a photograph of two young people smiling and talking to each other, with a colourful, illustrated background showing a speech bubble

He could talk the hind legs off a donkey (How we talk, Part 1)

On November 23, 2022November 16, 2022 By Kate WoodfordIn the English language, Vocabulary25 Comments

This week and next, I’m looking at ways to describe how much – or how little – we speak. There are lots of words (especially adjectives) in this area, with very different connotations, from chatty (=talking a lot in a friendly, informal way) to reserved (=tending not to talk about your feelings or opinions):

Jamie was his usual chatty self.

My grandfather was a quiet, rather reserved man.

This post will cover words and phrases that mean ‘talking a lot’ and Part 2 will deal with the opposite. Continue reading “He could talk the hind legs off a donkey (How we talk, Part 1)” →

Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2022

On November 16, 2022November 19, 2024 By Cambridge WordsIn the English language, Word of the Year6 Comments

Once again, it’s the time of year when the Cambridge Dictionary team looks back over the past twelve months to choose a word that represents what the dictionary, and what the English language, means to its users. This year’s word might surprise you, so read on to find out why the Word of the Year 2022 is… homer! Continue reading “Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2022” →

a young woman looking thoughtful as she writes an essay - she has a notebook and laptop in front of her

Whereas, despite and nevertheless: ways to link ideas (1)

On November 16, 2022November 8, 2022 By Liz WalterIn the English language10 Comments

by Liz Walter

When we speak and write, it is important to show the link between different statements. For example, do we want to add information, contrast two ideas, or show that one thing is the reason for another? Of course it is possible to use very simple linking words such as and, but and so, but it is useful to have a wider range of linking words, particularly for formal or academic writing. Continue reading “Whereas, despite and nevertheless: ways to link ideas (1)” →

Two businessmen looking at the financial paper with surprised expression

Hot air and bad blood (Idioms found in newspapers)

On November 9, 2022May 5, 2023 By Kate WoodfordIn Idioms, Idioms and phrases in newspapers, the English language24 Comments

by Kate Woodford

Today’s post is a round-up of the idioms and phrases found in a range of national newspapers published on the same Sunday in October. I write one of these newspaper idioms posts every few months as a way of providing you with a regular supply of contemporary, frequently used English idioms. Continue reading “Hot air and bad blood (Idioms found in newspapers)” →

a young man counting on his fingers and looking puzzled

At a rough guess: talking about approximate numbers and amounts

On November 2, 2022October 24, 2022 By Liz WalterIn the English language13 Comments

by Liz Walter

We often need to talk about amounts and numbers that are not exact, either because an exact figure isn’t needed or because we don’t know it. This post looks at some words and phrases for doing this. Continue reading “At a rough guess: talking about approximate numbers and amounts” →

nine wooden blocks stacked in a square - eight are black and point right, and one is red and points left

Having second thoughts (Changing our minds, Part 2)

On October 26, 2022October 20, 2022 By Kate WoodfordIn the English language, Vocabulary12 Comments

by Kate Woodford

In part 1 of this post (Changing our minds, Part 1), I looked at language that is often used to refer to people in positions of power changing their decisions or plans. This post continues the ‘changing your mind’ theme but instead focuses on the sort of language that is used when people more generally change their minds. Continue reading “Having second thoughts (Changing our minds, Part 2)” →

a baseball player in a striped outfit hitting a baseball forcefully with a bat

Walloping, belting and clobbering: verbs for touching and hitting (2)

On October 19, 2022October 18, 2022 By Liz WalterIn the English language, Vocabulary2 Comments

by Liz Walter

My last post looked at a range of verbs to talk about touching and hitting in a variety of contexts. This post focuses on hitting things and people with force. Continue reading “Walloping, belting and clobbering: verbs for touching and hitting (2)” →

the feet and lower legs of a person standing in front of a U-turn symbol painted on the road surface

U-turns and flip-flopping (Changing our minds, Part 1)

On October 12, 2022October 6, 2022 By Kate WoodfordIn the English language, Vocabulary7 Comments

by Kate Woodford

‘A wise man changes his mind. A fool never will,’ or so says the proverb. Whether or not this is true, we all change our minds, sometimes about trivial things and sometimes about things that really matter. This post (in two parts) takes a look at nouns, verbs and idioms in this area of the language. Today, we’ll look at the sort of language that is often used when people in positions of power change their opinions or plans. Continue reading “U-turns and flip-flopping (Changing our minds, Part 1)” →

a woman lies on the floor and caresses two small dogs that are sleeping on a circular cushion

Caressing, patting and elbowing: verbs for touching and hitting (1)

On October 5, 2022October 7, 2022 By Liz WalterIn the English language, Vocabulary13 Comments

by Liz Walter

There are an incredible number of verbs that express the concept of touching or hitting someone or something, and they can have very different connotations, from caressing (touching in a very gentle and loving way) right through to punching (hitting someone or something very hard with a closed hand): Continue reading “Caressing, patting and elbowing: verbs for touching and hitting (1)” →