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, November 24, 2014

random word of the day: WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE




random word of the day: WE’RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE

dosł: nie jesteśmy już w Kansas

said when you're in a place or situation that is new for you, makes you feel uncomfortable or scared, etc.

origin: From the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz in which Dorothy says "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."



(1) When I saw that my whole family plus two other people liked my FB page I thought to myself: “Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore,” just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz did.

(2) I went to the Museum of Modem Art, I thought, "We're not in Kansas anymore." Before that, I'd only seen black-and-white reproductions of art magazines or grainy slides in art history classes.

(3) "Well, Toto,” she said, "we’re not in Kansas anymore.” She’d always wanted to say that under stress, but doing it left her feeling phony, and she was glad nobody had heard.

(4) Your momma used to live at the church on Sunday
You just go to LIV after church on Sunday
Oh Lord, oh Lord we're not in Kansas anymore
We're not in Kansas anymore

(Drake <3)

the ORIGIN – geneza (the beginning or cause of something)

I'VE A FEELING – mam wrażenie (I have a feeling, it seems to me)

GRAINY – ziarniste  (not clear because the many black and white 
or coloured  dots  which make up the image can be seen)

UNDER STRESS – w stresie, będąc zestresowaną (being stressed out)

PHONY – nieszczery, udawany (not honest or not real)

GLAD – wdzięczny (happy about something)
LIV – a nightclub in Miami

LORD  – God

Saturday, November 15, 2014

How Do I Say It in English: fryzura na garnek/ od garnka





Hi guys!

Ever wondered how to say “fryzura na garnek/ od garnka” – (a hairstyle that looks as if someone took a pot or a bowl, put it on your head and cut the hair that is not covered)?

Wonder no more. It’s called A BOWL HAIRCUT.

to WONDER – zastanawiać się (to ask yourself)

a POT – garnek (a round container used for cooking food)

a BOWL – miska (a round container that is open at the top and is deep enough to hold fruit, sugar, etc.)


video evidence:


Books and Movies: Dumb and Dumber To



Hi guys!

Are you going to the movies to watch Dumb and Dumber To?

Props to the guy who thought of spelling 2 as ‘to’ :D

Brilliant!

Dumb and Dumber always makes me think of this one day at the university. It was a class on the culture of English-speaking countries and the professor was discussing most popular holiday resorts in the States.

The minute he said “Aspen” I made what I thought was an inconspicuous turn to my friend’s ear and whispered: Do you remember Dumb and Dumber? She nodded and we both laughed under our breath.

Just a few seconds later, the teacher said, smiling at the same time:” Yes, the city was also featured in the comedy Dumb and Dumber.

I guess, my whisper wasn't as quiet as I thought :D


to GO TO THE MOVIES – pójść do kina (to go to the cinema)

PROPS – szacun (proper respect, admiration)

BRILLIANT – błyskotliwe (very clever)

a RESORT – kurort (a place where many people go for rest, sport or another stated purpose)

INCONSPICUOUS – niepozorny, nie rzucający się w oczy (not easily or quickly noticed or seen; not attracting attention)

to WHISPER – szeptać (to speak very quietly, using the breath but not the voice, so that only the person close to you can hear you)

a WHISPER – szept (an act of whispering)

to NOD – potakiwać (to move your head down and then up)

UNDER YOUR BREATH – po cichu (quietly)

to BE FEATURED – występować w, być przedstawionym w (to be part of)

I GUESS – domyślam się (I think, I suppose)


Have a great weekend!

Karola





Sunday, November 9, 2014

How Do I Say It in English: poznać po zapachu





Hi guys!

Have you ever wanted to say the following phrase in English?

poznać kogoś po zapachu

(to be able to tell a person by using your nose rather than seeing them)

If yes, then you are weird :P

Just kidding!

Here’s a fragment of the introduction to Red Dragon (a Hannibal Lecter book) written by the author, Thomas Harris.


Dr. Lecter was asleep and I jumped when he recognized Will Graham by scent without opening his eyes.



to RECOGNIZE SOMEONE BY SCENT


P.S.1 In the fragment quoted above, it’s the author speaking. He describes the process of writing a novel as a series of little discoveries. He doesn’t make anything up as he goes. He is ‘told’ by the characters themselves what happens next.

P.S.2 I hope you don’t mind this type of random posts. I like writing them and will surely be sharing with you more phrases form the Hannibal Lecter series as it’s the one I’m obsessed with at the moment.

WEIRD – dziwny (strange)
to RECOGNIZE/ RECOGNISE – rozpoznać (to know someone or something because you have seen, heard or experienced them before)
a SCENT – zapach (a smell)
to QUOTE – cytować (to repeat the words that someone else has said or written)
a NOVEL – powieść (a long printed story about imaginary characters and events)
to MAKE SOMETHING UP – wymyślić (to invent)
I DON’T MIND … -- nie mam nic przeciwko … (I won’t be annoyed about …)
RANDOM – przypadkowy (not according to a special plan/order)

Friday, November 7, 2014

Story of My Life: Honesty Is Not the Best Policy


Hi guys!

When you need to pick somebody’s brains and ask people about their opinion do you expect them to be completely honest with you? I mean brutally honest? I thought I knew the answer to this question, but now I’m not so sure anymore.
                  
to PICK SOMEBODY’S BRAINS – poradzić się kogoś (to ask someone who knows a lot about a subject for information or their opinion)

Oh, and before I tell you the story, I need to give you the lowdown on my hair. You see, a couple of weeks ago, six to be precise, I was sort of forced to cut my hair. And by ‘cut’ I don’t mean ‘trim”. I had to cut my shoulder-length hair to a pixie haircut. And because I have some kind of magical powers (Am I a witch?) my hair has already grown out and formed on my head something that reminds you of a helmet.

LOWDOWN ON – najważniejsze informacje (the details and relevant information on a given topic or issue)
SORT OF – jakby (kind of, in a way)
to FORCE – zmuszać (to make somebody do something)
to TRIM – przyciąć (to make something tidier or more level by cutting a small amount off it)
a PIXIE HAIRCUT – krótka fryzura, na chłopaka (a short haircut)

Ok, I guess, I’ve covered the basics :D

to COVER THE BASICS – omówić podstawy (to talk about the necessary things)

I was at the gym today morning and overheard two people having a conversation about gadgets and how expensive they can be. A girl was talking to a guy and was saying how she really needs this fancy pair of scissors. “She knows something about hair”, I thought. So the moment her attention shifted in my direction I asked her what kind of hairstyle she would suggest for me.

to OVERHEAR – przypadkiem usłyszeć (to hear what other people are saying without intending to and without their knowledge)
FANCY – wymyślne, drogie (expensive, of a special kind)
SCISSORS – nożyczki (a tool for cutting hair, paper, etc.)
ATTENTION – uwaga (interest)
to SHIFT – przenosić się, przekierowywać (to move)

As you might imagine, the girl liked the idea of being treated as an authority on the subject and quickly admitted that yes, she did  notice me and think about my hair and yes, it needed some work.

to TREAT – traktować (to behave towards someone in a particular way)
an AUTHORITY – autorytet (an expert)
to ADMIT – przyznać (to say that something is true)

(I have to admit that I had left home in a great rush this morning, hair still wet, and that, as usua,l I didn’t bother to put any styling product in it, let alone blow-dry it.)

a RUSH – pośpiech (a hurry)
NOT TO BOTHER TO DO SOMETHING – nie zadać sobie trudu, żeby (not to make the smallest effort to do something)
LET ALONE – nie wspominając o (not to mention)
to BLOW-DRY – suszyć suszarką (to dry using a blow-dryer)

I smiled eagerly because I knew what was coming. She was going to praise my thick hair and my amazingly attractive cheekbones and she was going to say that even though my hair is messy, I still look cute and make it work for me.

EAGERLY – ochoczo (in a manner that shows you can’t wait for something to happen)
to PRAISE – chwalić (to compliment)
THICK – gęste (not thin)
CHEEKBONES – kości policzkowe (the bones at the top of your cheeks, just below your eye and towards your ear)

What came out of her mouth could not be more different from that.

She told me that my bangs need to be grown out ASAP; that I had too much hair on top of my head and too little at the back, which made my head look flat. She also mentioned that my hair grew unattractively long on the back of my neck. (I  later checked it with someone and they unwillingly admitted that that was true). Oh, she also added that my parting made everything look wrong.

BANGS – grzywka (a fringe, hair on your forehead)
to GROW OUT – zapuścić (to wait for something to become longer)
ASAP – as soon as possible
UNWILLINGLY – niechętnie (not wanting to)
a PARTING – przedziałek (a line on someone's head made by brushing the hair in two different directions)

So basically, what I read from her comments was the following message:

“You flat-headed Chewbacca, go home, and don’t show up at the gym without gel in your hair once again.”

ONCE AGAIN – ponownie (again, next time)

I don’t know what my facial expression was when my brain took it all in. I like to think that I smiled politely, but I probably didn’t.

to TAKE SOMETHING IN – zrozumieć, zdać sobie sprawę (to understand completely the meaning or importance of something)

What was worse, I met the girl in the locker room later that morning. She was saying something to me about how she’d been working out for 10 years already. I bit my tongue in order to stop myself from blabbing that her body didn’t really show this much work. So instead I thought that I would treat whatever she was saying the same way Ashton Kutcher treats Charlie Sheen.


a LOCKER ROOM – szatnia (a room with lockers where people can keep clothes and other things, especially while doing sport)
to BITE YOUR TONGUE – ugryźć się w język (to stop yourself from saying something which you would really like to say)
to BLAB – paplać (to talk carelessly or too much, often telling others something you should keep secret)

Oh, and to vent my anger I decided to blog about it. Apparently, the wound still stings ;)

So whatever you do, next time I ask you a question, please, spare me the truth. Thank you.

:D


to VENT – dać upust  (to express a negative emotion in a forceful and often unfair way
APPARENTLY – najwidoczniej
a WOUND – rana (damaged area of the body, such as a cut or hole in the skin or flesh made by a weapon)
to STING – szczypać, piec ( to cause an uncomfortable feeling)
to SPARE – oszczędzić (not to talk about something)