Jennyflower81

When I was in middle school (junior high) we had a choice of different languages to study. I think we got to choose a new language every quarter. So, by the end of your first year, you'd have learned a little of four languages. I remember learning Latin, Italian, Spanish, and French. French was definitely the hardest for me. Latin was very interesting. Spanish appealed to me and also came naturally. It seemed that I had no trouble picking up on the Spanish language. When I went to high school in 9th grade, I chose Spanish as a class selection. I believe that every student had to take 2 years of a language. I enjoyed Spanish class because I was good at it, and we learned about the history and culture of Spain, along with other regions that speak it. We would have days where we'd all bring in Spanish-themed cuisine and have a fiesta. I took 4 years of Spanish class in high school, all together. I was lucky to know this language, because I once worked at a business that was mainly Hispanic workers. I was able to communicate with my co-workers through my knowledge of Spanish. It has been a good language to know, and I hope to become totally fluent someday.

The largest difference I've noticed with American vs. British English is the use of slang, and some of their expressions are very different. Things British people say that Americans do not are: "I am feeling poorly" means "I am feeling sick" They used "learnt" as an acceptable form of "learned" To "turn it over" means "to change the TV ("telly") channel ("programme") To "take the piss of someone" is to make fun of them. A sandwich is a "butty" and french fries are "chips" A "pram" or "trolly" can refer to a shopping cart or baby carriage. A "Lorry" is a slang word for "truck driver." A "bird" refers to a girl, sort of like the American use of "chick."

Some that I don't hear very often (maybe because they are old fashioned) "Raised with a silver spoon in their mouth." Raised with many luxuries and little responsibility. "Pomp and Circumstance" - a big fuss about celebrating something in a formal way "Much Ado About Nothing" - obviously a Shakespeare reference, but, making a big deal about something meaningless "The squeaky wheel gets the grease." a person who keeps asking for something will finally be appeased A "bad egg" is a bad person

Here's another idiom thread that I'd love to add a few that I can think of: "Every cloud has a silver lining." -something terrible could have a positive aspect to it If something has "seen better days" it is old and worn out. Here in New England, we have an expression: "If you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes." -because our weather changes so frequently. "When it rains, it pours." -bad things keep happening "Rise and shine!" can be a way to say "it is time to wake up." A "Hail Storm" can mean a bombardment on a person or company If a person's "mind is clouded" or their "judgement is clouded" or they have "brain-fog" then they are not thinking clearly.

I love these types of idioms, because I myself am a gardener and nature enthusiast. "Can't see the forest for the trees" -a person can't understand what is right in front of them. "Stop to smell the roses." -take time to enjoy the little things in life "Every rose has its thorn" -things that seem perfect may not be so "Beat around the bush." -when a person needs to discuss a specific topic, but to avoid it, they chat about other things "What's the story, morning glory?" - what's up?

I think some of the idioms involving the word "burn" can be confusing to non-native English speakers. The obvious definition of "burn" is "to set on fire." But some expressions use the word burn in a different way. I am going to "crash and burn" -can refer to a person who knows they are going to over-do it, like work until they cannot go on anymore. A "Burn" can be a bad joke played on a person. "You got burned." It can mean you were disrespected somehow, or ripped-off. A "slow burn" is when a person has a delayed reaction to being insulted." "That's going to burn." meaning that will hurt you later. "Don't burn any bridges." meaning don't destroy relationships that you may need to prosper in the future. I also believe that in car-racing, to "burn rubber" means to speed off quickly.