Image by Mystic Art Design from Pixabay This is a story I heard when I was a student of a university not too far away from Philadelphia. I lived in an international house with a rule -- no more than two people from each country. And in this house, most students are doing humanity science, … Continue reading Different Opinions
Tag: English
Searching For Something New
from my phone I am forever searching for a new vegan recipe. Not that I am a vegan since I know I can never achieve the status of not eating eggs, turkey slice for sandwiches, or Campbell chicken noodle soup at all. However what I can do is reducing animal products in my diet to … Continue reading Searching For Something New
New Word: More Compound Verbs
New Word #105 Last week, I gathered several compound verbs here, and this week I find some more. These verbs are so often used that I can't afford to ignore them, although I have tried to avoid using them as much as possible. Now I am thinking of digging all of them out, one by … Continue reading New Word: More Compound Verbs
New Word: Crazy Compound Verbs
New Word #104 The problem with English is that it is very whimsical. Just when you think you've got a hang of it somehow and figured out certain hidden patterns, you are surely to have a new encounter that will completely overthrow your previous understanding. This whim, unpredictability, and mood swing is difficult to deal … Continue reading New Word: Crazy Compound Verbs
New Word #46: Recently Learned
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay firenado: a rapidly rotating column of flames above an intense fire, caused when air, dust, etc. is drawn into the fire from the surroundings and rises, creating a vortex. This word is obviously obtained from the word "tornado", which is referring to air vortex rather than fire vortex. I … Continue reading New Word #46: Recently Learned
New Word #41: Recently Learned
Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay cabaret: entertainment held in a nightclub or restaurant while the audience eats or drinks at tables.From mjcd2017 here about the happy moments of life. ruddy: (of a person's face) having a healthy red color.From Shammi here with a story of a sage. ableist: discrimination in favor of able-bodied people.From … Continue reading New Word #41: Recently Learned
New Word #38: Recently Learned
shiv: a knife or razor used as a weapon.kryptonite: an alien mineral that has the property of depriving Superman of his powers. (It's only used in fantasy novels or movies.)These are from Princess & Pages' posts here and here zany: amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic.harping: talk or write persistently and tediously on (a particular topic).quibble: a … Continue reading New Word #38: Recently Learned
New Word #36: Related With Senses
Photo by rikka ameboshi from Pexels tangible: perceptible by touch. intangible: unable to be touched or grasped; not having physical presence. palpable: (of a feeling or atmosphere) so intense as to seem almost tangible. impalpable: unable to be felt by touch. perceptible: (especially of a slight movement or change of state) able to be seen … Continue reading New Word #36: Related With Senses
New Word #34: Recently Learned
Image by Iván Tamás from Pixabay rambler: A person who walks for pleasure, especially in the countryside. I wonder if it may also means a person who talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential way.This is from colinmcqueen here. squish: make a soft squelching sound when walked on or in. This is … Continue reading New Word #34: Recently Learned
New Word #33: Different Kinds Of Villains
Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels desperado: a desperate or reckless person, especially a criminal. degenerate: an immoral or corrupt person. rogue: a dishonest or unprincipled man. scoundrel: a dishonest or unscrupulous person; a rogue. fugitive: a person who has escaped from a place or is in hiding, especially to avoid arrest or persecution. Actually … Continue reading New Word #33: Different Kinds Of Villains
New Word #32: Humor
I've been complained about the sheer number of English words for a long time, especially when a lot of words can be used to describe one thing, each representing a slightly different shade of it, the subtlety of which can be easily detectable by native speakers but often escape notice from everybody else. However when … Continue reading New Word #32: Humor
New Word #28: More Confusing Pairs
There are countless confusing pairs in English that it is very easy to mistake one for the other. Here I list a few that I encountered recently. wreck and wrack wreck: a vehicle or ship that has been destroyed or badly damaged wrack: 1 : ruin, destruction. 2 : a remnant of something destroyed. These … Continue reading New Word #28: More Confusing Pairs
New Word #26: Singular Or Plural
Photo by Lucrezia Carnelos on Unsplash I have never been very comfortable with this issue since there are so many exceptions to the rule that I often wonder if I would be making a mistake if I follow the rule--as a non-native speaker, this is nothing new to me. At first I was quite frustrated … Continue reading New Word #26: Singular Or Plural
Word Confusion
Some words are created to communicate, while others just to confuse. I thought I read "ruminative" on an article about what Fran Lebowitz has to say about her current state of staying at home, but it is actually "remunerative". I don't know about native speakers, but as a person learning English as a second language, … Continue reading Word Confusion
Insomnia vs. Somnia
"Somnia" is not a word; "insomnia" is. That's just English. Non-native speakers (like me) beware. There are as many exceptions to the rules as those that follow the rules. Not only many words starting with "in" don't have corresponding antonyms that lose the prefix "in", but also some "in" and non-"in" pairs completely disregard the … Continue reading Insomnia vs. Somnia
Event Before Election
"Have you registered to vote?" The lady behind the thick plate of glass asked. "No." I answered."Why do you answer for her? I am asking her?" The lady said, pointing to my friend W. I translated for W and W shook her head. So I said "No" across the glass barrier again."Do you want to … Continue reading Event Before Election
What Does It Mean?
What does the word "russet" mean? Also words like "orb", "presage", "quaff", "brogue", "dirigible", "druid", "patisserie"? I have no idea. Some of them I've already looked up at least several times, but still I forget what the meaning. It must be my disappointing memory, but that's another story for another day. It sounds rather exhausting … Continue reading What Does It Mean?
Short Story: Trouble With Language (Part 2)
Click Here For Part 1 One week later, they met again. Pammy looked haggard, her under eye circles darkened, her eyes more guileless and fierce than usual. "My old man (her term of endearment for her husband which sounds more of a term of respect in her native tongue than in English) and my father-in-law … Continue reading Short Story: Trouble With Language (Part 2)
Haoyan Do 