they should mean "Your argument or action are too good/outstanding/weird for me to say something further. For instance, I'm having an argument with a friend in order to justify the point or an issue I advocate...All of a sudden, he brings up a so convincing point against my argument that I become "speechless". On this kind of occasion, may I say "hey~ you beat me. You're right in this."?

Holy Smoke ? I heard that Bruce Welli - the leading actor in the film ,"The Kids" - used this expression "Holy Smoke" many times. Is this a common usage in US? Apart from that, is there any similar expressions I can use to express "Surprise !!" or "Something you can't believe happens".Hi, Domasala...thank you for sharing the further information on this. It's a very interesting point to know. I'll try to make up some while being with friends. ^_^ => Anything "holy" that would sound absurd (/impossible) will do. Just try it yourself. Hi, Domasla....sorry for the misspelling of your username in the previous post. ^^'' Hi, Toffler......thank you for the correction. I did't catch the word well, and it should be "Holy SmokeS !!"

Exclamation & Jesus ? I hear that, on some occasions, people would use "Jesus Christ !!" to express their stunning, astounding and surprising feelings. In this regard, I was once told by a native speaker that this kind of usage might be somewhat offensive to some religious people. Is this true? For an English learner who is not yet to be adequately sensible to British/American or Christian culture, what's your advice as to whether, in public, an English learner can use "Jesus Christ" to express a surprising feeling since I don't think I'm able to deal with that kind of delicate social engagement regarding what time, what occasion to use is the best or appropriate?I would like to regard the following 2 points very useful to me. Also, with the feedback from them, I'll try not to use them to avert unnecessary troubles since I'm not a local, and it's always better to pay much more respect towards various groups of another culture which you're not so familiar with. From domsla: Of course there always could be others around, taking offence. You never know. You should be careful not to use them. I don't use any. Not necessary. Just keep yourself under control. From Romulus: but considered to be disrespectful to some Christians, especially the Catholic. Thank you guys !!

The most popular Blog platform Could anyone help tell me what the most popular Blog platform is ? blogger ? Thank you in advance,

"precondition" ? I looked it up in Oxford Dictionary; it dedicates "precondition" is used in written English. I am wondering if there is any colloquial words having the similar meaning.

"out of league" - meaning & usage "out of league" seems widely-used on TV(!?). Could anyone teach me how to use it properly ? A US teacher once gave me a sample sentence-"That girl is out of my league" to express that I'm so far from her level(or status?) with few chances of being her boyfriend. Is that usage correct? Besides that, any occasions where this idiom would be used often? I appreciate both responses from italkers, "My Language Tutor " and "Han yang". Thank you two. MLT: To say someone is "out of your league" is to say they are "too rich, too good-looking, etc. for you." It certainly isn't a kind phrase, but it is a common expression and acceptable among close friends who are willing to be honest. Han Yang: I have heard it more often used as above; however, "out of my league" can also mean "out of my range of abilities" in other contexts. to be not in one's league, to be out of one's league, ------- outclassed | John managed to win the prize for sports though he was out of his league in studying in the class be not in the same league as... -------to be not nearly as good or important as someone or something else to be out of one's league can be used in another sense: ----to not be skilled or experienced enough to do or deal with something.

double-crossing ? Does "double-crossing" mean a person who dates with 2 people at the same time ? For instance, could I say that John is double-crossing Mary by seeing another girl? If it does have that meaning, is there any other expressions to describe the similar situation ?

Which role is "idioms" playing in conversation or a speech? For English learners, I guess we spend much time picking up as many new words as we can to enlarge vocabulary, and trying to properly use those words with right usages. On the other hand, we seldom take efforts to work on "idioms". I'm curious to know how important it is to learn idioms and what kind of role it plays in conversation ?italker - Peachy just mentioned a word, Regional. The evolution of a language, in different regions, results in some particular regional expressions especially in idioms and jargons. To pick up those will "greatly" help language learners bridge the communication gap with native speakers? or will help non-native speakers to engage with local groups more easily?