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How would i say the following in very colloquial Spanish: Hi all How would I say the following in very colloquial, slang Spanish: Come quickly,! Where are you? Damn you! Many thanks in advance

2019년 3월 16일

Are song lyrics poetry in another form?

I like to think that musical lyrics have their own poetry and would love to know your thoughts? Here's a favourite of mine by The Boss, and apart from the fact it sounds like a mini opera (to me anyway), the lyrics are provocative and gritty. It goes to show how language can communicate uniquely - What do you think?

"Jungleland" (Bruce Springsteen)

The Rangers had a homecoming

In Harlem late last night

And the Magic Rat drove his sleek machine

Over the Jersey state line

Barefoot girl sitting on the hood of a Dodge

Drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain

The Rat pulls into town rolls up his pants

Together they take a stab at romance

And disappear down Flamingo Lane

Well the Maximum Lawmen run down Flamingo

Chasing the Rat and the barefoot girl

And the kids round here look just like shadows

Always quiet, holding hands

From the churches to the jails

Tonight all is silence in the world

As we take our stand

Down in Jungleland

The midnight gang's assembled

And picked a rendezvous for the night

They'll meet 'neath that giant Exxon sign

That brings this fair city light

Man there's an opera out on the Turnpike

There's a ballet being fought out in the alley

Until the local cops

Cherry Tops

Rips this holy night

The street's alive

As secret debts are paid

Contacts made, they vanish unseen

Kids flash guitars just like switch-blades

Hustling for the record machine

The hungry and the hunted

Explode into rock'n'roll bands

That face off against each other out in the street

Down in Jungleland

In the parking lot the visionaries

Dress in the latest rage

Inside the backstreet girls are dancing

To the records that the DJ plays

Lonely-hearted lovers

Struggle in dark corners

Desperate as the night moves on

Just one look

And a whisper, and they're gone

Beneath the city two hearts beat

Soul engines running through a night so tender

In a bedroom locked

In whispers of soft refusal

And then surrender

In the tunnels uptown

The Rat's own dream guns him down

As shots echo down them hallways in the night

No one watches when the ambulance pulls away

Or as the girl shuts out the bedroom light

Outside the street's on fire

In a real death waltz

Between what's flesh and what's fantasy

And the poets down here

Don't write nothing at all

They just stand back and let it all be

And in the quick of the night

They reach for their moment

And try to make an honest stand

But they wind up wounded

Not even dead

Tonight in Jungleland

2019년 3월 15일

More colloquial and slang phrases that will make people think you're British!

Hi all,

Here are some more phrases that will get you speaking English quickly and sounding like the real deal! BTW I've opened up my instant tutoring just for today, so if anyone needs immediate help with anything at all, or maybe you'll have questions about some of these phrases, don't be shy and drop me a line.

Let's dive straight in...

1. He’s got his finger on the pulse (Meaning: someone who is very aware or on top of a situation. (eg. Our new boss is brilliant; he’s really got his finger on the pulse.)

2. He’s a strawberry short of a punnet Meaning: Someone who is mentally lacking.<o:p></o:p>

3. Not the sharpest chisel in the box - Meaning: not the most intelligent person.

(eg. Don’t ask her for answers, she’s not the sharpest chisel in the box.”

<o:p></o:p>

<o:p>4</o:p><o:p>. Dog's dinner Meaning - a complete mess</o:p>

<o:p>(eg. He tried to put up a shelf and made a complete dog's dinner of it.)</o:p>

5. You’re having me on -Meaning: Are you teasing or joking?

6. As thick as two planks of wood - Meaning: Someone who is unintelligent

(eg. Oh, it’s no good explaining it to him, he’s as thick as two planks of wood.)<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> 7</o:p>. Every one a coconut! - Meaning, you win every time, every one is a winner

(eg. Someone is telling a joke and everybody laughs. The joker would say, “Every one a coconut.”

8. Clanger - Meaning: when you say something that is obviously indiscreet

(eg. I can’t believe he said that in the meeting, he really dropped a clanger there.)

9. Doddle - Meaning, something is very easy to do

(eg. I fixed the leaking tap; it was a doddle.)

<o:p></o:p>

10. Driving someone round the bend - Meaning to be annoying or drive someone crazy

(eg. Stop playing that music so loud, it's driving me round the bend.)

2019년 3월 10일

Talk like a native - some colloquial and slang phrases that will make people think you're British! Here's some colloquial and slang phrases that will make people think you're British! Try and weave them into your everyday conversation and you will sound pretty authentic.

So here goes:

Alright? This is a very casual greeting, as in ‘is everything all right with you?’ It's usually said as a question. An acceptable response would be : ‘Alright mate’ – ‘Okay thanks - fine thanks’.

Bugger all This means very little, almost nothing or completely nothing. eg. She just sits around all day and does bugger all.

Blinkered This means a narrow minded attitude or limited view on something. eg. He's just blinkered, he doesn't let anyone else have an opinion. (Note: blinkers are eye shields used for horses, which is where the expression comes from.)

Bravo Well done, or congratulations. ( An easy one for most Europeans as there are variants of this word across Europe)

Dear Apart from a term of endearment, (eg. Hello my dear) it can also mean 'expensive.' (eg. Oh, that dress is dear.)

Lost the plot This means someone who is not following the situation or is a bit mad. eg."He used to be really efficient, but now he's lost the plot."

Gormless This means someone lacking in sense or initiative. eg. "It's no good asking them, they're gormless."

On about This means replaces ‘talking’. (eg. "What are you on about/What are you talking about?")

Taking the Mickey/Mick It means mocking someone or something, joking at someone or something's expense or taking advantage. (eg. Oh don't take any notice, he's just taking the Mickey out of her.)

Chalk and Cheese Used to describe two things that do not go together, or go together very badly. (eg. "I'm surprised they get on so well, they are like chalk and cheese."

Chat up Used to described someone who is trying to flirt with someone else. (eg. Look, he's trying to chat up that pretty girl."

I post useful info on the discussions board regularly to help improve your conversational skills, so drop by and check them out now and again. If you'd like to practice speaking, I'd be happy to help you develop a study plan, so feel free to look at my teaching profile and classes or send me a message if you think I may be able to help you in gaining English fluency fast.

2019년 3월 9일

Casual English greetings: how to sound like a native speaker

There are many ways to greet people, so these more relaxed, informal greetings are perfect if you want to sound like a native.

1. How’s everything?

2. How are things?

3. How’s life?

4. How’s your day?

5. How’s your day going?

6. Good to see you/Nice to see you

7. How's life treating you?

8. Long time, no see, how are you doing?

2019년 3월 9일

Anyone up for learning some English tongue twisters?

Tongue twisters are phrases or sentences which are really difficult to speak quickly, normally because of alliteration or a sequence of words with very similar sounds. Tongue twisters help develop speech skills in young children as well as actors and actresses. Believe me, most English people struggle with them. Don't worry too much about their meaning, some of it is rather quite quaint English. Have a go and see how you get on. But if you can nail them, it will certainly bring your English pronunciation on a treat:)

Deep breath... and go!

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,

Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

I scream you scream, you scream, we all for ice cream!

Betty Botter bought a bit of butter

But, she said this bit of butter’s bitter

But a bit of better butter mixed with this butter, might just make my bit of bitter butter better

So Betty bought a bit of better butter to make her bitter butter better

How much wood would a woodchuck chop, if the woodchuck could chop wood?

He would chop as much as a woodchuck would,

If a woodchuck could chop wood.

I am not the pheasant plucker,

I am the pheasant plucker’s mate.

I am only plucking pheasants ’cause the pheasant plucker’s late.

2019년 3월 8일

Learn some Cockney rhyming slang

What is cockney rhyming slang? For those of you who have never come across it, it was a humourous language used by East End market traders and street sellers back in the 1800s, probably so that customers weren't able to understand what they were saying. A sort of secret language if you like.Today, cockney rhyming slang is still used in London and all over Britain. So if you want to talk like a real cockney, you'll need to polish up your rhyming slang. To make it a little more confusing, sometimes only part of the phrase is used.

1. Apples and pears = stairs - Just nip up the apples would you?

2. Adam and Eve = believe - You wouldn't Adam and Eve it

3. Bubble bath = laugh - You're having a bubble

4. Loop the loop = soup - I'll have a bowl of loop

5. Oily rag = fag (cigarette) - Give me an oily

6. Tea leaf = thief - Keep your eye on him, he's a tea leaf

7. Skin and blister = sister - She's my skin and blister

8. Syrup of figs = wig - He's wearing a syrup

9. Rosy Lee = Tea - Would you like a cup of rosy?

10. Hank Marvin = starving - I'm hank

If you like these, add a comment and I'll post some more over the coming weeks - there are literally hundreds of them:)

2019년 3월 7일

Wonderful English words that have fallen out of fashion

I don't know how many students or teachers ever use the Urban Dictionary and although it contains a great deal of claptrap, there are some fabulous new slang words that enter our language every day, many that will eventually find their way into our hallowed dictionaries. It's interesting the way language evolves isn't it?

'Sick' for instance, I notice has found its way into the conventional dictionary as meaning 'excellent'. I came across these 18th century words that were once widely used, and sadly, have fallen out of fashion - it's a great shame because some of them are really descriptive.

Afternoonified = something society recognised as smart or exclusive. Great word isn't it? (Time for a comeback m'thinks.)

What if someone described you as a 'church bell?' You'd be female, a chatterbox or talkative woman.

And how about if you had a 'gigglemug?' That's right, you'd be a really smiley person.

A black eye was known as 'copping a mouse,' and your 'daddles' were your hands.

Here's my favourite, possibly because it beats the word 'enthusiasm' hands-down...wait for it...

ENTHUZIMUZZY

Any more out there we should know about?

2019년 3월 6일

English vocabulary that will come in handy

8 new words for you today that will boost your English conversation:

1. Everything is hunky-dory (Meaning, Everything is great)

2. Sneakers are a new start-up company (Meaning, a new business that has not been going very long)

3. We were banned from smoking (Meaning, we have been stopped from smoking)

4. His conduct was disgraceful. (Meaning, his behaviour was very bad.)

5. She was the victim of domestic violence ( Meaning, she was violently abused in her home, normally by her partner/husband)

6. I doubt my parents will let me go to the festival. (Meaning, I'm unsure if my parents will let me go to the festival)

7. My English was really enhanced by taking conversations lessons. (Meaning, my English was strengthened/improved by taking conversation classes.

8. Since I have started going to the gym, my fitness has never been better. (Meaning, Since I have started going to the gym, my health/physical strength has never been better.

More tomorrow!

2019년 3월 6일

Handy English phrases Part 4

Some more handy English phrases for you today:)

All languages have their own idiomatic expressions that mark you as someone who speaks the language with skill. As I'm a English conversational teacher, I tend to provide my students with an extended vocabulary and expressions that mimic the conversation of a native speaker. Most students want to learn English fast, so I concentrate on providing you with plenty of real practise , new words and coaching you into a very natural way of speaking.

So, if you throw a few of these into your conversations, you are going to really up your English conversation skills.

1. Well, that's a different kettle of fish (Meaning, well, that's a very different set of circumstances to the ones you understood or were provided with.)

2. He's like a fish out of water ( Meaning, he is uncomfortable, doesn't fit in or is awkward in his surroundings)

3. Okay, I'll do it - in for a penny, in for a pound (Meaning, You will do something wholeheartedly, not halfway)

4. A penny for your thoughts? ( Meaning, what are you thinking about)

5. She uses a sledgehammer to crack a nut. (Meaning, if there is a problem, the person uses far more resources than is necessary to solve the problem.)

Get practising and see if you can weave these into your conversations!

2019년 3월 5일