Do you know what ‘up and about’ means?
Example sentence: She is up and about again.
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT: http://www.askjohnenglish.com/learn/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=200#p1359
Idiom: Up and about
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March 8, 2009Category: Intermediate
Intermediate Archive
The meaning of “I am stuffed”
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February 18, 2009Category: Intermediate, Intermediate
Recently I wrote an article asking if you know what the phrase “I am stuffed” means.
You can read that article here: http://www.askjohnenglish.com/vocabulary-all/i-am-stuffed
THE ANSWER:
I am stuffed = I am very, very tired
DID YOU KNOW…
I am stuffed also can mean “I am in big trouble”!
HOW CAN I UNDERSTAND THE MEANING IN CONVERSATION?
From the context.
Context means the topic you are talking about.
Example:
In my article I talked about working very hard. So from my topic you can see that I mean “tired”
CHALLENGE
Look at the sentences below.
Tell me which sentences mean “I am in trouble” and which mean “I am very tired”.
1) I went to a party last night and now I am stuffed.
2) I didn’t study for the test at all. I think I am stuffed!
3) I was so busy today, I didn’t have time for lunch. I am so stuffed, I am just going to go to bed. Goodnight!
4) Why did you lie to your girlfriend? I think you are stuffed!
Put your answer in the comments!
EXTRA CHALLENGE
Do you know one more meaning for the phrase “I am stuffed”? Hint – after dinner!
I am stuffed!
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January 28, 2009Category: Intermediate, Intermediate
Sorry I haven’t been writing this week. I am stuffed!
Do you know what ‘I am stuffed’ means?
Let me give you a hint:
Last week I moved house. On Monday, I rented a truck. My friend helped me put all my things in the truck. We then moved to the new place and took everything out of the truck. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I cleaned the old place every morning and night before and after work! Then all weekend I was painting the new place!
Now, I am stuffed!
QUESTION: Do you know what ‘I am stuffed’ means?
Put your answer in the comments!
Hint: There are a few different meanings. What do I mean in my story?
Long Weekend – Australia Day
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January 22, 2009Category: Intermediate
A long weekend is coming!
Yes, that is right! Next Monday I don’t have to go to work! It is a holiday for Australia Day!
A long weekend is when either Friday or Monday is a public holiday, and people don’t have to go to work or school. It is called a long weekend, because usually weekends have only 2 days off (Saturday and Sunday).
But on a long weekend there are 3 or sometimes even 4 days off.
For example: Easter is a long weekend, because we have Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday off work and school. So Easter is a 4 day long weekend!
Australia Day is only 1 day – Monday. So I will have a 3 day long weekend!
Question: What are some of the long weekends in your country?
I didn’t mean to…
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January 5, 2009Category: Intermediate
Today, let’s look at ‘I didn’t mean to…’
The phrase “I didn’t mean to …” is usually used for something bad that you did, but didn’t want to do.
Examples:
|
If you are talking about something that happened, that is not bad, you could say:
- I wasn’t planning to watch a movie, but I saw one anyway.
OR
- I decided to watch a movie to fill in time.
OR
- I decided to watch a movie just for the fun of it.
If you are talking about people you met, but wasn’t planning to meet, you can use “bump into“.
| Example:
I bumped into Miho yesterday in Ikebukuro. |
If you visit someone in their house, without planning to, you can use “drop by“.
| Example: I was in this area, so I decided to drop by. (I was near here, so I decided to visit you) |
Question: Do you often do things for the fun of it? Or do you like to plan what you want to do carefully?
Put your answer in the comments!
Some Slang – TA
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December 1, 2008Category: Intermediate, Intermediate
Imagine you are at work in an office. Someone asks you for a pen…
A: Can I please have a pen?
YOU SAY: Sure. Here you are!
C: Ta
What does ‘Ta’ mean?
This is very common slang in Australia and England. It means ‘Thank you’.
Remember – this is not formal English. It is for casual situations only.
Question:
Who would it be ok to use ‘Ta’ with:
A: Your boss
B: Your girlfriend / boyfriend
C: A waitress
Put your answer in the comments!
Do you like chips?
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November 12, 2008Category: Intermediate, Intermediate
In Australia, one thing many people like to eat is ‘Fish and Chips’.
I think you know what fish is, but do you know what chips are?
In America they are called ‘fries’ or ‘French Fries’, but here we call them chips!
Yes, chips are potatoes that have been cut up and then fried!
Often we will also call them ‘hot chips’. This is because there is another kind of potato chip that is not eaten hot. You can buy it in a bag in the supermarket!
Question:
Do you like ‘hot chips’ or ‘chips’ better?
Do you know any other words that people use in America, that are not used in other countries? Hint: Americans say ‘candy’. What do most other countries say?
I’ve had this music stuck in my head all day!
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November 9, 2008Category: Intermediate, Intermediate
Have you heard that phrase before?
I’ve got the (TV or movie title) music stuck in my head!
Today I went hiking. It was a great day. We saw some Aboriginal paintings and also some places that they used to make rock tools. As I walked along, I had the Indiana Jones music stuck in my head!
This phrase means that you can’t stop thinking about the music from that movie or TV show! My wife always gets the Star Wars music stuck in her head!
You can also use this sentence to talk about a song.
Example:
I have got the new Madonna song stuck in my head!
QUESTION:
How about you? Do you get music stuck in your head? What music is it?
Let me know in the comments!
A Blood-Red Moon
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October 29, 2008Category: Intermediate, News
Last year in Sydney, there was a lunar eclipse.
A lunar eclipse is when the earth’s shadow covers the moon (lunar, means moon). It makes the moon look blood-red!
Click on the link below to read the newspaper article and see a picture.
The article’s title is: ‘Never mind a blue moon, it’s been eclipsed’.
This title comes from the saying: ‘Once in a blue moon’. It means ‘rarely’.
- EXAMPLE:
Q: Do you like to watch movies?
A: Yeah, once in a blue moon (Yeah, but rarely.)
You can see more pictures in a slideshow. Click on the link below.
Question: Have you seen a lunar eclipse?
What do you like to do once in a blue moon?
Let me know in the comments!
