Get Your Ducks in a Row

There are many references to ducks in the English language. We love ducks here! I don’t really know why. They quack loudly and can even bite if you get too close.

Anyways, here are some “duck” expressions to add to your collection:

UGLY DUCKLING

Ugly ducklings are people that were unattractive when they were young, but they blossomed into very attractive adults. It comes from a fairy tale about an ugly duckling (baby duck) that grew up to be a beautiful swan.

TO GET YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW

To get your ducks in a row means to get organized and sort out all of the details of a project. This phrase could refer to the orderly line that ducklings often form behind their mother.

Blended Words in English

Here is how you make a blended word:

-Take two words with different meanings (“Spanish” and “English”)

-Combine the letters in some way to make a new word (“Spanglish”)

-The new word represents a combination of the sounds and meanings of the original words (“Spanglish”: switching between Spanish and English in a conversation).

Below are some more examples. Try to guess what the original words and meaning might be before reading the explanation.

Smog

Smog is the combination of “smoke” and “fog.” It is a type of air pollutant often seen in big cities like Los Angeles, CA.

Why Is English So Hard to Learn?

English is complex. It’s confusing. It’s often counter-intuitive. Don’t believe me? Just check out the following videos:

Sayings About Revenge

I’m just starting to get into the TV series Revenge.

The show got me thinking about idioms and sayings we have in English about the act of vengeance. I explain a few of them below. Which one best reflects how you feel about revenge?

“Revenge is sweet.”

Revenge is pleasurable. It feels good to get back at someone.

“Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

Practice WH Questions through Songs 2

Back by popular demand! Here are even more songs with WH questions.

• WHO…?

“Who made you king of anything?”

• WHAT…?

“What does the fox say?”

Keep Your Head Up

Feeling inspired by the blog Happye, I decided to infuse this latest post with a little bit of optimism and feel-good music. 🙂 

It is Friday after all!

Below are two idioms that serve to encourage others and remind them that life is about having fun.

• Keep your head up. 

When we tell someone to keep their head up, we are advising them to stay positive and confident.

• Let your hair down.