I DIG ENGLISH - just a cool blog about English

I hope you enjoy reading this blog
half as much as I enjoy writing it for you.
Because I have a ball.


Karola

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

English in Pics: 12 English Names You Should Know


Today I would like to share with you a list of names that are commonly used in English and that you are likely to hear in movies, tv shows, jokes and real life conversations.

1. SNUGGIE
Number one is my personal favourite. Ladies and gents – meet the one and only snuggie.



You are probably going to think that snuggies are regular blankets, but they're so much more than that (They're blankets with sleeves!!!!!!!!). Think about upcoming cold evenings and imagine yourself sprawled on the sofa and reaching for the remote. How much more comfortable would you be rocking this piece of goodness?

2. VELCRO
Second on the list comes velcro and you all know well what it does. It lets you leave for school/work 60 seconds ahead of a person wearing tied up shoes and just after someone wearing slip-on shoes.


3. ADVIL/ TYLENOL
Number three is Advil/ Tylenol. I would always hear those names in connection with headaches so it was pretty easy for me to work out that those are popular painkillers.



4. KLEENEX
This brand has been introduced in Poland so you have probably seen it around but I thought I would mention the fact that instead of being asked for a hankie (short for handkerchief) or a tissue, you might be asked for a kleenex.


5. CHAPSTICK
In cold winter everybody uses a lip balm or more commonly a chapstick.


6. SHARPIE
Any permanent marker is likely to be called a sharpie. What is funny is that this word often pops up in conversations about makeup. Can you think what 'sharpie brows” might look like?


7. SUNNYD
SunnyD or Sunny Delight is an orange-flavoured drink.


8. KOOL-AID
Kool-Aid is also a non-carbonated drink but it is in the form of a powder that you mix with water and sugar. It comes in many flavours.





I'm going to use some UrbanDictonary.com definitions so that you get the idea of what kind of rep it's got:


the water of the ghettos

the universal drink of the hood (UD)

9. MARMITE
Number 9 on the list is Marmite and you know that there's something wrong with a product when its slogan says :”love it or hate it”. I won't lie to you– I haven't tried it but it's described as a sticky, dark brown paste with a distinctive, powerful flavour, which is extremely salty and savoury.


10. POPSICLE
A popsicle is what you eat in the summer when you are fed up with chocolate covered vanilla ice-cream.




11. WALMART
Most of you have probably heard of Walmart – a popular American chain of supermarkets.


What you may not know is that it's associated with extremely crazy customers:

the funniest place on earth
The only store that has the same person both greeting you when you enter, and then checking your bags to make sure you didn't steal anything, when you leave. (UD)

12. LEMON PLEDGE
Last but not least is lemon pledge and this one is dedicated to my brother, a big Family Guy fan.

Lemon pledge is basically....... Oh, wait, I think you should watch this vid first and try to guess yourself:




You were right. It's:


1. An all-purpose furniture polish that will give your furnishings the scent of new lemon.

2. A major demand made by the maids' union before they agree to return to work.
(UD)


That's the end of my list. I hope you enjoyed it ;))

Feel free to comment and add your suggestions to the list of product names popular in the English-speaking popular culture.

Glossary:
commonly used – powszechnie używany
my personal favourite – mój osobisty faworyt
the one and only – jedyny w swoim rodzaju
regular blankets – zwykłe koce
upcoming – nadchodzące
sprawled – rozłożony
a remote – pilot (TV)
to rock – tut. mieć na sobie, nosić
tied-up shoes – wiązane buty
slip-on shoes – wsuwane buty
to work out – domyślić się
a hankie – chusteczka
short for – być skrótem czegoś
a tissue – chusteczka
a lip balm – pomadka ochronna
to pop up – pojawiać się
(eye)brows – brwi
non-carbonated – niegazowany
a rep – reputacja
sticky – lepka
a paste – pasta, masa
distinctive – charakterystyczna
savoury – pikantny
fed up with – znudzony czymś
last but not least – na końcu (ale nie mniej ważny od pozostałych)
to guess – zgadywać
furnishings – wyposażenie wnętrza
a scent – zapach
a demand – żądanie
the maids' union – związek zawodowy pokojówek

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