To return to one's mutton (idiom) I had not heard of this expression until somebody (a language partner from this site in fact) mentioned it, and it turns out it is an old English saying that comes from a French expression. It means to return to the matter at hand.

I wonder, had anybody heard of this expression before this post? It is outdated I believe, but I am nonetheless surprised that I had never heard of it before!

Primo Notebook in Italiano Ciao! Questo è il mio primo notebook in Italiano.

Mi chiamo Shahin, e io ho 25 anni. Parlo Inglese, e sto imparando l'Italiano. So un assoluto principiante!

Per favore, correggi il mi notebook.

Mind Your Language! This was a British comedy show that aired in the late '70s, and the basic premise involved a group of students learning English as a foreign language, taught by the brilliant Jeremy Brown.

I watched this show a long time ago and anyway, something I came across on this site just reminded me of it. I wonder, has anybody here watched the show before?

I recommend you do if you have not already, for it is hilarious! And, it could aid your own learning, just as it taught me a few words in Spanish and Italian (haha).

Preferred Country If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you settle, and why?

Personally, I would live in Palestine, simply because it is a beautiful country with a lot of history and religious significance, and the people are the most kind and warm-hearted people you could meet.

Personality Type It is said that people of the INFP (Mediator) personality type are very expressive and articulate people, possessing a certain dexterity in the use of language. Hence, many have a gift (and perhaps a desire) of learning multiple languages.

I wonder therefore, how many people on this site (dedicated to the learning of languages) are not of the INFP personality type? Of course, it is possible that some here will be learning an additional language out of necessity (e.g. work or study) rather than interest, but I am interested in hearing from those who have a love for language.

If you have never taken the personality type quiz, you can access it using the link below and it only takes a matter of minutes to complete.

https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

What is your approach to learning a new language? I spent approximately an hour earlier learning basic phrases and sentences in Italian by listening and writing them down (along with translations) and whilst I have been practising in my head, I find I cannot recall everything I learned earlier so I must consult my notes every now and then.

So I wonder, how does one retain everything he has learnt so far?

Mi Chiamo... Ciao! I have a quick question for native Italian speakers, if you please. When introducing one’s self, I have found it is possible to do so by saying: “Mi chiamo [name]”, or; “Il mio nome è [name]”... And I wonder, which is the common form and, for instance, is one more appropriate in a particular situation or context (e.g. formal setting vs talking to friends)? Your input would be graciously received. Grazie!

Accents! Hi all, I would like to discuss the topic of accents (without offending anybody of course); that is, accents being spoken in the English language. Which accents do you prefer? And for those with a foreign accent, do you like or dislike this about yourself? I personally like all foreign accents and enjoy hearing non-native speakers speak English. I have a particular penchant for Spanish/Italian and Turkish accents. Arab accents are nice too. But the best accent no doubt has to be the Nigerian accent! What is (or are) yours?

Some Common Errors of Grammar and Punctuation Hi, and I hope you are all well. Here I would like to codify all the common errors people make concerning grammar and punctuation of the English language, so that it may be of benefit to anybody learning English. I will add more, and others are free to add on, but for now here's a few. You're and Your. YOUR is the possessive form of YOU, denoting [an object or thing] belonging to another. Example 1: Your teeth are very white. Example 2: You and your friend are free to come along. You're is used in addressing another - it is in essence used to mean, 'You are', where the apostrophe denotes the omission of the letter 'a'. Example 1: You're a great friend! Example 2: You're overreacting! Here, instead of saying 'you are', it was said 'you're'. Whereas in the previous case, your was said to be belonging to another. Than and Then. Than is used for comparative purposes, i.e. when comparing two things. Example 1: James is taller THAN Mike. Example 2: I would rather visit Italy than visit France. Here you can see we are comparing two things, (i.e. James and Mike, Italy and France), so we use than. Then is used in sequence of events, to show something occurring, coming after etc. something else. Example 1: In the morning I went to school, and THEN I went to work afterwards. Example 2: First you boil the water, THEN you add in the tea.