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

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)




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