Listen to the author reading this blog post:
by Liz Walter
The word ‘important’ is extremely common and is sometimes overused by learners of English. There are many possible alternatives – so many in fact, that this is the first of two posts on the topic. This one looks at general words, words meaning ‘extremely important’ and words that carry the sense of something being necessary. Continue reading “A matter of life and death: Talking about importance (1)”
Listen to the author reading this post:
Today’s offering is Part 2 of a post looking at the language of large numbers or amounts of things. Part 1 focused on adjectives and verbs, so this post looks at nouns and phrases in this area. Continue reading “No shortage of phrases (The language of large amounts or numbers, Part 2)”
Listen to the author reading this blog post:
by Liz Walter
There are an extraordinary number of phrases containing the word ‘back’, so today’s post will pick out some of the most useful ones, all of which use ‘back’ in the sense of a part of the body. Continue reading “Watch your back! Idioms with the word ‘back’”
Today, I’m looking at the language we use to describe large amounts or numbers of things. Of course, words that mean ‘very large’ such as huge and massive, are often used in this way, but for the purposes of this post, I’ll focus on words and phrases which refer specifically to large amounts and numbers. It’s a very rich area of the language so the post will be in two parts. Continue reading “Teeming with and abundant (The language of large amounts and numbers, Part 1)”
crypto winter noun [C]
UK /ˈkrɪp.təʊ ˌwɪn.təʳ / US /ˈkrɪp.toʊ ˌwɪn.t̬ɚ/
a situation when the price of cryptocurrency falls and remains very low for a long period of time
When will the crypto winter end? No one can say for sure, but given the current economic trajectory and recent string of bankruptcies, experts don’t think it’ll end anytime soon. We’ll be here until at least mid-2023 …That said, there are similarities between this crypto winter and prior ones that point to 2024 as the next time this market might boost back up.
[time.com, 2 December 2022]
bossware noun [U]
UK /ˈbɒs.weəʳ / US /ˈbɑːs.wer/
a type of software that employers can use to monitor what their employees are doing on their computers
Can a company really use computer monitoring tools – known as “bossware” to critics – to tell if you’re productive at work? Or if you’re about to run away to a competitor with proprietary knowledge? Or even, simply, if you’re happy? Many companies in the US and Europe now appear – controversially – to want to try, spurred on by the enormous shifts in working habits during the pandemic, in which countless office jobs moved home.
[theguardian.com, 27 April 2022]
cyber ambassador noun [C]
UK /ˌsaɪ.bər æmˈbæs.ə.dəʳ / US /ˌsaɪ.bɚ æmˈbæs.ə.dɚ/
a person who helps other people use the internet safely and protect themselves and their computer information against crime or attacks carried out online
Rajeshwari is one among thousands of students from the south Indian state of Telangana who are being trained to become “cyber ambassadors” in the region. Over 3,000 students graduated from the first class of cyber ambassadors last year. And following the success of the first batch, the Telangana government—which is perhaps the first state in India to have come up with a novel concept like this—has started the second batch of the course with almost 10,000 students.
[wired.com, 13 January 2023]
Listen to the author reading this blog post:
by Liz Walter
I’ve been struck recently by the huge popularity of the phrase it is what it is. According to the New York Times, it first appeared in 1949, but it is only in this century that it has really caught on. Like many phrases that find sudden popularity, it is a neat way of expressing a concept that many of us have experienced: that a difficult situation which can’t be changed must be accepted:
My application was late and I can’t apply again until next year. Still, it is what it is. Continue reading “It is what it is: the language of acceptance”
Part 1 of this money-themed post looked at idioms that say something about having lots of money. Today’s post features idioms about not having enough money and about controlling how you spend money when you don’t have very much of it. In addition, I’ll also include sayings about money. Continue reading “Making ends meet and feeling the pinch (Money idioms, Part 2)”
by Liz Walter
It is natural to want our family and friends to be safe, and this post looks at words connected with being careful – both for advising people to be careful and for describing careful people and actions. Continue reading “Look out! Talking about being careful.”
Today, in the latest of my money-themed posts, I’m looking at money idioms, by which I mean idioms that say something about money (and not idioms about other subjects that feature the words ‘penny’, ‘money’, ‘coin’ etc.). There are lots of money idioms so this is Part 1 and we’ll publish Part 2 in a couple of weeks. Continue reading “Paying through the nose and pushing the boat out (Money Idioms, Part 1)”
by Liz Walter
You will probably already know several ways to express your opinions in English. This post is about something different: the words we use with the noun opinion – in other words, its collocations. Continue reading “Conflicting, positive or strongly held? Using the word ‘opinion’”