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

Saturday, August 2, 2014

HOW-TO: How not to be picked up at your local gym






Hi guys!

I take it you gorgeous people who read my blog don’t need to go to the gym. But just in case you ever wander into this hostile and alien place, I want you to know that I’ve got your back.


I TAKE IT – zakładam, że (said if you think that what you say is likely to be true, although it is not proved, I believe, I guess)

GORGEOUS – cudowni, śliczni (beautiful)

to WANDER – wędrować, włóczyć się (to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction

HOSTILE – wrogie, nieprzyjazne (unfriendly)

ALIEN – obce (strange, new)

I’VE GOT YOUR BACK – Możesz na mnie liczyć (I will help and support you.)


No one needs conversation or advances when they are working out in the gym, being all sweaty and concentrated on getting a good workout. But how do you make sure that a girl or a guy doesn’t approach you and asks: “Do you come here often?”

You listen to music.

It’s simple yet brilliant and it should work on most people, girls and boys, like a wall that protects you from the rest of the word. You bring your MP3 player, your phone, or whatever device it is that can produce music, you put your earphones in and voila!


ADVANCES – zaloty (flirting, trying to talk to someone whom you like a lot)

to WORK OUT – wykonywać ćwiczenia fizyczne, ćwiczyć (to do physical exercises)

SWEATY – spocony (wet and sometimes smelly)

a WORKOUT –  trening (a period of physical exercise)

to APPROACH SOMEONE – podchodzić, zbliżać się (to come close to someone)

BRILLIANT – kapitalny (genius)

a DEVICE – urządzenie (a small machine)


Here’s the thing. It works 99.9 % of the time. I already know what you’re going to ask me:” How do I make absolutely sure that no one bothers me at the gym?”

You lip-synch

You move your lips as if you were singing the songs, but no sounds escape your mouth.

Add a few random hand gestures, a smile at no one in particular, some nodding action, and you’re good to go.


HERE’S THE THING – problem w tym, że…. (The main problem is …)

to BOTHER – zawracać głowę, naprzykrzać się (to annoy or cause problems for someone)

to LIP-SYNCH – udawać, że się śpiewa (to pretend to be singing)

to ESCAPE – wydostawać się (to come out)

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

AT NO ONE IN PARTICULAR – skierowany do nikogo w szczególności (not directed at someone)


to BE GOOD TO GO – być przygotowanym (to be prepared and ready to do something)



Hope that helps a bit :)

Karola

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Books and Movies: Mock Leather Sofas




Hi guys!

I have always loved J. K. Rowling. Now I love her even more :)

The author of Harry Potter books has a major talent. Everyone knows that.

But she can also be quite a jokester :)

These are a couple of excerpts from her latest novel The Silkworm written under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith.

(I’m currently reading it and would recommend it to anyone who loves the detective genre.)

Strike dropped onto the sofa in the outer office. It was almost new, an essential expense as he had broken the second-hand one with which he had initially furnished his office. Covered in mock leather that he had thought smart in the showroom, it made farting noises if you moved on it in the wrong way.

Strike lowered himself onto the sofa, which made its usual farting noises beneath him …

‘Arrogant prat,’ said Robin, sitting down on the mock leather sofa, which for some reason did not emit farting noises when she did it. Perhaps, Strike thought, it was his weight.

Strike lowered himself onto the farting leather and ate while reading the article…

MAJOR – ogromny (huge, very big)

a JOKESTER – osoba lubiąca żartować (someone who likes telling funny stories or making people laugh)

an EXCERPT – fragment (a fragment)

a GENRE – gatunek (a kind, type)

the OUTER OFFICE – recepcja (the reception area of an office, outside of the main working area)

ESSENTIAL – niezbędny (basic, necessary)

INITIALLY – początkowo (at first)

to FURNISH – urządzać, meblować (to provide with furniture; to put furniture in)

SMART – elegancka, szykowna (elegant)

a SHOWROOM – salon sprzedaży (a large shop in which people are encouraged to look at the goods that are on sale before buying them)

to FART – pierdzieć (to release gas from the bowels through the bottom)

a PRAT – głupek, idiota (an idiot)

MOCK LEATHER – z imitacji skóry (not real leather, fake leather, faux leather)

Have a great day!
Karola

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Story of My Life: T-shirts





 Hi guys!

I saw this text on a t-shirt in the girls’ section the other day and I was mildly impressed

T-shirts designed for girls don’t usually impress me so much. They’re just not as funny as the ones designed for guys.

That is why when I’m on the hunt for a cool graphic or a text t-shirt, I head over to the men’s section.

Still, in this particular case, the designers could have done so much better.

The way I see it, this text would be a lot funnier if it went across a guy’s chest  

:D


to MAKE SOMEBODY CRY – doprowadzić kogoś do łez (to cause somebody to cry)

THE OTHER DAY – niedawno (a few days ago)

MILDLY – umiarkowanie (slightly)

to BE IMPRESSED – być pod wrażeniem (to like someone’s work)

to be ON THE HUNT FOR – poszukiwać (try to find something by searching carefully or thoroughly)  

a GRAPHIC T-SHIRT – koszulka z obrazkiem (a t-shirt with a picture on it)

a TEXT T-SHIRT – koszulka z napisem (a t-shirt that says something)

to HEAD OVER TO – udać się w stronę (to go to)

IN THIS CASE – w tym przypadku (in this situation)

PARTICULAR – szczególny (this one and not any other)

THE WAY I SEE IT – według mnie (in my opinion, from my perspective)

a CHEST – klatka piersiowa (he upper front part of the body)

Happy Sunday!

Karola

Monday, July 14, 2014

Story of My Life: You Say it Wrong




Hi guys!

I have recently come back from my trip to the lake aka the doggie holiday and it made me think about how cool having a dog is. 

A dog is your most loyal friend. It probably sheds fur so his hair is always with you, visible especially on your favourite dark clothes.

It greets all the visitors and barks at the UPS guy.

It regularly chews on your favourite pair of slippers or stilettos.

Don’t get me wrong. All these things are cool, but may become boring after some time.

 Do you know what never gets old, though? And I’m going straight to hell for saying that… :D

aka – also known as
to SHED – gubić (to lose, to get rid of)
to GREET – witać (to welcome, to say hello)
to BARK – szczekać (to make a loud rough noise)
to CHEW ON – obgryzać, gryźć (to bite something with your teeth)
SLIPPERS– kapcie (shoes worn around the house)
STILETTOS – szpilki (high-heeled shoes)
to GET OLD – nudzić się (to become boring, uninteresting)

The coolest thing is when you walk your dog and you meet some people along the way and they want to tell you how cute your dog is. It only takes a second. They get too close, lean forward and BAM…. He plants a big wet kiss on their unsuspecting faces.


Gets me every time :D

Our family owns a big yellow Labrador. You probably know the breed. They’re super-friendly and good with children. Eight years ago, when we first got him, the breed was fairly known but not as popular as it is now. Some people would ask us what Cezar was. Now, and that’s when real fun begins, a lot of people recognise that he’s a Lab. In a typical group of people there is always this one person who is the so called “dog expert”. He or she will announce seriously that Cezar is the dog which helps the blind and is called, wait for it …. La-bLa-dor, which sounds a lot like coming from a kid who hasn’t yet mastered the ‘r’ sound.

All in all, I had loads of fun on my doggie holiday :D

to LEAN FORWARD – pochylić się
to PLANT A KISS – złożyć pocałunek (to kiss)
UNSUSPECTING – niczego niepodejrzewający (not knowing there in any danger or harm)
GETS ME EVERY TIME –  zawsze mnie śmieszy (always makes me laugh)
a BREED– rasa (a particular type of animal)  
FAIRLY – całkiem (quite)
to RECOGNISE – rozpoznać (to know someone or something because you have seen, heard or experienced them before)
to ANNOUNCE – ogłaszać (to say something important or serious)
THE BLIND – niewidomi (people who are unable to see)
to MASTER – opanować (to learn a skill)
LOADS OF – a lot of

My favourite Lab TV ad: youtube link
More about Cezar: Cezar the Doggie