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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Five more English words/expressions YOU need to know^^


A good Samaritan
A nice person, a person who takes care of other people, someone who thinks of others before thinking of himself

Are you a good Samaritan? The familiar story comes to us from the bible. We should all try to be good Samaritans. If we were, the world would be a MUCH nicer place.

Think of some people in history who have been good Samaritans. Tell us who they are and what they did^^


It’s bad enough you A, do you have to B?
“A” is bad, but “B” is worse!

Picking your nose is bad enough, but do you have to fling the boogers?
Drinking beer is bad enough, but do you have to burp?
It’s bad enough you smoke, do you have to blow it in my face?

Can you think of other examples of this pattern? Good luck^^


Bumped into
This means to meet someone by chance…sometimes it is good, but sometimes it’s bad!

I bumped into my boss at the video game arcade.
I bumped into my boyfriend when I was walking with John.
I bumped into an old high school buddy of mine.
I hope I bump into Stephen King when I go to Maine. (Stephen King is a famous horror story novelistJ)


Who was the last person you bumped into? Who would you LOVE to bump into? Did you ever bump into someone you didn’t want to see—an ex or a boss or a teacher…?!!

Bash into
To crash into, to smash into, to bump into (but very hard).

If you are driving and you bump into another car, there is usually no damage. Maybe a little scratch or tiny dent. However, if you bash into something, there is probably broken glass and a big dent. You probably will not be able to drive your car after that. The “ash” part of the word actually refers to the sound of breaking glass. I hope you NEVER bash your car into something.


We also say BASH when we talk about hitting someone. I am going to bash you in the face!

There is also political bashing—when we are severely criticizing a politician in public—sometimes without merit.  The result is the destruction of someone’s reputation. With the upcoming elections, there is a lot of candidate bashing among the rivals. 

Another meaning of bash is party. I had a great birthday bash last year. In this case, bash means a very lively and exciting party. Would your 70 year old grandmother have a birthday party or a birthday bash? Usually a party, right?!!

Yellow
A coward, a yellow belly, a chicken, a fraidy cat, a scaredy cat, a lily liver!

Someone who easily scares or who is very timid is called “yellow”—originally yellow belly! Why yellow belly? Yellow historically has been used to signify betrayal and cowardice. Jews were given yellow stars in Nazi Germany (they betrayed Jesus). In Spain, during the Catholic Inquisition, traitors had to wear yellow clothes. The belly includes the “guts”. If someone has guts—that means they are brave and courageous. So, by adding yellow, we get the opposite meaning. Does that make sense?

We are ALL cowards at some time or another. When do you feel “yellow”?!

I feel yellow when I see a cockroachL
I get yellow when I have to see my bossL


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