2017 August Flashcards
You Think You’re a Genius? Ditto.
Posted on Tuesday - August 1, 2017 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan
You will sometimes hear Americans use the word “ditto” in a conversation. Ditto is used as a response to what someone else has said to mean “That is true for me, too” or “The same with me,” as in:
Edmund: I am really cold.
Hillary: Ditto! Let’s turn on the heat.
If you ask Americans where the term came from, most would say it comes from making copies (creating a an exact duplicate of an image using a machine). You see, early copiers* (machines used to make copies) were informally called “ditto machines” or “mimeographs,” and produced copies that we called “dittos.”
When I was a kid (many centuries ago), teachers passed out (distributed) dittos in the classroom. When I was teaching in the 1980s and 1990s, I used to spend a lot of time creating dittos for my students (here’s an example of one from Wikipedia). Nowadays, copy machines use a different process to make the copies, so we no longer use “dittos.”
However, the word “ditto” does not actually come from the old ditto machines. As with a lot of words in American English, it has its origins (beginnings) in another language – in this case, Italian.
“Ditto” comes from the Italian word ditto, a form of the verb “to say” (dire). It was used in accounting (keeping financial accounts) or recordkeeping (an account of information) to represent a word so that it didn’t need to be repeated.
When we started using this word in English, we used it to avoid having to repeat a month or year in a date on accounting or legal documents. For example, instead of writing, “on March 2, March 13, March 22” you could write, “on March 2, ditto 13, ditto 22.”
People still express this same idea sometimes in everyday writing, but instead of putting the word “ditto” they use a quotation mark like this: “, which is sometimes called a “ditto mark.” This is placed in a column underneath a row that contains the same information, so you don’t have to write it again.
For example, if you arrive at the doctor’s office and you are asked to sign in (write down your name and the time you arrived), you might see people who arrived close to the same time put a “ underneath the time above it, like this:
Rob Roy 10:15 AM
John Cho ”
Maria Alma “
This means that the Maria and John arrived at the same time as Rob, 10:15 A.M.
As I said at the start, the word “ditto” can be used to agree with someone, but often, it is used to say, “I am the same.” So, for example, if I say, “I stink (smell badly) after exercising,” and you respond, “I agree,” you’re saying that you think I stink, too. However, if you respond “Ditto,” you are saying that you, like me, also stink after exercising, which means we both need a bath.
Now you can understand the title of this blog post: “You Think You’re a Genius (very intelligent person)? Ditto.” By responding with “Ditto,” I’m not saying I also think you are a genius, but rather that I think that I am a genius as well.
~ Jeff
- Ditto machines were made by a company called “Ditto Corporation,” although it seems likely the company itself took its name from this same idea as the accounting expression, from the Italian.
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Thick as Thieves
Posted on Tuesday - August 8, 2017 by Dr. Lucy Tse
When I was growing up, my best friend was Marlene. We became friends in the third grade when we were about 10 years old. We hung around (spent free time) with each other all the time. In fact, we were practically (nearly) inseparable (seldom without the other).
You could say that we were “thick as thieves.” A thief is someone who steals things, and thick, in the 1700s, referred to two (or more) people who were close or who were working closely together. “Thick as thieves” was often used to describe two (or more) people who were conspiratorial. To conspire means to have a secret plan among a group of people, usually something to do something that is against the law or something bad.
But the way we use “thick as thieves” today doesn’t typically have a bad connotation (meaning). Thick as thieves is usually used to describe friends who are close and who share secrets with each other. Marlene and I were thick as thieves, telling each other things we would never tell anyone else (thank goodness!).
Today, thick is most often used to mean “not thin,” as in: “If your fishing line isn’t thick enough, it’ll break when you catch a fish.”
Sometimes, thick can be used as a shortened form of thickheaded, a way to describe someone not very intelligent or stupid, or has a difficult time understanding something. It’s an insult when used that way, of course.
Finally, “through thick and thin” means no matter what happens, even through very bad times. Some marriages survive (continue) through thick and thin — just not most Hollywood marriages.
~ Lucy
Free English Lesson: Cultural English 490 – Muhammad Ali & the Golden Gate Bridge
Posted on Tuesday - August 15, 2017 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan
Are you thinking about joining our Select English Membership but aren’t quite sure what you’ll get? Watch this FREE episode of Cultural English which shows you exactly what is included in our PDF Learning Guide!
Get started on your first 15 lessons today!
Note: The lessons themselves are not videos – this is just an easy way for us to show you what you get.
Get more information here: Select English Membership.
~Jeff
The Legendary Sunset Strip
Posted on Tuesday - August 22, 2017 by ESLPod.com
The Sunset Strip is a mile and a half stretch (length) of road located on Sunset Boulevard in the middle of Los Angeles, not too far from Beverly Hills. It is legendary (very famous) for its restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, but also for the celebrities who frequent (visit) the area.
In the early days of Hollywood, “The Strip,” as it is called, was a place for outlawed (not legal) forms of entertainment. Gambling (playing games of chance for money) was illegal in the city of Los Angeles and The Strip was located just outside of Los Angeles city limits. This meant that people who wanted to gamble simply needed to go to The Strip. (Today The Strip is part of the City of West Hollywood.)
In the 1920s, during the period of Prohibition (law which made the making and selling of alcohol), alcohol was served secretly in speakeasies (nightclubs serving alcohol when it was illegal to do so). During the 1920s, even more casinos (gambling businesses) and nightclubs (businesses that serve alcohol, with music and dancing for entertainment) started moving to The Strip, attracting people who worked in the entertainment industry (people who work in television, films, music, and other forms of entertainment).
In the 1930s and 1940s, The Strip developed a reputation (became known to other people) as a playground (place for entertainment) for the rich and famous. People who were important in the world of entertainment, such as famous actors, often visited The Strip. Even famous gangsters (people who work for organized groups of criminals) like Bugsy Siegel owned nightclubs and restaurants in the area.
In the 1960s, however, The Strip began to lose its appeal (become less attractive) to people in the movie industry, but remained popular among tourists and locals (people living in the area).
But in the 1970s, during the rise of the counterculture (a subculture whose values and norms were different from the normal, mainstream values), The Strip became popular again, especially with famous rock bands like Led Zeppelin, who played at well-known Sunset clubs.
Today, The Strip continues to be a hangout (place where someone visits often) for young celebrities and other people looking for entertainment. For instance, you can rub elbows (socialize) with celebrities staying at the famous Chateau Marmont (see “Culture Note,” Daily English 1162) or see your favorite rock groups at the legendary (famous) venues (places for events or entertainment) The Viper Room, Troubadour, or the Roxy Theater.
~ ESLPod Team
Free English Lesson: Daily English 190 – Taking a Phone Message
Posted on Tuesday - August 29, 2017 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan
Are you thinking about joining our Select English Membership but aren’t quite sure what you’ll get? Watch this FREE episode of Cultural English which shows you exactly what is included in our PDF Learning Guide!
Get started on your first 15 lessons today!
Note: The lessons themselves are not videos – this is just an easy way for us to show you what you get.
Get more information here: Select English Membership.
~Jeff
