English has many idiomatic expressions that native speakers use without thinking about it. Although overuse of any idiom is frustrating, misusing these phrases can be really cringey, so it’s important to have a thorough understanding of them. One phrase with a long history and a complicated set of meanings is “turn the other cheek.” …
Vocabulary
These days, social media websites and apps are a dime a dozen. It seems like every year, an old social media platform fizzles out, but two more somehow manage pop up in its place. For this reason, the social media platforms that have withstood the test of time are exceptionally notable. When compared to the …
Life is full of challenges. You need to earn good grades to get into a quality school so that you can find a great job. To get that promotion, you must work hard to distinguish yourself from your colleagues. It’s not easy, but with hard work and determination, your efforts should pay off. Although you …
The world is a battlefield and language is the weapon that we use every single day to fight an invisible war. Knowing the right words to use and applying them in the proper context facilitate the success of any written or spoken language. Some of the hardest words to use and explain are those that …
U.S. politics is no stranger to strange expressions. Theodore Roosevelt famously said that it was important to “speak softly and carry a big stick” in foreign policy, while founding father and modern-day hip hop sensation Alexander Hamilton argued that “war is in fact the true nurse of executive aggrandizement.” Another political phrase you may have …
You can find a variety of unique and interesting people across the world. A quick train ride could take you to a new land with different cuisines, religions, and languages. In each new land, the local people may have their own connotations, feelings, and images of the inhabitants of other areas. For instance, upon hearing …
You’ve just received an email from your friend whom you haven’t seen for quite some time asking “What are you up to?” How should you respond? And, what exactly does the question mean? Would you say that you’re a little busy? Or, would you respond by saying “nothing much really?” If so, how do you …
English has a lot of words that sound similar and have similar meaning. In some cases, like homonyms and homophones, the meanings and sounds, respectively, are identical. However, there are other cases where words are close but not quite the same. One good example is the word pair “retailer” and “reseller.” What is the …
A young non-native speaker of English just got hired in a multinational company as an intern. As she was reading her first email from her manager, she suddenly got caught up with a line that read “…please don’t forget to cc me…” Three hours later, she was still searching for relevant information about “cc,” and …