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

Monday, April 15, 2013

random word of the day: A BIT OF A MOUTHFUL






random word of the day:  (A  BIT OF A ) A MOUTHFUL – trudne do wymówienia słowo (a word or phrase that is difficult to pronounce or that has a lot of syllables)

(1) “I don’t know your name,” he said.

“They called me Wanderer,” I whispered.

(…)

That’s a real interesting name you’ve got there,” he told me. He seemed to be back to his chatty mood. “Maybe sometime you’ll tell me how you got it. Bet that’s a good story. But it’s kind of a mouthful, don’t you think? Wanderer?” 

 I stared at him.
 
Mind if I call you Wanda for short? It flows easier.”

to whisper – wyszeptać (to speak very quietly, using the breath but not the voice, so that only the person close to you can hear you)
real interesting – really interesting
(to be in) a/one’s chatty mood – w nastroju do rozmowy (to feel like having a conversation with someone)
Bet that’s a good story (I bet that’s a good story) – Założę się, że … ( I’m sure …)
Mind if I call you (Do you mind if I call you …) – Masz coś przeciwko … (Do you have a problem with me calling you …?)
for short – w skrócie
It flows easier. – Łatwiej je wymówić (It’s easier to say.)

(2) We can't come up with a girl’s name but found a boy’s name we both like. I really like it and think it rolls off the tongue, but I’m worried it might be a bit of a mouthful for some. What do you think of Izaiah Xavier. Hubby wanted to spell Izaiah with an "s" but I like the "z".

to come up with – wymyślić (to think of)
It rolls off the tongue – Łatwo je wymówić. (It’s easy to say.)
for some – for some people
Hubby – husband


(3) Poll: Two Thousand Thirteen OR Twenty Thirteen?
Twenty thirteen. Why? Because it’s not so much of a mouthful as two thousand and thirteen when having a conversation.

a poll – ankieta (a survey)
It’s not so much of a mouthful as … –  Nie jest aż tak trudne do wypowiedzenia jak (It's not as difficult to say as)

(4) I am up before 6 a.m. the next morning to take a taxi to (…) the Peninsula Country Golf Club. The name is quite a mouthful, but the club lives up to its moniker, boasting (…) four hundred acres of grass tennis courts and bowling and croquet lawns along with thirty-six holes of golf.

a peninsula – półwysep (a long piece of land which sticks out from a larger area of land into the sea or into a lake)
to live up to – sprostać czemuś (to be as good as something)
a moniker – imię, ksywka (a name or nickname)
to live up to its name/moniker – be as good as the name suggests
to boast – móc się poszczycić (to have something to be proud of)
croquet – krokiet (a game in which two, three or four players use  mallets   (= long wooden hammers)  to hit wooden balls through small metal  hoops   (= curves)  fixed into the grass)
a lawn – trawnik (an area of grass)

(5) "In the contest to out-strange one another in the World of Celebrity, Uma Thurman may have just trumped famous people everywhere. She stayed quiet about her baby’s name for three months, until Friday when she made the traditional celebrity baby name announcement exclusively to People Magazine. It is easy to see why she stayed silent – the name is quite a mouthful. Welcome to the world: Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson!"

to out-strange – wymyślić coś bardziej dziwnego niż inni (to come up with something more strange than others)
to trump – przebić, pokonać (to beat someone or something by doing or producing something better)
to make an announcement – ogłaszać coś (to say something officially)


Hi guys!

Happy Monday to all of you!

Is your name a bit of a mouthful?

 I think mine is. Just the other week I was asked to say my first name and my last name (My name’s Karolina Pabich if anyone’s wondering) and the lady wrote down: “KARINA Pabich” !!!
 Apparently, I say my four-syllable name as if it were just three syllables. Go figure! :D

Also, anyone who knew instantly where example (1) comes from, gets a cookie :-)

See you in my next post,

Karola

Monday, April 8, 2013

random word of the day: TO TRUST SOMEBODY TO DO SOMETHING





random word of the day: TO TRUST SOMEBODY TO DO SOMETHING – można się (było) po nim/niej tego spodziewać (it’s typical for somebody to do something like this)

(1) Trust Chris to leave the tickets at home!

(2) Trust me to spill hot chocolate down the side of my leg on a 10-hour journey!

to spill – rozlać (to cause or allow liquid to flow over the edge of its container, esp. unintentionally)

(3) Trust Palin to have to crib something that simple.

a crib (note) – ściąga (something used for cheating in an examination)
to crib – ściągać (to use a crib)


ENERGY, TAX CUTS, LIFT AMERICAN SPIRITS


(4) Trust Mr Bean to know how to get his new chair home even if it won't fit in his car.

It won’t fit in his car. – Nie chce zmieścić się w jego samochodzie.




(5) One might not think of finding Morocco and Sweden in the same cookbook but trust Jamie Oliver to mix the Mediterranean with Northern European cuisine.

cuisine – kuchnia (food, cooking style)

(6) Trust Kate Middleton to look absolutely lovely even when rocking the most schlumpy of English attire: the wellie.

to rock – nosić (to wear)
schlumpy – niechlujny (sloppy, unflattering)
attire – strój (an outfit, a set of clothes)
a wellie/wellington (boot) – kalosz (a rain boot, a rubber boot)




and one example for hardcore Harry Potter fans :-)

This one comes from book 3 (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). The dialogue follows a Care of Magical Creatures lesson taught by Hagrid, in which Buckbeak the Hipogriff attacks Malfoy after being provoked by the boy’s insults. (Hippogriffs are proud and easily offended creatures.)

an insult – obelga, zniewaga
easily-offended – ktoś, kogo łatwo obrazić (quick to get upset or angry)


BUCKBEAK


(7) ‘How is he?’ said Ron, as they all sat down. ‘It wasn’t serious, was it?’
‘Madam Pomfrey fixed him best she could,’ said Hagrid dully, ‘but he’s sayin’ it’s still agony … covered in bandages… moanin’ ….’
He’s faking it, said Harry at once. ‘Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half my bones last year. Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it’s worth.’

dully – bez energii (without liveliness, without energy)
agony – dotkliwy ból, cierpienie (extreme physical or mental pain or suffering)
to moan – jęczeć (to make a long low sound of pain, suffering or another strong emotion)
He’s faking it. – Udaje. (He’s pretending to be badly hurt.)
at once – natychmiast (immediately)
to mend – naprawić (tu: wyleczyć, uzdrowić) (to fix, to repair, here: to heal)
to regrow (regrew-regrown) – odbudować (to make something grow again)
to milk it for all it’s worth – wykorzystać, jak tylko się da (to take the full advantage of something, to use something as much as possible)