Here is the more formal way of saying the same conversation as last week. However, remember that we would never speak like this in real life.

John: Hello Paul, how are things in your life at the moment?

Paul: Things are normal, and you, what is your news.

John: Well things are a little confused at the moment, I failed my mid-term tests.

Paul: O dear that’s a shame, you should have done what I told you and studied more. When will you discover the consequences?

John: Later today.

Paul: O well, try to not become depressed and remain confident.

Later

Paul: Hello John, how did the meeting with your professor go?

John: I manage to pass the semester, but only just. The professor said he would not treat me as severely as he could, because I told him that I felt sick at exam time.

Paul: Was that the truth?

John: No, It was a complete lie. I feel a bit guilty now, but I will recover from this feeling.

Paul: You must be extremely happy.

John: Yes very, I would like to celebrate by drinking a lot. Do you think it is a good idea?

Paul: You know me, that is a very obvious question that you don’t need to ask.

John: Where would you like to go?

Paul: I have no preference.

John: Remember that place where we were talking to those girls from Canada last year.

Paul: That’s sounds familiar.

John: I think Ivan was with us, maybe he remembers. We can try to persuade him to join us.

Paul: Excellent. You can phone him. Ok, if we are going out then I need to go to bed and get some sleep.

Here is a list of 10 popular idioms.

A piece of cake – This means that some task or activity is very simple. For example, Anna said “The exam was a piece of cake.” Anna meant that she found the exam easy.

It cost an arm and a leg – The meaning of this phrase is not that the purchaser had to sacrifice their body parts but rather that the item being bought was very expensive.

Break a leg – Strangely, this is a commonly used phrase to wish a person good luck. It is frequently said to actors or other performers before a show or dramatic performance.

Hit the books – This is a phrase which means to study.  So if you are in a learning environment and a student says they are “going to hit the books” it means they intend to start a period of serious study or research.

To let the cat out of the bag – This is a very common English phrase which means to give away a secret. So, if you hear someone say this, you don’t need to rush to your nearest animal care centre to report a case of animal cruelty!

To hit the nail on the head – You can use this saying to describe a situation where someone has made a very accurate or appropriate comment. It is closely associated with another DIY related phrase “You have nailed it” which means you have got something exactly right.

And pigs might fly – This is a skeptical comment which is used to describe a lack of belief that something will happen. For example, you could comment on your brother’s intention to give up cigarettes by saying “and pigs might fly”. In other words you don’t believe that your brother will give up smoking.

You can’t judge a book by its cover – How often do we make a judgment about a person based on our first impressions? Well this statement advises you not to do this, because appearances are frequently misleading.

To bite off more than you can chew – Someone might say this to you if they believe that you have taken on a task which is too difficult for you to achieve.

You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours – What a strange proposition! This popular English idiom actually means that, if you do me a favour I will do you a favour in return.

These are just a few examples of a rich and varied collection of idioms in modern English that are alive and well in everyday use.

The use of idioms and phrasal verbs in conversation is an important part of learning to understand the English that natives speak. If you want to enjoy films and music or just join in a conversation between 2 English speakers, then you need to start integrating them into your learning.  Look at the example below and see how much you can understand. I will explain in next week’s blog.

John:  Hey what’s up?

Paul: Not much and you, what have you been up to?

John: Well, things are a bit up in the air at the moment, I bombed in the mid –terms

Paul: That’s a bummer, you should have listened to me when I told you to hit the books. When do you have to face the music?

John: Later  today.

Paul: O well, keep your chin up and hang in there.

Later

Paul: Hey John how did the meeting with your professor go?

John: I managed to scrape through the semester  by the skin of my teeth. The professor said he would cut me some slack because I told him I was under the weather at exam time.

Paul: Was that on the level?

John No, I was lying through my teeth. I feel a bit guilty now, but I’ll get over it.

Paul: You must be chuffed to bits.

John: Damn right, I want to party, let’s go and paint the town red. What do you say?

Paul: You know me, that’s a no brainer.

John: Where do you fancy?

Paul: I’m easy.

John: Remember that place we chatted up those girls from Canada last year.

Paul: It rings a bell.

John: I think Ivan was with us, maybe he remembers. We can try to twist his arm to come with us.

Paul: Sweet. You can give him a bell. Right, if we are going out then I need to hit the sack for some zeds.

St. Patrick's Day History and Traditions

This holiday is celebrated every year on March 17th, honoring the Irish patron saint, St. Patrick. The celebrations are largely Irish culture themed and typically consist of wearing green, parades, and drinking. Some churches may hold religious services and many schools and offices close in Suffolk County, the area containing Boston and its suburbs.

People all over the world celebrate St. Patrick's Day, especially places with large Irish-American communities. Feasting on the day features traditional Irish food, including corned beef, corned cabbage, coffee, soda bread, potatoes, and shepherd's pie. Many celebrations also hold an Irish breakfast of sausage, black and white pudding, fried eggs, and fried tomatoes. Common traditions include:

·         Parades - This event is most often associated with the holiday. Cities that hold large parades include Boston, New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Savannah, and other cities worldwide.

·         Drinking - Since many Catholics are Irish-American, some may be required to fast from drinking during Lent. However, they are allowed to break this fast during the St. Patrick's Day celebrations. This is one cause for the day's association with drinking heavily.

·         Dying water or beer green - Chicago dies its river green for the festivities, and many bars serve green-dyed beer. The White House fountain is also dyed green.

·         Other incorporations of green - In Seattle, the parade routes are painted in green. Observers are supposed to wear green or else risk being pinched. Parade floats and decorations will feature the color green.

·         Religious services - Those who celebrate the holiday in a religious context may also hold a feast. Outside of this context, overindulgence tends to revolve around drinking.

·         Pea planting - In the Northeast, many celebrate by planting peas. This is largely due to the color and time of year (prime pea-planting conditions.

Saint Patrick - The Missionary and Bishop of Ireland

St. Patrick, or the "Apostle of Ireland," actually started out in the pagan religion. While not much is known about his early life, as many of his life's details were lost to folklore, letters from St. Patrick reveal that he was captured in Wales, Scotland, or another close area outside of Ireland and taken to Ireland as a slave. Years later, he escaped and returned to his family, who were Romans living in Britain, going back to Ireland for mission work after finding a place as a cleric and then Bishop within the Christian faith. He was born around 460, and by the 600s, he was already known as the Patron Saint of Ireland.

There are many legends associated with St. Patrick. The symbol of the shamrock used for St. Patrick's Day comes from the story of St. Patrick using the shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity. The three-leafed plant coincided with the Pagan religion's sanctity of the number three and is the root of the green color theme.

Another popular belief is that St. Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland. The story says that while St. Patrick was fasting, snakes attacked him, so he chased all snakes into the ocean. However, there have never been snakes in Ireland during the post-glacial period. The absence of snakes and symbolism involved with snakes is believed to explain the story, although it could have been referring to type of worm rather than snakes. One legend has St. Patrick sticking a walking stick into the ground while evangelizing, which turned into a tree.

The History of St. Patrick's Day and why it's celebrated.

St. Patrick's Day was first celebrated in America in 1737, organized by the Charitable Irish Society of Boston, including a feast and religious service. This first celebration of the holiday in the colonies was largely to honor and celebrate the Irish culture that so many colonists had been separated from.

Early celebrations continued this modest tradition. In New York, the first celebration took place as a small gathering at the home of an Irish protestant. St. Patrick's Day parades started in New York in 1762 by a group of Irish soldiers in the British military who marched down Broadway. This began the tradition of a military theme in the parade, as they often feature marching military unites. The holiday eventually evolved from the modest religious dinner into the raucous holiday we know today.

Vocabulary - illustration courtesy Andy Singer

How many “slugs” do you see here?

How many uses of the word “slug” do you see above? Guess which is which.

A round bullet.

Any of various terrestrial gastropod with no shell.

To strike heavily.

Lazy slow moving person.

How many ‘scales’ can you see here?

How many uses of the word “scale” do you see above? Guess which is which.

To climb up or over or ascend.

An instrument or machine for weighing.

Plates covering the bodies of fishes.

A series of notes differing in pitch.

How many waves do you know?

How many uses of the word “wave” do you see above? Guess which is which.

A ridge or swell moving through or along the surface of a  large body of water.

A rising trend that involves large numbers of individuals.

To move the hand to and fro as a greeting.

Disturbance or vibration that passes through a medium,  such as air.

Here are some tips for improving English outside of the classroom because it is important that you practice at home.

1. Remember that learning a language is a gradual process - it does not happen overnight.

2. Define your learning objectives early: What do you want to learn and why?

3. Make learning a habit. Try to learn something every day.

4. Vary your learning routine. It is best to do different things each day to help keep the various relationships between each area active. In other words, don’t just study grammar.

5. Find friends to study and speak with.

6. Choose listening and reading materials that relate to what you are interested in. Being interested in the subject will make learning more enjoyable - thus more effective.

7. Relate grammar to practical usage. Grammar by itself does not help you USE the language. You should practice what you are learning by employing it actively.

8. Move your mouth! Understanding something doesn’t mean the muscles of your mouth can produce the sounds. Practice speaking what you are learning aloud. It may seem strange, but it is very effective.

9. Be patient with yourself. Remember learning is a process - speaking a language well takes time. It is not a computer that is either on or off!

10. Communicate! There is nothing like communicating in English and being successful.