My Digs: Can't take My Eyes OFF OF You

 

How are you today? :)

I have to admit that I am a little bit frustrated. Why? Because I have been planning to write this post for quite some time now and I've been thinking: wow, the idea behind the post is so cool, so magnificent that it's going to blow everybody's mind. The post is going to get big. The blog is going to get huge and next thing you know is me receiving an award for outstanding blogging.

(Yeah, I know what you're all thinking: Not happening!!!)

But now I can't even write a proper intro.

So let's just say that I'm going to write something mildly interesting and you're going to be troopers about it and read the whole post ;).

Getting back to the subject...

The inspiration for the post was a beautiful love song performed by Lauryn Hill – Can't take my eyes off of you. You can listen to it below. (WARNING: people going through a love crisis might want to skip it.)

 Can't take my eyes off of you

 

The first 20 seconds give me a shiver every single time. That's how amazing this song is!

Let's focus on the linguistic aspect of the song though – the off of bit to be precise, which is not common and not even correct to use, but still you can hear native speakers use it in everyday speech. What I have learnt from short online research and my own experience is that

• phrases containing off of belong to colloquial and highly informal speech and are often considered incorrect by English language purists;
• the of part is almost unnoticeable, but saying off of definitely takes longer that just saying off
• in most contexts, off of means: from but you can't always replace it with from.

A few examples:

MAKE MONEY OFF OF

'Garage Sale Gal' makes money off of junk '

Why can't she just be REAL and say she makes money off of that?

Obviously, she makes money off of her TV work. She does not have a large amount of money by any means, but she is not poor either.

BASED OFF OF

Dr. House is based off of Sherlock Holmes.

The Chevrolet emblem is based off of a wallpaper design from Paris.

The sequel, The Pacific, is based off of several veterans' memoirs.

TAKE IT OFF OF ME!

Sick Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood

Cezar

 

OFF OF THE INTERNET

However, when I print anything off of the internet (through Mozilla Firefox) the print is miniaturized.

My router keeps kicking me off of the internet.

I've ordered off of the internet many times, this seemed to be the easiest.

OTHERS:

We sit down to eat off of the plastic plates that do not all match and drink tea from glasses."

I got it off of a friend of mine.

Get off of me, you freak.

I can't get my mind off of my ex?

Ok, I guess that's it for now.

Bye ;)

GLOSSARY:

magnificent – wspaniały

to blow somebody's mind – powalić na kolana (If something blows your mind, you find it very exciting and unusual)

outstanding – wybitny

an intro – wstęp (introduction)

mildly – umiarkowanie

to be a trooper (about something) – być dzielnym, wytrwałym, a trooper – żołnierz

performed by – w wykonaniu

to skip something – pominąć

a shiver – dreszcz

linguistic – językowy

research – badanie

highly – bardzo, znacznie

to be considered incorrect – uważana za niepoprawną

purists – puryści

unnoticeable – niezauważalny

junk – śmieci

be real – być szczerym

obviously – wyraźnie, oczywiście

not by any means/ by no means – wcale (not at all)

an emblem – symbol, znak

memoirs – wspomnienia

Get off of me! – Zejdź ze mnie!

get your mind off of somebody/ something – zapomnieć o kimś, starać się nie myśleć o kimś

English in Pics - 12 Cold Weather Must Haves

 

Hello everybody!

How's your life been treating you lately?

I hope you are all OK and have started this week on a good note.

Me? I'm feeling kinda bad about not updating this blog for a week. Therefore, I would like to extend my apologies to all the readers. Yes, all two of you ;).

Today I'm going to discuss different ways in which you can protect yourselves from the cold in the winter time. I know what you are going to say: there is still loads of time before the winter starts, but trust me – it's going to get freezing before you can say Quidditch and didn't your mum always tell you to wrap up well way before December anyway?

1. TRAPPER HAT

This is my favourite type of winter hats. Wear it to show others that it might be cold outside but you are the one who is the coolest.

2. EARMUFFS

If you are not a woolly hat kind of person, at least consider wearing earmuffs or a headband.

3. HEADBAND/ EAR WARMER

4. INFINITY SCARF

This is not a regular scarf. Why? Because it never ends. Wrap it around your neck as many times a you can and you are bound to look more stylish than if you wore a regular boring scarf with two ends.

5. GLOVES (MITTENS, FINGERLESS, GLITTENS)

MITTENS

If you like trapper hats, you will love mittens. These will keep your fingers warm and snugly.

FINGERLESS GLOVES

If you insist on tapping away on your phone while outside, you might want to invest in a pair of fingerless gloves.

GLITTENS

However, you will have the best of both worlds if you wear glittens. You can text when you want, and if your fingers get cold, just put on the retractable part.

6. LAYERING

When it comes to clothes, layering is putting on almost everything you own in order to keep yourself warm. You start with a simple spaghetti strap top and finish off with a big sweater.

7. CHUNKY OVERSIZED JUMPER

Those can be very fashionable too. Just make sure your look is more BOHO than HOBO-inspired ;).

8. LEG WARMERS

Although I associate leg warmers with fitness exercises and fashion victims who wear them in the summer, I think they may come in handy in the winter time. Plus they look cute and girly.

9. SKI SOCKS

Even if you don't really know how to ski, you can still wear them.

10. LINED/ THERMO-PADDED BOOTS

Make sure that your winter boots are not only stylish and fashion-forward, but they can also keep your toes warm.

11. HOME-MADE COCOA WITH MARSHMALLOWS

If you have seen the Holiday (please, don't judge) starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, you might remember the drink that the Cameron Diaz character is offered when she visits her lover and meets his daughters for the first time – home-made cocoa with marshmallows. It was that or hot chocolate. I can't remember now. But there were definitely marshmallows there and the right portion seems to be five marshmallows per serving!

12. OVERPRICED AND OVERRATED COFFEE

Just kidding ;).

Because you can drink coffee all year round!

Hope you enjoyed.

Stay warm! ;)))

GLOSSARY:

How's your life been treating you lately? – Jak się miewasz/ miewacie?

to update – aktualizować

to extend my apologies – przeprosić (extend – offer)

loads (of time) – mnóstwo czasu

freezing – b. zimno, lodowato

Wrap up well! – ciepło się ubierz

way before – na długo przed

anyway – i tak

woolly/ wooly – wełniana

at least – przynajmniej

to consider – tut. rozważać

to wrap something around something – owinąć

snugly – przytulnie

be bound to do – na pewno coś zrobić (bound – certain, extremely likely)

to insist on doing something – upierać się przy czymś

to tap away on (your phone) – uderzać, wystukiwać, klepać

to text – wysyłać smsy

retractable – wysuwana

layering – ubieranie się na cebulę, warstwami

a spaghetti strap top – bluzka na cienkich ramiączkach

chunky – gruby, grubo tkany

oversized – (wydaje się) za duży

boho (bohemian) – boho (a style in fashion)

to associate something with something – utożsamiać

to come in handy – przydawać się

lined/ thermo-padded (boots) – ocieplane

cocoa – kakao

marshmallows – pianki

starring – w którym występuje/ją

a character – postać

per serving – na jedną porcję

overpriced – za drogi, przedrożony

overrated – przereklamowany

Story of My Life: Pet Peeves

Hello!

Let's talk pet peeves, shall we? If you have never heard of them, pet peeves are minor annoyances – small things that irritate you in other people – their activities and often habits that are annoying, uncalled-for or plain stupid.

I consider myself an easy-going person, but there are times when I can get pretty cranky and small things can get on my nerves.

Some of my pet peeves are:

• when people describe their dreams to me. (Come on! The only two people in this world interested in you dreams are yourself and your shrink!)
• when people put a sad face in their status and then when you ask them what's wrong, they say they would rather not talk about it.
• when people make negative comments on what unhealthy food or drinks I consume. (As long as I can move around with nobody's help, it's my friggin' business what I eat or drink. End of story.)
• when people talk loudly on their phones in public places. (I can't focus on my own thoughts, Mr Important!!)
• when people tell me I should listen to music on my phone rather than on my mp3 player because it's more convenient this way. (No, it isn't!!)

Ok, enough of bitching for now :))

Now take a look at some of other people's pet peeves. You can find them all and many more at

 

www.GetAnnoyed.com

1. Noisy eaters
2. Kids who tease dogs through a fence.
3. Couples who sit on the same side of the booth when there is no one on the other side.
4. People who don't use coasters. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
5. People who sit next to you on public transportation even when there are other seats available.
6. Road maps that aren't folded correctly.
7. Couples that own a dog together and call themselves mommy and daddy.
8. Guys who leave the toilet seat up.
9. Dining with a picky eater (they can never order off the menu without customizing every aspect of the meal).
10. When somebody tosses something toward a garbage can, like they think they're a basketball star, then leave it on the ground after they miss!
11. Uncomfortable chairs.
12. Anyone – male or female – who says “We’re pregnant”. Are they sharing a uterus?
13. Clipping your nails at work. 
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
     
14. Rappers who thank God at award ceremonies.
15. The noise styrofoam makes when you rub it together.
16. People who dress their pets.
17. People who make you take off your shoes when you go into their house.
18. People who point at their wrist while asking for the time.
19. Emails with no subject.
20. People who don't hold the elevator for you.

backwash – saliva and food particles that get into a drink after someone 

has drunk from it and then stay at the bottom of the bottle.

GLOSSARY:

minor – drobne

uncalled-for – niestosowny, nie na miejscu (describes a criticism, insult, remark or action that is unfair, rude or hurtful and therefore considered to be unnecessary)

plain – zwyczajnie, po prostu (complete) 

cranky – tut. drażliwy, rozdrażniony (easily annoyed or upset)

to get on somebody's nerves – działać komuś na nerwy

a shrink – psychoanalityk

convenient – wygodne

to bitch (about something) – zrzędzić, narzekać

to tease – drażnić

a fence – płot

a booth – boks (in a restaurant)

a coaster – podkładka, podstawek

to fold – składać, zginać (to bend something, especially paper or cloth, so that one part of it lies on the other part, or to be able to be bent in this way)

picky – wybredny (describes someone who is very careful about choosing only what they like )

to customize – dostosowywać do potrzeb klienta, zmieniać pod siebie itp. (to make or change something according to the buyer's or user's needs)

to toss – rzucać

a garbage can – śmietnik

to miss – spudłować

a uterus – macica

to clip (nails) – obcinać

styrofoam – styropian

to point at – pokazywać na, wskazywać na

a wrist – nadgarstek

an elevator – winda

saliva – ślina

particles – cząsteczki

How Do I say It in English: załatwiać

Hi everybody!

I hope you all enjoyed 11 11 11 and experienced some of its magic. Today's post (and hopefully the whole new section) is going to be written from a different angle, namely focusing on situations when you want to say something in English and wonder if it is a word or a phrase a native speaker of English would use in that very context.

The Polish word of today is załatwiać in two different contexts:

(1) Muszę załatwić kilka spraw przed wyjazdem służbowym.

I need to take care of a few things before my business trip.

(2) Mam znajomą, która może ci załatwić pracę.

I've got a friend who can fix you up with a job.

These two phrases can be easily found in a Polish- English dictionary.

If, however, you would like some more options, then read on.

RUN/ DO ERRANDS (run/do an errand)

In context (1) you could also say:

I need to run a few errands before my business trip.

Some other examples:

I've got to run a few errands and then stop by my mother's house.

Sometimes when I just need some peace and quiet, away from the husband and kids, I tell my husband I need to do some errands. But, I really drive to a quiet spot, listen to talk radio and enjoy the alone time

Here's a list of what people mean when they say: “I need to run some errands.”

1.Shopping-usually groceries;
2. Bill paying (paying bills);
3. Picking up or dropping off the kids;
4. Paperwork;
5. I don't want to talk to you right now, but I may want to later, so rather than offend you, I will tell you that I am busy.

http://www.shtickaround.com/2009/01/09/running-errands/

HOOK somebody UP WITH something

In context (2) you could also say:

I've got a friend who can hook you up with a job.

Some other examples:

Could you hook me up with some pot.

Do you think you can hook me up with some tickets for tonight?

Can you hook me up with one of those?

In the past, this phrase (hook somebody up with something) was only used in the context of illegal and forbidden items but now it has a broader usage.

GLOSSARY:

an angle – strona, aspekt, punkt widzenia

namely – mianowicie

in that very context – w tym samym kontekście (exact)

read on – czytaj dalej

to stop by – wstąpić, wpaść (to visit someone for a short time, usually on the way to another place)

peace and quiet – cisza i spokój

talk radio – a radio show centred around interviews

to mean – mieć na myśli

groceries – artykuły spożywcze (food)

to pick somebody up (from school) – odbierać ze szkoły

to drop off (my children at school) – podwozić dzieci do szkoły

pot – trawka (marihuana)

forbidden – zakazane (zakazywać – forbid-forbade-forbidden)

a usage – zastosowanie

Sources:

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/run+an+errand

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110211185915AA37IcA

http://www.805moms.com/data/assets/boards/805moms/showthread.php?t=1058

http://www.ldoceonline.com/Other%2520Sports-topic/hook_2

http://americaexplained.wordpress.com/2010/11/12/

:)

My Digs: Pics or It Didn't Happen

Hello!

When it comes to the internet, there are roughly two kinds of people – those whom you can email or facebook and they message you back on the same day and those who never get back to you because they are never online to check their email or message box.

Members of the former group might often live by the motto: If it's not on the internet, it doesn't exist, which shows how strongly they feel about the internet and information that can be found there.

However, there are times when they doubt information they find on the net, especially when the story they hear is unlikely, unbelievable or far-fetched:

Guy 1: Dude, I drank four bottles of bourbon last night, then hooked up with 4 chicks at the same time, then Donald Trump came to my house and gave me a million dollars!
Guy 2: Pics or it didn't happen.

Gamers also tend to doubt each other, especially when one of them is bragging:

Gamer 1: I got 73 kills in a single game on Call of Duty 4 and it wasn't even on Shipment.

Gamer 2: Pics or it didn't happen.

To save time and space, the acronym is often used:

Forum story: Topless shoplifter arrested in Texas.

Reply: POIDH.

Ocassionally, instead of photos (pics), the inquisitive internet user might ask for a screenshot or a video:

Person 1: I cussed my boss and quit work.
Person 2: VOIDH. (Video or it didn't happen).

Guy 1:I JUST BEAT LVL 150 CHAOS WITHOUT USING AI EXPLOITS.

Guy 2: Screenshot or it didn't happen. (also SOIDH)

(source – www.UrbanDictionary.com)

The phrase pics or it didn't happen and its variations have become very popular among the internet community and have now a status of a meme (an internet catchphrase).

GLOSSARY:

roughly – mniej więcej (approximately)

to facebook somebody – wysłać komuś wiadmość na Facebooku

to get back to somebody – odpowiedzieć komuś na wiadomość, telefon, smsa
the former (group) – pierwsza wspomniana (grupa)

to doubt something/ somebody – wątpić

far-fetched – naciągana (very unlikely to be true, and difficult to believe)

to hook up with somebody – to have a kissing session OR have sex with somebody

to brag (about something) – przechwalać się

inquisitive – dociekliwy (wanting to discover as much as you can about things, sometimes in a way that annoys people )

to cuss – przeklinać, tut. obrzucać wyzwiskami

a variation – odmiana

a community – społeczność

a catchphrase – utarty zwrot, hasło


:)