2017 November Flashcards
That’s a Contronym. Yes it is. No it’s not.
Posted on Tuesday - November 14, 2017 by ESLPod.com
The English language is full of quirks (strange things). One of them is contronyms.
Contronyms are words with two opposite meanings. Knowing which of its meanings is being used depends on the context (the words around it).
Here are two contronyms we often see and hear in the news or in daily life.
- Oversight can mean either:
A) failure to notice or to do something
For example:
– “Was it an oversight or did you decide against inviting your best friend to the party?”
– “The building of our house has been delayed because of an oversight to get the proper permits (official building permission).”
B) supervision of something, often a project or group of workers
For example:
– “Without proper oversight, will the bridge be built on time?”
– “The government has oversight in approving drugs for sale.”
- Sanction can mean either:
A) to give official permission; to be officially approved
For example:
– “Will Jeff sanction my use of his photo in ads to promote my new line of cat toys?”
– “Students can’t hold a celebration at school without the principal’s sanction.”
B) to either threaten or to impose (put in place) a penalty, often to try to force one nation behave in a particular way, or to do what was agreed to in a treaty (agreement between nations)
For example:
– “If we violate (don’t do what is required) the agreement, we may be sanctioned.”
– “McQuillanland was sanctioned for imposing very high tariffs (taxes for importing or exporting items for sale) on U.S. products.”
~ Jeff
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It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane…No, It’s a Giant Hello Kitty?!
Posted on Tuesday - November 21, 2017 by ESLPod.com
This Thursday is Thanksgiving, and an American tradition on Thanksgiving is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (see Cultural English 60).
Macy’s is a chain (business with many locations) of department stores in the U.S., selling anything from clothing and cosmetics to homewares (items used in the home, including furniture, home decorations, and items for the kitchen). A parade is a public celebration where people march (walk) along the street while other people on the side of the road are watching and cheering.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been held since 1924 and is shown on U.S. television each year. It’s best known for its floats (a flat surface attached to a truck with a display on it) and especially the giant (very big) helium (a very light gas, chemical symbol “He”) balloons that float (move above the ground) along the parade route (path).
First included in 1968, the Snoopy balloon has appeared more than any other character. Other popular balloons in the parade’s history include Mickey Mouse, Superman, Kermit the Frog, Betty Boop, and Hello Kitty. Every year, new balloons are added to include popular TV and movie characters. Check out this year’s lineup (group of people or things scheduled to appear).
Here’s some old footage (recording movie film) showing the parade in 1939:
And here’s a recent Macy’s video showing what goes into creating those giant balloons, focusing on the “balloonatics,” the people who create those balloons and make them float. (“Balloonatics” is a made-up (not real) term, combining the words “balloon” and “fanatics,” who are people who like something a lot and think about it all the time.)
We have a lot to be thankful for this year. We are grateful that new listeners continue to find us and we are particularly thankful for our old listeners, who have stuck with us (remained with us) this year.
From all of us here at ESLPod.com, Happy Thanksgiving!
~ Jeff and Lucy
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My Thanksgiving Dinner, 2017
Posted on Friday - November 24, 2017 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan
- Here’s the turkey I cooked for Thanksgiving – ready to go into the oven!
Turkey is ready to cook!
- Now you see the turkey 2.5 hours later – ready to go into my mouth!
Turkey is ready to eat!
- After the turkey, there is of course pumpkin pie, traditional at Thanksgiving dinner.
Time for pumpkin pie, baby!
We have lots of words in English for “eating too much food.” Here are three of them:
Stuff: This is an informal but very common word. It can be a verb: “I stuffed myself tonight!” or “I stuffed my face last night.”
It can also be an adjective: “I am stuffed!” (Notice also that the word “stuff” can also just mean a group or collection of objects or simply “things.”)
Overindulge: This is a more formal word for the same Idea: “I overindulged at dinner last night.”
Gorge: “I gorged myself at the wedding banquet (party).”
You could use any of these three words to describe what I did yesterday – I stuffed myself with turkey, gorged on mashed potatoes, and generally overindulged the whole day!
To learn more about Thanksgiving, see here and here.
– Jeff
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10 Things On My Music Player
Posted on Tuesday - November 28, 2017 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan
In no particular (special) order, here are 10 songs on the Music app of my phone:
On a Sunday Afternoon by Lighter Shade of Brown – A student of mine introduced this rap song to me way back (all the way back in) in the early 1990s, when I was teaching Spanish at a local university. The story in the song takes place not too far from where I live in Los Angeles. It’s a good “driving” song, nothing complicated or “deep” (of great importance; with a significant meaning).
Can’t You See (Live) by the Marshal Tucker Band – I first heard this in the late 1970s, and love the laid-back (easy, relaxed) melody. It’s a love song, too.
Say Something by A Great Big World – A more recent song about a couple drifting apart (losing contact or emotional connection with each other). The piano part is sparse (very little playing) but beautiful.
American Pie by Don McLean – Another song from my youth in the ’70s, very popular with almost every American of my generation. It retells some of the key events of the middle 20th century, a song of nostalgia (happy memories of the past and wanting to return to those better times).
The Weight by The Band – Another old song, originally released (made public) in 1968, but one I didn’t hear until I was in high school more than 10 years later. I don’t understand the lyrics (words to the song) completely, but the feeling of the song is very comforting to me.
Mozart’s Requiem (Academy of St Martin in the Fields) – Like many people my age, I suppose I was first introduced to this music by the movie, Amadeus. During the 1980s, I used to listen to it every November 2nd during an actual Requiem Mass (religious celebration for the dead). (November 2nd is “All Souls Day” in some Christian churches, a day to pray for the dead.)
Rosalia by Juan Luis Guerra y 440 – My favorite set of songs in Spanish come from this group of musicians from the Dominican Republic. I fell in love with this song when I lived in Mexico in early 1990s.
Rosalita by Bruce Springsteen – Completely unrelated to the previous song, “Rosalita” is from Springsteen’s second album. I found the song in the early 1980s, when I became a big fan of his.
Royals by Lorde – A modern song about our obsession (unhealthy interest in or attention paid to something) with celebrity (being famous).
Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers – This Los Angeles group wrote a song that I used to listen to when I first moved to LA more than 25 years ago. I didn’t know anyone here when I first arrived. When I got bored, I used to drive up and down the major streets that cross the city from east to west, listening to this song about the “city of angel” being as “lonely as I am.” (Don’t worry! I have plenty of friends now.)
Each song has a story. Some of it old, some of it new, each song reminding me of something different.
What’s on your list?
-Jeff
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