English Language-Vocabulary-Book 1 PDF

BASICS
The English Alphabet

The alphabet | Vowels | Consonants | The rhyming alphabet
The phonetic alphabet | Common symbols | Capitalisation
Learn your English alphabet (requires Real Player ).
The alphabet A-Z

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh
Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp
Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx
Yy Zz
Watch this alphabet video

Now you have a go:-
Vowels
A E I O U
Consonants
B C D F G H J K
L M N P Q R S T
V W X Y Z
-2-
The Rhyming Alphabet

The following letters rhyme with each other:-
ä sound ë sound e sound ï sound yü sound
A B F I O Q R Z
H C L Y U
J D M W
K E N
G S
P X
T
V
The PhoneticAlphabet
When spelling (especiallyover the phone) use the phonetic alphabet to avoid confusion.
A Alpha B Bravo
C Charlie D Delta
E Echo F Foxtrot
G Golf H Hotel
I India J Juliet
K Kilo L Lima
M Mike N November
O Oscar P Papa
Q Quebec R Romeo
S Sierra T Tango
U Uniform V Victor
W Whisky X X-Ray
Y Yankee Z Zulu
More on pronunciation here.
-3-
Common Symbols
Symbol Word (common term in brackets)
. full stop
, comma
? question mark
! exclamation mark
: colon
; semi-colon
- hyphen (dash)
& ampersand
/ virgule (forward slash)
\ reversed virgule (backward slash)
@ at
# hash
£ pound symbol
€ euro symbol
$ dollar symbol
' apostrophe
~ tilde
* asterisk
´ acute accent
` grave accent
" quotation mark
() left / right parentheses
[] left / right square bracket
{} left / right brace
left / right angle bracket
<>
Capitalisation
When spelling a word for someone it is sometimes necessary to let the person know when letters need to be
written inCAPITALS and when they need to be written small. There's a guide to capitalisation here.
"How do you spell UNESCO
"Capital U-N-E-S-C-O."
please?"
"How do you spell T-Online
"Capital T dash capital O small n-l-i-n-e."
please?"
"How do you spell 1&1 Profi "The number one then an ampersand another one, followed
please?" by capital P small r-o-f-i."
-4-
English Basics
Topic Details
The Alphabet From a - z
Animals Animals that you may see in the UK.
Beginner Lessons English lessons for beginners.
Colours All the colours of the rainbow.
Computers The naming of parts - of a computer
Days and Dates Monday, Tuesday, 1st, 2nd etc . . .
Greetings How do you respond to different ways of saying hello?
Nationalities and
Germans come from Germany . . . flags and more!
countries
Numbers Brush up on your numbers here. Including mathematical symbols,
fractions etc . . .
People - Appearances What do you look like?
People - Family My mother's mother is my grandmother . . .
Seasons Summer, winter ...
Shapes Square, circle, triangle .... and more!
Time 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock etc . . .
The weather What's the weather like?
The UK What's the UK like?
(Business English Some guidance on making and taking phone calls, greeting visitors,
Basics) writing reports etc.
-5-
Animal Vocabulary
Learn about animals in the UK (requires Real Player).
Animals in Britain | Animals on the farm | Animals in the house (pets) | Animal sounds
In Britain, we have a lot of wild animals; birds, fish, insects and mammals. We also have domesticated animals,
and animals we keep as pets.
Wild Animals in Britain
Here are some of the most common ones.
Click on the Generic Group Other

Male Female Young
picture. Name Name Information
Mammals
(An old English

Badger(s) Boar name for a badger
Sow Cub or Kit Colony
is a brock) They
live in a set.
Bat(s) Bats are a protected

Male Female Pup Colony
species in the UK.
Deer (Deer) Stag Doe Fawn Herd
Dog-fox
Fox(es) She-fox Foxes live in an
/ Cub Skulk
/ Vixen earth.
Reynard
Hare(s) Jack Jill Leveret Down Hares live in forms.
Hedgehog(s) Boar Sow Piglet Prickle

-6-
Mole(s) Male Female Pup Labour Moles live in holes.
Mouse (Mice) Buck Doe Pup Nest
Otter(s) Dog Bitch Kitten Family Otters live in dens.
Rabbit(s) Rabbits live in

Buck Doe Kit / Bunny Colony
warrens.
Rat(s) Kitten / Rats often live in

Buck Doe Nest
Pup sewers.
There are two kinds of
squirrel in the UK.
The common grey
Squirrel(s) Buck Doe Pup Dray squirrel and the rarer
red squirrel. Only the
red squirrel is a
native.
Stoat(s) Jack Jill Kit Pack
Weasel(s) Jack Jill Kit Sneak
Birds are feathered,

winged, bipedal, Nestling /
Birds Most birds live in
warm-blooded, Cock Hen Hatchling/ Flock(s)
nests.
egg-laying, Fledgling
vertebrate animals.
-7-
Crow(s) Male Female Young Murder
Dove(s) Cock Hen Squab Cote
Duck(s) Drake Hen Duckling Flock
Goose If a group of geese is flying, it

(Geese) Gander Goose Gosling becomes a "skein". If they are on
land or water, they're a "gaggle".
Hawk(s) Hen Tiercel Eyas Aerie
Heron(s) Hedge
Kingfisher(s)
Owl(s) Owl Jenny Owlet Parliament
Peafowl Peacock Peahen Peachick Pride
Pheasant(s) Cock Hen Chick Brood

-8-
Pigeon(s) Cock Hen Squab Flight
Robin(s) Cock Hen Chick
Rook(s) Cock Hen Chick Building
Sparrow(s) Cock Hen Chick Flock
Starling(s) Cock Hen Chick Flock
Swan(s) Cob Pen Signet Bevy
An
invertebrate
Insects whose body is
Swarm
comprised of
three segments
and six legs.
Ants have a strange
matriarchal set up. The
Queen spends her life
laying eggs, there is only
one queen per colony.
Worker ants are non-
Prince Queen / reproducing female worker
Ant(s) Army /
/ Princess Antling ants, the daughters of the
Nest
Drone / Worker queen. Soldier ants are
sterile females who defend
the colony. The male ants
are small ants that have
wings. They fly from the
colony to mate with a
queen.
-9-
There are three types of

honey bee. The Queen who
lays the eggs. The workers
are females who gather
food, make honey, build
Bee(s) Queen /
Drone Larva Hive the six-sided honeycomb,
Worker
tend eggs, and guard the
hive. And the drones are
males who mate with the
queen.
Butterfly Caterpillar
(Butterflies) Male Female / Chrysalis Swarm
Dragonfly Nymphs /
(Dragonflies) Male Female Naiads Swarm
Fly (Flies) Male Female Maggot Swarm
Moth(s) Caterpillar
Male Female Swarm
/ Chrysalis
There are thousands of

Mosquito(es) Male Female Larva mosquito species. The
Swarm
female is the one that
usually bites.
Spiders spin and live on a web.

Spider(s) Male Female Spiderling Cluster Thankfully the UK does not have
any poisonous spiders.
-10-
Cold-blooded aquatic
vertebrates usually
Fish Shoal /
having scales and
School
breathing through
gills.
Pike Shoal /
-- Fry
School
Salmon Jack Hen Fry Run
Trout Jack Hen Fry Hover
A class of animals that

spend part of their time
on land and part in the
Amphibians water; they are an
intermediate form
between fishes and
reptiles.
The eggs of a frog
are called spawn.
Frog(s) Male Female Tadpole(s) Army Tadpoles
metamorphose into
frogs.
Newt(s) Male Female Larvae
The eggs of a frog

are called spawn.
Toad(s) Male Female Tadpole(s) Knot Tadpoles
metamorphose into
toads.
Cold-blooded vertebrate
Reptiles that lays eggs and has
scales or plates on its
skin
There is only one
Snake(s) Male Female Young Nest poisonous snake in
the UK; the adder.
-11-
A class of invertebrates
that have a segmented
body, a hard external
Crustaceans skeleton (exoskeleton),
two sets of antennae and
one pair of legs per body
segment.
Crab(s) Male Female Zoea
Lobster(s) Male Female Zoea
Molluscs
Clam(s) Male Female Spat Bed
Cockles are
hermaphroditic. A
Cockle(s) cockle will possess
- - - Bed
both male and female
sex organs during its
life
Mussel(s) Male Female Glochidia Bed
Oyster(s) Male Female Spat Bed
Snail(s) Snails are not often

Male Female Baby Rout
eaten in the UK.
-12-
Animals on the Farm
Animals that live on a farm are domesticated animals, they may be called farm animals.
Generic Group
Male Female Young Other Information
Name Name
Mammals
Cattle Herd / Mostly farmed for milk and

Bull Cow Calf
Kine meat (called beef).
Deer Deer are farmed for their

(Deer) Stag Doe Fawn Herd meat (venison) on special
deer farms in the UK.
Pack (a
Mostly used for work,
group of
Dog(s) protection and herding on
Dog Bitch Puppy puppies
farms. Dog meat is not
is called a
eaten in the UK.
litter)
Mostly raised for pleasure.

Donkey Jack Jenny Colt Drove Donkey meat is not eaten in
the UK.
Mostly farmed for milk and

Goat(s) Billy Nanny Kid Flock cheese. Not many people
eat goat meat in the UK.
Mostly farmed for work,

leisure or sport (riding etc).
Horse(s) Not many people in the UK
Stallion Mare Foal Herd
would knowingly eat horse
meat, although there is a
trade for pet meat.
Pig(s) Mostly farmed for its meat
Boar Sow Piglet Litter
(called pork).
Mostly farmed for wool
and meat. The meat is
Sheep Lamb /
Ram Ewe Flock called lamb from sheep less
Mutton
than a year old and mutton
from older sheep.
-13-
Thanks to John-David
Kraaikamp
for pointing out my mistake.
Birds
Farmed for its meat and

Chicken(s) Cockerel Hen Chick Brood eggs. A farm that only raises
birds is a poultry farm.
A wild fowl and a farmed

Duck(s) Drake Hen Duckling Brace bird. Mostly farmed for its
meat.
Goose A wild fowl and a farmed

(Geese) Gander Goose Gosling Gaggle bird. Mostly farmed for its
meat.
Insects
Bees live in hives, and are

farmed for their honey. A
bee farm is often called an
Bee(s) Queen /
Drone Larva Swarm apiary. Someone who keeps
Worker
bees is usually called a
beekeeper.
Fish
Salmon Yes, salmon is farmed in the

Jack Hen Fry Shoal
UK.
Trout Yes, there are trout farms in

Jack Hen Fry Shoal
the UK too.
-14-
Animals in the House
Animals that live in the house as companions are called pets.
Generic Group
Male Female Young Other Information
Name Name
Mammals
Clutter (a
group of
Cat(s) Tom Queen Kitten kittens is
called a
litter)
There are between 6.5

Dog(s) Dog Bitch Puppy Pack million and 7.4 million
pet dogs in the UK.
Domestic pet ferrets,
Mustela furo (sometimes
Ferret(s) Dog Bitch Kit Cast called Mustela putorius
furo), are not wild
animals.
Gerbil(s) Male Female Pup Horde
Guinea Pig(s) Boar Sow They are not related to

Pup Group
pigs.
Hamster(s) I had several hamsters as

Male Female Pup Horde
pets when I was a child.
Rabbit(s) Kit /
Buck Doe Colony Rabbits live in warrens.
Bunny
Rat(s) Kitten / Seemingly rats make very

Buck Doe Nest
Pup good pets.
Birds
-15-
They come in a variety of

colours including blue. One
of the most common pets in
Budgerigar(s) Hen Cock Chick Flock the UK.
aka Budgie
Canary
(Canaries) Hen Cock Chick Flock
Cockatiel(s) Hen Cock Chick Flock
Cockatoo(s) Hen Cock Chick Flock
Parrot(s) Hen Cock Chick Flock
Insects
Yes, people in the UK keep

Spider(s) Male Female Spiderling Cluster spiders as pets.
Fish
Goldfish Probably the most common

Male Female Fry Shoal
pet in the UK.
Reptiles
Snake(s) Yes, people in the UK keep

Male Female Baby Nest
snakes as pets too.
-16-
Animal Sounds
Animals make distinct sounds, some of these sounds have their own word. Do you need to learn these? Probably not,
but you never know, one day you might thank us.
Bees buzz.
Cats go miaow. They purr when they're happy.
Cockerels go cock-a-doodle-doo.
Cows go moo.
Dogs bark or go woof woof. They growl when they're
angry.
Ducks quack.
Flies buzz.
Frogs croak or go ribbit.
Geese honk.
Goats bleat.
Hens cluck.
Horses neigh.
Mice squeak.
Pigs oink or grunt or squeal.
Sheep bleat or go baa.
Snakes hiss.
Toads croak.
-17-
Click on the Generic Group Other
Male Female Young
picture. Name Name Information
Mammals
(An old English

Badger(s) Boar name for a badger
Sow Cub or Kit Colony
is a brock) They
live in a set.
Bat(s) Bats are a protected

Male Female Pup Colony
species in the UK.
Deer (Deer) Stag Doe Fawn Herd

-18-
Fox(es) Dog-fox / She-fox

Cub Skulk Foxes live in an earth.
Reynard / Vixen
Hare(s) Jack Jill Leveret Down Hares live in forms.
Hedgehog(s) Boar Sow Piglet Prickle
Mole(s) Male Female Pup Labour Moles live in holes.
Mouse
(Mice) Buck Doe Pup Nest
Otter(s) Dog Bitch Kitten Family Otters live in dens.
Rabbit(s) Kit /
Buck Doe Colony Rabbits live in warrens.
Bunny
Rat(s) Kitten /
Buck Doe Nest Rats often live in sewers.
Pup
There are two kinds of

squirrel in the UK. The
Squirrel(s) Buck Doe Pup Dray common grey squirrel and
the rarer red squirrel. Only
the red squirrel is a native.
Stoat(s) Jack Jill Kit Pack
Weasel(s) Jack Jill Kit Sneak

-19-
Birds are feathered,

Most
winged, bipedal, Nestling /
Birds birds
warm-blooded, egg- Cock Hen Hatchling/ Flock(s)
live in
laying, vertebrate Fledgling
nests.
animals.
Crow(s) Male Female Young Murder
Dove(s) Cock Hen Squab Cote
Duck(s) Drake Hen Duckling Flock
If a group of geese
is flying, it
Goose (Geese) becomes a "skein".
Gander Goose Gosling
If they are on land
or water, they're a
"gaggle".
Hawk(s) Hen Tiercel Eyas Aerie
Heron(s) Hedge
Kingfisher(s)
-20-
Owl(s) Owl Jenny Owlet Parliament
Peafowl Peacock Peahen Peachick Pride
Pheasant(s) Cock Hen Chick Brood
Pigeon(s) Cock Hen Squab Flight
Robin(s) Cock Hen Chick
Rook(s) Cock Hen Chick Building
Sparrow(s) Cock Hen Chick Flock
Starling(s) Cock Hen Chick Flock
Swan(s) Cob Pen Signet Bevy
An invertebrate whose body is

Insects comprised of three segments and six Swarm
legs.
-21-
Ants have a strange

matriarchal set up. The
Queen spends her life
laying eggs, there is only
one queen per colony.
Worker ants are non-
Prince Queen / reproducing female
Ant(s) Army /
/ Princess Antling worker ants, the daughters
Nest
Drone / Worker of the queen. Soldier ants
are sterile females who
defend the colony. The
male ants are small ants
that have wings. They fly
from the colony to mate
with a queen.
There are three types of
honey bee. The Queen
who lays the eggs. The
workers are females who
gather food, make honey,
Bee(s) Queen /
Drone Larva Hive build the six-sided
Worker
honeycomb, tend eggs,
and guard the hive. And
the drones are males who
mate with the queen.
Butterfly Caterpillar
(Butterflies) Male Female / Chrysalis Swarm
Dragonfly Nymphs /
(Dragonflies) Male Female Naiads Swarm
Fly (Flies) Male Female Maggot Swarm
Moth(s) Caterpillar
Male Female Swarm
/ Chrysalis
There are thousands of

Mosquito(es) Male Female Larva mosquito species. The
Swarm
female is the one that
usually bites.
-22-
Spiders spin and live

on a web.
Spider(s) Male Female Spiderling Cluster Thankfully the UK
does not have any
poisonous spiders.
Cold-blooded aquatic
vertebrates usually
Fish Shoal /
having scales and
School
breathing through
gills.
Pike Shoal /
- - Fry
School
Salmon Jack Hen Fry Run
Trout Jack Hen Fry Hover
A class of animals that

spend part of their time
on land and part in the
Amphibians water; they are an
intermediate form
between fishes and
reptiles.
The eggs of a frog
are called spawn.
Frog(s) Male Female Tadpole(s) Army Tadpoles
metamorphose into
frogs.
Newt(s) Male Female Larvae
The eggs of a frog

are called spawn.
Toad(s) Male Female Tadpole(s) Knot Tadpoles
metamorphose into
toads.
Cold-blooded
Reptiles vertebrate that lays
eggs and has scales or
plates on its skin
22-
-
There is only one

Snake(s) Male Female Young Nest poisonous snake in the
UK; the adder.
A class of invertebrates
that have a segmented
body, a hard external
Crustaceans skeleton (exoskeleton),
two sets of antennae and
one pair of legs per body
segment.
Crab(s) Male Female Zoea
Lobster(s) Male Female Zoea
Molluscs
Clam(s) Male Female Spat Bed
Cockles are
hermaphroditic. A
Cockle(s) cockle will possess
- - - Bed
both male and female
sex organs during its
life
Mussel(s) Male Female Glochidia Bed
Oyster(s) Male Female Spat Bed
Snail(s) Snails are not often

Male Female Baby Rout
eaten in the UK.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/animals.html#sthash.P21BkyFT.dpuf
-23-
Appearances - How to describe someone in
English
Height | Build | Hair | Eyes | Type of hair | Complexion | Other features
Height
He is tall. He is short. He is average / normal / medium height.

+ He is very tall. He is quite short. He is relatively normal height.
Build
She is skinny. (negative) She is fat. (negative)

She is anorexic. (medical) She is tubby. (negative)
She is underweight. (negative) She is overweight. (negative)
She is thin. (negative) She is plump. (neutral)
She is slim. (positive) She is stocky. (neutral)
She is slender. (positive) She is bonny. (positive)
-24-
!Note - if a man is fat (especially round the waist) we often say he has a beer belly.
Hair
blonde/fair hair brown hair red hair black hair grey hair
blonde brunette redhead - -
Eyes
grey eyes green eyes blue eyes brown eyes dark eyes
!Note!
This is a black eye!
-25-
Type of hair
She He has no She

She She has medium She
has short hair. hair. = He has medium
has long hair. length hair. has short hair.
is bald. length hair.
She has She has She has She has
She has medium
+ long, black hair short, black hair - medium length
length, red hair.
short, blonde hair
. . , blonde hair. .
She has
+ She has She has She has medium She has
medium
long, straight, short, straight, - length, wavy, red short, curly,
+ length, straight
black hair. black hair. hair. blonde hair.
, blonde hair.
Her hair Her hair
Her hair Her hair
is medium is medium Her hair is short,
or is long, straight is short, straight - length, straight length, wavy and curly and blonde.
and black. and black.
and blonde. red.
She wears
+
glasses.
Type of complexion
She is black. She

He is asian. He has He is white. He She is white. She has She is white. She has
light-brown skin. has dark skin. has fair skin. lightly tanned skin. very pale skin.
-26-
Other features
Can you spot the named feature?
moustache beard chin forehead nostrils
eyebrows cheeks fringe lips teeth

-27-
Some features (it may not be polite to mention them)
crow's feet scar(s) spot(s)

aka laughter lines wrinkle(s) any part of the body aka pimple(s)
a sign of maturity which where a wound has
a sign of maturity that can appear on any part of healed any part of the body, but
the body, often on the
appear at the corners of most noticeable on the
forehead
the eyes face
Note !
bald, black, blonde, blue, brown, curly, fat, grey, long , medium,
overweight, pale, plump, red, short, skinny, slim, stocky, straight, tall, tanned,
thin, wavy and white
are all adjectives - they describe things
very, quite and slightly
are all modifiers - they change (modify) the adjectives.
And don't forget, being able to describe people is a very useful skill:-
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/appearances.html#sthash.yggM24KC.dpuf

-28-
Colours
Primary colours | Secondary Colours | Tertiary Colours | Black and white | Examples | Idioms
Learn about colours (requires Real Player).
Primary Colours
In art, there are three primary colours. These are colours that cannot be made by mixing other colours together.
They are - red, blue, and yellow:-
Red
Blue
Yellow
Secondary Colours
If you mix two primary colours together, you create what is called a secondary colour. Mixing red and blue creates
purple; blue and yellow make green and yellow and red make orange.
+ = Purple
+ = Green
+ = Orange
Tertiary Colours
Tertiary colours are neutral colours such as browns and greys.
If you mix three primary colours together, you get a tertiary colour or if you mix a primary colour and a secondary
colour you get a tertiary colour.
Brown
Grey
Black and White
Black
White
Black adds shadow to a colour.
But white makes a colour lighter.
+ = Pink
+ = Cream
+ = Light blue Opposite Dark blue
+ = Light green etc...
-29-
For example:-
The Union Jack is red, white

and blue.
The German flag is black, red

and yellow.
Penguins are black and white.
Aubergines are purple.
Lettuce is green.
Lemons are yellow.
Oranges are orange!
Now test yourself with this fiendish puzzle.

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/colours.html#sthash.fQNx4rze.dpuf
-30-
Computers
PC (Personal Computer)
I presume that as you're visiting this page you are on some kind of computer, but do you know what all the parts
of a computer are called? Find the items listed.
Find these
items on this
computer
desk:-
computer(s)
cupboard(s)
disc drive(s)
drawer(s)
filing
cabinet(s)
keyboard(s)
monitor(s)
mouse(s)
mousemat(s)
pigeonhole(s)
speaker(s)
screen(s)
Test It
-31-
Laptop
Laptops are similar, but need some extra vocabulary.
Find these items on this

laptop
disc drive(s)
keyboard(s)
hinge(s)
screen(s)
touchpad(s)
Keyboard
The keyboard is one of your input devices, but do you know your way around an English one?

keyboard
alphabet key(s)
alt key(s)
arrow key(s)
backspace key(s)
break key(s)
caps lock key(s)
control key(s)
enter key(s)
escape key(s)
function keys(s)
number key(s)
number pad(s)
print screen key(s)
QWERTY key(s)
return key(s)
shift key(s)
tab key(s)
(View a large version)
Keyboard symbol names
´ acute accent
` grave accent
* asterisk
@ at
{} braces aka curly brackets
() brackets / parenthesis
[] square brackets
^ caret aka hat or up arrow
<> chevrons aka angle brackets
- dash or hyphen aka minus
# hash aka octothorpe / square symbol (usually short for number)
~ tilde
| pipe aka vertical bar
/\ slash aka stroke
\ backslash / reverse solidus
/ forward slash / solidus
_ underscore
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/computers.html#sthash.4eeZu2ik.dpuf
-32-
Days and Dates in English
Days of the week | Months of the year | Dates | Prepositions | What to say
Interesting Stuff
Learn about days and dates(requires Real Player).
The days of the week:-
The working week The weekend

Sunday
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
(the Sabbath)
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Watch and listen to this video (requires access to YouTube.)
The months of the year:-
January February March April May June

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
July August September October November December
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Dates:-
In figures In words Pronounce It

1st the first 1st
2nd the second 2nd
3rd the third 3rd
4th the fourth 4th
5th the fifth 5th
6th the sixth 6th
7th the seventh 7th
8th the eighth 8th
9th the ninth 9th
10th the tenth 10th
11th the eleventh 11th
12th the twelfth 12th
13th the thirteenth 13th
14th the fourteenth 14th
15th the fifteenth 15th
-33-
16th the sixteenth 16th

17th the seventeenth 17th
18th the eighteenth 18th
19th the nineteenth 19th
20th the twentieth 20th
21st the twenty-first ...
22nd the twenty-second ...
23rd the twenty-third ...
24th the twenty-fourth ...
25th the twenty-fifth ...

26th the twenty-sixth ...
27th the twenty-seventh ...
28th the twenty-eighth ...
29th the twenty-ninth ...
30th the thirtieth 30th
31st the thirty-first ...
Expressing the year
How we
write the 2008 1900 1959 2000
year
How we
say Two thousand and
Nineteen hundred Nineteen fifty-nine The year 2000
eight
the year
Expressing the date
How we write 1st January 2004 07/09/1959 August 12 2003

the date
How we say
August the 12th
the date The first of January 2004 The seventh of September 1959
2003
-34-
Prepositions
For single days and dates we use on.
For example:
I was born on the 7th of the month.
For months we use in.
For example:
I was born in September.
! My birthday is on September the 7th.

Naturally speaking
How to ask the day or date
o What day is it please?  It's Tuesday.
o What date is it please?  It's the 1st of April.
o What's the date today please?  It's the 1st of April.
Interesting Stuff
AD stands for Anno Domini (Latin for "In the year of (Our) Lord"), abbreviated as AD. It defines an epoch based
on the traditionally-reckoned year of the conception or birth of Jesus of Nazareth. it is used in the English
language to denote years after the start of this time.
BC stands for Before Christ (from the Ancient Greek "Christos" or "Anointed One", referring to Jesus),
abbreviated as BC, it is used in the English language to denote years before the start of this time.
Some non-Christians also use the abbreviations AD and BC without intending to acknowledge the Christian
connotation, but some people prefer the alternatives 'CE' (Common Era) and 'BCE' (Before Common Era),
arguing that they are more neutral terms. .
-35-
A millennium (pl. millennia) is a period of one thousand years.
A century is a period of one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally (e.g. "the nineteenth
century").
A decade is a period of 10 years.
The decades from 1920 to 1999, are called "the Twenties", "the Sixties", etc. But the current decade has no
universally accepted name. Some refer to the decade as the "twenty hundreds" while others may refer to it as
the "two thousands". In written form, this could appear as "the '00s" or "the 2000s". But writing "the 2000s" or
simply saying "the two-thousands" can cause confusion, since this could refer to the entire 21st century or even
the entire millennium. Some people tried to popularize "the Noughties" as the decade's name. This is a play on
words, nought means "zero" and noughties sounds both like nineties and naughty.
You'll find some more interesting facts about days and dates in the Interesting Facts Blog.
!Note - When writing the date as numbers British and American English differ. To write the date 7th of
September 2007 a Brit would write dd/mm/yy (07/09/07) and an American would write mm/dd/yy (09/07/07). This
often causes great confusion. It's better to write the date in full (7th September 2007 or September 7th 2007). It
also looks nicer.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/dates.html#sthash.C86YRZpn.dpuf

-36-
English Families
First rule? There's no such thing as a "typical" English family.
Learn about families and relatives.
This is Mary. Mary Bell.
This is George. George Bell.
Mary and George are married to each other.
George is Mary's husband.
Mary is George's wife.
They are husband and wife.
Mr and Mrs Bell have two children. Carol and Robert Bell.
This is Carol Bell. Carol is their

daughter.
This is Robert Bell. Robert is their son.
Robert is older than Carol. He is Carol's big brother.
Carol is younger than Robert. She is Robert's little

sister.
They are brother and sister.
They are Mr and Mrs Bell's children.
George is Carol and Robert's father.
Mary is Carol and Robert's mother.
They are Carol and Robert's parents.

-37-
This is Emily. Emily Richards.
This is Edgar. Edgar

Richards.
Mr and Mrs Richards are Mary's parents. She is their daughter.
Mary's name before she got married was Mary Richards. Mary
Richards is her maiden name, Mary Bell is her married name.
Edgar and Emily are Carol and Robert's grandparents. Carol

and Robert are their grandchildren.
Mr Richards is their grandfather. They call him grandad.
Mrs Richards is their grandmother. They call her granny.
Carol is their granddaughter and Robert is their grandson.
They're George Bell's in-laws. Mrs Richards is his mother-in-law

and Edgar is his father-in-law.
George is their son-in-law.
Mr and Mrs Robert's have another daughter Anne.
Anne is Mary's younger sister. She is the youngest.
She isn't married. She is single.
She is Carol and Robert's aunt.
Carol is her niece and Robert is her nephew.
Mary's husband George is her brother-in-law.
She is George's sister-in-law.

-39-
Mr and Mrs Robert's also have a son, Charles.
Charles is Mary's older brother. He is the eldest.
He is Carol and Robert's uncle.
Charles was married, but he isn't any more. He's divorced.
He is George's brother-in-law.
This is Emma.
She is Charles' baby.
Charles is her father.
She is Carol and Robert's cousin, they are her cousins too.
Mary and Anne are her aunts, she is Mary and Anne's niece.
George is her uncle, she is his niece.
Charles, Mary and Anne are siblings.
Charles, Mary, Anne, Emily, Edgar, Carol, Robert, Emma and George are
all related. They are members of the same family. They are relatives.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/family.html#sthash.ZzYTJyc6.dpuf

-40-
English Greetings
Everyday Greetings | Special Greetings | Shaking Hands
What to say | Formal to informal
Sponsored Links
Learn about greetings (requires Real Player).
Everyday Greetings
"Good morning."
"Good afternoon."
"Good evening."
"Goodbye."
+ "Good night."
+ "Good night."
-41-
Special Greetings
"Happy Christmas." or "Merry Christmas."
00.01 - 1st January "Happy New Year!"
"Happy Easter."
"Good Luck!"
or etc....
"Congratulations!" or "Well done!"
or etc...
"Get well soon."

-42-
Shaking Hands
When meeting someone formally for the first time, we shake their hand and
say "How do you do?" or "Pleased to meet you."
"How do you do?" isn't really a question, it just means "Hello".
When young people meet informally they sometimes say "Give me five!" and
slap their hands together (high five).
Generally we do not shake hands with people we know well.
Cartoon by Michael Leunig © Republished with permission.

-43-
Naturally speaking
You say hello, and I say goodbye!
Follow the dialogue.
Mr Bean meets Mrs Breuer, one of his students, and her husband in the street.
Mr Bean: Good morning, Mrs Breuer.
Mrs Breuer: Good morning, Mr Bean. How are you?
Mr Bean: I'm fine thanks, and you?
Not too bad. Mr Bean, this is my husband Michael, Michael this is Mr Bean my
Mrs Breuer: English teacher.
Mr Breuer: Pleased to meet you.
Mr Bean: Pleased to meet you too. Are you from Germany, Mr Breuer?
Mr Breuer: Yes, East Germany, from Dresden. And you, are you from London?
Mr Bean: No, I'm from Derby, but I live in London now.
Mrs Breuer: Well, goodbye Mr Bean, it was nice to see you.

Mr Bean: Yes, goodbye.
-44-
Formal to Informal Greetings and Introductions
First meetings
Formal Introducing Introducing others Responding to an On Leaving

yourself introduction
 How do you  Mrs Hand, may  Pleased to meet  Goodbye. It's a

do? My name I introduce my you Mrs Hand. pleasure to have
is Mrs Hand. boss, Mr Smith. met you.
 Hello, Lynne  Lynne, I'd like  Pleased to meet  Goodbye. Nice

Hand. I'm the you to meet you Lynne. to have met you.
owner of this John Smith, our
web site. salesman. John,
this is Lynne
Hand.
 Lynne Hand.  Lynne, meet  Hi, Lynne. How  Bye. It was nice
John, my are you? to meet you.
husband. John,
this is my
teacher Lynne.
Informal
-45-
Subsequent meetings
Formal Possible Greetings Possible responses
 Hello, Mrs Hand. It's nice to see  What a pleasant surprise! How are
you again. you? It's been a while.

 Good morning Mrs Hand. How are  I'm very well thank you. And you?
you today?
 Good afternoon, Mrs Hand. It's good  Thank you. It's nice to see you
to see you. too. How are you?
 Hello Lynne. How are you doing?  Fine thanks. What's new with you?
 Hi, Lynne! How's it going?  Not too bad, busy as ever.
 Hi, Lynne. How are things?  Oh fine. You know how it is.
Informal
!Note - on first meeting say, "It's nice to meet you", and when departing "It was nice to meet you".
For future meetings say, "It's nice to see you again", and when departing, "It was nice to see you again."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/greetings.html#sthash.6w7t8lWz.dpuf

-46-
Countries, Nationalities, Languages and Flags
Country Nationality and Language | Capital Cities | Flags
!Note - in English all countries and adjectives describing the products, people or services from that country
are proper nouns and as such start with a CAPITAL LETTER.
For example: Ireland - Irish, Belgium - Belgian
Country Nationality Official Language(s)

Australia Australian English
Austria Austrian Austrian
Belgium Belgian French or Flemish
Brazil Brazilian Portugese
Britain British English
Canada Canadian English or French
China Chinese Mandarin
Denmark Danish Danish
Egypt Egyptian Arabic
England English English
Finland Finnish Finnish
France French French
Germany German German
Greece Greek Greek
Hungary Hungarian Hungarian
Italy Italian Italian
Japan Japanese Japanese
Korea Korean Korean
Mexico Mexican Spanish
Northern Ireland Irish English
Poland Polish Polish
Portugal Portugese Portugese
Russia Russian Russian

Scotland Scottish English or Gaelic
Afrikaans
English
IsiNdebele
IsiXhosa
IsiZulu
South Africa South African Northern Sotho (Sepedi)
Sesotho
Setswana
SiSwati
Tshivenda
Xitsonga
47-
-
Southern Ireland Irish English

Spain Spanish Spanish
Sweden Swedish Swedish
Switzerland Swiss French / German / Italian
The Netherlands Dutch Dutch
Turkey Turkish Turkish
The UK British English
The USA American English
Wales Welsh English or Welsh
!Note - the Capital City of a country is the most important town or city of a country and it is usually the seat of
government and administrative centre, the place where the leaders of a country or state meet and work.
Country Capital City

Australia Canberra
Austria Vienna
Belgium Brussels
Brazil Brasilia
Britain London
Canada Ottawa
China Beijing
Denmark Copenhagen
Egypt Cairo
England London
Finland Helsinki
France Paris
Germany Berlin
Greece Athens
Hungary Budapest
Ireland (Northern) Belfast (regional capital)
Ireland (Southern) Dublin
Italy Rome
Japan Tokyo
Korea Seoul
Mexico Mexico City
Nothern Ireland Belfast
Poland Warsaw
Portugal Lisbon
Russia Moscow
Scotland Edingurgh (regional capital)
South Africa Cape Town
Southern Ireland Dublin
Spain Madrid
Sweden Stockholm
Switzerland Bern
The Netherlands Amsterdam
Turkey Ankara
The USA Washington
Wales Cardiff (regional capital)
-48-
Test yourself:-
Flags when describing the flag of a particular country you use the adjective that describes nationality.
Country Description The Flag
Australia The Australian flag
Austria The Austrian flag
Belgium The Belgian flag
Brazil The Brazilian flag
Canada The Canadian flag
China The Chinese flag
Denmark The Danish flag
Egypt The Egyptian flag
England The English Flag

-49-
Finland The Finnish flag
France The French flag
Germany The German flag
Greece The Greek flag
Hungary The Hungarian flag
Ireland The Irish flag
Italy The Italian flag
Japan The Japanese flag
Mexico The Mexican flag
Poland The Polish flag
Portugal The Portugese flag
Russia The Russian flag

Scotland The Scottish flag
South Africa The South African flag
Spain The Spanish flag
Sweden The Swedish flag
Switzerland The Swiss flag
The Netherlands The Dutch flag
Turkey The Turkish flag
The UK The Union Flag
The USA The American flag
Wales The Welsh flag
Play Hangman
Test your knowledge of the capital cities of the world.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/nationalities.html#sthash.VFlZi66e.dpuf

-50-
English Numbers
Whole Numbers | Ordinal Numbers | Fractions | Sums
Interesting Numbers | Letters as Numbers | What to say
About the numbers 1 to 10 and 0
Whole Numbers also known as Cardinal Numbers - used

for counting
Symbol Word Pronounce It
0 Nought 0
1 One 1
2 Two 2
3 Three 3
4 Four 4
5 Five 5
6 Six 6
7 Seven 7
8 Eight 8
9 Nine 9
10 Ten 10
More numbers
11 Eleven 11
12 Twelve 12
13 Thirteen 13
14 Fourteen 14
15 Fifteen 15
16 Sixteen 16
17 Seventeen 17
18 Eighteen 18
19 Nineteen 19
20 Twenty 20
21 Twenty-one ... 21
30 Thirty 30
40 Forty 40
50 Fifty 50
60 Sixty 60
70 Seventy 70
80 Eighty 80
90 Ninety 90
100 One hundred 100
101 One hundred and one ... 101
1,000 One thousand 1,000
1,000,000 One million 1,000,000
1,000,000,000,000
1,000,000,000,000* One billion
-51-
Ordinal Numbers - used for ranking

Pronounce
In figures In words
It
1st the first 1st
2nd the second 2nd
3rd the third 3rd
4th the fourth 4th
5th the fifth 5th
6th the sixth 6th
7th the seventh 7th
8th the eighth 8th
9th the ninth 9th
10th the tenth 10th
40th the fortieth 40th
50th the fiftieth 50th
60th the sixtieth 60th
70th the seventieth 70th
80th the eightieth 80th
90th the ninetieth 90th
100th the hundredth 100th
101st the hundred and first ...
1000th the thousandth 1000th
Ordinal numbers are often used in fractions:-

-52-
Fractions
1
/8 One eighth 1
/8
1
/5 One fifth
1
/4 One quarter 1
/4
3
/4 Three quarters 3
/4
1
/3 One third 1
/3
2
/3 Two thirds
1
/2 One half 1
/2
Sums
Symbols Word (common term in brackets) Pronounce It
+ Plus (And) +
- Minus (Take away) -
x Multiplied by (Times) x
÷ Divided by ÷
= Equals (Is) =
. Point .
% Percent %
One plus six minus two multiplied by two divided
by two point five equals four
(((1 + 6) - 2) x 2) or 1 + 6 - 2 x 2 ÷ 2.5=4
÷ 2.5=4 One and six take away two times two divided
by two point five is four
10% 100=10 Ten percent of one hundred equals ten. 10% 100=10
-53-
What to say
One
We often say "a" instead of "one".

For example when we have the numbers 100 or 1/2 we say "A hundred" or "A half".
Fractions
Not all numbers are whole numbers, or just fractions (see above), they are a mixture of both.
For example:
11/2 - "One and a half."
Decimals
When pronouncing decimals we use the word "point" to represent the dot. The numbers following the
dot are pronounced separately.
For example:
When you have the number 1.36 we say "One point three six."
Squared / Cubed / To the power of
Square numbers are written 2² = we say "Two squared" = 2 x 2 = Two squared equals four.
Cubed numbers are written 2³ = We say "Two cubed" = 2 x 2 x 2 = Two cubed equals eight
You can also say "to the power of" - "Two to the power of two equals four." and "Two to the power
of three equals eight."
You can then have "to the power of" any number.
Two to the power of twelve = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 4096.
It's much easier to write 2¹² = 4096.

-54-
Interesting Numbers
~0~
What could possibly be interesting about nothing?
Try writing the numbers zero ( 0 ) through nine ( 9 ).
0123456789
Then write how many numbers you have counted:-
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Yes, ten numbers, without using the number 10.
You can put as many noughts in front of a number without changing the value of that number:-
01, 002, 0003, 00004 ...
In English 10, 20, 30, through to 90 are 1 ten, 2 tens, 3 tens, etc.
Also there are a number of ways you can say 0 in English.
When we use it For example:-

0 = oh after a decimal point 9.02 = "Nine point oh two."
Rooom 101 = "Room one oh one."
in bus or room numbers
Bus 602 = "Bus six oh two."
in phone numbers 9130472 = "Nine one three oh four seven two."
in years 1906 = "Nineteen oh six."
0 = nought before a decimal point 0.06 = "Nought point oh six."
0 = zero in temperature -10°C = "10 degrees below zero."
US English for the number 0 = "Zero"
Chelsea 2 Manchester United 0 = "Chelsea two Manchester
0 = nil in football
United nil."
0 = love in tennis 20 - 0 = "Twenty love."
-55-
~ 12 ~
The number 12 is often represented as a dozen and the number 6 as a half dozen.
For example:
12 eggs= "A dozen eggs."
6 eggs = "Half a dozen eggs."
~ 13 ~
A dozen is 12, but a baker's dozen is 13, because in the past bakers who were caught shortchanging
customers could be liable to severe punishment, so they used to add an extra bread roll to make up the
weight.
~ 100 ~
A century is 100. The roman numeral for 100 is C, for centum.
One hundred is the basis of percentages (literally "per hundred"). 100% is the full amount of
something.
*~ 1 billion ~
When is a billion not a billion?
In British English billion traditionally means a million million = 1,000,000,000,000 = 1012
In American English billion means a thousand million = 1,000,000,000 = 109
The American billion has become standard in technical and financial use.
However, to avoid confusion it is better to use the terms "thousand million" for 109 and "million
million" for 1012.
Milliard " is French for the number 109. It is not used in American English but is sometimes, but
rarely, used in British English.
-56-
Letters as Numbers
~k~
The letter k is often used to denote a thousand. So, 1k = 1,000.
If you see a job advertised and it offers a salary of £12k it means £12,000.00.
~m~
The letter m is often used to denote a million. So, 1m = 1,000,000.
If you see a job advertised and it offers a salary of £12m, apply for it!
~ bn ~
The letters bn denote a billion. So, 1bn is usually 1,000,000,000 (see above).
If you see a job advertised and it offers a salary of £12bn, it's probably a missprint.
myriad
The word myriad used to mean 10,000. Nowadays it's used to refer to a
countless number or multitude of specified things.
For example: Earth hosts a myriad of animals.
Here's a site that you can explore for some really big numbers. Math Cats
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/numbers.html#sthash.FAeedlZs.dpuf
-57-
The Seasons
Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter
In the UK there are four seasons. Each season is spread over 3 months:-
Spring
March April May
Summer
June July August
Autumn
September October November
Winter
December January February
-58-
Each season has distinctive weather and cultural significance:-
Spring
In spring the days grow longer, the weather is warmer but it often rains and can get very windy. We
celebrate Easter in the spring.
Summer
In summer the days are long and the weather's usually warm and sometimes even hot. We usually go
on holiday in the summer.
Autumn
In autumn the days get shorter, it gets colder and the leaves fall from the trees. We
celebrate Halloween in autumn.
Winter
In winter the days are short and it is generally cold and often wet, sometimes it snows. We
celebrate Christmas in the winter.
-59-
Prepositions of time
We use in for seasons.
For example:
In Russia it is cold in (the) winter.
Most of the seasons have their own adjective.
Spring
There is no real adjective, but you could say "spring like".
For example:-
The weather is very spring like.
Summer
The adjective is summery.
For example:-
I like summery weather.
Autumn
The adjective is autumnal.
For example:-
There is an autumnal feeling in the air.
Winter
The adjective is wintry.
For example:-
The forecast said there would be wintry showers tomorrow.
! The names of days and months always begin with a CAPITAL letter but seasons
don't.
For example:-
Christmas is in December during the winter. I like it when Christmas Day is on a

Sunday.
More
A Lesson
Discuss the Seasons and the Weather
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/seasons.html#sthash.zl4AqYF9.dpuf

-60-
Shapes
Simple Straight Simple Rounded Mathematical Miscellaneous
3D Shapes Types of triangles
Sided Shapes Shapes shapes shapes
Simple Straight Sided Shapes
Rectangle
Square
Triangle
Simple Rounded Shapes

Circle
Oval
Types of Triangles
Equilateral triangle
Isosceles triangle
Right
angled triangle
-61-
3D Shapes
Cone
Cube
Cylinder
Pyramid
Rectangular
Prism
Sphere
-62-
Mathematical Shapes
Parallelogram
Pentagon - 5
sides
Hexagon - 6
sides
Octagon - 8
sides
-63-
Complex Miscellaneous Shapes
Coffin
Diamond
Heart
Kite
Petal
-64-
Shell
Star
Teardrop
When is a shape, not a shape?

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/shapes.html#round
-65-
Time
Learn to talk about time and ask the time in English (requires Real Player).
Past / to the
On the hour Prepositions What to say Work Time Writing the time Time Idioms
hour
Time (1)
When it's "on the hour" we say "o'clock". But only when it's on the hour.
Twelve o'clock Six o'clock
One o'clock Seven o'clock
Two o'clock Eight o'clock
Three o'clock Nine o'clock
Four o'clock Ten o'clock
Five o'clock Eleven o'clock

-66-
Because it can be difficult to say whether 12 o'clock is during the day or the night, we use two special
terms.
00:00 and 24:00 = Twelve midnight (or 12:00 = Twelve noon (or
midnight) noon)
Time (2)
In five minute increments, when it's past the hour (up to 30 minutes past) we say "past".
When it's before the hour (after 30 minutes past) we say "to".
There are 60 minutes in an hour.
30 minutes is half an hour, we say "half past" or "thirty".
15 minutes is quarter of an hour, we say "quarter past" or "fifteen" or "quarter to" or "forty-five".
-67-
Twelve fifteen
Twelve o'clock or
Quarter past twelve
Twelve thirty
or Twelve forty-five
or
Half past twelve
Quarter to one
We never say "half to".
At other "odd" times, when we want to be accurate, we add the word "minute(s)":-
It's one minute

It's twenty-eight minutes to twelve.
past three.
If you want to avoid trying to remember when to use "minutes" and when not to just
say "nearly" or "just turned".
It's nearly three

It's just turned half past eleven.
o'clock.
Prepositions used with time
At a point In a length of
in time time
"When "It's 12.45,

"Let's "I'll see you in an
shall we when will you
meet at 12.30." hour, at about 1.45."
meet? be ready?
-68-
Naturally speaking
Digital clocks often show the time this way using the 24-hour-clock, only the police and the military actually speak
using the 24 hour clock:-
If it's before noon we tend to say If it's after noon we say "in the
If it's late we say "at night".
"in the morning". afternoon".
07:00 14:00 22:00
It's seven o'clock in the morning. It's two o'clock in the afternoon. It's ten o'clock at night
15 minutes past the hour is quarter
past:
07:15 14:15
22:15
It's quarter past seven in the It's quarter past two in the
It's quarter past ten at night.
morning. afternoon.
30 minutes past the hour is half
past:
07:30 14:30 22:30
It's half past seven in the morning. It's half past two in the afternoon. It's half past ten at night.
45 minutes past the hour is quarter
to:
14:45
07:45 22:45
It's quarter to three in the
It's quarter to eight in the morning. It's quarter to eleven at night.
afternoon.
How to ask the time in English.
 It's exactly eight o'clock.
o Excuse me. What time is it, or

please?
 It's eight.
 It's half past twelve.
o Excuse me. Do you have the or

time, please?
 It's twelve thirty.
-69-
 It's about half past eleven.
Excuse me. Could you tell me

or
the time, please?
 It's around eleven thirty.
Work time
There are some common words and phrases that we use to describe the hours we work.
At work in the UK we talk about starting time and leaving time.
9-to-5 is a phrase used to describe a conventional and possibly tedious job. Negatively used, it connotes a
tedious or unremarkable occupation, the idea being that, because the job is so boring, the workplace shuts down
outside of required hours. The phrase also indicates that a person is an employee, usually in a large company,
rather than self-employed. More neutrally, it connotes a job with stable hours and low career risk, but still a
position of subordinate employment.
Overtime is the time we work in addition to what is normal. Overtime is either paid, or unpaid.
Full time (full-time) is the term we use to describe the whole of someone's available working time, typically 40
hours in a week, but the European Union's working time directive imposes a 48 hour maximum working week
that applies to every member state except here in the United Kingdom (which has an opt-out meaning that UK-
based employees may work longer than 48 hours if they wish, but they cannot be forced to do so).
Part time (part-time) is the term we use to describe employment with fewer hours per week than a full-time job.
Time off is the term we use to describe time for rest or recreation away from one's usual work or studies.
Time in lieu refers to taking time off instead of, or in addition to, receiving pay for overtime worked or working on
public or bank holidays.
-70-
Check these time idioms too.
Writing the time
morning 00:01 - 11:59

a.m. - stands for Ante Meridiem (the time between 00:01 hrs -
midnight and noon) 12:00
noon or midday 12:00
12:01 - 24:00
p.m. - stands for Post Meridian (after noon)
hrs
afternoon 12:01 - 18:00
evening 18:01 - 22:00
night 22:01 - 24:00
midnight 24:00 / 00:00
There are 24 hours in a day, but only the military, police and computer programmers use the 24-hour clock.
When writing or speaking generally we tend to use the 12-hour clock. The 24 hours of the day are divided into
two periods called a.m. (Latin "ante meridiem" | English: "before mid day") and p.m. (Latin "post meridiem" |
English: "after mid day").
The way people write the time varies. I prefer a.m. and p.m.
Choose from the following styles or use what your English teacher tells you to and stick to it:-
a.m. p.m.
am pm
AM PM
A.M. P.M.
Some people (myself included) use a dot as the separator: 2.30 pm.
Some people use a colon as the separator: 2:30 pm. The colon is usually used with the 24-hour clock: 14:30.
When you are writing the time decide whether to write it using numerals or words, and stick to that.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/time.html#sthash.WxXvga5v.dpuf

-71-
The Weather
Verbs | Adjectives | General Descriptions | Other Things | What to say
Learn to talk about the weather (requires Real Player).
Using verbs to describe the weather
The sun is shining It's drizzling
The wind is blowing It's raining (The rain is falling.)
It's pouring (The rain is pouring

It's hailing
down.)
It's snowing (The snow is falling.) It's thundering
Using adjectives to describe the weather
Sweltering = It's sweltering. or It's a Freezing = It's freezing. or It's a

sweltering day. freezing day.
Warm = It's warn. or It's a warm day. Cold = It's cold. or It's a cold day.
-72-
Cloudy = It's cloudy. or It's a

Sunny = It's sunny. or It's a sunny
day. cloudy day.
Stormy = It's stormy. or It's a

Clear = It's clear. or It's a clear day.
stormy day.
Foggy = It's foggy. or It's a

Misty = It's misty. or It's a misty day.
foggy day.
Breezy = It's breezy. or It's a breezy Windy = It's windy. or It's a

day windy day.
Showery = It's showery. or It's a Rainy = It's rainy. or It's a rainy

showery day. day.
Frosty = It's frosty. or It's a frosty

Snowy = It's snowy. or It's a
day. snowy day.
Drizzly = It's drizzly. or It's a

Icy = It's icy. or It's an icy day.
drizzly day.
. Dry = It's dry. or It's a dry day. Wet = It's wet. or It's a wet day.
-73-
Other things associated with the weather
sunshine lightning
puddles raindrops
hailstones snowflakes
frost The weather forecast
flood drought
tidalwave tornado / twister
Atlantic / Eastern Pacific = a

hurricane
Northwest Pacific = a typhoon
Rest of the world = a cyclone
-74-
Describing the weather generally
hot, scorching wet, miserable, damp
warm, mild, fine, dry dull, grey
cool, refreshing cold, chilly
What to say
How to ask about the weather.
 What's the weather like?
 What's the weather doing?
 Is it raining where you are?
A lot of nouns about the weather are uncountable, so we have to create or add a counting word:-
Fog /
A wisp of mist / fog.
Mist
Hail A hailstone
Rain A drop of rain / A raindrop
Snow A snowflake
Sunshine A ray of sunshine
Wind A gust of wind
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/weather.html#sthash.6DeBeDEb.dpuf
-75-
The United Kingdom

The UK | England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland | Pocket History
With dictionary look up - Double click on any word for its definition.
This section is in advanced English and is only intended to be a guide, not to be taken too seriously!
The United Kingdom
General - comprises of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands
· includes 4 nationalities: English (England), Welsh (Wales), Scottish (Scotland) and Irish (Ireland)
· the largest cities are London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol, Leeds and
Edinburgh
Geography – The UK is situated off the northwest coast of Europe bordered by the Atlantic ocean and from
Europe separated by the North Sea and the English Channel. The Irish Sea and the North Channel separate
Great Britain from Ireland.
Size - 244,820 sq km
Climate – mild & rainy (Gulf Stream)
Population – 56 million people (dense population)
Industries – highly industrialised – iron & steel engineering, motor vehicles, aircraft, textil, plastic, cotton, wool,
chemicals, electronics, shipbuilding, food products (incl. fishing)
Mineral resources – coal, natural gas (North Sea), oil
Agriculture – wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, sugar beet, milk, meat, sheep
-76-
Government system:
The United Kingdom = Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is a constitutional monarchy, the present sovereign
is Queen Elizabeth II., she has no real political power.
Great Britain (Britain) refers to England, Scotland and Wales.
The UK is governed by the Cabinet ( 20 leading ministers + the Prime Minister). The supreme legislative body is
the Parliament, this is split into two houses - The lower house is The House of Commons – 5 years (elected).
The Upper house is The House of Lords which currently has hereditiary and life peerage members, although this
is under review.
There is no written constitution in the UK (common law, conventions)
There are 3 main parties – Conservative (Tories) (right wing), Labour (left wing) and the Liberal
Democrats (middle of the road).
England
Capital - London
Geography – situated in Britain
Size - 132,589 sq km
Wales
Capital - Cardiff
Geography - West, mountains and moorland
Size - 21,588 sq km
Climate - rainy
Industry – tourism, mining, manufacturing
Other - The oldest son of the English Monarch is given the title “Prince of Wales”. In 1999 Wales was
granted devolution, this allows them to have their own elected parliament.
-77-
More on Wales
A quiz on Wales
Scotland
Capital - Edinburgh
Geography - North, hills, lakes (lochs – Lochness: where the mythical monster lives), mountains
Size - 80 234 sq km
Climate - cold and windy
Industry - tourism, oil, shipbuilding
Other - The Scotttish have their own traditions & way of life, they are very independent and have a special
folklore and dress - kilts. In 1999 Scotland was granted devolution, this allows them to have their own elected
parliament.
St Andrew's Day
Hogmanay (New Year)
Edinburgh festival
!Note - On Thursday 18 September 2014, a referendum will be held to decide whether Scotland should be an
independent country . I'm not sure what we will do with this page if they leave. ;)
-78-
Northern Ireland (Ulster)
Capital - Belfast
Geography - The Irish Sea and the North Channel separate Great Britain from Ireland.
Size - 10,409 sq km
Climate - rainy
Industry - service, shipping, agriculture
Other - There are still many problems between the two main religions in Northern Ireland (Roman Catholic and
Protestant)
Now test your knowledge and learn a bit more about the geography of the UK here.
Pocket History:
The first inhabitants; the Celts, came from North Europe before 6th century B. C.
The Roman Empire

AD 43 - The Roman invasion starts (they built towns, roads and centralised administration)
AD 450 - 550 germanic tribes invaded – Angles, Saxons, Jutes (Romans home, Celts in the mountains)
800 - 1000 - Vikings invade and raid coastal towns
1066 the Normans - William the Conqueror became King of England – hegemony of Normans
The Middle Ages

1170 - Thomas Becket murdered in Canterbury Cathedral
1172 - Henry II conquers Ireland
1215 – the Magna Carta was signed, this lay out the Supremacy of Law over the King and was the foundation of
a parliamentary government
1283 - Wales conquered by Edward I
-79-
1314 - Robert Bruce defeats the English at Bannockburn

1327 - 1377 - Edward III reigned
1377 - 1399 - Richard II reigned
1399 - 1413 - Henry IV reigned
1413 - 22 - Henry V reigned
1337 – 1453 – the Hundred Years War (England vs. France)
1422 - 61 - Henry VI reigned
1461 - 83 - Edward IV reigned
1455 - 85 - War of the Roses - war between Yorks and Lancaster
1483 - 85 - Richard III reigned
1485 - 1509 - Henry VII reigned
House of Tudor
1509 - Henry Tudor (Henry VIII) established the Tudor dynasty
1534 - Henry VIII separated the English Church from Rome and became the head of Church of England
1547 - Death of Henry VIII
1547 - 1553 - Edward VI reigned
1553 - 1558 - Mary Queen of Scots reigned
The Elizabethan Age

1558 - The reign of Elisabeth I began. – England became a world power
1588 - British defeated the Spanish Armada. British colonization began with Virginia colonies.
1603 - Death of Elizabeth I
House of Stuart
1603 - 1625 - James I reigned, King of England and Scotland; union of Scottish and English crowns
1616 - Death of Shakespeare (the true end of the Elizabethan age)
1625 - 1649 - Charles I reigned
1642 – 1649 – Civil War – The King, Charles I. vs. Parliament, T Oliver Cromwell (puritan republic) – Oliver
Cromwell won but became unpopular.
1660 monarchy restored (Charles II.)1688 - "Glorious Revolution" brings William and Mary to the throne
1660 - 1685 - Charles II reigned
1689 - 1702 - William III reigned
1702 - 1714 - Anne reigned
-80-
The Georgians (The house of Hannover)

1714 - 1727 George I reigned
1721 - 42 - Sir Robert Walpole serves as first Prime Minister
1727 - 1760 - George II reigned
1745 - Bonnie Prince Charlie led the Jacobite Rebellion (failed)
1761 - 1820 - George III reigned
1756 - 63 - Seven years' war with France
1801 - Ireland brought into the UK by act of union; becomes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
1805 - Lord nelson defeats the combined French and Spanish fleets at Trafalgar
1815 - Wellington defeats Napoleon at Waterloo
1820 - 1830 - George IV reigned
1830 - 1847 - William IV reigned
1837 - 1901 - Queen Victoria reigned
1837 – 1901 - The Industrial Revolution – Britain dominated world industry, commerce and the military
Modern Times
1901 - 1910 - Edward VII reigned
1910 - 1936 - George V reigned
1914 - 1918 - WW I
1936 - Edward VIII Adbdication
1936 - 1952 - George VI reigned
1939 - 1945 - WW II
1952 - onward - Elizabeth II reigns
Post War- Labour government – economy was nationalized, free health care and education
1979 Conservative government - privatised national industries, reduced welfare (the Thatcher years)
1996 - Labour (New Labour) comes to power under the leadership of Tony Blair..
For a chronological (802 - the present day) guide to the Kings and Queens of England and the UK see here.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/theunitedkingdom.html#sthash.KBpxbEkB.dpuf

-81-
Buildings Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary | Build Up | Naturally Speaking | Dialogues | Games and Tests
Useful Vocabulary
Where We Live
cottage(s) detached house(s)semi-detached house(s)bungalow(s) terraced house(s)
block of flats high-rise flat(s)

!Note - no matter what kind of building you live in, it's your home.
Where We Work
office(s) factory (factories) skyscraper(s)

Miscellaneous Places
tower(s) mill(s) windmill(s) castle(s)

-82-
Build Up
Special Buildings
Airport
Art Gallery
Bank
Bus Station
Church
Cinema
Fire Station
Garage
Hospital
Hotel
Mosque
Museum
Police Station
Railway Station
Restaurant
School
Synagogue
Theatre
-83-
Naturally Speaking
Talking to a builder / developer.
Can you provide references and (Here references are comments on the abilities and character of a
examples of your previous work? candidate organisation for a position or job.)
Are you able to provide a bank (Here a bank reference is a statement regarding the financial
reference? standing of an individual or organisation.)
Will you provide a list of all the
(Here a sample is an amount of something that shows you what
materials you'll use and provide
the rest is or should be like.)
samples?
(A subcontractor is a person or organization that performs work
Do you use sub contractors? for the main contractor, but is not on their payroll and does not
receive company benefits.)
(A warranty is a written guarantee of the integrity of a product
and of the maker's responsibility for the repair or replacement of
What warranty do you offer, and what
defective parts. In the UK the NHBC is the UK's leading
is the time period of this warranty?
warranty provider for new homes. 'Buildmark' is the name of
their 10-year warranty.)
(Here snagging means to write a list of defects at the end of a
We will be using a snagging company. Is build process/phase/stage (a "Snag List" or "Snagging List"). A
this ok? snagging company goes through a house to find faults and
ensures the developer puts them right within a reasonable time.)
Dialogue
Here is a conversation between Mrs Smith (Joan) and her husband Steve.
It's Saturday morning and something is happening next door.
Joan: Steve, what's all that noise outside?

Steve: Just a minute, I'll have a look. ....... Oh! It looks as if the new next door neighbours are moving in.
Joan: It's a bit early, isn't it? Ah well I guess we'd better get up.
Steve: It's amazing how quickly the houses are selling round here, the Browns only put theirs on the market
about a month ago.
Joan: Where did they move to in the end?
Steve: I think he told me they were buying a detached house in Surbiton.
Joan: Sounds nice. I hope the new neighbours are nice.
Steve: Well, I was speaking with Mr Brown last week. He told me they were a young couple with two
daughters. They liked the house because the school here has a good reputation.
Joan: Two daughters! That will please John.
-84-
Steve: Maybe we'd better pop next door and say hello.
Joan: Yes, and maybe we'd better start thinking of selling as well. I fancy a detached house in Surbiton
too.
Steve: Hmm?
Games and Tests for this Vocabulary Unit
All these games and tests open in a new window.
Crossword
Dictation and Spelling Test
Reading Comprehension Test
Rumble in the Jumble - Rooms and Buildings
Vocabulary Test #1
Vocabulary Test #2
Word Search
Interesting Building Facts
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/buildings.html#sthash.PnjkAfyt.dpuf

-85-
Idioms and Sayings About Buildings

Idiom/Saying Explanation
To bank on something/someone
For example: Something or someone you can be sure of.
"You can always bank on friends to help you."

To lock the barn door after the horse has bolted
For example: To be careful or try to make something safe when it is

too late.
"Buying a burglar alarm after the break in was like
locking the barn door after the horse had bolted."
To be banging/hitting your head against a brick wall.
For example: To keep asking someone to do something which they

never do.
"Trying to get them to do their homework is like banging
my head against a brick wall."
Like a ton of bricks
For example: To be affected strongly or forcefully by something.
" The news of the accident hit me like a ton of bricks."

You can't make bricks without straw.
For example:
You cannot do something correctly without the
necessary materials/knowledge.
"It's no good trying to build a website if you don't know
any html, you can't make bricks without straw."
86-
-
To burn your bridges
To do something that makes it impossible for you to

For example:
change your plans and go back to the situation you
were in before.
"When he handed in his resignation he had burnt his
bridges."
Rome wasn't built in a day.
It takes a long time to do an important job.
For example:
Thanks to 2-dog-farm
"It's taken me years to build this site, and I'm still not
finished! Still, Rome wasn't built in a day."
Castles in the air
For example:
To have daydreams.
" She is always building castles in the air and is very

unrealistic."
To be in the doghouse
For example:
To be in trouble.
"He was really in the doghouse after borrowing his

father's car without permission."
To hold the fort
For example: To cope in an emergency, often by acting as a

temporary substitute.
"He has been holding the fort at his company while his
boss is on vacation."
Close to home
For example: To be near to someone`s personal feelings, wishes or

interests.
"What the fortune teller said about my past life hit close
to home, it was uncanny."
Make oneself at home
For example: To act as if you were at home.
"I always make myself at home when I visit the in-laws."

-87-
House of cards
For example: Something badly put together and easily knocked

down, a poorly thought out plan/action.
"The peace agreement between the two countries was
like a house of cards and quickly fell apart."
On the house
For example: Something provided free by a business - especially in

a bar or restaurant.
"The club was celebrating its anniversary so the drinks
were on the house."
Put one`s own house in order
For example:
Organize one`s own private affairs.
"The government should put its own house in order

before it tells others what to do."
To bring the house down
For example:
To cause alot of applause or laughter.
"The last act was so good they brought the house

down."
People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw
stones
For example: Do not complain about other people if you are as bad
as they are.
"He was always telling people to be honest and then he
stole the money, he should know that people who live in
glass houses shouldn't throw stones."
Run-of-the-mill
For example:
Something that is ordinary or usual.
"Nothing extraordinary happened the whole day was

very run-of-the-mill."
-88-
To go through the mill
For example: To experience a difficult situation.
"Since his divorce he has really gone through the mill."

To go through the roof
For example:
To become very angry, go into a rage.
"When she saw how dirty his clothes were, his mother
went through the roof."
To hit the roof
For example:
"He hit the roof when he found out that his son had
wrecked the family car. "
The elephant in the room.
For example:- A problem or situation that everyone knows about but

no one mentions.
"Her blindness was the elephant in the room."
To close the stable door after the horse has bolted.
For example:-
To try to fix something after the problem has occurred.
"Giving the banks billions of dollars, is like closing the
stable door after the horse has bolted."
To stonewall.
For example:-
To refuse to cooperate, especially in supplying
information, often by talking a lot.
He stonewalled the new project and now it's been
cancelled.
89-
-
To be a tower of strength
For example:
Someone who gives strong and reliable support
" He has been a real tower of strength all through the

divorce."
A hole in the wall
1) A small place to live, stay or work in.

1) "We went for a drink at a little hole in the wall near
the university last night."
2) A cash machine.
2) "I went to the hole in the wall to get some cash."

The writing's on the wall
For example:-
"The director has promised there won't be any The future is predetermined usually in a negative way.
compulsory redundancies this year, but I figure that for
next year the writing's on the wall. Better get your CV
up to date."
To climb the wall
For example: To be so bored that you become anxious and

frustrated
" The journey was so boring she was soon climbing the
wall."
To knock one`s head against a brick wall
For example: To waste time trying to do something with little or no

success.
"I have been knocking my head against a brick wall
trying to solve this week's Mind Bender."
More idioms and sayings
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/buildingidioms.html#sthash.yGoD0rkt.dpuf
-90-
Verbs and Phrasal Verbs About

Buildings
Many verbs have different meanings, however this section deals with verbs and phrasal verbs connected with
buildings. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday conversation.
One irregular verb in bold is shown in all its forms.
Verbs
The Verb (infinitive An example Regular

The Meaning
form) ( Simple Past Tense) /Irregular
To build
To construct for a dwelling. He built his own house Irregular
They constructed the new offices in
To construct To pile up, arrange or build Regular
record time.
They demolished the old slums in
To demolish To pull or tear down a structure. Regular
1951.
To increase in size or area. To add to an As the family grew they extended
To extend Regular
existing building. the house.
To change ones place of dwelling or To be nearer his job he moved to
To move Regular
business. London.
Phrasal Verbs
The Phrasal An example S=Separable

The Meaning
Verb ( Simple Past Tense) I=Inseparable
To incorporate something as an integral part They built new safety
build in S
of something else. features in.
They built a double garage
build on To add a new part to an existing structure S
on to improve their house.
They built the business up bit
build up To construct or erect gradually, little by little S
by bit.
They tore the village down
tear down To destroy or take apart. S
before the dam was built.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/buildingverbs.html#sthash.x4Mxbrxy.dpuf
-91-
Irregular Verb - To build
build / built / built / building
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/buildtense.html#sthash.dSsNTYzb.dpuf
Tenses for the Verb - To build
Click on the timeline to see how this irregular verb changes with each tense
The Past
Past Continuous - "I was building a wall yesterday."
Past Simple - "I built a new garage last month."
Past Perfect Simple - "By the time my last company went bust we had already built the new shopping centre."
Past Perfect Continuous - "We had been building the new shopping centre for 2 months when we heard about the
bankruptcy."
The Present
Present Continuous - "It's Monday morning and I'm building a wall."
Present Simple - "I usually build commercial buildings."
Present Perfect Simple - "I have already built two shopping centres this year."
Present Perfect Continuous - "I have been building this shopping centre since we won the contract.
-92-
The Future
Future Continuous - "I'm building a new garage tomorrow."
Future Simple - "I think I'll build my own house when I can afford to."
Future Perfect Simple - "I hope I will have already built my own house by the time I am 40."
Future Perfect Continuous - "This time next week I will have been building this shopping centre for two months."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/buildtense.html#sthash.dSsNTYzb.dpuf

-93-
Buildings – Culture
Buying a House
Buying a House | What is a Mortgage? | Making an Offer | Completion
Glossary of House Buying Terms | Interesting Links
With dictionary look up. Double click on any word for its definition.
An Englishman's home is his castle, well that's how the saying goes, but it's not so much a castle as a shed. It's
official...
Buying a House
When buying a house, consumers have to deal with estate agents, solicitors, surveyors, builders, lenders and
others. When they want to buy a property, the chances are people won't have tens of thousands of pounds
stashed under the bed so they need to approach a mortgage lender to help with the purchase. Mortgage lenders
are able to lend a great deal more money on the purchase of a house as opposed to a purchase for a car or a
holiday because property tends to hold it's value or increases in value over time. This ensures that they will
probably be able to recoup much of the loan if anything goes wrong. Needless to say, this doesn't mean that
they don't make a great deal of money out of mortgages. Generally over the period of a mortgage the borrower
will pay back nearly three times as much as they borrowed!
Until recently nearly all home buyers would have used a Building Society to provide them with a mortgage but
the industry has undergone something of a shake-up in recent years with many Societies converting to or being
taken over by Banks. Building Societies offered better interest rates on mortgages as they were owned by the
people who saved or borrowed from them known as members. This meant that whereas Banks had to maximise
their profits to allow for payments to be made to shareholders the Building Societies could be more competitive
as they were not profit driven. Building Societies can still work out cheaper but many Banks now offer
competitive rates and the market has been joined by other lenders such as Internet or telephone lenders who
can compete by keeping down the overheads incurred by having a high street presence. Although many
borrowers still like to visit a branch to discuss their requirements a significant amount are happy to conduct their
business over the phone or on the web.
-94-
Mortgages
What is a mortgage? The legal definition is "in law a pledge of property as security for payment of a debt. If the
borrower (mortgagor) fails to pay the debt, the lender (mortgagee) has the right to seek foreclosure. Any kind of
property can be mortgaged. A simpler definition is "A mortgage is a loan on property, payable over a period of up
to twenty-five years".
There are several types of mortgage on the market, many catering to specific requirements such as Buy To Let
Mortgages, Self Build Mortgages or Pension Mortgages. There are, however, two main categories from which
most borrowers will choose, repayment or endowment mortgages.
Repayment This is by far the most popular mortgage scheme and is available from all lenders. The monthly
mortgage payments pay off both the interest on the loan and the loan itself or the capital sum. To begin with the
amount put towards the interest may take up most of the repayment but by the end of the mortgage term all the
money will have been repaid.
Endowment This type of mortgage involves paying off the interest on the loan only. The monthly repayments
comprise of two sums. One is allocated towards the cost of the interest on the loan and the other is a
contribution to an endowment policy. This policy will hopefully increase in value over time and provide a lump
sum at the end of the mortgage term to pay off the capital sum and even allow a cash bonus on top. The money
paid into the endowment policy will be invested in stocks and shares, unit trusts or ISA’s which should increase
in line with inflation and the money markets. This type of mortgage is much less popular than it once was as
many borrowers found that these investments failed to provide a sufficient return on the investment. This could
mean that at the end of the mortgage term there were insufficient funds to pay off the amount outstanding on the
property. In this situation the borrower has to make up the shortfall. In many ways it is a gamble which has paid
off for most people as stocks and shares tend to increase in value but recent stock market crashes and a volatile
world market means that this is by no means a water tight method of buying a home.
If you thought choosing between an endowment and repayment mortgage was confusing just wait until you see
the options available when it comes to interest rates. They vary from lender to lender but here are some of the
offers available.
Standard Variable Rate (SVR) Interest rates offered by lenders tend to rise and fall with the base rate as set by
the Bank of England. If the Governor of the Bank of England decides that interest rates need to go up by half of
one percent then the lenders usually follow suit. A variable rate mortgage reflects these changes. They can go
up and down, usually only in small percentage points but these can build up to be a significant amount
considering the sums most people borrow.
-95-
Fixed Interest Rates Should the borrower be uncertain about how interest rates will behave (as most of us are)
then they may opt for a fixed rate mortgage. These are especially useful if they prefer to know exactly how much
they will be spending each month. Most lenders offer these rates for an agreed period of time, two years for
example after which time the interest rate will revert to the variable rate discussed above. The only downside to
this arrangement is that should interest rates fall then the borrower will still be paying the higher rate but at least
they know they can afford it.
Discounted Variable Rate Many lenders offer this incentive for an agreed period of time much like a fixed rate.
The difference is, as the name implies that this rate too is variable in that it can go down as well as up. The
benefit is that the lender will guarantee that the rate will be an agreed amount less than the SVR. Once the
agreed period has ended then the mortgage reverts to the SVR offered by the lender. The advantage of this is
clear but such offers must not blind the borrower to possible drawbacks such as a higher SVR in the first place
which will be more expensive in the long run.
Cashback An increasingly popular incentive offered by lenders is the Cashback scheme. As the name suggests
once the mortgage term commences the borrower will receive a lump sum corresponding to the size of the loan.
However, if the property is sold or the mortgage terminated for any other reason there is often some form of
financial penalty so that the lender can recoup the cost of the cash 'gift'.
In the UK first time buyers can generally obtain 3 times their income for a mortgage. This is based on a single
income but if they are buying a property with someone else then the amount can be twice the combined income.
This figure may well appear to be a large amount but there are other associated costs. For example, people will
be expected to pay at least 5% of the total cost as a deposit, coupled with solicitors fees, removal fees and
insurances not to mention the cost of furniture and home improvements this can all add up to be a significant
drain on anyones financial resources.
House Hunting
The first step when looking for a property to buy is to think about which area to live in. This is obviously dictated
to by how much a person can afford as certain areas are more expensive than others, it is relatively easy to
change something on the inside of a property but almost impossible to change anything about the area in which
the property is located.
Once a location has been decided on then estate agents in the area need to be contacted. A good way of finding
an estate agent is by looking for For Sale boards in the area chosen. Local newspapers tend to be one of the
best sources of new properties but if by are signing up with an estate agent they can call or send details of a
property before they reach the papers. An increasing number of properties are also sold on the Internet as this
can save on selling fees.
-96-
Once an interesting property has been found a surveyor has to be appointed to carry out an inspection of your
chosen property before the mortgage lender will lend the money. Depending on the type of survey they will
check the structure of the building to ensure that there are no major problems.
Making an Offer
This is nothing mafia like, it simply means that having found a property that you want to buy an offer needs to be
made to the estate agent appointed by the vendor. The British are not known for their haggling, but generally the
asking price is what the seller would like to receive for the property, it does not necessarily mean that they will
get it. If the property is in a sought after area (usually because of good schools), has just come on the market
and appears to offer good value then it would probably be sold for the asking value. However if the property has
been on the market for some time then an offer below the asking price is often made. It is a matter of judgement
and will differ from property to property, vendor to vendor and can be affected by the condition of the housing
market.
If a reduced offer is rejected then the estate agent will try to negotiate a price which is acceptable to both parties.
Whatever the offer is it should always be made "subject to survey or contract". This means that neither party is
legally bound to accept the offer and no penalty will be incurred if everything falls through. This process is
slightly different in Scotland.
Once the offer is accepted the lender proceeds with more formal arrangements for a mortgage. They may have
issued an agreement in principle to borrow a sum of money but once a specific property has been found a full
application will need to be made. The lender will need to verify certain details and will need proof of earnings
from the borrower which could be pay slips from an employer or yearly accounts for self employed people. They
may also request references, possibly from a landlord or employer. At this point insurances will also be
considered, the lender will recommend policies but people are free to choose their own insurer should they
prefer. These will range from policies demanded by the lender such as building insurance to cover the structure
of the property to optional but recommended contents insurance to cover belongings. Additional insurance can
also be taken out to cover the cost of the mortgage in case the borrower is unable to pay the mortgage through
unemployment or illness.
Once the mortgage lender is confident that the purchaser has the funds to repay the loan they will also want to
ensure that the property is worth the money that they are lending. They will therefore instruct a valuer to carry
out an inspection of the property in order to protect their investment. They are not obliged to share the findings of
the valuation with despite the fact that the purchaser will probably have paid for it, and it is only a valuation and
not a structural survey, appointing a surveyor to carry out a more detailed survey could reveal some potentially
expensive problems.
-97-
There are several other legalities associated with buying a property and a solicitor or licensed conveyancer
needs to be appointed to carry these out. They will check to ensure that there are no building plans lodged with
the Local Council which may affect the value of the property. They will also check to ensure that all the legal
documents associated with the property are in order to ensure a smooth selling process. If the property is
leasehold they will ensure that there are no prohibitive restrictions on the lease. There will be several forms to fill
in most importantly the contract, one copy of which will be signed by the purchaser and the other by the vendor
which, when exchanged will ensure that the sale becomes legally binding.
Another form is the Fixtures, Fittings and Contents Form which details what the seller will leave and what they
will take. This form is very detailed and ensures that all parties are aware of exactly what is included in the sale
of the property. It lists such things as carpets, light fittings and door furniture which may well be expected to be a
part of the sale but which the seller may well want to take with them.
There are other fees which are paid to your solicitor known as Stamp Duty and Land Registry Fees. If the land is
unregistered then there will be a higher fee to cover the cost of registering the land.
Homebuyers Report This is the cheaper and less detailed of the two surveys, it is more thorough than a
valuation and will contain information which the surveyor considers to be urgent or significant. It will describe the
general condition and type of property on a standard form which should be relatively easy to understand.
Building Survey This is a more detailed survey and therefore more expensive than a Homebuyers Report this
report is especially recommended for older properties or those which are in disrepair. Not only does it describe
major faults with the property such as subsidence or rot but it will also detail less significant problems such as
the condition of the wiring or with the design of the building. Recommendations may also be made as to the
approximate cost of such repairs which could affect your lenders willingness to give you money. The lender
could make a conditional offer which would state that a condition of the mortgage is that a new roof is installed or
that the property is treated for damp.
Once the lender is satisfied that all the conditions have been met then the exchange of contracts can be made. It
is at this point that the agreement becomes legally binding and a deposit (usually 10% of the value of the
property) will be passed from the buyer's solicitor to the vendors. Should anything go wrong from this point on
then the buyer stands to forfeit the deposit. They should also ensure that the property is properly insured as the
risk becomes theirs at this stage. Unless there is a long chain, it usually takes about 1 month from exchange of
contracts to completion.
-98-
Completion
Some four hectic weeks after the exchange date should come the big day when the transaction is completed.
The solicitor will arrange for the mortgage funds to be paid to the vendor, the title deeds for the property will be
passed to the lender for security and the buyer picks up the keys to move in.
Glossary
Arrangement fee - The lender or person who has arranged your mortgage will charge you a fee.
Bedsit - This is the kind of accommodation many students live in when they cannot afford anything else. It is
basically a single room with a bed, cooker, table and sofa. You would normally share the bathroom.
Bridging loan - A short-term bank loan at a higher rate of interest than normal. Sometimes it is necessary to
take out a short-term loan to bridge the gap between buying and selling houses. This is a useful but expensive
option when you need money quickly to buy a house, but your own money is still tied up in your previous
property. Bear in mind that bridging loans are meant as short-term, stop-gap loans.
Broker Fee - Amount of money charged to you by the financial advisor or Mortgage broker. It is the fee payable
for arranging the mortgage.
Building insurance - This is a requirement to cover you in the unfortunate event of serious damage to your
home.
Building Society - An organisation set up to lend money to people who wish to buy there own property.
Bungalow - A house with no upstairs. A single storey house. Not popular with anyone but the old.
Buy to let - This is where a property can be bought with a view to letting to tenants. Property is bought as an
investment.
Caravan - Everyone in the UK hates caravans - except caravan owners, that is. They are the trailer houses that
people attach to their cars every summer, people who live in the north travel south and the people who live in the
south travel north, the same for the east and west. The result is all the little British roads become blocked and
bring everyone to a complete standstill.
Chain - This means you are waiting to complete on a sale in order to buy, and the person you are selling to is
waiting to complete his or her sale to buy a property, and so on and so on. All it takes is for one link in the chain
to break and everybody is affected.
-99-
Collateral - Property or other asset used as a guarantee for a loan.
Completion - When the transfer of ownership is signed, sealed and delivered, and you get to pick up the keys.
This is the best part of the home buying procedure isn't it?
Conveyancing fee - This is the amount charged by the Solicitor for all the legal work associated with buying
your property.
Council house - A council house is a government built house to help people on lower incomes have a home.
They all used to be rented from the government but since Mrs Thatcher, who was against government
ownership of anything, most tenants have the option to buy relatively cheaply to help them get on the house
ownership ladder. Most council houses are fairly large, for families, but not terribly attractive.
Council estate - A council estate is a neighbourhood of council houses.
Estate - This is short for a housing estate.
Equity - the value of the property which is not mortgaged nor has any other loans against it i.e. the part that
belongs to you. For example, you bought your house and you owe the Bank or Building Society £40,000, but the
house is valued at £70,000, the difference between the two amounts is £30,000.( this is the equity of the
property). Income multiplier - This is used to calculate how much money you can borrow to buy your new home.
A single homebuyer can borrow up to three times their annual salary. A couple can borrow up to two and a half
times their joint salary. For example, a joint salary of £40,000 X 2.5=£100,000. (This is the amount that can be
borrowed).
Flat - This is the British word for an apartment.
Foreclosure - A procedure through which property that is mortgaged is sold to satisfy the lenders claim.
For sale - You will see millions of these signs all around the country with the name and telephone number of an
estate agent. Of course, it means that the property is for sale.
Gazumping - When you buy a new house in the UK, you hope that you won't be gazumped. It's frowned on but
it still goes on. When you make an offer on a house and the seller accepts it, they are not allowed to then accept
a higher offer from another potential buyer. That would be gazumping. There are moves afoot to make it illegal.
Housing estate - Basically this is a bunch of similar houses built far too close together and described as "highly
desirable" by estate agents!
-100-
Land Registry fees - When you buy a property in the UK you need to register with the local Land Registry so
your rights as legal owner are recognised. This is paid to the Land Registry.
Mobile home - These are like large caravans, but they don't get moved around the country as much. They are
an alternative for those who cannot afford to buy a house.
Stamp duty - A 1% tax on the purchase of a property costing more than £60,000; 2% on purchases over
£250,000; and 3% on properties worth more than £500,000.
Subject to contract - A gentleman's agreement that the property is sold. However both the buyer and the seller
may pull out of this position without any legal penalty.
Survey - The surveyor checks the property you are interested in to make sure there are no major problems.
Vendor - the person selling the property.
Thatch - There are still many houses in England that have thatch for their roof material, they look very quaint
and tend to be called 'Thatched Cottages'. Thatch basically straw and is very picturesque. Amazingly it keeps
the rain out pretty well, but is often covered in a fine wire mesh to keep the birds and mice out since they like it
too.
To let - You'll see signs around England with "To Let" on them, outside properties, this means that the property
is for rent. But too many "To let" signs might mean the area is run down.
Valuation fee - This is payable in advance. The mortgagee needs to be sure the property is worth the amount of
money you are borrowing, they will arrange for a valuer to look at the property, but you have to pay for the
privilege. A valuation is not a survey.
Interesting Links
Port Sunlight - One of the first and finest examples of social housing in the UK.
POST CODE INFO - If you are going to visit the UK find out about the area here. You only need the postcode.
Property Finder - Find a property to buy in the UK. Or just be nosey and have a look.
The Royal Residences - An on-line guide to the most sumptuous places in the UK.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/buyingahouse.html#sthash.AZjfpyAV.dpuf

-101-
English songs about buildings
Only for fun, here are some songs with references to buildings.
Songs
Song Title Artist/Group

From The Balcony Iron and Wine
Piggy Bank 50 Cent
Bridge over troubled water Simon and Garfunkel
We'll Build a Bungalow Johnny Long and his Orchestra
Castles In The Sand Stevie Wonder
Too Fat for the Chimney Giselle Mackenzie
Church of the poison mind Culture Club
Cinema Show Genesis
Cottage Industry Yeah Yeah Noh
Joe's Garage Frank Zappa
Green Door Shakin' Stevens
Funk Factory Wilson Pickett
Home is where the heart is Gladys Knight and the Pips

Home sweet home Motley Crue
Hotel California The Eagles
Our house Madness
House in the country Pretty Things or Blur
The House is haunted Marc Almond
This ole house Shakin Stevens
House of fun Madness
House of the rising sun The Animals
The House that Jack built Alan Price
A House with love in it Vera Lynn
Houses in motion Talking Heads
My New House The Fall
In An Old Dutch Garden (By An Old Dutch Mill) Glenn Miller and His Orchestra
Museum Herman's Hermits
Step Into My Office Baby Belle & Sebastian
Sittin' on the Front Porch Swing Dolly Parton
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant Billy Joel
Guns on the Roof The Clash
-102-
Rooftop singing New World

The Birmingham School of Business School The Fall
The theatre Pet Shop Boys
Villier's Terrace Echo & The Bunnymen
Tower of strength Frankie Vaughan
Tower Of Song Leonard Cohen
Towers of London XTC
Off the wall Michael Jackson
Walls come tumbling down Style Council
The walls fell down Marbles
Thru these walls Phil Collins
The Windmills Of Your Mind Dusty Springfield
How Much is that Doggy in the Window Patti Page
- See more
at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/buildingssongs.html#sthash.90igaVCM.dpuf
-103-
Business English Basics

Topic Details
Computers Parts of a computer
Days and Dates Useful for making arrangements.
The structure of a typical business meeting.
English for Meetings Roles in formal meetings.
Common phrases to use in meetings and presentations.
Jobs / Work and Professions
Jobs and Work Common Job Interview Questions (and answers)
Preparing for a Job Interview
Looking After Visitors Common phrases to use when greeting visitors.

Business English
Numbers If you are doing business, you'd better know your numbers.
In the Office Around the office
Taking a call
On the Telephone Making a call
Making and Taking Calls
Preparing for a call
A simple guide to presentations
A simple guide to presentation skills.

Presentations
Common phrases to use in meetings and presentations.
A simple guide to livening up a presentation
Making Speeches A simple guide to giving a great speech.

-104-
Business Writing A simple guide to report writing
Learn Business English Effectively What business are you studying for?
Distance Learning Corporate Training Through Distance Learning
Sponsors
Advertisements
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/businessenglish.html#sthash.ZySvr1CL.dpuf
-105-
Business English Basics
English for meetings and presentations

-106-
Common English Phrases used in meetings and
presentations:-
Getting someone's attention

Excuse me.
May I have a word?
If I may... I think...
Excuse me for interrupting.
Can I come in here? (This doesn't mean you're asking to enter a room, it is something we say when we
want to interrupt someone.)
Giving opinions
I'm positive that...
I feel that....
In my opinion...
The way I see things..
If you ask me..., I tend to think that...
Asking for opinions

Do you think that..
Mrs / Ms / Mr X can we get your input ?
How do you feel about...?
What do you think of ...?
Do you have something you would like to add?
Commenting
That's interesting.
I never thought about it that way before
I get your point.
I see what you mean.
-107-
Agreeing
I totally agree with you.
Exactly!
Good point!
That's just the way I feel.
I have to agree with ...
Disagreeing
Unfortunately, I see it differently.
Up to a point I agree with you, but...
I'm afraid, I can't agree
Giving advice and making suggestions

Let's...
We should ...
Why don't we ...
How/What about ....
I suggest/recommend that ...
Clarifying
Let me spell it out...
Have I made that clear?
Do you see what I'm getting at?
Let me put it another way..
I'd just like to repeat that....
Requesting information
Please, could you...
I'd like you to...
Would you mind...
I wonder if you could...
-108-
Asking for repetition

I'm afraid I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat what you just said?
I missed that. Could you say it again please?
Could you run that past me again?
Asking for clarification

I don't quite follow you.
What exactly do you mean?
Could you explain to me how that's going to work?
I can't see what you're getting at. Could we have some more details, please?
Am I correct in thinking that ...?
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/business/meetingphrases.html#sthash.RFv69ipc.dpuf

-109-
Meetings structure
Business Communication Skills
English for meetings and presentations

-110-
The Format of a Typical Meeting
1) Main Introductions Everyone should introduce themselves and define their roles (facilitator, note-taker, time-
keeper etc.) This will let people know what to expect of them.
2) General introduction between all members: Make newcomers, or infrequent members feel welcome by
having everyone introduce themselves, or do a 'check in' with all present - how is everyone feeling before the
meeting? This is a good thing to do at all meetings.
3) Brief agenda intro (written on blackboard and/or give everyone copies of agenda, or use a single copy that
everyone can add to and see) Include time limits (if nec.) and who's responsible for each item. Allow everyone to
include items on the agenda.
4) Approve/revise agenda and time limits.
5) Review previous week's meeting. Any items not taken care of? Follow up.
6) For each agenda item, first define, then discuss:
a) CONTENT = what is discussed (topic or problem)
b) PROCESS = how the topic is discussed (ie, brainstorming, go-around, presentation)
c) RESOLUTION = is a decision needed or are we just discussing? If a decision is necessary, define what kind
of decision will be made (ie, consensus, voting)
d) ACTION = record what action was decided on, who is responsible, and the date by which the action should
begin or be completed by
7) Summarize meeting (note-taker) and make sure everyone agrees on what happened.
8) Set roles and agenda for the next meeting.
9) Evaluate meeting.
10) Closure: Do some sort of formal ending of the meeting, each person could say something; how the meeting
went, what they expect to happen next, etc. &c.).
Before next meeting
1) review meeting
2) follow up on action items / action points
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/business/meetings.html#sthash.g3FlwJVl.dpuf
-111-
Meeting roles
Business Meetings Vocabulary
Roles in Meetings
Meetings can tie up key personel for a couple of hours. If you add up the time spent by everyone attending a
meeting, and then work out the actual cost of holding that meeting, it can be quite scary.
So, once you, or someone else has decided to have a meeting, it is important to make sure a few key roles are
covered.
Facilitator = The main role of a facilitator is to keep the group focused on the same problem at the same time in
the same way. The facilitator must be prepared before a meeting, otherwise the effectiveness diminishes. S/he
should review the agenda and think of the best way to accomplish the goals of the agenda. At the meeting, the
facilitator maintains focus on agenda. The facilitator should try to remain neutral. If s/he wants to participate in
discussion, s/he should make it clear that s/he is stepping out of role as facilitator temporarily. The facilitator also
elicits participation from others and protects other members from personal attack.
-112-
You can also experiment with this role as a responsibility that rotates between all members, or between just a
few. The next meeting's facilitator could be chosen at the end of the previous meeting, by lottery, by an
individual's desire to do the job, or perhaps on a rotational schedule. This mechanism help to prevent the
condition that one person becomes merged with the position and the possible corruption that can happen.
Note-taker = The main role of the note-taker is to keep an accurate record of what happened at the meeting.
Records what decisions were made, how they are to be accomplished, and who is responsible.
Blackboard note-keeper: In certain discussions, especially when a lot of ideas are being generated, it is
especially useful to have someone keep notes of what is being discussed on a blackboard or on large pieces of
paper. This helps the group focus on the task at hand.
Time-keeper = Each agenda item should have a time limit, agreed upon before- hand by the group. The time-
keeper reminds the group frequently how much time is left for the discussion of a particular item.
Mood-watcher= Group discussions can sometimes become very heated. All group members should be aware
of the mood in the room. One person can be designated to do this and lighten things up or call for a break when
necessary.
Group Members = The rest of the group also has responsibilities in making meetings more productive. A group
member should respect and listen to other members' views and should not speak out of turn. A group member
should also be aware of other people's roles in a meeting and remind them when they step out of their roles.
Facilitator / Chair
Before the Meeting
Facilitators are also in charge of preparing the agenda for the meeting. The facilitator must:
 Distribute an e-mail at least one week prior to the meeting asking for "A Call Of Topics;"
 Obtain all pre-work from the topic leader;
 Construct the agenda allowing the topic leader time to present and discuss the issue;
 Distribute the agenda and pre-work to group members one day prior to the meeting;
 Make any necessary changes to the agenda prior to the meeting.
-113-
During the Meeting
Facilitators are the orchestra leaders of a meeting. They contribute by:
 Helping the group define its overall goal, as well as specific objectives;
 Helping the team keep discussion on track, so that meetings and conversations are effective;
 Making accurate notes that reflect the ideas of the members;
 Helping the group communicate effectively;
 Creating a Yes! environment which is proactive, open to new ideas and solution oriented.
Content (Team Members) Process (Facilitator)
The What The How
The subjects for discussion The methods and procedures

The tasks The ground rules or norms set
Any problems that need solving The tools being used
The decisions made The group dynamics and climate
The agenda items
The goals
Topic Leader
Anyone on the team can submit agenda items and therefore be the Leader of that discussion. In advance of a
meeting, Leaders need to supply the Facilitator and team members with:
 The name of the agenda item;

 State what pre-work is required. Documents, statistics, etc. need to be sent to team members in advance of
the meeting for review (by e-mail or hardcopy);
 State the length of time for discussion (x minutes)
 State a desired outcome. What is the purpose of the discussion? What do you want to come out of the
discussion?
 At the meeting, a Topic Leader contributes to the successful discussion of a topic by helping to keep the
discussion on track.
-114-
Notetaker
The responsibility of the Notetaker is to capture the essence of what was discussed at the meeting, not record
conversations words for word. Meeting minutes should be written in a clear and concise manner, by:
 Recording the date, time and location of the meeting;

 Recording who was present, absent, and a guest at the meeting;
 Describing the issue or problem that was examined (Refer to the agenda);
 Summarize and state the outcomes and/or projected outcomes or an issue or problem and describe any
future plans for implementation. Make sure all tabled agenda items are recorded in the minutes as Agenda
Items for Next Meeting;
 Compile a draft of the meeting minutes and send to all members of the team one week after the meeting;
 Make any corrections and distribute the meeting minutes to team members before the next meeting;
 At the next meeting have the meeting minutes approved.
Timekeeper
The Timekeeper helps the Facilitator and team members:
 Adhere to the time limits set on agenda items;

 Notifies the team that the allotted time given to an agenda item will soon expire. The Timekeeper asks the
team:
 Should the discussion continue? State clearly how much time will be added to discussing the agenda item;
 Should the item be tabled for another meeting? Make sure the Notetaker captures this in the meeting
minutes as Agenda Items for Next Meeting.
Participants
People often forget the role participants play in a meeting. They may not have a fancy title but they do need to
support the meeting. A good meeting relies on the whole group sharing responsibility for taking on the roles
which are needed for a meeting to run well.
 Arrive on time;
 Do all pre-work and come prepared;
 Follow guidelines posted in the room;
 Help the meeting stay on track and ensure it is effective.
Format of a Typical Meeting
Useful Phrases for Meetings

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/business/meetingroles.html#sthash.wqhHQGFU.dpuf
-115-
Computers
PC (Personal Computer)
I presume that as you're visiting this page you are on some kind of computer, but do you know what all the parts
of a computer are called? Find the items listed.
Find these
items on this
computer
desk:-
computer(s)
cupboard(s)
disc drive(s)
drawer(s)
filing
cabinet(s)
keyboard(s)
monitor(s)
mouse(s)
mousemat(s)
pigeonhole(s)
speaker(s)
screen(s)
Test It
-116-
Laptop
Laptops are similar, but need some extra vocabulary.

laptop
disc drive(s)
keyboard(s)
hinge(s)
screen(s)
touchpad(s)
-117-
Keyboard
The keyboard is one of your input devices, but do you know your way around an English one?

keyboard
alphabet key(s)
alt key(s)
arrow key(s)
backspace key(s)
break key(s)
caps lock key(s)
control key(s)
enter key(s)
escape key(s)
function keys(s)
number key(s)
number pad(s)
print screen key(s)
QWERTY key(s)
return key(s)
shift key(s)
tab key(s)
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/computers.html#sthash.7MaAqDso.dpuf

-118-
Days and Dates in English

Days of the week | Months of the year | Dates | Prepositions | What to say
Interesting Stuff
Learn about days and dates(requires Real Player).
The days of the week:-
The working week The weekend

Sunday
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
(the Sabbath)
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Watch and listen to this video (requires access to YouTube.)
The months of the year:-
January February March April May June

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
July August September October November December
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Dates:-
In figures In words Pronounce It

1st the first 1st
2nd the second 2nd
3rd the third 3rd
4th the fourth 4th
5th the fifth 5th
6th the sixth 6th
7th the seventh 7th
8th the eighth 8th
9th the ninth 9th
10th the tenth 10th
-119-


31st the thirty-first ...
Expressing the year
How we
write the 2008 1900 1959 2000
year
How we
say Two thousand and
Nineteen hundred Nineteen fifty-nine The year 2000
eight
the year
Expressing the date
How we write 1st January 2004 07/09/1959 August 12 2003

the date
How we say
August the 12th
the date The first of January 2004 The seventh of September 1959
2003
-120-
Prepositions
For single days and dates we use on.
For example:
I was born on the 7th of the month.
For months we use in.
For example:
I was born in September.
! My birthday is on September the 7th.

Naturally speaking
How to ask the day or date
o What day is it please?  It's Tuesday.
o What date is it please?  It's the 1st of April.
o What's the date today please?  It's the 1st of April.
Interesting Stuff
AD stands for Anno Domini (Latin for "In the year of (Our) Lord"), abbreviated as AD. It defines an epoch based
on the traditionally-reckoned year of the conception or birth of Jesus of Nazareth. it is used in the English
language to denote years after the start of this time.
BC stands for Before Christ (from the Ancient Greek "Christos" or "Anointed One", referring to Jesus),
abbreviated as BC, it is used in the English language to denote years before the start of this time.
Some non-Christians also use the abbreviations AD and BC without intending to acknowledge the Christian
connotation, but some people prefer the alternatives 'CE' (Common Era) and 'BCE' (Before Common Era),
arguing that they are more neutral terms. .
-121-
A millennium (pl. millennia) is a period of one thousand years.
A century is a period of one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally (e.g. "the nineteenth
century").
A decade is a period of 10 years.
The decades from 1920 to 1999, are called "the Twenties", "the Sixties", etc. But the current decade has no
universally accepted name. Some refer to the decade as the "twenty hundreds" while others may refer to it as
the "two thousands". In written form, this could appear as "the '00s" or "the 2000s". But writing "the 2000s" or
simply saying "the two-thousands" can cause confusion, since this could refer to the entire 21st century or even
the entire millennium. Some people tried to popularize "the Noughties" as the decade's name. This is a play on
words, nought means "zero" and noughties sounds both like nineties and naughty.
You'll find some more interesting facts about days and dates in the Interesting Facts Blog.
!Note - When writing the date as numbers British and American English differ. To write the date 7th of
September 2007 a Brit would write dd/mm/yy (07/09/07) and an American would write mm/dd/yy (09/07/07). This
often causes great confusion. It's better to write the date in full (7th September 2007 or September 7th 2007). It
also looks nicer.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/dates.html#sthash.1d6zarJg.dpuf

-122-
Office Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary | Build Up
Useful Vocabulary
Double click on any word to listen to the pronunciation. (Allow popups).
Binder(s) Calculator(s) Computer(s) Desk(s) Keyboard(s)
Desk lamp(s) Diary (diaries) Envelope(s) Letter(s)

-123-
Filing cabinet(s) Flipchart(s) Folder(s)
Notice board(s) drawing pin(s) Office chair(s) / Executive

Hole punch(es)
note(s) chair(s)
Paper clip(s) Post It Note(s) Paper

Pen(s) and pencil(s) Stapler(s)
(Sheet(s) of paper)
Staple remover(s) Staple(s)

-124-
Build Up
Computers
Dress to impress
Office workers tend to dress smartly. For both smart shoes. For men a suit, maybe a waistcoat and a shirt and tie,
for women a suit (usually with a skirt) and blouse.
-125-
Work - Who works in an office?

Job What do they do? Where do they work?
Accountants Look after the finances in an organisastion. They work in an office.
They work in a law court and in a
Lawyers Defend and prosecute people.
lawyers office.
Receptionists Meet and greet visitors. They work in reception.
Sales They work on the road and in an
Sell goods and look after customers.
Representatives office..
Arrange appointments, type letters and
Secretaries They work in an office.
organise meetings.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/office.html#sthash.8kSYd1z9.dpuf
-126-
Looking after Visitors
Here are some phrases you can use when looking after visitors.
Common English Phrases More greetings
Greeting the visitor:-

Good morning/afternoon. Can I help you?
Do you have an appointment?
I'll let (Mr Smith) know you're here. What name is it, please?
Explaining there's a problem:-
I'm afraid (Mr Smith) is in a meeting.
-127-
I'm sorry, but he/she's out of the office at the moment.
Offering help / refreshments etc:- More offers
Would you like to take a seat?

Maybe I can help you?
Would you like some tea/coffee whilst you wait?
Milk and sugar?
Would you like to read through our company brochure / newsletter / literature?
Making small talk:-
Did you have a good journey?
What was the weather like in (London)?
Have you been to (Germany) before?
- See more
at: http://www.learnenglish.de/business/visitors.html#sthash.IWQG2hXM.dpuf
-128-
English Numbers
Whole Numbers | Ordinal Numbers | Fractions | Sums
Interesting Numbers | Letters as Numbers | What to say
About the numbers 1 to 10 and 0
Whole Numbers also known as Cardinal Numbers - used

for counting
0 Nought 0
1 One 1
2 Two 2
3 Three 3
4 Four 4
5 Five 5
6 Six 6
7 Seven 7
8 Eight 8
9 Nine 9
10 Ten 10
More numbers
11 Eleven 11
12 Twelve 12
13 Thirteen 13
14 Fourteen 14
15 Fifteen 15
16 Sixteen 16
17 Seventeen 17
18 Eighteen 18
19 Nineteen 19
20 Twenty 20
21 Twenty-one ... 21
30 Thirty 30
40 Forty 40
50 Fifty 50
60 Sixty 60
70 Seventy 70
80 Eighty 80
90 Ninety 90
100 One hundred 100
101 One hundred and one ... 101
1,000 One thousand 1,000
1,000,000 One million 1,000,000
1,000,000,000,000* One billion 1,000,000,000,000
-129-
Ordinal Numbers - used for ranking

Pronounce
In figures In words
It
1st the first 1st
2nd the second 2nd
3rd the third 3rd
4th the fourth 4th
5th the fifth 5th
6th the sixth 6th
7th the seventh 7th
8th the eighth 8th
9th the ninth 9th
10th the tenth 10th
40th the fortieth 40th
50th the fiftieth 50th
60th the sixtieth 60th
70th the seventieth 70th
80th the eightieth 80th
90th the ninetieth 90th
100th the hundredth 100th
101st the hundred and first ...
1000th the thousandth 1000th
Ordinal numbers are often used in fractions:-
-130-
Fractions
1
/8 One eighth 1
/8
1
/5 One fifth
1
/4 One quarter 1
/4
3
/4 Three quarters 3
/4
1
/3 One third 1
/3
2
/3 Two thirds
1
/2 One half 1
/2
Sums
Symbols Word (common term in brackets) Pronounce It
+ Plus (And) +
- Minus (Take away) -
x Multiplied by (Times) x
÷ Divided by ÷
= Equals (Is) =
. Point .
% Percent %
One plus six minus two multiplied by two divided
by two point five equals four
(((1 + 6) - 2) x 2) or 1 + 6 - 2 x 2 ÷ 2.5=4
÷ 2.5=4 One and six take away two times two divided
by two point five is four
10% 100=10 Ten percent of one hundred equals ten. 10% 100=10
-131-
What to say
One
We often say "a" instead of "one".

For example when we have the numbers 100 or 1/2 we say "A hundred" or "A half".
Fractions
Not all numbers are whole numbers, or just fractions (see above), they are a mixture of both.
For example:
11/2 - "One and a half."
Decimals
When pronouncing decimals we use the word "point" to represent the dot. The numbers following the
dot are pronounced separately.
For example:
When you have the number 1.36 we say "One point three six."
Squared / Cubed / To the power of
Square numbers are written 2² = we say "Two squared" = 2 x 2 = Two squared equals four.
Cubed numbers are written 2³ = We say "Two cubed" = 2 x 2 x 2 = Two cubed equals eight
You can also say "to the power of" - "Two to the power of two equals four." and "Two to the power
of three equals eight."
-132-
You can then have "to the power of" any number.
Two to the power of twelve = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 4096.
It's much easier to write 2¹² = 4096.
Interesting Numbers
~0~
What could possibly be interesting about nothing?
Try writing the numbers zero ( 0 ) through nine ( 9 ).
0123456789
Then write how many numbers you have counted:-
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Yes, ten numbers, without using the number 10.
You can put as many noughts in front of a number without changing the value of that number:-
01, 002, 0003, 00004 ...
In English 10, 20, 30, through to 90 are 1 ten, 2 tens, 3 tens, etc.
-133-
Also there are a number of ways you can say 0 in English.
When we use it For example:-

0 = oh after a decimal point 9.02 = "Nine point oh two."
Rooom 101 = "Room one oh one."
in bus or room numbers
Bus 602 = "Bus six oh two."
in phone numbers 9130472 = "Nine one three oh four seven two."
in years 1906 = "Nineteen oh six."
0 = nought before a decimal point 0.06 = "Nought point oh six."
0 = zero in temperature -10°C = "10 degrees below zero."
US English for the number 0 = "Zero"
Chelsea 2 Manchester United 0 = "Chelsea two Manchester
0 = nil in football
United nil."
0 = love in tennis 20 - 0 = "Twenty love."
~ 12 ~
The number 12 is often represented as a dozen and the number 6 as a half dozen.
For example:
12 eggs= "A dozen eggs."
6 eggs = "Half a dozen eggs."
~ 13 ~
A dozen is 12, but a baker's dozen is 13, because in the past bakers who were caught shortchanging
customers could be liable to severe punishment, so they used to add an extra bread roll to make up the
weight.
~ 100 ~
A century is 100. The roman numeral for 100 is C, for centum.
One hundred is the basis of percentages (literally "per hundred"). 100% is the full amount of
something
*~ 1 billion ~
When is a billion not a billion?
In British English billion traditionally means a million million = 1,000,000,000,000 = 1012

-136-
In American English billion means a thousand million = 1,000,000,000 = 109
The American billion has become standard in technical and financial use.
However, to avoid confusion it is better to use the terms "thousand million" for 109 and "million
million" for 1012.
Milliard " is French for the number 109. It is not used in American English but is sometimes, but
rarely, used in British English.
Letters as Numbers
~k~
The letter k is often used to denote a thousand. So, 1k = 1,000.
If you see a job advertised and it offers a salary of £12k it means £12,000.00.
~m~
The letter m is often used to denote a million. So, 1m = 1,000,000.
If you see a job advertised and it offers a salary of £12m, apply for it!
~ bn ~
The letters bn denote a billion. So, 1bn is usually 1,000,000,000 (see above).
If you see a job advertised and it offers a salary of £12bn, it's probably a missprint.
myriad
The word myriad used to mean 10,000. Nowadays it's used to refer to a
countless number or multitude of specified things.
For example: Earth hosts a myriad of animals.
Here's a site that you can explore for some really big numbers. Math Cats
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/numbers.html#sthash.WKnYVhCC.dpuf
-137-
English on the Telephone

Common telephone phrases to use when answering a
business call
These are some of the most common telephone phrases used when answering a business call. You should
learn them until you are comfortable using them.
Telephone calls - Common English phrases.

Answering the phone:-
Good morning/afternoon XYZ Ltd. How can I help you?

Connecting a caller:-
I'll put you through now.

One moment please.
Explaining there's a problem:-
I'm sorry, but the line's engaged at the moment.

I'm sorry. There's no reply.
I'm sorry, but he/she's out of the office at the moment.
I'm afraid he/she's on the other line at the moment.

Offering help:-
Would you like to hold?

Is there anyone else who could help you?
Can I take a message?
Maybe I can help you?
Offer a return call:-
Perhaps he/she can call you back?
Could he/she call you back?
Offering to take a message:-
Can I take a message for him/her?
Would you like to leave a message?

-138-
Asking for the caller's name and number:-
Could I have your name and number, please?

Could you give me your name and number, please?
Checking the information:-
Could you spell that, please?
Can I just check that again, please?
Could you repeat that, please?

Don't forget you can prepare yourself before making a call.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/telephone/phonephrases.html#sthash.q3wvDfzs.dpuf

Common telephone phrases to use when making a
business call
These are some of the most common telephone phrases used when answering a business call. You should
learn them until you are comfortable using them.
Telephone calls - Common English phrases.
Asking for someone:-
Good morning/afternoon. Could I speak to (Mr Smith), please?

Could I have extension (219), please?
Giving a message:-
Could you tell (him/her) that (her tickets are ready).

Could you tell (him/her) that I called.
Could you give (him/her) my number, please?
Giving your name and number :-
My name is (David Bean) and I'm on (0117 294658).
It's (David Bean) and the number is (0117 294658).
Don't forget you can prepare yourself before making a call.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/telephone/phonephrases2.html#sthash.TVnKfZqk.dpuf

-139-

English on the Telephone - Preparing to make a call
Preparation is one of the things that can help you when making a phone call. This telephone call preparation
form is one of the tools you can use:-
Telephone call preparation form
Date:
Contact person (full name and title):
Company name:
Address:
Telephone number(s):
Script
Primary reason for call:
Secondary reason for call:
Introduction:
Lead statement:
Key words:
Conclusion:
Results/Comments:
Follow-up action to be taken:
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/telephone/phonescript.html#sthash.sPQINP5Q.dpuf

-140-
Presentations
This page has dictionary look up. Double click on any word to see its definition.
The End is the Beginning
by Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP
People remember best what you say last. In a presentation, what people take with them to put into action or to
connect with what they already know depends to a large degree on how you end the presentations. So in one
sense, the end of your presentation is the beginning for the audience. Speakers often reach their momentum in
the middle of the presentation and lose contact with the audience by the end. One of the ways a speaker can
ensure beginnings for an audience is by having a strong ending; this article will provide a few simple tips to
achieve this concluding spark.
-141-
First, focus on the general purpose of your presentation. Are you moving the audience to action? Are you
helping your audience to understand? Are you attempting to change the viewpoint of your audience on a
particular issue? Or are you simply entertaining? The purpose will determine how you end the presentation.
Some speakers lose sight of this, their endings do not fit their purposes, and the audiences leave without
knowing where to begin.
If your purpose is to move the audience to action, then your conclusion should in some way answer the
question, "What do I want my audience to do as a result of my presentation?" What action do you want people to
take? The conclusion should state the specific action to be taken. A presentation on donating blood individually
as a part of the company goal for community service would need to end with the time and location for giving
blood. An even more effective ending would be to obtain some kind of commitment. Ask for a show of hands:
"Raise your hand if you are going to give blood when the Bloodmobile is here next Monday." If your purpose is
simply to entertain, then the conclusion should be light and send the audience away with the good feelings that
laughter and humor provide.
A second method for enhancing your conclusion is to summarize.PLUS! Certainly you want the audience to take
with them the major theme or main points of the message, but in addition you should give them a phrase or
quotation to connect with the summary. This is the exit line. An exit line is a short saying, profound idea, or
clever line that compels the audience to think about the main theme of the speech. The exit line will increase the
likelihood of the audience's remembering what you want them to do as they begin after the presentation.
When I stress the value of preparation, I often end with the remark by former Senator Bill Bradley, "When you
are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing.and when you meet him, he will win." In talking
about the power of developing language skills, I like the quotation by Mark Twain: "The difference between the
right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug." To punctuate the
summary with a thought-provoking idea usually helps audience members to know clearly where to begin as they
leave your presentation.
A third way to enhance the ending is to understand the mechanics of the conclusion. It should be short. Don't
start concluding when you still have ten minutes of material left. Don't say, "In conclusion." unless you really
mean to finish. You will lose the audience if you keep talking long after you announce you are finishing.
Speak the conclusion without reading it. Look at your audience as you end; know exactly what you want to say
and avoid fumbling with your notes, which distracts people from your words. The ending should raise the
emotional level of your interaction with the audience; rapport, eye contact, and feeling between speaker and
audience are enhanced when the speaker does not hesitate and stumble looking at notes. Look pleasant and try
not to hide behind a lectern as you end. Conclusions are great opportunities to move away form the lectern and
toward the audience.
-142-
Another important tip is to avoid introducing new material in the conclusion. The "add-ons" and "By the ways."
should not be added once you are winding up your presentation. In the conclusion, you should do these three
things: summarize the main points, include a statement that reiterates your general purpose, and develop an exit
line. If you add to these areas, you are using material that should probably be included earlier in the
presentation.
Finally, don't take the ending too seriously. Speakers sometimes look for that fantastic audience response-
sustained applause, laughter, or even a standing ovation-only to be disappointed about the whole speech if the
response doesn't happen. On one occasion Winston Churchill was stopped by a woman who said to him,
"Doesn't it thrill you, Mr. Churchill, to know that every time you make a speech the hall is packed to overflowing?"
"It is quite flattering," Sir Winston replied. "But whenever I feel this way I always remember that if, instead of
making a political speech, I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big."
Concentrate on your endings and you can't help but give the audience new beginnings in the process.
About The Author: Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is a professor of speech communication at Northern
Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky. He works with organizations that want to speak and listen
more effectively to increase personal and professional performance. He can be reached at 800-727-6520 or
visit http://sboyd.com for free articles and resources to improve your communication skills.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/business/presentations.html#sthash.tUmcenNw.dpuf

-143-
English Writing
This page has dictionary look up. Double click on any word to see its definition.
A Simple Guide to Report Writing
A business report is a formal document. It should be concise, well organised, and easy to follow; using headings,
sub-headings, sections.
Sections should be numbered: - major section 1,2,3 etc. - first level of sub-section 1.1, 1.2 etc., 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 etc.
- second level 1.1.1, 1.1.2, ......, 1.2.1, 1.2.2, ..... etc.
Report format:
Title page - subject of the report, author, date
Terms of reference - who ordered the report, when and why, any conditions
Contents page - all section numbers and titles, using exactly the same wording as in the report
Abstract - brief summary of report - task, summary of conclusions and recommendations
Introduction - background information
Main body of report - findings, description, facts, opinions, etc. This must be well structured
Conclusion - summary of results
Recommendations - usually in the form of a list
Appendices (not always necessary) - additional details, tables, graphs, detailed analysis. These must be
numbered and cross referenced in the text
Glossary (not always necessary) -explanation of any specialist terms
Bibliography - references to any books, journals, etc. which were used either for background reading, or
directly quoted in the report.
They should be arranged alphabetically by the author's name The reference should include: author, date of
publication, title, edition,
place of publication, publisher.
-144-
General guidelines:
 If using Word™ or a similar package, use (but don't just rely on) the spell-checker.
 Check your grammar and punctuation.
 Make sure you read it through and that you understand it.
 If you can get someone else to read it - even better.
 Make a copy - if you're using a PC make two separate copies, and keep them safe.
This text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/writing/reportwriting.html#sthash.75xSyOGn.dpuf
-145-
Shopping Cart
Business English Books
Improve your business English.
Business Focus Business Focus Pre- Business Vocabulary in

Elementary: Student's Intermediate: Student's Use Elementary
Book w... ... by Bill Mascull
by David Grant by David Grant
£27.00 £27.00
Business Vocabulary in Test Your Business Business Vocabulary in

Use Vocabulary in Use Use Advanced
by Bill Mascull by George Bethell by Bill Mascull
Test Your Business Business Vocabulary in The Language of

Vocabulary in Use Practice (Collins Co... Meetings
Advanced by Collins Cobuild by Malcolm Goodale
by Joy Godwin £13.00 £20.00
1 2 3 4 5 Next > >

-146-
Clothes Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary | Build Up | Naturally Speaking | Dialogues | Games and
Tests
Useful Vocabulary
Men's Clothes | Women's Clothes | Uni-Sex | Baby Clothes
Holiday/Leisure Clothes | Nightwear | Underwear | Headwear | Footwear
Men's Clothes
suit(s) shirt(s) tie(s)

Women's Clothes
dress(es) blouse(s) skirt(s)
tanktop(s)
Uni-Sex
coat(s) jacket(s) t-shirt(s)
short(s)
trouser(s) jean(s)
-148-
sweatshirt(s)
jumper(s) with a hood =
cardigan(s)
pullover(s) hoodie(s)
glove(s) mitten(s)
Baby Clothes
romper suit(s) nappy (nappies)

Holiday/Leisure Clothes
swimsuit(s)
swimming trunk(s) bikini(s) swimming costume(s)
bathing costume(s)
Nightwear
nightdress(es) dressing gown(s)

pyjama(s)
nightie(s)
-149-
Underwear
Mens
boxers Y-fronts
Ladies (Lingerie)
pant(s)
bra(s)
knicker(s)
stocking(s) tight(s)
Uni-Sex
vest(s)
Footwear
shoe(s) sandal(s) boot(s)
wellington(s) slipper(s) sock(s)

150-
-
Headware
beret(s) bowler hat(s) trilby (trilbies)
knitted hat(s)
woolen hat(s) cap(s)
bobble hat(s)
-151-
Build Up
Accessories
Jewellery
Parts of Clothes
Accessories
belt(s) handbag(s)
headscarf (headscarves) scarf (scarves)
glasses sunglasses watch(es)
glove(s) hat(s)
hanger(s)
Jewellery
bracelet(s) necklace(s)
ring(s) earring(s)
-
152-
Parts of clothes
-153-
-154-
Naturally Speaking
Does it fit?
It's too big. It's too small.

It's too loose. It's too tight.
It's too long. It's too short.
Dialogue
It's Saturday and Mrs Smith has gone shopping with her friend Lucy for a
new dress in the sales:-
Mrs Smith: Well Lucy, what do you think?

Mmm, it's nice, but I think you need a slightly bigger size.
Lucy:
The top is gaping.
I think this is the only one. I'd better ask an assistant.
Mrs Smith:
Excuse me? Do you have this in a size 14?
Shop
I'm afraid everything in the sale is out on display.
assistant:
Mrs Smith: Oh dear, it's just a bit too tight.
Shop
I think we have a size 14 in red.
assistant:
Mrs Smith: Oh no. Red's just not my colour.
Shop It's not bright red, it's a nice dark red. Here it is. Why don't
assistant: you try it on? There's a changing room free over there.
Later...
Mrs Smith: It fits like a glove. What do you think Lucy?
Lucy: It looks really nice. I guess red suits you after all.

-155-
Crossword
Hangman
Rumble in the Jumble - Clothes and Accessories
Vocabulary Test
Word Search
- See more at:

http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/clothes.html#sthash.TPBLOhml.dpuf
-156-
Idioms and Sayings About Clothes

An anorak
For example:
Used to describe a dull person or an individual with
"He's got hundreds of old Japanese robots that he a boring hobby who insists on talking about it.
insists on showing to anyone who visits. He's such an
anorak."
To hit someone below the belt.
For example: To do something in an unfair or cowardly way.
"I think it was a bit below the belt when he lied to her."
To have something under your belt.
For example: If you have something under your belt, you have
completed something successfully, and it may be
"Hermine has years of English practice under her belt. useful to you in the future.
One day it will really help her."
Get dressed in your best bib and tucker.
For example:
To dress in your best clothes.
"Alex wore his best bib and tucker when he got
married."
To have a bee in your bonnet.
For example:-
To be obsessed about something.
She's got a real bee in her bonnet about that new
advertising campaign, she's even phoned the ACA!
-157-
Birthday suit. (See below)
For example:-
To be in the nude.
"He won't wear pyjamas, he sleeps in his birthday
suit."
Buckle down.
For example:
To put in a lot of effort into doing something.
"He realised before the exam that it was time to buckle

down to some real work."
If the cap fits, wear it. (Often shortened to "If the cap
fits."
Said to someone who is guilty of something bad,

For example:
that they should accept criticism.
"He complained about being blamed for everything,

but I told him, if the cap fits."
To put on your thinking cap.
For example: To start to think seriously about how to solve a

problem.
"The economy is in a mess, it's time for everyone to
put their thinking caps on."
Wolf in sheep's clothing.
For example: To pretend to be harmless when your really

dangerous.
"I don't trust him, I think he's a wolf in sheep's
clothing."
Hot under the collar.
For example:-
To be very angry.
"She got very hot under the collar when I told her
someone had scratched her car."
-158-
Off-the-cuff.
For example: Without preparation.
"He made a stupid off-the-cuff remark."

To dress someone down.
For example:
To tell someone off for doing something bad.
"He was given a real dressing down for making such a

stupid mistake."
Mutton dressed as lamb.
For example:
To be dressed too young for your age.
"In her mini skirt and short tank top, she looked like mutton
dressed as lamb."
Dressed to kill.
To make yourself look really good by wearing

For example:
your best clothes.
"She had bought a new outfit and was dressed to kill."

Dressed up like a dog's dinner.
For example: To be overdressed
"She was dressed up like a dog's dinner."

Fit like a glove.
For example: Fits very well.
"The dress fitted her like a glove."

To be hand in glove.
To have an extremely close relationship,

For example:
especially at work.
"They make a great team. They work hand in glove."

-159-
To take the gloves off.
For example: To argue or compete without controlling your

actions or feelings.
They took the gloves off and suspended trading.
To treat someone with kid gloves.
For example:
To deal with someone very gently or carefully.

After the disappointment of not getting into her
preferred university, the teachers treated her with kid
gloves.
At the drop of a hat.
To make a decision or do something very quickly

For example:
without thinking about it.
"If he asked me out I would go at the drop of a hat."

Old hat
For example: Not new or different.
"I've been doing this job for so long it's all old hat now."
Take one's hat off to someone.
For example:
To admire or respect someone.
"He always works so hard on his English, you have to

take your hat off too him."
Keep something under your hat.
For example: To keep something you are told or know in strictest

confidence.
"You can trust me, I'll keep anything you tell me under
my hat."
-160-
To talk / speak through your hat.
For example: To talk nonsense; especially on a subject that

one professes to be knowledgeable about but in
"He kept telling everyone what to do, but he was fact is ignorant of.
speaking through his hat, as he didn't have a clue and
things just kept getting worse."
Knickers in a twist.
For example:
To get upset.
"Dame Kiri Te Kanawa really got her knickers in a twist
after being compared to Susan Boyle from the TV reality
show."
To air one's dirty linen in public.
For example: To have your private or personal problems

discussed in public.
"The president was embarrassed to have his dirty linen
aired in public."
Have ants in your pants.
For example:
To be restless or incapable of sitting still.
"She never sits still, it's as though she's got ants in her
pants."
Burn a hole in one's pocket.
For example:
To have money that you just want to spend.
"He was never able to save any money, it always

burned a hole in his pocket."
To be in your glad rags.
For example:-
To be dressed up in your party clothes.
"She must be going to a party, she was in her glad

rags."
-161-
Bursting at the seams.
For example: To be very busy or overcrowded.
"The airport was so busy it was bursting at the seams."

Keep your shirt on.
For example: Don't lose your temper.
"Stop shouting, keep your shirt on!"

Lose one's shirt.
To lose all your money (usually in a business

For example:
venture or by gambling).
"He went to the races and lost his shirt."

Someone who will give you the shirt off their back.
For example:
Used to describe someone who is very generous.
"He's so generous, he would give you the shirt off his

back."
Stuffed shirt.
For example:
To be to rigid or formal.
"He never has a laugh or a joke, he's a real stuffed

shirt."
In someone else's shoes.
For example: To be in someone else's place or position.
"I hear he is very ill, I would hate to be in his shoes."

On a shoestring budget.
For example: To have a very small amount of money for

something.
"When I went to university I had to live on a shoestring
budget."
-162-
Card up your sleeve.
For example:
To have something in reserve in case it is needed.
"When he grinned like that I knew he had a card up his

sleeve.
Roll up your sleeves.
For example: Prepare to work hard.
"We'll get the job finished if we all roll up our sleeves."

Put a sock in it.
For example:
Used to tell someone to shut up.
"He wouldn't stop complaining, so I told him to put a
sock in it."
To be in your birthday suit. (See below).
For example:
To be completely naked.
"When I walked into the bathroom she was just

standing their in her birthday suit!"
Wear the trousers.
For example:
To be the boss of a family or household.
"His wife is always telling him what to do. You can tell
who wears the trousers in their house."
Keep it zipped.
To keep quiet about something. (Usually with an

For example:
implied threat.)
"He was warned to keep it zipped, or else."

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/clothesidioms.html#sthash.XawW6YZk.dpuf
-163-

Clothes
buildings. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday conversation.
Verbs
R=Regular
The Verb An example Verb
The Meaning
(infinitive form) ( Simple Past Tense) I=Irregular
Verb
To dress (especially in fine elegant
To attire (Rarely used in conversation) R
clothes).
To fasten an item of clothing using a She buckled up her daughters
To buckle R
buckle. shoes.
To fasten an item of clothing using She buttoned up her cardigan before
To button R
buttons. she went outside.
To clothe To dress (yourself or someone else). (Rarely used in conversation) R
She dressed before she went to
To dress work.
R
To put clothes on (yourself or
or more common or
someone else). (get is
irregular)
To get dressed She got dressed before she went to
work.
To secure an item of clothing, using She fastened his jacket to make sure
To fasten R
zips, buttons or buckles. he didn't get cold.
To undress
R
To take off clothes (your own or He undressed before getting into the
or more common
someone elses). shower. (get is
irregular)
To get undressed
163-
-
To unfasten To undo or open an item of clothing. He unfastened his tie before he took it off. R
To unzip To unfasten an item of clothing using a zip. She unzipped her jacket when she got too warm. R
To wear To have an item of clothing on one's person. She wore her best suit for the interview. I
To zip To fasten an item of clothing using a zip. She zipped up her jacket before she went outside. R
Phrasal Verbs

The Meaning
She did his jacket up for him
do up To fasten an item of clothing. S
before he left the house.
To dress (oneself or another) in your best She enjoyed dressing up to
clothes. go out.
or or
dress up I
To put on fancy dress (disguise oneself or The children enjoyed

another to be someone else) in children's dressing up in their mother's
games. clothes.
The weather was fine, so she
hang out To dry clothes outside after washing. S
hung out the washing.
She was a very neat child.
hang up To put something on a hook or a hanger. She hung her clothes up S
every night.
She had a red t-shirt on when
have on To wear an item of clothing on one's person. S
he saw her.
He kicked his shoes off as
kick off To remove your shoes quickly. S
soon as he got home.
To dress yourself or someone else with an He put his shoes on before
put on S
item or items of clothing. he went out.
She slipped her sandals on
slip on To put on an item of clothing easily. S
before she went into the sea.
He took his shoes off before
take off To remove any item of clothing. S
he went to bed.
To put on an item of clothing to find out She always tried shoes on
try on S
whether it fits or is suitable. before she bought them.
-164-
She was in such a hurry she

To put on an item of clothing quickly and
throw on just threw on a few clothes S
without thought.
before she left the house.
To shorten trousers, a dress or a skirt so Her jeans were too long, so
turn up S
that they fit better. she turned them up.
His mother told him to wrap
wrap up To put warm clothes on. himself up warm because it S
was so cold outside.
It was cold outside, so he
zip up To fasten an item of clothing using a zip. S
zipped his jacket up.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/clothesverbs.html#sthash.3itaM6se.dpuf
-165-
Irregular Verb - To wear
wear / wore / worn / wearing

Tenses for the Verb - To wear
The Past
Past Continuous - "I was wearing my pyjamas at 6.30 this morning."
Past Simple - "I wore my new slippers for the first time last night."
Past Perfect Simple - "By the time I finished work I had already messed up 3 different uniforms."
Past Perfect Continuous - "I had been wearing my old slippers when I remembered I had a nice new pair."
The Present
Present Continuous - "It is 7.30 in the morning and I'm wearing my new hat."
Present Simple - "I always wear a clean shirt every day."
Present Perfect Simple - "I have already worn my new dress this week."
Present Perfect Continuous - "I have been wearing my new slippers since I got up."
The Future
Future Continuous - "I'm wearing my best suit tonight."
Future Simple - "I think I'll wear my slippers when I get up."
Future Perfect Simple - "I will have already worn my new dress by the time I go away."
Future Perfect Continuous - "By tomorrow Matthew will have been wearing those socks for over a week!"
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/weartense.html#sthash.aBE8zcfY.dpuf

-166-
Fashion, Clothes and National

Costumes in the UK
National Dress | Dressing for the Occasion | Interesting Fashion Links
National Dress in Britain
Scottish National Dress

One of the most famous national costumes in the world is that worn in Scotland, the kilt, however some people
say that the kilt is not as traditional as some would have it. Be that as it may it is certainly what people associate
with Scotland, along with whisky and haggis that is.
Some people consider it very bad luck to wear a kilt in a tartan that does not belong to your family.
Just to remind you should you visit Scotland any time - the men do not wear skirts - they wear kilts - and don't
you forget it!
Gentlemen
Today traditional dress for men in Scotland is a kilt with shirt, waistcoat and tweed jacket, stockings with garter
flashes, brogue shoes and a sporran. A bonnet is often worn displaying the clan crest.
-167-
Ladies
Traditionally ladies don't wear kilts, they do however wear dresses or pleated skirts in a tartan material. More
often though they wear a light plaid or shawl of tartan material,
For more information on Scottish National dress visit the Highland Dress
Do you want to know what a Scotsman wears under his kilt? - Click here if you dare!
Welsh National Dress
Welsh National dress is relatively young and not as famous as Scottish National dress. Still they do have a
National costume, but it's the way the ladies dress that is most well known, in fact there isn't really a National
costume for men although recently through the rise of nationalism in Wales a tartan has been created and tartan
trousers or kilts are often worn.
For the ladies the typical Welsh costume consists of a hat, made of black felt, with a high crown and wide brim,
which is worn over a lace cap. A red flannel shawl is worn over a crisp white blouse, and a full skirt made of wool
with a black and white check pattern and a starched, white apron. Proper Welsh ladies always wore black
woolen stockings and black shoes and carried a basket, made from willow withies.
Read more about the Welsh National costume at the Museum of Welsh Life - St Fagans.
-168-
Irish National Dress
With the revival of Irish dancing, the traditional Irish costume has become associated with the bright flamboyant
costumes worn by traditional Irish dancers. However in ancient Ireland people were more likely to be seen
wearing 'leine' (Irish for shirt), trews (Irish for trousers) and long cloaks fastened with a brooch.
All in all there are a lot of myths and legends surrounding many of the so called 'traditional' costumes. Often
when you do some real historical research you will find that they aren't that old or traditional.
English National Dress

Unfortunately the English don't really have a traditional National Dress as such. In one notorious episode during
the Miss World pageant the English contestant came out wearing a Beefeater's costume, it was very
embarrassing I can tell you.
There have been calls over the years to create a costume, but as usual no-one can decide on what it should
look like. Even Henry VIII got in on the act and commissioned an artist called Van Dyck to create an English
National Costume, this also failed. So for lack of anything else I will leave you with the following picture of the
nearest thing - a Beefeater costume as worn by Miss England.
-169-
Dressing for the Occasion

When invited to a formal/business function there is nothing worse than discovering you've dressed incorrectly. If
you receive an invitation that gives no indication of dress requirements, telephone your host and ask. The
following will guide you on formal wear.
Semi-formal
Men Women
 Good quality dark suit.
 White shirt, dark tie.  Ballet or cocktail-length dress.
 Dark socks and black shoes
Formal
 Tuxedo preferred - Dark suit acceptable in
some situations. Ask your host.  Long dress
 Do not wear tails
Black Tie
 Tuxedo (dinner jacket).  Long dress
 White dress shirt, cuff links and studs  Sheer stockings
 Cummerbund (wide silk belt)  Peau-de-soie pumps (i.e., heavy silk or silk-like
 Black silk socks material shoes) dyed to match dress or evening
 Black patent leather shoes sandals
White Tie
 Tails
 White wing shirt, cuff links and studs  Long dress
 White bow tie  Sheer hose
 White cummerbund or white vest  Peau-de-soie pumps dyed to match dress or
 White gloves (optional) evening sandals
 Black silk socks  Long, white gloves
 Black patent leather shoes
Play it safe. For the men colourful ties and cummerbunds are not businesslike. For the ladies low-cut, slinky,
sexy dresses are not suitable for business functions.
-170-
Do you want to know more about British fashion? Here are some
interesting fashion links:-
Two of the most famous (or infamous) designers in the UK are Zandra Rhodes and, slightly less
controversial; Paul Smith, check out their web sites and see what you think.
Articles:-
UK Fashion
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/clothesculture.html#sthash.JCclgC0b.dpuf

-171-
English songs about clothes

Only for fun, here are some songs with references to clothing.
Songs

Raspberry Beret Prince and the Revolution
Le bikini Wedding Present
Itsy-Bitsy, Teeny-Weeny Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini Brian Hyland
These Boots are made for Walking Nancy Sinatra
Gold-Tipped Boots, Black Jacket And Tie Jethro Tull
The Hardest Button To Button The White Stripes
My Favourite Dress The Wedding Present
Off With His Cardigan! The Lucksmiths
Man In The Long Black Coat Steve Hackett
Costume Makes The Clown Shakira
All Around my Hat Steeleye Span
Hip Teens Don't Wear Blue Jeans Frank Pop Ensemble
Lipstick on Your Collar Connie Francis
Dress you up Madonna
Hand in Glove The Smiths
Handbags and Gladrags Rod Stewart
Leap up and down wave your knickers in the air St. Cecilia
Brass in Pocket The Pretenders

Pyjamarama Roxy Music
I Wear Your Ring Cocteau Twins
Romper Stomper The Transplants
Favourite Shirts (Boy meets girl) Haircut 100
Board Shorts Girl Long Shot Hero
A Hole In My Shoe Traffic
Blue Suede Shoes Elvis Presley
Pencil Skirt Pulp
Heart on my Sleeve Gallagher & Lyle
Scotch on the socks The Shadows
Rock Your Socks Off Tenacious D
A fool for Your Stockings ZZ Top
-172-
Tight Sweater Moloko

Red Hooded Sweatshirt Adam Sandler
Girl In a T-Shirt ZZ Top
Cat Girl Tights Cinerama
Baggy trousers Madness
(More Life in a) Tramp's Vest Stereophonics
I know what I Like (In your Wardrobe) Genesis
The Welly Boot Song Billy Connolly
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/clothessongs.html#sthash.p0TZTo6n.dpuf
-173-
Eating at Home Vocabulary

Useful Vocabulary
knife (knives) fork(s) spoon(s) teaspoon(s)
plate(s) bowl(s) cup(s) saucer(s)
table(s) chair(s)
glass(es) tablecloth(s) placemat(s) serviette(s)

Build Up
Mealtimes
Early Morning (am) - Breakfast

Mid Morning (11.00 am) - Brunch - a mixture of breakfast and lunch (US) / Elevenses - a light snack (UK)
Noon (12.00 ish) - Lunch
Evening (pm) - Dinner / Tea / High Tea (very old fashioned)
Night (pm) - Supper
The differences between tea the drink, tea the meal etc.
At the table: When we eat, we set the table.
Then we sit at the table to eat.
When we have finished eating, we clear the table.

-174
Naturally Speaking
Sometimes there are things you like or don't like or even things you don't eat.
Things you do eat / like. Things you don't eat / like.
I like fruit. I don't like fruit.

I love spinach. I hate spinach.
I'm a vegetarian, I only eat fruit and vegetables. I'm a vegetarian, I don't eat meat or fish.
I have allergies, but I can eat fruit. I have allergies, so I can't eat anything containing nuts.
I eat fish on Friday, for religious reasons. I don't eat pork, for religious reasons.
Dialogue
Here we have two conversations between Mrs Smith and her younger son John:-
It's 7am and John is still in bed. John's mother must leave for work.
Mrs S: Get up John or you'll be late for school!
John: I'm getting up mum.
Mrs S: Well come down stairs and have your breakfast.
John: Can I have cereal and toast?
Mrs S: Yes if you hurry, I have to leave for work.
John: Morning mum.
Fetch a chair and sit at the table, there's a bowl of cereal, a plate of toast and a cup of tea. You'll
Mrs S:
have to get your own cutlery. I've got to go now, I'll see you tonight, bye.
John: Bye mum.
It's 5pm and John's mother has just come home from work.
John: What's for dinner tonight mum?
Mrs S: What do you fancy?
John: Fish and chips would be nice.
Mrs S: What did you have for lunch at school?
John: Pizza and chips.
Mrs S: Well how about a nice healthy salad then?
John: Oh. Well ok, can I help?
Mrs S: Yes you can set the table. Set it for 3, your father should be home any minute.
John: Should I put spoons and bowls out?
No we won't have a starter, just put out plates and knives and forks, we'll have fruit for pudding.
Mrs S:
We'll need cups and saucers too, your father will want a cup of tea when he comes in.
John: I want to invite Mark for tea on Saturday. Can he come.
Mrs S: Yes of course, as long as it's ok with his mother.
See also eating out and food vocabulary.
-175-
Crossword
Hangman
Memory (in conjunction with Eating Out)
Rumble (in conjunction with Food)
Vocabulary
Word Search (in conjunction with Eating Out)
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/eatathome.html#sthash.ANyJHPSK.dpuf

-176-
Eating Out Vocabulary

Useful Vocabulary
waiter(s) waitress(es) chef(s)
menu(s)
glass(es) bottle(s)
candle(s)
bill(s) credit card(s) tip(s)
taxi(s)
See also eating at home and food vocabulary.
-177-
Build Up
Places to Eat Out
Cafe
Snack Bar
Fast Food Restaurant
Pub
Bistro
Restaurant
Hotel Restaurant
Parts of a Menu
Starters/Appetizers/Entrees/Hors D'oeuvres
Soups
Main Courses (Meat/Fish/Vegetarian)
Desserts
Beverages (Coffee etc.)
Wine/Drinks List (sometimes on a separate menu)
Naturally Speaking
Booking a Table Placing Your Order Complaining
 I'd like to reserve / book a  I'd like the .............., please.  Excuse me, but my meal is
table for four at 8pm,  For starters I'll have the cold.
please. soup and for the main  Excuse me, we've been
 I'd like to reserve / book a course I'd like the roast waiting for over half an
table for a party of six at beef. hour for our drinks.
8pm, please.  Could I have chips instead  I'm sorry but I ordered the
 I'd like to book a table for of new potatoes, please? side salad not the
two at 8 in the name of  What is the house special vegetables.
Hand, please. today?  Excuse me this steak is over
 Could we have a table by  Is there anything you would done, I ordered rare.
the window, please? recommend?  I'm afraid this wine tastes
 Could we have a non-  Could I see the wine menu, corked.
smoking table, please? please?  Excuse me this wine isn't
 Could we have a table away  I'll have a bottle of the chilled properly.
from the kitchen/toilets, South African Cabernet
please? Sauvignon.
 Could we have a booth,  I'll have a glass of house
please? red/white, please.
 Could you make sure it's a  Which wine would you
quiet table, please? recommend?
-178-
Arriving at the Restaurant During/After the Meal Paying

 Good evening, the name is  Could we have some more  Could I have the bill,
Hand. I have a table booked bread, please? please?
for six.  Do you have a pepper mill?  Do you take Visa?
 Do you have the menu in  Could I have some dressing,  We'd like separate bills,
English/German/French ..., please? please.
please?  Could you pass me the salt,  Is service included?
 Do you have a high chair please?  No, please. This is on me.
for young children, please?  That was delicious. My (When you wish to pay for
 Could we have a table over compliments to the chef. everyone.)
there, please?
 I'm sorry but I asked for a
table by the window.
 Could we have an extra
chair, please?
Dialogue
Mr and Mrs Smith are out celebrating their wedding anniversary.
It's 8pm. Mr Smith (Jack) and Mrs Smith (Jill) are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. They
have just arrived at the restaurant.
Mr Smith: Well here we are. What do you think?
Mrs Smith: It's lovely Jack. Are you sure we can afford it?
Mr Smith: Well I may have to do some washing up, but you're worth it.
The waiter arrives.
Waiter: Good evening sir, madame.
Mr Smith: Good evening. We have a reservation for a table for two in the name of Smith.
Waiter: Yes sir. May I take your coats?
Waiter takes their coats and hangs them up.
Mr & Mrs Smith: Thank you.
Your welcome. Would you like to come to the table or would you prefer to order in the
Waiter:
bar?
Mr Smith: I wouldn't mind an aperitif. We'll order in the bar.
Waiter: Please follow me, I'll bring you the menu in a moment.
Mr & Mrs Smith order their drinks at the bar and sit down to look at the menu.
Mrs
Oh dear Jack, it's all in French!
Smith:
Mr Smith: Well that's what we're paying for. Don't worry I've got an idea.
Waiter: Are you ready to order sir?
Mr Smith: Not really. Could you recommend something.
Certainly sir. The fresh lobster is particularly good this evening, and for starters may I
Waiter:
recommend a light consomme?
Mr Smith: Sounds lovely, what do you think dear?
Mrs
Oh yes, I love lobster.
Smith:
Waiter: So, that's two consomme and two lobsters. Would you like to look at the wine menu?
-179-
Mr Smith: Why don't you bring us what you think will go best. Nothing too expensive though.
Waiter: No problem sir. I'll call you as soon as your table is ready.
The waiter walks away.
Mrs
You are clever Jack, but what about dessert.
Smith:
Mr Smith: Don't worry, they bring round a sweet trolley, so we just point at what we fancy!
A while later Mr & Mrs Smith have finished eating and are drinking their coffee.
Waiter: Was everything to your satisfaction?
Mr & Mrs
Yes, lovely thank you.
Smith
The whole meal was delicious, our compliments to the chef. Unfortunately we have to be back
Mr Smith:
for the baby-sitter so could we pay now?
Waiter: Certainly sir, I'll bring you the bill. Would you like me to order you a taxi.
Mr Smith: Yes that would be great, thank you.
Mrs Smith: What a nice man, we must leave him a good tip.
Yes of course.
Mr Smith:
Hangman
Memory
Rumble (in conjunction with food)
Reading comprehension test
Word Search
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/eatout.html#sthash.TnOAwxGr.dpuf

-180-
Idioms and Sayings About Eating

To bite of more than you can chew.
For example:-
To take on more than you are capable of doing.
Sometimes Lynne thinks she has bitten off more than
she can chew running the Network.
To bite your tongue.
For example:- When you stop yourself from saying something

because you realise it might cause offense or be
Barack Obama said he bit his tongue many times hurtful.
during his primary fight against Hillary Clinton.
Chew the fat
For example: To chat.
"I enjoy meeting my friends to chew the fat."

For example:-
Sometimes Lynne thinks running the Network is
more than she can chew.
Coffee break
To take a short break from work to rest and drink
For example:
coffee, smoke a cigarette etc..
"I usually have a coffee break around 10.30 am."
Many a slip twixt cup and lip
For example:
Used to imply that even when the outcome of an
"They thought they had the contract all sewn up, but event seems certain, things can still go wrong.
the client didn't sign in the end. There's many a slip
twixt cup and lip."
"Cup of tea."
For example: Used to describe something one enjoys or does well.
"I really enjoyed the film, it was just my cup of tea."

Dish the dirt
For example:
To spread gossip about someone.
"He offered to dish the dirt on her, but I told him I
don't listen to gossip."
Go Dutch
To share the bill for a meal or a night out. Each

For example:- person pays for what they have eaten or the bill is
simply split.
"It's usually better to go Dutch on a first date."
Eat dirt
To act humble, accept another`s insult or bad
For example:
treatment.
"He bullied his employees and made them eat dirt."
Eat humble pie
For example:
To be humbled, admit one`s error and apologize.
"She had to eat humble pie when he proved she was
wrong."
Eat like a pig
For example: To have bad table manners.
"He has terrible table manners, he eats like a pig."

Eat like a horse
For example:
To have a good appetite.
"She has a very healthy appetite, she eats like a
horse."
Eat one`s words
For example: To take back something one has said, admit

something is not true.
"I'd told him off but had to eat my words, when he
proved I was wrong."
To have one's cake and eat it
For example:
To do/eat/use something until it is gone and still not
want to give it up.
"He was never at home, but was surprised when she
left him. He always wanted to have his cake and eat
it."
Out to lunch
For example:
To behave crazily or madly.
"I always thought she acted strangely, she was totally
out to lunch."
To have a full plate. or To have a lot on your plate.
For example: To have a lot to do.
"Between work and the web site I have a full plate."
To want someone's head on a platter.
For example:
To be very angry with someone.
"When he read his biography, he demanded the
author's head on a platter."
To be spoon-fed. Can literally mean to be fed with a spoon.
For example: But...
She refused to be spoon-fed English vocabulary. She It can mean to be treated in a way that discourages
learnt to be an independent learner. independent thought or action, as by overindulgence
or provided with knowledge or information in an
oversimplified way.
To stuff your face.
For example: To eat a lot, very quickly and greedily. (negative)
"He's always stuffing his face. No wonder he's so fat."
Suck up
For example:
To be really nice to someone in order to gain favour.
"I never liked her, she was always sucking up to the
boss."
Tea break
For example: To take a short break from work to rest and drink tea,
smoke a cigarette etc..
"Do you want to come with me for a cigarette on our
tea break?"
Sponsors
Advertisements
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/eatingidioms.html#sthash.BEwETE86.dpuf
-181-

Eating
Verbs
The Verb An example Regular
The Meaning
(infinitive form) ( Simple Past Tense) /Irregular
To eat more than is good for you. (Often associated
To binge (Rarely used in conversation) Regular
with eating disorders.)
To bite To tear, cut or grip food with the teeth. He bit into the apple. Irregular
To breakfast To eat breakfast. (Rarely used in conversation.) Regular
To work food between the jaws and teeth (see also
To chew He chewed his food well. Regular
masticate)
To consume See to eat. (Rarely used in conversation.) Regular
What happens to food after it is swallowed. (Not
To digest (Rarely used in conversation.) Regular
something you do consciously.)
They dined at their friend's
To dine To eat dinner. Especially related to eating out. Regular
house.
To eat The complete action of putting food in the mouth
She ate her dinner. Irregular
and then biting, chewing and swallowing it.
To eat a lot or to enjoy eating something. (Often They feasted on caviar and
To feast Regular
something out of the ordinary.) salmon.
To eat or swallow food too quickly and in large The little boy gobbled his
To gobble Regular
amounts. sandwich.
To guzzle To eat food greedily. He guzzled his lunch. Regular
To ingest To take food into the body. (Rarely used in conversation.) Regular
To pass the tongue over food in order to taste or
To lick She licked the ice cream. Regular
consume it.
To lunch To eat lunch. (Rarely used in conversation.) Regular
To chew food steadily, especially with a crunchy
To munch He munched the apple. Regular
noise, such as when eating an apple.
The rabbit nibbled on the
To nibble To take small repeated bites of food. Regular
carrot.
She snacked on biscuits and
To snack To eat a light meal, or eat between main meals. Regular
sweets all day.
The act of passing food from the mouth to the
To swallow She swallowed a fish bone. Regular
stomach.
To take a small amount of food in the mouth and He tasted the soup before he
To taste Regular
test it. added more salt.
Regular
To wolf To eat food quickly. (Often followed by down.) He wolfed down his breakfast.
-182-
Phrasal Verbs
The Meaning
To go out to eat, usually to a
eat out They were both tired so they ate out. I
restaurant.
eat up To eat everything on your plate. He was very hungry and ate everything up. S
He always makes a mess when he's plating
plate up To arrange food on a plate. S
up the food.
tuck in To eat with enthusiasm. He enthusiastically tucked in to his dinner. I
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/eatverbs.html#sthash.IAxEQEDW.dpuf
-183-
rregular Verb - To eat
eat / ate / eaten / eating
Tenses for the Verb - To eat
The Past
Past Continuous - "He was eating his breakfast when the phone rang."
Past Simple - "He ate cornflakes for breakfast."
Past Perfect Simple - "He had already eaten breakfast when he got to work."
Past Perfect Continuous - "He had only been eating his breakfast for 2 minutes when his boss phoned."
The Present
Present Continuous - "It is 12.15 and he is eating lunch."
Present Simple - "He eats lunch at 12 noon every day."
Present Perfect Simple - "He has already eaten breakfast today."
Present Perfect Continuous - "He has been eating lunch since 12 noon."
-184-
The Future
Future Continuous - "He's eating dinner with his mother at 8.00 tomorrow."
Future Simple - "He will eat steak for dinner."
Future Perfect Simple - "He will have already eaten his starter when he gets his main course."
Future Perfect Continuous - "He will have been eating his dinner for 15 minutes when his favourite tv programme
starts.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/eattense.html#sthash.2pF2203y.dpuf

-185-
Formal Dining
RSVP | Eating - Manners/Etiquette | Formal Table Settings/Seating | Accidents will Happen
R.S.V.P.
The greatest single modern business (and social) etiquette failing is not responding to an invitation to let the host
know whether or not you will attend. Respond in writing before the date given on the invitation, if circumstances
stop you from attending always let your host/ess know as soon as possible.
Eating Manners/Etiquette
In Britain, even today, people are judged by their table manners, especially when eating out or attending formal
functions. There are certain ways you should behave and certain niceties to observe. These are just a few, from
basic manners to some more advanced niceties for formal occasions.
A popular saying in the UK is "Manners maketh man."
Basic Manners
Eating
Things you should do:-
 If you are at a dinner party wait until your host(ess) starts eating or indicates you should do so.
 Chew and swallow all the food in your mouth before taking more or taking a drink.
 Soup should be spooned away from you. Tilt the bowl away from you.
 Break bread and rolls with your fingers not with your knife.
 Break off a small piece of bread (or roll and butter it. Do not butter the whole slice or half a roll at one time.
-186-
 You may use a piece of bread on a fork to soak up sauce or gravy. Never hold the bread in your fingers to
do this.
 Only clear consomme should be drunk directly from the soup bowl, and then only if it has handles.
 You may eat chicken and pizza with your fingers if you are at a barbecue, finger buffet or very informal
setting. Otherwise always use a knife and fork.
Things you should not do:-
 Never chew with your mouth open.

 Never talk with food in your mouth.
 Never put too much food in your mouth.
 Never mash or mix food on your plate.
 Do not blow on hot food or drink.
 Do not sip from a coffee spoon or teaspoon.
 Never use your fingers to push food onto your spoon or fork.
Serviettes, crockery, and cutlery.
 Your serviette should always be placed on your lap. If it is small you may open it out fully. If it is large it
should be kept folded in half with the fold toward you. ( In some of the more exclusive restaurants the
waiter will place your napkin on your lap for you.)
 The fork is held in the left hand, the knife in the right to cut food and to help carry food to the fork. The fork
is held, tines down, and the knife used to move food unto the fork or support food so the fork can pick it up.
There is no shifting of cutlery.
 When you are finished eating, soup spoons, coffee spoons, and dessert spoons should be placed on the
side plate or saucer, never leave them in the bowl, cup etc. Do not push your plate away or stack your
dishes. Place your knife and fork together in the "twenty past four" position, as if your plate were the face of
the clock, with the knife on the outside and the fork on the inside. Or place the utensils side by side in the
middle of your plate, fork tines down, knife to the right, sharp blade turned inward toward the fork.
 Keep your serviette in your lap until you leave the table.
 When you leave the table place your serviette in loose folds at the left side of your plate, never on top of
the plate.
 Never tuck your napkin into the collar of your shirt.

 Never use a napkin as a handkerchief.
 Do not wipe off cutlery or glassware with your napkin. If dishes aren't clean, ask the waiter quietly for
replacements.
-187-
 Do not cut up more than three bites at a time.

 Do not scrape the plate.
Passing dishes and food
 Soup spoons, coffee spoons, and dessert spoons should be placed on the service plate or saucer when
you are finished eating. Never leave them in the bowl, cup etc.
 Always pass to the right.
 Initiate the passing of rolls, butter, and condiments even if you do not want any.
 Pass jugs, gravy boats etc. with the handle toward the recipient.
 Never reach across the table. If anything isn't directly in front of you, ask for it to be passed.
Posture and behaviour
 When being entertained at someone's home it is nice to take a gift for the host and hostess. A bottle of
wine, bunch of flowers or chocolates are all acceptable.
 On arrival in a restaurant or at a formal function give your coat to the waiter, never hang it on the back of
your chair. If in doubt ask your host(ess).
 When you wish to use the toilet, excuse yourself and leave quietly. Do not ask people where they are going
if they excuse themselves.
 Elbows should not be on the table until after all courses have been cleared away.
 Never lean on your elbows! Keep your posture erect.
 Never rock back in your chair.
 Never smoke during a meal. Smoking should not take place until dessert is finished. Follow the lead of the
host or ask if you may smoke. Use ashtrays only.
 Never apply makeup or comb your hair at the table.
-188-
The Formal Table Setting/Seating
At first glance, a formal table setting can be intimidating because there are so many forks, spoons, and knives,
all for different courses. However, do not be dismayed, there is a simple system behind it all.
Placement and procedure
 Start with the utensils on the outside and work your way inward with each subsequent course. In other
words, the outermost fork is your salad fork if salad is served first.
 Forks will be on your left. Knives and spoons on your right. One exception to this is the oyster or seafood
fork, which will be on the right next to the soup spoon.
 If you are in a restaurant and did not order fish, soup, or salad, the waiter will remove those utensils. In a
private home or at a banquet the silverware indicates the courses that will be served.
 At the top of your plate will be a dessert spoon and dessert fork. When dessert is served, slide them down
to the sides of the dessert plate: fork on the left; spoon on the right.
 To eat dessert, break the dessert with the spoon, one bite at a time. Push the food with the fork into the
spoon. Eat from the spoon. (Fork in left hand; spoon in right.)
 Coffee spoons are either to the right of the plate or brought with the coffee.
 Red wine is served in a glass with a round bowl and fairly short stem. Hold it at the base of the bowl. It
should be served at room temperature.
 White wine is normally served in a larger glass with a longer stem. Hold it at the base of the stem. The
same applies to all chilled wines.
 The order of the wine glasses begins with the one closest to you: (a) Sherry (soup course) (b) White wine
(fish/chicken course) (c) Red wine (meat course) (d) Water goblet. ( There may be other glasses used
throughout the meal. )
 There will be a butter knife located near the butter dish. Use it to transfer butter to your side plate. Your
butter knife will either be lying diagonally across your side plate or as the last one to your right in the row of
knives. Never use the knife with the butter dish to butter bread. If there is no knife with the butter dish,
transfer the butter with your butter knife.
 Sorbet, a fruit flavored ice, may be served between courses to cleanse the palate. A spoon will accompany
the sorbet.
 Salad may be served before or after the main course. The placement of the salad fork will give you a clue.
 Finger bowls are presented after the main course and before dessert. If the bowl is placed on a plate
directly in front of you, lift the bowl with both hands and place it to the left of your place setting. If there is a
doily under it, move it as well. Often the finger bowl will be placed to the left. Dip the fingers of one hand
into the bowl, dry on your napkin which remains on you lap. Follow with the other hand. There may be a
flower or a lemon slice in the bowl. Leave it be. (Some restaurants use hot towels in a similar manner as
finger bowl.
-189-
Seating at a formal dinner
 The male guest of honor sits on the hostess' right.

 The next most important man sits on her left.
 The female guest of honor sits on the host's right.
 The second most important woman sits on the host's left.
 Men and women should be alternately seated.
 Couples should be separated.
 Use of round tables puts everyone on an equal basis.
 There may be place cards at a formal dinner or your host/hostess may indicate where you should be
seated.
 Social manners are expected: males should seat females and rise when they leave and return to the table.
Accidents will Happen
 If you spill anything on the table or yourself discretely use your napkin or ask the waiter for sparkling water.
Do not dip your napkin into your water glass.
 If you spill anything on someone else do not try to mop up the spill, offer them a napkin and let them do it
for themselves. Offer to cover any laundering or cleaning costs.
 If you burp cover your mouth with your napkin. After it happens, say a quiet "pardon me" to no one in
particular, do not make a big deal about it.
 If you break anything, call it to the waiter's attention. In a private home, speak quietly to the host and offer
to replace the item.
 If you get some food stuck between your teeth do not use toothpicks, fingernails, or napkins to dislodge the
food at the table. If necessary go to the bathroom and take care of it.
Sponsors
Share your culture
British Authors
Advertisements
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/eatingculture.html#sthash.Xj1ZzrZl.dpuf
-190-
English songs about eating

Only for fun, here are some songs with references to eating.
Songs

Afternoon tea The Kinks
Breakfast Associates
Breakfast in America Supertramp
Breakfast in bed Sheila Hylton
Bed and breakfast man Madness
The Sad Cafe The Eagles
Dinner with Gershwin Donna Summer
Everybody eats when they come to my house Cab Calloway
Everytime I eat vegetables I think of you The Ramones
I eat cannibals Toto Coelo
Eat it Weird Al Yankovic
Queen of the high teas Kirsty MacColl
Lunch hour Rupert Holmes
Suppertime Johnny Cash
Anytime is teatime now Petula Clark
Sponsors
Advertisements
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/eatsongs.html#sthash.Chgm1AHI.dpuf
-191-
Education Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary
General furniture and equipment
PC(s)
desk(s) chair(s)
personal computer(s)
chalkboard(s) book(s) shelf (shelves)
OHP(s) projector(s) TV(s)

overhead projector(s) beamer(s) television(s)
copier(s)
hole punch(es) stapler(s)
photocopier(s)
scissors sellotape drawing pin(s)
paper clip(s)
-192-
General writing equipment
pen(s) biro(s) paper
exercise book(s) ruler(s)

Special art equipment
paint brush(es) palette(s) paint
crayon(s) pencil(s) pencil sharpener(s)
rubber(s)
glue craft knife(knives)
eraser(s)
Special geography equipment
globe(s) map(s)
Special math equipment
calculator(es) set square(s) protractor(s)

-193-
compass(es)
Special science equipment
bunsen burner(s) beaker(s) flask(s)
funnel(s) test tube(s)

Build Up
Things you learn/study at school - subjects
1 + 1 = 2 Aa Bb Cc
Maths / Numeracy English / Literacy History
Je suis
Ich bin
Geography Science Languages
Business Studies Music Art
IT
Drama Sport
Information Technology
-194-
The Stages of British Education and Exams
11-16 years old

5 -7 years old
Secondary school /
Primary school
2-5 years old Comprehensive school/
7-11 years old
Kindergarten / Play Grammar school
Junior school
school
Age / School
Art & Design

Biology
Business Studies
Chemistry
Citizenship
Art Design & Technology
English Drama
Geography English
History Geography
Modern History
Subjects taught Play Languages (French/German) ICT (Information and
Literacy Communications Technology)
Numeracy Modern Languages

PSHE - (Personal Social and Health Maths
Education) Music
Science PE (Physical Education)
Physics
PSHE (Personal Social and Health
Education)
RE (Religious Education)
Terminology Pre School Primary Education Secondary Education

-195-
After 16
16+
18+
Sixth form/
University
College
Tertiary Education Further Education

-196-
British Qualifications
GCSE A Levels Degrees PhD
GCSEs (General A-levels (Advanced In England, Wales and A doctorate is an

academic degree of the
Certificate of Secondary Level) are taken by Northern Ireland there highest level.
Education) are taken by students in the final twoare two different types of Traditionally, the award
secondary school years of secondary degree: Honours degrees of a doctorate implies
recognition of the
students, at the age of education (commonly and Ordinary degrees.
candidate as an equal by
14-16 in England, Wales, called the Sixth Form), The degrees awarded the university faculty
Northern Ireland and after they have carry a designation under which he or she
studied.
Gibraltar (in Scotland, completed GCSEs. It is a related to the broad
the equivalent is the non-compulsory subject area such as B.A.
Standard Grade). qualification taken by (Bachelor of arts), B.Sc
students in England, (Bachelor of Science),
GCSE courses are taken Wales, and Northern B.Eng (Bachelor of
in a variety of subjects, Ireland. In Scotland, Engineering) etc. Most
which are usually students usually take degrees are honours
decided by the students Highers and Advanced degrees, with an option
themselves between the Highers of the Scottish not to take honours. The
ages of 13 and 14 (in Qualifications standard length of a
Year 9). Study of chosen Certificate. However, Honours bachelor's
subjects normally begins schools may choose to degree is 3 years.
at age 14 (Year 10), and offer the A-Level as an
final examinations are alternative. On successful graduation
then taken at age 16 from a bachelor's
(Year 11). degree, it is possible to
extend your studies in
At the end of the two- A-levels are graded the United Kingdom to
year GCSE course, each from A to E, along with a study for a degree of
student receives a grade fail Master of Arts (MA) or
for each subject. These grade, U (Unclassified or Master of Science (MSc)
grades, from best to Ungraded). etc.
worst, are:
-197-
 A*
(pronounced 'A-
star')
 A
 B
 C
 D
 E
 F
 G
Naturally Speaking
Asking about someone's education
Where did you go to school?

What university did you go to?
What did you study?
What qualifications have you got?
What year did you graduate?
What made you decide to study that?
Have you done any vocational training?
Dialogue
Here is a conversation between Mr Smith (a maths teacher) and Sam (his student).
Where's your homework?
Mr Smith: Hello Sam. Have you got your Maths homework?

Sam: No, I'm sorry Mr Smith. I forgot it.
Mr Smith: That's not good enough Sam. It was due last week.
Sam: I know. I've been very busy at home.
Mr Smith: Well, maybe I should come and speak to your parents.
Sam: Oh, please don't Mr Smith. I'm really sorry. I promise I'll bring it tomorrow.
Mr Smith: Ok. But make sure you do. Or I will have to speak to the head.
Crossword
Name It
Vocabulary
Word Search
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/education.html#sthash.SYLlKK2x.dpuf

-198-
Idioms and Sayings About Education

To be a bookworm.
For example:
Someone who reads a lot.
"He's always reading. He's a real bookworm."
To be a copycat.
For example:
Someone who does or says exactly the same as
someone else.
"She always copies my work, she's such a copycat."
To learn something off by heart.
For example: To learn something in such a way that you can say it
from memory.
"I learnt all the vocabulary off by heart."
To learn the hard way.
For example:
To have a bad experience.
"I told her not to marry him. But she had to learn the
hard way."
To learn the ropes.
For example:
To learn how to do a job.
"She's new here and is still learning the ropes."

-199-
To learn your lesson
For example:
"I got very drunk once and was really sick. I won't do it
To suffer a bad experience and know not to do it again
again, I learnt my lesson."
To live and learn
For example:
Said when you hear or discover something which is
surprising:
"I never knew that she was married. Oh well, you live
and learn."
The school of hard knocks.
For example:
Often said about people who haven't had an easy life.
"He learnt the hard way at the school of hard knocks."
To be a swot.
For example:
A student who is ridiculed for studying excessively.
"They called her a swot because she was always
reading books."
To teach an old dog new tricks.
For example:
The older you are the more set in your ways you
become.
"He could never learn how to use the Internet. Just
shows you can't teach an old dog new tricks."
-200-
To be teacher's pet.
For example:
To be the favourite pupil of the teacher.
"She always has the right answer. She's a real teacher's

pet."
To teach someone a lesson.
For example:
To do something to someone, usually to punish them.
"I hit him hard on the nose. That taught him a lesson."
To teach your grandmother to suck eggs.
For example:
To give advice to someone about a subject that they
"He tried to tell me how to drive and I told him not to try already know more about than you
and teach your grandmother to suck eggs. I've been
driving for years."
The three Rs.
For example:
Used to refer to the basic areas of education: reading,
writing and arithmetic.
"Some children are leaving school without even the
basic three Rs."
The University of Life.
For example: People who never went on to higher education often

say this.
"I studied at the University of Life."
With flying colours.
For example:
If you do something such as pass an exam with flying
colours, you do it very successfully.
"She got into the university of her choice, because she
passed all her exams with flying colours."

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/educationidioms.html#sthash.bzUaWhQm.dpuf
-201-
Verbs and Phrasal Verbs to do with Education

Many verbs have different meanings, however this section deals with verbs and phrasal verbs connected
with education. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday conversation.
Verbs

The Meaning
To teach someone, especially using the
He was educated at a public
To educate formal system of school, college or Regular
school.
university.
To obtain knowledge or skill in a new
To learn He learnt English at school. Irregular
subject or activity:
I studied information systems at
To study To learn about a subject Regular
University.
To give someone knowledge or to She taught geography before she
To teach Irregular
instruct or train someone. retired.
Phrasal Verbs
The Phrasal Verb An example S=Separable

The Meaning
(infinitive form) ( Simple Past Tense) I=Inseparable
To study under "As a young artist he studied
To be taught by someone. I
someone under Monet."
Advertisements
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/educationverbs.html#sthash.b332Jhn9.dpuf
-202-
Irregular Verb - To teach
teach / taught / taught / teaching
Tenses for the Verb - To teach
The Past
Past Continuous - "I was teaching my new group yesterday when the head came in."
Past Simple - "I taught them how to say 'Hello' last week."
Past Perfect Simple - "By the time the head came in I had already taught them how to say 'Good morning'."
Past Perfect Continuous - "I had been teaching them how to spell their names when we were interrupted."
-203-
The Present
Present Continuous - "It's Monday morning and I'm teaching English."
Present Simple - "I usually teach business English."
Present Perfect Simple - "I have already taught twenty different courses this year."
Present Perfect Continuous - "I have been teaching English for 6 years."
The Future
Future Continuous - "I'm teaching a new group tomorrow."
Future Simple - "I think I'll teach some grammar in my next lesson."
Future Perfect Simple - "I will have taught over 100 students at the end of this term."
Future Perfect Continuous - "This time next week I will have been teaching for over six years."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/teachtense.html#sthash.M2jzoldL.dpuf

-204-
The British Education System

England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | Primary | Secondary
Grammar Schools | Public Schools | Costs
Higher Education | Degrees and Graduation
Qualifications
England
Education in England may differ from the system used elsewhere in the United Kingdom .
Basically, there are two systems: one covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland and one covering Scotland.
The two education systems have different emphases. Traditionally the English, Welsh and Northern Irish system
has emphasised depth of education whereas the Scottish system has emphasised breadth. Thus English, Welsh
and Northern Irish students tend to sit a small number of more advanced examinations and Scottish students
tend to sit a larger number of less advanced examinations. It should be noted that local English practice can vary
from this general picture although Scottish practice is well nigh universal.
-205-
Education in Wales
Nowadays education in Wales differs slightly from the system used in England. The statutory national key stage
tests in Wales were, until 2000, the same as in England and were managed by the School Curriculum and
Assessment Authority (SCAA). In 2000, the National Assembly for Wales took responsibility for these tests in
Wales, at which point they were developed by test agencies on behalf of the Awdurdod Cymwysterau,
Cwricwlwm ac Asesu Cymru (ACCAC), whilst the tests in England were developed for the Qualifications and
Curriculum Authority (QCA). In 2002, the Welsh Assembly decided to cease the tests at Key Stage One.
Instead, optional teacher assessment materials were provided to schools in 2003 for use in English,
mathematics and Welsh . These had been adapted from materials that had originally been developed by the
National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) and the other test agencies to be used as statutory
assessment materials for 2003. At the end of 2003, the Daugherty Report was commissioned by the Welsh
Assembly to undertake a review of the country's assessment procedures. The interim report by the committee
was perceived by the media as supporting a complete abolishment of the assessments at key stages two and
three.
The school years in England and Wales
In general, the cut-off point for ages is the end of August, so all children must be of a particular age on the 1st of
September in order to begin class that month.
 Primary Education
o Infant School or Primary School
 Reception, age 4 to 5
 Year 1, age 5 to 6
 Year 2, age 6 to 7 (KS1 National Curriculum Tests - England only)
o Junior School or Primary School
 Year 6, age 10 to 11 (Eleven plus exams in some areas of England, Key Stage 2
National Curriculum Tests)
 Secondary Education
o Middle School, High School or Secondary School
 Year 7, old First Form, age 11 to 12
 Year 8, old Second Form, age 12 to 13
 Year 9, old Third Form, age 13 to 14 (Key Stage 3 National Curriculum Tests, known as
SATs (Standard Assessment Tests))
-206-
o Upper School or Secondary School

 Year 10, old Fourth Form, age 14 to 15
 Year 11, old Fifth Form, age 15 to 16 (old O Level examinations, modern GCSE
examinations)
o Upper School, Secondary School, or Sixth Form College
 Year 12 or Lower Sixth, age 16 to 17 (AS-level examinations)
 Year 13 or Upper Sixth, age 17 to 18 (A2-level examinations. Both AS-levels and A2-
levels count towards A-levels .)
In some regions of England, pupils attend a Lower (Primary) School before going to, a Middle School between 8
and 12 or, more commonly 9 and 13, and then a High School or Upper School. Other, more vocational
qualifications offered including GNVQs and BTECs .
Education in Scotland
Education in Scotland differs from the system used elsewhere in the United Kingdom . Basically, there are two
systems: one covering England , Wales , or Northern Ireland and one covering Scotland . The two education
systems have different emphases. Traditionally, the English, Welsh and Northern Irish system has emphasised
depth of education whereas the Scottish system has emphasised breadth. Thus English, Welsh and Northern
Irish students tend to sit a small number of more advanced examinations and Scottish students tend to sit a
larger number of less advanced examinations.
The school years in Scotland
 Nursery School
o Year 1, age 3 - 5.
 Primary School
o Primary 1, age range 4 - 6.
-207-
 Secondary School
o First year, age range 11 - 13.
o Second year, age range 12 - 14.
o Third year, age range 13 - 15.
o Fourth year, age range 14 - 16.
o Fifth year, age range 15 - 17.
o Sixth year, age range 16 - 18.
Note that the age ranges specify the youngest age for a child entering that year and the oldest age for a child
leaving that year. Also note that children may leave school at the end of any school year after they reach 16
years of age and that they may attend Scottish universities when they are 17. Therefore two sets of national
examinations are held. The first set, the Standard Grade examinations, take place in the Fourth year of
secondary school and show basic education level. The second set, the Higher examinations take place in the
Fifth and Sixth years. A third level, Advanced Higher, is sometimes taken by students intending to study at an
English university, or those wishing to pass straight into second year at a Scottish university, and covers the gap
between the Scottish "Higher" level and the English "Advanced" level courses, although there is not always a
one-to-one mapping.
Education in Northern Ireland
Education in Northern Ireland differs slightly from the system used elsewhere in the United Kingdom . The
Northern Irish system emphasises a greater depth of education compared to the English and Welsh systems.
The majority of examinations sat, and education plans followed, in Northern Irish schools are set by the Council
for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment ( CCEA ).
School holidays in Northern Ireland are also considerably different to the rest of the United Kingdom . Northern
Irish schools generally only get 1 day off for the half term holiday (in February, May and October. Christmas
holidays usually only consist of a week or so, the same with the Easter vacation, compared to Englands two
weeks. The major difference however is that Northern Irish summer holidays are considerably longer with the
entirety of July and August off giving a nine week summer holiday.
The school years in Northern Ireland
-208-
 Primary Education
o Primary School
 Primary 1, age 4 to 5
 Primary 7, age 10 to 11 ( Eleven plus exams to determine secondary school placement.)
 Secondary Education
o High School or Grammar School
 First Form, age 11 to 12
 Second Form, age 12 to 13
 Third Form, age 13 to 14
 Fourth Form, age 14 to 15
 Fifth Form, age 15 to 16 (old O-Level examinations, modern GCSE examinations)
o High School, Grammar School, or Sixth Form College
 Lower Sixth, age 16 to 17 (AS-level examinations, where applicable)
 Upper Sixth, age 17 to 18 ( A-levels )
Primary education
Primary or elementary education is the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. In
most Western countries, it is compulsory for children to receive primary education (though in many jurisdictions it
is permissible for parents to provide it).
Primary education generally begins when children are four to seven years of age. The division between primary
and secondary education is somewhat arbitrary, but it generally occurs at about twelve years of age (
adolescence ); some educational systems have separate middle schools for that period. Primary and secondary
education together are sometimes (in particular, in Canada and the United States ) referred to as " K-12 "
education, (K is for kindergarten, 12 is for twelfth grade).
-209-
Typically, primary education is provided in schools , where (in the absence of parental movement or other
intervening factors) the child will stay, in steadily advancing classes, until they complete it and move on to
secondary schooling. Children are usually placed in classes with one teacher who will be primarily responsible
for their education and welfare for that year. This teacher may be assisted to varying degrees by specialist
teachers in certain subject areas, often music or physical education. The continuity with a single teacher and the
opportunity to build up a close relationship with the class is a notable feature of the primary education system.
Over the past few decades, schools have been testing various arrangements which break from the one-teacher,
one-class mold.
The major goals of primary education are achieving basic literacy and numeracy amongst all their students, as
well as establishing foundations in science, geography, history and other social sciences . The relative priority of
various areas, and the methods used to teach them, are an area of considerable political debate.
Traditionally, various forms of corporal punishment were an integral part of early education in the UK. This
practice has now been outlawed in the UK.
Kindergarten
The German expression kindergarten usually refers to the first level of official education , according to the K-12
educational system. Kindergarten is usually administered in an elementary school .
The equivalent in England and Wales is reception . The Australian equivalent of this is the preparatory grade
(commonly called 'grade prep' or 'prep'), which is the year before the first grade. In the state of New South Wales
, however, it is called kindergarten. At least in Victoria , kindergarten (distinct from grade prep) is a form of, and
used interchangeably with, pre-school .
The first kindergarten was opened in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg , Germany by Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel .
The first kindergarten in the United States was established by Margarethe (Margaretta) Meyer Schurz (wife of
activist/statesman Carl Schurz ), in Watertown, Dodge County, Wisconsin .
Youngsters , usually aged 4-6 attend kindergarten to learn the finer points of meeting friends (and enemies),
professional authority (in the form of a teacher ), playtime , naptime , drawing , music , sometimes the basics of
reading and writing , and various other activities. For children who previously have spent most of their time at
home, kindergarten often serves the purpose of training them to be apart from their parents without anxiety.
The youngster continues to Grade 1 after kindergarten.

-210-
The actual word "kindergarten", as one may guess, translates to "children's garden". Many private businesses in
the USA name their day-care businesses 'Kindergarten' or 'Kindergarden'. Kindergarten establishment (day-
care) in Germany are for pre-school children of all ages and are often run by churches, city or town
administrations. Kindergartens (German plural Kindergärten ) in Germany are not a part of the actual school
system, such as in the USA.
Kindergartens often last only for half a day (morning or afternoon), though in many locations there are full-day
kindergartens.
Elementary school
The elementary school consists of the first seven years of school, that is, grades 1 through 5 or 6, as well
as kindergarten , a preliminary year of school before grade 1 (known in England and Wales as ' Reception ').
Originally, however, it was studied after primary school in the 19th century, (some schools that have only the
youngest students are called primary schools to this day). Also known as grammar school in the United States it
is a major segment of compulsory education. Until the latter third of the 20th century, however, grammar school
(or elementary school) was grades 1 through 8. After grammar school, one usually attends high school . (In
many districts, grades 5-8 or 5-9 were called " middle school ", or further separated into " intermediate school ",
"middle school", and/or " junior high school ".)
Secondary education
Secondary education , or secondary school , is a period of education which follows directly after primary
education (such as intermediate school or elementary school ), and which may be followed by tertiary or "post-
secondary" education. The purpose of a secondary education can be to prepare for either higher education or
vocational training . The exact boundary between primary and secondary education varies from country to
country and even within them, but is generally around the seventh to the tenth year of education, with middle
school covering any gaps. Secondary education occurs mainly during the teenage years. Primary and secondary
education together are sometimes (in particular, in Canada and the United States ) referred to as " K-12 "
education, ( K is for kindergarten , 12 is for twelfth grade).
-211-
Grammar schools in the United Kingdom
In education in the United Kingdom , a grammar school is a secondary school attended by pupils aged 11 to 18
to which entry is controlled by means of an academically selective process consisting, largely or exclusively, of a
written examination . After leaving a grammar school, as with any other secondary school, a student may go into
further education at a college or university .
The examination is called the eleven plus . Partly due to the failure to fully implement the tri-partite system
prescribed by the 1944 Education Act, the examination came to be seen as delivering a pass/fail result with the
academically selected pupils passing and attending grammar schools and the remaining pupils being deemed to
have failed and being consigned to the poorly funded schools euphemistically designated Secondary Modern
Schools .
This arrangement proved politically unsustainable, and, over the period 1960 to 1975, non-selective
("comprehensive") education was instituted across a substantial majority of the country. The eleven plus
examination had been championed by the educational psychologist Cyril Burt and the uncovering of his
fraudulent research played a minor part in accelerating this process.
To understand grammar schools in the UK, some history is needed. After World War II , the government
reorganised the secondary schools into two basic types. Secondary moderns were intended for children who
would be going into a trade and concentrated on the basics plus practical skills; grammar schools were intended
for children who would be going on to higher education and concentrated on the classics, science, etc. This
system lasted until the 1960s, at which point changes in the political climate led to the general acceptance that
this was a discriminatory system which was not getting the best out of all children. This was partly because
some authorities tended to prioritise their budgets on the grammar schools, damaging the education prospects
of children attending secondary moderns.
The decision was taken to switch to a single type of school designed to give every child a complete education.
That is why this new type of school is called a comprehensive school. However the timetable of the changeover
was left to the local authorities, some of whom were very resistant to the whole idea and thus dragged their feet
for as long as possible. The result is that there is now a mixture. Most authorities run a proper comprehensive
system, a few run essentially the old system of secondary moderns and grammar schools (except the secondary
moderns are now called "comprehensives"). Some run comprehensive schools along side one or two remaining
grammar schools.
-212-
The Labour government that came to power in 1997 instituted measures that allowed parents to force a local
referendum on whether to abolish grammar schools in their area. The form of this referendum depends on
whether there is still a full two-tier system running, in which case all parents with children at primary schools in
the area are eligible to vote, or whether there are only a few grammar schools in the area, in which case only
those parents with children at primaries that regularly send children to the grammar school are eligible. By 2003,
only a few referenda had taken place and none of these had delivered the requisite majority for conversion.
The debate over selective education has been widened by other measures introduced by the Labour
government, allowing schools to select a portion of their intake by "aptitude" for a specific subject. There are
many who think that selection allows children to receive the form of education best suited for their abilities, while
"one-size-fits-all" comprehensives fail everybody equally. One of the greatest attacks on the comprehensive
system is that it leads, in essence, to selection on the grounds of wealth as the good schools are generally
located in areas with expensive housing, so children from poor areas are denied the possibility of attending
them. Conversely, there are many who think that the selection of children at 11 divides them into "successes"
and "failures" at that age, and is therefore wrong. The current Labour government, from the party that originally
championed comprehensive education, appears to favour the first of these groups, and their introduction of local
referenda on grammar schools has been attacked by opponents of selective education as an unworkable system
designed to give the semblance of choice while maintaining the status quo.
Private schools generally give the same sort of education as grammar schools, but there are exceptions;
Gordonstoun for one. In areas where the local authority provides a comprehensive education – which some
parents don't like for various reasons – independent schools are particularly common.
Higher education
Higher education is education provided by universities and other institutions that award academic degrees, such
as university colleges, and liberal arts colleges .
Higher education includes both the teaching and the research activities of universities, and within the realm of
teaching, it includes both the undergraduate level (sometimes referred to as tertiary education ) and
the graduate (or postgraduate ) level (sometimes referred to as quaternary education). Higher education differs
from other forms of post-secondary education such as vocational education . However, most professional
education is included within higher education, and many postgraduate qualifications are strongly vocationally or
professionally oriented, for example in disciplines such as law and medicine.
-213-
Degrees and Graduation
There is a three-level hierarchy of degrees ( Bachelor , Master , Doctor ) currently used in the United Kingdom.
A graduate student (also, grad student or grad in American English , postgraduate student or postgrad in British
English) is an individual who has completed a bachelor's degree (B.A., B.S./B.Sc., or another flavor) and is
pursuing further higher education , with the goal of achieving a master's degree (M.A., M.S./M.Sc., M.Ed., etc.)
or doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D., D.A., D.Sc., D.M.A., Th.D., etc.) In the United States, graduate education can also
refer to those pursuing a post-master's Educational Specialist degree or post-master's Certificate of Advanced
Study. The term usually does not refer to one in medical school and only occasionally refers to someone in law
school or business school .
Admission
Admission to do a research degree in the UK typically requires the sponsorship of a professor. Admission to do
a master's degree (based on coursework) depends upon having an undergraduate degree, generally in a related
subject.
Life
Postgraduate work at universities in the UK is very intense.
Funding
It is very difficult to obtain funding for postgraduate study in the UK. There are a few scholarships for master's
courses, but these are rare and dependent on the course and class of undergraduate degree obtained. Most
master's students are self-funded.
Funding is available for some Ph.D. courses. There is more funding available to those in the sciences than in
other disciplines
-214-
Costs
The costs for a normal education in the United Kingdom are as follows:
 Primary: No Charge
 Secondary: No Charge
 Further (Secondary) Education in either a sixth form or college: No Charge if under 19 in that particular
academic year or on a low income.
 Higher / Tertiary Education (University): A tuition fee per year (varies from £1,000 to £9,000).
Primary and Secondary education can also be charged for, if a fee-paying (public) school is attended by the
child in question.
Public schools in the UK
A public school, in common British usage, is a school which is usually prestigious and historic, which charges
fees, does not arbitrarily restrict admissions, and is financed by bodies other than the state, commonly as a
private charitable trust. Often but not always they are boarding schools. Confusingly to a non-native English
speaker a public school is actually a private school! In British usage, a government-run school (which would be
called a 'public school' in other areas, such as the United States ) is called a state school.
Many of the independent schools in the UK do not refer to themselves as public schools . Many choose to use
the term independent school. In part this is due to a sense that some 'minor' public schools have many of the
social associations and traditions of public schools but without the quality of teaching and extracurricular
activities.
The term 'public' (first adopted by Eton) historically refers to the fact that the school was open to the paying
public, as opposed to, a religious school that was only open to members of a certain church, and in contrast to
private education at home (usually only practical for the very wealthy who could afford tutors).
Public schools played an important role in the development of the Victorian social elite. Under a number of
forward-looking headmasters leading public schools developed a curriculum based heavily on classics and
physical activity for boys and young men of the upper and upper middle classes. They were schools for the
gentlemanly elite of Victorian politics, armed forces and colonial government. Often successful businessmen
would send their sons to public school as a mark of participation in the elite (it was Martin Wiener's opposition to
this tendency which inspired his 1981 polemic "English Culture and the Decline of the Industrial Spirit: 1850-
1980", which became a huge influence on the Thatcher government's opposition to old-school gentlemanly
-215-
Toryism and, by default, a key reason for the recent upsurge of privately-educated pop singers in the UK).
Public schools often relied heavily on the maintenance of discipline by older boys, both to reduce staffing costs
and as preparation for military or public service.
While under the best circumstances the Victorian public schools were superb examples of education, the
reliance on corporal punishment and the prefect system could also make them awful. The classics-based
curriculum was criticised for not providing skills in sciences or engineering.
The public school system influenced the school systems of the British empire to an extent. Recognisably 'public'
schools can be found in many Commonwealth countries.
Today most public schools are highly selective on academic grounds, as well as financial grounds (ability to pay
high fees) and social grounds (often a family connection to the school is very desirable in admissions).
Here are some of the web sites available for public schools in the UK.
 Bedford School
 Bradfield College
 Charterhouse
 Cheltenham College
 Clifton College
 Dover College
 Dulwich College
 Eton College
 Harrow School
 Lancing College
 Malvern College
 Oswestry School
 Radley College
 Repton School
 Rossall School
 Rugby School
 Shrewsbury School
 Tonbridge School
 Wellington College
 Westminster School
The Independent Schools Council (ISC) has a searchable list of independent/public schools in Britain. However,
the head teachers of major British independent schools usually belong to the Headmasters' and
Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), as distinct from the Secondary Heads' Association, and it is generally
considered that any school that is a member of HMC is entitled to call itself a Public School.
-216-
Slang peculiar to or originating from public schools
The following list includes some commonly used slang terms, and some historic slang, used at public schools in
the UK:
Term Meaning Specificity

ABROAD Out of the sick room. Winchester
BAD EGG A nasty and unpleasant person. -
BEARDS! An exclamation of surprise. The Leys
BEDDER A bedmaker and cleaner. Also used in Cambridge University
BIBBLING Six strokes of the cane Winchester
BRUSHING Flogging. Christ's Hospital
CARRELL A booth for private study St Paul's School
CHEESE A dandy. Cambridge
CHINNER Wide grin Winchester
CLIPE To tell tales. -
COXY Conceited -
EXECUTIONFlogging by the Head Master with a birchrod. Eton
FAG A junior boy who acts as servant for a sixth-former. -
GOD A prefect or sixth former. Eton
GOOD EGG A trustworthy or reliable person (later inversion of BAD EGG ). -
MAJOR Such as Smith Major, the elder brother. -
MAXIMUS Such as Smith Maximus, the eldest brother (of three or more). -
MINIMUS Such as Smith Minimus, the youngest brother (of three or more).-
MINOR Such as Smith Minor, the younger brother. -
MUZZ To read. Westminster
NEWBIE New boy; now a general term. -
PEPPER To fill in the accents on a Greek exercise. -
PLEB A junior boy. -
QUILL To flatter. Winchester
RAG A misdemeanour, hence: -
RAG WEEK where sponsored 'misdemeanours' are common. Also used at some universities
SAPPY Severe flogging. -
Harrow, St. Edward's, Winchester;
SHELL A boy in the youngest year
org. from Westminster.
TITCHING caning Christ's Hospital
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/educationculture.html#sthash.bnuN1NEJ.dpuf

-216-
English songs with words about education

Only for fun, here are some songs with references to education:-
Songs
In the Song Title Artist/Group

Art school The Jam
The art teacher Rufus Wainwright
Judy in the school for jiving Philip Gale
The dean and I 10CC
School bully The Black Box
School's out Alice Cooper
Remember the days of the old school yard Cat Stevens
Student power The Angelic Upstarts
kicked Out Of Kindergarten Ten Foot Pole
History Will Teach Us Nothing Sting
Chmistry Class Elvis Costello
The Birmingham School Of Business School The Fall
Books are burning XTC
High School was like boot camp for a desk bob Death By Stereo
Homework Campfire Girls
Power to the pupils Stage One
Art school Jam
School bully The Black Box
The Test Chemical Brothers
The Test that stumped them all Dream Theatre
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl Eric Clapton
An Apple For The Teacher Bing Crosby & Connee Boswell
The art teacher Rufus Wainwright
Teacher's Pet Extreme
Headmaster Ritual The Smiths

Detention Lawrence Arms
Going Away To College Blink 182
University Throwing Muses
In the Lyrics
I don't like Mondays - The ultimate school hatred
The Boomtown Rats
song
Another brick in the wall - Another anti-school song
Pink Floyd
with terrible grammar
Advertisements
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/educationsongs.html#sthash.FUZK57cL.dpuf

-217-
Entertainment Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary
Entertainment - Going Out - Places to go
Theatre(s) Cinema(s) Museum(s)
Art Gallery
Circus(es) Fun Fair(s)
(Galleries)
Zoo(s) Casino(s) Disco(s)

Build Up
If you go to any of these places are you a customer, a visitor or a member of the audience?
If you go to the theatre, cinema, or circus you are a member of the audience.
If you go to a museum, zoo, fun fair, or art gallery, you're a customer or a visitor.
If you go to a disco or casino, you're a customer.
If you go to a casino, you're a customer (or a mug).
What do you do when you're there?
You go to the cinema to watch a film or a movie. You can say, "I'm going to the cinema / films / flicks /
pictures." We also call it the silver screen.
-218-
You go to the theatre to watch the performance, it could be a play, a show, a musical, a gig, a pantomime,
a puppet show, an opera or a ballet.
You go to a museum or an art gallery to see an exhibition.
You go to a casino to gamble and to try and win money, but you'll probably lose it instead.
You go to a zoo to watch or look at or see the animals.
You go to a disco to listen to music and dance.
You go to a circus to watch the acts.
You go to a fun fair to go on the rides, see the side shows, and to play the games.
Naturally Speaking
Buying a ticket:-
 “I`d like one adult and one child for Cinema 3, please.”
 “Can I get one ticket for the matinee?”
 “Are there any seats left for the 1:45 show?”
Ordering refreshments:-
"I'd like a large popcorn and a small soft drink please. Do those nachos come with cheese? Oh and I’ll have a
box of chocolates too. Thanks."
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are trying to decide what to do at the weekend. Mr. Smith is reading the entertainment section
in the newspaper.
Mr Smith: There's a new casino opening. Do you fancy going this weekend?
Mrs No way! It's a mug's game.

Smith:
Mr Smith: Well how about seeing a film instead?
Mrs I don’t know. What's on?

Smith:
Mr Smith: Blood Diamond is showing. I quite fancy seeing that.

Mrs
Oh dear. I don’t think I want to watch that one. The reviews say it is a very violent flick.
Smith:
Mr Smith:
We could go to the theatre and see a play instead.
-219-
That’s a good idea! I think Calendar Girls is still playing. I heard on the radio that it is a
Mrs
Smith: wonderful stage play.
Mr Smith: Oh. Well to be honest, I would rather go to a concert and hear some good music.
Mrs
Well we haven't been to a concert in ages, but I still fancy the theatre.
Smith:
Mr Smith: Well why don't we go to the matinee performance and then take in a concert later?
Mrs What a good idea. Phone up the box office and book some tickets.
Smith:
Crossword
Hangman
Rumble in the Jumble - Entertainment
Word Search
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/entertainment.html#sthash.Dl2i5GLE.dpuf

-220-
Idioms and Sayings About Entertainment

The class clown
For example:
A pupil who frequently makes jokes or pokes fun.
He never got over his reputation of being the class
clown.
To make a clown of yourself
For example:
To make yourself appear foolish or stupid.
He shouldn't have tried to flirt with her, he made a
real clown of himself.
Feature film
For example:
A film that is usually 90 or more minutes long.
I hate having to watch the adverts that come on
before the feature film.
To be in the limelight.
For example:-
To be the centre of attention.
Ignore her, she'd do anything to keep herself in the
limelight.
Museum piece
For example: Something that is very old-fashioned and should no

longer be used.
Our television is a museum piece, but it still works.
-221-
A dog and pony show.
For example:
A show or other event that has been organized in
The whole party was just a dog and pony show for the order to get people's support or to persuade them to
buy something.
politicians.
The show must go on
For example: Something that we say which means that an event or

activity must continue even if there are problems or
I've got a terrible cold, but I've got to go to work. The difficulties.
show must go on.
To run the show
For example:
To be in charge of an organization or an activity.
She started off sorting the mail, but now she's running
the show.
A show stopper
For example: An event that provokes such a strong reaction from

it stops whatever's happening.
His speech was a real show stopper.
To sing your heart out.
For example:
To sing with vigour or intensity.
Susan Boyle sang her heart out after being laughed at
and whistled at by the audience.
To be star-studded
For example: Lots of famous people in a film, play etc.
"It was a star-studded event."

-222-
To steal the show
For example:
To win the greatest praise and to be better than anyone else.
Her acceptance speech really stole the show.
Advertisements
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/entertainmentidioms.html#sthash.RDpH77u3.dpuf
-223-
Verbs and Phrasal Verbs to do with

Entertainment
with entertainment. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday conversation.
Verbs

The Meaning
To act To perform in a film, play etc. He acted the part of a villain. Regular
to sell goods or property publicly to the
To auction They auctioned all their art. Regular
person who will pay the most:
To keep a group of people interested or He entertained the troops during the
To entertain Regular
amused. war.
To lose To fail to succeed in a game, competition,
He lost all his money at the casino. Irregular
etc.
To entertain people by dancing, singing, She performed her own composition
To perform Regular
acting or playing music.: in the concert.
To sing
To make musical sounds with the voice. She sang her heart out. Irregular
She's starred in more hits than I can
To star To be the main person in a film, play, etc. Regular
count.
To throw To send something through the air with
She's thrown a double six! Irregular
force.
To learn the part of another actor in a He understudied for Lawrence
To understudy Regular
play. Olivier.
To win They won a lot of money at the
To succeed in a game, competition, etc. Irregular
bingo.
-224-
Phrasal Verbs

The Meaning
To perform the actions and say
Act out They acted out the fairytale. I
the words of a story.
If a person, especially a child, He always acted up when his
Act up I
acts up, they behave badly. friends were watching.
He always clowned about in the
Clown about To act like a clown. I
class.
To do what someone asks you to We played along with the idea,
Play along I
do, for a limited period of time. until we were able to run away.
If a person, especially a child, He always played up when his
Play up I
plays up, they behave badly. friends were watching.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/entertainmentverbs.html#sthash.jY1oq6Ek.dpuf
-225-
Irregular Verb - To lose
lose / lost / lost / losing
Tenses for the Verb - To lose
The Past - lost / losing

Past Continuous - "I stopped gambling when I worked out how much money I was losing."
Past Simple - "I lost all my money."
Past Perfect Simple - "When I checked my lottery ticket I realised I had lost."
Past Perfect Continuous - "It seems I had been losing a lot of money, but I didn't even know it."
-225-
The Present - lose / losing / lost

Present Continuous - "I am losing!"
Present Simple - "I usually lose."
Present Perfect Simple - "I have lost a lot of money."
Present Perfect Continuous - "I'd better stop, I'm losing money."
The Future - lose / lost

Future Continuous - You wouldn't really use this in this context.
Future Simple - "I think I'll lose, if I take part."
Future Perfect Simple - "I'm sure I will have lost a lot of money before the end of the racing season."
Future Perfect Continuous - You wouldn't really use this verb in this context.
!Note - Don't confuse lose with loose
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/losetense.html#sthash.abWhlEFK.dpuf

-226-
The Life of Shakespeare

William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English
language and the world's preeminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of
Avon" (or simply "The Bard").
His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His
plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any
other playwright.
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, but his exact date of birth is a mystery. At the age of
18, he married Anne Hathaway, who bore him three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between
1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of a playing
company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to
Stratford around 1613, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and
there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, sexuality, religious
beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1590 and 1613. His early plays were mainly comedies
and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the sixteenth century. He
then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the
finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and
collaborated with other playwrights. Many of his plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy
during his lifetime. In 1623, two of his former theatrical colleagues published the First Folio, a collected edition of
his dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now recognised as Shakespeare's.
Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise to its present
heights until the nineteenth century. The Romantics, in particular, acclaimed Shakespeare's genius, and the
Victorians hero-worshipped Shakespeare with a reverence that George Bernard Shaw called "bardolatry". In the
twentieth century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and
performance. His plays remain highly popular today and are constantly studied, performed and reinterpreted in
diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world.
-227-
His Early Life
William Shakespeare was the son of John Shakespeare, a successful glover and alderman originally from
Snitterfield, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent landowning farmer. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon
and baptised on 26 April 1564. His unknown birthday is traditionally observed on 23 April, St George's Day. This
date, which can be traced back to an eighteenth-century scholar's mistake, has proved appealing because
Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616. He was the third child of eight and the eldest surviving son.
At the age of 18, he married the 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. Six months after the marriage, she gave birth to a
daughter, Susanna, who was baptised on 26 May 1583. Twins, son Hamnet and daughter Judith, followed
almost two years later and were baptised on 2 February 1585. Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11
and was buried on 11 August 1596.
After the birth of the twins, there are few historical traces of Shakespeare until he is mentioned as part of the
London theatre scene in 1592. Because of this gap, scholars refer to the years between 1585 and 1592 as
Shakespeare's "lost years". Biographers attempting to account for this period have reported many apocryphal
stories. Nicholas Rowe, Shakespeare’s first biographer, recounted a Stratford legend that Shakespeare fled the
town for London to escape prosecution for deer poaching. Another eighteenth-century story has Shakespeare
starting his theatrical career minding the horses of theatre patrons in London. John Aubrey reported that
Shakespeare had been a country schoolmaster. Some twentieth-century scholars have suggested that
Shakespeare may have been employed as a schoolmaster by Alexander Hoghton of Lancashire, a Catholic
landowner who named a certain "William Shakeshafte" in his will. No evidence substantiates such stories other
than hearsay collected after his death.
London and his theatrical career

It is not known exactly when Shakespeare began writing, but contemporary allusions and records of
performances show that several of his plays were on the London stage by 1592. He was well enough known in
London by then to be attacked in print by the playwright Robert Greene:
...there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tiger's heart wrapped in a Player's hide,
supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes
factotum, is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country.
Scholars differ on the exact meaning of these words, but most agree that Greene is accusing Shakespeare of
reaching above his rank in trying to match university-educated writers, such as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas
Nashe and Greene himself. The italicised phrase parodying the line "Oh, tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's
hide" from Shakespeare’s Henry VI, part 3, along with the pun "Shake-scene", identifies Shakespeare as
Greene’s target.
-228-
Greene’s attack is the first recorded mention of Shakespeare’s career in the theatre. Biographers suggest that
his career may have begun any time from the mid-1580s to just before Greene’s remarks. From 1594,
Shakespeare's plays were performed only by the Lord Chamberlain's Men, a company owned by a group of
players, including Shakespeare, that soon became the leading playing company in London. After the death of
Queen Elizabeth in 1603, the company was awarded a royal patent by the new king, James I, and changed its
name to the King's Men.
In 1599, a partnership of company members built their own theatre on the south bank of the Thames, which they
called the Globe. In 1608, the partnership also took over the Blackfriars indoor theatre. Records of
Shakespeare's property purchases and investments indicate that the company made him a wealthy man. In
1597, he bought the second-largest house in Stratford, New Place, and in 1605, he invested in a share of the
parish tithes in Stratford.
Some of Shakespeare's plays were published in quarto editions from 1594. By 1598, his name had become a
selling point and began to appear on the title pages. Shakespeare continued to act in his own and other plays
after his success as a playwright. The 1616 edition of Ben Jonson's Works names him on the cast lists for Every
Man in His Humour (1598) and Sejanus, His Fall (1603). The absence of his name from the 1605 cast list for
Jonson’s Volpone is taken by some scholars as a sign that his acting career was nearing its end. The First Folio
of 1623, however, lists Shakespeare as one of "the Principal Actors in all these Plays", some of which were first
staged after Volpone, although we cannot know for certain what roles he played. In 1610, John Davies of
Hereford wrote that "good Will" played "kingly" roles. In 1709, Rowe passed down a tradition that Shakespeare
played the ghost of Hamlet's father. Later traditions maintain that he also played Adam in As You Like It and the
Chorus in Henry V, though scholars doubt the sources of the information.
Shakespeare divided his time between London and Stratford during his career. In 1596, the year before he
bought New Place as his family home in Stratford, Shakespeare was living in the parish of St. Helen's,
Bishopsgate, north of the River Thames. He moved across the river to Southwark by 1599, the year his
company constructed the Globe Theatre there. By 1604, he had moved north of the river again, to an area north
of St Paul's Cathedral with many fine houses. There he rented rooms from a French Huguenot called
Christopher Mountjoy, a maker of ladies' wigs and other headgear.
Later years and death

After 1606–1607, Shakespeare wrote fewer plays, and none are attributed to him after 1613. His last three plays
were collaborations, probably with John Fletcher, who succeeded him as the house playwright for the King’s
Men.
-229-
Rowe was the first biographer to pass down the tradition that Shakespeare retired to Stratford some years
before his death; but retirement from all work was uncommon at that time, and Shakespeare continued to visit
London. In 1612, he was called as a witness in a court case concerning the marriage settlement of Mountjoy's
daughter, Mary. In March 1613, he bought a gatehouse in the Blackfriars priory; and from November 1614, he
was in London for several weeks with his son-in-law, John Hall.
Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616, and was survived by his wife and two daughters. Susanna had married a
physician, John Hall, in 1607, and Judith had married Thomas Quiney, a vintner, two months before
Shakespeare’s death.
In his will, Shakespeare left the bulk of his large estate to his elder daughter Susanna. The terms instructed that
she pass it down intact to "the first son of her body". The Quineys had three children, all of whom died without
marrying. The Halls had one child, Elizabeth, who married twice but died without children in 1670, ending
Shakespeare’s direct line. Shakespeare's will scarcely mentions his wife, Anne, who was probably entitled to
one third of his estate automatically. He did make a point, however, of leaving her "my second best bed", a
bequest that has led to much speculation. Some scholars see the bequest as an insult to Anne, whereas others
believe that the second-best bed would have been the matrimonial bed and therefore rich in significance.
Shakespeare was buried in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church two days after his death. The stone slab
covering his grave is inscribed with a curse against moving his bones:
Good frend for Iesvs sake forbeare,

To digg the dvst encloased heare.
Blest be ye man yt spares thes stones,
And cvrst be he yt moves my bones.
Translates to:-
Good friend for mercy's sake forbear,

To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blessed be the the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones.
Sometime before 1623, a monument was erected in his memory on the north wall, with a half-effigy of him in the
act of writing. Its plaque compares him to Nestor, Socrates, and Virgil. Shakespeare has been commemorated in
many statues and memorials around the world, including funeral monuments in Southwark Cathedral and Poet's
Corner in Westminster Abbey.
-230-
Interesting Sites
The Mystery of Shakespeare's Identity
Shakespeare Authorship
Shakespeare's Plays
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/shakespeare.html#sthash.dUy82BzN.dpuf

-230-
English Songs About Entertainment

Only for fun, here are some songs about entertainment.
Songs

Art school Jam
Vampire casino
Eugene Mcguinness
Be a clown Judy Garland

Tears of a clown Smokey Robinson
Always a comedian Cadillac Blindside
The comedians Roy Orbison
Let me entertain you Robbie Williams
That's entertainment
Fred Astaire
That's entertainment Jam

Film Cinerama
A film for the future Idlewild
Museum Donovan
Muscle museum Muse
Little Jack Little
You oughta be in pictures
To the singer on the stage Waterdeep

All the world's a stage Rush
Coming to the stage Will Smith
Don't put your daughter on the stage Noel Coward
Mama's always on stage Arrested Development
Set the stage The Warriors.
She dances on the stage Lil' Chris
To the singer on the stage Waterdeep
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/entertainmentsongs.html#sthash.CADBOzuc.dpuf
-231-
Food Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary
Click for each topic.
Fruit | Vegetables | Meat and Fish | Other Food
Build Up
Masculine Feminine Young
Bull Cow Calf
Ram Sheep Lamb
Boar Sow Piglet
Cockerel Hen Chicken
Commonly Eaten Types of Fish

Salmon
Cod
Plaice
Haddock
Trout
Types of Steak
Fillet
Rump
Sirloin
T-Bone
Stewing
Things to do with eggs
egg
boiled egg
scrambled egg
fried egg
-232-
Naturally Speaking
Uncountable Nouns
A lot of food is made up of uncountable nouns, to make them countable you need to put them in another form.
For example:-
"A ...... of ......".="A piece of fruit."
Here is a list of some of the uncountable nouns in this quarter's vocabulary and some ways to make them
countable.
asparagus A bunch of asparagus.

beef A slice of beef.
bread A slice of bread.
broccoli A piece of broccoli.
butter A pat of butter.
corn An ear of corn.
fruit A piece of fruit.
garlic A bulb of garlic.
honey A pot of honey.
jam A jar of jam.
lamb A leg of lamb.
pepper A pot of pepper.
pork A joint of pork.
rice A grain of rice.
salt A pinch of salt.
spaghetti A strand of spaghetti.
sugar A cube of sugar.
-233-
Dialogue
It's Friday afternoon and John's friend Mark is coming for tea tomorrow.
Mrs S: John, is Mark coming for tea tomorrow?
John: Yes mum, I told you yesterday!
Mrs S: Oh did you? Sorry, I must have forgotten.
John: What are we having?
Mrs S: I don't know yet, I was just writing out the shopping list. What sort of things does he like?
John: Anything, just about. I know he hates pasta though, he never eats school dinner if it's pasta.
Mrs S: OK, what about pizza.
John: Yeah, pizza would be great, not too much salad though please mum.
Mrs S: How about a fruit salad for pudding instead?
John: With ice cream?
Mrs S: Yes, ok.
John: Great, I can't wait!
Entertaining at Home - It's Saturday and John's friend Mark has just arrived.
John: Hi Mark!
Mark Hi John, how's it going?
John: Fine, and you?
Mark Oh you know.
John: Yeah, tell me about it.
Mrs S: Hello Mark, how are you.
Mark: Very well thank you Mrs Smith.
John Mum, can we go and play in my room?
Mrs S: Yes, after tea. We're having pizza tonight Mark, is that alright?
Mark: Yes Mrs Smith that should be fine, but I am a vegetarian.
Mrs S: Oh John, you didn't tell me!
John Sorry mum, I didn't know.
Mrs S: Well it's just as well I bought mushroom pizza as well then, isn't it?
Mark: I'm sorry if it's any trouble Mrs Smith.
Don't worry Mark, it's not your fault, we can eat the salami pizza and you can have the
Mrs S: mushroom one. Why don't you both go and play upstairs, tea will be a little bit longer than
expected!
John: This way Mark.
Crossword
Hangman
Match It - Fruit
Match It - Vegetables
-234-
Memory - Fruit
Memory - Vegetables
Reading and Comprehension
Rumble - in association with Eating
Video - Let's enjoy cooking! (May take a while to load)
Word search - Fruit
Word search - Vegetables
Word Search - Mix
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/food.html#sthash.J4toj5Lf.dpuf

-235-
Idioms and Sayings About Food

Image Idiom Explanation
"... apple of ..... eye."
For example: Someone that one likes a lot.
"She was the apple of his eye."
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
For example:
Eating fruit is good/healthy for you.
"The doctor told her to eat more fresh fruit,
after all an apple a day keeps the doctor
away."
"Bring home the bacon."
For example:
To earn a living for the family.
"He felt it was his responsibility to bring

home the bacon."
"A bean counter."
For example:-
An accountant.
"Even though they had made a profit, they
laid people off, because the bean counters
told them they would make more money."
-236-
"To be full of beans."
For example:-
To have lots of energy.
"They couldn't get to sleep because they were full of

beans."
"To spill the beans."
For example:- To disclose something

confidential.
"Obviously they would have spilt the beans if they had
known."
"Bread and butter."
Basic needs of life

For example:
(food,shelter,clothing).
"He was talking about bread and butter issues."
To have a bun in the oven.
For example:-
To be pregnant.
I didn't know whether she had a bun in the oven, or

she'd just put on weight.
To be a butterfingers.
For example:- Somebody who often drops things
He had the ball, but he dropped it! What a butterfingers!

-237-
Butter someone up.
For example:
To flatter someone to try to get their favor or

"He was always buttering up the boss hoping
friendship.
for promotion."
Butter wouldn't melt in his / her mouth.
For example:- If butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth, they look

as if they would never do anything wrong although
"No one ever thought she was naughty, she you think they would.
always looked as if butter wouldn't melt in her
mouth."
"A piece of cake."
For example:
To find something easy to do.
"She knew she had passed the English exam, it

was a piece of cake."
"The icing on the cake."
For example: Something nice that is added to something else that is

already good.
"I was happy to pass the exam, the high mark
was just the icing on the cake."
"to sell like hot cakes."
For example:
To sell quickly or rapidly.
"The new Spice Girls' album sold like hot

cakes."
-238-
"A big cheese"
For example:
An important person, a leader (usually about
business).
"Anita Roddick was the big cheese at the

Body Shop."
"Chalk and cheese"
For example:
To be the complete opposite of someone.
"I'm not surprised they're getting divorced,

they were always chalk and cheese."
"Another bite at the cherry."
For example: To be given a another chance of doing or getting

something.
"Frank got another bite at the cherry when
he resat his exams."
"To cherry-pick."
For example:- To choose only the best people or things in a way

that is not fair.
Grammar schools often get accused of
cherry-picking the best pupils.
To cook the books.
For example:
To modify financial statements and
accounting information, especially illegally.
"We only made a profit last year because
our accountant cooked the books."
-239-
What's cooking?
For example:
A: Hey guys! What's cooking? What's happening?

B: Nothing much. Same old, same old.
"As cool as a cucumber."
For example:
To remain calm under pressure.
"Although he was driving at 110 mph James Bond

was as cool as a cucumber."
"A cowardy custard."
For example:
A way of saying someone is a coward.
Maybe because custard is yellow.
Me: "I'm scared of spiders."
Hubby: "They're only little! Don't be such a
cowardy custard."
"A bad egg."
For example:
A bad person, to be avoided.
"He never phoned his mother. He was a bad

egg."
"Egg .... on."
For example: To urge someone to do something (usually

negative).
"He was always in trouble at school, his class
mates always egged him on."
-240-
"Have egg on one's face."
For example:
To be caught out or embarrassed.

"He ended up with egg on his face, when she found
out he had been lying."
"You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs."
For example: To do something to the detriment of

something else.
"He worked so hard to make the company a success it made him ill,
but you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs."
"To over egg the pudding."
For example: To exaggerate or to ruin something by

trying too hard to improve it.
Heather Mills was accused “over-egging the pudding” in a bid to
secure a larger divorce settlement.
"To put all your eggs in one basket"
For example: To risk everything on one person or

thing.
"You shouldn't invest all your money in Microsoft, it would be like
putting all your eggs in one basket."
-236-
"To walk on eggshells."
For example:- To try hard not to upset

someone or something.
Everyone in the family had to walk on eggshells when he was
in a bad mood.
"To not give a fig for something or someone."
For example:- To not care about something or

someone.
She didn't give a fig about traditional language learning
methods.
"A different kettle of fish"
For example:- A different matter or issue.
Thanks to Otrebs
"Oh! They want to place an order? That's a different kettle of
fish. Of course I'll talk to them."
"A pretty or fine kettle of fish"
For example:- A difficult or awkward situation.
Thanks to Otrebs
"They're divorced, and someone's sat them next to each
other - that's a fine kettle of fish."
To have bigger fish to fry.
For example:- To have more important things to

do.
He couldn't stay long, with this merger he has bigger fish to
fry.
-237-
Like a fish out of water.
For example:-
To be uncomfortable in a particular
When she started talking about her personal situation
problems, he looked like a fish out of water.
Something is fishy.
For example:-
Used when something is suspicious.
"There was something fishy in the way he

paused before answering the question."
For example:-
To have more important things to do.
He couldn't stay long, with this merger he has

bigger fish to fry.
Sour grapes.
For example:-
Used when someone is disparaging about
something just because they can't have it.
He was really sarcastic about my new job, but I
think it's just sour grapes, because he hasn't got
one.
To buy a lemon.
For example:-
To buy something useless or defective.
"All those people who bought a new Toyota have

bought a lemon."
-238-
"Cry over spilt milk."
For example:
To cry or complain about something
"It's no good crying over spilt milk, what's done is that has already happened.
done."
Mutton dressed (up) as lamb.
For example:- Used to describe a woman who is

dressed in a style that is more suitable
"She's over fifty and should really stop wearing mini for a much younger woman.
skirts if she doesn't want to look like mutton dressed
as lamb."
"As keen as mustard"
For example:
To be very eager.
"He was as keen as mustard because he really

wanted to win the competition."
"Nutty as a fruitcake."
For example:
To be slightly crazy.
"People say I'm as nutty as a fruitcake to run this

website."
"To use a sledgehammer to crack a nut."
For example:
To do something with more force than
is necessary to achieve the result you
want.
" Fighting tooth decay by annihilating all the mostly
harmless bacteria in your mouth is like taking a
sledgehammer to crack a nut. "
-239-
"To know your onions."
For example:- To know a lot about a particular subject.
"When it comes to computers he really knows his onions."
"As easy as pie."
For example: When something is very easy to do.
"Anyone can do that, it's as easy as pie."
"Have a finger in every pie."
For example:
To be involved in lots of different things.
"He was a very influential man, he seemed to have a

finger in every pie."
"A couch potato."
For example: Someone who just sits on the couch

watching TV.
"She should get out more, she's turning into a real couch
potato. "
"A hot potato."
For example: A question or argument that is

controversial and difficult to settle
"The issue of immigration was a hot potato."

Heather Mills was accused “over-egging the pudding” in a
bid to secure a larger divorce settlement.
-240-
A knuckle sandwich.
For example:-
A punch.
If he keeps on annoying those men, he'll end up

with a knuckle sandwich.
A sandwich short of a picnic.
For example:-
Stupid or crazy
He stuck a knife in the toaster and electrocuted
himself. I've always thought he was one sandwich
short of a picnic.
"In the soup."
For example: To be in serious trouble.
"He landed her in the soup, when he told the

policeman she had been drinking."
"Souped up."
To change something to make it faster

or more powerful by changing or adding
For example:
something.
"He made his car go faster by souping up the
engine."
"Cup of tea."
For example: Something one enjoys or does well.
To be uncomfortable in a particular
For example:-When she started talking about her
situation
personal problems, he looked like a fish out of
water.

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/foodidioms.html#sthash.zKrU3lxJ.dpuf
-241-

Food
Verbs

The Meaning
To bake To cook by dry heat in an oven or similar. He baked the pie. Regular
To boil To cook something in very hot water. She boiled the rice. Regular
To chop To cut something into pieces. She chopped an onion. Regular
To cook To prepare food for eating by the use of heat. He cooked her dinner. Regular
To cut To divide food with a sharp instrument. He cut into the roast. Irregular
To dice To cut something into cubes. He diced the potato. Regular
The complete action of putting food in the mouth and
To eat She ate her dinner. Irregular
then biting, chewing and swallowing it.
To carry out agricultural work (growing crops/rearing Rarely used in
To farm Regular
animals) as a way of life. conversation.
To feed To provide food for eating. She fed the cat. Irregular
To fry To cook food in fat/oil over a direct heat. He fried the bacon. Regular
To produce plants by controlling or encouraging their She grew all her own
To grow Irregular
growth. vegetables.
To remove the skin/rind/outer covering of She peeled the grapes for
To peel Regular
fruit/vegetables etc. the fruit salad.
He prepared all the
To prepare To make food ready in advance of eating or cooking it. Regular
ingredients.
To skin To remove the outer covering from fruit/meat/fish etc. She skinned the fish. Regular
To slice To divide or cut something into slivers. He sliced the apple. Regular
-242-
Phrasal Verbs
The Phrasal An example Separable/

The Meaning
Verb ( Simple Past Tense) Inseparable
To finish baking partly baked food.
bake off She baked off the bread in the oven. S
For example bread.
To cause liquid to evaporate completely She forgot to switch off the cooker and all
boil away S
by boiling. the water boiled away.
The sauce was too thin and needed to be
boil down To boil a liquid down to a thick sauce. S
boiled down.
She forgot to turn down the heat and all the
boil over To cause liquid to overflow whilst boiling. S
water boiled over the pan.
To cut into pieces, usually with several
chop up She chopped the onion up into small cubes. S
sharp blows.
cut off To remove by cutting. He cut all the fat off. S
cut out To shape or form by cutting. He cut several pieces of pastry out. S
cut up To cut into pieces using a sharp knife. He cut the pie up into equal slices. S
To eat away from home, usually in a
eat out They ate out twice last week. I
restaurant.
eat up To eat until everything is finished. She ate everything up. S
The act of frying a meal, especially He always fried up a good breakfast in the
fry up I
breakfast. morning..
To remove the skin/rind/outer covering of She peeled the skin off the apples for the
peel off S
fruit/vegetables etc. fruit salad.
To divide or cut something from a larger
slice off He sliced the meat off the bone. S
piece.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/foodverbs.html#sthash.s7x7vCkF.dpuf
-243-
Irregular Verb - To grow
grow / grew / grown / growing
Tenses for the Verb - To grow
The Past
Past Continuous - "The plant was growing in spring."
Past Simple - "It grew until June."
Past Perfect Simple - "It had already grown by July."
Past Perfect Continuous - "It had been growing for two months, when it got its first flower."
-244-
The Present
Present Continuous - "It is May and the plant is growing."
Present Simple - "It grows every spring."
Present Perfect Simple - "It's already grown 2 inches this month."
Present Perfect Continuous - "It's been growing since March."
The Future
Future Continuous - "I'm growing more plants in the spring."
Future Simple - "I will grow at least 10 new plants."
Future Perfect Simple - "They will have already grown by the time summer arrives."
Future Perfect Continuous - "They will have been growing for 2 months before they get their first flower."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/growtense.html#sthash.czKVL3Xg.dpuf

-245-
British Food
British Cuisine | History | Today | Regional Specialities | Puddings etc. | Breakfast
Bangers and Mash | Bubble and Squeak | Fish and Chips
Sunday Roast | Steaks | Cheese | Sandwiches | Indian Food | The Future
Recipes Page | Interesting Sites | Fun Food Facts
British Cuisine!
Yes, we do have a wide and varied cuisine in Britain today, no more do we suffer under the image of grey boiled
meat! After years of disparagement by various countries (especially the French) Britain now has an enviable
culinary reputation. In fact some of the great chefs now come from Britain, I kid you not!
However Britain's culinary expertise is not new! In the past British cooking was amongst the best in the world.
Mrs Beeton is still one of the renowned writers of cookery books, her creations have now gained international
popularity, years after her death.
Traditional British cuisine is substantial, yet simple and wholesome. We have long believed in four meals a day.
Our fare has been influenced by the traditions and tastes from different parts of the British empire: teas from
Ceylon and chutney, kedgeree, and mulligatawny soup from India.
A brief history
British cuisine has always been multicultural, a pot pourri of eclectic styles. In ancient times influenced by the
Romans and in medieval times the French. When the Frankish Normans invaded, they brought with them the
spices of the east: cinnamon, saffron, mace, nutmeg, pepper, ginger. Sugar came to England at that time, and
was considered a spice -- rare and expensive. Before the arrival of cane sugars, honey and fruit juices were the
only sweeteners. The few Medieval cookery books that remain record dishes that use every spice in the larder,
and chefs across Europe saw their task to be the almost alchemical transformation of raw ingredients into
something entirely new (for centuries the English aristocracy ate French food) which they felt distinguished them
from the peasants.
-246-
During Victorian times good old British stodge mixed with exotic spices from all over the Empire. And today
despite being part of Europe we've kept up our links with the countries of the former British Empire, now united
under the Commonwealth.
One of the benefits of having an empire is that we did learn quite a bit from the colonies. From East Asia (China)
we adopted tea (and exported the habit to India), and from India we adopted curry-style spicing, we even
developed a line of spicy sauces including ketchup, mint sauce, Worcestershire sauce and deviled sauce to
indulge these tastes. Today it would be fair to say that curry has become a national dish.
Among English cakes and pastries, many are tied to the various religious holidays of the year. Hot Cross Buns
are eaten on Good Friday, Simnel Cake is for Mothering Sunday, Plum Pudding for Christmas, and Twelfth Night
Cake for Epiphany.
Unfortunately a great deal of damage was done to British cuisine during the two world wars. Britain is an island
and supplies of many goods became short. The war effort used up goods and services and so less were left
over for private people to consume. Ships importing food stuffs had to travel in convoys and so they could make
fewer journeys. During the second world war food rationing began in January 1940 and was lifted only gradually
after the war.
The British tradition of stews, pies and breads, according to the taste buds of the rest of the world, went into
terminal decline. What was best in England was only that which showed the influence of France, and so English
food let itself become a gastronomic joke and the French art of Nouvell Cuisine was adopted.
British Cuisine Today
In the late 1980's, British cuisine started to look for a new direction. Disenchanted with the overblown (and
under-nourished) Nouvelle Cuisine, chefs began to look a little closer to home for inspiration. Calling on a rich
(and largely ignored) tradition, and utilising many diverse and interesting ingredients, the basis was formed for
what is now known as modern British food. Game has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity although it always had
a central role in the British diet, which reflects both the abundant richness of the forests and streams and an old
aristocratic prejudice against butchered meats.
In London especially, one can not only experiment with the best of British, but the best of the world as there are
many distinct ethnic cuisines to sample, Chinese, Indian, Italian and Greek restaurants are amongst the most
popular.
-247-
Although some traditional dishes such as roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, Cornish pasties, steak and kidney
pie, bread and butter pudding, treacle tart, spotted dick or fish and chips, remain popular, there has been a
significant shift in eating habits in Britain. Rice and pasta have accounted for the decrease in potato
consumption and the consumption of meat has also fallen. Vegetable and salad oils have largely replaced the
use of butter.
Roast beef is still the national culinary pride. It is called a "joint," and is served at midday on Sunday with roasted
potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, two vegetables, a good strong horseradish, gravy, and mustard.
Today there is more emphasis on fine, fresh ingredients in the better restaurants and markets in the UK offer
food items from all over the world. Salmon, Dover sole, exotic fruit, Norwegian prawns and New Zealand lamb
are choice items. Wild fowl and game are other specialties on offer.
In fact fish is still important to the English diet, we are after all an island surrounded by some of the richest
fishing areas of the world. Many species swim in the cold offshore waters: sole, haddock, hake, plaice, cod (the
most popular choice for fish and chips), turbot, halibut, mullet and John Dory. Oily fishes also abound (mackerel,
pilchards, and herring) as do crustaceans like lobster and oysters. Eel, also common, is cooked into a wonderful
pie with lemon, parsley, and shallots, all topped with puff pastry.
Regional Specialities
Despite recent setbacks beef is still big industry in England, and the Scottish Aberdeen Angus is one of our most
famous beef-producing breeds. Dairy cattle are also farmed extensively -- England is famous for its creams and
butters and for its sturdy and delicious cheeses: Stilton, Cheshire and its rare cousin blue Cheshire, double
Gloucester, red Leicester, sage Derby, and of course cheddar.
Some of our more interesting dishes include:-
Beefsteak, Oyster, and Kidney Pudding: Oysters may seem unlikely in this meat pudding, but their great
abundance in the Victorian age and earlier eras inspired cooks to find ways to incorporate them creatively in
many different recipes. This steamed pudding combines the meats with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and
Worcestershire, then wraps the whole in a suet pastry.
Black Pudding: invented in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis black pudding is often served as part of a traditional full
English breakfast.
-248-
Black Pudding Recipe
Cock-a-Leekie : This Scottish specialty can be classified as a soup or a stew. It combines beef, chicken, leeks,
and prunes to unusual and spectacular ends.
Crown Roast Lamb: The crown roast encircles a stuffing of apples, bread crumbs, onion, celery, and lemon.
Eccles Cake : Puff pastry stuffed with a spicy currant filling.
Hasty Pudding: A simple and quick (thus the name) steamed pudding of milk, flour, butter, eggs, and cinnamon.
Irish Stew: An Irish stew always has a common base of lamb, potatoes, and onion. It could contain any number
of other ingredients, depending on the cook.
Likky Pie Leeks: pork, and cream baked in puff pastry.
Mincemeat: Beef suet is used to bind chopped nuts, apples, spices, brown sugar, and brandy into a filling for
pies or pasties - not to be confused with minced meat!.
Mulligatawny Soup: What this soup is depends on who is cooking it. Originally a south Indian dish (the name
means pepper water in tamil), it has been adopted and extensively adapted by the British. Mullitgatawny
contains chicken or meat or vegetable stock mixed with yogurt or cheese or coconut milk and is seasoned with
curry and various other spices. It is sometimes served with a separate bowl of rice.
Syllabub: In the seventeenth century, a milkmaid would send a stream of new, warm milk directly from a cow
into a bowl of spiced cider or ale. A light curd would form on top with a lovely whey underneath. This, according
to Elizabeth David, was the original syllabub. Today's syllabub is more solid (its origins can also be traced to the
seventeenth century, albeit to the upper classes) and mixes sherry and/or brandy, sugar, lemon, nutmeg, and
double cream into a custard-like dessert or an eggnog-like beverage, depending upon the cook.
Trifle: Layers of alcohol-soaked sponge cake alternate with fruit, custard and whipped cream, some people add
jelly, but that's for kids.
Welsh Faggots: Pig's liver is made into meatballs with onion, beef suet, bread crumbs, and sometimes a
chopped apple. Faggots used to be made to use up the odd parts of a pig after it had been slaughtered.
Welsh Rabbit (or Rarebit): Cheese is grated and melted with milk or ale. Pepper, salt, butter, and mustard are
then added. The mix is spread over toast and baked until "the cheese bubbles and becomes brown in
appetizing-looking splashes" (Jane Grigson in English Food, London: Penguin, 1977).
Westmoreland Pepper Cake: Fruitcake that gets a distinctive kick from lots of black pepper. Other ingredients
include honey, cloves, ginger, and walnuts.
-249-
Pies, Puddings, Buns and Cakes
Pies and puddings are related phenomena in British culinary history. Originally, both solved the problem of
preparing dinners made with less expensive meats. Pies covered a stew or other ingredients with a crust;
puddings were made from butcher's scraps tucked into a sheep's stomach, then steamed or boiled. Pies have
remained pies, although, in addition to savory pies, there now exist sweet variations, which tend to have two
crusts or a bottom crust only.
Pie crusts can be made from a short dough or puff pastry. Snacks and bar food (Britain's fifth food group) are
often in pie form: pasties (pronounced with a short "a" like "had") are filled turnovers.
Over time, however, in a confusing development, pudding has become a more general term for a sweet or
savory steamed mixture -- as well as a word that describes desserts in general. For example, black pudding is
actually made with pig's blood. Whereas plum pudding is a Christmas treat consisting of a steamed cake of beef
suet (the white fat around the kidney and loins) and dried and candied fruits soaked in brandy. And, of course,
one can't forget rice pudding.
Amongst cakes, buns and pastries local delicacies include Bath Buns, Chelsea Buns, Eccles Cakes, and
Banbury Cakes.
The Great British Breakfast!
"And then to breakfast, with what appetite you have." Shakespeare
The great British breakfast is famous (or notorious) throughout the world! Actually nowadays it is a bit of a myth,
today many British people are more likely to have a bowl of cornflakes or a cup of coffee with a cigarette than to
indulge in the wonders of this feast!
However that is not to say that the traditional breakfast is dead, far from it, it's just not often eaten every day of
the week. Speaking as a true Brit I occassionally push the boat out and treat myself to the full monty (not to be
confused with the film of the same name).
The typical English breakfast is a 19th century invention, when the majority of English people adopted the
copious meal of porridge, fish, bacon and eggs, toast and marmalade, that has now appeared on English
breakfast tables for 100 years.
-250-
The annual consumption in the United Kindgom is 450,000 tonnes of bacon, 5,000 tonnes of sausages and
millions of eggs, so you can see the Great British Breakfast is very much alive and well. It has retained its
popularity as one of the country's favourite meals, and survived a whole series of eating trends and food fads.
Mrs Beeton would have recommended a large list of foods for breakfast such as, bread, rolls, toast, toasted
teacakes, Sally Lunns; eggs cooked in various ways; fish, baked halibut steaks, fried whiting, broiled fresh
herrings, soused herrings, fishcakes, broiled kippers, 'Findon' haddock, sprats fried in butter, fish kedgeree, fried
salmon, salmon pie, baked lobster, codfish pie, cod's steak, croquettes of cod's roe, herrings stuffed with fish.
Fruit such as stewed figs, stewed prunes, and fresh fruits in season. Game and pheasant legs, brawn, devilled
drumsticks, and meat dishes both hot and cold, such as collared tongue, kidneys on toast, sausages with fried
bread, pig's cheek, Melton pork pie, ham, galantine, spiced brisket, pressed beef...
So what does the great British breakfast consist of nowadays?
Simpsons in the Strand, a well know (and expensive) restaurant, serves breakfast daily. Their full English
breakfast consists of the following:-
The GREAT BRITISH BREAKFAST at £13.95 includes:- Toast with jam or marmalade, pastries, fresh orange
juice, freshly brewed coffee, a choice of cereals, porridge, stewed fruit or half a grapefruit, The Simpson’s
Cumberland sausage, scrambled egg, streaky and back bacon, black pudding, grilled mushrooms and tomato
and a daily newspaper (not for consumption).
In addition to the GREAT BRITISH BREAKFAST, for serious breakfast eaters, Simpson's offers THE TEN
DEADLY SINS - at £15.95 per person this includes: Toast with jam or marmalade, pastries, fresh orange juice,
freshly brewed coffee Choice of cereals, porridge, stewed fruit or half a grapefruit The Simpson’s Cumberland
sausage, fried egg, streaky and back bacon, black pudding, lamb’s kidneys, fried bread, liver, bubble & squeak,
baked beans, grilled mushrooms and tomato.
Guests may also choose from an à la carte selection of classic breakfast dishes such as: Smoked Haddock
Kedgeree; Poached Finan Haddock; Quail’s eggs with haddock; Smoked Salmon with Scrambled Eggs; Grilled
sirloin steak with grilled mushrooms and tomato and welsh rarebit. There is also a selection of plain, cheese,
bacon, herb, mushroom and smoked salmon omelettes.
-251-
The Sunday Roast

Every Sunday thousands of British families sit down together to eat a veritable feast of roasted meat served with
roast potatoes, vegetables and other accompaniments. It is a tradition with a long pedigree, so read on...
How it all began
In medieval times the village serfs served the squire for six days a week. Sundays however were a day of rest,
and after the morning church service, serfs would assemble in a field and practice their battle techniques.
They were rewarded with mugs of ale and a feast of oxen roasted on a spit.
Nowadays
The tradition has survived because the meat can be put in the oven to roast before the family goes to church
and be ready to eat when they return.
Typical meats for roasting are joints of beef, pork, lamb or a whole chicken. More rarely duck, goose, gammon,
turkey or game are eaten. The more popular roasts are often served with traditional accompaniments, these are:
roast beef - served with Yorkshire pudding; and horseradish sauce or English mustard as relishes.
roast pork - served with crackling (the crispy skin of the pork) and sage and onion stuffing; apple sauce and
English mustard as relishes
roast lamb - served with sage and onion stuffing and mint sauce as a relish
roast chicken - served with pigs in blankets, chipolata sausages and stuffing, and bread sauce or cranberry
sauce or redcurrant jelly
Any self respecting Sunday roast should be served with a gravy made from the meat juices.
Bangers and Mash
You might see this on offer in a pub or cafe. Simply put, bangers are sausages, and mash is potato that's been
boiled and then mashed up (usually with butter). The sausage used in bangers and mash can be made of pork
or beef with apple or tomato seasoning; often a Lincolnshire, or Cumberland sausage is used.
The dish is usually served with a rich onion gravy. Although sometimes stated that the term "bangers" has its
origins in World War II, the term was actually in use at least as far back as 1919.
-252-
Bubble and Squeak
Bubble and squeak (sometimes just called bubble) is a traditional English dish made with the shallow-fried
leftover vegetables from a Sunday roast dinner. The chief ingredients are potato and cabbage, but carrots, peas,
brussels sprouts, and other vegetables can be added. It is usually served with cold meat from the Sunday roast,
and pickles, but you can eat it on its own. Traditionally the meat was added to the bubble and squeak itself,
although nowadays the vegetarian version is more common. The cold chopped vegetables (and cold chopped
meat if used) are fried in a pan together with mashed potato until the mixture is well-cooked and browned.
There are various theories as to the origin of its name, one of them being that it is a description of the action and
sound made during the cooking process.
You can even by pre-p repared frozen and tinned versions, but they're pretty disgusting.
Fish and Chips
Fish and chips is the traditional take-away food of England, long before McDonalds we had the fish and chip
shop. Fresh cod is the most common fish for our traditional fish and chips, other types of fish used include
haddock, huss, and plaice.
The fresh fish is dipped in flour and then dipped in batter and deep fried, it is then served with chips (fresh not
frozen) and usually you will be asked if you want salt and vinegar added. Sometimes people will order curry
sauce (yellow sauce that tastes nothing like real curry), mushy peas (well it's green anyway) or pickled eggs (yes
pickled).
Traditionally fish and chips were served up wrapped in old newspaper. Nowadays (thanks to hygiene laws) they
are wrapped in greaseproof paper and sometimes paper that has been specially printed to look like newspaper.
You often get a small wooden or plastic fork to eat them with too, although it is quite ok to use your fingers.
-253-
Steaks - an American tradition?
When you think about steak America always seems to come to mind, with cowboys and Texan cattle
millionaires. However in the past steaks were so British that our elite troops were referred to as beefeaters, you
can still see them in their traditional costume at the Tower of London.
The term Porterhouse for a special large kind of steak cuts has nothing to do with porters or luggage carriers but
originates from British pubs where a special brand of dark beer, Porter beer, was served, and where a snack
consisted of a steak some 2 lbs (about 900 grams) by weight - a single portion for a single man.
British Cheese
Cheese is made from the curdled milk of various animals: most commonly cows but often goats, sheep and even
reindeer, and buffalo. Rennet is often used to induce milk to coagulate, although some cheeses are curdled with
acids like vinegar or lemon juice or with extracts of vegetable rennet.
Britain started producing cheese thousands of years ago. However, it was in Roman times that the cheese-
making process was originally honed and the techniques developed. In the Middle Ages, the gauntlet was
passed to the monasteries that flourished following the Norman invasion. It is to these innovative monks that we
are indebted for so many of the now classic types of cheese that are produced in Britain.
The tradition of making cheese nearly died out during WWII, when due to rationing only one type of cheese
could be manufactured - the unappealingly named 'National Cheese'.
The discovery and revival of old recipes and the development of new types of cheese has seen the British
cheese industry flourish in recent years and diversify in a way not seen since the 17th century.
I have written a quick guide to British cheeses here.

-254-
The Humble Sandwich - yes that's ours too!
Where would British be without the cheese sandwich? The origin of the sandwich is as British as it could be. The
name refers to the Earl of Sandwich who lived 1718 to 1792. The British have always been keen on betting and
gambling, but the Earl of Sandwich overdid it even by our standards. During his gambling days, taking meals
was considered by him as highly unwelcome interruptions. He therefore invented a kind of meal not requiring
him to exchange the gambling table for the dining table: sandwiches.
Indian Cuisine in the UK
The word curry, meaning 'to spice' has been used since the medieval period. Nowadays, a night out in the pub,
followed by a curry, is a tradition in many cities. Ever since the Victorian era, during the British Raj, Britain has
been "borrowing" Indian dishes, and then creating Anglo-Indian cuisine to suit the British palate. Back then we
came up with kedgeree, coronation chicken and mulligatawny soup, all traditional Anglo-Indian dishes, but they
are not that popular today. More recently many varieties of Indian curry of which chicken tikka masala and balti
are the best known have been popularised. In fact chicken tikka masala is now considered one of Britain's most
popular dishes, you can even buy chicken tikka masala flavoured crisps.
The future
The food industry in Britain is now undergoing major changes. From a resurgence of interest in organic food to
the other extreme - genetically modified (GM) food. GM food has so incensed the general public that there have
been mass demonstrations against it all over the country.
Genetically modified food

Enough sites found for GM farm trials (13 March 2000)
taken from simplyfood.co.uk
Farm-scale trials of genetically-modified (GM) crops look set to go ahead after enough sites were found to carry
out the experiments, following a meeting of the Scientific Steering Committee, an independent group overseeing
the trials.
-255-
A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said: 'The outcome of the meeting was that there are sufficient sites to allow
trials to go ahead. They will be advising ministers next week and an announcement will be made as soon as
possible.'
It had been reported last month that the trial site organisers were 'struggling' to find enough farmers to take part.
Ministers were said to want about 75 farm-scale trials of GM crops this year to test whether they damage the
environment. They need to choose from a pool of 150 farms for the first phase of the three-year scientific
experiment.
Peter Melchett, executive director of Greenpeace UK, said: 'If these trials go ahead it will be a potential tragedy
for the environment. Britain will be bombarded with GM pollen without any regard for wildlife, people, or GM-free
farmers. The whole process has been nothing short of genetic tyranny with an almost complete absence of
public consultation.'
A Friends of the Earth spokesman urged farmers who had volunteered for the trials to 'think again'. He said:
'Farmers who have signed up for these very large trials should realise that they have also signed up to a packet
of potential problems. Issues such as liability for cross-pollination of neighbouring crops and contamination of
honey have not been resolved. The main beneficiaries of GM crops could well be lawyers rather farmers.'
Some Interesting Websites for Foodies!
You can find some traditional British recipes from the English magazine on the recipes page. All tried and tested
by yours truly.
Another interesting site can be found at http://www.nutrition.org.uk/ including a great information section.
One of the staples in the English person's diet is cheese, if you don't believe me just watch Wallace and
Grommit. This great site is all about cheese: All about cheese
Iceland - no not the country! Learn all about frozen food here.
Find out all about the rules, regulations and government bodies in control of food in the UK
at: http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk
Interesting Food facts
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/foodculture.html#sthash.xQwSKbmt.dpuf

-256-
English Recipes Page
Learn English by doing. What better way to practise your English than by following instructions? You'll soon
know if you've made a mistake. So, by popular request here are some of the recipes I've featured in the English
Magazine - EZine. From traditional recipes to current favourites of mine.
Definitions for the recipes
A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z
Apple Crumble
Traditional English Recipe - Apple

Crumble
Share your recipes
This delicious recipe is a favourite pudding for Sunday dinner, and it is so easy to make.
Original photo by dichecho.
Ingredients
1 ½ lb (200g) cooking apples
6oz Castor sugar
1oz Demorara sugar
½ lb Self-raising flour
¼ lb Butter
Method
1. Grease a 2 pint over proof dish.
2. Peel and slice the apples.
3. Mix the apples with 2 oz of sugar and put into the oven proof dish.
4. Chop the butter into cubes.
5. Place butter and flour into a mixing bowl and rub in using fingertips until crumbs form.
6. Stir in the rest of the sugar (4 oz).
7. Sprinkle the rubbed in mixture over the apples and press down lightly.
8. Bake for an hour in a preheated oven at 350°F.
9. Serve hot or cold with custard or cream.
Definitions:-
To bake: To cook in an oven.
To chop: To cut food into small even-sized pieces using a knife or food processor.
To grease: To apply a layer of fat to a surface to prevent food from sticking, e.g. grease the baking tray with
butter.
To mix: To beat or stir food ingredients together until they are combined.
To peel: To remove the outer layer of a food.
To rub in: A method of incorporating fat into flour by rubbing the fat with the fingertips until it combines with the
flour to form a mixture with a breadcrumb-like consistency, eg rub the butter into the flour and add enough cold
water to form a smooth dough. Pastry, scones, cakes and biscuits are made using the rub in method.
To slice: To cut something into even-sized thin pieces using a sharp knife or food processor.
To sprinkle: To scatter a powdered ingredient or tiny droplets of a liquid, eg sprinkle the caster sugar over the
fruit or sprinkle the brandy over the fruit cake.
To stir: To agitate an ingredient or a number of ingredients using a hand held tool such as a spoon.
!Note - you can vary the fruit, or add other dry ingredients like chopped nuts or oatmeal into the crumble mix.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/applecrumble.html#sthash.XcsITH34.dpuf

-257-
Apple Dumplings

Dumplings
Share your recipes
Recipe Books
Ingredients
½ lb Shortcrust pastry
4 cooking apples
2oz Soft brown sugar
4 cloves
1 Egg white (lightly whisked)
1oz Caster sugar
Method
1. Divide the pastry into 4 equal pieces.
2. Roll out each piece of pastry into a round about twice the size of the apple.
3. Brush the pastry rounds with the lightly whisked egg white.
4. Peel and core the apples.
5. Stand each apple in the centre of the pastry rounds.
6. Fill the core of the apples with a clove and caster sugar (you can also add some dried fruit or chopped
nuts.)
7. Gather the pastry round each apple until the fruit is completely wrapped.
8. Brush the joins with egg white.
9. Place the wrapped apples (seam side down) on a heat proof dish.
10. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with castor sugar.
11. Bake the apples for about 30 minutes.
12. Serve hot or cold.
-258-
Definitions:-
To brush: To cover food with an even layer of liquid by applying it with a pastry brush, eg brush the pastry with
beaten egg or milk to glaze.
Caster / Castor sugar: This is the British term for a refined sugar with small grains (between granulated and icing
sugar). It is known as ‘superfine’ sugar in America.
To core: To remove the core or center of something.
To divide: To separate into parts or portions.
To roll out: To reduce the thickness of pastry or dough by applying equal pressure with a rolling pin.
To sprinkle: To scatter a powdered ingredient or tiny droplets of a liquid, eg sprinkle the castor sugar over the
To whisk: To beat a mixture vigorously with a whisk
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/appledumpling.html#sthash.BNEnZtUy.dpuf

-259-
Asparagus with Lemon Mint Sauce
Traditional English Recipe - Asparagus with lemon-

mint
This makes a lovely starter or accompaniment.
Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup minced fresh mint leaves
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
Method
1. Put the asparagus in an asparagus pot with enough water to touch the bottom of the
asparagus.
2. Cover and steam over medium-high heat until tender (5 to 8 minutes).
3. Drain.
4. Heat butter or oil, cardamom, lemon juice and mint in small saucepan over a low heat. When hot, pour over
asparagus and serve.
Definitions:-
To drain: To remove water from ingredients cooked in liquid or from raw ingredients that have been washed in
water by placing them in a sieve or colander.
To steam: To cook food in the steam rising from boiling water.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/asparagus.html#sthash.2iKeIWSl.dpuf

-260-
Bannocks
Traditional Scottish Recipe -

Bannocks
These are traditionally eaten on May Day in Scotland
Eat on the same day as baking.
The quantities below will be enough for two bannocks about the size of a dessert plate. If you want more, do
them in batches rather than making larger quantities of mixture. Store in a tin and reheat in a moderate oven
when required.
Ingredients (Makes about two large bannocks)

4 oz (125g) medium oatmeal
2 teaspoons melted fat (bacon fat, if available)
2 pinches of bicarbonate of soda (bicarb)
Pinch of salt
3/4 tablespoon hot water
Oatmeal for kneading
Method
1. Mix the oatmeal, salt and bicarb and pour the melted fat into the centre of the mixture.
2. Stir well, using a porridge stick (spurtle) if you have one and add enough water to form a stiff dough.
3. Cover a surface in oatmeal and place the mixture onto this. Work quickly as the dough is difficult to work if it
cools.
4. Split the dough into two and roll one half into a ball and knead with hands covered in oatmeal to stop it
sticking to your fingers.
5. Roll out to around quarter inch thick. Put a plate which is slightly smaller than the size of your pan over the
flattened mixture and cut round to leave a circular oatcake.
6. Cut into quarters (also called farls) and place into a lightly-greased, heated pan.
7. Cook for about three minutes until the edges curl slightly, turn, and cook the other side.
8. Get the other oatcake while the first is cooking.
9. Serve warm with jam.
-261-
Definitions:-
To knead: To work a dough by hand, using a folding-back and pressing-forward motion.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/bannocks.html#sthash.4ca2pK8c.dpuf
Bara Brith
Traditional Welsh Recipe - Bara Brith
Traditionally eaten in Wales. It keeps well in the freezer. (Do you like my tea cosy?)
Ingredients
1 lb self-raising flour
1/2 lb soft brown sugar
1/4 lb butter
1/2 lb currants or sultanas
1 egg
1 lemon
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp treacle
1/2 pint buttermilk
Cold black tea (for soaking the dried fruit)
-262-
Method
1. Soak the currants or sultanas in black tea for several hours.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, spice, and bicarb.
3. Strain the fruit and add to the dry ingredients and start to mix.
4. Add the egg, and mix.
5. Add the juice of the lemon and the treacle, and mix.
6. Add the buttermilk bit by bit until the mixture is quite runny.
7. Pour the mixture into a greased baking tin, and bake at 190C for approximately 90 mins. (Loosely cover the
top for the first hour, to avoid burning.)
8. Once cooked, turn out and cool.
(Serve sliced with butter and a cup of tea.)
Definitions:-
Mix: To beat or stir food ingredients together until they are combined.
To pour: To transfer a liquid from one container to another.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/barabrith.html#sthash.fhFgTPQc.dpuf
Blackberry Fool
Traditional English Recipe -

Blackberry Fool
Ingredients
4 oz. (100g) fresh blackberries

8 oz. (225g) low-fat fromage frais
1 packet jelly
2 tsp granulated sugar
-263-
Method
1) Clean the fruit carefully before use.
2) Sprinkle the blackberries with the sugar.
3) Make the jelly with a quarter pint (150 ml) of boiling water.
4) Stir in the blackberries and make up to three quarters of a pint (450 ml) with cold water.
5) Cool in the refrigerator until nearly set then stir in the fromage frais.
6) Whisk until light and fluffy and chill in glasses before serving
Definitions:-
To stir: agitate an ingredient or a number of ingredients using a hand held tool such as a spoon, eg stir the
onions until they are lightly browned.
To sprinkle: scatter a powdered ingredient or tiny droplets of a liquid, eg sprinkle the caster sugar over the fruit
or sprinkle the brandy over the fruit cake.
To whisk: To beat a mixture vigorously with a whisk.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/blackberryfool.html#sthash.xkqe1czq.dpuf
Blackberry Vinegar

Blackberry Vinegar
Materials needed
A large sterilised glass jar

Fine sieve
Several decorative bottles
A traditional recipe that makes a lovely gift
Ingredients
450 grams blackberries
1 tbsp sugar
450 ml good quality white wine vinegar
Method
1. Place the berries in a glass jar and sprinkle with sugar.
2. Stir for one minute to release a bit of the juice.
3. Pour the white wine vinegar over the berries, cap the jar and let it sit on a cool, dark shelf for 3-4 weeks.
4. Pour the mixture through a fine strainer to remove the berries' flesh and seeds.
5. Put the strained vinegar into decorative bottles, label and tie with ribbons..
Definitions:-
To sprinkle: To scatter a dry ingredient or tiny droplets of a liquid.
tbsp: Tablespoon (approx 15 grams)
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/blackberryvinegar.html#sthash.s3p4exf8.dpuf

-264-
Black Pudding
Traditional English Recipe - Black Pudding
Question - When is a pudding not a pudding?

Answer - When it's a black pudding.
Traditionally eaten as part of a full English breakfast, this is not a sweet pudding!
Those who like it, love it. Me? I leave it.
Ingredients
1 quart of fresh pig's blood

1 quart of skimmed milk
½ loaf of bread cut into cubes
1 cup of rice
1 cup of barley
1lb fresh beef suet
2 or 3 handfuls of dry oatmeal
Pepper, salt, black pepper and dried mint (to taste)
Method
1. Prepare the rice and barley by soaking them in water and cooking well in the oven.
2. Place the bread in a large pie dish.
3. Pour the milk over the bread.
4. Place in a warm oven (do not overheat).
5. Pour the blood into the warmed milk and bread.
6. Add the cooked rice and barley.
7. Grate in the beef suet.
8. Stir in the oatmeal.
9. Season with pepper, salt etc.
10. Place into greased dripping pans until ¾ full.
11. Bake in a moderate oven until cooked through.
-265-
Definitions
Bake: To cook in an oven.
Dripping pans : Pan for catching drippings under roasting meat
To grate: To rub food downwards on a grater to produce shreds or slices of varying thicknesses.
To grease: to apply a layer of fat to a surface to prevent food from sticking, e.g. grease the baking tray with
butter.
To soak: To immerse a solid in a liquid.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/blackpudding.html#sthash.TfSbf6Ks.dpuf

-266-
Blancmange

Blancmange
This used to be a celebration dish, until British school dinners made it into the horror of a powdered packet
nightmare. If you make it from scratch, using quality ingredients, it tastes lovely.
Ingredients
1 pint of milk
1 pint of cream
4 oz caster sugar
1 1/4 oz gelatine
½ oz sweet almonds (blanched and crushed into a paste)
The rind of ½ lemon
1 drop almond extract
Method
Put the milk into a saucepan, with the gelatine and lemon rind.
Place over a very low heat until the milk is well-flavoured and the gelatine has dissolved.
Add the almonds and almond extract.
Allow the mixture to come to the boil.
As soon as it boils, strain the mixture through a fine sieve or muslin into a jug.
Add the cream and stir the mixture occasionally until nearly cold. (You can speed this up by placing the jug in a
bowl of water with icecubes in it, but make sure to stir continuously. You can colour the mixture here too.)
Let it stand for a few minutes.
Oil the mould.
Pour the mixture carefully into the mould making sure no sediment is poured in. (You can add fruit if you wish.)
Place in the fridge and leave to set.
When ready to serve, turn it out by loosening the edges of the blancmange from the mould, place it on a dish
and turn the mould over quickly.
Decorate with whisked cream and fresh fruit.
-267-
Definitions:-
To strain: To pass wet ingredients through a sieve to remove lumps or pieces of food, eg strain the stock to
remove any small pieces of meat or flavourings.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/blancmange.html#sthash.hEtYZYkM.dpuf
Bonfire Toffee
Traditional English Recipe - Bonfire

Toffee
Traditionally eaten on Bonfire night in England.
Ingredients
1 lb sugar - preferably Demerara
1/3 pint water
1 ¼ ozs butter
2 level tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon vinegar
Method
1. Put all the ingredients into a strong saucepan and stir over a steady heat until the sugar
has dissolved.
2. Bring to the boil and cook until the mixture reaches the 'hard crack' stage, 290 degrees F. To test for the hard
crack stage drop about half a teaspoon of the mixture into a cup of cold water, if it is hard then it is done, if still
soft and chewy cook for a little longer and test again.
3. Pour into oiled or buttered tin and either allow to set as a slab or mark in squared as toffee becomes partially
set. Break when completely set.
Variations 1 Use black treacle instead of golden syrup 2 Add peanuts or chopped mixed nuts.
-268-
Definitions:-
Hard crack stage: A term used in connection with making sweets to determine the temperature of a sugar and
water syrup.
To boil: cook a liquid at a temperature of at least 100°C.
To dissolve: to add a solid to a liquid and to stir or heat it until the solid becomes an integral part of the liquid.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/bonfiretoffee.html#sthash.P0n1q5sd.dpuf
Branston Pickle
Traditional English Recipe - Branston Pickle
Branston Pickle is a well known brand of savoury foods in the UK. It was originally made by Crosse & Blackwell
in 1922, in the Branston suburb of Burton upon Trent. If making it is a bit of a faff, you can easily order it online.
It's very important to use sterile glass jars for storage and make sure they're hot to avoid the glass cracking.
Ingredients
9 ounces carrots, peeled, cut into small chunks

1 medium swede, peeled, cut into small chunks
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
5 ounces dates, finely chopped
1 small cauliflower, finely chopped
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 medium apples, unpeeled, finely chopped,
2 medium courgettes, unpeeled, finely chopped
15-20 small gherkins, finely chopped
10 ounces dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 pint malt vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-269-
Method
1. Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring them to the boil.
2. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the swede is cooked, but still remains firm
(takes about 2 hours depending on the size of the chunks).
3. Stir well.
4. Spoon the mixture into hot, sterile jars and seal them.
5. Allow the pickle to age for a few weeks before using.
!Note - This pickle is usually served with cheese, ploughman's lunches, in sandwiches, and with cold cuts and
meats. It is also great when added to curries or stews.
Definitions
To boil: To cook a liquid at a temperature of at least 100°C.
To simmer: To keep a liquid just below boiling point, usually in a pan on the hob, e.g. simmer the sauce until it
starts to thicken.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/branstonpickle.html#sthash.UNB3jXCe.dpuf

-270-
Bread and Butter Pudding
Traditional English Recipe - Bread

and Butter Pudding
This is a great way to use up slightly stale bread.
Ingredients
30 g butter
8 thick slices of day old bread
2 tbsp sultanas
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
3 eggs (beaten)
2 tsp vanilla essence
700 ml milk
125 ml cream
1 tbsp demerara sugar
Method
1. Grease an ovenproof dish (about 9" diameter).
2. Butter the sliced bread.
3. Cut the slices in half diagonally and layer it in the ovenproof dish.
4. Mix together the sultanas, caster sugar and mixed spice.
5. Whisk the eggs, vanilla, milk and cream and pour over the bread.
6. Leave to stand for 45 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
8. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top of the soaked bread.
9. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the custard around the bread has set.
10. Serve hot with custard or cream.
-271-
Definitions:-
butter.
To mix: To beating or stir foods together until they are combined.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/breadandbutter.html#sthash.dmwckESS.dpuf
Bubble and Squeak
Traditional English Recipe - Bubble

and Squeak
You can make this fresh, but it is traditionally for using up leftovers from a Sunda roast, in fact after Christmas
you can replace the cabbage with cooked sprouts, and for extra flavour you can add bits of bacon. It is
traditionally served with cold meat from the Sunday roast, and pickles, or you can add it to a full English
breakfast. The name probably refers to the noise it makes while it's cooking.
Ingredients
1 pound of cold boiled potatoes
2 ounces of dripping or lard
1 onion
8 ounces cooked cabbage
Salt and pepper to taste
-272-
Method
1. Finely chop the onion.
2. Roughly chop the cabbage.
3. Mash the potatoes .
4. In a frying pan melt half the fat and lightly fry the onion.
5. Mix in the potato and greens and season to taste.
6. Add a bit more fat.
7. Press the bubble into the hot fat and fry over a moderate heat until browned underneath.
8. Turn the bubble over, add the last of the fat and fry until the other side is browned.
Definitions:-
To chop - to cut food into small even-sized pieces using a knife or food processor.
To fry - to cook in hot fat.
To mash - to break down a solid ingredient into a smooth paste.
To melt - to apply heat to a solid ingredient to turn it into a liquid.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/bubbleandsqueak.html#sthash.HtWFVb5b.dpuf

-273-
Cheese Straws
Traditional English Recipe - Cheese

Straws
Cheese Straws
Ingredients
6oz of plain flour
4oz of cheddar cheese
3oz of butter
1 egg
A large pinch of salt
A small pinch of cayenne pepper
1 beaten egg to glaze
1. Grate the cheese finely.

2. Mix the flour with the salt and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Rub in the butter using your fingertips, till crumbs form.
4. Mix in the finely grated cheese.
5. Whisk the egg and mix it into the flour mixture to form a dough.
6. Knead the dough lightly and roll it out to 1/4" thickness.
7. Cut the dough into strips 1/4" wide and 3" long.
8. Place in straight lines on a greased and floured tray.
9. Lightly brush the top of the strips with beaten egg.
10. Heat the oven to 375°F.
11. Bake for 10 mins, until the strips are light brown.
12. Cool on a rack .
-274-
Definitions
To knead: To work a dough by hand, using a folding-back and pressing-forward motion. (Not to be confused with
need - knead vs need.)
To pat: To lightly tap or slap something with the hands.
tbsp: Tablespoon (approx 15 ml)
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/cheesestraws.html#sthash.xATZWXGB.dpuf

-275-
Cherry Slices
English Recipe - Cherry Slices

It's cherry season here, but don't worry these delicious cakes don't need fresh cherries.
Ingredients (Makes about 24 slices)

For the base
8oz plain flour

2oz icing sugar
8oz butter (chopped)
For the topping
1oz butter
3oz castor sugar
1tbsp milk
2tsp vanilla essence
3oz chopped hazlenuts
5oz red glace (glazed) cherries
Method
The base
1. Heat the oven to 415°F. Grease and line a 7 x 11 inch shallow tin.
2. Sift together the icing sugar and flour into a mixing bowl.
3. Add the chopped butter and rub in until the mixture forms a dough.
4. Press the dough into the prepared tin and bake for 15 minutes (till light golden brown)
The topping
1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.

2. Add the caster sugar, milk and vanilla essence.
3. Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves.
4. Bring the sugar mixture to the boil, then remove from heat.
5. Stir the hazlenuts and cherries into the mixture.
6. Spread the topping over the base.
7. Bake for a further 15 - 20 minutes.
8. Cut into slices, while still warm.
9. Allow to cool before serving.
Definitions
To bake: to cook in an oven.
butter.
To sift: To put dry ingredients such as flour or sugar through a sifter or mesh screen to loosen particles and
incorporate air.
To spread: To apply on a surface in an even layer.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/cherryslices.html#sthash.a5vKB6Ed.dpuf

-276-
Chicken and Sweetcorn
English Recipe - Chicken and

Sweetcorn Soup
Ingredients
150g or 5½oz of canned sweetcorn (You can use fresh)

700 ml or 1¼ pints of chicken stock
2 medium-sized cooked chicken breasts
8 baby corn cobs
Spring onions, chopped
2.5-cm (1-inch) piece root ginger, chopped
30ml or 2tbsps of light soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper ... to taste
Method
1. Place the chicken stock, into a saucepan and gently cook for 5 minutes.
2. Whilst the stock is cooking, slice the chicken breasts thinly and stir the slices into the stock.
3. Add the sweetcorn from the can and baby corn, and stir.
4. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the ginger, soy sauce and spring onions, and continue cooking gently for another 10 minutes.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve.
Definitions:-
To slice: to cut into even-sized thin pieces using a sharp knife or food processor, eg slice the carrots.
To stir: to agitate an ingredient or a number of ingredients using a hand held tool such as a spoon, eg stir the
onions until they are lightly browned
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/chickensweetcorn.html#sthash.NnBDbLfJ.dpuf

-277-
Choccy Malty Marshy Drink
Choccy Malty Marshy Drinky (for

Elfish)
Ingredients
2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp milk
¼ pint single cream
18fl oz hot frothed milk1
White marshmallows
Maltesers2
Method
1. Mix the cocoa powder with the 2 tbsp of to form a paste.
2. Heat the cream slowly (do not boil).
3. Remove from the heat, add the frothed milk.
4. Fold in the cocoa paste and whisk to combine.
5. Pour the hot chocolate into two or three mugs and put a white marshmallow and some Maltesers on the
top.
6. If you want you can then top the whole thing with whipped cream.
-278-
Definitions:-
To fold: A method of gently mixing ingredients. Usually egg whites or whipped cream are folded into a heavier
mixture, for a souffle, cake, or pie filling. The lighter mixture is placed on top of the heavier mixture, then the two
are combined by passing a spatula down through the mixture, across the bottom, and up over the top. This
process continues until the mixtures are combined. This traps air into bubbles in the product, allowing baked
goods to rise.
1
You can froth the milk by using a cappucino machine steamer, or heat in the microwave and froth with a whisk.
2
Maltesers are honeycombed malt biscuit balls coated in milk chocolate (more biscuit than chocolate).
Manufactured by Mars.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/choccydrink.html#sthash.wNFsiNgw.dpuf

-279-
Chocolate Cake
English Recipe - Easy Chocolate

Cake
There is no sweeter indulgence than chocolate. Whether it's a steaming cup of hot cocoa, a plate of heart-
shaped chocolates or an exotic layered dessert, chocolate is a seductive treat. With Valentine's Day
approaching, thoughts naturally turn to chocolate and so this month's recipe is for all you chocoholics out their!
Ingredients (Makes 10 to 12 servings)
1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong black coffee or 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-280-
Method
1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round baking trays or one 13x9x2-inch
baking tray.
2. Stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs,
buttermilk, coffee liquid, and vanilla; beat thoroughly (batter should be thin). Pour batter evenly into the
prepared baking trays.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes for round trays, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular tray or until a wooden pick
inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the tray for about 10 minutes then remove from the trays
onto wire racks. Cool completely. Decorate as desired.
Definitions
To beat: To thoroughly combine ingredients and incorporate air with a rapid, circular motion. This may be done
with a wooden spoon, wire whisk, rotary eggbeater, electric mixer or food processor.
To flour : to apply a thin layer of flour to a surface to prevent food from sticking, e.g. flour the baking tray.
butter.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/chocolatecake.html#sthash.fZISZe1x.dpuf

-281-
Chocolate Fudge
English Recipe - Chocolate Fudge
There is no sweeter indulgence than chocolate. Whether it's a steaming cup of hot cocoa, a plate of heart-
shaped chocolates or an exotic layered dessert, chocolate is a seductive treat. With Valentine's
Day approaching, thoughts naturally turn to chocolate and so this month's recipe is for all you chocoholics out
their!
Ingredients
400 g granulated sugar

225 ml unsweetened condensed milk
40 g butter
1 g salt
50 g unsweetened chocolate
15 ml light corn syrup
300 g chopped walnuts
5 ml vanilla extract
Method
1. Combine the sugar, condensed milk, butter, salt, chocolate, and syrup in a large heavy-based saucepan.
2. Heat slowly whilst stirring until everything is melted.
3. When the chocolate is completely melted, beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
4. Heat till the mixture is halfway between soft and medium ball stage.
5. Let cool until barely touchable.
6. Stir in the chopped walnuts and vanilla.
7. Beat the mixture until it starts to set and spread it into a 20-cm, square pan (pre-greased with butter).
-282-
Definitions
To combine: To add one or more ingredients to another.
butter.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/chocolatefudge.html#sthash.JfJj0ZxI.dpuf

-283-
Christmas Cake
Traditional Christmas Recipe -

Christmas Cake
Christmas cakes are very rich and dark and contain just about every dried fruit you can
think of,
Ingredients
1lb flour
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cinnamon
a pinch of salt
½ lb butter
¾ lb soft brown sugar
½ lb currants
½ lb sultanas
¼ lb shredded candied peel and almonds
4 eggs
tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ lb glacé cherries
½ pint stout or milk
-284-
Method
1. Sift the flour.

2. Add the salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
3. Rub in the butter.
4. Add the sugar, currants, sultanas, shredded candied peel, and almonds.
5. Lightly beat the eggs
6. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in a little milk or water and add to the beaten eggs.
7. Mix with the dry ingredients.
8. Stir in the cherries.
9. Mix in the stout or milk. (Stout gives colour and flavour to the cake).
10. Put the mixture into a well-greased, lined tin.
11. Bake in a moderate oven, for about 3 hours or until a skewer comes clean.
12. Decorate to taste.
Definitions
To dissolve: To mix dry ingredient with liquid until in solution.
To mix: To beat or stir foods together until they are combined.
To sift : To put dry ingredients such as flour or sugar through a sifter or mesh screen to loosen particles and
incorporate air.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/christmascake.html#sthash.siqZMsmN.dpuf

-285-
Christmas Pudding
Traditional Christmas Recipe - Christmas Pudding

Christmas puddings are very rich and dark and contain just about every dried fruit you can think of. Traditionally served
on Christmas Day.
Ingredients
1 oz blanched almonds
1 oz glace cherries
2 oz mixed peel
¼ lb raisins
6 oz sultanas
6 oz currants
¼ lb soft brown sugar
3oz self-raising flour
3oz soft white breadcrumbs
¼ lb chopped suet
a small pinch of salt
a large pinch of mixed spice
a small pinch of nutmeg
1 small lemon
2 eggs
6 tbsp milk
-286-
Method
1. Boil a large pan of water.

2. Wash and dry the fruit.
3. Roughly chop the almonds and cherries.
4. Mix all the fruit and dry ingredients with the grated rind and juice of the lemon.
5. Lightly whisk the eggs with the milk, and stir into the dry ingredients.
6. Mix well and place into a greased basin.
7. Cover the basin with foil and lower it into the boiling water (make sure the water doesn't
come to the top of the basin)
8. Steam the pudding gently for 6 hours, topping the water up occasionally.
9. Remove the pudding from the pan and allow to cool.
10. Cover when cold and keep until required.
11. On Christmas day steam the pudding for another 2 hours before serving.
(It's traditional to serve the pudding alight, but it should be done with great care. To do it, I pour
brandy over the pudding and then warm some brandy in a metal spoon and place a lit match to it
before pouring it over the pudding. With the lights out, it looks very pretty, but it should only be
done by an expert, like me!)
Definitions
To stir: To agitate an ingredient or a number of ingredients using a hand held tool such as a
spoon.
Sponsors
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/christmaspudding.html#sthash.jhFtDSEj.dpuf

-287-
Colcannon
Traditional Irish Recipe - Colcannon

A traditional Irish recipe from County Mayo. This makes a good warming dish for a Halloween or Bonfire
Night party, but it's nice to eat anytime!
Materials needed
A large saucepan
A potato masher
Ingredients (Makes 4 to 6 servings)

1/2 kg cabbage or kale
1/2 kg potatoes
2 leeks
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch ground mace
1/4 pound butter
Method
1. In a large saucepan, boil the cabbage/kale until tender; remove and chop or blend well. Set aside and
keep warm.
2. Boil the potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and drain.
3. Chop the leeks, green parts as well as white, and simmer them in just enough milk to cover, until they
are soft.
4. Season and mash the potatoes well.
5. Stir in the cooked leeks and milk.
6. Blend in the kale or cabbage and heat until the whole is a pale green fluff.
7. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Mix well and serve.
-288-
Definitions
To blend: To process food in an electric blender or mixer.
To mash: To break down a cooked ingredient such as potatoes into a smooth mixture using a potato masher or
fork.
To season: To add salt, pepper and/or herbs to a food or dish to enhance its flavour.
starts to thicken.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/colcannon.html#sthash.vFFcKPs7.dpuf

-289-
Coronation Chicken

Coronation Chicken
Ingredients
2.3kg (5lb) chicken

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small, finely chopped onion
1 tbsp curry paste
1 tbsp tomato puree
100ml red wine
1 bay leaf
1/2 lemon juice
4 finely chopped apricot halves
300ml (1/2 pint) Mayonnaise
100ml (4 fl oz) whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Watercress to garnish
Method
1. Remove the skin from the chicken and cut the meat into small pieces.
2. Grill the chicken pieces until cooked.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the oil, and fry the onion for about three minutes, until softened.
4. Add the curry paste, tomato puree, wine, bay leaf and lemon juice.
5. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until well reduced.
6. Strain the mixture and leave to cool.
7. Puree the chopped apricot halves in a blender or food processor or through a sieve.
8. Beat the cooled sauce into the mayonnaise with the apricot puree.
9. Whip the cream to stiff peaks and fold into the mixture.
10. Season, adding a little extra lemon juice if necessary.
11. Fold in the chicken pieces, garnish with watercress and serve.
-290-
Definitions:-
To fold: A method of gently mixing ingredients. The lighter mixture is placed on top of the heavier mixture, then
the two are combined by passing a spatula down through the mixture, across the bottom, and up over the top.
This process continues until the mixtures are combined.
To fry: To cook in hot fat.
To grill - To cook by direct radiant heat.
To purée: To press raw or cooked food through a fine sieve or blend in a food processor or liquidiser to produce
a smooth mixture.
To reduce: To simmer or boil a liquid in an uncovered pan until it thickens. Reducing concentrates the flavour of
the liquid. We say the liquid has been reduced.
starts to thicken.
To whip: To beat rapidly using a fork, hand or electric whisk to introduce air into a mixture or single ingredient to
increase the volume.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/coronationchicken.html#sthash.zPcWxULV.dpuf

-291-
Cottage Pie
Traditional English Recipe - Cottage

Pie
Ingredients
1 lb cooked beef - cooled

3/4 lb cooked bacon
1 cup of cold potatoes
1 cup of breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 oz butter
2 onions (minced)
Gravy
Seasoning
Method
1. Mince the beef and bacon, season to taste.

2. Fry the minced onion in butter till brown, then add the gravy and boil for ten minutes.
3. Mix the egg, meat, bacon, potatoes and breadcrumbs together, add to the onion gravy.
4. Mix well and place in a greased pie-dish.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Serve hot with vegetables, or cold with salad.
Definitions
To mince: To cut into very fine, even pieces using a sharp knife, a food processor or a mincer.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/cottagepie.html#sthash.hch1xJ5L.dpuf

-292-
Cranachan

Cranachan
Cranachan is also known as Edinburgh Mist. According to Scottish food historian Catherine Brown, the
traditional way of eating this dish is to sit down at a table spread with bowls of the various ingredients and each
person would mix their own cranachan in their own dish, according to taste, (less whisky and more honey for the
children). The traditional ingredients are simply cream, crowdie (a traditional hand-skimmed cottage cheese),
toasted oatmeal, fresh soft fruit such as raspberries, blueberries or brambles and heather honey.
Materials needed
A tall glass
A mixing bowl
A (non-stick) frying pan
A traditional Scottish recipe

(serves 4)
Ingredients
4oz coarse oatmeal (rolled porridge oats)

Half pint double (thick) cream
2 meringue nests
4 teaspoons of toasted almond flakes
1 tablespoon Scotch Whisky (alternatively, use a few of drops vanilla essence or other flavouring of your choice)
-293-
Method
1. Toast the oatmeal in a frying pan on a high heat until lightly brown.
2. Whisk the cream into a stiff consistency.
3. Gently fold the cream into the oatmeal and whisky.
4. Crush the meringues into the bottom of the tall glasses (½ meringue nest per glass).
5. Spoon the cream mixture into the glasses.
6. Top each glass with the toasted almond flakes and serve chilled.
Popular variations are to mix in honey or fresh raspberries.
Definitions
To crush: To break into uneven pieces.
To fold: Usually egg whites or whipped cream are folded into a heavier mixture, for a souffle, cake, or pie filling.
The lighter mixture is placed on top of the heavier mixture, then the two are combined by passing a spatula
down through the mixture, across the bottom, and up over the top. This process continues until the mixtures are
combined. This traps air into bubbles in the product, allowing baked goods to rise.
To toast: In this case you place the oatmeal in a hot frying pan (no oil or fat) and stir until they are a nutty brown.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/cranachan.html#sthash.yNFKfRdc.dpuf

-294-
Cupcakes
Valentine's Recipe - Cupcakes
What better way to celebrate Valentine's day than by making your beloved a delicious cupcake or two. You can
decorate it with little butter icing, sugar hearts, or write a sweet little message on it in icing. Share the love!
Equipment
Mixing bowl, Wooden spoon, Paper cases, Tablespoon, Knife, Baking tray, Cooling wire rack, Scales, Sieve
Ingredients (makes about 12 cupcakes)
4 oz self raising flour

4 oz butter
4 oz castor sugar
2 medium eggs
2 tablespoons milk
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C / Gas mark 5).

2. Put the sugar and butter in the mixing bowl and cream them together, using a wooden spoon, until they
are absolutely smooth. The mixture should look pale and fluffy.
3. Break an egg and add it to the mixture, beat it in until it has blended with the mixture. Repeat with the
second egg.
4. Add the milk and stir it in until it's well blended.
5. Sift the flour into the mixture and gently fold it in.
6. Using a tablespoon divide the mixture evenly into the paper cases.
7. Place the tray of cupcakes on a middle shelf and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until they are well risen and
golden on top, don't open the oven until you're pretty sure they're ready. (To test if they are ready you
can pierce with a small wooden cocktail stick to see if the mixture is still wet inside, or just touch them
gently with your finger to see if they are firm and springy to the touch.)
8. Remove from the oven and place on the wire try to cool completely.
9. Decorate as desired.
-295-
Definitions
To cream: To mix fats and sugar together until creamy in appearance.
goods to rise.
incorporate air.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/cupcakes.html#sthash.tTs0fKdH.dpuf

-296-
Custard
Traditional English Recipe - English

Custard
A traditional English recipe. Served hot this complements any pudding, or it can be served cold as a pudding in
its own right, you can also use this recipe for the custard layer in trifle.
Ingredients
 50 g / 1.8oz caster sugar (fine sugar)
 1 fresh vanilla pod (vanilla essence doesn't taste as good)
 6 large egg yolks
 550 ml / 19.4fl oz double cream
Method
1. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthways and gently scrape out the seeds.
2. Put the sliced vanilla pod into the pan with the seeds and pour in the cream. Place the pan over a gentle
heat and bring it to below simmering point. Do not boil.
3. Pour the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Spoon the vanilla pod out of the warmed
cream and discard.
4. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour the cream, little by little, into the egg mixture, stirring all the time to
prevent lumps forming.
5. Pour the custard back into the pan and place over a gentle heat.
6. Using the spatula stir it very gently until it thickens. Don't stir too fast or the custard will separate and be
ruined.
7. Spoon the custard into a bowl or over your favourite dessert while steaming hot.
Definitions
starts to thicken.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/custard.html#sthash.XxDxnb9T.dpuf

-297-
Digestive Biscuits

Digestive Biscuits
A traditional biscuit (these are not for the dog!)
(A biscuit is what an American would call a cookie.)
Ingredients
4oz medium oatmeal

1 ½ oz castor sugar
4 oz wholemeal flour
3 oz butter
pinch of salt
small pinch of bicarbonate of soda
½ an egg, beaten
Method
1. Rub the butter into the flour.

2. Add the sugar, salt and soda.
3. Bind with the beaten egg.
4. Sprinkle a pastry board with oameal and roll out the dough.
5. Sprinkle the rolled out dough with more oatmeal and roll in the oatmeal.
6. Cut the dough into round or oval shapes.
7. Bake on a tin in a fairly hot oven till golden brown.
-298-
Definitions
Beaten: Ingredients or an ingredient that has been agitated vigorously using a spoon, whisk, electric mixer or
fork
To bind: To add a liquid ingredient to a dry mixture to hold it together.
To roll out : To reduce the thickness of pastry or dough by applying equal pressure with a rolling pin.
flour to form a mixture with a breadcrumb-like consistency.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/digestives.html#sthash.1pVtZAJq.dpuf

-299-
Eggnog
Traditional Christmas Recipe -

Eggnog
Share your recipes
Recipe Books
Eggnog (aka egg nog) is a frothy, sweet, milky drink made with milk and/or cream, sugar and beaten eggs
(which gives it a frothy texture), flavoured with ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Various alcohol such as brandy,
rum, whiskey, advocaat can be added.
It is a popular drink throughout the United States and Canada, and is usually associated with winter celebrations
such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, but it is gaining popularity in the UK. In fact we've known about
it since 1866, when an English visitor said “Christmas is not properly observed unless you brew egg nog for all
comers; everybody calls on everybody else; and each call is celebrated by a solemn egg -nogging...It is made
cold and is drunk cold and is to be commended.”
Ingredients
6 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar
6 tbsps caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
Freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups whipping cream
2 cups whole milk
1 cup brandy or rum (optional)
-300-
Method
1. Separate the eggs.
2. Whisk the yolks in a large bowl (they should turn a light yellow)
3. Add 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, whisking steadily.
4. Grate in a bit of nutmeg to taste.
5. Add 3 cups cream and 2 cups milk (and the alcohol) and whisk a bit more.
6. Put mixture to one side.
7. Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl until they form soft peaks.
8. Add the 6 tbsps of sugar, one tablespoon at a time, as you whisk.
9. Continue whisking the egg whites until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
10. Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk/cream mixture with a spatula. (It's ok if some of the whisked egg
whites.
11. Spoon out the eggnog into glasses and top with a bit more freshly grated nutmeg.
12. Serve and drink.
(Don't leave it standing around, or the drink may curdle).
Definitions:-
Caster / Castor sugar: This is the British term for a refined sugar with small grains ( between granulated and
icing sugar). It is known as ‘superfine’ sugar in America.
goods to rise.
To separate: To divide an egg into its two distinct components - the egg yolk and the egg white.
To whisk: To beat a mixture vigorously with a whisk
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/eggnog.html#sthash.Jx5aBZkb.dpuf

-301-
Elderflower Cordial
Recipe - Elderflower Cordial

Elderflower cordial is a soft drink made largely from a refined sugar and water solution and uses the flowers of
the elderberry (latin name: sambucus nigra). It was very popular in Victorian times, but versions of an elderflower
cordial recipe can be traced back to Roman times. It has made a bit of a comeback nowadays. You should mix
the cordial with still or sparkling water, to make a refreshing, non-alcoholic, summertime drink.
Ingredients (makes about 5 pints)
30 elderflower heads (fresh - the tiny buds should have just opened and come to bloom)
6 pints (3 litres) of boiling water
2lb (900g) caster sugar
1 packet of citric acid (available from chemists)
2 unwaxed oranges (sliced)
3 unwaxed lemons (sliced)
Method
1. Rinse the elderflowers gently in running water.
2. Dissolve the sugar in the boiling water in a very large mixing bowl. Leave to cool.
3. Add the citric acid, the sliced oranges and lemons, and then the flowers.
4. Leave in a cool place for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Strain through a muslin cloth and pour the strained mixture into sterilized bottles. (Make sure the bottles
are airtight).
Definition
Caster / Castor sugar: This is the British term for a refined sugar with small grains ( between granulated and
icing sugar). It is known as ‘superfine’ sugar in America.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/elderflowercoridal.html#sthash.AKyBiCbs.dpuf

-302-
Fisherman's Pie

Fisherman's Pie
Ingredients (Serves 4)
1 lb 10 oz white fish fillets

375ml milk
1 onion (chopped)
2 oz butter
2tbsp plain flour
2tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 ½ lb potatoes
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 tbsp hot milk
3 tbps grated cheddar cheese
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Put the fish in a non-stick pan and cover with the cold milk.
3. Add the chopped onion and cloves and bring to the boil.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the fish is cooked (flakes easily with a fork).
5. Drain the fish from the pan (keep the milk and onions for later).
6. Allow the fish to cool.
7. Remove any bones and flake the fish into bite size pieces.
8. Peel and quarter the potatoes.
9. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender.
10. Drain the potatoes, and add the hot milk and half the butter.
11. Mash the potatoes until smooth.
-303-
12. Stir the grated cheese into the mashed potatoes.

13. Heat the other half of the butter in a pan.
14. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring all the time, for 1 minute.
15. Slowly add the reserved milk, stirring all the time, until smooth and creamy.
16. Remove from the heat and add the nutmeg and parsley.
17. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and fold in the fish.
18. Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof dish.
19. Spoon the mash over the mixture. (You can sprinkle more grated cheese over it if you want).
20. Bake for 30 minutes.
21. Serve.
Definitions
To flake : To break cooked fish into individual pieces.
To fold: A method of gently mixing ingredients. The lighter mixture is placed on top of the heavier mixture, then
the two are combined by passing a spatula down through the mixture, across the bottom, and up over the top.
fork.
starts to thicken.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/fishpie.html#sthash.IyrH0UW8.dpuf

-304-
Fool Sundae

Crumble
Share your recipes
This delicious recipe is a favourite pudding for Sunday dinner, and it is so easy to make.
Original photo by dichecho.
Ingredients
1 ½ lb (200g) cooking apples
6oz Castor sugar
1oz Demorara sugar
½ lb Self-raising flour
¼ lb Butter
Method
1. Grease a 2 pint over proof dish.
2. Peel and slice the apples.
3. Mix the apples with 2 oz of sugar and put into the oven proof dish.
4. Chop the butter into cubes.
5. Place butter and flour into a mixing bowl and rub in using fingertips until crumbs form.
6. Stir in the rest of the sugar (4 oz).
7. Sprinkle the rubbed in mixture over the apples and press down lightly.
8. Bake for an hour in a preheated oven at 350°F.
9. Serve hot or cold with custard or cream.
-305-
Definitions:-
To grease: To apply a layer of fat to a surface to prevent food from sticking, e.g. grease the baking tray with
butter.
!Note - you can vary the fruit, or add other dry ingredients like chopped nuts or oatmeal into the crumble mix.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/applecrumble.html#sthash.XcsITH34.dpuf

-305-
Ginger Beer
Traditional English Recipe - Ginger

Beer
This is a refreshing non-alcoholic drink. Please follow the directions carefully. I can still remember one hot
summer when all the bottles exploded and the pantry was covered in a sticky mess!
Materials needed
A large bowl
Clean bottles (wine or champagne)
Corks for sealing
A traditional recipe (serves 4)

Ingredients
450g (1lb) sugar

4½ ltrs (8 pints) water
1 lemon
40g (1½oz) root ginger
25g (1 oz) cream of tartar
25g (1 oz) brewers or wine yeast
-306-
Method
1. Bruise the ginger to release the flavour.

2. Finely peel the lemon, removing only the outer waxy layer and squeeze the juice.
3. Place the ginger, lemon rind and cream of tartar into a bucket or large bowl.
4. Pour over the boiling water, add the lemon juice and stir well.
5. Allow to cool to about 21°C (70°F), remove a little of the liquid and mix with the yeast, stir the yeast
mixture into the liquid.
6. Cover the container with a clean cloth (ensuring that the cloth cannot come into contact with the liquid)
and secure with string or elastic.
7. Leave in a warm place 21°C (70°F) for 24 hours.
8. Strain the liquid through a fine cloth or skim off the froth and use a jug to bale out the liquid (being careful
not to disturb the sediment).
9. Pour the ginger beer into strong bottles and cork.
10. Secure the corks with wire, leaving a little play (for possible expansion).
11. Store the bottle in a cool dark place.
12. If the corks begin to rise, release the wire slightly and re-secure.
13. The beer should be ready to drink after 2 - 3 days.
Definitions
To bruise: To apply pressure to an ingredient to help release its flavour, eg pound the lemon grass with a rolling
pin to bruise it.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/gingerbeer.html#sthash.ZEF9vxEG.dpuf

-307-
Gravy
Traditional English Recipe - Gravy
When I'm making gravy I use the fat (dripping) from whatever meat I'm roasting. I make the gravy as the roast
rests. You can add herbs to compliment the meat you're serving (rosemary for lamb, marjoram for beef, tarragon
for chicken etc.)
Ingredients
 Stock (You can buy stock cubes)
 Red wine
 Water
 Salt and pepper to taste
 Cornflour (to thicken the gravy)
Method
1. Remove the dripping pan of your roast from the oven and place on the stove top at medium heat.
2. Add some water, red wine, and stock to the dripping.
3. Dissolve a tablespoon of cornflour in a little cold water and add to the drip pan bit by bit, stirring
continuously to avoid lumps forming.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Definitions
To dissolve: To mix dry ingredient(s) with liquid until in solution.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/gravy.html#sthash.3uhegIkP.dpuf

-308-
Haddock Puffs

Haddock Puffs
Another traditional farmhouse recipe
Ingredients
1/2 lb cooked haddock

Liquid in which haddock was boiled
2 oz Self-Raising Flour
1/2 oz finely chopped parsley
2 eggs
Milk
Oil for frying
Method
1. Flake the haddock with a little of the liquid.

2. Add the flour, seasoning and eggs.
3. Add enough milk to make a creamy batter.
4. Heat the oil.
5. Drop tablespoons of the mixture into the hot oil.
6. Fry until golden brown, they will puff up beautifully.
7. Serve very hot, with potatoes.
Definitions
To flake : To break cooked fish into individual pieces.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/haddockpuffs.html#sthash.waTu8Ngv.dpuf

-309-
Herby Roast Potatoes
English Recipe - Herby Roast

Potatoes
In the UK we often eat roast potatoes with our Sunday dinner, usually they're roasted in the same pan as the
meat. This is a tasty alternative to the traditional roast potatoes using garlic and herbs for more flavour.
Ingredients
 1 lb new potatoes
 10 cloves of garlic (with skin removed)
 1 tbsp olive oil
 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
 1/4 tsp salt
 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
 1 tsp butter
 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
 Knob of butter
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

2. Lightly coat a large roasting tin with oil.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the whole potatoes, whole garlic cloves, olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.
4. Mix thoroughly with your hands until the potatoes are coated evenly with the oil and herbs.
5. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in the prepared roasting tin.
6. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and roast for 25 minutes.
7. After 25 minutes remove the lid or foil.
8. Turn the potatoes so that they cook evenly, and bake uncovered for around 25 minutes, until the they
are soft and slightly browned.
9. Transfer to a serving bowl, mix with butter. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.
-310-
Definitions
To coat: To cover something with a layer of something else.
To roast: To cook in the oven, usually with the addition of fat or oil.
tsp: Teaspoon (approx 5 ml)
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/herbpots.html#sthash.4k77TaTC.dpuf

-311-
Honey Bran Knobs
Traditional English Recipe - Honey

Bran Knobs
A traditional farmhouse recipe
Ingredients
2 cupfuls flour
2/3 cupfuls butter
1/2 cupful brown sugar
1/2 cupful honey
1/2 cupful stoned raisins
Vanilla essence to taste
2 1/2 cupfuls bran
2/3 cupful milk
1/2 cupful chopped nuts
2 eggs
3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinammon
Method
1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinammon and salt.

2. Beat the eggs well.
3. Melt the butter and add the sugar, honey and the beaten eggs to the melted butter.
4. Mix together in a bowl.
5. Dissolve the soda in the milk.
6. Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk.
7. Stir in the raisins, nuts, bran and vanilla essence.
8. Mix well and drop teaspoon sized portions of the mixture on to a well-greased baking sheet.
9. Bake in a preheated oven (190° C / 375° F / gas mark 5) for about 10 minutes.
-312-
Definitions
To melt: Use a high temperature to turn a solid fat into a liquid.
incorporate air.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/honeybranknobs.html#sthash.Fp3m6Oqb.dpuf

-313-
Hot Cross Buns
Traditional English Recipe - Hot

Cross Buns
Traditionally eaten at Easter.
Ingredients (Makes about twelve buns)

1lb Strong bread flour
1tsp. Salt
1tsp. Mixed spice
1tsp. Cinnamon
2oz Butter
2 tsp Easy blend dried yeast
3oz Raisins or sultanas
1 Zest of orange or lemon
2oz Caster sugar
8 fl oz Milk
1 Free Range egg
1 Vanilla pod split and the seeds removed (keep the split halves for the glaze)
For the Crosses:

4tbs Flour
4tbs Water
For the Glaze:

2tbs Sugar
4tsp Milk
2 Vanilla pod halves
Method
1. Sift the flour, salt and spices into a large bowl and rub in the butter.
2. Mix in the yeast, vanilla seeds,sultanas, zest and sugar.
3. Warm the milk gently for two minutes while whisking in the egg, then add to the flour mixture.
4. Knead this dough on to a floured surface for 10 mins and divide into 12 balls.
5. Place on a baking tin, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours (till double in size).
-314-
Crosses:
1. Mix the flour with about 3-4 tablespoons of water to make a thick batter.
2. Carefully drizzle a cross over each bun, practice first, or use a piping bag.
3. Bake for 20-30 minutes at gas mark 5 / 90 degrees C.
Glaze:
Heat the milk, vanilla halves and the sugar, until the sugar has dissolved then brush each bun two or three times
while it cools on a wire rack.
Definitions:-
To drizzle: To pour a liquid over other ingredients, usually in a random design and often as a finishing decorative
touch.
goods to rise.
To glaze: A glaze is used to give desserts a smooth and/or shiny finish.
To melt: Use a high temperature to turn a fat into liquid.
To mix: To beating or stir foods together until they are combined.
-315-
incorporate air.
Zest: Sometimes known as peel or rind, the coloured outer layer of citrus rind eg lemon, orange or lime, that
contains the essential oil that gives the fruit its distinctive flavour. A small amount of zest gives a strong
characteristic flavour of the fruit..
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/hotcrossbuns.html#sthash.v782lOSG.dpuf
Ice Cream - Coming Soon

-316-
Irish Soda Bread
Traditional Irish Recipe - Soda Bread
Materials needed
A sharp knife
A large mixing bowl
A baking tray
Ingredients
200g Self-raising Flour
A Large Pinch of Salt
25g Unsalted Butter
¼ Pint Milk
Method
1. Heat the oven to 200°C.
2. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.
3. Rub in the butter, till crumbs form.
4. Make a well in the centre of the crumbed mixture.
5. Stir in the milk with a palette knife to form a soft dough.
6. Knead lightly on a floured board and shape into a round.
7. Place on baking tray and make 2 slits across the top with a sharp knife to form a cross.
8. Bake for 30 minutes until the bread is well risen and firm to the touch.
9. Cool on a rack and eat whilst fresh.
-317-
Definitions
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/sodabread.html#sthash.Ot4BrfzD.dpuf

-318-
Irish Stew
Traditional Irish Recipe - Irish Stew
Irish stew (Stobhach Gaelach) is a traditional Irish dish made from lamb or mutton, potatoes, onions, and
parsley, sometimes it also includes Guinness. It originated in Ireland but appears in cookbooks all over Europe,
including in Escoffier's Guide Culinaire. (Mutton is from sheep over two years of age when the meat is not quite
as tender as lamb).
Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

2½ lb (1.1kg) boned mutton
4 large potatoes
2 large onions
3 or 4 medium carrots
A sprig of parsley
480ml water (alternatively 240ml water and 240ml Guinness)
salt and pepper to taste (paprika can also be used)
Method
1. Cut the meat into good size chunks.
2. Peel the vegetables and slice thickly.
3. Chop the parsley.
4. Choose a pot with a well-fitting lid and put in the ingredients in layers, starting and finishing with
potatoes.
5. Pour in the liquid and season to taste.
6. Cover and put on a very low heat for about 2½ hours until the meat is tender and the potatoes have
thickened the liquid.
(The dish may also be made with lamb, in which case it requires only 1½ hours cooking time.)
-319-
Definitions:-
To peel - to remove the outer layer of a food.
To slice: cut into even-sized thin pieces using a sharp knife or food processor, eg slice the carrots.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/irishstew.html#sthash.NR93Zxp9.dpuf

-320-
Jugged Steak
Traditional Farmhouse Recipe -

Jugged Steak
A traditional farmhouse recipe
Ingredients
A thick piece of steak

Cloves
Celery
2 onions
1 teaspoonful of mushroom ketchup
Pepper and salt
Method
1. Cut the steak into 1" square pieces and put into a stone jar.
2. Stick the cloves into the onions.
3. Add the onions and cloves into the jar.
4. Add the celery, mushroom ketchup, pepper and salt.
5. Don't add any water or oil.
6. Close the jar tightly and place in a pan of boiling water.
7. Let it simmer until the meat is tender.
8. Serve with potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
Definitions
starts to thicken.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/juggedsteak.html#sthash.1Fk6kLoN.dpuf

-321-
Kedgeree
Traditional Breakfast Recipe -

Kedgeree
Kedgeree (aka kitcherie, kitchari or kitchiri) is a dish consisting of cooked, flaked fish (usually smoked haddock),
boiled rice, parsley, hard-boiled eggs, curry powder, spices, butter or cream and even sultanas. It is thought to
have originated with an Indian rice-and-bean or rice-and-lentil dish Khichri, which can be traced back to the
1300s.
It is widely believed that the dish was brought to the United Kingdom by returning British colonials who had
enjoyed it in India and introduced it to the UK as a breakfast dish in Victorian times, part of the then fashionable
Anglo-Indian cuisine. It is one of many breakfast dishes that, in the days before refrigeration, converted
yesterday's leftovers into breakfast dishes, of which bubble and squeak is probably the best known.
An alternative origin is that the dish was taken to India by Scottish troops during the British Raj, where it was
adapted and adopted as part of Indian cuisine. The National Trust for Scotland's book The Scottish Kitchen by
Christopher Trotter traces the origins for the kedgeree recipe to books by the Malcolms dating back to the year
1790. According to this theory the dish travelled to India then returned to the UK.
No matter where it originated, it's very tasty, and nutritions and it can be eaten hot or cold.
450g basmati rice

500g smoked haddock
120g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, deseeded and cut into thin rings
2 crushed cardamom pods
1 tbsp curry powder
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half
Small handful chives, chopped
½ lemon, cut into 4 wedges
Small bunch of coriander, chopped
-322-
Method
1. Toss the rice briefly under running water and then put it in a large pan and cover with cold water. Leave
for at least half an hour.
2. Drain the rice and discard the soaking water. Put it in a large pan on a medium heat with 585ml fresh
water.
3. Bring to the boil, and give it a good stir.
4. Cover tightly and turn the heat down very low.
5. Cook for 25 minutes then turn off the heat – don't remove the lid.
6. Leave for five minutes then fork through the rice to fluff it up.
7. Meanwhile, put the fish, skin-side up, in a shallow pan over a low heat, and cover with boiling water.
Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then take out of the water and, when cool enough to handle, pull the skin off
and break into large flakes. Put to one side.
8. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a lowish heat, and add the onion. Fry gently until softened, then
stir in the chilli, cardamom pods and curry powder.
9. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the rice and stir to coat with the spices. Add the fish flakes and
heat through.
10. Season to taste.
11. Place the eggs on top, scatter fresh chopped chives and coriander, and serve with slices of lemon..
Definitions
To stir - to agitate an ingredient or a number of ingredients using a hand held tool such as a spoon.
To toss: To lightly mix.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/kedgeree.html#sthash.AcvyERjb.dpuf

-323-
Leek and Potato Soup
Traditional Recipe - Leek and Potato

Soup
Traditionally eaten to celebrate St David's Day
You can freeze this soup before adding the milk/cream.
Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
1lb leeks
1lb potatoes
2 pints chicken or vegetable broth
Large pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
125 g (4 oz) glace cherries
1/2 pint milk or single cream
Parsley to decorate
Method
1. Clean and roughly chop the leeks.

2. Melt the butter in a large pan and add the leeks.
3. Fry the leeks, stirring frequently, until they are soft (not brown).
4. Peel the potatoes and chop them into small cubes.
5. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the milk/cream.
6. Cook gently for about 20 minutes.
7. Mash the potatoes in the pan. (You can use a blender if you want the soup to be extra smooth).
8. Just before serving, pour the milk / cream into the soup and stir well over a gentle heat.
-324-
Definitions
To mash - to break down a solid ingredient into a smooth paste.
To stir - to agitate an ingredient or a number of ingredients using a hand held tool such as a spoon.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/leekandpotato.html#sthash.8crEzN4f.dpuf

-325-
Lemon Curd
Traditional English Recipe - Lemon

Curd
Lemon curd, (also sometimes known as lemon cheese) is a traditional British dessert topping and sandwich
spread.
Ingredients
120 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
80g caster sugar
3 eggs
90g unsalted butter
Pinch of salt (optional, to bring out sweetness and flavor of finished product)
Method
1. Grate the rind of the lemon(s) to produce two tablespoons of zest.

2. Squeeze the juice from the lemon(s) to produce 120ml of juice.
3. Cut the butter into small squares.
4. Put eggs, zest, sugar, and salt into a cool saucepan.
5. Whisk the ingredients in the pan till frothy and light in colour (a minute or two).
6. Add lemon juice and whisk for 30 seconds more.
7. Add butter chunks.
8. Heat the saucepan on a medium-to-low heat.
9. Whisk constantly till the butter melts and the mixture thickens, then whisk another two minutes. (Do not
let the mixture boil).
10. Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove the zest and any egg lumps.
11. Pour the mixture from the bowl into a sterilized jar to within 1/4 inch (0.75cm) from the top, taking care
not to get mixture on rim, then seal the jar with a lid.
12. Refrigerate to thicken the product further.
-326-
Definitions
To squeeze: To apply pressure to fruit or vegetables to obtain their juice.
To strain: To pass wet ingredients through a sieve to remove lumps or pieces of food.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/lemoncurd.html#sthash.stuYa7QQ.dpuf

-327-
Lemon Meringue Pie
Traditional English Recipe - Lemon

Meringue Pie
Lemon meringue pie is a traditional British dessert. It's a complicated recipe with lots of different stages, so not
for the novice.
Photo by Flirty Kitty
Pastry
6 oz short crust pastry (You can buy pre baked pie crusts in the UK)
Filling
1 oz cornflour
½ pt water
½ oz butter
2 oz castor sugar
2 lemons (1tsp lemon rind)
2 egg yolks
Meringue
2 egg whites
2 oz granulated sugar
2 oz castor sugar
-328-
Method
1. Roll out the pastry evenly to line the flan ring.

2. Bake the pastry blind at 400°F for around 20 mins.
3. Remove 1tsp of rind from the lemons and squeeze them.
4. Separate the eggs.
5. Mix the cornflour with 4 tbsp of the cold water.
6. Boil the rest of the water in a pan.
7. Add the butter and sugar to the boiling water.
8. Stir in the cornflour mixture and bring back to boil.
9. Add the grated lemon rind and juice.
10. Lightly whisk the egg yolks and stir them into the mixture, pour into the baked flan case.
11. Whisk the egg whites into a stiff peak, sprinkle in the granulated sugar and whisk until stiff again. Fold in
the castor sugar.
12. Pile the meringue onto the filling, and bake at 300°F until the topping is light brown.
Definitions
goods to rise.
To grate: To rub food downwards on a grater to produce shreds or slices of varying thicknesses.To mix: To beat
or stir food ingredients together until they are combined.
Rind: Sometimes known as peel or zest, the coloured outer layer of citrus rind eg lemon, orange or lime, that
-329-
For Barbara
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/lemonmeringuepie.html#sthash.N57dxOzD.dpuf

-330-
Lent Pies
Traditional English Recipe - Lent

Pies
Traditionally eaten around Lent
Ingredients
Short crust pastry to line and top 2 or 3 medium sized plates

3 eggs
1 teacup full of currants
1 teacup full of raisins
1 coarsly chopped large apple
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tbsp shredded candied peel
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
3 or 4 tbsp melted butter
Method
1. Cover the plates with short crust pastry.

2. Boil eggs for 20 minutes.
3. Cut the boiled egg whites into pieces and crush the yolks.
4. Mix the egg, with the currants, rasins, apples, spice, sugar and peel.
5. Moisten the mixture with the melted butter.
6. Spread the mixture on the short crust pastry.
7. Put lids of short crust pastry on top of the mixture and seal the edges.
8. Moisten the tops with water and sprinkle well with sugar.
9. Bake in a hot oven till the pastry is golden brown.
10. Serve hot or cold.
-331-
Definitions
To crush: To break into uneven pieces.
To moisten: To make something slightly wet.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/lentpie.html#sthash.C0yTqKFO.dpuf

-332-
Marmalade

Marmalade
"Those confitures which are composed of the firmer fruits, as pineapples, or the rinds of oranges." Mrs Beeton.
Photo by Stuart_Spivack - licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
Try not to confuse marmalade with jam (especially if you are German). It can come as a nasty surprise, when
you think you're getting a nice sweet jam, to end up with a bitter/sweet marmalade. The method of making
marmalade is very similar to jam making, but the ingredients are citrus fruit, esp. Seville oranges and so the
taste is very different.
Ingredients (Makes about 5 small jars)

6 oranges (Seville oranges are the best)
2 lbs caster sugar
-333-
Method
1. Sterilize 5 small jars with tight fitting lids.

2. Wash the whole fruit, and then grate the rind (coarsely or finely depending on your personal preference).
3. Squeeze the juice from the oranges.
4. Remove the seeds, and then place the remainder of the fruit, pulp and skin, into a food processor
and chop (coarsely or finely depending on your personal preference).
5. Add the sugar to the extracted juice and bring to the boil.
6. Add the chopped orange mixture and zest and boil all together for 20 minutes; stir occasionally with a
wooden spoon. (Be careful.)
7. The mixture should reach a gel consistency (to test use a small teaspoon remove a bit of the mixture, if it
cools to a gel, it's ready, but if it is runny when cool, it needs more time cooking.)
8. Let the mixture cool down, and transfer it into the jars.
9. Refrigerate to store (should keep unopened for about 6 months.
10. As soon as it is cool it is ready to eat. (Preferably on buttered toast.)
Definitions
!Note - instead of oranges you can use lemons, lime, grapefruit or any mixture thereof, but you might want to
add more sugar to taste.
For Barbara
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/marmalade.html#sthash.efARB8W6.dpuf

-334-
Mince Pies
Traditional English Recipe - Mince

Pies
These pies are traditionally eaten over Christmas in the UK.
First buy or make the mince meat - this is not minced meat - there's no meat in it!
Ingredients for mincemeat (Makes approx 6lb)

 1lb suet
 1lb chopped raisins
 1lb chopped sultanas
 1lb currants
 1lb brown sugar
 ½lb mixed peel
 4oz blanched, chopped almonds
 1lb grated raw apples
 half a grated nutmeg
 ¼pt brandy or whisky
 the grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
Method for making mince meat

1. Mix all the dry ingredients and stir in the lemon and chosen alcohol.
2. Put into sterilised jars and cover as for jam or marmalade, i.e. with a circle of grease proof paper and a
screw or cloth top.
!Note - The mincemeat will keep for about a year. If, over time, it becomes a little dry, simply add more alcohol!
-335-
Now make the pies
Ingredients - Makes 18 pies
225g/8oz cold butter, diced

350g/12oz plain flour
100g/4oz caster sugar
280g/10oz mincemeat
1 small egg, beaten (to glaze)
Icing sugar (to dust)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6/fan assisted oven 180°C
Make the Pastry
1. Rub the butter into the flour

2. Mix in the sugar and a pinch of salt
3. Stir the pastry until it forms a ball (don't add any liquid)
4. Knead the dough briefly until it is fairly firm. You can use the dough immediately, or put it in the fridge for later.
Make the Pies
5. Line 18 pastry cases by pressing small balls of the dough into them.
6. Spoon the mincemeat into the pies.
7. Press smaller balls of dough into round lids, big enough to cover the pies. (The pies can now be frozen for up
to 1 month)
8. To glaze the pies before baking brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg.
9. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.
10. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.
11. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. (The pies will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container)
-336-
Definitions
To dust: To sprinkle lightly with a powder i.e. icing sugar.
To glaze: A glaze is used to give desserts a smooth and/or shiny finish.
Suet: Suet is traditionally made from the white fat that surrounds the kidneys of ox and lamb (mmmm). It is
available ready-shredded in packets. However if you prefer, vegetarian suet is also available.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/mincepies.html#sthash.puT28sOz.dpuf

-337-
Mulled Wine
Traditional English Recipe - Mulled

Wine
A real winter warmer. Perfect at Christmas.
Ingredients
 2 lemons
 2 oranges
 1 - 750 ml bottle of full bodied red wine
 Nutmeg (to taste)
 Cloves (to taste)
 1 cinnamon stick
 1 cup (250 ml) demorara sugar (optional)
 Water (optional softener instead of tea)
 4 large cinnamon sticks
 4 candy canes
Method
1. Slice the lemons and oranges.

2. Pour the red wine into a saucepan and gradually heat.
3. Add the fruit slices, nutmeg, cinnamon stick (1) and cloves.
4. Keep an eye on the mixture and wait until it becomes hot to the touch (do not bring to the boil).
5. At this point you could mix in the sugar or water (to taste).
6. Pour into glasses/mugs.
7. Garnish each drink with a cinnamon stick.
-338-
Definitions
To garnish: To add a small decoration, often edible, to a savoury dish just before serving to enhance its finished
appearance.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/mulledwine.html#sthash.1SC8qqY0.dpuf

-339-
Mushroom and Spring Onion Quiche
Recipe - Mushroom and Spring

Onion Quiche
There's a book called "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche". It's nonsense of course. The great thing about quiche is you
can serve it hot on cold days, and cold on hot days. Perfect for spring. You can also change the filling with
whatever takes your fancy, prawns / smoked salmon etc.
Ingredients
Make 6oz of short crust pastry.
For the filling:-
4 large spring onions

2 oz field mushrooms
½ oz butter
3oz Cheddar cheese
2 eggs
¼ pt milk
¼ pt single cream
large pinch of salt
small pinch of pepper
Method
1. Heat the oven to 325°F (gas mark 3)

2. Roll out the pastry and line a 7" flan ring.
3. Blind bake the pastry case.
4. Trim the spring onions of the roots and the darker leaves.
5. Chop the spring onions finely.
6. Slice the mushrooms.
7. Fry the chopped spring onions in the butter.
8. Grate the cheese.
9. Arrange the fried onions, mushrooms and grated cheese in the bottom of the flan case.
10. Whisk the eggs with the milk, cream, salt and pepper.
11. Pour the mixture into the pastry case.
12. Bake for 20 minutes, then cover the quiche with foil and bake for 15 minutes longer.
-340-
Definitions
To line: To place a layer of pastry in a baking tin.
To trim: To remove the edges from something or cut it down to a certain size.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/quiche.html#sthash.1ZxR8asB.dpuf

-341-
Mushy Peas
Traditional English Recipe - Mushy

Peas
Mushy peas are a traditional accompaniment to the great British fish and chips. You need
to start making them at least a day in advance (or you can buy them in a tin).
Original photo by mrbill
Ingredients
 Dried peas
 Bicarbonate of soda tablets
 Water
 Sugar, salt and pepper (to taste)
 Butter
 Mint (Optional)
Method
1. Dissolve the bicarbonate tablets (they usually come in a box) in one and a half pints of boiling water.
2. Pour the solution over the dried peas.
3. Leave to soak overnight, or for at least 12 to 16 hours.
4. Drain the peas, then put them in a saucepan and just cover them with cold, fresh water.
5. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Once they have turned mushy add salt, pepper, sugar, butter and mint to taste.
-342-
Definitions
To dissolve: To mix dry ingredient(s) with liquid until in solution.
starts to thicken.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/mushypeas.html#sthash.Jx6P8C8h.dpuf

-343-
Orange Marmelade Cake
Traditional English Recipe - Orange

Marmalade Cake
Ingredients
175g (6oz) soft margarine

175g (6oz) caster sugar
3 eggs
175g (6oz) self raising flour
pinch baking powder
1 orange grated rind and juice
4 tblsp. fine cut orange marmalade
4 small thin skinned oranges, pith removed, sliced thinly
Method
1. Preheat oven to gas 5, 190c

2. Lightly grease and base line a deep 7" inch cake tin.
3. Using a mini mixer beat together the margarine, sugar, eggs, flour and baking powder.
4. Add the orange rind and enough juice (approx 4 tbsp) to make a soft dropping consistency, add three
tablespoons of the marmalade and mix carefully.
5. Place the mixture in the tin and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, cool on a wire rack.
6. Arrange the orange slices over the cake and brush with the remaining marmalade.
-344-
Definitions
butter.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/orangecake.html#sthash.gsQ9tKr5.dpuf

-345-
Pancakes

Pancakes
These are traditionally eaten in the UK on Shrove Tuesday, but they are nice at any time of year.
Ingredients (Makes about eight "thin" pancakes)
240g/8oz plain white flour

Two eggs
½ litre / 1pt milk
Small pinch of salt
Unsalted butter for frying
Serve with anything you like, but I recommend melted butter with lemon and sugar or maple syrup with ice
cream.
Method
1. Whisk together the milk,eggs and salt.
2. Fold in the seived flour a little at a time, and whisk until smooth.
-346-
3. Heat a small amount of butter in a frying pan until it almost starts to smoke.
4. Pour in enough batter to thinly coat the bottom of the pan.
5. Cook until it reaches a light golden brown colour, then turn pancake over and cook the other side to the same
point.
Note : the first pancake will be a disaster – it always is. It is known in our house as “one for the dog” and serves
to season the pan. Don’t worry, all the rest will cook OK and come out in one piece.
For a lighter, crispier batter use ½ milk and ½ beer!
Definitions
To fold: Usually egg whites or whipped cream are folded into a heavier mixture, for a souffle, cake, or pie filling.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/pancakes.html#sthash.uCyBMdFN.dpuf

-347-
Parkin
Traditional English Recipe - Parkin

Another traditional recipe, it originates from Yorkshire and is traditionally eaten on Bonfire
Night. When I was a child, we called it sticky goo. :-)
Ingredients
1/4 lb butter
1/4 lb treacle
1/4 lb soft brown sugar
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
6 tbsp milk
1/4 lb plain flour
1/4 lb medium oatmeal
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
1 egg
Method
1. Pre heat the oven.

2. Grease and line a 6 inch square tin.
3. Melt the butter with the treacle and sugar, stirring regularly (do not let it boil).
4. Let the mixture cool.
5. Mix the flour, spices and oatmeal.
6. Beat in the treacle mix with the milk and egg, using a wooden spoon.
7. Mix in the bicarbonate.
8. Place mixture into the tin.
9. Bake for 1 hour.
10. Cool in the tin.
11. Store the cake for about two days in an airtight tin to let it moisten up.
-348-
Definitions
butter.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/parkin.html#sthash.jJZcnVS0.dpuf

-349-
Parsley Sauce
Traditional English Recipe - Parsley

Sauce
Parsley sauce is traditionally served with fish.
Ingredients
1 pint warmed milk
40g (1½ oz) plain flour
40g (1½ oz) butter
4 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp single cream
Method
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat.
2. Stir in the flour and cook gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.
3. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, keep stirring to avoid lumps forming.
4. Bring to the boil, still stirring, simmer for about five minutes, stirring from time to time.
5. When the sauce is smooth and creamy, remove the saucepan from the heat and gently stir in the
chopped parsley and cream.
6. Season to taste.
7. Serve hot.
Although traditionally served with fish it goes well with any boiled meats, poultry or vegetables.
Definitions
To melt: Use a high temperature to turn a solid fat into a liquid.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/parsleysauce.html#sthash.yeSnUZ9N.dpuf

-350-
Potato Soup
Traditional English Recipe - Potato Soup
 2 tbsp butter or lard

 1 carrot, peeled & chopped
 1 stalk celery, chopped
 1 leek, cleaned & chopped
 3 sprigs parsley, chopped
 1 large onion, diced
 1 lb potatoes, peeled, washed & diced
 2 litres beef stock (or less)
 salt & pepper to taste
 2 tbsp chopped parsley (garnish)
Method
1. Heat the butter or lard in a large pan.

2. Place the vegetables, parsley and onion in the pan and fry until the onion becomes transparent.
3. Add the potatoes and enough stock to cover all the vegetables.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir well and cook until the potatoes are tender all the way through and
almost done.
5. Remove about a third of the potatoes from the pot.
6. Mash the remaining two-thirds and return to the pot for thickening the soup.
7. Reheat the soup. Test for seasoning, garnish with the 2 tbsp chopped parsley and serve.
-351-
Definitions
To dice: cut small uniform cubes of any solid ingredient eg cheese or carrots, first cut the food into even-sized
thick strips and then slice crosswise into cubes.
To fry: cook in hot fat.
To mash: To break down a cooked ingredient such as potatoes into a smooth mixture using a potato
masher or fork.
To simmer: keep a liquid just below boiling point, usually in a pan on the hob, e.g. simmer the sauce until it starts
to thicken.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/potatosoup.html#sthash.22mVUXAO.dpuf

-352-
Pound Cake
Traditional English Recipe - Pound

Cake
Mrs Beeton's Traditional Pound
Cake
This cake is called a pound cake because of the ingredients.
Ingredients
 1lb Flour
 1lb Butter
 1lb Caster Sugar
 1lb Currants
 2oz Candied Peel
 ½oz Lemon Peel
 ½oz Sweet Almonds - blanched and chopped
 9 Eggs
 Ground Mace (optional)
Method
1. Cream the butter.

2. Sift in the flour.
3. Add the sugar, currants, candied peel, and almonds, and mix together well.
4. Whisk the eggs separately and blend thoroughly with the dry ingredients.
5. Beat the cake well for 20 minutes.
6. Put into a round tin, lined at the bottom and sides with a strip of buttered paper.
7. Bake it for 1½ to 2 hours and in a well heated oven.
-353-
Definitions
To blend: Mix thoroughly.
'To sift : To put dry ingredients such as flour or sugar through a sifter or mesh screen to loosen particles and
incorporate air.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/poundcake.html#sthash.dcNDWYKY.dpuf

-354-
Pumpkin Pie
Halloween Recipe - Pumpkin Pie

A traditional dish from North America - perfect for Halloween
Ingredients
For the filling:-
Half a medium sized mashed, cooked pumpkin

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
165g of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of salt
For the pastry case:-
335g plain flour

1 teaspoon of salt
205g of margarine
120 ml cold water
-355-
Method
The pie crust:-
1. Prepare pie crusts by mixing together the flour and salt.

2. Cut the margarine into the flour and lightly rub in.
3. Add 1 tablespoon water to mixture at a time.
4. Mix the dough and repeat until it's is moist enough to hold together.
5. With lightly floured hands shape the dough into a ball.
6. On a lightly floured board roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness.
7. Line the pie dish.
The filling:-
1. Halve the pumpkin and scoop out seeds and stringy portions.
2. Cut the pumpkin into chunks.
3. In a saucepan over medium heat, in 1 inch of boiling water heat the pumpkin to the boil.
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender.
5. Drain, cool and remove the peel.
6. Return the pumpkin to the saucepan and mash with a potato masher.
7. Drain well.
8. In a large bowl, beat the pumpkin with evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
and salt.
9. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust.
10. Bake 40 minutes.
-356-
Definitions
To beat: To agitate an ingredient or combination of ingredients vigorously, using a spoon, whisk, electric mixer or
fork.
To mix: To stir food ingredients together until they are combined.
flour to form a mixture with a breadcrumb-like consistency.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/pumpkinpie.html#sthash.QoznH9Ug.dpuf

-357-
Pumpkin Soup
Halloween Recipe - Pumpkin Soup
2¼ lb/1kg pumpkin
2 onions, chopped
1oz / 25g butter
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 pint / 600ml water
1 pint / 600ml vegetable stock
5 fl oz / 150ml single cream
chopped parsley to garnish
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Remove the skin and seeds from the pumpkin; dice the flesh.
2 Fry the onions in the butter or margarine for 10 minutes.
3 Add the pumpkin, potato and garlic and fry for a further 5 minutes.
3 Add the water and vegetable stock and simmer for 20 minutes.
-358-
4 Purée the mixture in a food processor or blender, add the cream and seasoning to taste.
5 Heat through again gently without boiling, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread.
Definitions
To dice: cut small uniform cubes of any solid ingredient eg cheese or carrots, first cut the food into even-sized
thick strips and then slice crosswise into cubes.
To purée: press raw or cooked food through a fine sieve or blend in a food processor or liquidiser to produce a
smooth mixture.
to thicken.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/pumpkinsoup.html#sthash.hhRYexca.dpuf

-359-
Quiche
Recipe - Mushroom and Spring

Onion Quiche
There's a book called "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche". It's nonsense of course. The great thing about quiche is you
can serve it hot on cold days, and cold on hot days. Perfect for spring. You can also change the filling with
whatever takes your fancy, prawns / smoked salmon etc.
Ingredients
Make 6oz of short crust pastry.
For the filling:-
4 large spring onions

2 oz field mushrooms
½ oz butter
3oz Cheddar cheese
2 eggs
¼ pt milk
¼ pt single cream
large pinch of salt
small pinch of pepper
Method
1. Heat the oven to 325°F (gas mark 3)

2. Roll out the pastry and line a 7" flan ring.
3. Blind bake the pastry case.
4. Trim the spring onions of the roots and the darker leaves.
5. Chop the spring onions finely.
6. Slice the mushrooms.
7. Fry the chopped spring onions in the butter.
8. Grate the cheese.
9. Arrange the fried onions, mushrooms and grated cheese in the bottom of the flan case.
10. Whisk the eggs with the milk, cream, salt and pepper.
11. Pour the mixture into the pastry case.
12. Bake for 20 minutes, then cover the quiche with foil and bake for 15 minutes longer.
-360-
Definitions
To trim: To remove the edges from something or cut it down to a certain size.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/quiche.html#sthash.ZHQ0bDdZ.dpuf

-361-
Red Lentil Soup
English Recipe - Red Lentil Soup
A nice warming soup for the approach to winter.

Ingredients
 200g red lentils

 2 medium-sized tomatoes
 1 piece of fresh ginger (walnut sized)
 1 medium-sized onion
 1 clove of garlic
 2 tsps butter
 1½ tsps garam masala
 800 ml vegetable stock
 Salt
 4 tsps crème fraîche
 2 tsps lemon juice
 2 tsp2 chopped chives
Method
1. Rinse the lentils with cold water and leave to drain.

2. Wash the tomatoes and chop into large chunks.
3. Peel the ginger, onion and garlic and chop finely.
4. Fry the chopped ginger, onion and garlic in the butter for 3 - 4 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes, lentils and garam masala and fry gently for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add the vegetable stock and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and puree the liquid.
8. Put the puree back in a pan, add the crème fraîche and stir.
9. Reheat the soup stirring all the time.
10. Add more salt and lemon juice to taste.
11. Sprinkle on the chives before serving.
-362-
Definitions
To purée: To press raw or cooked food through a fine sieve or blend in a food processor or liquidiser to produce
a smooth mixture.
To rinse: To clean under running water.
starts to thicken.
Advertisements
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/lentilsoup.html#sthash.WTpxnujr.dpuf

-362-
Roast Leg of Lamb
Traditional English Recipe - Roast

Leg of Lamb
Traditionally eaten at Easter. Served with gravy.
Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)
1 leg of lamb (about 5 pounds)

The juice of a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 to 2 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons dried crumbled rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Method
1. Rinse the leg of lamb with cold water, pat it dry with a clean cloth or paper towels.
2. With a small knife, make several tiny slits evenly over the lamb and insert slivers of the garlic.
3. Rub the lamb with lemon juice.
4. Mix the minced garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper and rub the mixture over the lamb.
5. Place the leg, fat side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
6. Roast in a preheated 325° oven for about 25 to 30 minutes per pound depending on how well you like it
done.
-363-
Definitions:-
To rinse: To clean under running water.
To roast: To cook in the oven, usually with the addition of fat.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/roastlamb.html#sthash.BVWCvl0A.dpuf

-364-
Roast Beef
Traditional English Recipe - Roast

Beef
When I think of a typical English meal, roast beef is the first one that comes to mind. This is a slow cook recipe,
so you can use cheaper cuts of meat, but I recommend a good rump with a lot of marbling. It is traditionally
served with potatoes and vegetables, along with yorkshire pudding and gravy.
Ingredients
 3 to 3 1/2 lb joint of boneless rump
 Olive oil
 Salt and pepper
 8 cloves of garlic (optional)
Method
1. Remove the joint from the fridge 1 hour before cooking (it should be at room temperature).
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
3. Place the joint in a drip pan.
4. With a sharp knife make 8 small incisions around the meat. Place a clove of garlic into each incision.
5. Rub the olive oil, salt and pepper all over the meat.
6. Put the joint into the oven fatty side up, so that as the fat melts it will bathe the entire joint in its juices.
7. Brown the joint at 375°F for half an hour. Turn the heat down to 225°F.
8. Roast it for a further 2 to 3 hours. When the joint starts to drip its juices and it is brown on the outside,
check the temperature with a meat thermometer.
9. Remove from the oven when the inside temperature of the joint is 135° to 140°F.
10. Let the joint rest for about 15 minutes, covered in aluminum foil to keep it warm, before carving.
-365-
Definitions
To brown: To cook food until it has a brown-coloured appearance, this is usually achieved by grilling, frying or
baking.
Marbling: Marbled meat is meat (especially red meat) that contains various amounts of intramuscular fat, giving
it a marbled pattern.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/roastbeef.html#sthash.IHZGZkQq.dpuf

-366-
Roast Potatoes
English Recipe - Herby Roast

Potatoes
In the UK we often eat roast potatoes with our Sunday dinner, usually they're roasted in the same pan as the
meat. This is a tasty alternative to the traditional roast potatoes using garlic and herbs for more flavour.
Ingredients
 1 lb new potatoes
 10 cloves of garlic (with skin removed)
 1 tbsp olive oil
 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
 1/4 tsp salt
 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
 1 tsp butter
 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
 Knob of butter
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

2. Lightly coat a large roasting tin with oil.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the whole potatoes, whole garlic cloves, olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.
4. Mix thoroughly with your hands until the potatoes are coated evenly with the oil and herbs.
5. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in the prepared roasting tin.
6. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and roast for 25 minutes.
7. After 25 minutes remove the lid or foil.
8. Turn the potatoes so that they cook evenly, and bake uncovered for around 25 minutes, until the they
are soft and slightly browned.
9. Transfer to a serving bowl, mix with butter. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.
-367-
Definitions
To coat: To cover something with a layer of something else.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/herbpots.html#sthash.hSshvgIc.dpuf

-368-
Salmon and Spinach Parcels
English Recipe - Salmon and

Spinach Parcels
Ingredients
Salmon Fillets (1 per serving)
Fresh Spinach
Fresh lemon
Method
1. Wash and pat dry portions of salmon..
2. Dot each portion with a small piece of butter.
3. Wrap carefully in fresh spinach leaves.
4. Tie the parcels with string.
5. Steam the parcels for 20 minutes.
6. Serve with wedges of lemon.
Definitions
To steam - to cook food in the steam rising from boiling water.
To wrap - To encase one food in another.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/salmonspinach.html#sthash.SROsiJyp.dpuf

-369-
Salmon with Dijon and Dill
English Recipe - Salmon with Dijon

and Dill
Ingredients
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp milk
3 chopped tbsp fresh dill
3/4 lb salmon fillet
1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Method
1. Mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, milk, and dill in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat the grill if necessary.
3. Remove all of the small bones from the salmon and cut the fillet in half.
4. Lightly grease the grill rack and lay the salmon on top with the skin side down.
5. Brush the top of the salmon with the teaspoon of oil and sprinkle each piece with the salt and pepper.
6. Place the grill pan about 6 inches from the heat source and grill for 7-10 minutes
depending on the thickness of the salmon.
7. The fish should be golden brown on top and flake easily when done.
8. Serve with the Dijon dill sauce.
Definitions
To grease: To apply a layer of fat to a surface to prevent food from sticking.
To grill - To cook by direct radiant heat (usually from above).
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/salmondill.html#sthash.02KrNsaC.dpuf

-370-
Scones
Traditional English Recipe - Scones

Scones
Ingredients
8oz of self-raising flour
2oz of butter
1/4 pt of milk
A small pinch of salt
1 tbsp milk to glaze
Method
2. Rub in the butter using your fingertips, till crumbs form.
3. Mix the milk into the mixture to form a soft dough.
4. Knead the dough lightly on a floured board.
5. Pat the dough out lightly to 3/4 in thickness.
-371-
6. Cut the dough into 2" rounds with a cutter.

7. Place on a greased and floured tray.
8. Lightly brush the top of the scones with milk.
10. Bake for 10 mins, until the scones are well-risen and light brown.
11. Cool on a rack (see picture).
Variations:-
Sweet scones: add 2 oz castor sugar into the crumb mixture (before adding the milk).
Fruit scones: add 2 oz dried fruit into the crumb mixture (before adding the milk).
Cheese scones: add 3 oz of finely grated cheddar cheese and 1 tsp of dry mustard into the crumb mixture
(before adding the milk).
Note: To make a 'cream tea'. Serve the scones with fresh strawberries (or strawberry jam) and fresh thick cream
along with a fresh pot of tea.
You can use slightly soured milk to make scones, my granny swore they tasted better that way.
Definitions
To pat: To lightly tap or slap something with the hands.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/scones.html#sthash.GKrz8odx.dpuf

-372-
Scotch Broth
Traditional Scottish Recipe - Scotch

Broth
(Broth is just another word for soup)
Ingredients
25g/1oz Pearl Barley
225g/8oz Stewing Beef, fat removed
1.1L/40fl.oz. Water
75g/3oz Leeks, sliced
225g/8oz Carrot, diced
225g/8oz Swede, diced
Salt and Pepper
50g/2oz Cabbage, shredded
Method
1. Place the barley in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil then drain.
2. Return the barley to the pan together with the diced beef and 1.2L/2pts of water. Bring to the
boil, skim off the grease and oil, then simmer for 1 hour.
3. Add the leeks, carrot, Swede and plenty of salt and pepper and continue to simmer for a further hour.
After this time, add the cabbage and cook for a further 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Definitions
To boil: To cook in a liquid at a temperature of 100°C.
water by placing them in a sieve or colander, eg drain the washed strawberries.
To simmer: To keep a liquid just below boiling point, usually in a pan on the hob, eg simmer the sauce until it
starts to thicken.
To skim: To remove a layer of scum or fat from the surface of a food, eg skim off the surface of a liquid to
remove any excess fat. Use a spoon, kitchen paper or a basting bulb to skim scum or fat.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/scotchbroth.html#sthash.xGo0CRck.dpuf

-373-
Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie
Traditional Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
 1lb (450g) Minced lamb
 3lb (1.3kg) potatoes for mashing
 1 large or 2 small onion(s)
 2 tbsp flour
 2 cups Lamb Stock (Alternatively, beef stock can be used or gravy powder if the flour is omitted)
 Cheese, grated (optional)
 A handful of mixed vegetables such as peas, sweetcorn or carrots (optional)
 Mixed herbs to taste
 Milk
Method
1. Brown the mince in a frying pan. There is no need to add oil, as the meat is fatty enough.
2. Finely chop the onion and lightly fry in a little butter until clear.
3. Add the onions to the mince along with the mixed herbs and some pepper.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir and cook for 3 - 4 minutes (If using gravy powder, omit this
step).
5. Cover with lamb stock (or add water and beef stock/gravy powder) and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile peel, chop and boil the potatoes for 20 mins until cooked.
7. Once the meat is cooked, skim off the excess fat then boil rapidly to reduce the liquid until it just covers
the mince and onions.
8. Drain the potatoes very well until completely dry. Mash with a masher until smooth and free of any
lumps.
-374-
9. Add butter to the mashed potato, taste and adjust the seasoning. Add enough milk to make the mash
very soft (heavy mash will not float properly on top of the mince).
10. Put mince mixture in a shallow ovenproof dish.
11. Spread the mash on top of the meat and brush the tops of the potatoes with melted butter.
12. if desired, sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the mash.
13. Create a pattern on the mash with a fork then cook in a hot oven for about 30-50 minutes until the top is
golden brown.
Definitions
To boil: To cook in water at a temperature of at least 100°C.
To brown: To cook food until it has a brown-coloured appearance, in this case this is achieved by gently frying
the meat.
fork
starts to thicken.
To skim: To remove a layer of scum or fat from the surface of a food.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/shepherdpie.html#sthash.ZuHwP6fk.dpuf

-375-
Shortbread

Shortbread
Butter Shortbread
A traditional Scottish recipe
Ingredients
570g plain flour
175g cornflour
175g caster sugar
450g butter
extra caster sugar, to dust.
Method
1. Sift the flour, cornflour and sugar into a mixing bowl.
2. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
3. Rub the butter in with your fingertips.
4. Mix the mixture to form a dough.
5. Chill the dough in a fridge for 1 hour.
6. Press the shortbread dough ( about ½" thick) into a round baking tin.
7. Prick all over at even intervals with a fork.
8. Bake in a preheated oven (150° C / 300° F / gas mark 2) for about 1 hour.
9. Remove the tin from the oven and dust the shortbread liberally with sugar whilst it is still hot (the sugar
will stick to the hot shortbread).
10. Cut the shortbread into wedges and cool on a wire rack.
-376-
Definitions
To dust: To sprinkle lightly with a powder i.e. caster sugar.
To press: To apply pressure.
To prick : To make a single small hole or several small holes, often with a fork, eg to bake blind, first prick the
pastry base with a fork.
incorporate air.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/shortbread.html#sthash.rJaAb3oA.dpuf

-377-
Short Crust Pastry
Traditional British Recipe - Short

crust pastry
Short crust pastry
Short crust pastry is the most popular pastry in Britain. You need it to make many pies, tarts and pasties, so
here's the recipe for 3 different weights of pastry:-
Ingredients (for 4oz / ¼lb pastry)

4 oz plain flour
1 oz lard
1 oz butter
1 tbsp cold water
small pinch of salt
Ingredients (for 6oz pastry)

6 oz plain flour
1½ oz lard
1½ oz butter
1½ tbsp cold water
large pinch of salt
Ingredients (for 8oz / ½lb pastry)

8 oz plain flour
2 oz lard
2 oz butter
2 tbsp cold water
large pinch of salt
-378-
Method
1. Chill the pastry dough in a fridge for 1 hour before use.
2. Cut the butter and lard into the dry ingredients.
3. Rub the fat in with your fingertips, till crumbs form.
4. Sprinkle in the cold water and stir the mixture with a knife to form a dough.
5. Knead the dough with your fingertips until it's smooth.
6.
Definitions
incorporate air.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/shortcrustpastry.html#sthash.rTpnE3hz.dpuf

-379-
Simnel Cake
Traditional English Recipe - Simnel

Cake
Traditionally eaten to break the Lenten fast
Simnel Cake
Materials Needed
18in round cake tin
Greaseproof paper
Ingredients
175 g (6 oz) butter
175 g (6 oz) sugar
3 beaten eggs
225 g (8 oz) plain flour
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
125 g (4 oz) glace cherries
50 g (2 oz) chopped mixed candied peel (zest)
250 g (9 oz) currants
125 g (4 oz) sultanas
450 g (1 lb) almond paste
A little milk if necessary

-380-
Method
1. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
2. Beat in the eggs slowly.
3. Fold in the flour and spices.
4. Add the fruit and fold in.
5. Add a teaspoon or two of milk if too firm.
6. Line and grease an 18 cm (7 in) round cake tin.
7. Roll out half the almond paste to a 16 cm circle.
8. Spoon half of the cake mixture into the cake tin.
9. Put the almond paste circle on top of the cake mixture
10. Add the rest of the cake mixture.
11. Bake until dark brown and firm.
12. Once the cake is cool, roll out the rest of the almond paste into an 18 cm circle.
13. Place the circle on top of the cake and brown quickly under a hot grill.
Definitions
goods to rise.
Zest: Sometimes known as peel or rind, the coloured outer layer of citrus rind eg lemon, orange or lime, that
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/simnelcake.html#sthash.fK7eADEE.dpuf

-381-
Spotted Dick
Traditional English Recipe - Spotted

Dick
Spotted Dick
The name unfortunately causes great hilarity in some quarters, but really it's a traditional English pudding
enjoyed by many people in the UK. Usually served with custard.
Ingredients
 8 oz. self raising flour
 1/8 teaspoon of salt
 6 oz. of shredded suet
 6 oz. of white-bread breadcrumbs
 4 oz. caster sugar
 4 oz. combined sultanas, raisins, currants
 1 lemon rind, grated or zested
 5 to 10 tablespoons of milk
Method
1. Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, suet, dried fruit, breadcrumbs, and grated lemon.
2. Keep mixing with a fork and add a little milk at a time until everything is sticking together.
3. Knead until a slightly sticky dough is formed.
4. Roll the dough into a cylinder (it should still be slightly sticky).
5. Wrap in a single layer of foil, brushed with butter (or a double thickness of grease proof paper), and seal.
6. Steam the dough for 1½ - 2 hours.
Definitions
To steam : to cook food in the steam rising from boiling water.
To wrap: To encase food in something.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/spotteddick.html#sthash.RSfWA0BN.dpuf

-382-
Strawberry Dropscones

Dropscones
Hot Strawberry Dropscones
Ingredients
8oz of self raising flour
2 free range eggs
Milk to make a thick cream
7 firm strawberries
Oil for frying
Method
1. Whisk together the milk,eggs and flour. The batter should look like thick cream.
2. Slice the strawberries into the batter and stir in.
3. Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan until it almost starts to smoke.
4. Drop (hence the name) around a desertspoon of batter to form an oval scone into the pan.
5. Cook until bubbles form and burst , then turn the scone over and cook the other side to a golden brown.
6. Serve warm with sugar.
Note : To make a 'cream tea' with a difference offer thick strained yogurt sweetened with clear honey with the
strawberry drop scones.
-383-
Definitions
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/strawberrydropscone.html#sthash.BO9e7BvB.dpuf

-384-
Sussex Pond Pudding
Traditional English Recipe - Sussex

Pond Pudding
Sussex Pond Pudding is a traditional English pudding believed to originate from the South East county of
Sussex. Made of a suet pastry which encases a whole lemon, with butter and sugar, (they all melt together to
make the pond. It is steamed for several hours, or you can use a pressure cooker to cut the time, but pressure
cookers are a bit of a mystery to me.
Pastry
225g suet pastry
Filling
 125 g cold butter, cut into cubes

 125 g brown sugar
 1 whole, un-waxed lemon
Method
1. Roll out 3/4 of the suet pastry.

2. Line a 1.5 litre pudding basin with the pastry (make sure there is enough pastry to hang over the top of
the basin).
3. Put half the butter and brown sugar into the bottom of the lined basin.
4. Prick the lemon all over with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife.
5. Place the lemon on top of the butter sugar mixture.
-385-
6. Top the lemon with the remaining butter and brown sugar.
7. Roll out the remaining1/4 of the pastry to create a lid for the pudding.
8. Press the two layers of pastry together well, trim off any excess, and crimp the edges tightly to form a
good seal.
9. Cover the pudding with a layer of pleated parchment paper, then a piece of pleated foil and tie a string
(or use a rubber band) around the lip of the basin to hold everything in place.
10. Steam the pudding for a good 3 to 4 hours until cooked through.
11. It is now ready to serve.
Definitions
To line: To place a layer of pastry, clingfilm, foil, greaseproof paper or baking parchment, in a basin, baking tin,
or on a tray, often to prevent food from sticking to the surface.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/sussexpondpudding.html#sthash.TesHBcE4.dpuf

-386-
Suet Pastry
Traditional British Recipe - Suet

pastry
Suet pastry
Suet is raw beef or mutton fat, especially the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys, you can buy
shredded suet in most supermarkets and there is a vegetarian alternative, which you can find in most
health food shops.
Ingredients
225 g self raising flour
115 g shredded suet
50 ml water
75 ml milk
Method
1. Mix the flour and suet together in a bowl
2. Add the water and milk and mix together with a knife.
3. Knead to make a soft dough.
Definitions
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/suetpastry.html#sthash.P3pC8D3Q.dpuf

-387-
Toad in the Hole
Traditional English Recipe - Toad in

the Hole
Toad in the hole is a traditional English dish consisting of sausages in a
batter.
The origin of the name "Toad-in-the-Hole" is often disputed. Many

suggestions are that the dish's resemblance to a toad sticking its head
out of a hole provides the dish with its somewhat unusual name. An
1861 recipe by Charles Elme Francatelli does not mention sausages,
instead including as an ingredient "6d. or 1s. worth of bits and pieces of
any kind of meat, which are to be had cheapest at night when the day's
sale is over." A wartime variation on the original used Spam instead of sausages.
1lb of pork or beef sausages

¼ lb of plain flour
large pinch of salt
½ pt milk
1 large egg
Method

2. Arrange the sausages in a roasting tin or fireproof dish (approx 10" x 12") and cook them for 10 minutes
in the oven.
4. Beat in the egg and half the milk until the mixture is smooth.
5. Add the rest of the milk until the mixture is the thickness of cream.
6. Remove the roasting tin from the oven and pour the batter over the sausages.
7. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until the batter mixture is brown and crisp on top.
8. Serve hot with gravy and mashed potatoes.
-388-
Definitions
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/toadinthehole.html#sthash.D7Yp6dk6.dpuf

-389-
Tomato Soup
Traditional English Recipe - Tomato

Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
 I kg tomatoes
 1 tbsp butter
 1 sprig of fresh tarragon (dried if you can't get fresh)
 1 litre of chicken stock
 Sugar, sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste
 4 tbsp Creme Fraiche
 12 leaves of fresh basil
Method
1. Chop the tomatoes.

2. Fry the chopped tomatoes gently in the butter.
3. Add the tarragon and enough stock to cover the tomatoes.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir well and cook until the tomatoes are disintigrating.
5. Strain the soup into another pan and then add the chicken stock.
6. Reheat the soup and simmer until it's the right consistency stirring ocassionally.
7. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve with a swirl of Creme Fraiche and garnish with the fresh basil leaves.
-390-
Definitions
To garnish: To add a small decoration, often edible, to a savoury dish just before serving to enhance its finished
appearance.
to thicken.
remove any small pieces of meat.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/tomatosoup.html#sthash.F3MQkN4T.dpuf

-391-
Treacle Tart
Traditional English Recipe - Treacle

Tart
Treacle tart is a traditional British dessert. It's very sweet, but moreish.
Photo by Jem
Pastry
6 oz short crust pastry (You can buy pre baked pie crusts in the UK)
Filling
6 oz golden syrup
1 ½ oz soft white bread crumbs
1 tsp lemon juice
Method
1. Roll out the pastry evenly and line the flan ring.
2. Prick the base of the pastry case.
3. Warm the syrup in a pan.
4. Mix in the breadcrumbs and lemon juice.
5. Spoon the mixture into the flan case.
6. Bake for 30 mins at 400°F.
7. Let the tart cool before removing from flan case to allow the syrup to set.
8. Serve hot or cold with cream or custard.
-392-
Definitions
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/treacletart.html#sthash.pXey9Vrs.dpuf

-393-
Trifle
Traditional English Recipe - Sherry

Trifle
For Hilde
A trifle is a typically British dessert made with thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, fruit juice or alcohol, and whipped
cream. Interestingly it was always made so as to use up, stale, left over sponge cake, which is then softened
with either fruit juices or a sweet alcohol like sherry. It really is best not to use fresh sponge as it just goes very
soggy and mushy. In the UK you can buy "sponge fingers" which are perfect, or if you have an Italian shop
nearby, try ready made tiramisu sponge.
It's really easy to make and the ingredients are usually arranged in layers with the fruit and sponge on the
bottom, and the custard and cream on top.
The best trifles contain a small amount of alcohol such as port, or, most commonly, sweet sherry or madeira
wine. If you can't drink alcohol, you can use fruit juice instead, the liquid is necessary to moisten the cake. Trifle
containing sherry is sometimes called 'sherry trifle' or referred to as being 'High Church'.
On mainland Europe you can sometimes buy a dessert similar to trifle called zuppa inglese (English soup).
Ingredients
 A packet or two of sponge fingers or a stale victoria sponge.
 Fresh fruit to your taste (pears, bananas, peaches, strawberries)
 1-1/2 oz custard powder
 3/4 pt milk
 2 oz castor sugar
 1/4 pt double cream
 1/2 pt whipping cream
 Angelica, almond flakes and glacé cherries to decorate
-394-
Method
1. Cut the sponges into pieces and place into a glass bowl.
2. Soak the sponges with the fruit juice or alchohol. They should be moist, but not soggy.
3. Cut the fruit into small pieces and add to the soaked sponge, reserve some for decoration
(squeeze lemon juice over them to prevent discolouration).
4. Prepare the custard powder according to the manufacturer's instructions (alternatively make your own
custard).
5. Allow the custard to cool, stirring continuously to ensure a creamy custard and to prevent a skin forming
6. Fold in the double cream.
7. Pour mixture on to the sponge.
8. Leave to cool in fridge.
9. Whisk the cream with the castor sugar. Spread the whipped cream carefully onto the trifle.
10. Decorate the trifle angelica, cherries, sliced bananas and strawberries.
Definitions
Fold: Usually egg whites or whipped cream are folded into a heavier mixture, for a souffle, cake, or pie filling.
!Note - A trifle is also a matter or item of little value or importance.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/trifle.html#sthash.sh6JGu1Y.dpuf

-395-
Victoria Sponge Cake
Traditional English Recipe - Victoria Sponge
The Victoria sponge cake was named after Queen Victoria, who favoured a slice of the sponge cake with her
afternoon tea. It is often referred to simply as sponge cake, though it contains additional fat. A traditional Victoria
sponge consists of jam and whipped cream sandwiched between two sponge cakes; the top of the cake is not
iced or decorated, but usually covered with a sifting of castor sugar.
Other names for the Victoria Sponge are Victoria Sandwich and, less commonly, Victorian Cake.
Victoria Sponge
Ingredients
100 g (4 oz) butter
100 g (4 oz) sugar
2 eggs
100 g (4 oz) self-raising flour
50 g (2 oz) Victoria plum or Strawberry jam
300ml (10½ fl oz) double cream, whipped (if wished)
2 tsp Castor sugar
Method
1. Heat the oven to 350° F (gas mark 4)
2. Grease and line the bottom of 2 x 7" round cake tins.
3. Cut up the butter and beat with a wooden spoon until soft.
4. Cream in the sugar until the mixture is pale and creamy, and the mixture drops easily from the spoon.
5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, with 1 tbsp of the flour.
6. Fold in the remaining flour and the salt, using a metal spoon.
7. Divide the mixture between the two cake tins.
8. Bake for 20 mins (Be very careful not to disturb the oven during baking.)
9. Bake until light brown and firm.
10. Turn the cake out of the tins and cool on a rack.
11. Once the cake is cool, sandwich it together with the jam and whipped cream (if wished).
12. Sprinkle the top with castor sugar.
-396-
Definitions
Bake: To cook in an oven.
Beat: To thoroughly combine ingredients and incorporate air with a rapid, circular motion. This may be done with
a wooden spoon, wire whisk, rotary eggbeater, electric mixer or food processor.
Cream: To mix fats and sugar together until creamy in appearance.
Fold: A method of gently mixing ingredients. Usually egg whites or whipped cream are folded into a heavier
goods to rise.
or sprinkle the brandy over the fruit cake..
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/victoriasponge.html#sthash.9v7Ku5Hf.dpuf

-397-
Yorkshire Pudding
A traditional English recipe -

Yorkshire Pudding
When is a pudding not a pudding? When it's a yorkshire pudding! Well let's put it this way;
you wouldn't eat is as a desert.
Yorkshire pudding traditionally accompanies roast beef and should be served with a lovely
meaty gravy. It is cooked in a large tin, traditionally under a roasting joint of meat, in order
to catch the juices that drip down, and then cut into portions, although individual round
puddings (baked in bun trays or small skillets) are more usual nowadays.
In Yorkshire it was often eaten as a separate course prior to the main meat dish, probably
to help fill people up. An old saying is "Them that eat most pudding gets most meat."
When baked with sausages (within the batter), it is known as toad in the hole.
Ingredients
 2 Eggs
 4 oz (125g) plain flour
 1/2 Pint (150ml) milk
 Salt & pepper
 2 tbsp lard or dripping
Method
1. Pre-Heat the Oven to 425F (220°C, Mark 7) (This is very important - the oven must be hot).
2. Mix the eggs with the milk.
3. Sift the flour into a large bowl and season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
4. Gradually pour in the liquid and stir until you have a stiff batter. (Beat or whisk well until you have no
lumps).
-398-
5. Allow the batter to rest for half an hour.

6. Place the lard or dripping into a deep sided baking tin and put in the hot oven (if your making individual
puds place a little of the dripping or lard into each tin).
7. Place the tin back in the oven and heat up the fat until it's very hot.
8. Pour in the batter mixture (carefully).
9. Place back into the oven and bake until the batter is puffed up, golden brown and crispy.
10. Serve immediately.
Definitions
incorporate air.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipe/yorkshirepud.html#sthash.QApfl6mM.dpuf
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/recipespage.html#sthash.zps5q5PD.dpuf

-399-
English songs about food

Learn English vocabulary the fun way, here are some songs about one of our favourite topics - food.
Songs

Big Apple Kajagoogoo
Banana Republic The Boomtown Rats
Blueberry Hill Fats Domino
Cherry Oh Baby UB40
Chocolate Girl Deacon Blue
Do the Clam Elvis Presley (1965 - in the charts for 8 weeks!)
Whipped Cream Herb Albert & the Tijuana Brass
Food Glorious Food From the musical Oliver (Lyrics below)
Wild Honey The Beach Boys
Hot Dog Shakin' Stevens
Lemon Tree Peter, Paul and Mary
Life is a lemon and I want my money back Meatloaf
Life is a Minestrone 10cc
Green Onion The Beatles
Sweet Pea Manfred Mann
Peaches Presidents of the USA
American Pie Don McLean / Madonna
Rags to riches Tony Bennett
Raspberry Beret Prince and the Revolution
Polk Salad Annie Elvis Presley (number 23 in 1973)
Strawberry Fields Forever The Beatles
Brown Sugar The Rolling Stones
Sugar, Sugar The Archies
Cold Turkey John Lennon
Who'd want to be a Turkey at Christmas? Elton John
-400-
Lyrics
Food Glorious Food
Is it worth the waiting for?

If we live 'til eighty-four
All we ever get is gru...el!
Ev'ry day we say our prayer -- Will they change the bill of fare?
Still we get the same old gru...el!
There's not a crust, not a crumb can we find,
Can we beg, can we borrow, or cadge,
But there's nothing to stop us from getting a thrill
When we all close our eyes and imag...ine
Food, glorious food!

Hot sausage and mustard!
While we're in the mood
Cold jelly and custard!
Pease pudding and saveloys!
What next is the question.
Rich gentlemen have it, boys: In-di-gestion!

We're anxious to try it.
Three banquets a day -- Our favourite diet!
Just picture a great big steak -- Fried, roasted or stewed.
Oh, food, Wonderful food, Marvellous food, Glorious food.

What is there more handsome?
Gulped, swallowed or chewed -- Still worth a king's ransom!
What is it we dream about?
What brings on a sigh?
Piled peaches and cream, about Six feet high!

Eat right through the menu.
Just loosen your belt
Two inches and then you
Work up a new appetite.
In this interlude –
Then food, Once again, food Fabulous food, Glorious food!

Don't care what it looks like:
Burned, underdone, crude -- Don't care what the cook's like.
Just thinking of growing fat -- Our senses go reeling.
One moment of knowing that Full-up feeling!

What wouldn't we give for
That extra bit more -- That's all that we live for.
Why should we be fated to Do nothing but brood
On food, Magical food, Wonderful food, Marvellous food, Fabulous food, Beautiful
food, Glorious food!
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/foodsongs.html#sthash.fXbsCaAH.dpuf
-401-
Rooms in a house vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary - click on a room to find out more
bathroom | bedroom | kitchen | living room / lounge
Build Up
Rooms in a house
Attic - Most houses in the UK have an attic. Nowadays many people
convert the dusty old space that used to be used to store suitcases
Attic and clutter into extra accommodation. Perhaps an extra bedroom, or
an office. This house has converted the attic into two bedrooms.
People store things in the attic.
The bedroom. In the UK houses are described by how many
bedrooms they have. This house would be a 3 bedroomed house.
Bed room The main bedroom is called the master bedroom, and if a bedroom
has its own bathroom, it is called an ensuite.
A dressing room or walk in wardrobe, is a luxury in the UK housing
Dressing room market, usually each bedroom would have a wardrobe or fitted
wardrobes.
The family bathroom. In the UK the bath / shower and the loo are
Family
usually upstairs. In a government poll 47% of Brits would prefer a
bathroom bath, and 43% a shower. Some houses have a wet room.
A garage is another luxury in the UK. It adds value to any property,
Garage as the alternatives are off road parking, or on street parking.
A lounge/sitting
A lounge / sitting room. Does what it says on the label.
room
Open plan living is very popular in the UK. Instead of a separate
lounge / dining room / kitchen, you will often find the rooms have
Kitchen and
been knocked through to form one room. This room would be
dinner described as a kitchen / diner. The kitchen is considered the heart of
the home.
A cellar is a luxury in the UK. They have to be well built and properly
water proofed, because of the weather. This room is being used as a
A cellar pantry / storage area.
The boiler room. In the UK boilers are often quite small and installed
The boiler room in the kitchen.
A laundry room is also a luxury. Usually the washing machine is
A laundry room installed in the kitchen, along with the other white goods.
-402-
Other rooms in a house

Ballroom A room in stately homes where rich people dance and concerts are held.
Box Room A small room used for storage.
Cellar Underneath the house.
Cloakroom A small room for a downstairs toilet.
Conservatory A greenhouse attached to a house as a sun room, or for the display of plants.
Dining Room A room where people eat (see eating at home).
Drawing Room A room in stately homes where posh people entertain.
Games Room A room in large houses where games are played.
Hall The entrance passage to a house.
The level area at the top of a staircase or between one flight of stairs and
Landing
another.
Larder A small room used for the storage of food.
Library A room where books are kept.
Music Room A room where people play music.
Office A room where people work.
Pantry A small room used to store kitchen and dining items.
Parlour Old fashioned word for living room.
Living Room Yet another name for sitting room / lounge.
Spare Room/
A room where guests sleep and clutter is stored.
Guest Room
Toilet A room where people go to the toilet (often known as WC / loo).
Utility Room A room where appliances such as washing machines are used.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/rooms.html#sthash.bkQortoM.dpuf

-403-
Things you may find around the house
light bulb(s) plug(s) socket(s) torch(es)
ceiling light(s) lamp(s) curtain(s) lock(s)
key(s) shelf (shelves) (tele)phone(s) box(es)
plug(s) battery (batteries) photo(graph)(s)

-404-
Naturally Speaking
ceiling | door | floor | wall | window
Dialogue
Here is a conversation between Mrs Smith (Joan) and husband Steve.
It's Saturday and Joan and Steve are decorating.

Joan Steve, you missed a bit.
Steve Where?
Joan Here, on the wall just by the window, you can see a patch of white.
Steve Oh yes, I see it. It's difficult in this light.
Joan I know dear. Well, at least we have finished this room; only five more to go.
Steve Are you sure you want to put wallpaper up in the lounge?
Yes, but don't worry, I'm really good at wallpapering. I just wish that John would decide on
Joan
what he wants his room doing in.
I know, it's difficult when you're a boy, but at least he's grown out of Star Wars. I keep thinking
Steve
he'll ask for red and black or something equally gruesome.
Yes, but it is his room. I'm glad we decided not to move. Maybe we should think about building
Joan
an extension to the kitchen instead.
Steve One thing at a time please! Lets get this decorating over and done with first.
Joan Ha! Oh by the way you missed a bit by the door too!
Steve Hmmm, thanks. Here's a brush.
Hangman
Crossword
Jumbled Words
Spelling and Dictation
Vocabulary Test
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/rooms.html#sthash.Q1YfN6lX.dpuf

-405-
Rooms in a House - Bathroom Vocabulary

Useful Vocabulary
Bathroom Furniture
chair(s) basin(s) bath(s) toilet(s) / loo(s)

Other things you may find in a bathroom
toilet brush(es) / loo

toilet roll(s) / loo roll(s) hairdryer (hairdriers) toothbrush(es)
brush(es)
^
toilet seat(s) / loo
shaving foam razor(s) bin(s)
seat(s)
towel(s) / towel holder(s)

Pronunciation Click here
-406-
Build Up
Things we do in the bathroom

What people do in the bathroom
People get dressed or undressed in the bathroom.
People have a shave in the bathroom.
People brush their teeth in the bathroom.
People take a shower in the bathroom.

-407-
People go to the toilet / loo in the bathroom.
People have a bath in the bathroom.
People dry themselves in the bathroom.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/roomsbathroom.html#sthash.VWtorgd4.dpuf

-408-
Rooms in a House - Bedroom Vocabulary

Useful Vocabulary
Bedroom Furniture
bed(s) bedside cabinet(s) bedside table(s)
dressing table(s) wardrobe(s) chest of drawer(s)

Other things you may find in a bedroom
brush(es) comb(s) hair dryer(s)
pillow(s) sheet(s) clothes

-409-
Build Up
Things we do in the bedroom
Bedroom
People listen to music in the bedroom.
People sleep in the bedroom.
People get dressed or undressed in the

bedroom.
People make love in bedroom.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/roomsbedroom.html#sthash.iIq0gQvH.dpuf

-410-
Rooms in a House - Kitchen Vocabulary

Useful Vocabulary
Kitchen Furniture
table(s) chair(s) bin(s)

-411-
Other things you may find in a kitchen
microwave
cooker(s) / oven(s) fridge(s) dishwasher(s) tap(s)
(oven)(s)
coffee maker(s) food mixer(s) liquidiser(s)
Cooking Equipment
saucepan(s) frying pan(s) sieve(s) kettle(s) teapot(s)
spatula(s) tin opener(s) knife (knives) whisk(s)

-412-
Build Up
Things we do in the kitchen

What people do in the kitchen
People prepare food in the kitchen.
People cook in the kitchen.
People sometimes eat in the kitchen.
People make coffee or tea in the kitchen.

-413-
People put the food away in the kitchen

cupboards.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/roomskitchen.html#sthash.3i7ZcxdH.dpuf

-414-
Rooms in a House - Living Room / Lounge

Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary
Living Room Furniture
settee(s) armchair(s) coffee table(s) display cabinet(s)
hifi stand(s) tv cabinet(s)

Other things you may find in a living room
television(s) / TV(s) HiFi(s) speaker(s)
cushion(s) rug(s)
-415-
Build Up
Things we do in the living room
People Living
watch Room/ Lounge
TV in
the
living
room.
People
sit and
read a
book
in the
living
room.
People
listen
to
music
in the
living
room.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/roomslivingroom.html#sthash.OvXcUYzG.dpuf

-416-
Rooms in a house-Idioms
Idioms and Sayings About Rooms

Blood on the carpet.
A lot of trouble in an organisation often resulting in

For example:
someone losing their job.
"After the meeting there was blood on the carpet. "

The glass ceiling
When the advancement of a qualified person within

For example:
the hierarchy of an organisation is stopped at a lower
level (it happens to women a lot).
"Although she had hit the glass ceiling head on, she
didn't give up."
To hit the ceiling
For example:
To become very angry about something.
"When her husband hears she crashed the car he'll hit
the ceiling."
Skeleton in the closet / cupboard.
For example:- If you have a skeleton in the cupboard it means you

have are hiding a shocking secret about yourself.
Nearly every family has a skeleton in the cupboard.
To get a foot in the door
For example:
An opening or opportunity.
"If you could introduce me to your boss it would help me

get my foot in the door."
To show someone the door
For example:
Ask someone to leave (usually rudely).
"He was so annoying I asked my secretary to show him

the door."
-417-
To be a doormat.
For example:- Describes someone who doesn't stand up for

his/herself.
"She treated him like a doormat, but he never complained."
To get in on the ground floor
For example: To join something at a low level in the hope of

making gains in the future.
"It's a really good opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a
successful new business."
To fly off the handle.
For example:
To lose your temper.
When I told her that the dog ate my homework, she flew off
the handle, and shouted at me.
A different kettle of fish.
For example:-
A different matter or issue.
A pretty or fine kettle of fish.
For example:-
A difficult or awkward situation.
"They're divorced, and someone's sat them next to each other
- that's a fine kettle of fish."
The pot calling the kettle black.
For example:-
To accuse someone of being a hypocrite.
"When politicians say that bankers have been lying, it's like
the pot calling the kettle black."
-418-
A watched kettle never boils.
For example:-
When you are anxiously waiting for something
to happen, it always seems to take longer.
"Elfish couldn't wait for her exam results, but I told her, "A
watched kettle never boils."
Everything but the kitchen sink.
For example:-
A lot of things - especially used when packing
"The check-in girl told her she was way over her weight limit.
She'd packed everything but the kitchen sink."
To be a lounge lizard.
For example: When a man is very sleazy or smarmy.
"He kept chatting her up, he was a real lounge lizard."

For example:-
"When politicians say that bankers have been lying, it's like
the pot calling the kettle black."
To have elbow room
For example: To have enough space.
"She asked us to move back to give her elbow room."

To make room for someone or something
For example: To arrange space for someone or something.
"Could you move over a bit and make some room for me?"
-419-
For example:-
A lot of things - especially used
when packing
"The check-in girl told her she was way over her weight limit. She'd packed
everything but the kitchen sink."
As much use as a chocolate teapot.
For example:
Useless.
"As soon as I switched it on the fuse blew. It was as much use as a chocolate
teapot."
Throw in the towel.
For example:
To give up.
"They knew they were going to lose, so they threw in the towel."
Climb the wall
For example: To be extremely bored.
"The lesson was so boring the students were soon climbing the walls."
Drive someone up the wall
For example: To annoy or irritate someone.
"My little brother is so annoying he drives me up the wall."

The handwriting's on the wall
For example:
Obvious bad luck.
"He should have known he would lose his job, the handwriting was on the
wall."
To go to the wall
For example: To become bankrupt
"The recession hit so hard many businesses went to the wall.

-420-
For example: To waste time trying to do something with

little or no success.
"I have been knocking my head against a brick wall trying to solve
this week's Mind Bender."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/roomsidioms.html#sthash.HRaNMK74.dpuf

-421-
Rooms in a house-Tenses
Irregular Verb - To make
Make / Made / Making

Tenses for the Verb - To make
The Past
Past Continuous - "I was making the coffee at 6.30 this morning."
Past Simple - "I made the tea yesterday, it's your turn today."
Past Perfect Simple - "By the time I got home this evening I had already made 100 cups of tea."
Past Perfect Continuous - "I had been making the tea when I realised I hadn't boiled the water."
The Present
Present Continuous - "It is 7.30 in the morning and I'm making a pot of coffee."
Present Simple - "I always make coffee first thing in the morning."
Present Perfect Simple - "I have already made the coffee six times this week, it must be your turn."
Present Perfect Continuous - "I seem to have been making coffee for the family since I got up.
The Future
Future Continuous - "I'm making a cup of tea in a minute, do you want one?"
Future Simple - "No thanks, I think I'll make some coffee when I get up."
Future Perfect Simple - "Don't worry, by the time you get up I will have already made you a cup of coffee."
Future Perfect Continuous - "After all, by this evening I will have been making tea all day at work."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/maketense.html#sthash.R0hHuWPA.dpuf

-422-
Rooms in a house-Culture
British Houses
An Englishman's home is his castle, well that's how the saying goes, but it's not so much a castle as a shed. It's
official...
The British have the smallest homes in Europe!
In fact they are downright pokey, with only an average usable floor space of 76m sq according to a new report
by Bradford & Bingley. The Italians lead the rest of Europe with the most space - an average of 92m sq per
dwelling, over a fifth larger than us Brits enjoy.
The report undertaken by the Centre for Economics & Business Research for Bradford & Bingley compares the
UK property market to Germany, France, Italy and Spain. It reveals British living space per home is 12 percent
smaller than the average Spanish home, 14 percent smaller than in Germany and 16 percent smaller than in
France.
Moreover, the gap between the UK and the continent is widening with new homes in France, Germany and
Spain getting bigger. On average, newly built homes in France and Germany have over 100m2 of usable floor
space, while in Spain modern homes have 95m2. In Britain, new homes remain the same size as existing
properties at 76m2.
These figures are more surprising when the types of properties are taken into account as over four-fifths of
British households prefer to live in a house. The report reveals that 82 percent of British families live in a house
and only 15 percent live in a flat. This is in stark contrast to families on continental Europe where flats are more
popular. In Spain, Italy and Germany more than 50 percent of families live in a flat and France is not far behind
with 41 percent. Yet almost bizarrely the average British family home has the least usable living space of the
countries surveyed.
-423-
Nickie Aiken of Bradford & Bingley Estate Agents commented on the findings: "It is interesting that the UK is
trailing the continent in terms of living space, particularly when you take the fact that we tend to live in houses
rather than flats into account. Quality of life is not only about income and spending, comfort is a core component.
Hopefully the Government is aware of these figures as it tackles the increasing demand for new housing in the
UK."
Owning your own property is popular to differing degrees and despite the widely held perception to the contrary,
Britons aren't Europe's most prolific homeowners. The Spanish (80%) own more of their homes than the Brits
and Italians (69%). The French (54%) and Germans (43%) own less.
Despite the right to buy initiatives of the Thatcher governments, Britain still has the highest number of 'social
housing', namely council or housing association dwellings (22%). France has the second highest provision of
social housing with 18% living in social owned homes. Whilst Spain barely has a social sector at all with only
1%.
Compared to our counterparts on the continent, the UK has the least developed rental sector with less than 1 in
10 (9%) British homes being rented privately. This contrasts sharply with the staggering 46% in Germany - over
five times the UK level. This news is surprising given the recent surge in popularity of buy to let mortgages in the
UK.
There are marked differences between the residential property prices in the five countries and the types of
homes people can purchase. For £60,000 a homeowner could buy a semi-detached home in the north of
England, a rural home in Italy, a villa in Spain or an apartment in a French ski resort.
Interesting Links
Port Sunlight - One of the first and finest examples of social housing in the UK.
Up my street - If you are going to visit the UK find out about the area here. You only need the postcode.
Property Finder - Find a property to buy in the UK. Or just be nosey and have a look.
The Royal Residences - An on-line guide to the most sumptuous places in the UK.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/britishhouses.html#sthash.jpcSZq4Q.dpuf

-424-
English Songs About Rooms
Only for fun, here are some songs about rooms in the house. If you have an titles with dining room - please let
me know!
Songs

Box in the attic Brian Peters
Living in the attic Gordon Haskell
Toys in the attic Aerosmith
Bathroom blues Legendary Stardust Cowboy
Bathroom wall Faster Pussycat
Pink bedroom Alvin Stardust
She came in through the bedroom window Joe Cocker
Cook in the kitchen The Dubliners
Rat in me kitchen UB40
You'll always find me in the kitchen at parties Jona Lewie
Living room David Gray
In my living room INXS
I thought I was in the gehetto but it was really
New Uranium Kandy
mybedroom
Mirror in the bathroom The Beat
Living-room David Gray
Deck the hall Nat King Cole

Fell down the stairs Tilly And The Wall
Television the drug of the nation Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
Living on the ceiling Blancmange
Pictures on my wall Echo And The Bunnymen
Stickin' to the floor Arctic Monkeys
Banging on the door Simple Minds
Legend in my living room Annie Lennox
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/roomssongs.html#sthash.dvNVFqYW.dpuf

-425-
English Vocabulary
The Human Body and Anatomy
Double click on any word for its definition and to listen to the pronunciation.
Useful Vocabulary
The Human Body
ankle | arm | chest | foot | hand | knee

leg | neck | shoulder
-426-
back | bottom | calf | elbow | head

heel | thigh
Close up on the hand
index finger | knuckle | fingernails

little finger | middle finger
ring finger | thumb | wrist
Close up on the foot

-427-
ankle | big toe | heel | little toe | toenail
Build Up
Inside the Body - Simple Anatomy

bladder The organ inside the body
of a person, where urine
is stored before it leaves
the body.
-428-
bone The hard parts inside a

human or animal that
make up its frame.
brain The organ inside the

head that controls
thought, memory,
feelings and activity.
-429-
digestive The organs in your body that

system digest food.
ear The ear is made up of three

different sections: the outer ear,
the middle ear, and the inner
ear. These parts all work
together so you can hear and
process sounds.
-430-
eye 'The eyes takes in

information about the world
around you - shapes,
colours, movement, and
more. Then they send the
information to your brain.
heart The heart sends blood

around the body. The blood
provides oxygen and
nutrients to the body.
-431-
kidney One of the main jobs of the kidneys is to filter

the waste out of the blood.
liver A large organ in the body which cleans the

blood and produces bile (a bitter yellow liquid
which helps to digest fat).
lungs The lungs are one of the largest organs in the

body, they work with the respiratory system to
take in fresh air, and get rid of stale air.
mouth The opening in the face which consists of the

lips and the space between them, or the space
behind which contains the teeth and the
tongue.
-432-
skeleton The frame of bones that support the body.
spine The line of bones down the centre of the back that provides
support for the body.
-433-
teeth The hard white objects in the mouth, which are

used for biting and chewing.
tooth (see above)

-434-
urinary The parts of the body which produce and

tract carry urine.
Naturally Speaking
Describing aches and pains
If your head hurts: "I've got a headache." or "My head aches."

If your stomach hurts: "I've got stomach ache." or "My stomach aches."
If your back hurts: "I've got backache." or "My back aches."
If your neck hurts: "I've got neckache." or ""My neck aches."

If other parts of your body
"I've got a pain in my arm / leg etc."
hurt:
Dialogue
Listening Practise:-
Powered By ReadTheWords.com
It's Monday morning and Mr Smith has gone to see the doctor.
Doctor: Hello Mr Smith. We haven't seen you in a while. What seems to be the problem?
Mr Smith Well, I fell off the ladder whilst I was decorating and hurt my ankle. It swelled up and
hasn't gone down since.
Doctor: OK - let's have a look, take off your shoe and sock and roll up your trouser leg.
(Examines ankle)
Ah yes, I think we had better send you to the hospital to get this X-rayed. You may have
broken a bone.
Mr Smith: What? You're joking! No wonder it hurts so much.

-435-

Crossword
Save the Bear! - a cute derivative of hangman
Odd One Out
Rumble in the Jumble - The Human Body
Word Search
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/body.html#sthash.tpQygvte.dpuf

-436-
Idioms and Sayings About The

Human Body
A list as long as your arm.
For example:-
A very long list.
When I do a new vocabulary unit my list of things to do is

as long as your arm.
A shot in the arm.
For example:- Something which has a sudden and positive effect on

something.
His son's visits were a real shot in the arm for the old
man.
Give your right arm.
For example:-
To want something very much.
When I'm in Germany I'd give my right arm for some

decent bacon.
The long arm of the law.
For example:-
The police.
I told him not to do it. You never escape the long arm of
the law.
-437-
To chance your arm.
To take a chance in order to get something that you

For example:-
want.
He chanced his arm on the horses.
To cost an arm and a leg.
For example:- Extremely expensive.
Running this web site costs me an arm and a leg.
Strong-arm
For example:- To use force and threats to make people do what you
demand.
The police used strong-arm tactics to break up the
protest.
To twist someone's arm.
For example:- To persuade someone to do something they do not

want to do.
She didn't want to study English, but the teacher twisted
her arm.
Back to back
To be close together and facing in opposite

For example:-
directions.
British cities are full of back to back housing.
Back passage
For example:- A polite phrase for rectum.
The doctor examined his back passage.

-438-
Behind someone's back.

To do something without them knowing, in a
way which is unfair.
For example:-
I bought the car behind his back and now he's really angry.
The shirt off someone's back.
For example:-
The last thing that someone has left.
He's so generous he'd give you the shirt off his back, if you
asked him.
To break your back.
For example:-
To work extremely hard.
I don't know why English teachers break their backs for so little
financial reward.
To get off someone's back.
For example:- To tell someone to stop criticizing.
If you got off her back about studying she might do better.
To get someone's back up.
For example:-
To really annoy someone.
She does it deliberately, even though she knows I don't like it,
just to get my back up.
To put your back into something.
For example:- To work very hard at something.
Hermine really put her back into learning English.

-439-
To scratch someone's back.
For example:-
To offer to help someone if they help you.
If I give you the planning permission you have to vote for me on

the council. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
To stab someone in the back.
For example:- To say nasty things about someone when

they are not there.
He thought they were his friends until they stabbed him in the
back.
To turn your back on something/someone.
For example:- To stop being involved.
I had to turn my back on it before I became ill.
To have your back to the wall.
For example:- To be in a difficult or desperate situation.
The CEO had his back to the wall, so he resigned.
Water off a duck's back.
For example:- Criticisms of or warnings to a particular

person that have no effect on that person.
The crowd was booing but he carried on anyway, it was water off
a duck's back to him.
To show a bit of backbone.
For example:-
To show fortitude and determination.
In the end she showed some backbone and she refused to pay for
the course.
-440-
To go belly up.
To be ruined or defeated, especially financially.
For example:-
Thanks to Sally Hiller
The company went belly up soon after.
To have a beer belly.
A beer belly (or pot belly) is , is the accumulation of visceral fat

For example:-
resulting in an increase in waist size. Aka: abdominal obesity,
clinically known as central obesity.
Most women find a beer belly very
unattractive.
Body politic
For example:
A politically organized group of people under a single government.
Judge Sydney Harris ordered the crown to
return to the Body Politic all material
seized during the raid.
Over my dead body.
For example:
To be unwilling to allow something to happen.
When she asked me if she could go to the
pop festival, I told her she could go over
my dead body. She's only 15!
A bone of contention.
For example:-
Something that people argue about over a long period of time.
The rise in student fees is becoming a real

bone of contention for the coalition.
-441-
As smooth as a baby's bottom,
For example:-
Very smooth.
Feel this cloth, it's as smooth as a baby's

bottom."
Bottom out.
For example:- To reach the lowest point in a continuously changing situation

and to be about to improve.
The economy has bottomed out and must
start to get better this year.
Brain drain.
The movement of people with education and skills from their own
For example:-
country to another country where they are paid more for their
work.
The country's brain drain began to reverse as
professors returned from abroad.
To brain someone.
For example:-
To hit someone on the head.
During the robbery the security guard was

brained.
To be all brawn and no brain.
For example:-
To be physically strong but not very intelligent.
The trouble with many footballers is that

they're all brawn and no brains.
-442-
To beat your brains out.
For example:- To spend a lot of time worrying about a problem and

thinking about how to deal with it.
I've been beating my brains out trying to remember
more brain idioms.
To pick someone's brain.
To ask for information or advice from someone who knows

For example:-
more about a subject than you do.
People often pick my brain on the forum.
Scatterbrain / Scatterbrained
For example:-
A flighty and disorganized person.
She had to go home to get her handbag. She's

such a scatterbrain!
Brainy
For example:- Clever.
He always gets good marks, he's so brainy.
For example:-
To be pregnant.

Calf length.
Clothing or boots that end at the middle point between the

For example:-
foot and the knee.
She wore a calf length dress to the party.

-443-
Tongue in cheek.
For example:- When you say something as a joke, although you

might appear to be serious.
They said that he was America's greatest President,
although I suspect it was tongue in cheek.
Cheek by jowl.
For example:- If things or people are cheek by jowl, they are very
close together.
There were over twenty people living in the house. They
were living cheek by jowl.
To beat your breast/chest.
For example:-
To show grief or guilt in an obvious or public way.
There's no point in beating your breast/chest about it -

she won't come back.
To get sth off your chest.
For example:- To tell someone about something that has been

worrying you or making you feel guilty for a long time.
When I told him I was leaving I was glad to get it off my
chest.
To put hairs on your chest.
To drink something that is alcoholic or eat something

For example:-
nice.
Get that down you, it'll put hairs on your chest.

-444-
Chin up.
For example:-
Something you say to someone to tell them to have confidence.
A. I've got my exams tomorrow.

B. Chin up, it will all be over soon.
Keep your chin up.
For example:- Something that you say to someone in a difficult situation in

order to encourage them to be brave and to try not to be sad.
I told her to keep her chin up and everything
would be ok in the end.
Take it on the chin.
For example:- To be brave and not complain when bad things happen to you
or people criticise you.
In spite of the setbacks he took it all on the chin
and set up the business anyway.
To be all ears.
For example:-
To be waiting eagerly to hear about something.
When she heard their was an important
message for her, Spitz was all ears.
Thanks to Spitzgogo for a timely reminder.
To box someone's ears.
For example:-
To hit someone on the ear, usually as a punishment.
The teacher threatened to box his ears if he

didn't stop being cheeky.
-445-
To not believe your ears.
For example:-
To be unable to believe something you hear.
When he told me he had won the lottery, I couldn't

believe my ears!
To be out on your ear.
For example:- To be forced to leave somewhere because you have done

something wrong, or because your work is not good enough.
One day, he was the CEO of a major company.
The next, he was out on his ear.
To go in one ear and out the other.
For example:- Used when someone isn't paying attention to what is being
said, or obviously has no intention of acting upon it.
I could tell he wasn't really listening to my advice.
It was going in one ear and out the other.
Elbow grease.
For example:- To do some hard work, especially when you are cleaning
something.
If you use some elbow grease on your furniture it
will make the wood look lovely.
Elbow room.
Enough space to move around in.

For example:-
or
The freedom to do what you want to do.
I daren't invite friends to stay because there's no
elbow room in my flat, it's so small.
-446-
To give someone the elbow.
For example:-
To end a romantic relationship with someone.
He's very depressed, his girlfriend gave him the

elbow last week.
The naked eye
For example:- If something can be seen with the naked eye, it can be seen
without the help of a microscope.
Amoebas are too small to be seen with the
naked eye.
eye-catching
When someone or something is particularly attractive or

For example:-
noticeable.
She wore an eye-catching blouse.
In the blink of an eye.
For example:- Extremely quickly.
In the blink of an eye, she was gone.
Keep an eye on something / someone.
For example:-
To watch or look after something or someone.
He kept an eye on the dogs whilst I went to the

gym.
Keep an eye out for something / someone.
For example:-
To watch carefully for someone or something to appear.
Whilst his partner robbed the bank, he kept an

eye out for the police.
-447-
Run your eye over.
For example:-
To look quickly at the whole of something.
You should run your eye over that message before you
send it.
See eye to eye.
For example:-
To share the same opinion.
My husband and I agree on most things, we usually see

eye to eye.
Turn a blind eye.
For example:- To ignore something that you know is wrong.
Governments often turn a blind eye to corruption.
To have eyes in the back of your head.
For example:- Used to describe people who always seem to know

what you are doing (usually mothers or teachers).
My mother always knew when I had been naughty. She
had eyes in the back of her head.
Keep your eyes peeled.
For example:-
To watch very carefully.
There have been several burglaries in the area, so keep

your eyes peeled for anything suspicious. .
-448-
To raise eyebrows.
For example:-
To shock people.
Her decision to appear in Playboy raised a few
eyebrows.
Keep your feet on the ground.
For example:- To have a realistic understanding of your own ideas,

actions, and decisions.
It is hard to keep your feet on the ground when you
suddenly become famous.
To stuff your face.
To face up to something.
For example:
To accept a usually unpleasant fact.
"We have to face up to the fact that we are losing money

hand over fist."
Itchy feet.
For example:-
To be restless and have a strong desire to travel.
I've been living in Germany for over 12 years, but now

I'm getting itchy feet.
-449-
To drag your feet.
For example:- To be deliberately slow (usually because you don't want to do

something).
I suspect the government is dragging
its feet over lowering taxes.
To get cold feet.
For example:- To suddenly become too frightened to do something you had planned to
do.
They're getting married next week -
that's if he doesn't get cold feet!
To put your feet up.
For example:-
To relax.
After a long day shopping she looked
forward to putting her feet up with a
nice cup of tea.
For example:-
Somebody who often drops things
He had the ball, but he dropped it!

What a butterfingers!
Cross fingers.
People, usually children, sometimes cross their fingers behind their back
For example:-
when they're telling a lie thinking it gives them immunity. (Not to be
confused with keeping your fingers crossed for luck.)
It's no good crossing your fingers, I
want to know the truth!
-450-
For example:
He was a very influential man, he seemed to

have a finger in every pie.
Keep your fingers crossed.
For example:- To literally cross your middle finger over your first finger to try
and hope for a bit of luck, or a positive outcome.
I've got an exam tomorrow at 9am, so keep your
fingers crossed for me.
"To not lift a finger."
For example: To be unwilling to help.
When I fell over no one lifted a finger to help me
To point the finger.
For example:- To accuse someone of being responsible for something bad

that has happened.
He knew that his next door neighbour had
pointed the finger at him.
Pull your finger out.
For example:-
To start working harder.
To pass her exams she had to pull her finger

out.
-451-
To put your finger on something.
For example:- To discover the exact reason why a situation is the way it
is, especially when something is wrong.
She was worried about the project, but couldn't put
her finger on what was wrong.
To be all fingers and thumbs.
For example:- To be clumsy and unable to hold things steadily without

fear of dropping or damaging them.
While I was baking the cake I dropped two eggs. I'm
all fingers and thumbs today.
Best foot forward .
For example:-
To do your very best.
If you put your best foot forward you'll be sure to pass

the exam.
To put your foot in it.
For example:- To say something by accident which embarrasses or

upsets someone.
I really put my foot in it with Alison. I had no idea she
was married.
To get in somone's hair.
For example:-
To annoy someone.
She texts me every other minute. She really gets in

my hair.
-452-
The hair of the dog.
For example:- An alcoholic drink taken when one has a

hangover.
I felt better after having a hair of the dog. One whisky and the
hangover was gone.
To pull your hair out.
For example:- To be very worried about something.
She's got a test tomorrow and she's pulling her hair out.
At first-hand.
For example:- If you experience something first-hand, you

experience it yourself.
The applicant should have first-hand knowledge of accounting
procedures.
Hand over fist.
For example:- To do something at a very fast rate.
They were making money hand over fist.
To be a dab hand.
For example:- To be very good at something.
She was a dab hand at drawing.
To be an old hand.
For example:- To have a lot of experience in something.
He's an old hand at difficult negotiations.

-453-
To have a free hand.
For example:-
To have the power to do what you want.
When it comes to what appears on this web site, I have a

free hand.
To have a hand in something.
For example:-
To be involved in something.
Hubby has a hand in running the technical side of the

Network.
To have the upper hand.
To have power and control over someone or a

For example:-
situation.
In the UK the upper classes still have the upper hand.
To be caught red handed.
For example: To be discovered doing something illegal or wrong.
They caught him red-handed as he tried to rob the bank .
To have an extremely close relationship, especially

For example:
at work.
They make a great team. They work hand in glove.

-454-
Many hands make light work.
For example: When everyone helps to do something, it gets done

quickly.
We finished in no time at all with everyone's help. Many
hands make light work.
On your own head be it.
For example:- Something we say when someone decides to ignore

advice and do something we dissaprove of..
Well if you want to go out clubbing the night before your
final exams, on your own head be it.
To have a head for heights.
For example:- Used to describe someone who isn't worried about

being high up.
To clean the windows in Dubai, you have to have a good
head for heights.
To have your head in the clouds.

To be living in a fantasy, often used to describe
For example:-
people who are absentminded or impractical.
Lynne needs to concentrate harder, her head is always in Thanks to Martina

the clouds. (From an old school report of mine.)

-455-
To be a bighead
For example:-
We call someone a bighead if they're acting in a conceited way.
Ever since he came top of the class, he's

been a real bighead.
Eat your heart out.
For example:- If someone says eat your heart out followed by the name of a
famous person, they are joking that they are even better than that
I'm going to pickle a gummy bear in a jar of person.
formaldehyde. Eat your heart out Damien
Hirst!
Have a heart.
For example:-
Ask someone to be kinder to you.
Student: Have you marked my homework yet?
Teacher: Have a heart! You only handed it in
yesterday!
Heartbroken
For example:- Suffering from or exhibiting overwhelming sorrow, grief, or

disappointment.
She was heartbroken when she found out she
hadn't got the job.
Heartwarming
For example:-
Something that causes a feeling gladness and pleasure.
The story of the dog who saved the life of its

owner was such a heartwarming story.
-456-
Warmhearted
For example:-
Someone who is very kind and generous.
She'll help anyone who needs it, she's such a

warmhearted person.
To warm the cockles of your heart
For example:- Something you see or hear that makes you feel happy because
it shows that people can be kind and good.
A baby's smile will warm the cockles of even
the meanest person's heart.
A heel.
For example:-
A person who treats other people badly and unfairly.
He took all her money, and then left her. What

a heel!
Achilles heel.
A small fault or weakness in a person or system that can result

For example:-
in its failure.
Alcohol was always his Achilles heel.
Down at heel.
For example:- To look shabby due to a lack of money
The restaurant looked very down at heel.
To be under the heel.
For example:-
To be completely controlled by something or someone.
The people rose up as one to get out from

under the heel of oppression.
-457-
Cheek by jowl.
For example:- If things or people are cheek by jowl, they are very close
together.
There were over twenty people living in the house.
They were living cheek by jowl.
To have a knees up.
For example:- To have a party.
We had a good old knees up at the pub.
To be near the knuckle.
For example:- If something (usually a joke or a remark) is near the knuckle,

it is about sex in a way that some people find offensive.
He's just not very funny, all his jokes are too near
the knuckle for my liking.
To rap someone's knuckles.
For example:- A light punishment which warns you not to behave in a

particular way again.
He's just been to the boss to get his knuckles
rapped.
A knuckle sandwich.
For example:-
A punch.

-458-
A white knuckle ride.
For example:-
A scary ride.
Have you been on the Oblivion at Alton Towers?

It's a real white knuckle ride.
Break a leg.
Used to wish someone good luck, especially used in the

For example:-
theatre.
It's your debut tonight, isn't it? Well break a leg.
To give someone a leg up.
To help someone onto or over something or to help them

For example:-
improve their situation, especially at work.
She needed a leg up to get on the horse.
To pull someone's leg.
For example:- To try to persuade someone to believe something which is

not true as a joke.
She was very shocked until she realised he was
only pulling her leg.
-459-
To stretch your legs.
For example:- To move around after having been in one place or

position for a long time.
If I have been sitting at the computer for too long, I need to
get up and stretch my legs.
To talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey.
For example:- To talk for a long time without stopping.
He is so boring. He could talk the hind legs of a donkey.
For example:
event seems certain, things can still go wrong.
"They thought they had the contract all sewn up, but the
client didn't sign in the end. There's many a slip twixt cup
and lip."
To cross someone's mind.
For example:- To think about something or someone.
Do I ever cross your mind?
To have a big mouth.
If someone says you have a big mouth, they think

For example:-
you talk too much, especially about things that
should be secret
When I told them he had a girlfriend they looked surprised.
Me and my big mouth!
-460-
To be down in the mouth.
For example:-
To feel sad or depressed.
Governments often turn a blind
eye to corruption.
Word of mouth
For example:-
In speech but not in writing.
She was looking really down in the mouth, so I

asked her what the matter was.
A muffintop
For example:-
The roll of flesh that is visible above a waistband.
The paparazzi like nothing better than to
photograph a famous actress sporting a
muffintop.
To have a brass neck.
Someone who is extremely confident about themselves and

For example:-
are unable to understand that their behaviour is unacceptable
to others.
He's got a brass neck to take time off when
we're so busy.
To breathe down sb's neck.
For example:- To stay so close to someone, watching everything that they do,
that it's annoying.
It's awful having a boss who breathes down your
neck all the time.
461-
-
To get it in the neck.
To be punished or severely criticized for something that

For example:-
you have.
She'll get it in the neck for not doing her homework.
To stick your neck out.
For example:-
To take a risk.
She really stuck her neck out expanding the business

during a recession.
To be up to your neck in sth,
To be very involved in a situation, or to have too much

For example:-
of the thing stated.
She's up to her neck in work.
A bag (bundle) of nerves.
For example:- To be very nervous.
Before the exam I was a bag of nerves.
A lot of nerve.
For example:-
To be brash, rude or arrogent.
He asked me to do his homework for him. What a lot of

nerve!
-462-
To get on someone's nerves.
For example:-
To annoy someone.
The teacher really gets on my nerves when she goes on about

correct spelling and grammar.
To win by a nose.
For example:- To win by a very small margin.
She won by a nose. It was a very close race.
Cut off your nose to spite your face.
For example:- To do something because you are angry, even

if it is not in your best interest.
She should have gone with them, she would have enjoyed it.
She's just cutting off her nose to spite her face.
Keep your nose to the grindstone.
For example:-
To work hard.
If you want to pass your exams you'll have to keep your nose to
the grindstone.
It's no skin off my nose.
You can use this expression to show that you

For example:-
don't care if something happens or not.
It's no skin off my nose if I win or lose.

-463-
To powder your nose.

When a woman says she is going to
For example:- "powder her nose", she means she is
going to the toilet.
Excuse me a moment, I'm just going to powder my nose.
To get up sb's nose.
For example:- To annoy someone.
People who don't clean up after their dogs really get up my nose.
Turn your nose up at something.
For example:- To not like something because you

think it is not good enough for you.
She turned her nose up at my homemade cakes, she only likes shop
bought ones.
To be head and shoulders above
For example:-
Used to describe someone who is
superior.
Joe Kinnear claims he is "head and shoulders" above all the other
directors of football in the Premier League having been a manager in
the past. Mirror 2013 2nd Jul 2013
A shoulder to cry on
Used to describe someone who gives

For example:-
you sympathy when you are upset.
When my mother died, I really needed a shoulder to cry on.

-464-
For example:- If you have a skeleton in the cupboard it means you have are
hiding a shocking secret about yourself.
Nearly every family has a skeleton in the
cupboard.
To have a thick skin. / To be thick skinned.
For example:- If you are thick-skinned, you do not notice or get upset when
people criticize you.
If you work as a salesperson, you soon
develop a thick skin.
To have a thin skin. / To be thin skinned.
For example:- If you are thin-skinned, you get upset when people criticize you, or
think people are critisizing you when they aren't.
Think skinned people shouldn't go into
politics.
By the skin of your teeth.
For example:- To only just manage to do something.
He escaped by the skin of his teeth.
To get your teeth into something.
For example:-
To get completely involved in something.
He did really well in his exams after he got

his teeth into learning English.
-465-
A kick in the teeth.
For example:- To feel very disappointed when someone lets you down, or life
treats you unfairly. (Unless it's a real kick in the teeth during a fight.)
Finding our content on other web pages is
a real kick in the teeth for us.
To jump down someone's throat.
For example:-
To react angrily to something that someone says or does.
I know I annoyed her, but she didn't have

to jump down my throat.
To ram something down someone's throat.
For example:-
To try and force someone to accept something against their will.
She's a vegetarian, but she doesn't ram her

views down your throat.
To have a frog in your throat.
For example:- To have a tight feeling in your throat and be unable to speak clearly
until you give a slight cough.
Excuse me (cough cough), I've got a bit of
a frog in my throat.
To have a green thumb.

If you have a green thumb or even green thumbs it means you are
For example:- good at gardening, or growing plants.
Her garden won many prizes. People said For Competent

she had green thumbs.
-466-
To twiddle your thumbs.
For example:- To do nothing or to have nothing useful to do while you are

waiting for something to happen.
They kept me waiting for two hours with nothing to
do but twiddle my thumbs.
Toe the line.
For example:
To conform to certain rules or standards.
He'll have to learn to toe the line, if he wants to get

on in this organisation.
To keep on your toes.
To keep on your toes, or to keep someone else on their

For example:
toes, makes them stay alert and conscious of everything
going on.
Aladdin and Leo will have to keep on their toes to
find the Live Chat session.
For example:- When you stop yourself from saying something because you
realise it might cause offense or be hurtful.
Barack Obama said he bit his tongue many times
Has the cat got your tongue?
For example:- Something someone else might say to you if you don't say
anything to them.
I know that you know the answer to this question.
What's the matter, has the cat got your tongue?
-467-
The tip of your tongue.
For example:- The feeling you get when you know something, but you just can't
actually remember it.
His name is on the tip of my tongue.
A slip of the tongue.
For example:-
When you say something that you did not mean to say.
Be careful what you say, one slip of the

tongue and we're all in trouble.
Tongue in cheek.
For example:-
When you say something as a joke, although you might appear to be
serious.
They said that he was America's greatest
President, although I suspect it was
tongue in cheek.
To be tongue tied.
For example:- Describes the feeling (familiar to many language learners) that you get
when you can't seem to find the right words to say, and so you are
I knew I should have said something to unable to speak. As if your tongue were tied in knots.
make her feel better, but I was
completely tongue tied.
To be long in the tooth.
For example:- To be too old for something.
He's a bit long in the tooth for her.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/bodyidioms.html#sthash.EPA6omAk.dpuf

-468-
The body-verbs
Verbs and Phrasal Verbs About the Human
Body
with the human body. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday conversation.
Verbs
The Verb
An example Regular
(infinitive The Meaning
( Simple Past Tense) /Irregular
form)
If you break a limb (an arm or a leg etc.) it
To break means you have broken the bone in the limb. She fell and broke her arm. Irregular
The bone shatters into two or more pieces.
To look at someone or something with Sam eyed my cake until I'd
To eye Regular
interest. finished.
She fingered all the material to
To finger To touch or feel something with your fingers: Regular
find the best.
To hit a ball with your head. Owen headed the ball into the
To head Regular
back of the net.
Forming words with your lips without making The singers only mouthed the
To mouth Regular
any sound. words.
To kiss and hold a person in an amerous way. They necked at the back of the
To neck Regular
cinema.
To look around or search in order to discover
She nosed around until she found
To nose somethin, especially something that other
out the truth.
people do not want you to find.
The
An example S=Separable
Phrasal The Meaning
( Simple Past Tense) I=Inseparable
Verb
back To admit that you were wrong or that you Eventually, he backed down and
I
down have been defeated. apologized.
To decide not to do something that you had
He backed out of the agreed
back out said you would do: I
investment.
eye up To look at someone with sexual interest. He eyed her up, but didn't dare
S
(sb) say hello.
Advertisements
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/bodyverbs.html#sthash.uRU5B1Rn.dpuf
-469-
The body- tenses

Irregular Verb - To break
break / broke / broken / breaking
Tenses for the Verb - To break

The Past
Past Continuous - You wouldn't really use this verb in this context. You could say "I was
skiing down the slope, when I fell and broke my leg."
Past Simple - "I broke my leg on holiday."
Past Perfect Simple - "By the time the ambulance came I realised I had broken my leg."
Past Perfect Continuous - You wouldn't really use this verb in this context. You could say "I
had only been skiing for 10 minutes, when I fell and broke my leg."
-470-
The Present
Present Continuous - You wouldn't really use this verb in this context. You could say "I am
skiing, I'll try not to break a leg."
Present Simple - "I usually break something when I go skiing."
Present Perfect Simple - "I have broken both legs and my left arm since I took up skiing."
Present Perfect Continuous - You wouldn't really use this verb in this context. You could
say "I have only been skiing for ten minutes and look what's happened!"
The Future
Future Continuous - You wouldn't really say "I am breaking something next week." You
could say "I am skiing next week. I'll try not to break a leg."
Future Simple - "I'm afraid I'll break my leg if I go skiing again."
Future Perfect Simple - "I'm sure I will have broken my leg before the end of the holiday."
Future Perfect Continuous - You wouldn't really use this verb in this context. You could say
"This time next week I'll have been skiing for two weeks, but I'll still try not to break a leg."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/breaktense.html#sthash.v56LUd9V.dpuf
-471-
The health culture
The British Health Service

This section is in advanced English and is only intended to be a guide, not to be taken too seriously! With dictionary
look up.
The National Health Service
The National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly-funded healthcare system of the United Kingdom. The
organisation provides the majority of healthcare in the UK, from general practitioners to Accident and Emergency
Departments, long-term healthcare and dentistry.
A feature of the NHS compared to other public healthcare systems in Continental Europe is that not only does it
pay directly for health expenses (with partial exceptions like prescriptions and dentistry it is free at the point of
use), it also employs the doctors and nurses that provide them, and in most cases owns and runs its hospitals
and clinics. However, under the Private Finance Initiative, an increasing number of hospitals have been built (or
rebuilt) by private sector consortia, and have non-medical services (such as catering) provided under long-term
contracts by the same consortia.
History
Before 1948, when the NHS was created, patients were generally required to pay for their own healthcare.
Systems of health insurance were relatively undeveloped, with the exception of National Insurance. However
due to cuts during the economic troubles of the '30s so many of the poor were simply unable to obtain treatment
when they were ill. Many charities were established to operate local hospitals, such as the Royal Free Hospital,
and some local authorities operated local hospitals for local ratepayers, but provision was patchy and quality of
care varied greatly.
A "Panel" system was set up in 1911 under the aegis of David Lloyd George. (The name survives in the "Lloyd
George envelopes" in which most primary care records in England are stored, although today most working
records in primary care are at least partially computerised).
-472-
In the aftermath of the Second World War, with a new spirit of social provision, Clement Attlee's Labour
government created the NHS. The structure of the NHS in England and Wales was established by the National
Health Service Act 1946 (1946 Act) and the new arrangements were launched on 5 July 1948. This was under
health and housing minister Aneurin Bevan, who based the NHS on a coal-miners co-operative that he had seen
in operation in his home town of Tredegar.
The same services would henceforth be provided by the same doctors and the same hospitals, but:
 services were provided entirely free of charge at the point of use;

 instead, services were financed from central taxation;
 everyone was eligible for care (even people temporarily resident or visiting the country).
The original structure of the NHS had three arms:
1. Hospital Services - 14 Regional Hospital Boards were created in England and Wales to administer the
great majority of hospital services. Beneath these were 400 Hospital Management Committees which
directly administered their own hospitals. Teaching hospitals had different arrangements and were
organised under Boards of Governors.
2. Primary Care - General Practitioners (GPs) were independent contractors (that is they were not salaried
employees) and would be paid for each person on their list. Dentists, opticians and pharmacists also
generally provided services as independent contractors. Executive Councils were formed and they
administered contracts and payments to the contractor professions as well as maintaining lists of local
practitioners and dealing with patient complaints.
3. Community Services - Maternity and Child Welfare clinics, health visitors, midwives, health education,
vaccination and immunisation and ambulance services together with environmental health services were
the responsibility of local authorities. This was a continuation of the role local government had held prior
to establishment of the NHS.
This was known as the tripartite system, which would continue until 1974. In addition, private healthcare
continued in parallel to the NHS.
-473-
By the 1950s, spending on the NHS far exceeded what had been expected by Parliament and the Treasury.
Spiralling costs led to the introduction of a 5-shilling charge for prescriptions, and a £1 charge for dental
treatment, in 1952. With updated pricing, these remain the major exceptions to the NHS being free at the point of
use. The 1950s also saw the more rational planning of hospital services, dealing in part with some of the gaps
and duplications that existed across England and Wales. The period also saw the growth in the number of
medical staff and a more even distribution of these staff together with the development of hospital outpatient
services. The Mental Health Act of 1959 also significantly altered legislation in respect of mental illness and
reduced the grounds on which someone could be compulsorily admitted and detained in a mental hospital.
The 1960s has been characterised as a period of growth for the NHS. In primary care a more equitable
distribution of GPs was emerging as was the concept of the primary healthcare team. The period also saw a
growth in health centres. More mental health patients were discharged back into the community and Enoch
Powell, who was Minister of Health in the early 1960s, predicted that many of the large mental health institutions
would close within ten years. Concern also continued to grow about the structure of the NHS and the difficulties
of the tripartite system which separated hospital, community and primary care services. A number of papers
were published and committees and commissions established in the late 1960s which put forward proposals for
major changes in the structure and organisation of the NHS.
The NHS in England was reorganised in 1974 to bring together services provided by hospitals and services
provided by local authorities under the umbrella of Regional Health Authorities, with a further restructuring in
1982. The 1970s also saw the end of the economic optimism which had characterised the 1960s and increasing
pressures coming to bear to reduce the amount of money spent on public services and to ensure increased
efficiency for the money spent. Through the 1970s and 1980s, it became increasingly clear that the NHS would
never have the resources necessary to provide unlimited access to the latest medical treatments, especially in
the context of an ageing population.
The 1980s also saw the introduction of General Management to replace the previous system of consensus
management. This was outlined in the Griffiths Report of 1983. This report recommended the appointment of
general managers with whom individual responsibility and accountability lay at all levels of the NHS. The report
also recommended that clinicians be better involved in management processes. Financial pressures continued
to place significant strain on the NHS. In 1987, an additional £101 million was provided by the government to the
NHS. In 1988 the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, announced a review of the NHS. From this review
and in 1989, two white papers Working for Patients and Caring for People were produced. These papers
outlined the introduction of what was termed the "internal market", which was to shape the structure and
organisation of health services for most of the next decade.
-474-
In 1990, the National Health Service & Community Care Act 1990 (in England) introduced an "internal market"
into the NHS, whereby Health Authorities ceased to run hospitals directly but instead "purchased" care from their
own or other authorities' hospitals. Certain GPs became "fund holders" and were able to purchase care for their
patients directly. The "providers" became independent trusts, which encouraged competition but also increased
differences.
Structure
Responsibility for the NHS has been devolved to the component parts of the UK.
England
The NHS in England is managed at the top level by the Department of Health, which takes political responsibility
for the service. It controls 28 Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs), which oversee all NHS operations in a
particular area.
The SHAs supervise:
 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), which administer primary care and public health. There are 302 PCTs,
which oversee England's 29,000 GPs and 18,000 NHS dentists. In addition, they oversee such matters
as primary and secondary prevention, vaccination administration and control of epidemics.
 NHS Hospital Trusts. These 290 organisations administer hospitals, treatment centres and specialist
care in the about 1,600 NHS hospitals (many trusts maintain between 2 and 8 different hospital sites).
 Ambulance Trusts
 Care Trusts
 Mental Health Trusts
In addition, several Special Health Authorities provide a health service to the whole of England. These include
NHS Blood and Transplants, the NHS Direct and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
-475-
Wales
NHS Wales is operated and managed by the Health and Social Care Department of the Welsh Assembly
Government. Strategic Health Authorities in Wales are known as Local Health Boards (LHBs). A Welsh Trust will
typically administer all hospitals in a region, as well as all care and mental health functions. Most people in
Wales will have access to a District General Hospital which provides a range of services on an outpatient,
inpatient and day case basis. Some of these hospitals also provide specialist services such as burns and
plastics and cardiac surgery. Wales has one main teaching hospital, the University Hospital of Wales, based in
Cardiff. The NHS also provides community services which includes district nurses, health visitors, midwives and
community based speech therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
Another important organisation in the structure is Health Commission Wales. This is an executive agency of the
Welsh Assembly Government whose primary role is to centrally organise and fund all Tertiary care and other
highly specialist services. It also provides advise and guidance about specialist services to other parts of NHS
Wales.
Scotland
The NHS in Scotland has always been a separate and distinct body from the NHS in other parts of the United
Kingdom. Healthcare policy and funding is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive. The chief civil servant in
the Scottish Executive Health Department is also chief executive of NHS Scotland.
Provision of healthcare is the responsibility of 15 geographically-based NHS Boards. There are no NHS Trusts in
Scotland; instead, hospitals are owned by and GPs contracted in by the local NHS Board. Provision of
community and mental health care is also the responsibility of each local Board.
They are supported in this task by NHS National Services Scotland and several other special health boards,
including NHS Health Scotland (Public health and health education), Health Protection Scotland, NHS Education
for Scotland (training and e-library), NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, and the Scottish Ambulance Service.
The State Hospital for Scotland and Northern Ireland at Carstairs, which provides high security services for
mentally disordered offenders and others who pose a high risk to themselves or others, is the responsibility of
the State Hospitals Board for Scotland.
-476-
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, the NHS is administered by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
The Department is organised under a Permanent Secretary into several groups and one agency. These are the
Planning and Resources Group, Strategic Planning and Modernisation Group and Primary, Secondary and
Community Care Group and the 5 Professional Groups. The Department’s Executive Agency is the Northern
Ireland Health and Social Services Estates Agency (known as Health Estates).
The five professional groups are
 Medical and Allied Services

 Social Services Inspectorate
 Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Group
 Dental Services
 Pharmaceutical Advice and Services
Other
In addition to this hierarchy there are various internal bodies which have authority over particular matters. For
example, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is an NHS body which produces guidelines and
standards for healthcare.
Funding
The NHS was, and largely remains, a system of healthcare intended to be "free at the point of delivery" and paid
for by taxes. Nigel Lawson, former Chancellor of the Exchequer once said that it was the national religion.
Private medical care remained, and remains, available in the UK, but it largely used as a "top up" service to
obtain speedy operations. The NHS's budget for 2005-06 is over £80 billion.
Contrary to popular misconception, the founding principles of the NHS called for its funding out of general
taxation, not through national insurance. As of March 2005, the NHS has 1.3 million employees, and is variously
the third or fifth largest employer in the world, after the Chinese army, Indian Railways and (as argued by Jon
Hibbs, the NHS's head of news, in a press release from March 22, 2005) Wal-Mart and the US Department of
Defense.
-477-
Political Issues in England
The long-term future of the NHS and its day to day organisation are major issues in British politics, and the
Secretary of State for Health is one of the senior positions in the British Cabinet. Though the Secretary of State
and Department of Health (UK) deal with a much wider range of issues, the NHS dominates the department's
remit and many government policies, such as anti-smoking and obesity campaigns are implemented by the
NHS.
In recent times, UK politicians have been trying to reduce waiting times for surgery and medical procedures.
Although they have sometimes failed to meet some of the targets they have set, many contend that the NHS is
respected worldwide,as a role model for the welfare state.
The NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT)— a large-scale project to renovate the use of Information
Technology in the NHS in England (the Welsh equivalent is called Informing Healthcare) — has been criticised
for substantial budget over-runs, from £6 billion to a potential £30 billion. However this arises from confusion
over the hardware and software procurement costs (the £6 billion) and the total costs of changing practices to
use the new way of doing things that the IT investment is intended to support (the £30 billion). There has also
been criticism of a perceived lack of adequate patient information security, but some of this has been poorly
informed. The ability to deliver integrated high quality services will require care professionals to access sensitive
medical data. This access must however be tightly controlled and in the NPfIT model it is, sometimes too tightly
to allow the best care to be delivered. One of the main concerns is that GPs and hospital doctors have given the
project a lukewarm reception, citing a lack of consultation and excessive complexity.
In 2005, Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTCs) will treat around 3% of NHS patients (in England)
having routine elective surgery. By 2008 this is expected to be around 10%.
Overseas Doctors and the NHS:
Staff shortages in the NHS during 50s and 60s led to recruitment drives for qualified doctors from overseas,
particularly the Indian subcontinent.This is a trend which continues to this day, and Overseas Doctors continue
to contribute significantly to the NHS, especially in areas and posts which appear less glamorous or desirable to
the local doctors.In recent years,several overseas doctors won race disrimination claims against the NHS,
highlighting the absence of career progression and other difficulties faced by doctors from overseas.
-478-
Private Healthcare in the UK
Of course private healthcare also exists in the UK. However health insurance only provides a supplemental level
of health care as the National Health Service already provides a comprehensive health service. Because of the
NHS, only 12% of people bother to have their own health insurance (compared with 85% in the US) and the
majority of these (9%) have their insurance paid by their employer. When a UK employer pays for health
insurance, the cost of the insurance is treated by the Inland Revenue as a benefit in kind and is subject to
income tax.
In the UK Health insurance only provides cover for curable, short-term health problems. It is designed to enable
policyholders to jump the NHS queues to see consultants, be diagnosed, receive surgery or be treated. It does
not cover medical care for emergencies or accidents and nor does it provide preventative medical treatment.
The largest providers are BUPA, BHP, BMI healthcare and Nuffield hospitals.
Interesting Links
History of the NHS
National Institute for Healthcare and Excellence
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/healthculture.html#sthash.3HOsVunA.dpuf

-479-
English songs about the human

body
Only for fun, here are some songs with references to the human body.
Songs

Insane in the brain Cypress Hill
Cheek to cheek Billie Holiday
Eye of the tiger Survivor
Your silent face New Order
Throw your foot The Cure
Wrapped Around Your finger The Police
Palm of your hand The Buzzcocks
Knees up mother brown trad.
Legs ZZ Top
Lips like sugar Echo and the Bunnymen
My iron lung Radiohead
... Ain't that a kick in the head Westlife

Heart on my sleeve Gallagher & Lyle
Home is where the heart is Gladys Knight and the Pips
Hairless heart Genesis
Muscle museum Muse
A swallow on my neck Morrissey
Don't start breathing down my neck Hank Penny
Pancreas Weird Al Yankowicz
Palm of your hand The Buzzcocks
I've got you under my skin Frank Sinatra
Under my thumb The Rolling Stones
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/bodysongs.html#sthash.is4k38Cx.dpuf

-480-
Jobs and Work Vocabulary

Useful Vocabulary
Double click on any word to listen to the pronunciation. (Allow popups).
accountant(s) baker(s) barber(s)
barman (barmen) builder(s) butcher(s)
carpenter(s) cashier(s) chambermaid(s)
chef(s) cleaner(s) dentist(s)
doctor(s) electrician(s) engineer(s)

-481-
fireman (firemen) fishmonger(s) flight attendant(s)
hairdresser(s) judge(s) lawyer(s)
nurse(s) optician(s) painter(s)
photographer(s) plumber(s) policeman (policemen)
porter(s) post[wo]man (post[wo]men) receptionist(s)
reporter(s) sales assistant(s) sales representative(s)
scientist(s) secretary (secretaries) surgeon(s)

-482-
tailor(s) teacher(s) technician(s)
vet(s) waiter(s) welder(s)

Pronunciation - Click here
-482-
Build Up
To find out what someone's job is, you can ask, "What do you do?"
Work - What do they do? Where do they work?

Job What do they do? Where do they work?
Accountants Look after the finances in an organisation. They work in an office.
Bakers Bake bread. They work in a bakery.
Barbers Shave men's beards and cut men's hair. They work in a barbers.
They work in a bar, pub or
Barmen/women Serve drinks.
restaurant.
Butchers Prepare and sell meat. They work in a butchers.
Chambermaids Clean and tidy rooms. They work in a hotel.
Chefs Prepare and cook food. They work in a kitchen.
Dentists Look after people's teeth. They work in a dentists.
They work in a hospital or
Doctors Look after people's health.
surgery.
Fishmongers Prepare and sell fish. They work in a fishmongers.
They work in an aeroplane
Flight attendants Look after passengers.
(airplane AmE).
Hair dressers Cut and style people's hair. They work in a hair salon.
Judges Judge and sentence people. They work in a law court.
They work in a law court and in
Lawyers Defend and prosecute people.
a lawyers office.
They work in a hospital or
Nurses Look after patients .
doctor's surgery.
Opticians Look after people's eye sight. They work in an opticians.
They work in a hotel or train
Porters Carry other people's bags and luggage.
station.
Receptionists Meet and greet visitors. They work in reception.
Sales Assistants Sell goods and look after customers. They work in a shop.
Arrange appointments, type letters and
Secretaries They work in an office.
organise meetings.
Surgeons Operate on people who are sick. They work in a hospital.
They work in factories and
Tailors Design, make, alter or repair garments,
shops.
Teachers Teach people. They work in a school.
Technicians Organise and repair technical equipment. They work everywhere!
They work in a veterinary
Vets Look after people's animals.
surgery or vets.
Waiters/Waitresses Serve people food and drink. They work in a restaurant.
They work in factories and
Welders Weld metal to make things.
construction.
-483-
Leaving or Losing your job
There are many different ways to express leaving or losing a job.
To Leave Your Job:-
To resign | To quit | To leave your job = to give up a job or position by telling your employer that you are leaving.
To retire = to leave your job or stop working because of old age or ill health.
To Lose Your Job:-
To be dismissed | To be fired | To get fired | To be sacked | To get the sack | To get the chop | To get your P45 |
To lose your job = to be asked to leave a job, usually because you have done something wrong or badly, or
sometimes as a way of saving the cost of employing you.
To be made redundant = to lose your job because your employer no longer needs you.
Naturally Speaking
These are the most common questions asked in a normal interview with some ideas of how to prepare an
answer:-
This does not mean "Give me your life story". It's your chance to give an overall
impression of who you are. Research the company to get an idea of the skills and
Tell me about yourself. experience they're looking for, work those into your response. Make sure you
concentrate on who you are, your work experience, and relate everything to show
that you would be a great candidate for the position.
What were your main Be specific and positive about what you did in your current / previous job. Try to
responsibilities in your relate them to the job you are being interviewed for.
last job?
What is your biggest Give an example that relates to the job you are interviewing for.
accomplishment?
-484-
Your ability to work well under pressure, prioritizing skills, problem-solving

skills, professional expertise, leadership skills, team spirit. Be prepared to give
real life examples.
What are your greatest

Be honest about a specific weakness, but show what you are doing to overcome
strengths / weaknesses?
it.
Why do you want to work Be positive. Research the organisation and relate what they offer to your long-
for this company? term ambitions.
Why do you want to
leavel your current job?
Never say anything bad about your previous employers. Think about leaving for
Or
a positive reason.
Why did you leave your
last job?
Straight away.
When can you start?
I need to give x weeks notice.
Yes. Prepare several questions before the interview. You could ask about career
Do you have any
/ development / training opportunities. Be sure to ask when they'll make their
questions?
decision.
!Note There are lots of "typical" interview questions on Monster.co.uk.
-485-
Dialogue
John has a job interview for a Saturday job

Interviewer: So, you've applied for the Saturday position, right?
John: Yes, I have.
Interviewer: Can you tell me what made you reply to our advertisement?
Well, I was looking for a part-time job to help me through college. And I think that I'd be
John:
really good at this kind of work.
Interviewer: Do you know exactly what you would be doing as a shop assistant?
Well I imagine I would be helping customers, keeping a check on the supplies in the store, and
John:
preparing the shop for business.
That about covers it, you would also be responsible for keeping the front of the store tidy.
Interviewer: What sort of student do you regard yourself as . . . did you enjoy studying while you were at
school?
I suppose I'm a reasonable student. I passed all my exams and I enjoy studying subjects that
John:
interest me.
Interviewer: Have you any previous work experience?
John: Yes. I worked part-time at a take-away in the summer holidays.
Interviewer: Now, do you have any questions you'd like to ask me about the position?
John: Yes. Could you tell me what hours I'd have to work?
We open at 9.00, but you would be expected to arrive at 8.30 and we close at 6.00 pm. You
would be able to leave then.
Interviewer:
I think I have asked you everything I wanted to. Thank you for coming along to the interview.
John: Thank you. When will I know if I have been successful?

Interviewer: We'll be making our decision next Monday, we'll give you a call.
Crossword
Hangman
Reading and Comprehension
Rumble in the Jumble - Jobs and Work
Vocabulary Test
Word Search
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/jobs.html#sthash.TrSMliPv.dpuf

-486-
Idioms and Sayings About Jobs and

Work
To bring home the bacon.
For example:
"He felt it was his responsibility to bring home the

bacon."
To balance the books.
For examples:
To make certain that the amount of money spent is not
more than the amount of money received.
"The accountant couldn't work out the profit and loss until
they had balanced the books."
A ball park figure.
For example:
A general financial figure.
"Until we had costed the project properly we were only
able to give the customer a ball park figure."
A bean-counter.
For example:
An accountant
"The bean-counters told us we had to reduce the

budget."
Blood on the carpet .

For example:

487-
The bottom line.
For example:
The total, the final figure on a balance sheet / the
"When he told me the bottom line I decided not to go ahead most important feature of something.
with the project."
To break even.
For example:
When expenses equal profits.
"The company broke even after two years."
A cash cow.
For example: A product or service that makes a lot of money for

a company.
"The new product has proved to be a real cash cow."
Chief cook and bottle washer.
For example:
To be the person who is responsible for everything.
"If you want to set up your own business you have to be
ready to be chief cook and bottle washer."
A big cheese.

For example:
business).
"Anita Roddick is a big cheese in Body Shop."

488-
-
To cold call.
For example:
To call potential customers without an appointment or
"The sales rep cold called customers from the previous contact.
business directory.
To cook the books.
For example:
"We only made a profit last year because our
accountant cooked the books."
"To crack the whip ."
For example:
To make someone work harder by threatening them.
"We finished the project on time, but only because I

really cracked the whip."
A dead end job.
For example:
A job that has no chance of promotion or advancement.
"She left the company because she was very
ambitious but in a dead end job."
To be fired
For example:
To be dismissed from your job.
"He was always coming late, so eventually they fired
him."
-489-
A golden handshake.
For example:
To receive a large payment on leaving a company.
"She won't have to find a job very quickly because she got
a huge golden handshake from her last job."
Jack / Jill of all trades (master / mistress of none).
This idiom can be negative or positive, depending on the

context in which it is used.
A person that is competent with many skills but is not
For example: outstanding in any particular one.
"She can turn her hand to anything, she's a real Jill of all
trades."
To get the sack
For example:
"He was always coming late, so eventually they sacked
him."
A close shave.
For example:
When you come extremely close to a dangerous or
unpleasant situation or only just manage to avoid it.
"I nearly crashed the car this morning, it was a close
shave."
To be snowed under
For example:
To be very busy.
"She wasn't able to finish the report as she was snowed
under with other work."
-490-
To sweat blood.
For example:
To work very hard.
"She sweated blood to finish the project on time."
By the sweat of one's brow.
For example: To work really hard.
"She managed to keep the company going by the sweat of her brow. "
To work your fingers to the bone.
"She kept the family together by working her fingers to the bone."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/jobsidioms.html#sthash.7dhcmKf9.dpuf

-491-
Verbs to do with Jobs or Work

Many verbs have different meanings, however this section deals with verbs about work only as related to jobs
from the vocabulary page. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday
conversation.
Verbs

The Meaning
To take someone away legally to ask them
The police arrested the man on
To arrest about a crime which they might have Regular
suspicion of murder.
committed.
She baked the bread fresh every
To bake To make bread or cakes. Regular
morning.
To make something by putting bricks or other They built the new houses near the
To build Irregular
materials together. town.
To transport or take something from one place The porter carried her bags to her
To carry Regular
to another. room.
The cleaner cleaned the office
To clean To make somewhere tidy and clean. Regular
yesterday.
To prepare food to be eaten by heating it in a
To cook The chef cooked a beautiful meal. Regular
particular way .
To make someone with an illness healthy
To cure The doctor cured his headache. Regular
again.
To take goods, letters, parcels etc. to people's The postman delivered my birthday
To deliver Regular
houses or places of work. cards.
To design and build something using scientific They engineered the new building
To engineer Regular
principles. to the highest specifications.
The dentist extracted the rotten
To extract To remove or take out something. Regular
tooth.
The carpenter fixed my broken
To fix To repair something. Regular
chair.
To design and/or create something which has
To invent The scientist invented a new drug. Regular
never been made before.
-492-
To form, give or have as an opinion, or to decide about

To judge The judge judged him guilty. Regular
something or someone, especially after thinking carefully.
To be responsible for controlling or organising someone He managed the whole
To manage Regular
or something especially a business. department very well.
To make To produce something, often using a particular I work for a company that
Irregular
substance or material. makes garden furniture.
The electrician mended my old
To mend To fix something. Regular
computer.
To nurse To care for a person or an animal while they are ill. The nurse nursed the patient. Regular
To cut a body open for medical reasons in order to The surgeon operated on the
To operate Regular
repair, remove or replace a diseased or damaged part. leg to save it from amputation.
The representative phoned his
To phone To communicate with someone by telephone. Regular
customer.
To He photographed the murder
To take a photograph of something or someone. Regular
photograph scene.
To repair To mend something. The plumber repaired my sink. Regular
To deal with a customer by taking their order, showing or She served the customer his
To serve Regular
selling them goods etc. beer.
To remove hair from the body, especially a man's face,
The barber shaved him very
To shave by cutting it close to the skin with a razor, so that the skin Regular
quickly.
feels smooth:
To write using a machine, either a computer keyboard or
To type The secretary typed the report. Regular
a typewriter.
To join two pieces of metal together permanently by The welder welded the pipes
To weld Regular
melting the parts that touch. together.
My mother works as a
To work To do a job. Regular
secretary.
-493-
Phrasal Verbs
The
Phrasal The Meaning
Verb
spring- To clean all of a place, especially your house, very
I spring cleaned yesterday. I
clean well, including parts you do not often clean.
They really worked hard at their
work at To try hard to achieve something. I
marriage.
If you work off an unpleasant feeling, you get rid of it I worked off my anger at the
work off S
by doing something energetic. gym.
The policeman worked out what
work out To calculate or try to understand something. S
caused the accident.
work over To attack and injure someone. They worked him over well. S
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/jobverbs.html#sthash.PJOeoZj2.dpuf

-494-
Irregular Verb - To build
build / built / built / building
Tenses for the Verb - To build
The Past
Past Continuous - "I was building a wall yesterday."
Past Simple - "I built a new garage last month."
Past Perfect Simple - "By the time my last company went bust we had already built the new shopping centre."
Past Perfect Continuous - "We had been building the new shopping centre for 2 months when we heard about the
bankruptcy."
The Present
Present Continuous - "It's Monday morning and I'm building a wall."
Present Simple - "I usually build commercial buildings."
Present Perfect Simple - "I have already built two shopping centres this year."
Present Perfect Continuous - "I have been building this shopping centre since we won the contract.
-495-
The Future
Future Continuous - "I'm building a new garage tomorrow."
Future Simple - "I think I'll build my own house when I can afford to."
Future Perfect Simple - "I hope I will have already built my own house by the time I am 40."
Future Perfect Continuous - "This time next week I will have been building this shopping centre for two months."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/buildtense.html#sthash.LGQyEJH0.dpuf

-496-
British Work Culture
Double click on any word for its definition.

look up.
Facts and Figures

There are about 3.7 million businesses in the UK.
About 75% of British jobs are in service industries - hotels, restaurants, travel, shopping, and computer and
finances. It is our fastest growing business and employs over twenty million people.
The working day/week

The usual working day starts at 9am and finishes by 5pm. Most people work a five-day week. The working week
is, on average, the longest of any country in Europe. In 1998 a new law was passed saying that workers do not
have to work more than 48 hours a week if they don't want to. However, about 22% of British workers do work
more than a 48-hour a week. However, on the whole everyone is out of the office early on Fridays and no one
would dream of coming to work on Saturdays.
British employers must give their workers four weeks paid holiday a year.
-497-
The tea break

Frequent tea breaks are the bane of office productivity.
One strange custom requires you to ask everyone around whether they'd like tea or coffee whenever you go to
get some for yourself. Often people will try and wait each other out so that they can avoid this chore.
The tea break is so famous there is even a song about it:-
EVERYTHING STOPS FOR TEA Featured in

Buchanan's 1935 comedy film, "Come Out Of The
Pantry" (Goodhart / Hoffman / Sigler) Jack Buchanan
Every nation in creation has its favourite drink

France is famous for its wine, it's beer in Germany
Turkey has its coffee and they serve it blacker than ink
Russians go for vodka and England loves its tea
Oh, the factories may be roaring

With a boom-a-lacka, zoom-a-lacka, wee
But there isn't any roar when the clock strikes four
Everything stops for tea
Oh, a lawyer in the courtroom

In the middle of an alimony plea
Has to stop and help 'em pour when the clock strikes
four
It's a very good English custom

Though the weather be cold or hot
When you need a little pick-up, you'll find a little tea cup
Will always hit the spot
-498-
You remember Cleopatra

Had a date to meet Mark Anthony at three
When he came an hour late she said „You'll have to
wait“ For everything stops for tea
Oh, they may be playing football

And the crowd is yelling „Kill the referee!“
But no matter what the score, when the clock strikes
four
Oh, the golfer may be golfing

And is just about to make a hole-in-three
But it always gets them sore when the clock yells „four!“
It's a very good English custom

And a stimulant for the brain
When you feel a little weary, a cup'll make you cheery
And it's cheaper than champagne
Now I know just why Franz Schubert

Didn't finish his unfinished symphony
He might have written more but the clock struck four
And everything stopped for tea
-499-
Meetings
"Meetings - where you take minutes and waste hours."
Generally a meeting scheduled for one hour always lasts one hour.
The objectives of a meeting are spelled out at the onset and the communication is so clear and simple that the
discussion hardly ever meanders.
For formal meetings there is a chair and a secretary. The chair is in charge of the meeting and the secretary
takes the minutes.
An amusing saying is, "A meeting is an event where minutes are taken and hours wasted".
Interesting Links
The Confederation of British Industry - The CBI calls itself the voice of British business.
Geert Hofstede - An insight into other types of business culture.
UK Trade and Investment - The Government organisation that supports both companies in the UK trading
internationally and overseas enterprises seeking to locate in the UK.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/britishwork.html#sthash.ADn0wYqp.dpuf

-500-
English songs about jobs and work

Only for fun, here are some songs about jobs or work.
Songs

Accountancy blues. Radio Stars
Ballad of a Scottish accountant The Delgados
The architect's dream Kate Bush
Son of a baker. Small Faces
When I'm cleaning windows. George Formby
Coal miner's daughter Loretta Lynn
High School was like boot camp for a desk job Death By Stereo
My old man's a dustman Lonnie Donnegan
Don't pay the ferryman Chris de Burgh
Our lawyer made us change the name of this song so
Fall Out Boy
we wouldn't get sued
Laughing policeman. George Penrose

Take me to the pilot Elton John
The scientist Coldplay
Temporary secretary. Paul McCartney
The truck-driver and his mate Pet Shop Boys
Vicar in a tutu The Smiths
Whistle while you work. Various
Nice work if you can get it. Tony Bennett.
We can work it out. The Beatles
We work the black seam. Sting
Julie's been working for the drug squad. The Clash
Working my way back to you. Detroit Spinners
Working nine to five. Dolly Parton
There's a guy works down the chipshop. Kirsty McColl
Do you know some more songs about jobs or work?
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/jobssongs.html#sthash.g4RgwmiR.dpuf
-501-
Birth, Life, and Death Vocabulary

Useful Vocabulary
Birth
A woman becomes pregnant. We say she's pregnant. She's having a baby. We call
pregnant
pregnancy also call it a pregnancy.
She goes to an antenatal clinic for check ups. Antenatal means "before birth", it's
antenatal
also called prenatal.
labour Eventually she starts to have the baby. We call this going into labour.
birth
When the baby arrives we say the mother has given birth. The baby is called a
newborn newborn baby.
baby We also say the parents have had a baby.
milk
Babies drink milk. They can be breast fed.
breastmilk
bottle They can be bottle fed.

-502-
Nappy Babies have to have their nappy changed.
certificate All babies are registered at birth, and issued with a birth certificate.
baptism / Some babies are baptised / christened by their parents. The ceremony is
christening called a christening or a baptism.
pram Babies can't walk so they get pushed in prams.
pushchair When babies are older they go for walks in pushchairs.
If someone can't have children they may adopt a child who is in need of a
adopt
family.
Growing Up - The stages of childhood

baby
infant
girl Between 1 to 12 months you are a baby, an infant, or a girl / boy.
boy
Between the ages of 1 to 3 years, when you start to walk, you are a toddler, or a girl
toddler
/ boy.
-503-
preschooler
Between the ages of 3 to 5 years you are a preschooler, a child, a kid, or a girl /
child
boy.
kid
schoolchild
Between the ages of 5 to 10 years you are a child, a schoolchild / schoolgirl /
schoolgirl
schoolboy, or a girl / boy.
schoolboy
Between the ages of 11 to 12 years you are a preteen, a schoolchild / schoolgirl /

preteen
schoolboy, a child, or a girl / boy.
teenager
Between the ages of 13 to 19 years you are a teenager.
teen
From the age of 18 you are legally an adult, or a man / woman. This is the age at
man
which you can get married without having to ask your parents (called parental
woman
consent).
Growing Old
graduate
(v)
When you are an adult you might graduate from University. Then you become a
graduate post graduate.
(n)
work
When you are an adult you need to work and get a job.
job
marriage
married When you are an adult you might get married.
partner
-504-
family
When you're an adult you might have a family and become a parent.
parent
housewife When you're an adult you might decide to stay at home to look after your
househusband family. Then you become a housewife or a househusband.
retire
When you are 65 you can retire. Then you become a pensioner.
pensioner
Death and dying

die
dead When you die you pass away and you are dead.
You become known as the deceased.
death
undertaker
coffin
Your body is taken to an undertakers and placed in a coffin. Then your family and
funeral friends hold a ceremony - a funeral or burial
burial
grave
You are buried in a grave.
buried
-505-
mausoleum You may end up in a mausoleum
wreath People send a wreath.
will
heir(s)
Hopefully your wrote a will before you died. A will tells your executor about how
you want your belongings to be shared between your heirs. This is their
inheritance inheritance..
orphan If both your parents die when you're still young, you are an orphan.
Build Up
- Irregular Plurals for People - You can't always just add an (s)
Singular Plural
child children
man men
person people
woman women
-506-
Naturally Speaking
Things we say / write:-
About the birth of Congratulations!

a baby.
Congratulations on the birth of your baby girl / boy.
About a Congratulations!
graduation.
Well done!
All the best for the future.
Congratulations on graduating.
Congratulations on your graduation.
About a wedding. Congratulations!

Best wishes on your marriage.

Best wishes on your wedding day.
About retirement. Congratulations!

Congratulations on your retirement.

Best wishes for your retirement.
About a death. I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry to hear that.
When you hear someone has died you offer your condolences to the family and friends
of the person. Sometimes there is an orbituary printed in the paper.
Please accept my sincere condolences.

-507-
Dialogue
Here is a conversation between Mr Smith and his doctor
It's Saturday morning and Mr Smith is reading the newspaper.

Mrs Smith : Anything interesting in the paper?
Mr Smith: Not much. I was just reading the announcements.
Mrs Smith: That's a bit morbid.
Mr Smith: Not at all, it's births and marriages as well as deaths. But I did read one of the oribituaries. It
seems that the old lady down the road passed away.
Mrs Smith: Really? That's a shame. I know she went to hospital, but I hadn't heard any more. I shall have
to phone up and offer my condolences.
Mr Smith: Rather you than me. I never know what to say in those circumstances.
Crossword
Hangman
Life or Death - Columns
Rumble in the Jumble - Life and Death
Word Search
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/lifeanddeath.html#sthash.awrfYRJC.dpuf

-508-
Idioms and Sayings About Life and

Death
For example:-
To be pregnant.

Davy Jones' locker

Davy Jones is the nickname for the devil of the sea.
For example:- Davy Jones' locker means the bottom of the sea or
ocean - the resting place of drowned sailors. It is used
Everyone on the ship drowned, they're in Davy Jones' as a euphemism for death at sea.
locker now.
Over my dead body.
An expression of defiance. If you say that something

For example:-
will happen over your dead body, you mean that you
will do anything to prevent it
When I asked my mum if I could have my ears pierced
she replied, "Over my dead body!"
From the cradle to the grave.
For example:-
The National Health Service (NHS) has two guiding

principles. Firstly, that such a service should be The whole of your life.
comprehensive, with all citizens receiving all the advice,
treatment and care they needed, combined with the best
medical and other facilities available. Secondly, that the
service should be free to the public at the point of use,
from the cradle to the grave.
-509-
Dead in the water
For example: Something that has failed and it seems impossible

that it will be successful in the future.
Eventually they had to accept that the whole project was
dead in the water.
Dead set against
For example: To be completely opposed to something.
"Her parents were dead set against her moving to London."
At death's door.
For example: To be very close to death.
I was sad to read that Nelson Mandella was at death's door.
A brush with death.
For example:-
To narrowly miss dying.
Sometimes a brush with death forces us to re-evaluate our

priorities in life.
Cheat death
For example:- To avoid a possibly fatal event or prolong your life

in spite of considerable odds.
An eccentric British pilot cheated death after crash-landing
in the shark-infested waters of the Caribbean.
-510-
Death warmed up
For example:- Used when someone looks very ill.
She was so pale she looked like death warmed up.
Death wish
For example: Desire for death.
He keeps taking risks. It's almost as if he has a death wish.
A dead duck
For example:-
A failure.
"The police admitted that they were giving up, the case was a
dead duck."
It's your funeral
For example:- We say this when someone makes a decision

that you don't agree with.
He's going out tonight, but if he doesn't meet the deadline he'll
lose his job. I guess it's his funeral.
To get hitched
For example:- To get married.
Miquepani got hitched on Friday 13th.
Honeymoon period.
For example:- A short period of time when starting something

new, when no one criticizes you.
The new CEO is enjoying a honeymoon period. None of the
shareholders critisized him.
-511-
The honeymoon is over.
The time when after starting something new (a job

For example:-
etc.) people start to critisize you (see Honeymoon
period).
The latest figures were very bad and the shareholders are
calling for his resignation. I guess the honeymoon is over.
A dogs life
For example:
Life is hard and unpleasant.
I've got to go to work, then do the shopping, then pick the
children up from school and cook their dinner - it's a dog's
life!
A fact of life
For example:
Stress is a fact of life.
An unpleasant fact or situation which people accept

because they cannot change it.
Half dead
For example: Extremely tired.
After doing all my chores I was half dead.
Like death warmed up.
For example:
To look very ill or tired.
He went home with the flu. He looked like death warmed

up.
-512-
Large as life
For example: Used to escribe a person you see, and are surprised
to see, in a particular place.
I looked up and there he was, as large as life, Elvis
Presley!
Lead a double life
For example: To have a second, secret life that is usually not

socially acceptable.
For years he led a double life as an agent for the
intelligence services.
Shelf life
The length of time that a product, especially food, can
For example: be kept in a shop before it becomes too old to be sold
or used.
Fresh milk has a short shelf life.
Marry in haste, repent at leisure.
For example:-
If you get married too soon, you will regret it.
She suddenly realised she didn't even like him that
much, but you know what they say, "marry in haste,
repent at leisure."
The pearly gates.
For example: The entrance to heaven.
We all end up standing at the pearly gates.

-513-
To tie the knot.
Miquepani tied the knot on Friday 13th.
Idioms for dying
To bite the dust.

To breath your last.
To buy the farm.
To croak.
To drop off the twig.
To kick the bucket.
To meet your maker.
To pass away.
To pass on.
To peg out.
To pop your clogs.
To shuffle off this mortal coil.
To snuff it.
Idioms for being dead
Dead as a dodo.
Dead as a doornail.
Lookin' at the other side of the grass.
Pushing up daisies.
Six feet under.
Idioms about getting married
To tie the knot.

To get hitched.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/lifeanddeathidioms.html#sthash.9UTCH1gN.dpuf

-514-

Life and Death
life and death. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday conversation.
Verbs

The Meaning
To bury To put a dead body into the ground. We buried him in December. Regular
To burn a body, usually as part of a
To cremate funeral ceremony. She was cremated. Regular
To die To stop living or existing, either

My mother died in 2005. Irregular
suddenly or slowly.
To drown To die under water. Many sailors drown. Regular
To kill someone as a legal
To execute He was executed for mass murder. Regular
punishment.
To cause someone or something to It is estimated that smoking kills 120,000
To kill Regular
die. people every year.
To live To continue, to be alive or have life. She lived for 100 years. Regular
The crime of intentionally killing a It is thought that Dr Harold Shipman
To murder Regular
person. murdered 400 people.
About five hundred penguins get in a big
To procreate To produce young. Regular
circle and they procreate.
To suffocate To die because of a lack of oxygen. The autopsy showed he suffocated. Regular
-515-
Phrasal Verbs

The Meaning
He didn't die of natural causes,
To bump off To murder someone (slang). S
someone bumped him off.
Mr Powell concluded that that
To commit To murder a whole group of people,
genocide had been committed in I
genocide especially a whole nation.
Darfur.
To commit If a person commits suicide, they kill Ian Curtis committed suicide by
I
suicide themselves. hanging at the age of 23.
He dropped dead in the middle of a
To drop dead To die suddenly and unexpectedly. I
game of cards.
When a woman or female animal gives She gave birth to twins. A boy and I
To give birth
birth, she produces a baby from her body. a girl.
To grow up To gradually become an adult. I grew up in England. S
To pass away A polite expression for dying. He passed away last year. I
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/lifeanddeathverbs.html#sthash.JCzbKsA4.dpuf

-516-
Life and dead - tenses
Irregular Verb - To die
die / died / dying

Tenses for the Verb - To die
The Past
Past Continuous - "His doctor told him he was dying."
Past Simple - "Former Beatle George Harrison died in 2001 ."
Past Perfect Simple - "His family was told he had died of a heart attack."
Past Perfect Continuous - "When I met her she had been dying of cancer for some time."
The Present
Present Continuous - "He is dying of cancer."
Present Simple - "In Surrey, around 64 people die in road accidents every year."
Present Perfect Simple - "I'm very upset because one of my goldfish has just died."
Present Perfect Continuous - "For years now, the delta has been dying a slow death thanks to the lack of
freshwater."
-517-
The Future
Future Continuous - "Just because someone has HIV doesn't mean he's dying
tomorrow."
Future Simple - "He will probably die in April."
Future Perfect Simple - "Unfortunately by the time they get to the hospital she will have already died."
Future Perfect Continuous - "The doctors say it's a miracle I'm still alive. Tomorrow I will have been dying for 2
years."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/dietense.html#sthash.F2JOK0ZP.dpuf

-518-
Marriage and Weddings

look up.
Before the Wedding
Marriage is usually initiated by a proposal of marriage, simply called "a proposal". In a

heterosexual relationship, the man traditionally proposes to the woman and the actual
proposal often has a ritual quality, involving the presentation of a ring (an engagement ring)
and the formalized asking of a question such as "Will you marry me?" The man may even
go down on one knee before proposing. If the proposal is accepted, the couple become
engaged.
In the United Kingdom, the engagement ring is worn, by the woman, on the third finger of the left hand (the ring
finger).
In the UK the 29th of February (in a leap year) is said to be the one day (coming round only once every four
years) when a woman can propose to her partner.
It is usual for a couple to be engaged for a while before they get married. An engagement is actually an
agreement or promise to marry, and also refers to the time between proposal and marriage. During this period, a
couple is said to be affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged.
A man who is engaged to be married is called his partner's fiancé; a woman similarly engaged is called her
partner's fiancée.
Once a wedding date has been set the banns of marriage, commonly known simply as "the banns" (from an Old
English word meaning "to summon") are announced. This is a notice, usually placed in the local parish church or
registery office, which tells everyone that a marriage is going to take place between two people.
-519-
The purpose of banns is to enable anyone to raise any legal problems as to why the two people shouldn't get
married, basically it is to prevent marriages that are legally invalid. Impediments vary between legal jurisdictions,
but would normally include a pre-existing marriage (having been neither dissolved nor annulled), a vow of
celibacy, lack of consent, or the couple's being related within the prohibited degrees of kinship.
In England, a marriage is only legally valid if the reading of the banns has taken place or a marriage licence has
been obtained.
The People
In addition to the bride and groom, traditional weddings involve a lot more people. Typically, these positions are
filled by close friends of the bride and groom; being asked to serve in these capacities is seen as a great honour.
For the couple:-
Ringbearer - an attendant, often a young boy, who carries the wedding rings.
Ushers - helpers, usually men, who assist with the organization.
For the groom:-
Best man - a close male friend or relative of the groom, given a place of honour.
Groomsmen - one or more male attendants who support the groom.
For the bride:-
Maid of honour - a close female friend or relative of the bride, given a place of honour. If she is married, she is
called the "matron of honour" instead.
Bridesmaids - one or more female attendants who support the bride.
Father of the Bride - One who symbolically "gives away" the bride. If her father is deceased or otherwise
unavailable, another male relative, often an uncle or brother, will give the bride away.
Flower girl - a young girl who scatters flowers in front of the bridal party.
Junior Bridesmaids - young girl typically between the ages of 8 and 16 who is too old to be a flowergirl, but the
bride wants to be a part of the wedding.
Wedding guests are generally sent invitations to which they are expected to reply (rsvp). The guests are
generally invited to both the wedding and the wedding reception afterwards, although sometimes reception
places are limited. Often certain people are invited due to perceived family obligations, as to not receive an
invitation can be considered an insult.
-520-
The Wedding Ceremony
A bride's wedding day is often touted as "the happiest day of her life", but in all honesty it's often a very stressful
experience as there are lots of conventions surrounding the whole thing and you can get caught up in family
rows, and trying to please everyone. Still it's a good test of a couple's fortitude.
When the guests arrive for a wedding the ushers' duty is to hand out the correct books, flowers and the order of
service, they also ensure the guests are seated in the correct places. Traditionally, the side on which people sit
depends on whether they are friends or family of the bride or of the groom. The front rows are generally reserved
for close family or friends, with the very first seats reserved for the bridal party. However, in many ceremonies
the bridal party will remain standing at the altar during the ceremony along with the bride and groom.
The groom and his best man wait inside the church for the arrival of the bride and her "entourage".
This entourage generally arrives in elegant cars or in horse-drawn coaches, specially hired for the occasion. The
bride's entourage normally consists of the bride, the bride's father and all the various bridesmaids, maids of
honour, sometimes flower girls and page boys attend her. The page boy's task is often to carry the wedding
rings on a cushion.
The ushers and/or groomsmen escort the grandparents of the bride and groom to their seats.
The ushers and/or groomsmen escort the mother of the groom and mother of the bride to their seats.
The bridesmaids enter, escorted by the groomsmen.
The maid or matron of honour enters, either by herself or escorted by the best man.
The ringbearer or page boy enters.
The flower girl enters. (In some ceremonies, the ringbearer will accompany the flower girl.)
The bride then proceeds down the aisle, escorted by her father, to the accompaniment of music (usually the
wedding march, often called "Here comes the bride"), and the ceremony starts.
-521-
During the ceremony the bride and groom make their marriage vows. Marriage vows are promises a couple
makes to each other during a wedding ceremony. In Western culture, these promises have traditionally included
the notions of affection ("love, comfort, keep"), faithfulness ("forsaking all others"), unconditionality ("for richer or
for poorer", "in sickness and in health"), and permanence ("as long as we both shall live", "until death do us
part").
Most wedding vows are taken from traditional religious ceremonies, but nowadays in the UK many couples
choose touching love poems or lyrics from a love song revised as wedding vows and some couples even choose
to write their own vows, rather than relying on standard ones spoken by the celebrant (registrar, priest or vicar).
After the vows have been spoken the couple exchange rings. The wedding ring is placed on the third finger of
the left hand, also called the "ring" finger. The wedding ring is usually a plain gold ring. I was once told that the
third finger was chosen because in the past people believed a vein ran from that finger, straight to the heart -
modern anatomy books havel put paid to that theory though.
After the wedding ceremony, the bride, groom, officiant, and two witnesses generally go off to a side room to
sign the wedding register. Without this the marriage is not legal and a wedding certificate cannot be issued.
Afterward, guests file out to throw flower petals, confetti, birdseed, or rice (uncooked for obvious reasons) over
the newly-married couple for good luck.
The bride stands with her back to all the guests and throws her bouquet over her head to them. Whoever
catches the bouquet is the next person to get married. I don't know if this has ever been scientifically tested, but
it can result in a very unseemly scramble, reminiscent of rugby scrums.
Finally, a photo session ensues of the couple leaving the church, and everyone has to stand around to form
formal groups for the photo album. A lot of people video the whole thing, which can be good for a laugh on
YouTube.
-522-
Nice Day for a White Wedding
In the past Wednesday was considered the most auspicious day to get married, as shown in this old rhyme,
which seems to favour the first half of the week.
Monday for wealth,

Tuesday for health,
Wednesday the best day of all.
Thursday for losses,
Friday for crosses,
Saturday for no luck at all.
Nowadays, most weddings take place on a Saturday, which might account for the rise in divorce rates.
The Clothing
The Western custom of a bride wearing a white wedding dress, came to symbolize purity in the Victorian era
(despite popular misconception and the hackneyed jokes of situation comedies, the white dress did not indicate
virginity, this was symbolized by a face veil). In the past the veil was worn to confuse any evil spirits.
There's another rhyme that affects what the bride wears:-
"Something old,
Something new,
Something borrowed,
Something blue."
Often the bride will wear an heirloom, or maybe carry a family bible or prayer book, the dress of course is usually
the something new, and they will borrow something from someone to wear. The something blue can be difficult,
but a lot of brides get round this by wearing a blue garter under their dress.
Within the "white wedding" tradition, a white dress and veil would not have been considered appropriate in the
second or third wedding of a widow or divorcee. Nowadays it really isn't an issue.
-523-
Before the white wedding dress became "traditional" an old poem (which seems to favour blue) sang the praises
or woes of various colour choices.
“Married in white, you will have chosen all right.

Married in grey, you will go far away.
Married in black, you will wish yourself back.
Married in red, you’ll wish yourself dead.
Married in blue, you will always be true.
Married in pearl, you’ll live in a whirl.
Married in green, ashamed to be seen,
Married in yellow, ashamed of the fellow.
Married in brown, you’ll live out of town.
Married in pink, your spirits will sink."
The average price of a traditional white wedding dress is around £826.
In the Middle Ages, bridesmaids used to wear the same outift as the bride. This was to confuse any evil spirits
who wished the bride harm. Nowadays they are more likely to be dressed in such a way as to scare any evil
spirits away, after all no bride wants to be outshone on the big day.
The reception
After the ceremony there is usally a reception at which the married couple, the couple's parents, the best man
and the wedding entourage greet each of the guests. At such events it is traditional to eat and drink - a lot.
During the reception a number of speeches and/or toasts are given in honour of the couple.
Any dancing is commonly started by the bride and groom, usually termed the "Bridal Waltz", but dancing an
actual waltz is comparatively rare - often the couple chooses their favourite piece of music or a song.
An arranged dance between the bride and her father is also traditional. Sometimes the groom will cut in halfway
through the dance, symbolizing the bride leaving her father and joining her new husband.
-524-
At some point the married couple may become the object of a charivari, a good-natured hazing
of the newly-married couple. While this is most familiar in the form of tying tin cans to the
bumper of the couple's car, or spraying shaving cream on the windows, some of the pranks can
be far more malicious. The worst one I've ever heard of is when the bride and groom returned
from honeymoon to find their front door had been bricked over.
The final tradition is the newly married couple to set off for their honeymoon.
Have your cake and eat it
At the wedding reception an elaborate, tiered, wedding cake is often served. Traditionally this is a fruit cake.
Often there are a couple of little figures on top of the cake, normally they are a representation of the bride and
groom in formal wedding attire.
It is considered lucky for the couple to cut the cake together. It symbolises them working together during their
marriage. A tier is usually stored, and eaten by the couple at their first wedding anniversary, or at the christening
of their first child. The cake can be frozen and if the top tier of the cake is fruitcake, it can be stored for a long
time, because it's so full of sugar (and often alcohol) that it's very well preserved.
People who were invited to the wedding, but were unable to attend are often sent a piece of cake in a small box,
as a memento.
One superstition is that unmarried guests should place a piece of wedding cake under their pillow, as it will
increase their prospects of finding a partner. Bridesmaids who do so will supposedly dream of their future
husbands, which must make Johnny Depp a potential bigamist.
-525-
British Wedding Traditions
Traditions include:-
The happy couple toast each other. (This has nothing to do

with sliced bread.)
The newlyweds have the fiirst dance.
The couple cut the cake together, this symbolizes their first
meal as husband and wife (see above).
The bride may throw her bouquet to the assembled group of all
unmarried women in attendance, with folklore suggesting the
person who catches it will be the next to wed.
(A fairly recent equivalent has the groom throwing the bride's

garter to the assembled unmarried men; the man who catches
it is supposedly the next to wed.)
It is usual for the couple to go away on holiday together. This is

called the honeymoon.
On arriving back home it is traditional for the husband to carry

his wife into their new home. This is called carrying the bride
over the threshold.
-526-
The Cost of Getting Married in the UK
In 2004 the average wedding in the UK cost £16,000, and prices have risen since then, it now stands at a
staggering £18,500. Of course there is no need to get caught up in Competitive Wedding Syndrome, none of it is
actually necessary. You can simply get married and live happily ever after.
Here's a poem about getting married.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/marriage.html#sthash.6otbBRTF.dpuf

-527-
English Songs About Life and Death
Only for fun, here are some songs about life and death.
Songs

All My Life The Foo Fighters
Beheaded The Offspring

Born in the USA Bruce Springsteen
Born on a Different Cloud Oasis
Born to Run Bruce Springsteen
Born Slippy Underworld
Born to Hula Queens of the Stoneage
Born to Make you Happy Britney Spears
Born to be Wild Steppenwolf
Bring Me To Life Evanescence
Dead They Might Be Giants
Conversation with Death Peter Bellamy
Death and the Lady Shirley Collins
Death Don't Have no Mercy The Reverend Gary Davis
Death Have Mercy Vera Hall
Death is Not the End Bob Dylan

Another one bites the dust Queen
Fear of Dying Jack Off Jill
Funeral Song Crash Test Dummies
Getting Away With Murder Papa Roach
How I Could Just Kill A Man? Cypress Hill
I was Born Wilco
If I Die Tomorrow Mötley Crüe
It's my Life Bon Jovi
Kill You Eminem
Life in a Nutshell The Barenaked Ladies
Murder Coldplay
My Death Jacques Brel and Scott Walker
My Life Story MxPx
My Name is Death The Incredible String Band
New Born Muse
People Who Died The Jim Carroll Band
Songs of Life Neil Diamond
A star is Born Barbara Streisand
Suicide is Painless Johnny Mandel
Thoughts of a Dying Atheist Muse
When I'm dead and gone Status Quo
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/lifeanddeathsongs.html#sthash.kwZUNLel.dpuf

-528-
Money Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary | Build Up | Naturally Speaking | Dialogues | Games and Tests | Money Slang
Useful Vocabulary
The Major Currencies
$ = Dollar € = Euro
£ = Pound (Sterling) ¥ = Yen
Ways of paying
cash cheque(s) credit (slang - plastic)

General Money Vocabulary
bank(s) cash box(es) cash machine(s) / ATM(s)

-529-
cheque book(s) coin(s) note(s)
piggy bank(s) poor purse(s)
rich safe(s) till(s)
wallet(s)
Build Up A - Z of money terms

account n. a record of money a person deposits into a bank
ATM n. Automatic Teller Machine aka Hole in the wall.
balance n. the difference between credits and debits in an account
bank n. a building in which commercial banking is transacted.
bank charges n. money paid to a bank for the bank's services etc
banker's draft n. a cheque drawn on the bank (or building society) itself against either a cash deposit or
funds taken directly from your own bank account.
barter v. to trade without using money.

borrow v. to ask for the temporary use of money on the condition of repayment and at a set rate
of interest.
branch n. local office or bureau of a bank
building society n. A building society is like a bank, but it is owned by its members - savers and
borrowers - and not by shareholders. Its traditional purpose was to lend money to
individuals to purchase or remortgage their homes. This money used to come exclusively
from individual saving members who are paid interest on their deposits. Now, an
increasing proportion, but still a minority of the funds are raised on the commercial
money markets.
-530-
cashflow n. cash earnings minus cash outflows for fixed- and working-capital investment.
cashier n. an employee of a bank or building society who receives and pays out money.
chequebook n. book containing detachable cheques
cheque n. written order to a bank to pay the stated sum from one's account
counterfeit n. fake money made in order to deceive - also v.
credit n. money in a bank a/c; sum added to a bank a/c; money lent by a bank - also v.
credit card n. (plastic) card from a bank authorising the purchasing of goods on credit
currency n. money that is used by a country such as the United Kingdom.
current account n. bank a/c from which money may be drawn at any time; checking account US
debit n. a sum deducted from a bank account, as for a cheque - also v.
debit card n. you use a debit card in much the same way as a credit card but instead of receiving
credit after making your purchase, the funds are automatically (within a few days
usually) withdrawn from your bank account.
debt n. the state of owing something (especially money).
denomination n. a number that expresses the value of a coin or bill. A five pound note and a ten pound
note represent two denominations.
deposit n. an amount of money placed with a bank
deposit account n. bank a/c on which interest is paid; savings account US.
fill in v. to add written information to a document to make it complete.
foreign exchange n. Used to describe the currency of other countries and the system for dealing in such
currency (often shortened to Forex).
interest n. money paid for borrowing money, or money that a bank or building society pays a
customer for putting money into their bank.
interest rate n. the percentage of an amount of money which is paid for the use of that money over a
period of time.
lend v. to give the temporary use of money on the condition of repayment and at a set rate of
interest.
loan n. money lent by a bank etc and that must be repaid with interest - also v.
mortgage n. most of us do not buy our homes outright for cash - instead we borrow money to do
so.
overdraft n. deficit in a bank account caused by withdrawing more money than is paid in
pay v. To give (someone) money that is due for work done, goods received, or a debt
incurred.
pay n. Money paid to someone for regular work. Also see salary.
pay in v. to deposit or put money in to a bank account
payee n. person to whom money is paid
paying-in slip n. small document recording money that you pay in to a bank account
pence n. more than one penny.
pension n. A regular payment made during a person's retirement (when they become too old to
work) from an investment fund to which that person or their employer has contributed.
salary n. A fixed regular payment, typically paid on a monthly or biweekly basis made by an
employer to an employee.
standing order n. an instruction to a bank to make regular payments
statement n. a record of transactions in a bank account
withdraw v. to take money out of a bank account
withdrawal n. the act of taking out money.
-531-
Naturally Speaking
Rich man / Poor man
There are lots of ways to describe how rich or poor someone is. Here are a few - from very rich to very poor.
filthy rich
stinking rich
rolling in it
wealthy
rich
prosperous
affluent
well off
hard-up
needy
skint
brassic
penniless
broke
poor
impoverished
poverty-stricken
-532-
destitute
Do you like to share your money, or do you keep it all to yourself?
If you gladly share your money you may be considered:-
charitable - generous - sharing - unselfish
If you keep all your money you may be considered:-
mean - miserly - selfish - stingy - tight - uncharitable - ungenerous
Dialogue
Here is a conversation between Mrs Smith (Joan) and the cashier at her new bank.
It's Saturday morning and Joan's gone to the bank.

Joan I'd like to open a bank account, please.
Cashier Certainly. Do you have some form of identification?
Joan Yes, I bought my passport. Is that OK?
Yes. We also need proof of your current address. Do you have a utility bill or your driver's
Cashier
licence with you?
Joan I've got my driver's licence.
Cashier That's fine. What kind of account did you want?
Joan Well I want two, a deposit account and a savings account.
Cashier That's fine, we do both. Do you have any proof of income?
Joan Yes, I bought my pay slips for the last three months.
Cashier Good. You could also apply for a credit card at the same time, if you like.
Joan Yes, that would be great.
Cashier OK. If you would just like to fill out these forms...
-533-
Crossword
Reading Comprehension Test
Rumble in the Jumble - Money
Jumbled Words - Money
Vocabulary Test
Word Search
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/money.html#sthash.hEzg05NW.dpuf

-534-
Idioms and Sayings About Money

A hole in the wall
For example:
1) "We went for a drink at a little hole in the wall near the
university last night." 2) A cash machine.
Break the bank.
For example:
Win all the money at a casino gambling table.
He broke the bank at the casino and walked away with a
lot of money.
To laugh all the way to the bank.
To make lot of money very easily, often because

For example:-
someone else has been stupid.
If we don't take this opportunity, you can be sure our

competitors will and they'll be laughing all the way to the
bank.
To not break the bank.
For example:
Not be too expensive
Going out for a drink in the pub won't break the bank.
-535-

Go for broke.
For example:
To risk everything in order to achieve the result you
want.
"She really wanted to pass her English exam, so she
went for broke and revised every day."
To be broke
For example:
To have no money.
I can't go out tonight, I'm broke.
A cash cow
For example:
A business or a part of a business that always makes
a lot of profit.
The British newspapers are the group's biggest cash
cow, earning nearly 40% of group profits.
Hard cash
For example:
Money in the form of coins or notes paper money
They don't accept credit cards, we will need hard cash.
Cash in your chips
For example:
To die.
He cashed his chips in shortly after his ninetieth
birthday.
-536-
Ready cash
For example:
Money that is available to spend.
We have a lot of investments but we need ready cash to pay the bills.
To be strapped [for cash]
For example:
To be short of money.
Could you lend me a fiver? I seem to be a bit strapped.
A blank cheque
For example: As much money to spend as is wanted or

needed.
The project manager seems to think he has a blank cheque.
The other side of the coin
For example:
The opposite view of something.
Running a web site is fun, but the other side of the coin is that it costs
a lot of money.
A bad debt
For example:
Money owed that is not likely to be paid.
The bank expects to lose millions of last year's profits as a result of
bad debts.
-537-
dough
For example:-
Slang for money.
I need to go to the cash point, I've run out of
dough.
e-cash
Money from a special bank account which is used to buy goods

For example:
and services over the Internet by sending information from your
computer
It is easier to pay on the net with e-cash.
A fool and his money are soon parted.
For example:
Something we say which means that stupid people spend money
without thinking about it enough.
Andrew is always buying the latest gizmos,
a fool and his money are soon parted.
Blood money
For example:
Money that has been gained from the death of another person.
The assassin was paid his blood money.
Easy money
For example:
Money earnt with very little work or effort.
A lot of people think running a web site is
easy money.
Funny money
For example:
Counterfeit money, or money from dishonest activities.
She was caught trying to pay with funny
money,
-538-
A licence to print money
For example:
Activity that allows people to become very rich without
having to make any effort.
Some people think the TV licence fee is just a licence
to print money.
Money doesn't grow on trees.
For example:
Money isn't that easy to come by.
We can't afford to buy a house, money doesn't grow
on trees.
Money for old rope
For example:
A job that is an easy way of earning money.
A lot of people think being a professional footballer is
money for for old rope.
Money talks
For example:
People who are rich have a lot of power and influence.
He seems to get away with murder I guess money
talks.
Money to burn
For example:
To have a lot of money to spend on things that are not
necessary
They buy a new car every year. They must have
money to burn.
-539-
Put your money where your mouth is
For example:
To follow up on words with action.
If people are really interested in helping the homeless
they should put their money where their mouth is
Monopoly money
For example: Monopoly is the trademark for a game in which you buy
property with pretend money, so monopoly money has
Whether he sells the house or not, it's all monopoly little or no value.
money to him.
More money than sense.
For example:-
When someone seems to spend what money they have
foolishly.
Alex Hope spent £125,000 on a 30-litre Midas bottle
of champagne. He has got more money than sense.
Pin money
For example:
A small amount of money that you earn and spend on
things for yourself.
She teaches English for pin money for extra treats for
herself and the family.
Pots of money
For example:
A lot of money.
Bill Gates has pots of money.

-540-
Throw money around
For example:
To spend money, especially in an obvious and
careless way, on things that are not necessary.
They don't work but they have plenty of money to throw
around.
Hit pay dirt
For example:
To discover something very valuable or very
useful.
If a salesperson does not quickly hit pay dirt with a customer
they will usually move straight on to someone else.
Pay through the nose
For example:
To pay too much money for something.
I paid through the nose to get the bathroom done.
Pay top dollar
For example:
To pay a lot of money for something
If you want the best, you have to pay to dollar.
Pay your way
For example: To pay for yourself rather than allowing

someone else to pay
I teach English so that I can pay my way.
The devil to pay
For example:
To get into a lot of trouble.
If the company catches you making personal calls there'll be
the devil to pay!
-541-
A penny for your thoughts
For example:
To ask someone what they are thinking about.
'You're very quiet. A penny for your thoughts.'
A pretty penny
For example:
To be very expensive
That car must have cost you a pretty penny.
The penny drops
For example:
To finally understand something.
She looked confused for a while, but then the penny dropped.
Turn up like a bad penny
For example: To arrive at a place or event where you are not

wanted.
Whenever he wants money he turns up like a bad penny.
A penny pincher / To penny pinch
For example:
A miser /To be a miser.
He left the pub before it was his round. He is such a penny
pincher.
In for a penny, in for a pound
For example:
To put a lot of money or effort into something.
He spends hours on his English every day. In for a penny, in
for a pound.
-542-
Dirt poor
Extremely poor
Most of the population in this undeveloped area were dirt-
poor and jobless.
As poor as church mice
For example:
Very poor
When we first got married, we were as poor as church mice.
The pink pound
For example:
Money spent by people who are homosexual,
especially on entertainment.
Brighton is a lively, prosperous city, courtesy of the pink
pound.
To hold the purse strings
For example: To control the spending of a family's or an

organization's money
The Financial Director holds the purse strings here.
To loosen the purse strings
For example:
To allow more money to be spent.
We shouldn't expect the Chancellor to loosen the purse
strings too much in this year's Budget.
To tighten the purse strings
For example:
To reduce the amount of money that can be
spent
If we want to go on holiday this year we need to tighten the
purse strings a bit.
-543-
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's

ear
For example: If something is poor quality you can't do much to improve it.
I new it wouldn't last, you can't make a silk purse

out of a sow's ear.
Filthy rich
For example:
Extremely rich
Bill Gates is filthy rich.
Rob Peter to pay Paul
For example:
To borrow money from one person to pay back money you
borrowed from someone else.
If you keep robbing Peter to pay Paul, you'll
never be out of debt.
Strike it rich
For example:
To suddenly become rich
He struck it rich in the computer business.
Spend money like water
For example:
To spend too much.
If you spend money like water, you'll always be
broke.
-544-
Spend a penny
For example:
To go to the toilet.
Excuse me, I must go and spend a penny.
Have your fingers in the till
For example:
To steal money from the place where you work.
She had her fingers in the till, that's why she lost her job.
More money slang
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/moneyidioms.html#sthash.1jAktSZ0.dpuf

-545-
Money Slang
Slang money words, meanings and origins
While the origins of these slang terms are many and various, certainly a lot of English money slang is rooted in
various London communities, which for different reasons liked to use language only known in their own circles,
notably wholesale markets, street traders, crime and the underworld, the docks, taxi-cab driving, and the
immigrant communities. London has for centuries been extremely cosmopolitan, both as a travel hub and a
place for foreign people to live and work and start their own busineses. This contributed to the development of
some 'lingua franca' expressions, i.e., mixtures of Italian, Greek, Arabic, Yiddish (Jewish European/Hebrew
dialect), Spanish and English which developed to enable understanding between people of different nationalities,
rather like a pidgin or hybrid English. Certain lingua franca blended with 'parlyaree' or 'polari', which is basically
underworld slang.
Backslang also contributes several slang money words. Backslang reverses the phonetic (sound of the) word,
not the spelling, which can produce some strange interpretations, and was popular among market traders,
butchers and greengrocers.
Here are the most common and/or interesting British slang money words and expressions, with meanings, and
origins where known. Many are now obsolete; typically words which relate to pre-decimalisation coins, although
some have re-emerged and continue to do so.
Some non-slang words are included where their origins are particularly interesting, as are some interesting slang
money expressions which originated in other parts of the world, and which are now entering the English
language.
-546-
A to Z of Money Slang
archer = two thousand pounds (£2,000), late 20th century, from the Jeffrey Archer court case in which he was
alleged to have bribed call-girl Monica Coughlan with this amount.
ayrton senna/ayrton = tenner (ten pounds, £10) - cockney rhyming slang created in the 1980s or early 90s,
from the name of the peerless Brazilian world champion Formula One racing driver, Ayrton Senna (1960-94),
who won world titles in 1988, 90 and 91, before his tragic death at San Marino in 1994.
bag/bag of sand = grand = one thousand pounds (£1,000), seemingly recent cockney rhyming slang, in use
from around the mid-1990s in Greater London; perhaps more widely too.
bar = a pound, from the late 1800s, and earlier a sovereign, probably from Romany gypsy 'bauro' meaning
heavy or big, and also influenced by allusion to the iron bars use as trading currency used with Africans, plus a
possible reference to the custom of casting of precious metal in bars.
bender = sixpence (6d) Another slang term with origins in the 1800s when the coins were actually solid silver,
from the practice of testing authenticity by biting and bending the coin, which would being made of near-pure
silver have been softer than the fakes.
beer tokens = money. Usually now meaning one pound coins. From the late 20th century. Alternatively beer
vouchers, which commonly meant pound notes, prior to their withdrawal.
beehive = five pounds (£5). Cockney rhyming slang from 1960s and perhaps earlier since beehive has meant
the number five in rhyming slang since at least the 1920s.
bees (bees and honey) = money. Cockney rhyming slang from the late 1800s. Also shortened to beesum (from
bees and, bees 'n', to beesum).
bice/byce = two shillings (2/-) or two pounds or twenty pounds - probably from the French bis, meaning twice,
which suggests usage is older than the 1900s first recorded and referenced by dictionary sources. Bice could
also occur in conjunction with other shilling slang, where the word bice assumes the meaning 'two', as in 'a bice
of deaners', pronounced 'bicerdeaners', and with other money slang, for example bice of tenners, pronounced
'bicertenners', meaning twenty pounds.
big ben - ten pounds (£10) the sum, and a ten pound note - cockney rhyming slang.
-547-
biscuit = £100 or £1,000. Initially suggested (Mar 2007) by a reader who tells me that the slang term 'biscuit',
meaning £100, has been in use for several years, notably in the casino trade (thanks E). I am grateful also
(thanks Paul, Apr 2007) for a further suggestion that 'biscuit' means £1,000 in the casino trade, which apparently
is due to the larger size of the £1,000 chip. It would seem that the 'biscuit' slang term is still evolving and might
mean different things (£100 or £1,000) to different people. I can find no other references to meanings or origins
for the money term 'biscuit'.
bob = shilling (1/-), although in recent times now means a pound or a dollar in certain regions. Historically bob
was slang for a British shilling (Twelve old pence, pre-decimalisation - and twenty shillings to a pound). No plural
version; it was 'thirty bob' not 'thirty bobs'. Prior to 1971 bob was one of the most commonly used English slang
words. Now sadly gone in the UK for this particular meaning, although lots of other meanings remain (for
example the verb or noun meaning of pooh, a haircut, and the verb meaning of cheat). Usage of bob for shilling
dates back to the late 1700s. Origin is not known for sure. Possibilities include a connection with the church or
bell-ringing since 'bob' meant a set of changes rung on the bells. This would be consistent with one of the
possible origins and associations of the root of the word Shilling, (from Proto-Germanic 'skell' meaning to sound
or ring). There is possibly an association with plumb-bob, being another symbolic piece of metal, made of lead
and used to mark a vertical position in certain trades, notably masons. Brewer's 1870 Dictionary of Phrase and
Fable states that 'bob' could be derived from 'Bawbee', which was 16-19th century slang for a half-penny, in turn
derived from: French 'bas billon', meaning debased copper money (coins were commonly cut to make change).
Brewer also references the Laird of Sillabawby, a 16th century mintmaster, as a possible origin. Also perhaps a
connection with a plumb-bob, made of lead and used to mark a vertical position in certain trades, notably
masons. 'Bob a nob', in the early 1800s meant 'a shilling a head', when estimating costs of meals, etc. In the
18th century 'bobstick' was a shillings-worth of gin. In parts of the US 'bob' was used for the US dollar coin. I am
also informed (thanks K Inglott, March 2007) that bob is now slang for a pound in his part of the world (Bath,
South-West England), and has also been used as money slang, presumably for Australian dollars, on the Home
and Away TV soap series. A popular slang word like bob arguably develops a life of its own. Additionally (ack
Martin Symington, Jun 2007) the word 'bob' is still commonly used among the white community of Tanzania in
East Africa for the Tanzanian Shilling.
boodle = money. There are many different interpretations of boodle meaning money, in the UK and the US.
Boodle normally referred to ill-gotten gains, such as counterfeit notes or the proceeds of a robbery, and also to a
roll of banknotes, although in recent times the usage has extended to all sorts of money, usually in fairly large
amounts. Much variation in meaning is found in the US. The origins of boodle meaning money are (according to
Cassells) probably from the Dutch word 'boedel' for personal effects or property (a person's worth) and/or from
the old Scottish 'bodle' coin, worth two Scottish pence and one-sixth of an English penny, which logically would
have been pre-decimalisation currency.
-548-
bottle = two pounds, or earlier tuppence (2d), from the cockney rhyming slang: bottle of spruce = deuce (= two
pounds or tuppence). Spruce probably mainly refers to spruce beer, made from the shoots of spruce fir trees
which is made in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties. Separately bottle means money generally and particularly
loose coinage, from the custom of passing a bottle for people to give money to a busker or street entertainer. I
am also informed (ack Sue Batch, Nov 2007) that spruce also referred to lemonade, which is perhaps another
source of the bottle rhyming slang: "... around Northants, particularly the Rushden area, Spruce is in fact
lemonade... it has died out nowadays - I was brought up in the 50s and 60s and it was an everyday word around
my area back then. As kids growing up we always asked for a glass of spruce. It was quite an accepted name
for lemonade..."
brass = money. From the 16th century, and a popular expression the north of England, e.g., 'where there's muck
there's brass' which incidentally alluded to certain trades involving scrap, mess or waste which offered high
earnings. This was also a defensive or retaliatory remark aimed at those of middle, higher or profesional classes
who might look down on certain 'working class' entrepreneurs or traders. The 'where there's much there's brass'
expression helped maintain and spread the populairity iof the 'brass' money slang, rather than cause it. Brass
originated as slang for money by association to the colour of gold coins, and the value of brass as a scrap metal.
bread (bread and honey) = money. From cockney rhyming slang, bread and honey = money, and which gave
rise to the secondary rhyming slang 'poppy', from poppy red = bread. Bread also has associations with money,
which in a metaphorical sense can be traced back to the Bible. Bread meaning money is also linked with with the
expression 'earning a crust', which alludes to having enough money to pay for one's daily bread.
brown = a half-penny or ha'penny. An old term, probably more common in London than elsewhere, used before
UK decimalisation in 1971, and before the ha'penny was withdrawn in the 1960s.
bunce = money, usually unexpected gain and extra to an agreed or predicted payment, typically not realised by
the payer. Earlier English spelling was bunts or bunse, dating from the late 1700s or early 1800s (Cassells and
Partridge). Origins are not certain. Bunts also used to refer to unwanted or unaccounted-for goods sold for a
crafty gain by workers, and activity typically hidden from the business owner. Suggestions of origin include a
supposed cockney rhyming slang shortening of bunsen burner (= earner), which is very appealing, but unlikely
given the history of the word and spelling, notably that the slang money meaning pre-dated the invention of the
bunsen burner, which was devised around 1857. (Thanks R Bambridge)
bung = money in the form of a bribe, from the early English meaning of pocket and purse, and pick-pocket,
according to Cassells derived from Frisian (North Netherlands) pung, meaning purse. Bung is also a verb,
meaning to bribe someone by giving cash.
-549-
cabbage = money in banknotes, 'folding' money - orginally US slang according to Cassells, from the 1900s, also
used in the UK, logically arising because of the leaf allusion, and green was a common colour of dollar notes
and pound notes (thanks R Maguire, who remembers the slang from Glasgow in 1970s).
carpet = three pounds (£3) or three hundred pounds (£300), or sometimes thirty pounds (£30). This has
confusing and convoluted origins, from as early as the late 1800s: It seems originally to have been a slang term
for a three month prison sentence, based on the following: that 'carpet bag' was cockney rhyming slang for a
'drag', which was generally used to describe a three month sentence; also that in the prison workshops it
supposedly took ninety days to produce a certain regulation-size piece of carpet; and there is also a belief that
prisoners used to be awarded the luxury of a piece of carpet for their cell after three year's incarceration. The
term has since the early 1900s been used by bookmakers and horse-racing, where carpet refers to odds of
three-to-one, and in car dealing, where it refers to an amount of £300.
caser/case = five shillings (5/-), a crown coin. Seems to have surfaced first as caser in Australia in the mid-
1800s from the Yiddish (Jewish European/Hebrew dialect) kesef meaning silver, where (in Australia) it also
meant a five year prison term. Caser was slang also for a US dollar coin, and the US/Autralian slang logically
transferred to English, either or all because of the reference to silver coin, dollar slang for a crown, or the
comparable value, as was.
chip = a shilling (1/-) and earlier, mid-late 1800s a pound or a sovereign. According to Cassells chip meaning a
shilling is from horse-racing and betting. Chip was also slang for an Indian rupee. The association with a
gambling chip is logical. Chip and chipping also have more general associations with money and particularly
money-related crime, where the derivations become blurred with other underworld meanings of chip relating to
sex and women (perhaps from the French 'chipie' meaning a vivacious woman) and narcotics (in which chip
refers to diluting or skimming from a consignment, as in chipping off a small piece - of the drug or the profit).
Chipping-in also means to contributing towards or paying towards something, which again relates to the
gambling chip use and metaphor, i.e. putting chips into the centre of the table being necessary to continue
playing.
chump change = a relatively insiginificant amount of money - a recent expression (seemingly 2000s) originating
in the US and now apparently entering UK usage. (Thanks M Johnson, Jan 2008)
clod = a penny (1d). Clod was also used for other old copper coins. From cockney rhyming slang clodhopper (=
copper). A clod is a lump of earth. A clodhopper is old slang for a farmer or bumpkin or lout, and was also a
derogatory term used by the cavalry for infantry foot soldiers.
-550-
coal = a penny (1d). Also referred to money generally, from the late 1600s, when the slang was based simply on
a metaphor of coal being an essential commodity for life. The spelling cole was also used. Common use of the
coal/cole slang largely ceased by the 1800s although it continued in the expressions 'tip the cole' and 'post the
cole', meaning to make a payment, until these too fell out of popular use by the 1900s. It is therefore unlikely that
anyone today will use or recall this particular slang, but if the question arises you'll know the answer. Intriguingly
I've been informed (thanks P Burns, 8 Dec 2008) that the slang 'coal', seemingly referring to money - although
I've seen a suggestion of it being a euphemism for coke (cocaine) - appears in the lyrics of the song Oxford
Comma by the band Vampire weekend: "Why would you lie about how much coal you have? Why would you lie
about something dumb like that?..."
cock and hen = ten pounds (thanks N Shipperley). The ten pound meaning of cock and hen is 20th century
rhyming slang. Cock and hen - also cockerel and hen - has carried the rhyming slang meaning for the number
ten for longer. Its transfer to ten pounds logically grew more popular through the inflationary 1900s as the ten
pound amount and banknote became more common currency in people's wages and wallets, and therefore
language. Cock and hen also gave raise to the variations cockeren, cockeren and hen, hen, and the natural
rhyming slang short version, cock - all meaning ten pounds.
cockeren - ten pounds, see cock and hen.
commodore = fifteen pounds (£15). The origin is almost certainly London, and the clever and amusing
derivation reflects the wit of Londoners: Cockney rhyming slang for five pounds is a 'lady', (from Lady Godiva =
fiver); fifteen pounds is three-times five pounds (3x£5=£15); 'Three Times a Lady' is a song recorded by the
group The Commodores; and there you have it: Three Times a Lady = fifteen pounds = a commodore. (Thanks
Simon Ladd, Jun 2007)
coppers = pre-decimal farthings, ha'pennies and pennies, and to a lesser extent 1p and 2p coins since
decimalisation, and also meaning a very small amount of money. Coppers was very popular slang pre-
decimalisation (1971), and is still used in referring to modern pennies and two-penny coins, typically describing
the copper (coloured) coins in one's pocket or change, or piggy bank. Pre-decimal farthings, ha'pennies and
pennies were 97% copper (technically bronze), and would nowadays be worth significantly more than their old
face value because copper has become so much more valuable. Decimal 1p and 2p coins were also 97%
copper (technically bronze - 97% copper, 2.5% zinc, 0.5% tin ) until replaced by copper-plated steel in 1992,
which amusingly made them magnetic. The term coppers is also slang for a very small amount of money, or a
cost of something typically less than a pound, usually referring to a bargain or a sum not worth thinking about,
somewhat like saying 'peanuts' or 'a row of beans'. For example: "What did you pay for that?" ...... "Coppers."
-551-
cows = a pound, 1930s, from the rhyming slang 'cow's licker' = nicker (nicker means a pound). The word cows
means a single pound since technically the word is cow's, from cow's licker.
daddler/dadla/dadler = threepenny bit (3d), and also earlier a farthing (quarter of an old penny, ¼d), from the
early 1900s, based on association with the word tiddler, meaning something very small.
deaner/dena/denar/dener = a shilling (1/-), from the mid-1800s, derived from association with the many
European dinar coins and similar, and derived in turn and associated with the Roman denarius coin which
formed the basis of many European currencies and their names. The pronunciation emphasis tends to be on the
long second syllable 'aah' sound. The expression is interpreted into Australian and New Zealand money slang as
deener, again meaning shilling.
deep sea diver = fiver (£5), heard in use Oxfordshire (thanks Karen/Ewan) late 1990s, this is rhyming slang
dating from the 1940s.
deuce = two pounds, and much earlier (from the 1600s) tuppence (two old pence, 2d), from the French deus
and Latin duos meaning two (which also give us the deuce term in tennis, meaning two points needed to win).
dibs/dibbs = money. Dib was also US slang meaning $1 (one dollar), which presumably extended to more than
one when pluralised. Origins of dib/dibs/dibbs are uncertain but probably relate to the old (early 1800s) children's
game of dibs or dibstones played with the knuckle-bones of sheep or pebbles. Also relates to (but not
necessairly derived from) the expression especially used by children, 'dibs' meaning a share or claim of
something, and dibbing or dipping among a group of children, to determine shares or winnings or who would be
'it' for a subsequent chasing game. In this sort of dipping or dibbing, a dipping rhyme would be spoken,
coinciding with the pointing or touchung of players in turn, eliminating the child on the final word, for example:
 'dip dip sky blue who's it not you' (the word 'you' meant elimination for the corresponding child)
 'ibble-obble black bobble ibble obble out' ('out' meant elimination)
 'one potato two potato three potato four
five potato six potato seven potato more' ('more' meant elimination)
(In this final dipping/dibbing game the procedure was effectively doubled because the spoken rhythm
matched the touching of each contestant's two outstretched fists in turn with the fist of the 'dipper' - who
incidentally included him/herself in the dipping by touching their own fists together twice, or if one of their
own fists was eliminated would touch their chin. The winner or 'it' would be the person remaining with the
last untouched fist. Players would put their fists behind their backs when touched, and interstingly I can
remember that as children we would conform to the rules so diligently that our fists would remain tightly
clenched behind our backs until the dipping game had finished. I guess this wouldn't happen today
because each child would need at least one hand free for holding their mobile phone and texting.)
-552-
dinarly/dinarla/dinaly = a shilling (1/-), from the mid-1800s, also transferred later to the decimal equivalent 5p
piece, from the same roots that produced the 'deaner' shilling slang and variations, i.e., Roman denarius and
then through other European dinar coins and variations. As with deanar the pronunciation emphasis tends to be
on the long second syllable 'aah' sound.
dollar = slang for money, commonly used in singular form, eg., 'Got any dollar?..'. In earlier times a dollar was
slang for an English Crown, five shillings (5/-). From the 1900s in England and so called because the coin was
similar in appearance and size to the American dollar coin, and at one time similar in value too. Brewer's
dictionary of 1870 says that the American dollar is '..in English money a little more than four shillings..'. That's
about 20p. The word dollar is originally derived from German 'Thaler', and earlier from Low German 'dahler',
meaning a valley (from which we also got the word 'dale'). The connection with coinage is that the Counts of
Schlick in the late 1400s mined silver from 'Joachim's Thal' (Joachim's Valley), from which was minted the silver
ounce coins called Joachim's Thalers, which became standard coinage in that region of what would now be
Germany. All later generic versions of the coins were called 'Thalers'. An 'oxford' was cockney rhyming slang for
five shillings (5/-) based on the dollar rhyming slang: 'oxford scholar'.
dosh = slang for a reasonable amount of spending money, for instance enough for a 'night-out'. Almost certainly
and logically derived from the slang 'doss-house', meaning a very cheap hostel or room, from Elizabethan
England when 'doss' was a straw bed, from 'dossel' meaning bundle of straw, in turn from the French 'dossier'
meaning bundle. Dosh appears to have originated in this form in the US in the 19th century, and then re-
emerged in more popular use in the UK in the mid-20th century.
doubloons = money. From the Spanish gold coins of the same name.
dough = money. From the cockney rhyming slang and metaphoric use of 'bread'.
dunop/doonup = pound, backslang from the mid-1800s, in which the slang is created from a reversal of the
word sound, rather than the spelling, hence the loose correlation to the source word.
farthing = a quarter of an old penny (¼d) - not slang, a proper word in use (in slightly different form - feorthung)
since the end of the first millenium, and in this list mainly to clarify that the origin of the word is not from 'four
things', supposedly and commonly believed from the times when coins were split to make pieces of smaller
value, but actually (less excitingly) from Old English feortha, meaning fourth, corresponding to Old Frisian
fiardeng, meaning a quarter of a mark, and similar Germanic words meaning four and fourth. The modern form
of farthing was first recorded in English around 1280 when it altered from ferthing to farthing.
-553-
fiver = five pounds (£5), from the mid-1800s. More rarely from the early-mid 1900s fiver could also mean five
thousand pounds, but arguably it remains today the most widely used slang term for five pounds.
fin/finn/finny/finnif/finnip/finnup/finnio/finnif = five pounds (£5), from the early 1800s. There are other
spelling variations based on the same theme, all derived from the German and Yiddish (European/Hebrew
mixture) funf, meaning five, more precisely spelled fünf. A 'double-finnif' (or double-fin, etc) means ten pounds;
'half-a-fin' (half-a-finnip, etc) would have been two pounds ten shillings (equal to £2.50).
flag = five pound note (£5), UK, notably in Manchester (ack Michael Hicks); also a USA one dollar bill; also used
as a slang term for a money note in Australia although Cassells is vague about the value (if you know
please contact us). The word flag has been used since the 1500s as a slang expression for various types of
money, and more recently for certain notes. Originally (16th-19thC) the slang word flag was used for an English
fourpenny groat coin, derived possibly from Middle Low German word 'Vleger' meaning a coin worth 'more than
a Bremer groat' (Cassells). Derivation in the USA would likely also have been influenced by the slang expression
'Jewish Flag' or 'Jews Flag' for a $1 bill, from early 20th century, being an envious derogatory reference to
perceived and stereotypical Jewish success in business and finance.
flim/flimsy = five pounds (£5), early 1900s, so called because of the thin and flimsy paper on which five pound
notes of the time were printed.
florin/flo = a two shilling or 'two bob' coin (florin is actually not slang - it's from Latin meaning flower, and a 14th
century Florentine coin called the Floren). Equivalent to 10p - a tenth of a pound. A 'flo' is the slang shortening,
meaning two shillings.
folding/folding stuff/folding money/folding green = banknotes, especially to differentiate or emphasise an

amount of money as would be impractical to carry or pay in coins, typically for a night out or to settle a bill.
Folding, folding stuff and folding money are all popular slang in London. Folding green is more American than
UK slang. Cassells says these were first recorded in the 1930s, and suggests they all originated in the US,
which might be true given that banknotes arguably entered very wide use earlier in the US than in the UK.
(Thanks P Jones, June 2008)
foont/funt = a pound (£1), from the mid-1900s, derived from the German word 'pfund' for the UK pound.
french/french loaf = four pounds, most likely from the second half of the 1900s, cockney rhyming slang for rofe
(french loaf = rofe), which is backslang for four, also meaning four pounds. Easy when you know how..
-554-
g/G = a thousand pounds. Shortening of 'grand' (see below). From the 1920s, and popular slang in fast-moving
business, trading, the underworld, etc., until the 1970s when it was largely replaced by 'K'. Usually retains
singular form (G rather than G's) for more than one thousand pounds, for example "Twenty G".
garden/garden gate = eight pounds (£8), cockney rhyming slang for eight, naturally extended to eight pounds.
In spoken use 'a garden' is eight pounds. Incidentally garden gate is also rhyming slang for magistrate, and the
plural garden gates is rhyming slang for rates. The word garden features strongly in London, in famous place
names such as Hatton Garden, the diamond quarter in the central City of London, and Covent Garden, the site
of the old vegetable market in West London, and also the term appears in sexual euphemisms, such as 'sitting in
the garden with the gate unlocked', which refers to a careless pregnancy.
gelt/gelter = money, from the late 1600s, with roots in foreign words for gold, notably German and Yiddish
(Jewish European/Hebrew dialect) gelt, and Dutch and South African geld.
gen = a shilling (1/-), from the mid 1800s, either based on the word argent, meaning silver (from French and
Latin, and used in English heraldry, i.e., coats of arms and shields, to refer to the colour silver), or more likely a
shortening of 'generalize', a peculiar supposed backslang of shilling, which in its own right was certainly slang for
shilling, and strangely also the verb to lend a shilling.
generalise/generalize = a shilling (1/-), from the mid 1800s, thought to be backslang. Also meant to lend a
shilling, apparently used by the middle classes, presumably to avoid embarrassment. Given that backslang is
based on phonetic word sound not spelling, the conversion of shilling to generalize is just about understandable,
if somewhat tenuous, and in the absence of other explanation is the only known possible derivation of this odd
slang.
gen net/net gen = ten shillings (1/-), backslang from the 1800s (from 'ten gen').
grand = a thousand pounds (£1,000 or $1,000) Not pluralised in full form. Shortened to 'G' (usually plural form
also) or less commonly 'G's'. Originated in the USA in the 1920s, logically an association with the literal meaning
- full or large.
greens = money, usually old-style green coloured pound notes, but actully applying to all money or cash-
earnings since the slang derives from the cockney rhyming slang: 'greengages' (= wages).
-555-
groat = an old silver four-penny coin from around 1300 and in use in similar form until c.1662, although Brewer
states in his late 1800s revised edition of his 1870 dictionary of slang that 'the modern groat was introduced in
1835, and withdrawn in 1887', which is somewhat confusing. Presumably there were different versions and
issues of the groat coin, which seems to have been present in the coinage from the 14th to the 19th centuries.
Very occasionally older people, students of English or History, etc., refer to loose change of a small amount of
coin money as groats. Sadly the word is almost obsolete now, although the groat coin is kept alive in Maundy
Money. The word derives from Middle English and Middle Dutch 'groot' meaning 'great' since this coin was a big
one, compared to a penny. The similar German and Austrian coin was the 'Groschen', equivalent to 10
'Pfennigs'. The word can actually be traced back to Roman times, when a 'Denarius Grossus' was a 'thick penny'
(equivalent).
guinea = guinea is not a slang term, it's a proper and historical word for an amount of money equating to twenty-
one shillings, or in modern sterling one pound five pence.
half, half a bar/half a sheet/half a nicker = ten shillings (10/-), from the 1900s, and to a lesser degree after
decimalisation, fifty pence (50p), based on the earlier meanings of bar and sheet for a pound. Half is also used
as a logical prefix for many slang words which mean a pound, to form a slang expresion for ten shillings and
more recently fifty pence (50p), for example and most popularly, 'half a nicker', 'half a quid', etc. The use of the
word 'half' alone to mean 50p seemingly never gaught on, unless anyone can confirm otherwise.
half a crown = two shillings and sixpence (2/6), and more specifically the 2/6 coin. Not actually slang, more an
informal and extremely common pre-decimalisation term used as readily as 'two-and-six' in referring to that
amount. Equivalent to 12½p in decimal money.
handbag = money, late 20th century.
handful = five pounds (£5), 20th century, derived simply by association to the five digits on a hand.
hog = confusingly a shilling (1/-) or a sixpence (6d) or a half-crown (2/6), dating back to the 1600s in relation to
shilling. Hog also extended to US 10c and dollar coins, apparently, according to Cassells because coins carried
a picture of a pig. I suspect different reasons for the British coins, but have yet to find them.
jack = a pound, and earlier (from the 1600s), a farthing. Perhaps based on jack meaning a small thing, although
there are many possible different sources. Jack is much used in a wide variety of slang expressions.
jacks = five pounds, from cockney rhyming slang: jack's alive = five. Not used in the singular for in this sense,
for example a five pound note would be called a 'jacks'.
-556-
job = guinea, late 1600s, probably ultimately derived from from the earlier meaning of the word job, a lump or
piece (from 14th century English gobbe), which developed into the work-related meaning of job, and thereby
came to have general meaning of payment for work, including specific meaning of a guinea. 'Half a job' was half
a guinea.
joey = much debate about this: According to my information (1894 Brewer, and the modern Cassell's, Oxford,
Morton, and various other sources) Joey was originally, from 1835 or 1836 a silver fourpenny piece called a
groat (Brewer is firm about this), and this meaning subsequently transferred to the silver threepenny piece
(Cassell's, Oxford, and Morton). I'm convinced these were the principal and most common usages of the Joey
coin slang. Cassell's says Joey was also used for the brass-nickel threepenny bit, which was introduced in 1937,
although as a child in South London the 1960s I cannot remember the threepenny bit ever being called a Joey,
and neither can my Mum or Dad, who both say a Joey in London was a silver threepence and nothing else
(although they'd be too young to remember groats...). I'm informed however (ack Stuart Taylor, Dec 2006) that
Joey was indeed slang for the brass-nickel threepenny bit among children of the Worcester area in the period up
to decimalisation in 1971, so as ever, slang is subject to regional variation. I personally feel (and think I recall)
there was some transference of the Joey slang to the sixpence (tanner) some time after the silver threepenny
coin changed to the brass threepenny bit (which was during the 1930-40s), and this would have been
understandable because the silver sixpence was similar to the silver threepence, albeit slightly larger. There is
also a view that Joey transferred from the threepenny bit to the sixpence when the latter became a more usual
minimum fare in London taxi-cabs. So although the fourpenny groat and the silver threepenny coin arguably lay
the major claim to the Joey title, usage also seems to have extended to later coins, notably the silver sixpence
(tanner) and the brass-nickel threepenny bit. The Joey slang word seems reasonably certainly to have been
named after the politician Joseph Hume (1777-1855), who advocated successfully that the fourpenny groat be
reintroduced, which it was in 1835 or 1836, chiefly to foil London cab drivers (horse driven ones in those days) in
their practice of pretending not to have change, with the intention of extorting a bigger tip, particularly when
given two shillings for a two-mile fare, which at the time cost one shilling and eight-pence. The re-introduction of
the groat thus enabled many customers to pay the exact fare, and so the cab drivers used the term Joey as a
derisory reference for the fourpenny groats.
-557-
And some further clarification and background:
 Brewer says that the 'modern groat was introduced in 1835, and withdrawn in 1887'. He was referring to
the fact that the groat's production ceased from 1662 and then restarted in 1835, (or 1836 according to
other sources). This coincides with the view that Hume re-introduced the groat to counter the cab drivers'
scam.
 Silver threepenny coins were first introduced in the mid-1500s but were not popular nor minted in any
serious quantity for general circulation until around 1760, because people preferred the fourpenny groat.
The silver threepence was effectively replaced with introduction of the brass-nickel threepenny bit in
1937, through to 1945, which was the last minting of the silver threepence coin. The silver threepence
continued in circulation for several years after this, and I read here of someone receiving one in their
change as late as 1959.
 The brass-nickel threepenny bit was minted up until 1970 and this lovely coin ceased to be legal tender
at decimalisation in 1971. As a matter of interest, at the time of writing this (Nov 2004) a mint condition
1937 threepenny bit is being offered for sale by London Bloomsbury coin dealers and auctioneers Spink,
with a guide price of £37,000. Wow.
 The silver sixpence was produced from 1547-1970, and remained in circulation (although by then it was
a copper-based and nickel-coated coin) after decimalisation as the two-and-a-half-pee, until withdrawal
in 1980.
 I was sent this additional clarification about the silver threepenny piece (thanks C Mancini, Dec 2007)
provided by Joseph Payne, Assistant Curator of the Royal Mint: "... Along with the silver crown, half-
crown and sixpence, the silver threepence made its first appearance in 1551 during the reign of Edward
VI (1547-53). Silver threepences were last issued for circulation in the United Kingdom in 1941 but the
final pieces to be sent overseas for colonial use were dated 1944. Once the issue of silver threepences
in the United Kingdom had ceased there was a tendency for the coins to be hoarded and comparatively
few were ever returned to the Royal Mint. The coin was not formally demonetised until 31 August 1971
at the time of decimalisation."
k/K = a thousand (£1,000 or $1,000). From the 1960s, becoming widely used in the 1970s. Plural uses singular
form. 'K' has now mainly replaced 'G' in common speech and especially among middle and professional classes.
While some etymology sources suggest that 'k' (obviously pronounced 'kay') is from business-speak and
underworld language derived from the K abbreviation of kilograms, kilometres, I am inclined to prefer the
derivation (suggested to me by Terry Davies) that K instead originates fromcomputer-speak in the early 1970s,
from the abbreviation of kilobytes. For Terry's detailed and fascinating explanation of the history of K see the '
K' entry on the cliches and words origins page.
-558-
kibosh/kybosh = eighteen pence (i.e., one and six, 1/6, one shilling and sixpence), related to and perhaps
derived from the mid-1900s meaning of kibosh for an eighteen month prison sentence. Cassells implies an
interesting possible combination of the meanings kibosh (18 month sentence), kibosh (meaning ruin or destroy) -
both probably derived from Yiddish (Jewish European/Hebrew dialect) words meaning suppress - with the linking
of money and hitting something, as in 'a fourpenny one' (from rhyming slang fourpenny bit = hit). All very vague
and confusing. Whatever, kibosh meant a shilling and sixpence (1/6). Like so much slang, kibosh trips off the
tongue easily and amusingly, which would encourage the extension of its use from prison term to money.
kick = sixpence (6d), from the early 1700s, derived purely from the lose rhyming with six (not cockney rhyming
slang), extending to and possible preceded and prompted by the slang expression 'two and a kick' meaning half
a crown, i.e., two shillings and sixpence, commonly expressed as 'two and six', which is a more understandable
association.
knicker = distortion of 'nicker', meaning £1. See entry under 'nicker'. See also 'pair of knickers'.
lady/Lady Godiva = fiver (five pounds, £5) cockney rhyming slang, and like many others in this listing is popular
in London and the South East of England, especially East London. (Thanks Simon Ladd, June 2007)
lolly = money. More popular in the 1960s than today. Precise origin unknown. Possibly rhyming slang linking
lollipop to copper.
long-tailed 'un/long-tailed finnip = high value note, from the 1800s and in use to the late 1900s. Earlier 'long-
tailed finnip' meant more specifically ten pounds, since a finnip was five pounds (see fin/finny/finnip) from Yiddish
funf meaning five. There seems no explanation for long-tailed other than being a reference to extended or larger
value.
macaroni = twenty-five pounds (£25). Cockney rhyming slang for pony.
madza caroon = half-a-crown (2/6) from the mid 1800s. A combination of medza, a corruption of Italian mezzo
meaning half, and a mispronunciation or interpretation of crown. Madza caroon is an example of 'ligua franca'
slang which in this context means langauge used or influenced by foreigners or immigrants, like a sort of pidgin
or hybrid English-foreign slang, in this case mixed with Italian, which logically implies that much of the early
usage was in the English Italian communities. Mezzo/madza was and is potentially confused with, and popularity
supported by, the similar 'motsa' (see motsa entry).
madza poona = half-sovereign, from the mid 1800s, for the same reasons as madza caroon.
-559-
maggie/brass maggie = a pound coin (£1) - apparently used in South Yorkshire UK - the story is that the slang
was adopted during the extremely acrimonious and prolonged miners' strike of 1984 which coincided with the
introduction of the pound coin. Margaret Thatcher acted firmly and ruthlessly in resisting the efforts of the miners
and the unions to save the pit jobs and the British coalmining industry, reinforcing her reputation for exercising
the full powers of the state, creating resentment among many. When the pound coin appeared it was
immediately christened a 'Maggie', based seemingly on the notion that it was '...a brassy piece that thinks it's a
sovereign..." (ack J Jamieson, Sep 2007) If you have more detail about where and when this slang arose and is
used, please let me know. I am grateful to J Briggs for confirming (March 2008): "...I live in Penistone, South
Yorks (what we call the West Riding) and it was certainly called a 'Brass Maggie' in my area. Typically in a
derisive way, such as 'I wouldn't give you a brass maggie for that' for something overpriced but low value. It
never really caught on and has died out now..."
marygold/marigold = a million pounds (£1,000,000). English slang referenced by Brewer in 1870, origin
unclear, possibly related to the Virgin Mary, and a style of church windows featuring her image.
McGarrett = fifty pounds (£50). Initially London slang, especially for a fifty pound note. McGarret refers
cunningly and amusingly to the popular US TV crime series Hawaii Five-0 and its fictional head detective Steve
McGarrett, played by Jack Lord. The series was made and aired originally between 1968 and 1980 and
developed a lasting cult following, not least due to the very cool appeal of the McGarrett character. Steve
McGarrett was given the legendary line (every week virtually) "Book 'em Danno," - or "Book him Danno," -
depending on the number of baddies they caught. Danno (Detective Danny Williams, played by James
MacArthur) was McGarrett's unfailingly loyal junior partner. For the record, the other detectives were called Chin
Ho Kelly (the old guy) and Kono Kalakaua (the big guy), played by Kam Fong and Zulu, both of which seem far
better character names, but that's really the way it was. (Thanks L Cunliffe)
medza/medzer/medzes/medzies/metzes/midzers = money. Other variations occur, including the

misunderstanding of these to be 'measures', which has become slang for money in its own right. These slang
words for money are most likely derived from the older use of the word madza, absorbed into English from
Italian mezzo meaning half, which was used as a prefix in referring to half-units of coinage (and weights),
notably medza caroon (half-crown), madza poona (half-sovereign) and by itself, medza meaning a ha'penny
(½d). Potentially confused with and supported by the origins and use of similar motsa (see motsa entry).
measures = money, late 20th century, most likely arising from misunderstanding medzas and similar variants,
particularly medza caroon (hal-crown) and medza meaning a half-penny (ha'penny, i.e., ½d).
-560-
mill = a million dollars or a million pounds. Interestingly mill is also a non-slang technical term for a tenth of a
USA cent, or one-thousandth of a dollar, which is an accounts term only - there is no coinage for such an
amount. The word mill is derived simply from the Latin 'millisimus' meaning a thousandth, and is not anything to
do with the milled edge of a coin.
monkey = five hundred pounds (£500). Probably London slang from the early 1800s. Origin unknown. Like the
'pony' meaning £25, it is suggested by some that the association derives from Indian rupee banknotes featuring
the animal.
moola = money. Variations on the same theme are moolah, mola, mulla. Modern slang from London, apparently
originating in the USA in the 1930s. Probably related to 'motsa' below.
motsa/motsah/motzer = money. Popular Australian slang for money, now being adopted elsewhere. Variations
on the same theme are motser, motzer, motza, all from the Yiddish (Jewish European/Hebrew dialect) word
'matzah', the unleavened bread originally shaped like a large flat disk, but now more commonly square (for
easier packaging and shipping), eaten at Passover, which suggests earliest origins could have been where
Jewish communities connected with English speakers, eg., New York or London (thanks G Kahl). Popularity is
supported (and probably confused also) with 'lingua franca' medza/madza and the many variations around
these, which probably originated from a different source, namely the Italian mezzo, meaning half (as in madza
poona = half sovereign).
ned = a guinea. A slang word used in Britain and chiefly London from around 1750-1850. Ned was seemingly
not pluralised when referring to a number of guineas, eg., 'It'll cost you ten ned..' A half-ned was half a guinea.
The slang ned appears in at least one of Bruce Alexander's Blind Justice series of books (thanks P Bostock for
raising this) set in London's Covent Garden area and a period of George III's reign from around 1760 onwards. It
is conceivable that the use also later transferred for a while to a soverign and a pound, being similar currency
units, although I'm not aware of specific evidence of this. The ned slang word certainly transferred to America,
around 1850, and apparently was used up to the 1920s. In the US a ned was a ten dollar gold coin, and a half-
ned was a five dollar coin. Precise origin of the word ned is uncertain although it is connected indirectly (by
Chambers and Cassells for example) with a straightforward rhyming slang for the word head (conventional
ockney rhyming slang is slightly more complex than this), which seems plausible given that the monarch's head
appeared on guinea coins. Ned was traditionally used as a generic name for a man around these times, as
evidenced by its meaning extending to a thuggish man or youth, or a petty criminal (US), and also a reference
(mainly in the US) to the devil, (old Ned, raising merry Ned, etc). These, and the rhyming head connection, are
not factual origins of how ned became a slang money term; they are merely suggestions of possible usage origin
and/or reinforcement.
-561-
net gen = ten shillings (10/-), backslang, see gen net.
nevis/neves = seven pounds (£7), 20th century backslang, and earlier, 1800s (usually as 'nevis gens') seven
shillings (7/-).
nicker = a pound (£1). Not pluralised for a number of pounds, eg., 'It cost me twenty nicker..' From the early
1900s, London slang, precise origin unknown. Possibly connected to the use of nickel in the minting of coins,
and to the American slang use of nickel to mean a $5 dollar note, which at the late 1800s was valued not far
from a pound. In the US a nickel is more commonly a five cent coin. A nicker bit is a one pound coin, and
London cockney rhyming slang uses the expression 'nicker bits' to describe a case of diarrhoea.
nugget/nuggets = a pound coin (£1) or money generally. The older nuggets meaning of money obviously
alludes to gold nuggets and appeared first in the 1800s. Much more recently (thanks G Hudson) logically since
the pound coin was introduced in the UK in the 1990s with the pound note's withdrawal, nugget seems to have
appeared as a specific term for a pound coin, presumably because the pound coin is golden (actually more
brassy than gold) and 'nuggety' in feel.
oner = (pronounced 'wunner'), commonly now meaning one hundred pounds; sometimes one thousand pounds,
depending on context. In the 1800s a oner was normally a shilling, and in the early 1900s a oner was one
pound.
oncer = (pronounced 'wunser'), a pound , and a simple variation of 'oner'. From the early 1900s, and like many
of these slang words popular among Londoners (ack K Collard) from whom such terms spread notably via City
traders and also the armed forces during the 2nd World War.
oxford = five shillings (5/-), also called a crown, from cockney rhyming slang oxford scholar = dollar, dollar being
slang for a crown.
pair of nickers/pair of knickers/pair o'nickers = two pounds (£2), an irresistible pun.
plum = One hundred thousand pounds (£100,000). As referenced by Brewer in 1870. Seemingly no longer
used. Origin unknown, although I received an interesting suggestion (thanks Giles Simmons, March 2007) of a
possible connection with Jack Horner's plum in the nursery rhyme. The Jack Horner nursery rhyme is seemingly
based on the story of Jack Horner, a steward to the Bishop of Glastonbury at the time of the dissolution of the
monasteries (16th century), who was sent to Henry VIII with a bribe consisting of the deeds to twelve important
properties in the area. Horner, so the story goes, believing the bribe to be a waste of time, kept for himself the
best (the 'plum') of these properties, Mells Manor (near Mells, Frome, Somerset), in which apparently Horner's
descendents still lived until quite recently. The Bishop was not so fortunate - he was hung drawn and quartered
for remaining loyal to the Pope.
-562-
pony = twenty-five pounds (£25). From the late 18th century according to most sources, London slang, but the
precise origin is not known. Also expressed in cockney rhying slang as 'macaroni'. It is suggested by some that
the pony slang for £25 derives from the typical price paid for a small horse, but in those times £25 would have
been an unusually high price for a pony. Others have suggested that an Indian twenty-five rupee banknote
featured a pony. Another suggestion (Ack P Bessell) is that pony might derive from the Latin words 'legem pone',
which (according to the etymology source emtymonline.com) means, "........ 'payment of money, cash down,'
[which interpretation apparently first appeared in] 1573, from first two words [and also the subtitle] of the fifth
division of Psalm cxix [Psalm 119, verses 33 to 48, from the Bible's Old Testament], which begins the psalms at
Matins on the 25th of the month; consequently associated with March 25, a quarter day in the old financial
calendar, when payments and debts came due...." The words 'Legem pone' do not translate literally into
monetary meaning, in the Psalm they words actully seem to equate to 'Teach me..' which is the corresponding
phrase in the King James edition of the Bible. Other suggestions connecting the word pony with money include
the Old German word 'poniren' meaning to pay, and a strange expression from the early 1800s, "There's no
touching her, even for a poney [sic]," which apparently referred to a widow, Mrs Robinson, both of which appear
in a collection of 'answers to correspondents' sent by readers and published by the Daily Mail in the 1990s.
poppy = money. Cockney rhyming slang, from 'poppy red' = bread, in turn from 'bread and honey' = money.
quarter = five shillings (5/-) from the 1800s, meaning a quarter of a pound. More recently (1900s) the slang 'a
quarter' has transfered to twenty-five pounds.
quid = one pound (£1) or a number of pounds sterling. Plural uses singular form, eg., 'Fifteen quid is all I want
for it..', or 'I won five hundred quid on the horses yesterday..'. The slang money expression 'quid' seems first to
have appeared in late 1600s England, derived from Latin (quid meaning 'what', as in 'quid pro quo' - 'something
for something else'). Other intriguing possible origins/influences include a suggested connection with the highly
secretive Quidhampton banknote paper-mill, and the term quid as applied (ack D Murray) to chewing tobacco,
which are explained in more detail under quid in the cliches, words and slang page.
readies = money, usually banknotes. Simply derived from the expression 'ready cash'.
saucepan = a pound, late 1800s, cockney rhyming slang: saucepan lid = quid.
score = twenty pounds (£20). From the 1900s, simply from the word 'score' meaning twenty, derived apparently
from the ancient practice of counting sheep in lots of twenty, and keeping tally by cutting ('scoring') notches into
a stick.
-563-
shekels/sheckles = money. Not always, but often refers to money in coins, and can also refer to riches or
wealth. From the Hebrew word and Israeli monetary unit 'shekel' derived in Hebrew from the silver coin 'sekel' in
turn from the word for weight 'sakal'.
seymour = salary of £100,000 a year - media industry slang - named after Geoff Seymour (1947-2009) the
advertising copywriter said to have been the first in his profession to command such a wage. Seymour created
the classic 1973 Hovis TV advert featuring the baker's boy delivering bread from a bike on an old cobbled hill in
a North England town, to the theme of Dvorak's New World symphony played by a brass band. The actual
setting was in fact Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset. Incidentally the Hovis bakery was founded in 1886 and the
Hovis name derives from Latin, Hominis Vis, meaning 'strength of man'. The 1973 advert's artistic director was
Ridley Scott.
shilling = a silver or silver coloured coin worth twelve pre-decimalisation pennies (12d). From Old High German
'skilling'. Similar words for coins and meanings are found all over Europe. The original derivation was either from
Proto-Germanic 'skell' meaning to sound or ring, or Indo-European 'skell' split or divide. Some think the root
might be from Proto-Germanic 'skeld', meaning shield.
shrapnel = loose change, especially a heavy and inconvenient pocketful, as when someone repays a small loan
in lots of coins. The expression came into use with this meaning when wartime sensitivities subsided around
1960-70s. Shrapnel conventionally means artillery shell fragments, so called from the 2nd World War, after the
inventor of the original shrapnel shell, Henry Shrapnel, who devised a shell filled with pellets and explosive
powder c.1806.
sick squid = six pounds (£6), from the late 20th century joke - see squid.
silver = silver coloured coins, typically a handful or piggy-bankful of different ones - i.e., a mixture of 5p, 10p,
20p and 50p. Commonly used in speech as 'some silver' or 'any silver', for example: "Have you got any silver for
the car-park?" or What tip shall we leave?" ... "Some silver will do." In fact 'silver' coins are now made of cupro-
nickel 75% copper, 25% nickel (the 20p being 84% and 16% for some reason). The slang term 'silver' in relation
to monetary value has changed through time, since silver coins used to be far more valuable. In fact arguably
the modern term 'silver' equates in value to 'coppers' of a couple of generations ago. Silver featured strongly in
the earliest history of British money, so it's pleasing that the word still occurs in modern money slang.
Interestingly also, pre-decimal coins (e.g., shillings, florins, sixpences) were minted in virtually solid silver up until
1920, when they were reduced to a still impressive 50% silver content. The modern 75% copper 25% nickel
composition was introduced in 1947. Changes in coin composition necessarily have to stay ahead of economic
attractions offered by the scrap metal trade. It is therefore only a matter of time before modern 'silver' copper-
based coins have to be made of less valuable metals, upon which provided they remain silver coloured I expect
only the scrap metal dealers will notice the difference.
-564-
simon = sixpence (6d). The sixpenny piece used to be known long ago as a 'simon', possibly (ack L Bamford)
through reference to the 17th century engraver at the Royal Mint, Thomas Simon. There has been speculation
among etymologists that 'simon' meaning sixpence derives from an old play on words which represented biblical
text that St Peter "...lodged with Simon a tanner.." as a description of a banking transaction, although Partridge's
esteemed dictionary refutes this, at the same time conceding that the slang 'tanner' for sixpence might have
developed or been reinforced by the old joke. See 'tanner' below.
sir isaac = one pound (£1) - used in Hampshire (Southern England) apparently originating from the time when
the one pound note carried a picture of Sir Isaac Newton. (Thanks M Ty-Wharton).
sky/sky diver = five pounds (£5), 20th century cockney rhyming slang.
smackers/smackeroos = pounds (or dollars) - in recent times not usually used in referring to a single £1 or a
low amount, instead usually a hundred or several hundreds, but probably not several thousands, when grand
would be preferred. Smackers (1920s) and smackeroos (1940s) are probably US extensions of the earlier
English slang smack/smacks (1800s) meaning a pound note/notes, which Cassells slang dictionary suggests
might be derived from the notion of smacking notes down onto a table.
sobs = pounds. Mispronunciation of sovs, short for sovereigns. An example of erroneous language becoming
real actual language through common use. (Thanks to R Maguire for raising this one.)
sovs = pounds. Short for sovereigns - very old gold and the original one pound coins. For example 'Lend us
twenty sovs..' Sov is not generally used in the singular for one pound. Mispronounced by some as 'sobs'.
spondulicks/spondoolicks = money. Pronunciation emphasises the long 'doo' sound. Various other spellings,
e.g., spondulacks, spondulics. Normally refers to notes and a reasonable amount of spending money. The
spondulicks slang can be traced back to the mid-1800s in England (source: Cassells), but is almost certainly
much older. Spondoolicks is possibly from Greek, according to Cassells - from spondulox, a type of shell used
for early money. Cassells also suggests possible connection with 'spondylo-' referring to spine or vertebrae,
based on the similarity between a stack of coins and a spine, which is referenced in etymologist Michael
Quinion's corespondence with a Doug Wilson, which cites the reference to piled coins (and thereby perhaps the
link to sponylo/spine) thus: "Spondulics - coin piled for counting..." from the 1867 book A Manual of the Art of
Prose Composition: For the Use of Colleges and Schools, by John Mitchell Bonnell. (Thanks R Maguire for
prompting more detail for this one.)
sprazi/sprazzy = sixpence (6d). A variation of sprat, see below.
sprat/spratt = sixpence (6d). From the 1800s, by association with the small fish.
-565-
squid = a pound (£1). Not normally pluralised, still expressed as 'squid', not squids, e.g., 'Fifty squid'. The most
likely origin of this slang expression is from the joke (circa 1960-70s) about a shark who meets his friend the
whale one day, and says, "I'm glad I bumped into you - here's that sick squid I owe you.."
stiver/stuiver/stuyver = an old penny (1d). Stiver also earlier referred to any low value coin. Stiver was used in
English slang from the mid 1700s through to the 1900s, and was derived from the Dutch Stiver coin issued by
the East India Company in the Cape (of South Africa), which was the lowest East India Co monetary unit. There
were twenty Stivers to the East India Co florin or gulden, which was then equal to just over an English old penny
(1d). (source Cassells)
strike = a sovereign (early 1700s) and later, a pound, based on the coin minting process which is called 'striking'
a coin, so called because of the stamping process used in making coins.
tanner = sixpence (6d). The slang word 'tanner' meaning sixpence dates from the early 1800s and is derived
most probably from Romany gypsy 'tawno' meaning small one, and Italian 'danaro' meaning small change. The
'tanner' slang was later reinforced (Ack L Bamford) via jocular reference to a biblical extract about St Peter
lodging with Simon, a tanner (of hides). The biblical text (from Acts chapter 10 verse 6) is: "He (Peter) lodgeth
with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side..", which was construed by jokers as banking
transaction instead of a reference to overnight accommodation. Nick Ratnieks suggests the tanner was named
after a Master of the Mint of that name. A further suggestion (ack S Kopec) refers to sixpence being connected
with pricing in the leather trade. An obscure point of nostalgic trivia about the tanner is apparently (thanks J
Veitch) a rhyme, from around the mid-1900s, sung to the tune of Rule Britannia: "Rule Brittania, two tanners
make a bob, three make eighteen pence and four two bob…" My limited research suggests this rhyme was not
from London.
tenner - ten pounds (£10).
ten bob bit = fifty pence piece (50p). A rare example of money slang from more recent times, even though it
draws from the pre-decimal slang, since the term refers to ten shillings (equivalent to 50p) and alludes to the
angular shape of the old theepenny bit.
thick'un/thick one = a crown (5/-) or a sovereign, from the mid 1800s.

-566-
three ha'pence/three haypence = 1½d (one and a half old pennies) - this lovely expression (thanks Dean) did
not survive decimalisation, despite there being new decimal half-pence coins. In fact the term was obsolete
before 1971 decimalisation when the old ha'penny (½d) was removed from the currency in 1969.
tickey/ticky/tickie/tiki/tikki/tikkie = ticky or tickey was an old pre-decimal British silver threepenny piece (3d,
equating loosely to 1¼p). The tickey slang was in use in 1950s UK (in Birmingham for example, thanks M
Bramich), although the slang is more popular in South Africa, from which the British usage seems derived. In
South Africa the various spellings refer to a SA threepenny piece, and now the equivalent SA post-
decimalisation 2½ cents coin. South African tickey and variations - also meaning 'small' - are first recorded in the
19th century from uncertain roots (according to Partridge and Cassells) - take your pick: African distorted
interpretation of 'ticket' or 'threepenny'; from Romany tikeno and tikno (meaning small); from Dutch stukje
(meaning a little bit); from Hindustani taka (a stamped silver coin); and/or from early Portuguese 'pataca' and
French 'patac' (meaning what?.. Partridge doesn't say).
tom/tom mix = six pounds (£6), 20th century cockney rhyming slang, (Tom Mix = six). Tom Mix was a famous
cowboy film star from 1910-1940. Tom Mix initially meant the number six (and also fix, as in difficult situation or
state of affairs), and extended later in the 1900s to mean six pounds.
ton = commonly one hundred pounds (£100). Not generally pluralised. From the fact that a ton is a
measurement of 100 cubic feet of capacity (for storage, loading, etc). In the same way a ton is also slang for 100
runs in cricket, or a speed of 100 miles per hour. Logically 'half a ton' is slang for £50.
tony benn - ten pounds (£10), or a ten pound note - cockney rhyming slang derived from the Labour MP and
government minister Anthony Wedgwood Benn, popularly known as Tony Benn. Tony Benn (born 1925) served
in the Wilson and Callaghan governments of the 1960s and 70s, and as an MP from 1950-2001, after which he
remains (at time of writing this, Feb 2008) a hugely significant figure in socialist ideals and politics, and a very
wise and impressive man.
tosheroon/tusheroon/tosh/tush/tusseroon = half-a-crown (2/6) from the mid-1900s, and rarely also slang for
a crown (5/-), most likely based in some way on madza caroon ('lingua franca' from mezzo crown), perhaps
because of the rhyming, or some lost cockney rhyming rationale.
tray/trey = three pounds, and earlier threpence (thruppeny bit, 3d), ultimately from the Latin tres meaning three,
and especially from the use of tray and trey for the number three in cards and dice games.
two and a kick = half a crown (2/6), from the early 1700s, based on the basic (not cockney) rhyming with 'two
and six'.
-567-
wad = money. Usually meaning a large amount of spending money held by a person when out enjoying
themselves. London slang from the 1980s, derived simply from the allusion to a thick wad of banknotes.
Popularity of this slang word was increased by comedian Harry Enfield.
wedge = nowadays 'a wedge' a pay-packet amount of money, although the expression is apparently from a very
long time ago when coins were actually cut into wedge-shaped pieces to create smaller money units.
wonga = money. Less common variations on the same theme: wamba, wanga, or womba. Modern London
slang. Probably from Romany gypsy 'wanga' meaning coal. The large Australian 'wonga' pigeon is almost
certainly unrelated...
yennep/yenep/yennap/yennop = a penny (1d particularly, although also means a decimal penny, 1p). Yennep
is backslang. Backslang evolved for similar reasons as cockney rhyming slang, i.e., to enable private or secret
conversation among a particular community, which in the case of backslang is generally thought initially to have
been street and market traders, notably butchers and greengrocers. Backslang essentially entails reversing the
sound of the word, not the strict spelling, as you can see from the yennep example. Yennep backslang seems
first to have appeared along with the general use of backslang in certain communities in the 1800s.
yennaps/yennups = money. Originated in the 1800s from the backslang for penny. See yennep.
Reprinted with permission from Business Balls.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/slang/moneyslang.html#sthash.9hxpnMKt.dpuf

-568-

Money
with money. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday conversation.
At least one irregular verb in bold is shown in all its forms.
Verbs

The Meaning
To get or receive something from someone (often money) I borrowed your bike
To borrow Regular
with the intention of giving it back after a period of time. last week?
To buy I bought a lot of wine for
To obtain something by paying money for it. Irregular
the party.
He earnt a decent wage
To earn To receive money as payment for work that you do. Irregular
before he retired.
To give something to someone for a short period of time,
To lend She lent me her book. Irregular
expecting it to be given back.
To pay To give money to someone for something you want to buy
I wasn't paid enough. Irregular
or for services provided.
To keep something, especially money, for use in the
To save I saved for my pension. Regular
future.
To spend I spent all my savings
To give money as a payment for something: Irregular
on this web site.
-569-
Phrasal Verbs
The Phrasal Verb The Meaning
The company thought they had
To pay someone so that they do not
To buy sb off bought him off but he took them to S
cause you any trouble.
court and won.
To buy a part of a company or building
They bought their competitor's share
To buy sb out from someone else so that you own all S
in the target company.
of it.
To buy large amounts of something, or He bought up all the land in the
To buy sth up S
all that is available. surrounding area.
To get money or another advantage
A lot of people are trying to cash in on
To cash in on sth from an event or situation, often in an I
the situation.
unfair way.
To count all the money taken by a
She cashed up when the shop
To cash up shop or business at the end of each S
closed.
day.
We paid off our mortgage after 25
To pay sth off To pay back money that you owe. S
years.
To spend money on something, or to I paid out £500 to get the computer
To pay (sth) out S
pay money to someone. fixed.
To give someone the money that you
If he doesn't pay up, I'll throw him out.
To pay up owe them, especially when you do not S
It's as simple as that.
want to.
To avoid using something [e.g.
To He used to go to bed very early to
electricity, food] so that you do not S
save (sth) on sth save on his electricity bills.
have to pay for it
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/moneyverbs.html#sthash.66YQK0bI.dpuf

-570-
Irregular Verb - To buy
buy / bought / bought / buying
Tenses for the Verb - To Buy
The Past
Past Continuous - "He was buying her a bouquet when he saw her across the road."
Past Simple - "He bought her a dozen roses for their first date."
Past Perfect Simple - "By their first anniversary he had bought her 152 bunches of flowers."
Past Perfect Continuous - "By the time it was their first anniversary he had been buying her flowers every month."
The Present
Present Continuous - "He is buying her another bunch of flowers."
Present Simple - "He buys her a bunch of flowers every week."
Present Perfect Simple - "He has already bought her 3 bouquets this month."
Present Perfect Continuous - "He has been buying her flowers since he first met her.
-571-
The Future
Future Continuous - "He's buying her flowers again tomorrow."
Future Simple - "He will buy her a dozen red roses for their anniversary in April."
Future Perfect Simple - "By their anniversary he will have already bought her 104 bouquets."
Future Perfect Continuous - "On their anniversary in April he will have been buying flowers for her for every week
for 2 years."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/buytense.html#sthash.44KuptIz.dpuf

-572-
British Money
Money, money, money

Pound sterling, strictly speaking refers to basic currency unit of sterling, now the pound , which is the currency of
the United Kingdom (UK).
The sign for the pound is £ (or rarely just "L"). Both symbols derive from libra , the Latin word for " pound ". The
standard ISO 4217 currency code is GBP = Great Britain Pound.
The pound sterling is one of the worlds most widely traded currencies along with the United States dollar, the
Japanese yen and the euro.
In the UK, in order to distinguish the unit of currency from the unit of weight, and perhaps from other units of
currency that have the same name, a pound is sometimes referred to more formally as a pound sterling or
sometimes simply sterling . The slang term quid is also substituted in informal conversation for "pound(s)
sterling". The sterling was originally a name for a silver penny of 1/240 pound. In modern times the pound has
replaced the penny as the basic unit of currency as inflation has steadily eroded the value of the currency.
Originally a silver penny had the purchasing power of slightly less than a modern pound.
-573-
History of British Money

As a unit of currency, the term pound originates from the value of a troy pound of high purity silver known as
sterling silver . An Act in 1266 set the weight of the silver penny, so one pound of sterling silver would yield 240
silver pennies. However, although the Pound was subsequently used in accounting (to complement and
eventually replace the Mark, valued at 160 silver pennies), no pound coin was issued until 1489.
The penny was originally one '"pennyweight"' of silver. A pennyweight is a unit of mass which is the same as
1.555 grams, or 1⁄240 of a troy pound. So, a penny was literally, as well as monetarily, 1⁄240 of a troy pound of
sterling silver.
Sterling (with a basic currency unit of the Tealby penny , rather than the pound) was introduced as the English
currency by King Henry II in 1158 , though the name sterling wasn't acquired until later.
Pound sterling was established in 1560 – 61 by Elizabeth I and her advisors, foremost among them Sir Thomas
Gresham , brought order to the financial chaos of Tudor England that had been occasioned by the "Great
Debasement" of the coinage, which brought on a debilitating inflation during the years 1543 – 51 . By 1551,
according to Fernand Braudel (Braudel 1984, pp 356ff), the silver content of a penny had dropped to one part in
three. The coinage had become mere fiduciary currency (as modern coins are), and the exchange rate in
Antwerp where English cloth was marketed to Europe, had deteriorated. All the coin in circulation was called in
for reminting at the higher standard, and paid for at discounted rates.
Pound sterling maintained its intrinsic value — "a fetish in public opinion" Braudel called it — uniquely among
European currencies, even after the United Kingdom officially adopted the gold standard, until after World War I,
weathering financial crises in 1621 , in 1694 – 96 , when John Locke pamphleteered for the pound sterling as
"an invariable fundamental unit" and again in 1774 and 1797 . Not even the violent disorders of the Civil War
devalued the pound sterling in European money markets. Braudel attributes to the fixed currency, which was
never devalued over the centuries, England's easy credit, security of contracts and rise to financial superiority
during the 18th century . The pound sterling has been the money of account of the Bank of England from its
inception in 1694 .
The Guinea was a coin until 1797, it was the first British machine-struck gold coin, and was originally worth one
pound. However, the name continued in use to reflect a sum of 21/- (one pound and a shilling) well into the 20th
century. In fact the term guinea survives in some circles, notably horse racing, to mean an amount of one pound
and five pence in decimalised currency.
-574-
By 1945, the money in circulation was as follows. The most commonly used nicknames are given in brackets.
Farthing = copper coin value 1/4 penny

Ha'penny = copper coin value 1/2 penny
Penny = copper coin, one of the basic units = 1d
Thrupenny bit = brass coloured twelve sided coin value three pennies = 3d (thrupence)
Sixpence (tanner) = silver coin value six pennies = 6d
Shilling (bob) = silver coin second basic unit, value 12 pennies =1/-
Florin (two bob) = silver coin value two shillings = 2/-
Half-crown (half a dollar) = silver coin value two shillings and six pence = 2/6d
Ten shillings (ten bob) = banknote value 10 shillings = 10/-
Pound (quid) = third basic unit, banknote value 20 shillings or 240 pennies = £1
Five pounds (fiver) = banknote value five pounds = £5
'Copper' and 'silver' coins were, by this time, made from alloys and were named for their colour, rather than the
actual metal used. There were 20 shillings to the pound and 12 pence to the shilling.
Farthings were not produced after 1956 and were withdrawn in 1960, because of inflation. In preparation for
decimalisation, the ha'penny was withdrawn in 1969, with the half-crown being withdrawn the year after. From
1968, 5p and 10p coins, identical in size, weight and value to the shilling and florin respectively, were introduced.
The symbol, £, for the pound is derived from the first letter of the Latin word for pound, the librum.
The old abbreviation for the penny, d, was derived from the Roman denarius.
The old abbreviation for the shilling, s, was derived from the Roman solidus.
Decimalisation
Prior to decimalisation in 1971, each pound was divided into 240 pence — although it was usually expressed as
being divided into twenty shillings , with each shilling equal to twelve pence. The symbol for the shilling was "/" or
"s" — not from the first letter of the word, but rather from the Latin word solidus . The symbol for the penny was
"d", from the Latin word denarius . (The solidus and denarius were Roman coins.)
After Decimal Day, the value of one penny was therefore different from its pre-decimalisation value. For the first
few years after 1971, the new type of penny was commonly referred to as a "new penny". Coins for
denominations of ½p, 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p and 50p all bore the name NEW PENCE until 1982, when the inscription
changed to ONE PENNY, TWO PENCE, FIVE PENCE and so on.
-575-
Denominations
One pound is divided into 100 pence, the singular of which is "penny". The symbol for the penny is "p"; hence
coins are often pronounced "pee" rather than "penny" or "pence".
Coins come in the following denominations: One pence (a penny) or (one pee)· Two pence (two pee) · Five
pence (five pee) · Ten pence (ten pee) · Twenty pence (twenty pee) · Fifty pence (fifty pee) · One pound (a quid)
· Two pounds (two quid)
Notes come in the following denominations: £5 note . £10 note . £20 note . £50 note.
Scotland even has a £100 note.
There are no Welsh banknotes in circulation.
Interesting Facts About Money
Slang for British Money

Some pre-decimalisation coins or denominations became commonly known by slang terms, perhaps the most
well known being bob for a shilling, and quid for a pound. A farthing was a mag, a silver threepence was a joey
and the later aluminium-bronze threepence was called a threepenny bit (pronounced threp'ny bit), a sixpence
was a tanner , the two-shilling coin or florin was a two-bob bit, and the two shillings and sixpence coin or half-
crown was a half dollar.
Common Slang
Amount
Terms
tanner sixpence - pre decimalisation
bob a shilling - pre decimalisation
Oxford 5 shillings or a crown [cockney rhyming slang = Oxford Scholar]
nicker or quid £1
lady £5 (fiver). [cockney rhyming slang = Lady Godiva]
tenner £10 [Also known as a Paul McKenna (famous hypnotist). Thanks to Richard Hall]
score £20 [cockney rhyming slang = apple core ]
pony £25
ton £100
monkey £500
grand £1000
folding stuff In general, all paper money
(more slang terms for money here)

-576-
Quid remains as popular slang for one or more pounds to this day in Britain in the form "a quid" and then "two
quid" etc. The slang name of some pre-decimal coins are still in but with changed usage.
Maundy money
There are Maundy coins in denominations of one, two, three and four pence. They bear dates from 1822 to the
present and are minted in very small quantities. Though they are legal tender in the UK, they are never
encountered in circulation. The pre-decimal Maundy pieces have the same legal tender status and value as
post-decimal ones, and were effectively increased in face value by 140% upon decimalization. Their numismatic
value is, of course, much greater. You can read more about Maundy money here.
The euro
As a member of the European Union, the United Kingdom has the option of adopting the euro as its currency.
However, the subject remains politically controversial, not least since the United Kingdom was forced to
withdraw from its precursor, the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (see above). The pound did not join the
Second European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II) after the euro was created.
Unique to Denmark and the UK is an opt-out from entry to the euro. Technically, every other EU nation must
eventually sign up; however, this can be delayed indefinitely (as in the case of Sweden) by refusing to join ERM
II.
Strangely, you can use the euro in some of the larger shops, especially in London, for example Marks and
Spencers have dual pricing, but you get your change in Sterling.
Symbols
The Britannia image was on British coins for centuries. Britannia is the Boadicea-like female warrior that is a
traditional emblem for Britain and the British Empire, and is symbolic of British democracy, patriotism and liberty.
Her image first appeared on the copper farthing back in 1672.
Over time designs on some coins changed. Many coins in circulation show the following symbols:-
A penny pictured the portcullis of Westminster Palace.
The two pence coin pictured the Prince of Wales feathers.
The five pence coin pictured the thistle (a Scottish symbol).

-577-
The ten pence coin pictured a lion, which is wearing the crown of the Monarch.
The twenty pence coin pictured the Tudor Rose. The rose is the national flower of England.
The fifty pence coin could have many different designs, as quite often commemorative coins were produced.
The current coin in circulation shows part of the royal shield.
Pound coins showed symbols depicting things like a leek, of all things, for Wales, a thistle for Scotland, an oak
tree for England.
Nowadays British coins, apart from the two pound coin, picture parts of the Royal Coat of Arms, if you put them
all together it shows the complete picture as represented on the one pound coin.
The two pound coin bears a concentric design symbolically representing technological development from the
Iron Age, through the Industrial Revolution and the Electronic Age to the Internet,
Interesting Links
Bank of England - The powers that be. They set the UK's interest rates to keep inflation low, issues banknotes
and work to maintain a stable financial system.
The treasury - The United Kingdom's economics and finance ministry.
Money Matters - You can discuss finance here.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/britishmoney.html#sthash.dRAbB5eZ.dpuf

-578-
British Politics and Election Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary
Things you might see around election time
ballot paper(s)
leaflet(s) / pamphlet(s)
party political broadcast
politician(s)
poll card(s)
-579-
poster(s)
postal vote(s)
vote(s)
voting booth(s)
Main Political Parties in the UK - from left to right. Their Colours and Logos
Labour - Red - Rose Liberal Democrats - Gold - Bird Conservatives - Blue - Tree
Words you might see or hear during an election
A way of voting in which your vote represents other members of

block vote
your organization, especially at trade union meetings.
A special election, held between regular elections, when an area
by-election
votes. A by-election can be 'called' if an existing M.P. dies or retires.
In an election a campaign is a political campaign is an organized
campaign (n) effort which seeks to win the vote of the electorate. Often called a
'political campaign' or an 'election campaign'.
The things a candidate does to be elected. (KIssing babies, shaking
campaign (v)
hands, giving speeches to the WI etc.)
candidate (n) The person who is running in an election.
If there's no outright winner in an election a government can be
Coalit
formed in which several parties cooperate.
ion (n)
-580-
A citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom

constituent (n)
he or she votes.
Each of the electoral areas or divisions in the UK which elect one or
constituency (n)
more members to parliament.
debate (n) A formal discussion of the merits of something.
debate (v) To argue for and against something.
The sum of money that a candidate must pay in return for the right
deposit (n)
to stand in British parliamentary elections.
The termination of the current parliament, which has to take place
dissolution (n)
before a general election.
Once the dissolution of parliament has been announced, we say it
dissolved (v)
has been dissolved.
elect (v) The act of voting to select the winner of a political office.
The formal decision-making process by which a population chooses
election (n)
an individual to hold public office.
electorate (n) The people who are eligible to vote in an election.
general election An election held for a nation's primary legislative body.
gerrymander To redraw electoral district boundaries for political advantage.
The political body with the power to make and/or enforce laws for a
government
country,
House of Commons The lower house of the British parliament.
House of Lords The upper house of the British parliament.
independent A candidate who is not controlled by a political party.
The person who runs a political party. (Margaret Thatcher was the
leader
leader of the Conservatives).
County, unitary authority, borough, district, city, town or parish
local election
elections.
MP Abbreviation of Member of Parliament.
The person who represents their constituency in the House of
Member of Parliament
Commons.
The major political party opposed to the party in office and
opposition
prepared to replace it if elected.
party An organization formed to gain political power.
A deliberate act of government that in some way alters or
policy
influences the society or economy outside the government.
political Related to politics.
politician A person active in politics.
politics The process by which governments make decisions.
PM Abbreviation of Prime Minister.
prime minister The person who holds the position of head of the government.
proxy vote The delegation of someone to vote on someone else's behalf.
The art of using language as a means to persuade someone to your
rhetoric
way of thinking.
run To campaign to stand for a political position.
spin To present the facts in such a way as to sway public opinion.
spin doctor
A vote that blocks a decision.
veto
-581-
Build Up - Different forms of government / political power
Autocracy
A system of government in which supreme political power to direct all the activities of the state is concentrated in
the hands of one person, whose decisions are subject to neither external legal restraints nor regularized
mechanisms of popular control (except perhaps for the implicit threat of coup d'etat or mass insurrection).
Aristocracy
A privileged social class whose members possess disproportionately large shares of a society's wealth, social
prestige, educational attainment and political influence, with these advantages having been acquired principally
through gift or inheritance from a long line of similarly privileged and cultivated ancestors. The term refers also to
a form of government in which the state is effectively controlled by the members of such a class. The term tends
to have a somewhat unsavory or derogatory connotation today in the light of democratic theories, but in classical
political philosophy it meant rule by “the best people” of the society, who were expected to feel a paternalistic
concern for the humbler members of the society that would keep them from ruling in a purely self-seeking
fashion.
Communism
Severe government interference in economics. Centralized planning by the government, ONE PARTY rule, and
stresses that there should be only one class of people.
Democracy
A system of government in which effective political power is vested in the people. In older usage (for example, in
the writings of the classical Greek and Roman philosophers or in the Federalist Papers), the term was reserved
exclusively for governmental systems in which the populace exercised this power directly through general
assemblies or referenda to decide the most important questions of law or policy. In more contemporary usage,
the term has been broadened to include also what the American Founding Fathers called a republic -- a
governmental system in which the power of the people is normally exercised only indirectly, through freely
elected representatives who are supposed to make government decisions according to the popular will, or at
least according to the supposed values and interests of the population.
-582-
Dictatorship
Government by a single person (or group) whose discretion in using the powers and resources of the state is
unrestrained by any fixed legal or constitutional rules and who is (are) in no effective way held responsible to the
general population or their elected representatives.
Generic term used to describe any government controlled by a single individual and giving the people little or no
individual freedom. Typically a person who rules by threat of force. People who are loyal to a dictatorship swear
allegiance to the person first and the country second. Fascism, Theocracies, Monarchies and Communism can
all be dictatorships. A Republic cannot be a dictatorship.
Fascism
A class of political ideologies (and historical political regimes) that takes its name from the movement led by
Benito Mussolini that took power in Italy in 1922. Mussolini's ideas and practices directly and indirectly
influenced political movements in Germany (especially the Nazi Party), Spain (Franco's Falange Party), France,
Argentina, and many other European and non-European countries right up to the present day.
Marxism
The theory of government based on the ideals of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels in the book The Communist
Manifesto written in the 1800's. Marxism advocates the "workers" (Proletariats and petite-bourgeoisie) rise up
and overthrow businesses and government and take control themselves. Marxism advocates a classless society
in which everything is shared and owned by all. In its true form it follows the mandates of a Direct Democracy in
which the mob or general population rules and allocates resources based upon the will of the majority with equal
consideration given to all without exclusions or privileges to any.
Monarchy
A government that has a single person who is generally considered the ruler by the title and birthright. Titles
include: Czar, King, Queen, Emperor, Caesar, etc... Power is absolute and is either taken through conquest or
passed down to family members without regard for ability or appropriateness. Society is formed around feudal
groups or tribes in which the ruling family delegates power and authority based upon the desires of a single
individual. Power struggles are common. A monarchy is based upon a class system where those of a certain
birthright are perceived to be of superior intellect and strength to those not of the same family line. The
resources and wealth of a country is generally preserved solely for the hedonistic and self-fulfilling desires of the
reigning monarch with little regard for the general population or its welfare. The inhabitants of a country under a
monarch are alive to serve the monarch. In contrast the inhabitants of a republic are served by the their leaders.
-583-
Oligarchy
Any system of government in which virtually all political power is held by a very small number of wealthy but
otherwise unmeritorious people who shape public policy primarily to benefit themselves financially through direct
subsidies to their agricultural estates or business firms, lucrative government contracts, and protectionist
measures aimed at damaging their economic competitors — while displaying little or no concern for the broader
interests of the rest of the citizenry. “Oligarchy” is also used as a collective term to denote all the individual
members of the small corrupt ruling group in such a system. The term always has a negative or derogatory
connotation in both contemporary and classical usage, in contrast to aristocracy (which sometimes has a
derogatory connotation in modern usage, but never in classical).
Republic
Originally, any form of government not headed by an hereditary monarch. In modern American usage, the term
usually refers more specifically to a form of government (a.k.a. “representative democracy”) in which ultimate
political power is theoretically vested in the people but in which popular control is exercised only intermittently
and indirectly through the popular election of government officials and/or delegates to a legislative assembly
rather than directly through frequent mass assemblies or legislation by referendum.
Socialism
Limited government interference in business activity, (as opposed to communism) but more than in capitalism.
Certain areas of an individual's life are controlled and representation tends to be parliamentary in nature. In other
words, people vote for a particular party and the party elects the leaders of the country. The notable difference
here is that there is more than one party.
Theocracy
A government which claims to be immediately directed by God, and divinely blessed. The country tends to be
intolerant either passively or overtly to faiths other than that recognized by the state. The country identifies itself
and its laws within religion and religious doctrine. There is no legal separation between church and state, and
citizens of other faiths are often excluded or hampered from participation or expelled. Because a theocracy is
exclusionary, it can never be a democracy which requires inclusion without exception of all equally. It cannot be
a republic because a republic requires the separation of church and state and equal rights to all.
-584-
Naturally Speaking
Voting
 I'd like to register to vote.
 I'm on the electoral registry.
 I haven't had my poll card, yet.
 Where is the polling station?
 Have you voted, yet?
 Are you going to vote?
 Which party are you voting for?*
 Who are you going to vote for?*
 Who got the most votes?
*Be careful about asking this. For many people in the

UK, voting is a personal matter.
Watch and listen to this walk-through on how to vote
in the UK.
Dialogue
Mr and Mrs Smith are discussing the elections.
Election - Conversation
Mrs Smith: Are you coming to vote? The polling station will be closing in an hour.
Mr Smith : It's raining!
Mrs Smith: So what?
I can't be bothered. It doesn't matter who I vote for, we always end up worse off. They're all
Mr Smith:
as bad as each other.
Mrs Smith: Well don't complain to me if you don't like the policies of whoever wins.
Mr Smith: I don't think anyone will win. They're predicting a hung parliament.
Mrs Smith: Well if no one bothers to vote, I guess they'll be right. I'll be back in ten.
Crossword (coming soon)
Dictation and Spelling Test (coming soon)
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/elections.html#sthash.koqBvapp.dpuf

-585-
Idioms and Sayings About Elections

One / Two ... horse race
For example:
A competition or election which don't have many likely
winners.
General elections in the UK are generally a two horse
race.
Election fever
For example:
The frenzy the media goes into whenever a general
The media is suffering from election fever, you can't election is announced.
switch the TV on without being bombarded by political
pundits.
Hot air
For example:
Empty, exaggerated, or pretentious talk.
Politicians always talk a load of hot air.
Hung parliament
For example:
A parliament in which no one political party has an
Everyone is saying there will be a hung parliament this outright majority.
election and the parties will have to make alliances with
the smaller parties to form a majority.
-586-
Toe the party line
For example:
To conform to the rules or standards of the political
party you belong to.
"He'll have to learn to toe the party line, if he wants to
get on."
Body politic
For example:
A politically organized group of people under a single
government.
"Judge Sydney Harris ordered the crown to return to
the Body Politic all material seized during the raid."
A political football
A problem that doesn't get solved because the politics

For example:
of the issue get in the way, or the issue is very
controversial.
"Women's health issues are always a political football."
A political hot potato
For example: Something potentially dangerous or embarassing.
"The expenses scandal is a political hot potato."

Political machinery.
For example:-
The way politics runs in the UK.
The political machinery has yet to understand the
opportunity or threat of the internet and social websites.
-587-
Politically correct / incorrect (PC)
For example: To use or not use language that will cause offence - often
shortened to PC.
"Bernard Manning was never very PC."
Press the flesh.
For example:
To shake hands.
"He has to do a lot of flesh pressing in the run up

to the elections."
To get on / off your soapbox
For example:
To talk a lot about a subject you feel strongly about. If
someone tells you to "get off your soapbox" they think you're
"Hyde Park, in London is famous for people who
talking too much about that subject.
get on their soapbox to discuss issues that
concern them."
Throw in the towel.
For example:
To give up
They knew they were going to lose, so they threw
in the towel.
To vote with your feet.
For example:
To leave
I told her that if she didn't like the job she could
always vote with her feet.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/electionidioms.html#sthash.Qitf3C01.dpuf

-588-

Elections
with education. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday conversation.
Verbs

The Meaning
He didn't know who to vote for, so he
To abstain To decide not to use your vote. Regular
abstained.
They cast their vote and then began
To cast a vote To vote. Irregular
to count them.
To elect To choose a candidate in an election. They elected a new leader. Regular
To control a group of people, a country,
To lead He led the party for ten years. Irregular
or a situation.
We nominated him to stand for the
To nominate To name someone as a candidate. Regular
next election.
To campaign to stand for a political
To run He ran as an independent candidate. Irregular
position.
To stand To seek election. He stood in the election, but he lost. Irregular
To veto To refuse to allow something. We vetoed the nomination. Regular
To assert a formalised choice in an
To vote I voted in the last election. Regular
election.
To win To be successful in an election. He won the vote by a large majority. Irregular
-589-
Phrasal Verbs

The Meaning
"After the truth came out about his
To stand down To give up your official job or position. I
affairs, he had to stand down."
"He wanted to introduce freedom of
To vote something To defeat something such as a law or
information, but they voted him S
down plan by voting against it.
down."
To accept and make possible
To vote something
something such as a law or plan by "We voted the changes through." S
through
voting for it.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/electionverbs.html#sthash.FsGvGnVx.dpuf

-590-
Irregular Verb - To lead
lead / led / leading
Tenses for the Verb - To lead
The Past - led / leading

Past Continuous - "He was leading the party to humiliation and disgrace.
Past Simple - "Margaret Thatcher led the Conservative Party to victory in three general elections."
Past Perfect Simple - "When I led them they never lost an election."
Past Perfect Continuous - "By the time I retired I had been leading them for ten years."
The Present - lead / leading

Present Continuous - "Who is leading this party?"
Present Simple - "He usually leads from the front."
Present Perfect Simple - "I have led a lot of groups."
Present Perfect Continuous - "I am leading this party to victory!"

-591-
The Future - lead / leading

Future Continuous - "Who's leading next week's debate?"
Future Simple - "I think I'll lead them if they ask me."
Future Perfect Simple - "I'm sure I will have led you all to victory by the end of the elections."
Future Perfect Continuous - "This time next year I will have been leading the party for over eleven years."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/leadtense.html#sthash.1cTKGGyc.dpuf

-592-
British Elections
There are five types of elections in the United Kingdom:-
 General elections
 Elections to devolved parliaments and assemblies
 Elections to the European Parliament
 Local elections
 Mayoral elections
Elections are held on Election Day, which is conventionally, for some reason I can't figure out, a Thursday.
General elections do not have fixed dates, but must be called within five years of the opening of parliament
following the last election. Other elections are held on fixed dates though in the case of the devolved assemblies
and parliaments, early elections can occur in certain situations. Presently, six electoral systems are used: single
member plurality system (First Past the Post), multi member plurality system, Party list, Single Transferable
Vote, Additional Member System and Supplementary Vote.
-593-
Eligibility
Anyone who is a citizen of the UK, the Republic of Ireland, or of a Commonwealth country, who is legally
resident in the UK, and who is 18 or over on the date of an election is eligible to vote, provided they are on the
electoral register, unless they are currently a member of the House of Lords, imprisoned for a criminal offence,
mentally incapable of making a reasoned judgement, an undischarged bankrupt, or have been convicted of
corrupt or illegal practices in connection with an election within the previous five years. Members of the House of
Lords may, however, vote in local and European Elections as well as elections to the Scottish Parliament and
National Assembly for Wales. Voting is not compulsory. In addition, while UK, Irish and Commonwealth citizens
may register to vote in all elections, European Union nationals resident in the UK may register to vote in local,
European, Scottish and Welsh elections.
In theory, members of the Royal Family who do not hold a peerage, including the Monarch, are eligible to vote,
although in practice it would be seen as unconstitutional if they ever did. UK citizens who have moved abroad
remain eligible to vote for 15 years thereafter. They would vote for the MP of the constituency in which they lived
before they moved abroad. This is also applicable to people who were under 18 before they moved abroad;
when they reach 18 they can vote. "Service voters" - including forces personnel, diplomats and other public
servants resident overseas - are also eligible. Voters must appear on the electoral register in order to vote; they
can now be added to the register until eleven working days before the election. The electoral register in 2000
listed 44,423,440 people registered to vote in the UK, of whom 36,994,211 were in England.
The right of Irish and Commonwealth citizens to vote is a legacy of the Representation of the People Act 1918,
which limited the vote to British subjects. At that time, "British subjects" included the people of Ireland — then
part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland — and all other parts of the British Empire. Though most
of Ireland (see Ireland Act 1949) and the majority of the colonies became independent nations, their citizens
have retained the right to vote in the UK if they live in the UK.
-594-
History
19th century
The system of universal suffrage did not exist in Britain until 1928. From 1688 to 1832, less than 10% of the
adult male population had the right to vote.
The first act to increase the size of the electorate was the Reform Act 1832 (sometimes known as the Great
Reform Act). It abolished 56 rotten boroughs (which had elected 112 MPs) and decreased the property
qualification in boroughs. It gave some parliamentary representation to the industrial towns (142 MPs) by
redistributing some MPs from boroughs who had disproportional representation. The electoral register was
created. The overall result of the Act was that the electorate was increased to 14% of the adult male population.
Although this was not a large increase, the Act was the first big step towards equal representation.
Between 1838 and 1848 a popular movement, Chartism organised around 6 demands including universal male
franchise and the secret ballot.
The Reform Act 1867 redistributed more MPs from boroughs who had disproportional representation (42) to
London and industrial towns. It decreased the property qualification in boroughs, meaning all men (with an
address) in boroughs could vote. The consequences were for the first time some of the working class could vote,
and MPs had to take these new constituents into account. Some parties decided to become national parties. The
overall effect was the that the Act increased the size of the electorate to 32% of the adult male population.
The Ballot Act 1872 replaced open elections with secret ballot system. The Corrupt and Illegal Practises Act
1883 criminalised attempts to bribe voters and standardised the amount that could be spent on election
expenses. The Representation of the People Act 1884 and the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (the Third
Reform Act) collectively increased the electorate to 56% of the adult male population.
-595-
20th century
The Representation of the People Act 1918 expanded the electorate to include all men over the age of 21 and all
married women over the age of 30. Later that year, the Parliamentary Qualification of Women Act 1918 gave
women over 30 the right to stand for election as MPs. The first woman to become an MP was Constance
Markiewicz in 1918. However, she declined to take up her seat, being a member of Sinn Féin. Nancy Astor,
elected in 1919, was the second woman to become an MP, and the first to sit in the Commons. The Equal
Franchise Act 1928 lowered the minimum age for women to vote from 30 to 21, making men and women equal
in terms of suffrage for the first time. The Representation of the People Act 1949 abolished additional votes for
graduates (university constituencies) and the owners of business premises.
The Representation of the People Act 1969 lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. The Representation of the
People Act 1985 gave British citizens abroad the right to vote for a 5 year period after they had left Britain. The
Representation of the People Act 1989 extended the period to 20 years and citizens who were too young to vote
when they left the country also became eligible.
Labour (post-1997) reforms

Prior to 1997, and the Labour Party government of Tony Blair, there were only three types of elections: general
elections, local government elections, and elections to the European Parliament. Most elections were conducted
under the First Past the Post (FPTP) electoral system, though in Northern Ireland local government and
European elections were conducted under the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system. The constitutional
reforms of Labour drastically changed elections, introducing elected regional assemblies and elected mayors in
certain cities. Proportional Representation (PR) was introduced outside of Northern Ireland for the first time.
The hybrid (part PR, part FPTP) Additional Member System was introduced in 1999 for the newly created
devolved assemblies: the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and London Assembly and STV was used for
the newly created Northern Ireland Assembly. The regional party list (Closed list) system was introduced for
European elections in Great Britain (which had previously used single member constituency FPTP) though
Northern Ireland continues to use STV.
Labour passed the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, which created the Electoral
Commission, which since 2000 has been responsible for the running of elections and referendums and to a
limited extent regulating party funding. It also reduced the period during which British expatriates can vote, from
20 years after they emigrate to 15.
In 2008 the Ministry of Justice delivered a report that failed to conclusively recommend any particular voting
system as "best" and instead simply compared working practices through the UK's different elections and
governments. The Minister of State for Justice, Ministry of Justice (Michael Wills) issued a statement following its
publication stating that no action would be taken on the various reports that, since 1997, have suggested a move
towards proportional representation for the UK general election until reform of the House of Lords is completed.
Critics have claimed that failure to move away from First Past the Post is disenfranchising voters.
-596-
Party System
Traditionally (with the sole exception of 1923), the UK effectively has had a two party system arising from the
use of the First-Past-The-Post system for general and local elections. Duverger's law certainly seems borne out
in the history of British parliamentary politics. Before World War I, Britain had a true two-party system, the main
parties being the Tories (which became the Conservative Party) and the Whigs (which became the Liberal
Party), though after Catholic Emancipation there was also a substantial Irish Parliamentary Party. After World
War II, the dominant parties have been Conservative and Labour. No third party has come close to winning a
parliamentary majority.
However, some have challenged the view that Britain still has a two party system, since the Liberal Democrats
have won around 15%-25% of the votes in recent elections. The Liberal Democrats won 62 of the 646 seats in
the House of Commons in the 2005 general election, and several nationalist (regional) groupings sit, leading
some spectators to regard the Westminster parliament as a "two and a half" party system.
Smaller parties receive many more votes (and seats) in the elections using a proportional system, which are the
regional elections for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, Northern Ireland Assembly and London
Assembly, and the European Parliament elections. Regional parties, such as the Scottish National Party or Plaid
Cymru receive many more votes than at general or local elections, and at European elections, the United
Kingdom Independence Party and Green Party of England and Wales perform better. It can be argued that in
these elections, there is a multi-party system.
It is relatively easy to stand for election as an independent candidate, although wins are very rare and usually
involve special circumstances (for example Martin Bell's 1997 victory against the discredited Conservative MP
Neil Hamilton was aided by the major parties standing aside and not contesting the election). Following the 2005
general election, there are three independent MPs, the highest number since 1945. To stand as a candidate in a
particular constituency, a British citizen needs the signatures of 10 people registered to vote there, and pay a
deposit of £500 (which is returned if he/she gains more than 5% of the vote in that seat).
-597-
General Elections
United Kingdom general elections are the elections held when the Members of Parliament (MPs) forming the
House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom are elected. Following the Parliament Act 1911,
parliamentary sessions last a maximum of five years, and are ended with the dissolution of Parliament.
Therefore elections are not fixed, and the time is chosen by the governing party to maximise political advantage.
The 2010 election will be on May 6, 2010.
Candidates aim to win particular geographic constituencies in the UK. Each constituency elects one MP by the
first past the post system of election. At the 2005 general election, there were 646 constituencies, thus 646 MPs
were elected to Parliament. Boundary changes in Scotland reduced the number of MPs from 659 at the 2001
election to 646. The party with the most seats, i.e. the most MPs, usually forms the government, and the second
largest party forms Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Almost all candidates are members of a political party and
the majority of voters in the UK choose who to vote for based on the candidates' parties, rather than the
personalities or opinions of the individual candidates.
Timing
A general election must take place before each parliamentary term begins. Since the maximum term of a
parliament is five years, the interval between successive general elections can exceed that period by no more
than the combined length of the election campaign and time for the new parliament to assemble (typically five to
eight weeks). The actual election may be held at any time before the end of the five-year term. The five years
runs from the first meeting of Parliament following the election. The timing of an election is at the discretion of
the incumbent Prime Minister. This timing is usually political, and thus if a government is popular then the
election is often "called" after around four years in power.
The Prime Minister asks the Monarch to dissolve Parliament by Royal Proclamation. The Proclamation also
orders the issue of the formal Writs of Election which require an election to be held in each constituency. The
election is held 17 working days after the date of the Proclamation, as regulated by the Representation of the
People Act 1983, s. 23 and Schedule 1 ("Parliamentary election rules"), rule 1 ("Timetable").
Since 1935 every general election has been held on a Thursday. Of the 17 general elections between 1945 and
2005, four each were held in October, June, and May, and two were held in February.
The Cabinet Office imposes Purdah before elections. This is a period of roughly six weeks in which Government
Departments are not allowed to communicate with members of the public about any new or controversial
Government initiatives (such as modernisation initiatives, administrative and legislative changes).
-598-
Post-election
Polls close at 10 p.m. and the votes are, in most constituencies, counted immediately. The earliest results are
declared by about 11 p.m., with most having been declared by 3 or 4 a.m.; some constituencies do not declare
their results until the following day. In Northern Ireland the count itself does not begin until the next morning, with
results being announced from early afternoon onwards.
When all of the results are known, or when one party achieves an absolute majority of the seats in the House of
Commons, the first response comes from the current (and possibly outgoing) Prime Minister. If a majority in the
new Parliament has been achieved by their party, they remain in office without the need for reconfirmation or
reappointment — no new 'term' of office is started. If a majority has not been achieved, and it is obvious that
another party has the numbers to form a government, the Prime Minister submits a resignation to the Monarch.
The Monarch then commissions the leader of the new majority party to form a new government. The Prime
Minister has the option of attempting to remain in power even if seats have been lost. The subsequent Queen's
Speech (i.e., outline of the proposed legislative programme) offers a chance for the House of Commons to cast
a vote of confidence or no confidence in the government through accepting or rejecting the Queen's Speech.
The last Prime Minister who, having failed to win a majority, opted not to resign immediately was Edward Heath,
in 1974. However, after initial negotiations with the Liberal Party failed to provide a coalition deal, he resigned,
allowing Queen Elizabeth II to commission Labour leader Harold Wilson to form an administration. Until the
Prime Minister reacts to the election result, either by deciding to remain on or resign, the Monarch has no role.
Only if the Prime Minister resigns can the Monarch then commission someone else to form a government. Thus
Margaret Thatcher, who was Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990, was only asked to form a government once.
Similarly, Tony Blair was only ever commissioned to form a government once, in 1997. After each election,
having remained in power, a Prime Minister may take the option to engage in a major or minor reshuffle of
ministers.
The largest party not in government becomes the Official Opposition, known as Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.
Any smaller parties not in government are collectively known as "the opposition".
Any vacancies created in the House, due to death, ennoblement, or resignation are filled by by-election. The
time-frame for these is not automatic and they can be months after the vacancy was created, or even
abandoned if there is a pending general election.
-599-
Local Elections
In local elections, councillors are elected forming the local administrations of the United Kingdom. A number of
tiers of local council exist, at region, county, district/borough and town/parish levels. A variety of voting systems
are used for local elections. In Northern Ireland and Scotland, the single transferable vote system is used, whilst
in most of England and Wales the single member plurality system is used. The remainder of England (including
all of the London Boroughs) and Wales use the plurality at-large system, except for the elections of the Mayor
and Assembly of the Greater London Authority (GLA).
Local elections are held every year, but different parts of the UK vote in each case. In years with a general
election it is usual practice to hold both general and local elections on the same day. In 2004, for the first time,
local elections were held on the same day as European elections, and London Mayoral and Assembly elections.
The date was referred to as 'Super Thursday'.
The only Region of England which has a directly elected administration is London. London Assembly elections
began in 2000, when it was created. The Additional Member System is used for elections to the Assembly. The
Mayor is elected via the Supplementary Vote system.
The Future
Electoral reform
Some UK parties, mainly the Liberal Democrats, have long proposed that the current First Past the Post system
used for general elections be replaced with another system.
The introduction of proportional representation has been advocated for some time by the Liberal Democrats, and
some pressure groups such as Charter 88, Unlock Democracy and the Electoral Reform Society. Recently,
following the 2005 election in which Labour was elected with the lowest share of the national vote for any single
party majority government in British history, more public attention has been brought to the issue. The national
compact newspaper The Independent started a petition campaign for the introduction of a more proportional
system immediately after the election, under the title "Campaign For Democracy". The broad-based Make Votes
Count Coalition currently brings together those groups advocating reform.
-600-
Parliamentary and Party positions

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Electoral Reform is a cross party group consisting of 150 MPs that
support electoral reform, chaired by Richard Burden.
Labour pledged in its manifesto for the 1997 general election to set up a commission on alternatives to the first-
past-the-post system for general elections and hold a referendum in the future on whether to change the system.
The Independent Commission on the Voting System, headed by Lord Jenkins of Hillhead and known as the
Jenkins Commission, was established in December 1997. It reported in October 1998 and suggested the
Alternative vote top-up or AV+ system.
The government had expected a recommendation which could have been implemented within the Parliament
and decided that it would be impractical to have a general election using First Past the Post after a referendum
decision to adopt a different system, and therefore delayed the referendum until after the next general election.
In practice, forces within the Labour Party opposed to any change persuaded the party not to repeat the pledge
for a referendum in the 2001 manifesto and therefore none was held once the party was re-elected.
After the 2005 election, Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer said there was "no groundswell" for change, although a
Cabinet committee was given the task of investigating reform. John Prescott was made Chair; given his known
opposition to change, proponents were critical and dismissive of the move. Several prominent Labour MPs have
expressed a desire for investigating electoral reform, including Peter Hain (who made a speech in the House of
Commons in March 2004 arguing for the Alternative Vote), Patricia Hewitt, Tessa Jowell and Baroness Amos.
As mentioned above, in January 2008 the government produced a "desk-bound" review of the experience to
date of new voting systems in the UK since Labour came to power in 1997. This review was non-committal as to
the need for further reform in the UK, especially as regards reform of the voting system used in General
Elections.
The Conservative party are predominantly against PR. Despite the fact that the Conservative party would gain
significant numbers of seats if PR was used in the last election, some in the party feel it might find itself politically
isolated on the right, and face Labour/Lib Dem coalition governments. Electoral reform, towards a proportional
model, is desired by the Liberal Democrat party, the Green and several other small parties.
-601-
Arguments for reform

 It would be more representative of the electorate, as votes cast would be roughly proportional to seats.
 No votes would be wasted if PR was used and there would be less tactical voting (which is harmful to
democracy because it causes people to vote for a different party than they support).
 It would widen voter choice, smaller parties would have a more realistic chance of winning seats.
 It would probably reduce the large majority that the many governments (like the current government)
enjoy, therefore it would produce weaker governments than with First-Past-the-Post because the
governing party would have a smaller majority. This means that the effects of executive dominance
would be reduced: the House of Commons would be less of a rubber stamp and the government might
be forced to compromise. Genuine debate, with meaningful impact on legislation might be reintroduced
in the Commons.
 It might produce coalition governments (as in the Scottish Parliament). Advocates argue this would lead
to much more emphasis on consensus, and better represent the combined will of the electorate,
because coalitions include several parties.
 PR is already used for the regional, European and mayoral elections; general elections should follow
suit.
Arguments against reform

 The direct link the FPTP system provides between voters and their local Member of Parliament would be
lost if certain Proportional Representation systems were adopted. However this would not be the case if
a hybrid PR system was used, such as the Additional Member System (used for the Scottish Parliament
and Welsh Assembly) or alternative vote top-up (suggested by the Jenkins Commission), or if a
majoritarian system such as Supplementary Vote used for Mayoral elections was selected. The Single
Transferable Vote used for elections within many organisations in the UK and for local elections in both
Northern Ireland and Scotland allows for multi-member constituencies elected via a proportional system
but retains the constituency link because MPs are elected as individual representative as opposed to
being elected from party lists. This system is used in the Republic of Ireland and means that every voter
has a direct link to not one, but between 3 and 5 members, directly elected by their constituency.
 First Past the Post tends to produce strong governments, which supporters see as an advantage (there
is relatively little chance of coalition government), and the only coalitions in the 20th or 21st centuries
have happened at times of emergency, usually when one party does not have an overall majority in the
House of Commons.
 Coalition governments cannot deliver the electoral mandate, because there has to be consensus on
policy with other parties. Coalitions could give small parties disproportionate power.
 Parties seen as 'extreme' by the establishment parties, such as the British National Party, might be able
to win seats and gain real political power if they had enough votes nationwide. Some think it would be
irresponsible to give 'extremists' the opportunity to have political power. This could be avoided with a
minimum exclusion level (e.g. to return 5% of votes). However, such an exclusion would also
discriminate against smaller non-'extreme' parties, such as the Green Party.

-602-
Low turnout
As in many Western democracies, voter apathy is a current concern, after a dramatic decline in election turnout
recently. Turnout has fallen from 77% in 1992, 71% in 1997 to 61% in the last election. This was a small rise
from 2001, which recorded 59%. The main reasons identified for low turnout are:
 Lack of variation in the ideologies of the main parties

 Decline in partisanship (many voters are no longer permanently loyal to one party)
 Reduction in the popularity of various Party leaderships.
 Dissatisfaction with parties' record on public services, education, transport etc.
 Lack of interest in the election campaign.
 Voter apathy due to voters believing their vote will have no effect on the overall outcome. Turnout is
inversely proportional to the majority in any seat.
Possible measures to increase turnout include:
 Compulsory voting (seen as an extreme solution, not advocated by many)

 Electoral reform, towards PR (a policy advocated by the Liberal Democrats)
 New forms of voting, e.g., by post, telephone, internet (the scope of postal voting was increased by
Labour before the last election). There were several sets of criminal proceedings after the last general
election pointing out weaknesses in the postal voting system and resulting in a cooling of enthusiasm for
IT and other proxy arrangements.
Interesting Links
UK Parliament
Parliament Live TV
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/britishelections.html#sthash.JSQf6maD.dpuf
-603-
English songs with words about

elections or politics
Only for fun, here are some songs with references to education:-
Songs
In the Song Title Artist/Group

Ballot Or The Bullet Van Halen
Another Bloody Election Killing Joke
Election Eskimo Joe
Throwing the Election Game Theory
Hey Mr. Politician Evil Conduct
Politics Korn
Politician Neil Young
Politicians Switchfoot
She's a politician Soundgarden
Vote With A Bullet Corrosion of Conformity
Voting doesn't work Placebo
In the Lyrics
Eve of destruction ("you're old enough to kill but not for Barry McGuire
votin',"
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/electionsongs.html#sthash.J2tTl6uf.dpuf

-604-
Shopping Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary
Shop(s) Customer(s) Cashier(s)
Wallet(s) (m)
Scales Till(s)
Purse(s) (f)
Shelf Shelves Barcode(s)
Trolley(s) Lift(s) Bag(s)
Basket(s) Changing Room(s) Escalator(s)

Ways to pay
Cheque(s) Cash Note(s)
Credit card(s)
Coin(s)
Debit card(s)
-605-
Build Up
Where to buy what
Chemist's
Ladies Clothing Shop or Boutique
Mens Clothing Shop or Tailor's
Shoe Shop or Cobbler's
Jeweller's
Electrical Store
Toy Shop or Toy Store
Record Shop
Book Shop
Newsagent's
Ironmonger's
Optician's
Haberdasher's
-606-
All or most of the above Department Store

Butcher's
Fishmonger's
Greengrocer's
Baker's
Delicatessen
Grocer's
Off Licence
Florist's
Post Office
All or most of the above Supermarket
Naturally Speaking
Useful Shopping Phrases

Finding a Shop Opening Hours
Questions Questions
 Can you recommend a good toy/clothes  What time do you open, please?
shop?  What time do you close, please?
 Is there a chemists/supermarket in the  What are your opening hours?
area?  Are you open all day?
 Where can I get toothpaste/pet food?  Are you open on Sundays?
 Where's the nearest shopping centre?
-607-
Answers/Comments
Answers/Comments
 We're open 24/7. (24 hours a day / 7 days


There's a really good bookshop just
a week)
around the corner.
 We're closed at lunchtime, between 12
 You can buy that here in the hotel.
and 2pm.
 The best toy shop is in the shopping
 We're open from 9am till 6pm, Monday
centre.
to Friday.
 The nearest one is a few miles away.
Shopping for Clothes Paying

Questions Questions

Could you help me, please? 
Do you take credit cards?
 Could you tell me where the ................  Do you give credit?
department is?  Do you have a loyalty card?
 Excuse me, I'm looking for a .......... .  Does it have a warranty?
 
 Is there somewhere I can try this on,  Can I pay by cheque?
please?  Do you offer a cash discount?
Does it suit me?  Could I have a VAT receipt, please?
 Do you have this in a (larger/smaller  Could I leave my bags here and pick
size) (different colour), please? them up later?
 Do you do alterations?
Answers/Comments
 Do you have a refund policy?
 Is this in the sale?

We take all the major credit cards.
Answers/Comments  We only accept cheques with a cheque
card.
 It's too long / short.  We are offering 6 months free credit
 It's too tight / loose. with no deposit.
 The ladies / gents changing rooms are  Sorry, no.
over there.  Yes, certainly.
 You can bring it back and exchange it or
get a refund within 2 weeks if you keep
the receipt.
-608-
Dialogue
Here we have two conversations. The first is between Mrs Smith and her younger son John at the shops. The second
is between Mrs Smith and a shop assistant.
It's Saturday morning and Mrs. Smith is going shopping.

Mrs S: John, I'm going to the shops. Is there anything you want?
John: Yes please! Can you pick up my magazine from the newsagents?
Mrs S: Of course. Do you want to come with me?
John: No way, I'm going round to Mike's house, sorry.
Mrs S: No problem. I'll be about an hour, be home by 5 o'clock at the latest.
John: O.K. I'll see you later.
A bit later......
Mrs S: John are you home?
John Yes mum, I'm up stairs.
Mrs S: Come down here, I bought you a new Nike T-shirt, I want you to try it on.
John Nike? Great I'm coming!
A few minutes later.....
Mrs S: Well, does it fit?
John I think it's a bit too small.
Mrs S: Let's have a look. Hmmm, I think you've grown again!
John I can't wear it though.
Mrs S: Do you like it?
John Yeah, it's a nice colour.
Mrs S: I'll take it back to the supermarket and see if I can change it.
Mrs Smith had bought a nice new T-shirt for John, but when he tried it on it didn't fit.
It's Saturday evening and Mrs Smith has to return the T-shirt.
Mrs S: Excuse me, can you help me?
Shop
Yes of course, what can I do for you?
Assistant
Mrs S: I bought this T-shirt for my son this afternoon, but it doesn't fit him, it's too small.
Shop
Do you want to change it or get a refund.
Assistant
Mrs S: I'd like to change it for a larger size. Do you have these in large?
Shop
I'll just check. Let's see, yes we have large or extra large, which would you prefer?
Assistant
Mrs S: I think large will be fine, it's for my son.
Shop That's fine, if it doesn't fit just bring it back again. If you take it to the customer service desk,
Assistant they'll sort it all out for you.
Mrs S: Thank you. Just as a matter of interest do you give refunds?
Shop Yes, of course. You can bring any clothing items back up to three weeks after purchase, but
Assistant you must keep the reciept.
Mrs S: I see, thanks again.
Shop
You're welcome.
Assistant:
-609-
Crossword
Reading Comprehension test
Video - Let's go shopping! (may take a long time to load)
Vocabulary test
Interesting Shopping Facts
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/shopping.html#sthash.sHVGhBGR.dpuf

-610-
Idioms and Sayings about Shopping

Idiom / Saying Explanation
To put all your eggs in one basket
For example:
To risk everything on one person or thing.
"You shouldn't invest all your money in Microsoft, it

would be like putting all your eggs in one basket."
To buy a lemon.
For example: To buy something that proves to be worthless.
"That car he bought is a real lemon."

To buy a pig in a poke.
"That car he bought is a real pig in a poke."

"To buy the farm."
For example: To die.
"He bought the farm last week."

"Own brand."
For example: When a company makes and sells its own products.
"Marks and Spencers only sell own brand goods."

"The drinks are on me."
For example:
To offer to pay for something - usually food or drink.
"He was celebrating his birthday, so the drinks were on

him."
-611-
To pay one's way.
For example: To contribute one's share of the expenses.
"He's a good friend, he always pays his way."

To pay over the odds.
For example: To pay too much for something.
"She definitely paid over the odds for that dress."

"To pay through the nose"
"He ended up paying through the nose for that car."

Closed shop.
For example:
a place of work where you have to belong to a particular
trade union.
"The motor industry in the UK used to be a closed
shop."
To be all over the shop.
1) To be in complete disarray.
For example:
1) "His papers were all over the shop."

2) To look everywhere for something.
2) "I've looked for it all over the shop, but I still can't
find it."
To shop around.
For example: To visit a number of shops to compare prices.
"I always shop around before I buy something."

"To shop lift."
For example: To steal goods from a shop.
"He was caught shop lifting."

-612-
"To shop someone."
To tell someone in authority of someone elses

For example:
wrong doings.
"He shopped her to the police.

To shop till you drop.
For example: To go on an extremely long shopping trip.
"She shopped till she dropped yesterday."

To shut up shop
For example: To close somewhere (usually a business)
"Winter is so quiet we just shut up shop and go on holiday.

To talk shop.
For example: To discuss one's business or profession.
"He is very boring, all he does all day is talk shop."

"Shopping therapy."
For example: The idea that buying things can cheer you up
- works for me :-)
"She was very upset so I took her into town for some
shopping therapy."
To try it on.
For example:
To attempt to decieve or fool someone.
"He never tells the truth about anything, he is always trying

it on."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/shoppingidioms.html#sthash.2i7gSwKD.dpuf

-613-

Shopping
with shopping. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday conversation.
At lease one irregular verb in bold is shown in all its forms.
Verbs

The Meaning
To acquire something by paying a sum
To buy He bought me some beautiful flowers Irregular
of money.
To make payment (for) goods or
To pay He paid with his credit card. Regular
services.
To obtain goods by payment (often The company purchased 200 new
To purchase Regular
used in business). computers.
To give or hand over (something) in The company sells a huge range of
to sell Irregular
exchange for money. items.
Yesterday I shopped all over town, but
To shop To visit the shops in search of goods. Regular
couldn't find anything.
I spent far too much last week on
To spend To pay out money for something. Irregular
clothes.
-614-
Phrasal Verbs

The Meaning
He paid for the newspaper
pay for The act of giving money for something. I
with cash.
The cordorouy trousers
To dispose of supplies by selling them weren't selling so the
sell off S
(usually cheaply). manager sold them off
cheaply.
The jeans were so popular
To dispose of supplies by selling them
sell out that they sold out in 10 I
completely.
minutes.
I tried a nice dress on
try on Put on an article of clothing to see if it fits. S
yesterday, but it didn't fit.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/shoppingverbs.html#sthash.Psp2oX1C.dpuf

-615-
Irregular Verb - To sell
sell / sold / selling
Tenses for the Verb - To Sell
The Past
Past Continuous - "He was selling the customer a new hoover, when it suddenly blew up."
Past Simple - "He sold a dozen of the new hoovers before they were recalled."
Past Perfect Simple - "By the time the new hoovers were recalled, he had already sold a dozen."
Past Perfect Continuous - "He had been selling the old hoovers for years, without any problems."
The Present
Present Continuous - "He is selling another make of hoover now."
Present Simple - "He sells hundreds of hoovers every year."
Present Perfect Simple - "He has already sold 12 hoovers this week."
Present Perfect Continuous - "He has been selling hoovers for the whole of his working life.
-616-
The Future
Future Continuous - "He's selling a new hoover to an old customer tomorrow."
Future Simple - "He will sell a dozen hoovers to the cleaning company."
Future Perfect Simple - "By the time we work out bonuses, he will have sold hundreds of hoovers."
Future Perfect Continuous - "When he retires in July he will have been selling hoovers for 30 years."
-
See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/selltense.html#sthash.IeW8DPTZ.dpuf
-617-
Shopping in Britain
The small shop
Britain was once known as a nation of shop keepers, however the small shop in the UK is almost a thing of the
past. Many villages have lost their local corner shop or post office because of competition from the supermarkets
and out- of-town shopping centres.
Small shops are often run by families operating as sole traders or partnerships. They usually specialise in a
small range of goods, e.g. butchers, tailors, greengrocers, newsagents etc.
Prices are often higher in these shops, as they cannot afford to buy in large quantities, and the range of goods
on offer is often small. However there tends to be a friendlier atmosphere and personal service. Some small
shops even deliver to the home, newsagents especially will deliver a newspaper to the door.
Supermarkets
A supermarket must by definition have a minimum selling area of 186m2 and at least 3 check outs. They are
often situated on the edge of a town by a main road or motorway and provide a large car park for customers.
They are mostly self-service and sell a range of goods including groceries, clothing, electrical goods etc,
however their main selling items are food and drink.
A supermarket is organised into aisles and goods are displayed on shelves. Some supermarkets have counters
where fresh produce is displayed, for example a cheese counter or meat or fish counter.
Prices are generally low and there tends to be a large variety. Tescos, Sainsburys and Asda are three of the
largest supermarkets in the UK. One of the new concepts in supermarkets is the customer loyalty card and
banking facilities. A customer loyalty card allows the customer to collect reward points for every pound they
spend, these points can then be redeemed for money off vouchers.
-618-
Department Stores
A department store sells a very wide range of goods, they can be described as a collection of shops under one
roof, but under the control of one firm.
They usually occupy large buildings in expensive city centre or out-of-town shopping sites. Each store is divided
into a number of departments and each of these departments specialises in a particular type of product or
service. For example: electrical goods, carpets, clothing, furniture etc. The proliferation of supermarkets has led
to problems with distribution of goods, in the UK there are thousands of lorries on the road every day, just to
deliver fresh produce to the supermarkets. The government is concerned about this and this and is looking for a
sustainable distribution policy, you can read their report online.
The most famous department store in the UK is probably Harrods, in addition House of Fraser, Marks and
Spencers and Debenhams are three of the largest department stores in the UK. They don't just sell goods either,
all of these department stores offer customer loyalty cards, in store credit cards and finance and insurance
facilities too.
Out of Town Shopping Centres
Catering purely to people with cars are the out of town shopping centres. Hated by many people and blamed for
the run down state of many city centres they are still extremely popular.
Fair Trade
A phenomenon that I am much more in favour of is the growing fair trade movement in the UK. Fair trade is all
about providing fair wages and good employment opportunities to economically disadvantaged artisans and
farmers worldwide. By buying direct from farmers at better prices, helping to strengthen their organisations and
marketing their produce directly through their own one world shops and catalogues, the fair trade charities
offered consumers the opportunity to buy products which were bought on the basis of a fair trade.
-619-
In order to co-ordinate the work of the national initiatives and run the monitoring programmes more efficiently, an
umbrella body, Fairtrade Labelling Organisations (FLO) International, was set up in April 1997. One of its aims is
to see the introduction of a single international Fairtrade label. The national initiatives retain responsibility for
marketing and promoting Fairtrade in their respective countries.
If you want to know more visit these web sites:-
The Fair Trade Federation directly links low-income producers with consumer markets and educates consumers
in the US about the importance of purchasing fairly traded products which support living wages and safe and
healthy conditions for workers in the developing world.
The Fair Trade Foundation was set up in the UK by CAFOD, Christian Aid, New Consumer, Oxfam, Traidcraft
and the World Development Movement.
The Fair Trade Labelling Organisation oversees the issuing of the Fairtrade label to ensure that the product
conforms to Fairtrade Standards and contributes to the development of disadvantaged producers.
Traidcraft works with more than 100 producer groups in over 30 countries around the world. What unites every
area of our work is our mission to fight poverty through trade.
Online Shopping
The best way to learn is to do. You can now go shopping in England without leaving your desk. The latest craze
to hit the UK is online shopping, not just for books and cds, but for the daily necessities too, food, clothing etc.
Check out these interesting sites, and don't worry you don't have to buy anything.
Beanz Meanz Heinz - shop online at Heinz's grocery store. They deliver all over the world.
Marks and Spencers - no shopping trip is complete until you have visited M&S - food, fashion and home
departments.
London is a long way to travel. Let me take you there to one of the most famous department stores in the
world Harrods, browse around the different departments, it's the next best thing to being there.
Don't forget the kids. The biggest Toy Store in the UK is ToysRUs.
Interesting Links
Learn some shopping vocabulary.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/shoppingculture.html#sthash.WEcl97WA.dpuf
-620-
English songs with words about

shopping
Learn English vocabulary the fun way, here are some songs about shopping.
Songs

S.H.O.P.P.I.N.G - Shopping! The Pet Shop Boys
How Much is That Doggy in the Window? Patti Page
Lost in the Supermarket The Clash
Bakershop Blues Blind Lemon Jefferson
I don't go shopping Patti LaBelle
Man in the corner shop The Jam
Our corner shop's a supermarket now The Fivepenny Pieces
Shop around Captain & Tennille
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/shoppingsongs.html#sthash.pJnEwDCa.dpuf

-621-
Sports Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary
Common Sports
Archery Badminton Cricket Cycling
Darts Football (More Vocabulary) Golf Horse Racing
Table
Snooker Squash Tennis Tennis
Contact Sports
Boxing Judo Rugby Wrestling

-622-
Water Sports
Angling / Fishing Canoeing Kayaking
Rowing Sailing Water Skiing

Winter Sports
Curling Ice Skating Skiing

Less Usual Sports
Croquet Fencing Hockey
Lacrosse Polo Hunting / Skeet / Shooting

-623-
Build Up
How do you play / do some of these sports?

Badminton
A racquet sport played by either two players (singles) or two pairs (doubles). Played on a court
divided by a net with racquets and a shuttlecock. You play a game of badminton. /th>
Cricket
A teamgame, usually played outdoors, on a cricket pitch, with a bat, a cricket ball, and stumps,
There are11 players on each team. You play a cricket match.
Darts
Darts is played by two players. Darts are thrown at a dart board. You play a game of darts or a
darts match.
Football (Footy)
A team sport, usually played outdoors, on a football pitch, with a round football, a goal, with two
teams of 11 players, and a goal keeper (goalie). You play a game of football or a football match.
Americans insist on calling it soccer.
Golf
Usually played by individuals, golf is played on a golf course, using several types of golf clubs and a
golf ball. You play a game of golf or a round of golf.
Rugby
A team sport, played outdoors, on a rugby pitch, with an oval rugby ball, and two teams of 15
players. You play a game of rugby or a rugby match.
Tennis
A racquet sport played by either two players (singles) or two pairs (doubles). Played on a court
divided by a net with racquets and a tennis ball. You play a game of tennis or a tennis match.
-624-
Naturally Speaking
Making enquiries Making enquiries

Buying a ticket to a sporting event: Questions about sporting events
 I`d like four tickets please.  How much are the tickets?
o Would you like front row seats?  Who`s playing today?
 That sounds great, but how much do they  Who`s winning?
cost?  What`s the score?
o They`re £30 each.  How much time is left in the game?
 Oh that's fine. I`d like to reserve four  Which half are we in?
front-row seats for this Saturday`s match.  Do you think this game will be a draw?
o Ok, that`ll be £120.  Do you think this team will go to the
 Here you go. finals?
o Thank you. Here are your tickets.  Do you think your team will be relegated
/ promoted this year? (Ref: Football)
 What's your handicap? (Ref: Golf.)
Dialogue
Mr Smith is discussing the football with his wife.
Sport - Conversation
Mr. Smith: I`ve been thinking about exchanging our football tickets. Instead of going to Friday's game,
I think we should go on Saturday. Then, John and his friend Mark could come with us
because they wouldn`t have school the next day. What do you think?
Mrs Smith : I think that`s a great idea. I didn`t really like the idea of keeping John out of school just to
got to a football match.
Mr Smith: I know. So, shall we swap them?
Mrs Smith: Well, first, let me check with Mark`s parents to see if he`s free on Saturday.
Mr Smith: OK, go for it!
(Dials the phone)
Mrs Smith: Hello Mark. It`s Joan, Joan Smith, John`s mother. I was wondering are you free this
Saturday? And if you are would you like to come to the match with us?
Yes, I'm free and I'd love to, but I'll have to check with my parents.
Mark: (Pause)
Yes, they say it`s fine. I can go. Could you give me a lift though?
-625-
Mrs Smith: That`s great! John will be glad, and of course we can pick you up. How does 2pm sound?
Mark: Sounds great. I`ll look forward to it.
Mrs Smith: OK, we`ll see you on Saturday and John will see you at school tomorrow.
Mark: .OK, thanks Mrs. Smith. I can`t wait!
OK Mark, we`ll see you then. Have a good evening, give my regards to your mum and dad.
Mrs Smith:
(Hangs up the phone)
Mr Smith: So, is he coming?
Yes. Let`s go and change those Friday tickets.
Mrs Smith:
Developed in Association with Harmani Educational Services
Sport Crossword
Football Crossword
Olympics Crossword
Sport Quiz - Cricket
Reading Comprehension - Unusual Sports
Flashcards - for the most popular sports
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/sport.html#sthash.1jAgidU9.dpuf

-626-
Idioms and Sayings About Sport

A ballpark figure (actually a baseball term, but
widely used in business in the UK too)
For example:- Rough estimate.
I don't need an exact quotation, just give me a

ballpark figure.
To get the ball rolling.
For example:-
To get something started.
If we don't get the ball rolling on this project soon we
won't be able to deliver on time.
To keep your eye on the ball.
For example:-
To remain alert.
You'll need to keep your eye on the ball on this
project, the technology available is moving so
quickly.
To be on the ball
For example:-
To be quick to understand and react to things.
You need to be on the ball with this customer, he's

very clever.
To play ball
For example:- To agree to do what someone asks you to do, in the

way someone else wants you to do it.
We'll all achieve much more if we just play ball.
-627-
A whole new ball game
For example:-
A completely different situation, often one which
is difficult or which you know little about.
I'd done a lot of kayaking in the UK, but the rivers in
the French Alps were a whole new ball game.
The ball's in someone's court
For example:-
To have to do something before any progress can
be made in a situation.
Well I gave them all the information I could, and now
the ball's in their court.
A balls up.
For example:-
A bad mistake or shoddy job.
He forgot his visuals, so the presentation was a

complete balls up.
To be bowled over (cricket)
To astonish or overwhelm.
For example:-
Lit: To knock both of the bails off the wicket

I went to see his latest exhibition, it really bowled me
over.
To beat (someone) to the punch (boxing)
For example:-
To make the first decisive move in a situation.
We have to get this new product out before our rivals
beat us to the punch.
To get the boot
For example:-
To be fired or let go from an organization.
They gave him the boot after he failed in his last
project.
-628-
It's not cricket
For example:- If someone's behaviour or actions are not

cricket, they are not honourable or moral.
It's not cricket to steal someone's web site.
To give it your best shot
For example:-
To put forth your best effort.
Whether you pass or fail in the test at least you'll know you
gave it your best shot.
To have get-up-and-go.
For example:-
To have a high personal energy level.
I can't play football any more. My get up and go has got up

and gone.
To go the distance (boxing)
For example:-
To carry through a course of action to
completion.
No matter what you say about him, he really went the
distance on his last project. No one could have done more.
To hit below the belt (boxing)
To act unfairly or unscrupulously.

For example:-
Lit: An illegal move in boxing

They hit the workers below the belt when they closed the
factory gates without any warning.
The rub of the green.
For example:-
To be lucky especially in a sport or pastime
played on a green surface.
France had the rub of the green when the referee didn't
spot that handball.
-629-
To jockey yourself into position. (Horseracing)
For example:- To put yourself into a good position

to win something.
He got the promotion after jockeying himself into position.
To kick something around. To pass an idea from person to

person.
For example:-
Lit: Passing the ball.
Let's just kick a few ideas around and see what we come up with.
To kick it into touch.

To cancel or quit something.
For example:-
Lit: To gain ground or to defend your
team.
Before we waste any more time on this, I suggest we just kick it into
touch, it's just not going to work.
To kick off.
To start trouble or fight.

For example:-
Lit: Start the game.

We got out of the pub before it all kicked off and the fists started
flying.
Knock yourself out.
For example:-
Used to give permission to someone
to do something.
Me: Can I drive today?
Hubby: Sure, knock yourself out.
To let the side down
For example:- To fail when others are relying on

you.
When Beckham missed that penalty he really let the side down.
-630-
To (make a) pitch for something
For example:-
To try to persuade people to support you or give you
something.
He pitched the idea at us, but we turned him
down.
To move the goalposts
For example:-
To make unfair changes without warning.
We'll never reach an agreement if they keep
moving the goalposts.
No holds barred (wrestling)
For example:-
With all restrictions relaxed.
They played rough in the negotiations, no holds
barred.
To play away from home
To have an affair.
For example:-
Lit: To play at the oppositions ground.

She asked for a divorce when she found out he'd
been playing away for home.
To play it safe
For example:-
To be careful and avoid any risk
You'll never be truly successful if you always
play it safe.
To be saved by the bell (boxing)

To be saved from misfortune or unpleasantness by
For example:- something.
The authorities arrested Chile's Gen. Augusto Lit: When an opponent was knocked out and the bell rang
Pinochet, but he was saved by the bell of old before the count was completed the person was not out.
age.
-631-
Saving grace
For example:- Some good quality that makes you like something
or someone although you do not like anything else
They lost 10:0, their only saving grace was that they about them.
tried hard.
To score a tie-breaker
For example:- The final thing / point that breaks an even-scored

game or other event.
To score an own goal
For example:- To make a problem for yourself.
He scored a bit of an own goal when he increased the Lit: To score in your own net - really ugly.
rate. They decided he was just too expensive and used
someone else.
To throw in the towel (boxing)
To surrender, admit defeat.

For example:-
Lit: To signal surrender by throwing the towel into

The union decided to throw in the towel when they
the ring.
realised they weren't going to win any more
concessions.
To win by a nose (horse racing)
For example:-
To succeed by a very narrow margin.
Our bid for that contract was won by a nose. There
really wasn't much difference between us.
Advertisements
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/sportidioms.html#sthash.Ro2KwKHr.dpuf
-632-

Sport
with sport. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday conversation.
Verbs

The Meaning
To bowl To throw a ball. He bowled ten fast balls. Regular
To grab hold of something, especially Luckily he caught the ball before it
To catch Irregular
something that is moving through the air. crossed the line.
To cheat To break the rules in order to win. He cheated by taking steroids. Regular
She has competed in all the London
To compete To take part in a race or competition. Regular
marathons.
To move a ball along the ground with
To dribble She dribbled the ball into the goal. Regular
repeated small kicks or hits.
To draw To equal the score in a contest sport. They tied 1:1. Irregular
To hit a ball with your head. Owen headed the ball into the back
To head Regular
of the net.
To swing your hand or an object onto
To hit something so that it touches it, usually with He hit the ball over the wall. Irregular
force.
To move along at a slow, steady, jolting pace
To jog He jogs to work every morning. Regular
as a form of exercise.
They have lost every match this
To lose To fail to win a game. Irregular
season.
To play To take active part in a game or sport. He couldn't play because of an injury. Regular
Michael Schumaker had been racing
To race To attempt to be first. Regular
for many years before he retired.
-633-
To ride To sit on a horse or a bicycle and travel along
She rode very well. Irregular
on it controlling its movements.
To run To move along alot faster than walking. They ran together for a mile. Irregular
To obtain a point, goal etc. in a competitive When he scored the crowd
To score Regular
activity. went wild.
To move, or make a particular movement on a They skated past the finish
To skate Regular
surface, using skates, line.
She was only happy when she
To ski To move over snow on skis. Regular
was skiing.
To run as fast as you can over a short He sprinted over the finish
To sprint Regular
distance. line.
To move through water by moving the body or
To swim He swam as fast as he could. Irregular
parts of the body,
To try to take the ball from a player in the other He was booked when he
To tackle Regular
team. tackled the goal keeper.
To tie To equal the score in a contest sport. They tied 1:1. Regular
To win
To finish in first place in a race. They won the match 3 nil. Irregular
Phrasal
Verbs

The Meaning
To hit someone so hard they become He was knocked out in the first
To knock out S
unconscious. round.
She enjoyed taking part in the
To take part To be involved in an activity with other people. I
sports day.
See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/sportverbs.html#sthash.dUZL3xkC.dpuf

-634-
win / won / won / winning
Tenses for the Verb - To win
The Past - won / winning

Past Continuous - "I was winning, when I tripped and sprained my ankle."
Past Simple - "I won a trophy."
Past Perfect Simple - "When I got my breath back I realised I had won."
Past Perfect Continuous - "It seems I had been winning from very early on, but I didn't even know it."
The Present - win / winning / won

Present Continuous - "I am winning!"
Present Simple - "I usually win."
Present Perfect Simple - "I have won a lot of trophies."
Present Perfect Continuous - "I have only just started winning."

-635-
The Future - win / won

Future Continuous - You wouldn't really use this in this context.
Future Simple - "I'm not sure I'll win, if I take part."
Future Perfect Simple - "I'm sure I will have won something before the end of the season."
Future Perfect Continuous - You wouldn't really use this verb in this context.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/wintense.html#sthash.LJGqHZAc.dpuf

-636-
Cricket
This section is only intended to be a guide, not to be taken too seriously!
Cricket is a bat and ball sport.
The objective of the game is to score more runs (points) than the opposing team. It is a team game played
between two teams of eleven players each. It originated in its modern form in England, and is popular mainly in
the Commonwealth countries.
In the countries of South Asia , including India , Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, cricket is by far the most
popular participatory and spectator sport. It is also a major sport in places such as England and Wales, Australia
, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the English -speaking Caribbean (called the West Indies).
The length of the game (called a match) can last six or more hours a day, for up to five days in Test matches
(internationals) the numerous intervals for lunch and tea, and the rich terminology are notable aspects which can
confuse those not familiar with the sport.
-637-
The Equipment
Cricket balls
The cricket ball is a hard, solid ball with an interior of cork and a leather case with a slightly raised sewn seam.
For men's cricket, the ball must weigh between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces (155.9 and 163.0 g) and measure between
8 13/16 and 9 in (224 and 229 mm) in circumference. Balls used in women's and youth matches are slightly
smaller.
A new, highly polished ball is used at the start of each innings in a match. A new cricket ball is harder than a
worn one, and is preferred by fast bowlers because of the speed and bounce of the ball as it bounces off the
pitch. Older balls tend to spin more as the roughness grips the pitch more when the ball bounces, so spin
bowlers prefer to use a worn ball. A captain may delay the request for a new ball if he prefers to have his spin
bowlers operating, but usually asks for the new ball soon after it becomes available.
Cricket bats
This specialised bat is shaped something like a paddle with a flat side and shallow V shaped side, the flat side is
used to hit the ball . The bat is traditionally made from willow wood , specifically from the Cricket-bat Willow
( Salix alba var. caerulea ), treated with linseed oil . This wood is used as it is very tough and shock-resistant,
not being significantly dented nor splintering on the impact of a cricket ball at high speed, while also being light in
weight. It incorporates a wooden spring design where the handle meets the blade. The rules of the game limit
the allowable size for a bat as not more than 38 in (965 mm) long and the blade may not be more than 4.25 in
(108 mm) wide. Bats typically weigh from 2 lb 8 oz to 3 lb (1.1 to 1.4 kg) though there is no standard. The handle
is usually covered with a rubber or cloth sleeve to enhance grip and the face of the bat may have a protective
film.
-638-
The stumps
The stumps are three vertical posts supporting the bails to form a wicket at each end of the pitch.
The stumps are 28 inches tall and usually made of wood. They have a spike at one end for hammering into the
ground, and the other end is domed with groove to provide a resting place for the bails.
Each stump is referred to by a specific name:
 Off stump is the stump on the off side of the wicket.

 Middle stump is the stump in the middle of the wicket.
 Leg stump is the stump on the leg side of the wicket.
For professional matches, often one or more of the stumps is hollow and contains a small television camera.
This is aligned vertically, but can view through a small window on the side of the stump via a mirror. The so-
called stump-cam gives a unique view of play for action replays, particularly when a batsman is bowled.
The bails
A bail is one of the two smaller sticks placed on top of the three stumps to form a wicket. The bails are used to
determine when the wicket is broken.
The Game
A match is divided into innings , during which one team bats while the other team bowls and fields .
In each innings, the bowling team tries to limit the runs scored by the batting team and to get the opposition
players out, an event which is described as 'taking a wicket'.
The batting team keeps two batsmen on the field. Each player bats until he is out, and then is replaced and does
not bat again in that innings. Once ten of the eleven players of the batting team have been dismissed (i.e., ten
wickets have been taken) the team is said to be 'All Out' and their innings comes to an end. A team's innings
may also be declared closed by the batting team's captain.
Matches may be played over one or two innings – that is, one or two turns at bat for each team, so that a "two
innings match" contains four innings in total. For most one innings matches such as one-day matches, each
team's innings is limited to a set number of overs. An over is a set of six legal (fair) deliveries or balls . This type
of match is often called limited-overs cricket.
-639-
Conclusion of the match
The first team to bat sets a target score for the second team, which chases the target when it comes to bat. (In a
two innings match, the target is the sum of the first- and second-innings scores.) Matches usually end in one of
these ways:
 The batting team reaches their target. They are said to have won the match by n wicket(s) , where n is
the number of additional wickets the opposing team needed to take to bring the innings to an end.
 The batting team is dismissed before they can reach their target. They are said to have lost the match
by n run(s) , where n is the difference in scores between the teams.
 In two innings matches, the allotted time for the match expires without the batting team either reaching
their target or being dismissed. In this case the result is a draw . A team that sets an enormous target but
takes a long time over it risks drawing the match by leaving themselves insufficient time to dismiss the
other team, which is the reason a captain will often declare his team's innings closed.
 In limited-overs (usually one innings) matches, the second team to bat exceeds the score of the first
team before the allotted number of overs are up. In this case, the second team batting wins.
 Also in limited-overs matches, the maximum number of overs available for the second team to bat are
used up. In this case, provided the number of runs made by the first team are not exceeded or equalled
on the last ball, the second team batting loses.
The Rules of Cricket

The laws of cricket are a set of rules framed by the Marylebone Cricket Club which serve to standardise the
format of cricket matches across the world to ensure uniformity and fairness.
The Laws are intended to apply to all two innings matches; the International Cricket Council has implemented
"Standard Playing Conditions for Test Matches" and "Standard Playing Conditions for One Day Internationals" to
augment the Laws of Cricket. Similarly, each cricketing country has implemented Playing Conditions to govern
domestic cricket. Note that the Laws do not provide for One Day or Limited Overs cricket; these modifications
have been made by the Playing Conditions for One Day Internationals.
The Laws are organised into a Preface, a Preamble, forty-two Laws, and four appendices. The Preface relates
to the Marylebone Cricket Club and the history of the Laws. The Preamble is a new addition and is related to
"the Spirit of the Game;" it was introduced to discourage the increasing practices of ungentlemanly conduct. The
Laws themselves deal with the following:
-640-
Players and officials
The first four laws cover the players, the umpires and the scorers.
 Law 1: The players . A cricket team consists of eleven players, including a captain.
 Law 2: Substitutes . In cricket, a substitute may be brought on for an injured fielder. However, a
substitute may not bat, bowl or keep wicket. The original player may return if he has recovered. A
batsman who becomes unable to run may have a runner, who completes the runs while the batsman
continues batting. Alternatively, a batsman may retire hurt, and may return later to resume his innings if
he recovers.
 Law 3: The umpires . There are two umpires, who apply the Laws, make all necessary decisions, and
relay the decisions to the scorers.
 Law 4: The scorers . There are two scorers who respond to the umpires' signals and keep the score
Equipment and laying out the pitch
After dealing with the players, the laws move on to discuss equipment and pitch specifications, except for
specifications about the wicket-keeper's gloves, which are dealt with in Law 40. These laws are supplemented
by Appendices A and B (see below).
 Law 5: The ball . A cricket ball is between 22.4cm and 29cm in circumference, and weighs between
155.9g and 163g. Only one ball is used at a time, unless it is lost, when it is replaced with a ball of similar
wear. It is also replaced at the start of each innings, and may, at the request of the fielding side, be
replaced after a certain number of balls have been bowled (480 in Test matches). The gradual
degradation of the ball through the innings is an important aspect of the game.
 Law 6: The bat . The bat is no more than than 38 inches (96.5cm) in length, and no more than 4.25
inches (10.8cm) wide. The hand or glove holding the bat is considered part of the bat. The blade of the
bat must be made of wood (and in practice, they are made from the white willow tree ).
 Law 7: The pitch . The pitch is a rectangular area of the ground 22 yards (20.12m) long and 10ft (3.05m)
wide. The Ground Authority has selects and prepares the pitch, but once the game has started, the
umpires control what happens to the pitch. The umpires are also the arbiters of whether the pitch is fit for
play, and if they deem it unfit, with the consent of both captains can change the pitch. Professional
cricket is almost always played on a grass surface. However, if a non-turf pitch is used, the artificial
surface must have a minimum length of 58ft (17.68m) and a minimum width of 6ft (1.83m).
 Law 8: The wickets. The wicket consists of three wooden stumps that are 28 inches (71.1cm) tall. The
stumps are placed along the batting crease with equal distances between each stump. They are
positioned so they are 9 inches (22.86cm) wide. Two wooden bails are placed on top of the stumps. The
bails must not project more than 0.5 inches (1.27cm) above the stumps, and must, for men's cricket, be
4.3125 inches (10.95cm) long. There are also specified lengths for the barrel and spigots of the bail.
There are different specifications for the wickets and bails for junior cricket. The umpires may dispense
with the bails if conditions are unfit (ie it is windy so they might fall off by themselves). Further details on
the specifications of the wickets are contained in Appendix A to the laws.
-641-
 Law 9: The creases. The crease is the area demarcated by white lines painted or chalked on the field of
play. There are four creases (one popping crease, one bowling crease, and two return creases) are
drawn at each end of the pitch, around the two sets of stumps. The batsmen generally play in and run
between the areas defined by the creases at each end of the pitch.
 Law 10: Preparation and maintenance of the playing area.
Rolling the pitch
During the match the pitch may be rolled at the request of the captain of the batting side, for a period of not more
than 7 minutes, before the start of each innings, other than the first innings of the match, and before the start of
each subsequent day's play. In addition, if, after the toss and before the first innings of the match, the start is
delayed, the captain of the batting side may request to have the pitch rolled for not more than 7 minutes, unless
the umpires together agree that the delay has had no significant effect on the state of the pitch. Once the game
has begun, rolling may not take place other than under these circumstances.
If there is more than one roller available the captain of the batting side shall have the choice. There are detailed
rules to make sure that rolling, where possible, is conducted so as not to delay the game, but, if necessary, the
game is delayed to allow the batting captain to have up to 7 minutes rolling if he so wishes.
Sweeping the pitch
Before a pitch is rolled it is first swept to avoid any possible damage by rolling in debris. The pitch is also cleared
of any debris at all intervals for meals, between innings and at the beginning of each day. The only exception to
this is that the umpires do not allow sweeping to take place where they consider it may be detrimental to the
surface of the pitch.
Mowing the pitch
Both the pitch and the outfield is mown on each day of a match on which play is expected to take place, if
ground and weather conditions allow. Once a game has begun mowings are carried out under the supervision of
the umpires.
Footholes and footholds
The umpires are required to make sure that bowlers' and batsmen's footholes are cleaned out and dried
whenever necessary to facilitate play. In matches of more than one day's duration, if necessary, the footholes
made by the bowler in his delivery stride may be returfed or covered with quick-setting fillings to make them safe
and secure. Players may also secure their footholds using sawdust provided that the pitch is not damaged or
they do not do so in a way that is unfair to the other team.
-642-
Other matters
Law 10 also provides that the pitch is not watered during the match and that the creases are re-marked
whenever either umpire considers it necessary.
 Law 11: Covering the pitch. Law 11 provides that during the match the pitch shall not be completely
covered unless provided otherwise by regulations or by agreement before the toss. When possible, the
bowlers' run ups are covered in inclement weather to keep them dry. If the pitch is covered overnight, the
covers are removed in the morning at the earliest possible moment on each day that play is expected to
take place. If covers are used during the day as protection from inclement weather, or if inclement
weather delays the removal of overnight covers, they are removed as soon as conditions allow.
Structure of the game
Laws 12 to 17 outline the structure of the game.
 Law 12: Innings - An innings or inning is a segment of the game during which one side takes its turn to
bat. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is always spelled and pronounced with the
terminal "s". An individual innings usually lasts until the batsman is given out, or until the end of the team
innings. Although batsmen bat together in pairs, this combination is never called an innings : it is
a partnership or a stand .
 Law 13: The follow-on - Follow-on is a term (noun and verb) it describes the situation where a team has
two consecutive innings . Cricket matches are played over either one or two innings. The 'follow-on' is
only used in games played over two innings. In these games the teams take turns in batting. Team A has
its first innings followed by Team B. Then Team A has its second innings, and unless Team B has
already scored more runs than Team A, Team B has its second innings.
However, if Team B scores substantially fewer runs than Team A in its first innings, Team A's captain
may force Team B to bat again (to 'follow-on') straight away, so that the order of the innings is: A, B, B,
and, if necessary, A again. In its second innings, Team B is then said to be 'following-on'.
 Law 14: Declaration and forfeiture:-
Declaration
The captain of the batting side may declare an innings closed, when the ball is dead , at any time during
a match. Usually this is because the captain thinks his team has already scored enough runs to win the
match, though tactical declarations are sometimes used in other circumstances.
-643-
Forfeiture
Under the current Laws, a captain may forfeit either of his side's innings. A forfeited innings shall be considered
as a completed innings. Usually this happens in shorter competitive two-innings matches, where captains need
to agree with each other how to set up the match so that there is a reasonable chance of a result. Winning a
game gains a team considerably more points than drawing it, so captains are often willing to risk giving the
opposition an opportunity to win that they otherwise would not have had as long as they are getting a similar
opportunity in return.
 Law 15: Intervals - Games are played over a number of hours or days, making it one of the sports with
the longest playing time. Typically, games of first-class cricket are played over three to five days with at
least six hours of cricket being played each day. One-day cricket matches last for six hours or more.
Cricket therefore has special rules about intervals for lunch, tea and drinks as well as rules about when
play starts and ends.
 Law 16: Start of play; cessation of play - A game starts when the umpire at the bowler's end calls ‘Play'.
‘Play' is also called to restart the game after an interval or interruption. Before an interval in or
interruption of play, and at the end of a match, the umpire at the bowler's end calls ‘Time' and removes
the bails from both of the wickets . The bowling side cannot make an appeal for a dismissal after ‘Time'
has been called.
The game finishes when the first of three things happens:
1. There is a result, so that one of the teams has won or the team batting last has lost all its wickets
with both teams having the same score thereby giving a tie;
2. The later of the minimum number of overs for the last hour are completed and the agreed time
for the end of the game has been reached (see notes below);
3. If the players leave the field, either for adverse conditions of ground, weather or light, or in
exceptional circumstances, and no further play is possible.
 Law 17: Practice on the field - Players are not allowed to practise bowling or batting on the pitch, or on
the area parallel and immediately adjacent to the pitch, at any time on any day of the match. Practice on
a day of a match on any other part of the cricket square is only permitted before the start of play or after
the close of play on that day, but must cease 30 minutes before the scheduled start of play or if it is
detrimental to the surface of the square.
Typically players do practise on the field of play, but not on the cricket square, during the game. Also bowlers
sometimes practise run ups during the game. However, no practice or trial run up is permitted on the field of play
during play if it could result in a waste of time
-644-
Scoring and winning
The laws then move on to discuss how runs can be scored and how one team can beat the other.
 Law 18: Scoring runs . Runs are scored when the two batsmen run to each other's end of the pitch.
Several runs can be scored from one ball.
 Law 19: Boundaries . A boundary is marked round the edge of the field of play. If the ball is hit past this
boundary, four runs are scored, or six runs if the ball didn't hit the ground before crossing the boundary.
 Law 20: Lost ball . If a ball in play is lost or cannot be recovered, the fielding side can call "lost ball". The
batting side keeps any penalty runs (such as no-balls and wides) and scores the higher of six runs and
the number of runs actually ran.
 Law 21: The result . The side which scores the most runs wins the match. If both sides score the same
number of runs, the match is tied. However, the match may run out of time before the innings have all
been completed. In this case, the match is drawn.
 Law 22: The over . An over consists of six balls bowled, excluding wides and no balls. Consecutive overs
are delivered from opposite ends of the pitch. A bowler may not bowl two consecutive overs.
 Law 23: Dead ball . The ball comes into play when the bowler begins his run up, and becomes dead
when all the action from that ball is over. While the ball is dead, no runs can be scored and no batsmen
can be dismissed. The ball also becomes dead when a batsman is dismissed, which prevents baseball-
style double plays .
 Law 24: No ball . A ball can be a no ball for several reasons: if the bowler bowls from the wrong place; or
if he straightens his elbow during the delivery; or if the bowling is dangerous; or if the ball bounces twice
or rolls along the ground before reaching the batsman; or if the fielders are standing in illegal places. A
no ball adds one run to the batting team's score, in addition to any other runs which are scored off it, and
the batsman can't be dismissed off a no ball except by being run out, or by handling the ball, hitting the
ball twice, or obstructing the field.
 Law 25: Wide ball . A ball is a wide if the batsman can't hit it from the normal standing position or from
where he is actually standing. A wide adds one run to the batting team's score, in addition to any other
runs which are scored off it, and the batsman can't be dismissed off a wide except by being run out or
stumped, or by handling the ball, hitting the ball twice, or obstructing the field.
 Law 26: Bye and leg bye . If a ball that isn't a no ball or wide passes the striker and runs are scored, they
are called byes. If a ball that isn't a no ball hits the striker but not the bat and runs are scored, they are
called leg-byes. However, leg-byes cannot be scored if the striker is neither attempting a stroke nor
trying to avoid being hit. Byes and leg-byes are credited to the team's but not the batsman's total.
-646-
Mechanics of dismissal
Laws 27 to 29 discuss the main mechanics of how a batsman may be dismissed.
 Law 27: Appeals . If the fielders believe a batsman is out, they may ask the umpire "How's That?" (or
more commonly, something like "Howzaaaat?") before the next ball is bowled. The umpire then decides
whether the batsman is out.
 Law 28: The wicket is down . Several methods of being out occur when the wicket is put down. This
means that the wicket is hit by the ball, or the batsman, or the hand in which a fielder is holding the ball,
and at least one bail is removed.
 Law 29: Batsman out of his ground . The batsmen can be run out or stumped if they are out of their
ground. A batsman is in his ground if any part of him or his bat is on the ground behind the popping
crease. If both batsman are in the middle of the pitch when a wicket is put down, the batsman closer to
that end is out.
Ways to get out
Laws 30 to 39 discuss the various ways a batsman may be dismissed. In addition to these 10 methods, a
batsman may retire out. That provision is in Law 2.
 Law 30: Bowled . A batsman is out if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler. It is
irrelevant as to whether the ball has touched the bat, glove, or any part of the batsman before going on
to put down the wicket, though it may not touch another player or an umpire before doing so.
 Law 31: Timed out . An incoming batsman must be ready to face a ball (or be at the crease with his
partner ready to face a ball) within 3 minutes of the outgoing batsman being dismissed, otherwise the
incoming batsman will be out.
 Law 32: Caught . If a ball hits the bat or the hand holding the bat and is then caught by the opposition
within the field of play before the ball bounces, then the batsman is out.
 Law 33: Handled the ball . If a batsman handles the ball with a hand that is not touching the bat without
the consent of the opposition, he is out.
 Law 34: Hit the ball twice . If a batsman hits the ball twice other than for the purposes of protecting his
wicket or with the consent of the opposition, or if he attempts a run after hitting the ball twice to protect
his wicket, he is out.
 Law 35: Hit wicket . If, after the bowler has entered his delivery stride and while the ball is in play, a
batsman puts his wicket down by his bat or his person. The striker is also out hit wicket if he puts his
wicket down by his bat or his person in setting off for a first run. "Person" includes the clothes and
equipment of the batsman.
-647-
 Law 36: Leg before wicket (LBW). If the ball hits the batsman without first hitting the bat, but would have
hit the wicket if the batsman was not there, and the ball does not pitch on the leg side of the wicket the
batsman will be out. However, if the ball strikes the batsman outside the line of the off-stump, and the
batsman was attempting to play a stroke, he is not out.
 Law 37: Obstructing the field . If a batsman wilfully obstructs the opposite by word or action, he is out.
 Law 38: Run out . A batsman is out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is
grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing side.
 Law 39: Stumped . A batsman is out when the wicket-keeper (see Law 40) puts down the wicket, while
the batsman is out of his ground and not attempting a run.
Fielders
 Law 40: The wicket-keeper - The wicket-keeper in cricket is the fielding player who stands behind the
batsman on strike at the wicket .
 Law 41: The fielder - A fielder collects the ball when it is struck by the batsman in such a way as to either
limit the number of runs that the batsman scores or get the batsman out by catching the ball or running
the batsman out. A fielder may field the ball with any part of his person. However, if, while the ball is in
play he wilfully fields it otherwise, the ball becomes dead and 5 penalty runs are awarded to the batting
side unless the ball previously struck a batsman not attempting to hit or avoid the ball.
Fair and unfair play
 Law 42: Fair and unfair play - This law has developed and expanded over time as various incidents of
real life unfair play have been legislated against.
The first section of law 42 makes clear that the captains of the two teams have the responsibility for ensuring
that play is conducted within the spirit and traditions of the game as well as within the Laws. This leads on to a
statement that the umpires are the sole judges of fair and unfair play. It contains an override of the laws of
cricket: of either umpire considers an action that is not covered by the laws to be unfair, he intervenes and will
call the ball dead if the ball is in play.
Ball tampering
The state of the ball has a big effect on how difficult a delivery is for a batsman. A cricket ball is not symmetrical.
It is in two parts stitched together to form a seam. How a ball swings, seams, and spins depends in part on how
much air resistance there is to different parts of the ball, and to what degree the ball has deteriorated. A cricket
team will normally seek to shine one side of the ball and rough up the other side. The resultant variation in air
resistance on the two halves of the ball can then have a marked effect.
-648-
Ball tampering has always been a feature of the sport. Players will use objects to rough up one side of the ball,
and use resins and Brylcreem to shine the other. This sort of ball tampering is against the spirit of the game and
has always been against the rules. Though, as it can be difficult to spot, it has always gone on with limited
sanction.
The television age has meant that from the 1990s onwards most international games have been televised. Slow
motion replays have highlighted a number of incidents of ball tampering: some of which have been widely
reported in the press. The third section of law 42 contains the rules and sanctions against ball tampering and
requires the umpires to make frequent and irregular inspections of the ball to counter it. It also contains punitive
measures against fielders who do tamper with the ball.
Some acts that may alter the ball are permitted. A fielder may polish the ball as long as no artificial substance is
used, remove mud from the ball under the supervision of the umpire and dry a wet ball on a towel. But no-one
may rub the ball on the ground for any reason, interfere with any of the seams or the surface of the ball, use any
implement, or take any other action whatsoever which is likely to alter the condition of the ball.
If a fielder illegally changes the condition of the ball, the umpires replace the ball with another one with similar
wear to the old ball before the ball tampering. The umpires also award five runs to the batting team and report
the incident to the relevant authorities that the fielder is responsible to. These authorities are then expected to
take further disciplinary action against the player as appropriate. If there is a further incidence of ball tampering
in the innings, the same procedure is followed, but the bowler of the immediately preceding ball is banned from
bowling further in that innings too.
Distracting the opposition
If a member of the fielding side deliberately distracts or attempts to distract the batsman on strike while he is
preparing to receive or receiving a delivery, the umpire immediately declares the ball to be dead. The umpire
also informs the fielding captain of the incident. The batsman may not be dismissed from the delivery, which
must be repeated. If this happens again in the innings the same procedure is followed, but the batting team is
awarded five penalty runs too.
It is also unfair for a member of the fielding side to deliberately attempt to distract or obstruct either batsman
after the striker has received the ball by word or action. If this happens a procedure similar to the procedure for
the first instance of ball tampering occurs, although the batting side also scores any runs that they have scored
before the attempted (or actual) distraction or obstruction.
-649-
Unfair bowling
The bowling of fast short pitched balls and of high full pitched balls is dangerous and is also considered unfair.
Where the umpire considers that there are regular fast short pitched balls, that by their length, height and
direction, coupled with the relative skill of the batsman is dangerous, the umpire calls no ball and cautions the
bowler. If this happens a third time in an innings, the bowler is barred from bowling again in that innings, and is
reported to the authorities he is responsible to for further disciplinary action. Where a delivery, after pitching
passes over the head of the striker, the umpire calls no ball and includes it in his consideration of whether fast
short pitched bowling is unfair, even though such a delivery is not dangerous.
High full pitched balls that pass or would have passed on the full above waist height of the striker are deemed
dangerous unfair, except for slow deliveries, where the rule is above shoulder height. The same sanctions apply
to high full pitched balls as apply to fast short pitched balls. Such deliveries, which are called beamers , can be
incredibly dangerous. Usually they only occur by mistake, when a ball slips in the bowler's hand at the point of
delivery and bowlers usually immediately apologise to the batsman for their mistake. If they are bowled
deliberately, no ball is immediately called, the bowler is removed and is reported to the authority to which he is
responsible for further disciplinary action.
Time wasting
Time wasting can be used as a deliberate tactic to win a game. If rain is forecast, a side that is in a losing
position can play slow, with the hope that rain will save them and turn the result into a draw rather than a defeat.
Time wasting can also be used tactically elsewhere in the game: for instance, to minimise the number of
deliveries between a given time and an interval . Law 42 includes rules to counter unfair time wasting.
If the fielding side wastes time, or progresses an over unnecessarily slowly, it is first warned by the umpire. Any
further occurrence, there is a further sanction. If the further occurrence happens otherwise than during an over,
the batting side is awarded 5 penalty runs. If the further occurrence happens during an over, the bowler is
banned from bowling further in the innings. In both instances the relevant Governing Body is informed so it may
consider further disciplinary action.
In normal circumstances the striker should always be ready to take strike when the bowler is ready to start his
run up. If he wastes time, in the first instance the batsman is warned by the umpire. That warning applies to the
batting team as a whole and each incoming batsman is informed of that warning. If there is further time wasting
by any batsman in that innings, the umpires award the fielding side 5 runs and inform the Governing Body so it
may consider further disciplinary action.
-650-
Conclusion
For its fans, the sport and the intense rivalries between the top cricketing nations provide passionate
entertainment. For the uninitiated however it can be confusing, so I hope this article will help a little bit. If it
doesn't maybe this amusing little video from the BBC, those bastions of cricket, will help:-
Interesting Links
A-Z of cricketing terms
The International Cricket Council
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/cricket.html#sthash.YO7WhmlE.dpuf

-651-
English Songs About Sport

Only for fun, here are some songs about sports.
Songs

Take me out to the Ballgame Jack Norworth
We are the Champions Queen
The Boxer Simon and Garfunkel
Boxers Morrissey
Football Crazy
James Curran
I Don't Want to Play Football Belle and Sebastian

I Love You More Than Football Space
What it was was Football Andy Griffith
Gonna Change the World with my HockeyStick The Vandals
The Hockey Song Stompin Tom Connors
Kung Fu Fighting Carl Douglas
Born To Run Bruce Springsteen
Anyone For Tennis? Cream
The Winner Takes it All Sammy Hagar
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/sportsongs.html#sthash.xmiK5Czt.dpuf

-652-
Transport Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary
(aero)plane(s) (bi)cycle(s) boat(s) bus(es) car(s)
helicopter(s) lorry(lorries) moped(s) (motor)bike(s) ship(s)
submarine(s) / sub(s) tanker(s) taxi(s) train(s) tram(s)
tube train(s) /
van(s) yacht(s)
underground train(s)
Now try the flash cards

-653-
Build Up
How do you get there?

By air
At the airport. / On the runway. / In the air.
At the airport. / On the helipad. / In the air.
By road
On the motorway. / On the road. / In the garage.
At the taxi rank. / On the road. / In the garage.

-654-
On the road. / In the garage.
At the bus stop. / On the road. / In the garage.

-655-
By sea
In the port. / In the harbour. / On the water.
In the port. / In the harbour. / Under the sea.
In the harbour. / On the water.
By rail
At the platform. / On the tracks. / In the station.
By tube / underground
-656-
On the tracks. / In the station.
On foot
-657-
Naturally Speaking Useful Phrases
Making enquiries Making enquiries

Questions about trains / buses Questions about flying
 Could you tell me the time of the next  Is there a flight to London, please?
train / bus to Cardiff, please?  Is it a direct flight, or do I have to change
 Is it an express train / bus, or do I have to planes?
change trains / buses?  Do they serve food?
 Is there a buffet car?  What terminal does it leave from?
 What platform / stop does it leave from?  Is there an airport bus?
 What time does it depart?  Can I have a window/aisle seat?
 What time does it arrive?  What time do I have to check in?
 How long is the journey?  What time does it take off?
 What time does it land?
 How long is the flight?
Buying a train ticket Buying a plane ticket
 I'd like a ticket to London, please.  I'd like a ticket to London, please.
o Single or return? o Single or return?
 Return. How much is the fare?  Return. How much is it?
o That's £150.00 peak time, or if o That's £150.00 business class, or
you travel off-peak between £65.00 budget.
10am and 3pm it's only £65.00.  Budget then thanks. Can I have a
 I'll travel off-peak then thanks. Can I window / aisle seat, please?
reserve a seat? o Yes, certainly.
o Yes, but it's an extra £5.00.
o o
-658-
Dialogue
Mr Smith is checking in at the airport.
Checking in at the airport - Conversation

Clerk: Good Morning.
Mr S : Is this the right desk? My flight is BA123.
Clerk: Yes, that's right. I need your passport and your ticket, please.
Mr S: There you go.
Clerk: Thank you. Do you have any luggage to check in Mr Smith?
Mr S: Yes, these two suitcases.
Clerk: Could you put them on the conveyor belt, please.
Mr S: Sure. I don't think they are over.
Clerk: No. That's fine. Would you like a window or an aisle seat?
Mr S: A window seat, please.
Clerk: ... Here are your luggage tags and your boarding card. Your seat is 36B.
Mr S: Thank you. What is the boarding time?
Clerk: The plane is boarding in 30 minutes. You leave from Gate 15. Have a good flight.
Mr S: Thank you. Goodbye.
Crossword
Memory
Vocabulary test
Wordsearch
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/transport.html#sthash.fvEcGRsI.dpuf

-659-
Idioms and Sayings About Transport

To get on your bike.
For example:
To get moving.
Norman Tebbit told the unemployed of Britain to get
on their bikes and find work elsewhere.
On yer bike!
For example:
An impolite way of telling someone to go away.
He said "On yer bike" when I asked him for more
money.
To be in the same boat.
For example:
To be in the same situation (usually unpleasant) as
other people.
She's always complaining that she has too much
work, but we're all in the same boat.
Car boot sale.

An event in a public place where people sell their
For example: unwanted possessions, often from the backs of their
cars.
You can pick up a lot of bargains at a car boot sale.
To have a face like the back end of a bus.
For example:
To be really ugly.
"Quasimodo has a face like the back end of a bus, but
he is really nice."
-660-
Car pool.
For example:
A group of cars owned by a company or other organization
which can be used by any of its employees.
"Could you deliver this package for me?
Use a car from the pool."
Drive a hard bargain.
For example:
To expect a lot in exchange for what you pay or do
"We got a good price in the end, but he

drives a hard bargain."
Drive someone round the bend.
For example:
To make someone very bored or very angry.
"The children have been driving me round
the bend all day."
Drive someone up the wall.
For example:
To make someone extremely angry.
"My neighbours are driving me up the wall
with their loud music."
Test drive.
For example: To drive a car that you are considering buying, in order to see
if you like it.
"I took it out for a test drive before I bought
it."
-661-
Flight of fancy.
For example:
An idea which shows a lot of imagination but which is not
practical.
"Clean nuclear fuel is a real flight of
fancy."
Take flight.
For example:
To run away.
"The children took flight when they say
the farmer."
Top flight.
For example:
To be at the highest level in a job or sport.
"David Beckham is a top flight
footballer."
Hit and run.
For example:
This idiom describes a road accident in which the driver who
"The police are hunting a hit and run caused the accident drives away without helping the other people
involved and without telling the police.
driver."
End of the line.
For example:
The point where it is no longer possible to continue with a
"This project has struggled on for as long process or activity.
as it could, but it's reached the end of
the line now."
-662-
Port of call.
For example: A place where you stop for a short time, especially on
a journey.
"Where's our next port of call?"
Any port in a storm.
For example:
If you are in a difficult situation you will go anywhere
for help.
"I didn't want to stay with my mother, but any port
in a storm."
Go off the rails.
to start behaving in a way that is not generally

For example: acceptable, especially dishonestly or illegally:
"Prince Harry has really gone of the rails recently."
Down the road.
For example:
Sometime in the future
"One day I will have video capability on the site,
but that's a long way down the road."
The end of the road.
For example:
The point where it is no longer possible to continue
with a process or activity.
"We will have to give up on this project, it's
reached the end of the road."
-663-
To get the show on the road.
For example:
To begin an activity that has been planned.
"Let's get this show on the
road."
To hit the road.
For example:
To leave a place or begin a journey.
"I must be going, I need to hit
the road to catch my train."
Middle of the road (MOR).
This idiom describes a person, organization, opinion or type of

For example: entertainment that is not extreme and is acceptable to or liked by most
people.
"He only likes MOR music."
One for the road.
For example:
To have one last an alcoholic drink just before leaving.
"Do you fancy one for the road
before you go?"
Road hog.
For example:
Someone who drives so that other vehicles cannot go past.
"I have never liked his driving,
he is such a road hog."
The road to hell is paved with

good intentions. said to emphasize that you must not simply intend to behave well but you
must act according to your intentions, because you will have problems or
be punished if you do not.
No example necessary.
-664-
Ship someone off.
For example:
To send someone away somewhere.
"Rich parents often ship their children off to
boarding school."
Shape up or ship out.

Said to tell someone that they must improve their
No example necessary. performance or behaviour or they will have to leave.
To be just the ticket.
For example:-
Used to describe that something is exactly what is needed.
"If you want to improve your English, this
websiste is just the ticket."
Off the beaten track.
For example: A place where few people go, far from any main roads and
towns.
"The hotel is difficult to find, it is really off
the beaten track."
On track. If something is on track it's making progress and is likely to

achieve something.
For example:
To get or put something back on track means to correct
"It looks as though the crisis is over. We're something that was going wrong.
back on track."
-665-
The fast track.
For example:
The quickest and most direct route to achievement of a goal
(especially business related).
He won't be working in this office for very
long, he's on the fast track to management.
The inside track.
For example: To have a special position within an organization, or a special

relationship with a person that gives you advantages that other
"He knows a lot about the company, he's on people do not have.
the inside track."
Lose track.
For example:
To no longer know what is happening, or not to remember
something.
"They've lost track of their original goal. I
doubt they'll win the next election."
One track mind.
For example:
A tendency to think about only one subject.
He only ever thinks about girls, he has a
one track mind.
Cover your tracks.
For example:
To hide or conceal something.
They'll never catch the real culprits at
Enron, they were to good at covering their
tracks.
-666-
Train of thought.
For example:
The connections that link the various parts of an
event or argument together.
"He was trying to explain how the budget would help
to end the recession, but I couldn't follow his train of
thought."
To get on the gravy train.
For example: To attempt to make money quickly, easily, and

often dishonestly.
"I wouldn't trust him if I were you, he is always trying
to get on the gravy train."
Public transport.
For example: A system of vehicles such as buses and trains

which operate at regular times on fixed routes and
"People should use public transport more to avoid are used by the public.
congestion on the roads."
Travel light.
To go on a journey without taking a lot of things

For example:
with you.
"I always travel light when I go to England."
The squeaky wheel gets the oil.
For example:
People who make the most fuss get the most
attention.
"He complained to the manager and they gave him a
free replacement."

Sponsors
Advertisements
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/transportidioms.html#sthash.4zon5Zh5.dpuf
-667-

Transport
Many verbs have different meanings, however this section deals with verbs about work only as related to
transport from the vocabulary page. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday
conversation.
Verbs
The Verb
An example Regular
(infinitive The Meaning
( Simple Past Tense) /Irregular
form)
Demonstrators were bussed in from
To bus To take people somewhere by bus. all parts of the country to attend the Regular
protest rally.
To transport or take something from one place to The porter carried her bags to her
To carry Regular
another. room.
You can catch a bus, but you don't need a net or
To catch a hook. I think we use the verb "catch" because I caught the bus to the train station. Irregular
so many people run after the bus.
To take goods, letters, parcels etc. to people's The postman delivered my birthday
To deliver Regular
houses or places of work. cards.
To move or travel on land in a motor vehicle,
To drive especially as the person controlling the vehicle's I drove my son to college. Irregular
movement.
To hire To pay to use something for a short period. I hired a car for the fortnight. Regular
To (cause to) travel, move or continue in a
To run The trains ran on time yesterday. Irregular
particular way.
You can take a taxi, but it doesn't mean you
To take I took a taxi to the train station. Irregular
steal it!
(Regarding an aircraft) to move slowly on the
To taxi ground. The plane taxied into the hangar. Regular
-668-
Phrasal Verbs
The
Phrasal The Meaning
Verb
The thieves drove off in
drive off To leave in a car. S
a BMW.
run If a ship or boat runs aground/ashore, it hits the coast, The ship ran aground in
S
aground sometimes becoming stuck there. the storm.
If a vehicle or its driver runs over someone or something, the He accidently ran over
run over S
vehicle hits and drives over them. the rabbit.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/transportverbs.html#sthash.H7xomg5x.dpuf
-669-
Irregular Verb - To drive
drive / drove / driven / driving
Tenses for the Verb - To drive
The Past
Past Continuous - "He was driving to work when he saw his colleague at the bus stop."
Past Simple - "He drove to the bus stop and gave his colleage a lift."
Past Perfect Simple - "When he was twenty he had never driven a car."
Past Perfect Continuous - "He set off at 7.50 am so, by the time he got to work he had been driving for over an
hour."
-670-
The Present
Present Continuous - "He is driving to work."
Present Simple - "He drives to work every day."
Present Perfect Simple - "He has already driven half way there."
Present Perfect Continuous - "He has been driving since 7.00am. It's time to take a break. "*
!Note - *He has been able to drive since he passed his driving test."
The Future
Future Continuous - "He's driving to work again tomorrow."
Future Simple - "He will drive his colleague to work tomorrow as well."
Future Perfect Simple - "He has driven his colleague to work for over a year now ."
Future Perfect Continuous - "By the time he gets to work at 8.10am he will have been driving for over an hour."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/tenses/drivetense.html#sthash.a5SLtdZu.dpuf

-671-
British Transport
A History of Transport in the UK
Bicycles
The first bicycles were introduced into Britain from France. There was a great craze for the hobby-horse or
dandy-horse, though it was little more than a scooter. In 1839 a Scottish blacksmith, Kirkpatrick Macmillan,
added pedals that drove the back wheel. But an invention in France in 1865 produced the more popular 'bone-
shaker' bicycle, driven by pedals attached to the front wheel. To increase speed, the front wheel was made
bigger and bigger until it measured five feet across with a back wheel of only 14-18 inches in diameter. This was
known as the penny-farthing.
On a penny-farthing a rider perched five feet up on his saddle could have a nasty fall so it was the chain driven
safety bicycle with wheels of equal size that became popular. Today's bicycle is very similar, with the addition of
Dunlop's air-filled tyres, better brakes, a free wheel, three-speed gears and various types of handlebars.
Nowadays you can take your life in your hands and cycle around Britain. There are many cycle lanes set aside
for this use, but don't be surprised if they run out in the middle of three lanes of traffic.
-672-
Canals
With the Industrial Revolution in the UK there was a need to transport coal more quickly and efficiently, efforts
were made to improve water transport. The Duke of Bridgewater commissioned The Bridgewater canal, the first
of its kind, so that large quantities of coal could be transported from his mines in Worsley, Lancashire, to
Manchester, seven miles away (11km). His engineer, James Brindley, designed a waterway that went to the
very coalface of the mines and included an aqueduct across the River Irwell. The canal was so successful that
on its opening, the price of coal in Manchester halved.
As factory and mine owners realised the value of water transport, the great canal age began. Between 1760 and
1840 nearly 4,000 miles (6,400km) of canal were built. These canals were vital to the new industries because
they carried materials for building factories, for making cotton, iron or pottery goods, and then took these goods
away to be sold once they were made.
The success of the railway saw the demise of Britain's canals, however interest in their maintenance has been
revived recently as they now attract holiday makers.
Cars
It is usually agreed that a German, Carl Benz, built the first motor car in 1885. It was really a tricycle with a petrol
motor at the rear. Members of the Royal family and other wealthy people took up motoring as a sport; they were
pleased when the Red Flag Act was removed in 1896.
Many of the early cars were two seaters, steered by a tiller, not a wheel. They had no hoods, so motorists wore
goggles, hat-veils and short leather coats. There were no petrol pumps and few garages, so every driver had to
be his own engineer for the frequent breakdowns which occurred.
By 1905, cars began to look like cars today, with headlamps, bonnet, windscreen, rubber tyres and number
plates. Roads were sprayed with hot tar to ensure a smoother ride and fewer punctures. Henry Ford's 'Model T',
introduced in America in 1909, was cheaper because it was made on assembly line. It brought cars closer
towards the reach of 'ordinary people'.
The popularity of the car meant that registration was introduced in 1903 with the Motor Car Act . Competency
tests were introduced in 1935. Today the legal driving age for a car or van in the UK is seventeen. You are not
allowed to drive a car unsupervised until you have passed a driving test, which involves three sections: a theory
test , a hazard perception test and a supervised driving examination).
-673-
Forty years ago, Britain celebrated the opening of its first motorway, the Preston bypass, just one month before
the M1. Until then, no one really understood what a motorway was, not even the labourers who were building it.
The bypass hailed a new era in motor travel and was greeted with excitement and optimism.
Nowadays we have the M25 - affectionately known as the largest car park in the world.
Service stations came with the motorway and the legend of the transport café was born. Of course, the service
station has diversified greatly since the days of chip butties and grey tea, but - whether it's an English cooked
breakfast or a cappuccino and croissant - one thing has remained the same: the prices.
Planes
In 1852, Henri Giffard made the first powered airship flight in France. But it was Count von Zeppelin's rigid
airship of 1900 that proved air travel was possible.
Powered aeroplane flight began in 1903 when the Wright Brothers flew their first machine in America. In 1919, a
passenger service began between London and Paris and the first regular Atlantic crossings were made in 1937.
The jet engine was successfully tried out during the Second World War.
The most famous British aeroplanes of all time have to be the Comet and Concorde. Even now, Concorde
excites much admired for its beautiful design. It took its first ever commercial flight in 1976, with two planes
taking off simultaneously from Paris and London. But the plane was just too costly and Concorde was doomed
almost from the start.
Trains
The first man to combine the steam engines and wagon-ways was Richard Trevithick. An engineer, he designed
a steam engine that could run on wheels in 1803. In 1804, his engine pulled wagons carrying 18 tonnes of iron
ore and 70 men for five miles (14km) in South Wales, but it was so heavy that the track broke when it reached
five miles per hour (8kph).
The rail transport system in Great Britain developed during the 19th century. Britain's railways were initially owned
by four companies, then during WWII they were the railways were taken into state control and they were
nationalised in 1947. It wasn't until 1996 that they were privatised again!
-674-
Today there are 25 train operators who run the services. One infrastructure company - Network Rail. Three
rolling stock companies. And all sorts of companies who do maintenance work on the 13,000 miles of track.
There are also a number of government organisations like the Strategic Rail Authority and the Health and Safety
Executive which are involved in running the railways, making the whole structure extremely complicated.
Broken tracks, leaves or the wrong type of snow on the line and trains past their sell by date are a feature of rail
travel in the UK nowadays where, according to statistics, only two out of ten British trains are late, the main
problem is they always seem to be my trains! If you have a problem when travelling by train in Britain there is a
very good network called the Rail Passenger Council which deals with complaints and will also give a lot of
advice on any problems you might have had.
Taxis
A taxicab (sometimes called taxi, cab, or hack) is a vehicle for hire which carries passengers. The word hack
comes from the horse-drawn for-hire hackney carriages that began operating in London in the early 17th century.
It wasn't until 1903 that gas-powered, metered taxis began to operate in London.
The most famous taxis have to be the black cabs taxi service in London. Black cabs--also known as hackney
carriages, or hackney cabs--are particularly famous on account of the specially constructed vehicles. London
taxi drivers have to pass a difficult test called the knowledge, which can take up to three years (the taxi driver
here says " free years of me life"). The taxi drivers have to know every street in London.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/transport.html#sthash.ABWMTyNQ.dpuf

-675-
English Songs About Rooms

Only for fun, here are some songs about rooms in the house. If you have an titles with dining room - please let
me know!
Songs

Box in the attic Brian Peters
Living in the attic Gordon Haskell
Toys in the attic Aerosmith
Bathroom blues Legendary Stardust Cowboy
Bathroom wall Faster Pussycat
Pink bedroom Alvin Stardust
She came in through the bedroom window Joe Cocker
Cook in the kitchen The Dubliners
Rat in me kitchen UB40
You'll always find me in the kitchen at parties Jona Lewie
Living room David Gray
In my living room INXS
I thought I was in the gehetto but it was really
New Uranium Kandy
mybedroom
Mirror in the bathroom The Beat
Living-room David Gray
Deck the hall Nat King Cole

Fell down the stairs Tilly And The Wall
Television the drug of the nation Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
Living on the ceiling Blancmange
Pictures on my wall Echo And The Bunnymen
Stickin' to the floor Arctic Monkeys
Banging on the door Simple Minds
Legend in my living room Annie Lennox
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/roomssongs.html#sthash.ez1Mp0JB.dpuf

-675-
Common English Idioms and

Sayings
English idioms, sayings and informal English,
organised into themes:-
Animal Idioms and Sayings
Body Idioms and Sayings
Buildings Idioms and Sayings
Clothes Idioms and Sayings
Colour Idioms and Sayings
Eating Idioms and Sayings
Education Idioms and Sayings
Election Idioms and Sayings
Entertainment Idioms and Sayings
Food Idioms and Sayings

-675-
Jobs and Work Idioms and Sayings
Life and Death Idioms and Sayings
Money Idioms and Sayings
Number Idioms and Sayings
Rooms Idioms and Sayings
Seasons Idioms and Sayings
Shopping Idioms and Sayings
Slang
Money Slang
Slang for Tourists
Sport Idioms and Sayings
Time Idioms and Sayings
Transport Idioms and Sayings
Weather Idioms and Sayings

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/idiompage.html#sthash.wH37EIHJ.dpuf
-676-
Idioms And Sayings About Animals

To have ants in your pants.
For example:- To be unable to keep still because you are very

excited or worried about something.
There's a test tomorrow, and he can't concentrate or
keep still. He looks like he's got ants in his pants.
To badger someone.
For example:- To pester someone into doing something.
Don't let people badger you into having a drink.
Bark worse than bite.
For example:-
Used to describe someone who makes threats but
never carries them out.
Oh don't worry, he's always shouting at people, but
his bark is worse than his bite.
Barking up the wrong tree.

To make the wrong choice, or ask the wrong
For example:- person. (Imagine Laika barking up a tree
thinking there's a squirrel up there, but the
The government was barking up the wrong tree with squirrel has already run along the branches to
another tree.)
their proposal to selloff the UK's forests.
To be like a bear with a sore head.
For example:-
To be in a bad mood.
My husband is like a bear with a sore head before he
gets his cup of tea in the morning.
-677-
To have a bee in your bonnet.
For example:-
To be obsessed about something.
She's got a real bee in her bonnet about that new advertising
campaign, she's even phoned the ACA!
The birds and the bees.
For example:-
A euphamism for courtship and
intercourse between people.
In the UK many parents dread having to tell their children
about the birds and the bees.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
For example:-
Having something for certain is better
than the possibility of getting something
I would stay with your current firm, rather than look for better.
something better. After all, a bird in the hand is worth two in
the bush.
The early bird catches the worm.
For example:-
If you do something in a timely manner
you will succeed.
I'll go to work early tomorrow. After all, the early bird
catches the worm.
A bird's eye view.
For example:-
The appearance of something seen from
above.
If you look at Google Maps you can get a bird's eye view of
your street.
-678-
Birds of a feather flock together.
For example:- People who have similar characters or

similar interests will often choose to
At the party, all the teenagers gathered in the kitchen. Birds spend time together.
of a feather flock together.
To kill two birds with one stone.
For example:-
To solve two problems with a single
I went to the dentist, and asked him to fill the molar, and action.
remove the wisdom tooth at the same time. Might as well kill
two birds with one stone.
To be like a bull in a china shop.
For example:-
To be clumsy.
Don't let him touch those glass baubles, he's like a bull in a
china shop.
A cat nap.
For example:- A short sleep, during the day.
I always have a cat nap after lunch.
To be like a cat on a hot tin roof.
For example:-
To be nervous and unable to keep still.
She's waiting for her boyfriend to call, and she's been like a
cat on a hot tin roof all day.
-679-
A fat cat.
For example:- Someone who is very rich and powerful.
Too many fat cats have made money out of the recession.
A scaredy-cat.
For example:- Someone who is frightened for no reason.
It's only a little spider, don't be such a scaredy-cat.
The cat's whiskers.
For example:-
When someone thinks they're better than
everyone else.
She thought she was the cat's whiskers when she got the
part in the play.
For example:- Said when someone isn't saying anything.
Why are you being so quiet? Cat got your tongue?
To let the cat out of the bag.
For example:-
To reveal a secret.
Everybody knows about the redundancies, someone let the
cat out of the bag.
To look like the cat that got the cream.
For example:-
To look very pleased and a bit smug about
something.
I guess you passed your exam. You look like the cat that got
the cream.
-680-
To put a cat among the pigeons.
For example:-
To cause trouble.
When the photos showed him kissing a young woman, it
really put the cat among the pigeons.
Not enough room to swing a cat.
For example:- Used to describe a place that is very small.
In our old flat there wasn't enough room to swing a cat.
It's raining cats and dogs!
For example:-
It's raining very heavily.
We had to run for shelter when it started raining cats
and dogs.
Look what the cat's dragged in!
For example:- An insulting way of saying that someone has

just arrived and they don't look good.
Look what the cat's dragged in! You look terrible!
To be a chicken or To be chicken or to
be chicken livered.
For example:- Someone who is cowardly.
She wouldn't get on the waltzers, because she said

they're dangerous. She's such a chicken.
-681-
A cuckoo in the nest.
For example:- Someone who is part of a group but is different and

often disliked, or a problem that grows quickly and
The new manager is a real cuckoo in the nest. crowds out everything else.
He's causing more problems than he's solving.
Living in cloud cuckoo land.
For example:-
Used to describe someone who has ideas or plans that
are completely unrealistic.
He thinks the recession won't affect his
business. He's living in cloud cuckoo land.
For example:- A show or other event that has been organized in order
to get people's support or to persuade them to buy
His campaign was a real dog and pony show, something.
but he still didn't win the election.
A shaggy dog story.
For example:-
A joke or story that's obviously not true or has a silly
ending.
The way he kept going on led me to suspect it
was a shaggy dog story.
To be like a dog with two tails.
For example:-
To be very happy.
When we found out we had won the contract,
our manager was like a dog with two tails.
-682-
To be dog-eared.
For example:-
If something is dog-eared, it is in bad
condition.
I won't lend her any more books, the last one she gave back
to me was dog-eared.
To be dog tired.
For example:- To be exhausted.
The party went on till 4am. I was dog tired the next day.
Gone to the dogs.
For example.-
Used when someone or somewhere
becomes less successful than it was.
This country has gone to the dogs since they won the
election.
Let sleeping dogs lie.
For example:-
Leave something alone if it might cause
trouble.
I knew my boss was wrong, but I didn't say anything. He
wouldn't thank me, so I say, let sleeping dogs lie.
For example:-
We had to run for shelter when it started raining cats and
dogs.
-683-
Talk the hind leg off a donkey.
For example:-
To talk a lot.
I couldn't get a word in edgeways. That guy could talk the hind
leff off a donkey.
A dead duck.
For example:-
A failure.
The police admitted that they were giving up, the case was a
dead duck.
For example:- Said when someone doesn't let things

upset them.
He kept shouting at me, but it was like water off a duck's back.
For example:- A problem or situation that everyone

knows about but no one mentions.
Her blindness was the elephant in the room.
A white elephant.
For example:-
Used to describe something you own
that is useless.
Spain lavished money on many white elephant building
projects, such as the airport at Ciudad Real, south of Madrid.
-684-
A cold fish.
For example:-
Someone who doesn't show how
they feel.
Her husband's a real cold fish, it's impossible to tell whether he's
happy or not.
For example:-
Oh! They want to place an order? That's a different kettle of fish.

Of course I'll talk to them.

do.
He couldn't stay long, with this merger he has bigger fish to fry.
For example:-
To be uncomfortable in a
particular situation
When she started talking about her personal problems, he looked
like a fish out of water.
Something is fishy.
For example:-
Used when something is
suspicious.
There was something fishy in the way he paused before answering
the question.
-685-
To be a fly on the wall.
For example:-
To want to be somewhere secretly, so you
can overhear what is said.
I would love to have been a fly on the wall when the
boss was telling him off.
To be as sly as a fox.
For example:-
To be sneakily clever.
He managed to get all his money out before the bank
collapsed. He's a sly old fox.
To get someone's goat.
For example:-
To upset someone.
The whole time I was singing she didn't stop talking.
She really got my goat.
What's sauce for the goose, (is sauce for the gander.)
For example:-
If you think something is acceptable for one
person, it should also be acceptable for
If your husband can go out to work, then surely you can another person.
too. After all, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the
gander.
Wouldn't say boo to a goose.
For example:-
Describes someone who is very nervous.
He's not assertive enough to be a supervisor, he wouldn't
say boo to a goose.
-686-
To not give a hoot.
For example:- To not care.
Estate agents don't give a hoot about their customers.
A dark horse.
For example:-
A person who is secretive and often does
something surprising.
I was surprised when he sat down to play the piano, I didn't
know he could! He's a real dark horse.
To close (shut) the stable door after the horse has bolted.
For example:-
To try to fix something after the problem
has occurred.
Giving the banks billions of dollars, is like closing the stable
door after the horse has bolted.
To say you could eat a horse.
For example:- To be very hungry.
I haven't had any breakfast, so I could eat a horse.
To eat like a horse.
For example:- To eat a lot.
He had two helpings of everything. He eats like a horse!
To look a gift horse in the mouth.
For example:- To mistrust or complain about

something you are offered or given for
She complained that the software was slow, but hadn't paid free.
for it, so I told her not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
-687-
To eat like a horse.
For example:- To eat a lot.
He had two helpings of everything. He eats like a horse!
To put the cart before the horse.
For example:-
To get things confused and mixed up, or
to do things in the wrong order.
Learning to write a language before you are comfortable
speaking it is putting the cart before the horse.
Sraight from the horse's mouth.
For example:-
To hear something interesting from
The rumour is true, the company will announce a large someone actually involved.
contract today, I heard it straight from the horse's mouth; the
managing director told me.
For example:- Used to describe a woman who is

dressed in a style that is more suitable for
She's over fifty and should really stop wearing mini skirts if a much younger woman.
she doesn't want to look like mutton dressed as lamb.
To not give a monkey's.
For example:-
Used to express lack of concern or
interest.
I don't give a monkey's about being made redundant. I'm
leaving. I've got another, better job.
-688-
To put a cat among the pigeons.
For example:-
To cause trouble.
When the photos showed him kissing a young
woman, it really put the cat among the pigeons.
For example:- A show or other event that has been organized in

order to get people's support or to persuade them to
His campaign was a real dog and pony show, but buy something.
he still didn't win the election.
To be like a rabbit in the headlights.
For example:-
To be so frightened or surprised that you cannot
move or think.
As I walked into the exam room, I was like a
rabbit in the headlights.
To pull a rabbit out of the hat.
For example:-
To surprise everyone by suddenly doing something
clever.
He really pulled a rabbit out of the hat by getting
those orders.
A wolf in sheep's clothing.
For example:-
Someone who is dangerous, but pretends to be
harmless.
I wouldn't borrow any money off him if I were
you. He's a real wolf in sheep's clothing.
-689-
Even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while.
For example:-
Sometimes people can be correct
I was surprised when he came up with the solution, I didn't think just by being lucky.
he was that clever. I guess that even a blind squirrel can find a nut
once in a while.
To have a tiger by the tail.
For example:- To have become associated with

something powerful and potentially
Trying to deal with the problem of drugs on the streets is like dangerous.
grabbing a tiger by the tail.
To talk turkey.
For example:-
To speak frankly and openly.
We need to solve this problem, and the only way we'll do it is to
talk turkey.
A wolf in sheep's clothing.
For example:-
Someone who is dangerous, but
pretends to be harmless.
I wouldn't borrow any money off him if I were you. He's a real
wolf in sheep's clothing.
To cry wolf.
For example:- To raise a false alarm about

something.
Don't take any notice of him, he's always crying wolf.
690-
-
For example:-
If you do something in a timely
manner you will succeed.
I'll go to work early tomorrow. After all, the early bird catches
the worm.
The worm has turned..
For example:-
When a usually meek person or group
of people becomes angry.
Investors have become skeptical of the ability of CEOs to pull
higher stock prices out of their hats. The worm has turned.
To open a can of worms.
For example:-
To do something that exposes a very
difficult issue or set of problems.
When the government invited online petitions through its
website, it found it had opened a can of worms.
Sponsors
Advertisements
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/idioms/animaldioms.html#sthash.OOAjNrRU.dpuf
-691-
Idioms and Sayings About The

Human Body
A list as long as your arm.
For example:-
A very long list.
When I do a new vocabulary unit my list of things to do is

as long as your arm.
A shot in the arm.
For example:- Something which has a sudden and positive effect on

something.
His son's visits were a real shot in the arm for the old
man.
Give your right arm.
For example:-
To want something very much.
When I'm in Germany I'd give my right arm for some

decent bacon.
The long arm of the law.
For example:-
The police.
I told him not to do it. You never escape the long arm of
the law.
-692-
To chance your arm.
To take a chance in order to get something that you

For example:-
want.
He chanced his arm on the horses.
Strong-arm
For example:- To use force and threats to make people do what you
demand.
The police used strong-arm tactics to break up the
protest.
To twist someone's arm.
For example:- To persuade someone to do something they do not

want to do.
She didn't want to study English, but the teacher twisted
her arm.
Back to back
To be close together and facing in opposite

For example:-
directions.
British cities are full of back to back housing.
Back passage
For example:- A polite phrase for rectum.
The doctor examined his back passage.

-693-
Behind someone's back.
To do something without them knowing, in a

For example:-
way which is unfair.
I bought the car behind his back and now he's really angry.
The shirt off someone's back.
For example:-
The last thing that someone has left.
He's so generous he'd give you the shirt off his back, if you
asked him.
To break your back.
For example:-
To work extremely hard.
I don't know why English teachers break their backs for so little
financial reward.
To get off someone's back.
For example:- To tell someone to stop criticizing.
If you got off her back about studying she might do better.
To get someone's back up.
For example:-
To really annoy someone.
She does it deliberately, even though she knows I don't like it,
just to get my back up.
694-
-
To put your back into something.
For example:- To work very hard at something.
Hermine really put her back into learning English.
To scratch someone's back.
For example:- To offer to help someone if they help

you.
If I give you the planning permission you have to vote for me on the
council. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
To stab someone in the back.
To say nasty things about someone

For example:-
when they are not there.
He thought they were his friends until they stabbed him in the back.
To turn your back on something/someone.
For example:- To stop being involved.
I had to turn my back on it before I became ill.
To have your back to the wall.
To be in a difficult or desperate
For example:-
situation.
The CEO had his back to the wall, so he resigned.

-695-
For example:-
Criticisms of or warnings to a particular person that have no effect on
that person.
The crowd was booing but he carried on
anyway, it was water off a duck's back to
him.
To show a bit of backbone.
For example:-
To show fortitude and determination.
In the end she showed some
backbone and she refused to pay for the
course.
To go belly up.
To be ruined or defeated, especially financially.
For example:-
Thanks to Sally Hiller
The company went belly up soon after.
To have a beer belly.
A beer belly (or pot belly) is , is the accumulation of visceral fat

For example:-
resulting in an increase in waist size. Aka: abdominal obesity, clinically
known as central obesity.
Most women find a beer belly very
unattractive.
Body politic
For example:
A politically organized group of people under a single government.
Judge Sydney Harris ordered the crown
to return to the Body Politic all material
seized during the raid.
-696-
Over my dead body.
For example:
To be unwilling to allow something to happen.
When she asked me if she could go to the pop festival,
I told her she could go over my dead body. She's only
15!
A bone of contention.
For example:- Something that people argue about over a long period of
time.
The rise in student fees is becoming a real bone of
contention for the coalition.
As smooth as a baby's bottom,
For example:- Very smooth.
Feel this cloth, it's as smooth as a baby's bottom."
Bottom out.
For example:- To reach the lowest point in a continuously changing

situation and to be about to improve.
The economy has bottomed out and must start to get
better this year.
Brain drain.
The movement of people with education and skills from

For example:-
their own country to another country where they are paid
more for their work.
The country's brain drain began to reverse as
professors returned from abroad.
To brain someone.
For example:- To hit someone on the head.
During the robbery the security guard was brained.

-697-
To be all brawn and no brain.
For example:-
To be physically strong but not very intelligent.
The trouble with many footballers is that they're all

brawn and no brains.
To beat your brains out.
For example:- To spend a lot of time worrying about a problem and

thinking about how to deal with it.
I've been beating my brains out trying to remember
more brain idioms.
To pick someone's brain.
To ask for information or advice from someone who knows

For example:-
more about a subject than you do.
People often pick my brain on the forum.
Scatterbrain / Scatterbrained
For example:-
A flighty and disorganized person.
She had to go home to get her handbag. She's

such a scatterbrain!
Brainy
For example:- Clever.
He always gets good marks, he's so brainy.
For example:-
To be pregnant.

-698-
Calf length.
Clothing or boots that end at the middle point between

For example:-
the foot and the knee.
She wore a calf length dress to the party.
Tongue in cheek.
For example:- When you say something as a joke, although you

might appear to be serious.
Cheek by jowl.
For example:- If things or people are cheek by jowl, they are very
close together.
There were over twenty people living in the house. They
were living cheek by jowl.
To beat your breast/chest.
For example:-
To show grief or guilt in an obvious or public way.
There's no point in beating your breast/chest about it -

she won't come back.
To get sth off your chest.
For example:- To tell someone about something that has been

worrying you or making you feel guilty for a long time.
When I told him I was leaving I was glad to get it off my
chest.
To put hairs on your chest.
To drink something that is alcoholic or eat something

For example:-
nice.
Get that down you, it'll put hairs on your chest.

-699-
Chin up.
For example:-
Something you say to someone to tell them to have confidence.
A. I've got my exams tomorrow.

B. Chin up, it will all be over soon.
Keep your chin up.
For example:- Something that you say to someone in a difficult situation in

order to encourage them to be brave and to try not to be sad.
I told her to keep her chin up and everything
would be ok in the end.
Take it on the chin.
For example:- To be brave and not complain when bad things happen to you
or people criticise you.
In spite of the setbacks he took it all on the chin
and set up the business anyway.
To be all ears.
For example:-
To be waiting eagerly to hear about something.
When she heard their was an important
message for her, Spitz was all ears.
Thanks to Spitzgogo for a timely reminder.
To box someone's ears.
For example:-
To hit someone on the ear, usually as a punishment.
The teacher threatened to box his ears if he

didn't stop being cheeky.
-700-
To not believe your ears.
For example:-
To be unable to believe something you hear.
When he told me he had won the lottery, I couldn't

believe my ears!
To be out on your ear.
For example:- To be forced to leave somewhere because you have done

something wrong, or because your work is not good enough.
One day, he was the CEO of a major company.
The next, he was out on his ear.
To go in one ear and out the other.
For example:- Used when someone isn't paying attention to what is being
said, or obviously has no intention of acting upon it.
I could tell he wasn't really listening to my advice.
It was going in one ear and out the other.
Elbow grease.
For example:- To do some hard work, especially when you are cleaning
something.
If you use some elbow grease on your furniture it
will make the wood look lovely.
Elbow room.
Enough space to move around in.

For example:-
or
The freedom to do what you want to do.
I daren't invite friends to stay because there's no
elbow room in my flat, it's so small.
-701-
To give someone the elbow.
For example:-
To end a romantic relationship with someone.
He's very depressed, his girlfriend gave him the

elbow last week.
The naked eye
For example:- If something can be seen with the naked eye, it can be seen
without the help of a microscope.
Amoebas are too small to be seen with the
naked eye.
eye-catching
When someone or something is particularly attractive or

For example:-
noticeable.
She wore an eye-catching blouse.
In the blink of an eye.
For example:- Extremely quickly.
In the blink of an eye, she was gone.
Keep an eye on something / someone.
For example:-
To watch or look after something or someone.
He kept an eye on the dogs whilst I went to the

gym.
Keep an eye out for something / someone.
For example:-
To watch carefully for someone or something to appear.
Whilst his partner robbed the bank, he kept an

eye out for the police.
-702-
Run your eye over.
For example:-
To look quickly at the whole of something.
You should run your eye over that message before you
send it.
See eye to eye.
For example:-
To share the same opinion.
My husband and I agree on most things, we usually see

eye to eye.
Turn a blind eye.
For example:- To ignore something that you know is wrong.

Keep your eyes peeled.
For example:-
To watch very carefully.
There have been several burglaries in the area, so keep

your eyes peeled for anything suspicious. .
-703-
To raise eyebrows.
For example:-
To shock people.
Her decision to appear in Playboy raised a few
eyebrows.
Keep your feet on the ground.
For example:- To have a realistic understanding of your own ideas,

actions, and decisions.
It is hard to keep your feet on the ground when you
suddenly become famous.
To stuff your face.
To face up to something.
For example:
To accept a usually unpleasant fact.
"We have to face up to the fact that we are losing money

hand over fist."
Itchy feet.
For example:-
To be restless and have a strong desire to travel.
I've been living in Germany for over 12 years, but now

I'm getting itchy feet.
- 704-
To drag your feet.
For example:- To be deliberately slow (usually because you don't want to do

something).
I suspect the government is dragging
its feet over lowering taxes.
To get cold feet.
For example:- To suddenly become too frightened to do something you had planned to
do.
They're getting married next week -
that's if he doesn't get cold feet!
To put your feet up.
For example:-
To relax.
After a long day shopping she looked
forward to putting her feet up with a
nice cup of tea.
For example:-
Somebody who often drops things
He had the ball, but he dropped it!

What a butterfingers!
Cross fingers.
People, usually children, sometimes cross their fingers behind their back
For example:-
when they're telling a lie thinking it gives them immunity. (Not to be
confused with keeping your fingers crossed for luck.)
It's no good crossing your fingers, I
want to know the truth!
-705-
For example:
He was a very influential man, he seemed to

have a finger in every pie.
Keep your fingers crossed.
For example:- To literally cross your middle finger over your first finger to try
and hope for a bit of luck, or a positive outcome.
I've got an exam tomorrow at 9am, so keep your
fingers crossed for me.
"To not lift a finger."
For example: To be unwilling to help.
When I fell over no one lifted a finger to help me
To point the finger.
For example:- To accuse someone of being responsible for something bad

that has happened.
He knew that his next door neighbour had
pointed the finger at him.
Pull your finger out.
For example:-
To start working harder.
To pass her exams she had to pull her finger

out.
-706-
To put your finger on something.
For example:- To discover the exact reason why a situation is the way it
is, especially when something is wrong.
She was worried about the project, but couldn't put
her finger on what was wrong.
To be all fingers and thumbs.
For example:- To be clumsy and unable to hold things steadily without

fear of dropping or damaging them.
While I was baking the cake I dropped two eggs. I'm
all fingers and thumbs today.
Best foot forward .
For example:-
To do your very best.
If you put your best foot forward you'll be sure to pass

the exam.
To put your foot in it.
For example:- To say something by accident which embarrasses or

upsets someone.
I really put my foot in it with Alison. I had no idea she
was married.
To get in somone's hair.
For example:-
To annoy someone.
She texts me every other minute. She really gets in

my hair.
-707-
The hair of the dog.
For example:- An alcoholic drink taken when one has a

hangover.
I felt better after having a hair of the dog. One whisky and the
hangover was gone.
To pull your hair out.
For example:- To be very worried about something.
She's got a test tomorrow and she's pulling her hair out.
At first-hand.
For example:- If you experience something first-hand, you

The applicant should have first-hand knowledge of accounting
procedures.
Hand over fist.
For example:- To do something at a very fast rate.
They were making money hand over fist.
To be a dab hand.
For example:- To be very good at something.
She was a dab hand at drawing.
To be an old hand.
For example:- To have a lot of experience in something.
He's an old hand at difficult negotiations.

-708-
To have a free hand.
For example:-
To have the power to do what you want.
When it comes to what appears on this web site, I have a

free hand.
To have a hand in something.
For example:-
To be involved in something.
Hubby has a hand in running the technical side of the

Network.
To have the upper hand.
To have power and control over someone or a

For example:-
situation.
In the UK the upper classes still have the upper hand.
To be caught red handed.
For example: To be discovered doing something illegal or wrong.
They caught him red-handed as he tried to rob the bank .
To have an extremely close relationship, especially

For example:
at work.
They make a great team. They work hand in glove.

-709-
Many hands make light work.
For example: When everyone helps to do something, it gets done

quickly.
We finished in no time at all with everyone's help. Many
hands make light work.
On your own head be it.
For example:- Something we say when someone decides to ignore

advice and do something we dissaprove of..
Well if you want to go out clubbing the night before your
final exams, on your own head be it.
To have a head for heights.
For example:- Used to describe someone who isn't worried about

being high up.
To clean the windows in Dubai, you have to have a good
head for heights.
To have your head in the clouds.

To be living in a fantasy, often used to describe
For example:-
people who are absentminded or impractical.
Lynne needs to concentrate harder, her head is always in Thanks to Martina

the clouds. (From an old school report of mine.)

-710-
To be a bighead
For example:-
We call someone a bighead if they're acting in a conceited way.
Ever since he came top of the class, he's

been a real bighead.
Eat your heart out.
For example:- If someone says eat your heart out followed by the name of a
famous person, they are joking that they are even better than that
I'm going to pickle a gummy bear in a jar of person.
formaldehyde. Eat your heart out Damien
Hirst!
Have a heart.
For example:-
Ask someone to be kinder to you.
Student: Have you marked my homework yet?
Teacher: Have a heart! You only handed it in
yesterday!
Heartbroken
For example:- Suffering from or exhibiting overwhelming sorrow, grief, or

disappointment.
She was heartbroken when she found out she
hadn't got the job.
Heartwarming
For example:-
Something that causes a feeling gladness and pleasure.
The story of the dog who saved the life of its

owner was such a heartwarming story.
-712-
Warmhearted
For example:-
Someone who is very kind and generous.
She'll help anyone who needs it, she's such a

warmhearted person.
To warm the cockles of your heart
For example:- Something you see or hear that makes you feel happy because
it shows that people can be kind and good.
A baby's smile will warm the cockles of even
the meanest person's heart.
A heel.
For example:-
A person who treats other people badly and unfairly.
He took all her money, and then left her. What

a heel!
Achilles heel.
A small fault or weakness in a person or system that can result

For example:-
in its failure.
Alcohol was always his Achilles heel.
Down at heel.
For example:- To look shabby due to a lack of money
The restaurant looked very down at heel.
To be under the heel.
For example:-
To be completely controlled by something or someone.
The people rose up as one to get out from

under the heel of oppression.
-713-
Cheek by jowl.
For example:- If things or people are cheek by jowl, they are very close
together.
There were over twenty people living in the house.
They were living cheek by jowl.
To have a knees up.
For example:- To have a party.
We had a good old knees up at the pub.
To be near the knuckle.
For example:- If something (usually a joke or a remark) is near the knuckle,

it is about sex in a way that some people find offensive.
He's just not very funny, all his jokes are too near
the knuckle for my liking.
To rap someone's knuckles.
For example:- A light punishment which warns you not to behave in a

particular way again.
He's just been to the boss to get his knuckles
rapped.
A knuckle sandwich.
For example:-
A punch.

A white knuckle ride.
For example:-
A scary ride.
Have you been on the Oblivion at Alton Towers?

It's a real white knuckle ride.
-714-
Break a leg.
Used to wish someone good luck, especially used in the

For example:-
theatre.
It's your debut tonight, isn't it? Well break a leg.
To give someone a leg up.
To help someone onto or over something or to help them

For example:-
improve their situation, especially at work.
She needed a leg up to get on the horse.
To pull someone's leg.
For example:- To try to persuade someone to believe something which is

not true as a joke.
She was very shocked until she realised he was only
pulling her leg.
To stretch your legs.
For example:- To move around after having been in one place or

position for a long time.
If I have been sitting at the computer for too long, I
need to get up and stretch my legs.
To talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey.
For example:-
To talk for a long time without stopping.
He is so boring. He could talk the hind legs of a

donkey.
-715-
For example:
event seems certain, things can still go wrong.
"They thought they had the contract all sewn up, but the
and lip."
To cross someone's mind.
For example:- To think about something or someone.
Do I ever cross your mind?
To have a big mouth.
If someone says you have a big mouth, they think

For example:-
you talk too much, especially about things that
should be secret
When I told them he had a girlfriend they looked surprised.
Me and my big mouth!
To be down in the mouth.
For example:-
To feel sad or depressed.
Word of mouth
For example:-
In speech but not in writing.
She was looking really down in the mouth, so I asked her

what the matter was.
-716-
A muffintop
For example:-
The roll of flesh that is visible above a waistband.
The paparazzi like nothing better than to
photograph a famous actress sporting a
muffintop.
To have a brass neck.
Someone who is extremely confident about themselves and are

For example:-
unable to understand that their behaviour is unacceptable to
others.
He's got a brass neck to take time off when
we're so busy.
To breathe down sb's neck.
For example:- To stay so close to someone, watching everything that they do,
that it's annoying.
It's awful having a boss who breathes down
your neck all the time.
To get it in the neck.
For example:- To be punished or severely criticized for something that you

have.
She'll get it in the neck for not doing her
homework.
To stick your neck out.
For example:-
To take a risk.
She really stuck her neck out expanding the

business during a recession.
-717-
To be up to your neck in sth,
To be very involved in a situation, or to have

For example:-
too much of the thing stated.
She's up to her neck in work.
A bag (bundle) of nerves.
For example:- To be very nervous.
Before the exam I was a bag of nerves.
A lot of nerve.
For example:- To be brash, rude or arrogent.
He asked me to do his homework for him. What a lot of nerve!
To get on someone's nerves.
For example:-
To annoy someone.
The teacher really gets on my nerves when she goes on about

correct spelling and grammar.
To win by a nose.
For example:- To win by a very small margin.
She won by a nose. It was a very close race.
Cut off your nose to spite your face.
For example:- To do something because you are angry,

even if it is not in your best interest.
She should have gone with them, she would have enjoyed it.
She's just cutting off her nose to spite her face.
-718-
Keep your nose to the grindstone.
For example:-
To work hard.
If you want to pass your exams you'll have to keep

your nose to the grindstone.
It's no skin off my nose.
You can use this expression to show that you don't care if
For example:-
something happens or not.
It's no skin off my nose if I win or lose.
To powder your nose.
For example:- When a woman says she is going to "powder her nose",
she means she is going to the toilet.
Excuse me a moment, I'm just going to powder my
nose.
To get up sb's nose.
For example:-
To annoy someone.
People who don't clean up after their dogs really get

up my nose.
Turn your nose up at something.
For example:- To not like something because you think it is not good
enough for you.
She turned her nose up at my homemade cakes, she
only likes shop bought ones.
-719-
To be head and shoulders above
For example:-
Used to describe someone who is superior.
Joe Kinnear claims he is "head and shoulders" above all the other
directors of football in the Premier League having been a manager
in the past. Mirror 2013 2nd Jul 2013
A shoulder to cry on
Used to describe someone who gives you

For example:-
sympathy when you are upset.
When my mother died, I really needed a shoulder to cry on.

If you have a skeleton in the cupboard it
For example:- means you have are hiding a shocking
secret about yourself.
To have a thick skin. / To be thick skinned.
If you are thick-skinned, you do not notice

For example:-
or get upset when people criticize you.
If you work as a salesperson, you soon develop a thick skin.
To have a thin skin. / To be thin skinned.

If you are thin-skinned, you get upset when
For example:- people criticize you, or think people are
critisizing you when they aren't.
Think skinned people shouldn't go into politics.
-720-
By the skin of your teeth.
For example:- To only just manage to do something.
He escaped by the skin of his teeth.
To get your teeth into something.
For example:-
To get completely involved in something.
He did really well in his exams after he got

his teeth into learning English.
A kick in the teeth.
For example:- To feel very disappointed when someone lets you down, or life
treats you unfairly. (Unless it's a real kick in the teeth during a fight.)
Finding our content on other web pages is a
real kick in the teeth for us.
To jump down someone's throat.
For example:-
To react angrily to something that someone says or does.
I know I annoyed her, but she didn't have to

jump down my throat.
To ram something down someone's throat.
For example:-
To try and force someone to accept something against their will.
She's a vegetarian, but she doesn't ram her

views down your throat.
-721-
To have a frog in your throat.
For example:- To have a tight feeling in your throat and be unable to speak
clearly until you give a slight cough.
Excuse me (cough cough), I've got a bit of a
frog in my throat.
To have a green thumb.

If you have a green thumb or even green thumbs it means you are
For example:- good at gardening, or growing plants.
Her garden won many prizes. People said For Competent

she had green thumbs.
To twiddle your thumbs.
For example:- To do nothing or to have nothing useful to do while you are waiting
for something to happen.
They kept me waiting for two hours with
nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs.
Toe the line.
For example:
To conform to certain rules or standards.
He'll have to learn to toe the line, if he wants

to get on in this organisation.
To keep on your toes.
For example: To keep on your toes, or to keep someone else on their toes,
makes them stay alert and conscious of everything going on.
Aladdin and Leo will have to keep on their
toes to find the Live Chat session.
-722-
For example:- When you stop yourself from saying something because
you realise it might cause offense or be hurtful.
For example:- Something someone else might say to you if you don't
say anything to them.
I know that you know the answer to this question.
What's the matter, has the cat got your tongue?
The tip of your tongue.
For example:- The feeling you get when you know something, but you
just can't actually remember it.
His name is on the tip of my tongue.
A slip of the tongue.
For example:-
When you say something that you did not mean to say.
Be careful what you say, one slip of the tongue and

we're all in trouble.
Tongue in cheek.
For example:- When you say something as a joke, although you might
appear to be serious.
-723-
To be tongue tied.
For example:- Describes the feeling (familiar to many language learners) that you get
when you can't seem to find the right words to say, and so you are
I knew I should have said something to unable to speak. As if your tongue were tied in knots.
make her feel better, but I was
completely tongue tied.
To be long in the tooth.
For example:- To be too old for something.
He's a bit long in the tooth for her.

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/bodyidioms.html#sthash.L1x1RhiT.dpuf
-724-
Idioms and Sayings About Buildings


To lock the barn door after the horse has bolted
For example: To be careful or try to make something safe when it is

too late.
"Buying a burglar alarm after the break in was like
locking the barn door after the horse had bolted."
To be banging/hitting your head against a brick wall.
For example: To keep asking someone to do something which they

never do.
"Trying to get them to do their homework is like banging
my head against a brick wall."
Like a ton of bricks
For example: To be affected strongly or forcefully by something.
" The news of the accident hit me like a ton of bricks."

You can't make bricks without straw.
For example:
You cannot do something correctly without the
necessary materials/knowledge.
"It's no good trying to build a website if you don't know
any html, you can't make bricks without straw."
To burn your bridges
To do something that makes it impossible for you to

For example:
change your plans and go back to the situation you
were in before.
"When he handed in his resignation he had burnt his
bridges."
-725-
Rome wasn't built in a day.

It takes a long time to do an important job.
For example:
Thanks to 2-dog-farm
"It's taken me years to build this site, and I'm still not
finished! Still, Rome wasn't built in a day."
Castles in the air
For example:
To have daydreams.
" She is always building castles in the air and is very

unrealistic."
To be in the doghouse
For example:
To be in trouble.
"He was really in the doghouse after borrowing his

father's car without permission."
To hold the fort
For example: To cope in an emergency, often by acting as a

temporary substitute.
"He has been holding the fort at his company while his
boss is on vacation."
Close to home
For example: To be near to someone`s personal feelings, wishes or

interests.
"What the fortune teller said about my past life hit close
to home, it was uncanny."
Make oneself at home
For example: To act as if you were at home.
"I always make myself at home when I visit the in-laws."

-726-
House of cards
For example: Something badly put together and easily knocked

down, a poorly thought out plan/action.
"The peace agreement between the two countries was
like a house of cards and quickly fell apart."
On the house
For example: Something provided free by a business - especially in

a bar or restaurant.
"The club was celebrating its anniversary so the drinks
were on the house."
Put one`s own house in order
For example:
Organize one`s own private affairs.
"The government should put its own house in order

before it tells others what to do."
To bring the house down
For example:
To cause alot of applause or laughter.
"The last act was so good they brought the house

down."
People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw
stones
For example: Do not complain about other people if you are as bad
as they are.
"He was always telling people to be honest and then he
stole the money, he should know that people who live in
glass houses shouldn't throw stones."
Run-of-the-mill
For example:
Something that is ordinary or usual.
"Nothing extraordinary happened the whole day was

very run-of-the-mill."
-727-
To go through the mill
For example: To experience a difficult situation.
"Since his divorce he has really gone through the mill."

To go through the roof
For example:
"When she saw how dirty his clothes were, his mother
went through the roof."
To hit the roof
For example:
"He hit the roof when he found out that his son had
wrecked the family car. "
For example:- A problem or situation that everyone knows about but

no one mentions.
"Her blindness was the elephant in the room."
To close the stable door after the horse has bolted.
For example:-
To try to fix something after the problem has occurred.
"Giving the banks billions of dollars, is like closing the
stable door after the horse has bolted."
To stonewall.
For example:-
To refuse to cooperate, especially in supplying
information, often by talking a lot.
He stonewalled the new project and now it's been
cancelled.
-728-
To be a tower of strength
For example:
Someone who gives strong and reliable support
" He has been a real tower of strength all through the

divorce."
A hole in the wall

1) "We went for a drink at a little hole in the wall near
the university last night."
2) A cash machine.

The writing's on the wall
For example:-
"The director has promised there won't be any The future is predetermined usually in a negative way.
compulsory redundancies this year, but I figure that for
next year the writing's on the wall. Better get your CV
up to date."
To climb the wall
For example: To be so bored that you become anxious and

frustrated
" The journey was so boring she was soon climbing the
wall."
For example: To waste time trying to do something with little or no

success.
"I have been knocking my head against a brick wall
trying to solve this week's Mind Bender."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/buildingidioms.html#sthash.3v2c5w0y.dpuf

-729-
Profile
"off the mark" comic by Mark Parisi
Artist · 19,042 Likes
· 21 July 2014 ·
Partying, nakedness… what else do you need in a cartoon?
266 Likes · 20 Comments · 142 Shares

-730-
Idioms and Sayings - Colour

To black out.
For example:-
To lose consciousness.
"She blacked out this morning, so I told her to go to the

doctors."
To black out a memory.
For example:-
To forget something completely.
"I've completely blacked out what happened before and

after the crash, I just don't want to remember."
To be in the black.
For example:-
To be clear of debt.
"It was so nice to be in the black at the end of the
month. My new budget is obviously working."
To be black and blue.
For example:-
To be badly bruised.
"She was black and blue after the accident."
To give someone a black look.
For example:-
To look at someone in a disapproving way.
"I always knew when my mother was annoyed with me,
she would give me such a black look."
-731-
To look as black as thunder.
For example:-
To look really angry.
"When I told them I was leaving, they looked as black as thunder."
To be black and white.
For example:- A very clear choice that causes no

confusion.
"It was easy to decide, everything was black and white."
Black and white thinking.
For example:-
To have a simplistic and certain
opinion about things.
"Some people think people are good or bad, but not everything is
so black and white."
For example:-
To accuse someone of being a
hypocrite.
"When politicians say that bankers have been lying, it's like the pot
calling the kettle black."
To blacken someone's name.
For example:-
To sully or defame someone.
"This scandal will really blacken his name, whether or not he's
guilty."
-732-
To feel (be) blue.
For example:- To feel unhappy or depressed.
"She's a bit blue at the moment, she got her exam results."
To be black and blue.
For example:-
To be badly bruised.
"She was black and blue after the accident."
To come out of the blue.
For example:-
If something comes out of the blue it's a big
surprise.
"Her decision to travel round the world came out of the
blue."
To scream blue murder.
For example:-
To protest loudly.
"They screamed blue murder when I told them there'd be a
test."
Flying colours.
For example:-
Conspicuous success.
"All his hard work paid off, he passed the exam with flying
colours."
-733-
To be off colour.
For example:-
To feel ill.
"I decided not to go shopping because I felt a bit off colour."
To be green around the gills.
For example:-
To look ill.
"When I offered Xeb a Marmite sandwich, she went green around
the gills."
To be green with envy.
For example:-
To be jealous or envious of someone.
"They've got a brand new 52" TV. I'm so green!"
To be green ¹
For example:-
To be inexperienced.
"Don't leave him unsupervised, he's a bit green."
To be green ²
For example:-
To live in a way that helps the
environment.
"They have solar panels and a rainwater system, they're very
green."
To get / give the green light.
For example:- To give someone permission to do

something.
"The project got the green light, so we start next week"
-734-
To buy a lemon.
For example:-
bought a lemon."
If the sky is red in the evening, at sunset, the

weather should be nice the next day.
If the sky is red in the morning, at sunrise, the
Red sky at night, shepherd's delight.
weather will be bad.
Red sky in morning, shepherd's warning.
(Shepherd's look after sheep, so they prefer nice

weather.)
Red tape.
For example:-
Excessive regulation (especially form filling) that is
considered overly bureaucratic.
"I'd like to set up my own business, but there's too
much red tape!"
To be a red.
For example:-
To be a communist.
"They're always seeing reds under the beds. I don't
know what they're so afraid of."
To caught red handed.
For example:-
To be caught doing something wrong.
"They tried a bit of shoplifting, but they were caught red
handed by the security guard."
-735-
To be in the red.
For example:-
To be in debt.
"I'm always in the red before the end of the month. I
need to budget more carefully."
To see red.
For example:-
To be very angry.
"When they told me they'd broken the window, I saw
red."
A scarlet woman
For example:-
A woman who is notorious because people believe
she has too many men in her life.
"She was labelled a scarlet woman when she became
pregnant."
To wave (raise / carry) a white flag.
For example:-
To surrender or give up.
"I think it's time to wave the white flag and declare
bankruptcy."
To be black and white.
For example:-
A very clear choice that causes no confusion.
"It was easy to decide, everything was black and
white."
-736-
Black and white thinking.
For example:-
To have a simplistic and certain opinion
about things.
"Some people think people are good or bad, but not everything is
so black and white."
To be whiter than white.
For example:-
Someone who never does anything
wrong.
"I can't believe he's guilty, he always seemed to be whiter than
white."
To look as white as a sheet.
For example:-
To look very pale and shocked.
"She turned as white as a sheet and then she fainted."
To be yellow.
For example:-
To be cowardly.
"They called him yellow, just because he wouldn't fight."

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/idioms/colouridioms.html#sthash.qyvbEWZR.dpuf
-737-
Idioms and Sayings About Eating

For example:-
Sometimes Lynne thinks she has bitten off more than
she can chew running the Network.
For example:-
When you stop yourself from saying something
because you realise it might cause offense or be hurtful.
Chew the fat
For example: To chat.
"I enjoy meeting my friends to chew the fat."

For example:-
Sometimes Lynne thinks running the Network is more
than she can chew.
-738-
Coffee break
To take a short break from work to rest and drink

For example:
coffee, smoke a cigarette etc..
"I usually have a coffee break around 10.30 am."

For example:
"They thought they had the contract all sewn up, but the event seems certain, things can still go wrong.
and lip."
"Cup of tea."
Used to describe something one enjoys or does

For example:
well.

Dish the dirt
For example:
To spread gossip about someone.
"He offered to dish the dirt on her, but I told him I don't
listen to gossip."
Go Dutch
To share the bill for a meal or a night out. Each

For example:-
person pays for what they have eaten or the bill is
simply split.
"It's usually better to go Dutch on a first date."
-739-
Eat dirt
To act humble, accept another`s insult or

For example:
bad treatment.
"He bullied his employees and made them eat dirt."

Eat humble pie
To be humbled, admit one`s error and

For example:
apologize.
"She had to eat humble pie when he proved she was wrong."
Eat like a pig
For example: To have bad table manners.
"He has terrible table manners, he eats like a pig."

Eat like a horse
For example: To have a good appetite.
"She has a very healthy appetite, she eats like a horse."

Eat one`s words
For example: To take back something one has said, admit

something is not true.
"I'd told him off but had to eat my words, when he proved I was
wrong."
To have one's cake and eat it
For example: To do/eat/use something until it is gone and

still not want to give it up.
"He was never at home, but was surprised when she left him. He
always wanted to have his cake and eat it."
-740-
Out to lunch
For example:
To behave crazily or madly.
"I always thought she acted strangely,

she was totally out to lunch."
To have a full plate. or To have a lot on
your plate.
For example:
To have a lot to do.
"Between work and the web site I have

a full plate."
To want someone's head on a platter.
For example:
To be very angry with someone.

"When he read his biography, he
demanded the author's head on a
platter."
To be spoon-fed.
Can literally mean to be fed with a spoon.
For example:
But...
She refused to be spoon-fed English
vocabulary. She learnt to be an It can mean to be treated in a way that discourages independent
independent learner. thought or action, as by overindulgence or provided with knowledge or
information in an oversimplified way.
-741-
To stuff your face.
For example:
To eat a lot, very quickly and greedily. (negative)
"He's always stuffing his face. No wonder he's so
fat."
Suck up
For example:
To be really nice to someone in order to gain favour.
"I never liked her, she was always sucking up to the
boss."
Tea break
For example: To take a short break from work to rest and drink tea,
smoke a cigarette etc..
"Do you want to come with me for a cigarette on
our tea break?"
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/eatingidioms.html#sthash.jvV5ZLol.dpuf

-742-
Idioms and Sayings About Education

To be a bookworm.
For example:
Someone who reads a lot.
"He's always reading. He's a real bookworm."
To be a copycat.
For example:
Someone who does or says exactly the same as
someone else.
"She always copies my work, she's such a copycat."
To learn something off by heart.
For example: To learn something in such a way that you can say it
from memory.
"I learnt all the vocabulary off by heart."
To learn the hard way.
For example:
To have a bad experience.
"I told her not to marry him. But she had to learn the
hard way."
To learn the ropes.
For example:
To learn how to do a job.
"She's new here and is still learning the ropes."

-743-
To learn your lesson
For example:
To suffer a bad experience and know not to do it again
"I got very drunk once and was really sick. I won't do it
again, I learnt my lesson."
To live and learn
For example:
Said when you hear or discover something which is
surprising:
"I never knew that she was married. Oh well, you live
and learn."
The school of hard knocks.
For example:
Often said about people who haven't had an easy life.
"He learnt the hard way at the school of hard knocks."
To be a swot.
For example:
A student who is ridiculed for studying excessively.
"They called her a swot because she was always
reading books."
To teach an old dog new tricks.
For example:
The older you are the more set in your ways you
become.
"He could never learn how to use the Internet. Just
shows you can't teach an old dog new tricks."
-744-
To be teacher's pet.
For example:
To be the favourite pupil of the teacher.
"She always has the right answer. She's a real teacher's

pet."
To teach someone a lesson.
For example:
To do something to someone, usually to punish them.
"I hit him hard on the nose. That taught him a lesson."
To teach your grandmother to suck eggs.
For example:
To give advice to someone about a subject that they
"He tried to tell me how to drive and I told him not to try already know more about than you
and teach your grandmother to suck eggs. I've been
driving for years."
The three Rs.
For example:
Used to refer to the basic areas of education: reading,
writing and arithmetic.
"Some children are leaving school without even the
basic three Rs."
The University of Life.
For example: People who never went on to higher education often

say this.
"I studied at the University of Life."
With flying colours.
For example:
If you do something such as pass an exam with flying
colours, you do it very successfully.
"She got into the university of her choice, because she
passed all her exams with flying colours."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/educationidioms.html#sthash.AbWTHUk0.dpuf

-745-
Idioms and Sayings About Elections

One / Two ... horse race
For example:
A competition or election which don't have many likely
winners.
General elections in the UK are generally a two horse
race.
Election fever
For example:
The frenzy the media goes into whenever a general
The media is suffering from election fever, you can't election is announced.
switch the TV on without being bombarded by political
pundits.
Hot air
For example:
Empty, exaggerated, or pretentious talk.
Politicians always talk a load of hot air.
Hung parliament
For example:
A parliament in which no one political party has an
Everyone is saying there will be a hung parliament this outright majority.
election and the parties will have to make alliances with
the smaller parties to form a majority.
Toe the party line
For example:
To conform to the rules or standards of the political
party you belong to.
"He'll have to learn to toe the party line, if he wants to
get on."
-746-
Body politic
For example:
A politically organized group of people under a single
government.
"Judge Sydney Harris ordered the crown to return to
the Body Politic all material seized during the raid."
A political football
A problem that doesn't get solved because the politics

For example:
of the issue get in the way, or the issue is very
controversial.
"Women's health issues are always a political football."
A political hot potato
For example: Something potentially dangerous or embarassing.
"The expenses scandal is a political hot potato."

Political machinery.
For example:-
The way politics runs in the UK.
The political machinery has yet to understand the
opportunity or threat of the internet and social websites.
Politically correct / incorrect (PC)
For example: To use or not use language that will cause offence -
often shortened to PC.
"Bernard Manning was never very PC."
-747-
Press the flesh.
For example:
To shake hands.
"He has to do a lot of flesh pressing in the run

up to the elections."
To get on / off your soapbox
For example:
To talk a lot about a subject you feel strongly about. If
someone tells you to "get off your soapbox" they think you're
"Hyde Park, in London is famous for people who
talking too much about that subject.
get on their soapbox to discuss issues that
concern them."
Throw in the towel.
For example:
To give up
They knew they were going to lose, so they
threw in the towel.
To vote with your feet.
For example:
To leave
I told her that if she didn't like the job she could
always vote with her feet.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/electionidioms.html#sthash.u9Wn1UYT.dpuf

-748-
Idioms and Sayings About

Entertainment
The class clown
For example:
A pupil who frequently makes jokes or pokes fun.
He never got over his reputation of being the class
clown.
To make a clown of yourself
For example:
To make yourself appear foolish or stupid.
He shouldn't have tried to flirt with her, he made a real
clown of himself.
Feature film
For example:
A film that is usually 90 or more minutes long.
I hate having to watch the adverts that come on before
the feature film.
To be in the limelight.
For example:-
To be the centre of attention.
Ignore her, she'd do anything to keep herself in the
limelight.
-749-
Museum piece
For example:
Something that is very old-fashioned and should no longer be
used.
Our television is a museum piece, but it still
works.
For example:
A show or other event that has been organized in order to get
people's support or to persuade them to buy something.
The whole party was just a dog and pony
show for the politicians.
The show must go on
For example:
Something that we say which means that an event or activity must
continue even if there are problems or difficulties.
I've got a terrible cold, but I've got to go to
work. The show must go on.
To run the show
For example:
To be in charge of an organization or an activity.
She started off sorting the mail, but now
she's running the show.
A show stopper
For example: An event that provokes such a strong reaction from it stops
whatever's happening.
His speech was a real show stopper.
-750-
To sing your heart out.
For example:
To sing with vigour or intensity.
Susan Boyle sang her heart out after being laughed at
and whistled at by the audience.
To be star-studded
For example:
Lots of famous people in a film, play etc.
"It was a star-studded event."
To steal the show
For example: To win the greatest praise and to be better than

anyone else.
Her acceptance speech really stole the show.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/entertainmentidioms.html#sthash.o0EgoENG.dpuf

-751-
Idioms and Sayings About Food

Image Idiom Explanation
"... apple of ..... eye."
For example: Someone that one likes a lot.
"She was the apple of his eye."
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
For example:
Eating fruit is good/healthy for you.
"The doctor told her to eat more fresh fruit,
after all an apple a day keeps the doctor
away."
"Bring home the bacon."
For example:
"He felt it was his responsibility to bring

home the bacon."
"A bean counter."
For example:-
An accountant.
"Even though they had made a profit, they
laid people off, because the bean counters
told them they would make more money."
-752-
"To be full of beans."
For example:-
To have lots of energy.
"They couldn't get to sleep because they were full of

beans."
"To spill the beans."
For example:- To disclose something

confidential.
"Obviously they would have spilt the beans if they had
known."
"Bread and butter."
Basic needs of life

For example:
(food,shelter,clothing).
"He was talking about bread and butter issues."
For example:-
To be pregnant.

For example:- Somebody who often drops things
He had the ball, but he dropped it! What a butterfingers!

-753-
Butter someone up.
For example: To flatter someone to try to get their favor or

friendship.
"He was always buttering up the boss hoping
for promotion."
Butter wouldn't melt in his / her mouth.
For example:- If butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth, they look

as if they would never do anything wrong although
"No one ever thought she was naughty, she you think they would.
always looked as if butter wouldn't melt in her
mouth."
"A piece of cake."
For example:
To find something easy to do.
"She knew she had passed the English exam, it

was a piece of cake."
"The icing on the cake."
For example: Something nice that is added to something else that is

already good.
"I was happy to pass the exam, the high mark
was just the icing on the cake."
"to sell like hot cakes."
For example:
To sell quickly or rapidly.
"The new Spice Girls' album sold like hot

cakes."
-754-
"A big cheese"
For example: An important person, a leader (usually about

business).
"Anita Roddick was the big cheese at the
Body Shop."
"Chalk and cheese"
For example:
To be the complete opposite of someone.
"I'm not surprised they're getting divorced,

they were always chalk and cheese."
"Another bite at the cherry."
For example: To be given a another chance of doing or getting

something.
"Frank got another bite at the cherry when
he resat his exams."
"To cherry-pick."
For example:- To choose only the best people or things in a way

that is not fair.
Grammar schools often get accused of
cherry-picking the best pupils.
To cook the books.
For example:
"We only made a profit last year because
our accountant cooked the books."
-755-
What's cooking?
For example:
What's happening?
A: Hey guys! What's cooking?

B: Nothing much. Same old, same old.
"As cool as a cucumber."
For example:
To remain calm under pressure.
"Although he was driving at 110 mph James Bond

was as cool as a cucumber."
"A cowardy custard."
For example:
A way of saying someone is a coward.
Maybe because custard is yellow.
Me: "I'm scared of spiders."
Hubby: "They're only little! Don't be such a
cowardy custard."
"A bad egg."
For example:
A bad person, to be avoided.
"He never phoned his mother. He was a bad

egg."
"Egg .... on."
For example: To urge someone to do something (usually

negative).
"He was always in trouble at school, his class
mates always egged him on."
-756-
"Have egg on one's face."
For example:
To be caught out or embarrassed.
"He ended up with egg on his face, when she found out he had
been lying."
"You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs."
For example: To do something to the detriment of

something else.
"He worked so hard to make the company a success it made him ill,
but you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs."

Heather Mills was accused “over-egging the pudding” in a bid to
secure a larger divorce settlement.
"To put all your eggs in one basket"
For example: To risk everything on one person or

thing.
"You shouldn't invest all your money in Microsoft, it would be like
putting all your eggs in one basket."
-757-
"To walk on eggshells."
For example:- To try hard not to upset

someone or something.
Everyone in the family had to walk on eggshells when he was
in a bad mood.
"To not give a fig for something or someone."
For example:- To not care about something or

someone.
She didn't give a fig about traditional language learning
methods.
For example:- A different matter or issue.
Thanks to Otrebs
"A pretty or fine kettle of fish"
For example:- A difficult or awkward situation.
Thanks to Otrebs
"They're divorced, and someone's sat them next to each
other - that's a fine kettle of fish."

do.
He couldn't stay long, with this merger he has bigger fish to
fry.
-758-
For example:- To be uncomfortable in a particular

situation
When she started talking about her personal
Something is fishy.
For example:-
Used when something is suspicious.
"There was something fishy in the way he

paused before answering the question."
For example:-
To have more important things to do.
He couldn't stay long, with this merger he has

bigger fish to fry.
Sour grapes.
For example:-
Used when someone is disparaging about
something just because they can't have it.
He was really sarcastic about my new job, but I
think it's just sour grapes, because he hasn't got
one.
To buy a lemon.
For example:-

bought a lemon."
-759-
"Cry over spilt milk."
For example: To cry or complain about something that

has already happened.
"It's no good crying over spilt milk, what's done is
done."
For example:- Used to describe a woman who is dressed

in a style that is more suitable for a much
"She's over fifty and should really stop wearing younger woman.
mini skirts if she doesn't want to look like mutton
dressed as lamb."
"As keen as mustard"
For example:
To be very eager.
"He was as keen as mustard because he really

wanted to win the competition."
"Nutty as a fruitcake."
For example:
To be slightly crazy.
"People say I'm as nutty as a fruitcake to run this

website."
760-
-
"To use a sledgehammer to crack a nut."
For example:
To do something with more force than
is necessary to achieve the result you
want.
" Fighting tooth decay by annihilating all the mostly harmless
bacteria in your mouth is like taking a sledgehammer to
crack a nut. "
"To know your onions."
To know a lot about a particular

For example:-
subject.
"When it comes to computers he really knows his onions."
"As easy as pie."
For example: When something is very easy to do.
"Anyone can do that, it's as easy as pie."
For example: To be involved in lots of different

things.
"He was a very influential man, he seemed to have a finger
in every pie."
"A couch potato."
For example: Someone who just sits on the couch

watching TV.
"She should get out more, she's turning into a real couch
potato. "
-761-
"A hot potato."
For example: A question or argument that is

controversial and difficult to settle
"The issue of immigration was a hot potato."
To exaggerate or to ruin
For example:
something by trying too hard to
improve it.
Heather Mills was accused “over-egging the pudding” in
a bid to secure a larger divorce settlement.
A knuckle sandwich.
For example:-
A punch.
If he keeps on annoying those men, he'll end up with a

knuckle sandwich.
A sandwich short of a picnic.
For example:-
Stupid or crazy
He stuck a knife in the toaster and electrocuted himself.
I've always thought he was one sandwich short of a
picnic.
"In the soup."
For example:
To be in serious trouble.
"He landed her in the soup, when he told the policeman

she had been drinking."
-762-
"Souped up."
For example: To change something to make it faster or more

powerful by changing or adding something.
"He made his car go faster by souping up the
engine."
"Cup of tea."
For example:
Something one enjoys or does well.
"I really enjoyed the film, it was just my cup of

tea."
For example:-
To be uncomfortable in a particular situation
When she started talking about her personal


- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/foodidioms.html#sthash.tgWrxLGc.dpuf
-763-
Idioms and Sayings About Rooms

Blood on the carpet.

For example:

The glass ceiling
When the advancement of a qualified person within

For example:
the hierarchy of an organisation is stopped at a lower
level (it happens to women a lot).
"Although she had hit the glass ceiling head on, she
didn't give up."
To hit the ceiling
For example:
To become very angry about something.
"When her husband hears she crashed the car he'll hit
the ceiling."
For example:- If you have a skeleton in the cupboard it means you

have are hiding a shocking secret about yourself.
To get a foot in the door
For example:
An opening or opportunity.
"If you could introduce me to your boss it would help me

get my foot in the door."
-764-
To show someone the door
For example:
Ask someone to leave (usually rudely).
"He was so annoying I asked my secretary to show him the

door."
To be a doormat.
For example:- Describes someone who doesn't stand up for

his/herself.
"She treated him like a doormat, but he never complained."
To get in on the ground floor
For example: To join something at a low level in the hope of

making gains in the future.
"It's a really good opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a
successful new business."
To fly off the handle.
For example:
To lose your temper.
When I told her that the dog ate my homework, she flew off
the handle, and shouted at me.
A different kettle of fish.
For example:-
A pretty or fine kettle of fish.
For example:-
A difficult or awkward situation.
"They're divorced, and someone's sat them next to each other
- that's a fine kettle of fish."
-765-
For example:-
"When politicians say that bankers have been lying, it's like the
pot calling the kettle black."
A watched kettle never boils.
For example:-
When you are anxiously waiting for something
to happen, it always seems to take longer.
"Elfish couldn't wait for her exam results, but I told her, "A
watched kettle never boils."
For example:-
A lot of things - especially used when packing
"The check-in girl told her she was way over her weight limit.
She'd packed everything but the kitchen sink."
To be a lounge lizard.
For example: When a man is very sleazy or smarmy.
"He kept chatting her up, he was a real lounge lizard."

For example:-
"When politicians say that bankers have been lying, it's like the
pot calling the kettle black."
To have elbow room
For example: To have enough space.
"She asked us to move back to give her elbow room."

-766-
To make room for someone or something
To arrange space for someone or

For example:
something.
"Could you move over a bit and make some room for me?"
For example:-
A lot of things - especially used
when packing
"The check-in girl told her she was way over her weight limit. She'd packed
everything but the kitchen sink."
As much use as a chocolate teapot.
For example:
Useless.
"As soon as I switched it on the fuse blew. It was as much use as a
chocolate teapot."
Throw in the towel.
For example:
To give up.
"They knew they were going to lose, so they threw in the towel."
Climb the wall
For example: To be extremely bored.
"The lesson was so boring the students were soon climbing the walls."
Drive someone up the wall
For example: To annoy or irritate someone.
"My little brother is so annoying he drives me up the wall."

-767-
The handwriting's on the wall
For example:
Obvious bad luck.
"He should have known he would lose his job, the handwriting
was on the wall."
To go to the wall
For example: To become bankrupt
"The recession hit so hard many businesses went to the wall.

For example: To waste time trying to do something with

little or no success.
"I have been knocking my head against a brick wall trying to solve
this week's Mind Bender."
- See more
at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/roomsidioms.html#sthash.Agc05xh4.dpuf
Idioms and Sayings About Jobs and
Work
To bring home the bacon.
For example:
"He felt it was his responsibility to bring home the

bacon."
To balance the books.
For examples:
To make certain that the amount of money spent is not
more than the amount of money received.
"The accountant couldn't work out the profit and loss until
they had balanced the books."
A ball park figure.
For example:
A general financial figure.
"Until we had costed the project properly we were only
able to give the customer a ball park figure."
A bean-counter.
For example:
An accountant
"The bean-counters told us we had to reduce the

budget."
Blood on the carpet .

For example:

-768-
The bottom line.
For example:
The total, the final figure on a balance sheet / the
"When he told me the bottom line I decided not to go ahead most important feature of something.
with the project."
To break even.
For example:
When expenses equal profits.
"The company broke even after two years."
A cash cow.
For example: A product or service that makes a lot of money for

a company.
"The new product has proved to be a real cash cow."
Chief cook and bottle washer.
For example:
To be the person who is responsible for everything.
"If you want to set up your own business you have to be
ready to be chief cook and bottle washer."
A big cheese.

For example:
business).
"Anita Roddick is a big cheese in Body Shop."

-769-
To cold call.
For example:
To call potential customers without an appointment or
"The sales rep cold called customers from the previous contact.
business directory.
To cook the books.
For example:
"We only made a profit last year because our
accountant cooked the books."
"To crack the whip ."
For example:
To make someone work harder by threatening them.
"We finished the project on time, but only because I

really cracked the whip."
A dead end job.
For example:
A job that has no chance of promotion or advancement.
"She left the company because she was very
ambitious but in a dead end job."
To be fired
For example:
"He was always coming late, so eventually they fired
him."
-770-
A golden handshake.
For example:
To receive a large payment on leaving a company.
"She won't have to find a job very quickly because she got
a huge golden handshake from her last job."
Jack / Jill of all trades (master / mistress of none).
This idiom can be negative or positive, depending on the

context in which it is used.
A person that is competent with many skills but is not
For example: outstanding in any particular one.
"She can turn her hand to anything, she's a real Jill of all
trades."
To get the sack
For example:
"He was always coming late, so eventually they sacked
him."
A close shave.
For example:
When you come extremely close to a dangerous or
unpleasant situation or only just manage to avoid it.
"I nearly crashed the car this morning, it was a close
shave."
To be snowed under
For example:
To be very busy.
"She wasn't able to finish the report as she was snowed
under with other work."
-771-
To sweat blood.
To work very hard.

For example:
"She sweated blood to finish the project on time."
By the sweat of one's brow.
"She managed to keep the company going by the sweat of her brow. "
To work your fingers to the bone.
"She kept the family together by working her fingers to the bone."

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/jobsidioms.html#sthash.F0OjZhyX.dpuf
-772-
Idioms and Sayings About Life and Death

For example:-
To be pregnant.

Davy Jones' locker

Davy Jones is the nickname for the devil of the sea.
For example:- Davy Jones' locker means the bottom of the sea or
ocean - the resting place of drowned sailors. It is
Everyone on the ship drowned, they're in Davy Jones' used as a euphemism for death at sea.
locker now.
Over my dead body.
An expression of defiance. If you say that

For example:-
something will happen over your dead body, you
mean that you will do anything to prevent it
When I asked my mum if I could have my ears
pierced she replied, "Over my dead body!"
For example:-
The National Health Service (NHS) has two guiding

principles. Firstly, that such a service should be The whole of your life.
comprehensive, with all citizens receiving all the
advice, treatment and care they needed, combined
with the best medical and other facilities available.
Secondly, that the service should be free to the public
at the point of use, from the cradle to the grave.
-773-
Dead in the water Something that has failed and it seems

impossible that it will be successful in the
For example: future.
Eventually they had to accept that the whole project was

dead in the water.
Dead set against
For example:
To be completely opposed to something.
"Her parents were dead set against her moving to

London."
At death's door.
For example:
To be very close to death.
I was sad to read that Nelson Mandella was at death's

door.
A brush with death.
For example:-
To narrowly miss dying.
Sometimes a brush with death forces us to re-evaluate our

priorities in life.
Cheat death
For example:- To avoid a possibly fatal event or prolong your

life in spite of considerable odds.
An eccentric British pilot cheated death after crash-
landing in the shark-infested waters of the Caribbean.
Death warmed up
For example:- Used when someone looks very ill.
She was so pale she looked like death warmed up.

-774-
Death wish Desire for death.
For example:
He keeps taking risks. It's almost as if he has a death wish.
A dead duck
For example:-
A failure.
"The police admitted that they were giving up, the case was
a dead duck."
It's your funeral
For example:- We say this when someone makes a decision

that you don't agree with.
He's going out tonight, but if he doesn't meet the deadline
he'll lose his job. I guess it's his funeral.
To get hitched
Miquepani got hitched on Friday 13th.
Honeymoon period.
For example:- A short period of time when starting

something new, when no one criticizes you.
The new CEO is enjoying a honeymoon period. None of the
shareholders critisized him.
-775-
The honeymoon is over.
For example:-
The time when after starting something new (a job etc.)
people start to critisize you (see Honeymoon period).
The latest figures were very bad and the
shareholders are calling for his resignation. I
guess the honeymoon is over.
A dogs life
For example:
Life is hard and unpleasant.
I've got to go to work, then do the shopping,
then pick the children up from school and cook
their dinner - it's a dog's life!
A fact of life
For example:
Stress is a fact of life.
An unpleasant fact or situation which people

accept because they cannot change it.
Half dead
For example: Extremely tired.
After doing all my chores I was half dead.
Like death warmed up.
For example:
To look very ill or tired.
He went home with the flu. He looked like

death warmed up.
-775-
Large as life
For example: Used to escribe a person you see, and are surprised to see,
in a particular place.
I looked up and there he was, as large as life,
Elvis Presley!
Lead a double life
For example: To have a second, secret life that is usually not socially
acceptable.
For years he led a double life as an agent for the
intelligence services.
Shelf life
The length of time that a product, especially food, can be

For example:
kept in a shop before it becomes too old to be sold or used.
Fresh milk has a short shelf life.
Marry in haste, repent at leisure.
For example:-
If you get married too soon, you will regret it.
She suddenly realised she didn't even like him
that much, but you know what they say, "marry
in haste, repent at leisure."
The pearly gates.
For example: The entrance to heaven.
We all end up standing at the pearly gates.

-776-
To tie the knot.
Miquepani tied the knot on Friday 13th.
Idioms for dying
To bite the dust.

To breath your last.
To buy the farm.
To croak.
To drop off the twig.
To kick the bucket.
To meet your maker.
To pass away.
To pass on.
To peg out.
To pop your clogs.
To shuffle off this mortal coil.
To snuff it.
Idioms for being dead
Dead as a dodo.
Dead as a doornail.
Lookin' at the other side of the grass.
Pushing up daisies.
Six feet under.
Idioms about getting married
To tie the knot.

To get hitched.
Sponsors
Advertisements
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/lifeanddeathidioms.html#sthash.8GljdPOw.dpuf
-777-
Idioms and Sayings About Money
A hole in the wall
For example:
1) "We went for a drink at a little hole in the wall near the
university last night." 2) A cash machine.
Break the bank.
For example:
Win all the money at a casino gambling table.
He broke the bank at the casino and walked away with a
lot of money.
To laugh all the way to the bank.
To make lot of money very easily, often because

For example:-
someone else has been stupid.
If we don't take this opportunity, you can be sure our

competitors will and they'll be laughing all the way to the
bank.
To not break the bank.
For example:
Not be too expensive
Going out for a drink in the pub won't break the bank.
-778-
Go for broke.
For example:
To risk everything in order to achieve the result you
want.
"She really wanted to pass her English exam, so she
went for broke and revised every day."
To be broke
For example:
To have no money.
I can't go out tonight, I'm broke.
A cash cow
For example:
A business or a part of a business that always makes
a lot of profit.
The British newspapers are the group's biggest cash
cow, earning nearly 40% of group profits.
Hard cash
For example:
Money in the form of coins or notes paper money
They don't accept credit cards, we will need hard cash.
Cash in your chips
For example:
To die.
He cashed his chips in shortly after his ninetieth
birthday.
-779-
Ready cash
Money that is available to spend.

For example:
We have a lot of investments but we need ready cash to pay the bills.
To be strapped [for cash]
For example:
To be short of money.
Could you lend me a fiver? I seem to be a bit strapped.
A blank cheque
For example: As much money to spend as is wanted or

needed.
The project manager seems to think he has a blank cheque.
The other side of the coin
For example:
The opposite view of something.
Running a web site is fun, but the other side of the coin is that it costs
a lot of money.
A bad debt
For example:
Money owed that is not likely to be paid.
The bank expects to lose millions of last year's profits as a result of
bad debts.
-780-
dough
Slang for money.

For example:-
I need to go to the cash point, I've run out of

dough.
e-cash
Money from a special bank account which is used to buy goods

For example:
and services over the Internet by sending information from your
computer
It is easier to pay on the net with e-cash.
A fool and his money are soon parted.
For example:
Something we say which means that stupid people spend money
without thinking about it enough.
Andrew is always buying the latest gizmos,
a fool and his money are soon parted.
Blood money
For example:
Money that has been gained from the death of another person.
The assassin was paid his blood money.
Easy money
For example:
Money earnt with very little work or effort.
A lot of people think running a web site is
easy money.
Funny money
For example:
Counterfeit money, or money from dishonest activities.
She was caught trying to pay with funny
money,
-781-
A licence to print money

Activity that allows people to become very rich without
For example: having to make any effort.
Some people think the TV licence fee is just a licence

to print money.
Money doesn't grow on trees.
For example:
Money isn't that easy to come by.
We can't afford to buy a house, money doesn't grow
on trees.
Money for old rope
For example:
A job that is an easy way of earning money.
A lot of people think being a professional footballer is
money for for old rope.
Money talks
For example:
People who are rich have a lot of power and influence.
He seems to get away with murder I guess money
talks.
Money to burn
For example:
To have a lot of money to spend on things that are not
necessary
They buy a new car every year. They must have
money to burn.
-782-
Put your money where your mouth is
For example:
To follow up on words with action.
If people are really interested in helping the homeless
they should put their money where their mouth is
Monopoly money
For example: Monopoly is the trademark for a game in which you buy
property with pretend money, so monopoly money has
Whether he sells the house or not, it's all monopoly little or no value.
money to him.
More money than sense.
For example:-
When someone seems to spend what money they have
foolishly.
Alex Hope spent £125,000 on a 30-litre Midas bottle
of champagne. He has got more money than sense.
Pin money
For example:
A small amount of money that you earn and spend on
things for yourself.
She teaches English for pin money for extra treats for
herself and the family.
Pots of money
For example:
A lot of money.
Bill Gates has pots of money.

-783-
Throw money around
For example:
To spend money, especially in an obvious and
careless way, on things that are not necessary.
They don't work but they have plenty of money to throw
around.
Hit pay dirt
For example:
To discover something very valuable or very
useful.
If a salesperson does not quickly hit pay dirt with a customer
they will usually move straight on to someone else.
Pay through the nose
For example:
To pay too much money for something.
I paid through the nose to get the bathroom done.
Pay top dollar
For example:
To pay a lot of money for something
If you want the best, you have to pay to dollar.
Pay your way
For example: To pay for yourself rather than allowing

someone else to pay
I teach English so that I can pay my way.
-785-
The devil to pay
For example:
To get into a
If the company catches
lot of trouble.
you making personal
calls there'll be the devil
to pay!
A penny for your thoughts

To ask
someone
For example:
what they are
thinking
'You're very quiet. A penny for your thoughts.'
about.
A pretty penny
For example: To be very

expensive
That car must have cost you a pretty penny.
The penny drops
To finally
For example:
understand
something.
She looked confused for a while, but then the penny dropped.
Turn up like a bad penny

To arrive at a
For example: place or event
where you are
Whenever he wants money he turns up like a bad penny. not wanted.
-786-
A penny pincher / To penny pinch
For example:
A miser /To be a miser.
He left the pub before it was his round. He is such a
penny pincher.
In for a penny, in for a pound
For example:
To put a lot of money or effort into something.
He spends hours on his English every day. In for a
penny, in for a pound.
Dirt poor
Extremely poor
Most of the population in this undeveloped area were
dirt-poor and jobless.
As poor as church mice
For example:
Very poor
When we first got married, we were as poor as church
mice.
The pink pound
For example:
Money spent by people who are homosexual,
especially on entertainment.
Brighton is a lively, prosperous city, courtesy of the pink
pound.
To hold the purse strings
For example: To control the spending of a family's or an

organization's money
The Financial Director holds the purse strings here.
-787-
To loosen the purse strings

To allow more money to be spent.
For example:
We shouldn't expect the Chancellor to loosen the purse

strings too much in this year's Budget.
To tighten the purse strings
For example:
To reduce the amount of money that can be spent
If we want to go on holiday this year we need to tighten
the purse strings a bit.
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
For example: If something is poor quality you can't do much to

improve it.
I new it wouldn't last, you can't make a silk purse out of a
sow's ear.
Filthy rich
For example:
Extremely rich
Bill Gates is filthy rich.
Rob Peter to pay Paul
For example:
To borrow money from one person to pay back
money you borrowed from someone else.
If you keep robbing Peter to pay Paul, you'll never be out
of debt.
-788-
Strike it rich
For example:
To suddenly become rich
He struck it rich in the computer business.
Spend money like water
For example:
To spend too much.
If you spend money like water, you'll always be broke.
Spend a penny
-For example:
To go to the toilet.
Excuse me, I must go and spend a penny.
Have your fingers in the till
For example:
To steal money from the place where you work.
She had her fingers in the till, that's why she lost her job.
More money slang
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/moneyidioms.html#sthash.FP7V62b7.dpuf

-789-
Idioms and Sayings - Numbers

To do a complete one-eighty.
To turn around and go in the opposite direction.

For example:-
To reverse a decision or opinion.

The Liberal party did a complete one-eighty on tuition
fees.
A nine/one/seven-day wonder
For example:- Someone or something that causes interest or

excitement for a short period but is then quickly
Don't put your coats away just yet – yesterday's forgotten
sizzling hot weather was a one-day wonder.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
For example:-
Having something for certain is better than the
I would stay with your current firm, rather than look for possibility of getting something better.
something better. After all, a bird in the hand is worth
two in the bush.
First hand
For example:-
If you experience something first hand, you
We can't experience poverty and misery first hand,
but we can give to those who suffer from it.
-790-
Do a number on someone.
For example:-
To treat someone very badly or unfairly.

The competition was fake and did a real number with my
email address. It could take days to get rid of all the spam I
got.
One foot in the grave.
For example:-
To be close to death, or so old you are likely
to die soon
She's been saying she has one foot in the grave for years
now.
One good turn deserves another
For example:-
If someone does something nice for you, you
should do something for that person in return.
He fixed my computer, so I invited him to the party. One
good turn deserves another.
A one horse town.
For example:-
A very small town. (Usually negative.)
The town I grew up in was a one-horse town. I couldn't wait
to move.
One step ahead
For example:-
To be slightly better prepared or more
successful than someone else.
The police hunted him for years, but he always managed to
stay one step ahead of them.
-791-
Seven year itch

A real or imagined longing for other
relationships in the seventh year of
For example:-
marriage.
Far too many couples suffer from the seven-year itch (which has
been reduced these days to the two-year and even seven-month
itch),
To be at sixes and sevens
For example:-
Used to describe a state of confusion or
disarray.
I was trying to upload photos into my blog, but I was all at sixes
and sevens, I didn't have a clue how to do it!
Thanks to Shikhady for helping to develop this page.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/idioms/numberidioms.html#sthash.sohEIOby.dpuf

-792-
Idioms and Sayings - The Seasons

Autumn years.
For example:-
The later years of a person's life.
I don't like to think I'm getting old. I prefer to think I'm
entering the autumn years.
Spring fever.
To feel restless.
For example:-
(It is thought to be a physiological and
The students couldn't pay any attention to what I was psychological shift in the body's response to
saying. They were obviously suffering from spring changing seasons.)
fever.
Full of the joys of spring.
For example:-
To feel very happy and full of youthful energy.
The sun was shining, and even though it was October,
I was full of the joys of spring.
An Indian summer
For example:- A period of warm weather which sometimes

happens in early autumn
The summer was really bad this year, so I'm hoping for
an Indian summer.
-793-
One swallow doesn't make a summer
For example:-
Something that you say which means because one
good thing has happened, you cannot be certain that
After I passed my first exam, my teacher reminded
more good things will happen.
me to keep on working hard. After all, one swallow
doesn't make a summer.
The dead of winter.
For example:-
Used to describe the middle of winter, when it is very
cold and dark.
He disappeared in the dead of winter: The river was
frozen, the streets almost deserted.

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/idioms/seasonidioms.html#sthash.Qpq0JSMe.dpuf
-794-
Idioms and Sayings about Shopping

To put all your eggs in one basket
For example:
To risk everything on one person or thing.
"You shouldn't invest all your money in Microsoft, it

would be like putting all your eggs in one basket."
To buy a lemon.
"That car he bought is a real lemon."

To buy a pig in a poke.
"That car he bought is a real pig in a poke."

"To buy the farm."
For example: To die.
"He bought the farm last week."

"Own brand."
For example: When a company makes and sells its own products.
"Marks and Spencers only sell own brand goods."

"The drinks are on me."
For example:
To offer to pay for something - usually food or drink.
"He was celebrating his birthday, so the drinks were on

him."
To pay one's way.
For example: To contribute one's share of the expenses.
"He's a good friend, he always pays his way."

-795-
To pay over the odds.

To pay too much for something.
For example:
"She definitely paid over the odds for that dress."

"To pay through the nose"
"He ended up paying through the nose for that car."

Closed shop.
For example:
a place of work where you have to belong to a particular
trade union.
"The motor industry in the UK used to be a closed
shop."
To be all over the shop.
1) To be in complete disarray.
For example:
1) "His papers were all over the shop."

2) To look everywhere for something.
2) "I've looked for it all over the shop, but I still can't
find it."
To shop around.
For example: To visit a number of shops to compare prices.
"I always shop around before I buy something."

"To shop lift."
For example: To steal goods from a shop.
"He was caught shop lifting."

"To shop someone."
To tell someone in authority of someone elses wrong

For example:
doings.
"He shopped her to the police.

-796-
To shop till you drop.
For example: To go on an extremely long shopping trip.
"She shopped till she dropped yesterday."
To shut up shop
For example: To close somewhere (usually a business)
"Winter is so quiet we just shut up shop and go on holiday.

To talk shop.
For example: To discuss one's business or profession.
"He is very boring, all he does all day is talk shop."

"Shopping therapy."
For example: The idea that buying things can cheer you up
- works for me :-)
"She was very upset so I took her into town for some
shopping therapy."
To try it on.
For example:
To attempt to decieve or fool someone.
"He never tells the truth about anything, he is always trying

it on."
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/shoppingidioms.html#sthash.qgbLdaA9.dpuf
-797-
Idioms and Sayings About Sport

A ballpark figure (actually a baseball term, but widely
used in business in the UK too)
For example:-
Rough estimate.
I don't need an exact quotation, just give me a ballpark

figure.
To get the ball rolling.
For example:-
To get something started.
If we don't get the ball rolling on this project soon we
won't be able to deliver on time.
To keep your eye on the ball.
For example:-
To remain alert.
You'll need to keep your eye on the ball on this project,
the technology available is moving so quickly.
To be on the ball
For example:-
To be quick to understand and react to things.
You need to be on the ball with this customer, he's very

clever.
To play ball
For example:- To agree to do what someone asks you to do, in the

way someone else wants you to do it.
We'll all achieve much more if we just play ball.
-792-
A whole new ball game
For example:-
A completely different situation, often one which is
difficult or which you know little about.
I'd done a lot of kayaking in the UK, but the rivers in the
French Alps were a whole new ball game.
The ball's in someone's court
For example:-
To have to do something before any progress can
be made in a situation.
Well I gave them all the information I could, and now the
ball's in their court.
A balls up.
For example:-
A bad mistake or shoddy job.
He forgot his visuals, so the presentation was a complete

balls up.
To be bowled over (cricket)

To astonish or overwhelm.
For example:-
Lit: To knock both of the bails off the wicket
I went to see his latest exhibition, it really bowled me over.
To beat (someone) to the punch (boxing)
For example:-
To make the first decisive move in a situation.
We have to get this new product out before our rivals beat
us to the punch.
To get the boot
For example:-
To be fired or let go from an organization.
They gave him the boot after he failed in his last project.
-793-
It's not cricket If someone's behaviour or actions are not cricket,

they are not honourable or moral.
For example:-
It's not cricket to steal someone's web site.
To give it your best shot
For example:-
To put forth your best effort.
Whether you pass or fail in the test at least you'll know you
gave it your best shot.
To have get-up-and-go.
For example:-
To have a high personal energy level.
I can't play football any more. My get up and go has got up

and gone.
To go the distance (boxing)
For example:-
To carry through a course of action to
completion.
No matter what you say about him, he really went the
distance on his last project. No one could have done more.
To hit below the belt (boxing)
To act unfairly or unscrupulously.

For example:-
Lit: An illegal move in boxing

They hit the workers below the belt when they closed the
factory gates without any warning.
The rub of the green.
For example:-
To be lucky especially in a sport or pastime
played on a green surface.
France had the rub of the green when the referee didn't spot
that handball.
-794-
To jockey yourself into position. (Horseracing) To put yourself into a good position to
win something.
For example:-
He got the promotion after jockeying himself into position.
To kick something around. To pass an idea from person to

person.
For example:-
Lit: Passing the ball.
Let's just kick a few ideas around and see what we come up with.
To kick it into touch.

To cancel or quit something.
For example:-
Lit: To gain ground or to defend your
team.
Before we waste any more time on this, I suggest we just kick it into
touch, it's just not going to work.
To kick off.
To start trouble or fight.
For example:-
Lit: Start the game.
We got out of the pub before it all kicked off and the fists started flying.
Knock yourself out.
For example:-
Used to give permission to someone
to do something.
Me: Can I drive today?
Hubby: Sure, knock yourself out.
To let the side down
For example:-
To fail when others are relying on you.
When Beckham missed that penalty he really let the side down.
-795-
To (make a) pitch for something To try to persuade people to support you or give you
something.
For example:-
He pitched the idea at us, but we turned him

down.
To move the goalposts
For example:-
To make unfair changes without warning.
We'll never reach an agreement if they keep
moving the goalposts.
No holds barred (wrestling)
For example:-
With all restrictions relaxed.
They played rough in the negotiations, no holds
barred.
To play away from home
To have an affair.
For example:-
Lit: To play at the oppositions ground.

She asked for a divorce when she found out he'd
been playing away for home.
To play it safe
For example:-
To be careful and avoid any risk
You'll never be truly successful if you always play
it safe.
To be saved by the bell (boxing)

To be saved from misfortune or unpleasantness by
something.
For example:-
Lit: When an opponent was knocked out and the bell rang
The authorities arrested Chile's Gen. Augusto
before the count was completed the person was not out.
Pinochet, but he was saved by the bell of old age.
-796-
Saving grace
Some good quality that makes you like something
or someone although you do not like anything else
For example:-
about them.
They lost 10:0, their only saving grace was that they tried
hard.
To score a tie-breaker
For example:- The final thing / point that breaks an even-scored

game or other event.
To score an own goal
For example:- To make a problem for yourself.
He scored a bit of an own goal when he increased the Lit: To score in your own net - really ugly.
rate. They decided he was just too expensive and used
someone else.
To throw in the towel (boxing)

To surrender, admit defeat.
For example:-
Lit: To signal surrender by throwing the towel into
The union decided to throw in the towel when they the ring.
realised they weren't going to win any more concessions.
To win by a nose (horse racing)
For example:-
To succeed by a very narrow margin.
-Our bid for that contract was won by a nose. There really
wasn't much difference between us.

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/sportidioms.html#sthash.auq2H5MQ.dpuf
-797-
Idioms and Sayings - Time

cockcrow
For example:-
The very beginning of daylight (dawn).
Firoozeh gets up at cockcrow.
The crack of dawn.
For example:-
The very beginning of daylight (dawn).
I used to have to get up at the crack of dawn, but
nowadays I don't have to.
On the dot.
For example:-
At a precise time.
On New Year's Eve we always open the champagne
on the dot of midnight.
Overtime
For example:-
The time we work in addition to what is normal.
Overtime is either paid, or unpaid.
I told my boss I would do any overtime, I want to save
up for my holiday.
To not give someone the time of day.
For example:- To refuse to speak to someone because you do

not like them or because you think you are better
I don't know why you spend so much time with him. I than them.
wouldn't even give him the time of day.
-798-
To pass the time of day.

To have a short conversation with someone about things which
For example:- are not important
It's important to pass the time of day with

your colleagues.
For example:-
If you do something in a timely manner you will succeed.
"I'll go to work early tomorrow. After all,
the early bird catches the worm."
A stitch in time saves nine.
For example:-
If you fix a small problem right away, it will not become a bigger
problem later.
You need to get the leak fixed before it
gets bigger. A stitch in time saves nine.
Just in time (JIT)
For example:- A production strategy that strives to improve a business return

on investment (ROI) by reducing inventory and associated
The factory has implemented a new JIT carrying costs.
strategy. All inventory must be reduced.
Full-time
For example:-
The whole of someone's available working time, typically 40
hours in a week,
My niece went back to full-time work 3
months after having her first baby.
Part-time
For example:-
Employment with fewer hours per week than a full-time job.
There are more part-time jobs nowadays.

-799-
To be on time. If you're on time you arrive or do something before or by a

stated time
For example:-
We managed to finish the project on time.
To buy time.
For example:-
To postpone an event hoping that the situation will
improve.
The policeman tried to reason with him in order
to buy time until backup arrived,
To call time.
For example:- What happens when a publican signals that it is closing

time at the pub.
We had to drink up when he called time.
To do time.
For example:-
To be imprisoned.
It's hard for people who have done time to get a
job.
To give someone a hard time.
For example:-
To criticize someone and make them feel guilty about
something that they have (or haven't) done.
I always give my students a hard time if they
haven't done their homework.
To have the time of your life.
For example:-
To enjoy yourself - a lot.
I had the time of my life at the party.

-800-
To not give someone the time of day.

To refuse to speak to someone because you do not like
For example:- them or because you think you are better than them.
I don't know why you spend so much time with

him. I wouldn't even give him the time of day.
To pass the time of day.
For example:-
To have a short conversation with someone about things
which are not important
It's important to pass the time of day with your
colleagues.
To run out of time.
For example:-
To have no time left.
I ran out of time before I could finish the exam.
The time is ripe.
For example:-
A good time to do something or for something to happen.
The people decided the time was ripe for a
revolution.
Take your time.
For example:-
To not rush.
I decided not to rush, so I took my time and
made sure the job was done properly.
Time in lieu
For example:-
Time off instead of, or in addition to, receiving pay for
overtime worked or working on public or bank holidays.
I worked two bank holidays, and I got two days
off in lieu, but I would have preferred the cash.
-801-
Time off.
To have a period of
For example:-
time free from
employment
I decided to take some time off to visit my family.
Time out.
For example:-
Time when you rest
You've been on that computer for hours. Time out! away from your usual
work or studies.
Sometimes used to break up a fight. (Not to be confused
with "out of time".)
For example:-
The moderator called time out, when he saw the argument was getting out of hand.
Time's up.
Used to show an
For example:-
activity is finished.
The game finished because my time was up and I needed to pay to play on.
9-5
For example:- A conventional and

possibly tedious job.
She has a 9-5 job, but she never complains.
For example:-
The National Health Service (NHS) has two guiding principles. Firstly, that such a
The whole of your life.
service should be comprehensive, with all citizens receiving all the advice, treatment
and care they needed, combined with the best medical and other facilities available.
Secondly, that the service should be free to the public at the point of use, from the
cradle to the grave.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/idioms/timeidioms.html#sthash.9pAHoW9a.dpuf
-802-
Idioms and Sayings About Transport

To get on your bike.
For example:
To get moving.
Norman Tebbit told the unemployed of Britain to get on
their bikes and find work elsewhere.
On yer bike!
For example:
An impolite way of telling someone to go away.
He said "On yer bike" when I asked him for more
money.
To be in the same boat.
For example:
To be in the same situation (usually unpleasant) as
other people.
She's always complaining that she has too much work,
but we're all in the same boat.
Car boot sale.

An event in a public place where people sell their
For example: unwanted possessions, often from the backs of their
cars.
You can pick up a lot of bargains at a car boot sale.
To have a face like the back end of a bus.
For example:
To be really ugly.
"Quasimodo has a face like the back end of a bus, but
he is really nice."
-803-
Car pool.
A group of cars owned by a company or other organization which
For example: can be used by any of its employees.
"Could you deliver this package for me? Use

a car from the pool."
Drive a hard bargain.
For example:
To expect a lot in exchange for what you pay or do
"We got a good price in the end, but he

drives a hard bargain."
Drive someone round the bend.
For example:
To make someone very bored or very angry.
"The children have been driving me round
the bend all day."
Drive someone up the wall.
For example:
To make someone extremely angry.
"My neighbours are driving me up the wall
with their loud music."
Test drive.
For example: To drive a car that you are considering buying, in order to see if
you like it.
"I took it out for a test drive before I bought
it."
Flight of fancy.
For example: An idea which shows a lot of imagination but which is not
practical.
"Clean nuclear fuel is a real flight of fancy."
-804-
Take flight.
To run away.
For example:
"The children took flight when they say the

farmer."
Top flight.
For example:
To be at the highest level in a job or sport.
"David Beckham is a top flight footballer."
Hit and run.
For example:
This idiom describes a road accident in which the driver who
"The police are hunting a hit and run caused the accident drives away without helping the other people
driver." involved and without telling the police.
End of the line.
For example:
The point where it is no longer possible to continue with a process
"This project has struggled on for as long or activity.
as it could, but it's reached the end of
the line now."
Port of call.
For example:
A place where you stop for a short time, especially on a journey.
"Where's our next port of call?"
Any port in a storm.
For example:
If you are in a difficult situation you will go anywhere for help.
"I didn't want to stay with my mother, but
any port in a storm."
-805-
Go off the rails.
to start behaving in a way that is not generally acceptable,

For example:
especially dishonestly or illegally:
"Prince Harry has really gone of the rails recently."
Down the road.
For example:
Sometime in the future
"One day I will have video capability on the site, but
that's a long way down the road."
The end of the road.
For example:
The point where it is no longer possible to continue with a
process or activity.
"We will have to give up on this project, it's reached
the end of the road."
To get the show on the road.
For example:
To begin an activity that has been planned.
"Let's get this show on the road."
To hit the road.
For example:
To leave a place or begin a journey.
"I must be going, I need to hit the road to catch my
train."
-806-
Middle of the road (MOR).

This idiom describes a person, organization, opinion or type of entertainment
For example: that is not extreme and is acceptable to or liked by most people.
"He only likes MOR music."
One for the road.
For example:
To have one last an alcoholic drink just before leaving.
"Do you fancy one for the road
before you go?"
Road hog.
For example:
Someone who drives so that other vehicles cannot go past.
"I have never liked his driving, he
is such a road hog."
The road to hell is paved with

good intentions. said to emphasize that you must not simply intend to behave well but you
must act according to your intentions, because you will have problems or be
No example necessary. punished if you do not.
Ship someone off.
For example:
To send someone away somewhere.
"Rich parents often ship their
children off to boarding school."
Shape up or ship out.

Said to tell someone that they must improve their performance or behaviour
No example necessary. or they will have to leave.
-807-
To be just the ticket.
For example:-
Used to describe that something is exactly what is needed.
"If you want to improve your English, this
websiste is just the ticket."
Off the beaten track.
For example:
A place where few people go, far from any main roads and towns.
"The hotel is difficult to find, it is really off

the beaten track."
On track. If something is on track it's making progress and is likely to achieve

something.
For example:
To get or put something back on track means to correct something
"It looks as though the crisis is over. We're that was going wrong.
back on track."
The fast track.
For example:
The quickest and most direct route to achievement of a goal
(especially business related).
He won't be working in this office for very
long, he's on the fast track to management.
The inside track.
For example: To have a special position within an organization, or a special

relationship with a person that gives you advantages that other
"He knows a lot about the company, he's people do not have.
on the inside track."
-808-
Lose track.
To no longer know what is happening, or not to
For example: remember something.
"They've lost track of their original goal. I doubt they'll

win the next election."
One track mind.
For example:
A tendency to think about only one subject.
He only ever thinks about girls, he has a one track
mind.
Cover your tracks.
For example:
To hide or conceal something.
They'll never catch the real culprits at Enron, they were
to good at covering their tracks.
Train of thought.
For example:
The connections that link the various parts of an event
or argument together.
"He was trying to explain how the budget would help to
end the recession, but I couldn't follow his train of
thought."
To get on the gravy train.
For example: To attempt to make money quickly, easily, and often

dishonestly.
"I wouldn't trust him if I were you, he is always trying to
get on the gravy train."
Public transport.
For example: A system of vehicles such as buses and trains which

operate at regular times on fixed routes and are used
"People should use public transport more to avoid by the public.
congestion on the roads."
-809-
Travel light.
To go on a journey without taking a lot of things
with you.
For example:
"I always travel light when I go to England."
The squeaky wheel gets the oil.
For example:
People who make the most fuss get the most
attention.
"He complained to the manager and they gave him a free
replacement."

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/transportidioms.html#sthash.2X3TAks8.dpuf
-810-
Idioms and Sayings - The Weather

Every cloud has a silver lining.
For example:-
You can usually find something good in negative
When he lost his job he realised it really hadn't been situations.
what he wanted to do, so he retrained as a therapist.
You see, every cloud has a silver lining.
For example:-
"We had to run for shelter when it started raining cats
and dogs."
If the sky is red in the evening, at sunset, the

Red sky at night, shepherd's delight.
weather should be nice the next day.
Red sky in morning, shepherd's warning.
If the sky is red in the morning, at sunrise, the
weather will be bad.
To look as black as thunder.
For example:-
To look really angry.
"When I told them I was leaving, they looked as black
as thunder."
An ill wind.
( It's an ill wind (that blows nobody any good).)
Most events, no matter how bad, benefit

For example:-
somebody.
"The economic downturn meant there was a reduction

in pollution. It's an ill wind."

- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/idioms/weatheridioms.html#sthash.BvvTtwYz.dpuf

English Language-Vocabulary-Book 1 PDF

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

English Language-Vocabulary-Book 1 PDF

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

BASICS

The English Alphabet

Learn your English alphabet (requires Real Player ).

The alphabet A-Z

Watch this alphabet video

The Rhyming Alphabet

The Alphabet From a - z

Animals Animals that you may see in the UK.

Beginner Lessons English lessons for beginners.

Colours All the colours of the rainbow.

Computers The naming of parts - of a computer

Days and Dates Monday, Tuesday, 1st, 2nd etc . . .

Greetings How do you respond to different ways of saying hello?

People - Family My mother's mother is my grandmother . . .

Seasons Summer, winter ...

Shapes Square, circle, triangle .... and more!

Time 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock etc . . .

The weather What's the weather like?

The UK What's the UK like?

Wild Animals in Britain

Here are some of the most common ones.

Click on the Generic Group Other

(An old English

Bat(s) Bats are a protected

Deer (Deer) Stag Doe Fawn Herd

Hare(s) Jack Jill Leveret Down Hares live in forms.

Hedgehog(s) Boar Sow Piglet Prickle

Mole(s) Male Female Pup Labour Moles live in holes.

Mouse (Mice) Buck Doe Pup Nest

Otter(s) Dog Bitch Kitten Family Otters live in dens.

Rabbit(s) Rabbits live in

Rat(s) Kitten / Rats often live in

Stoat(s) Jack Jill Kit Pack

Weasel(s) Jack Jill Kit Sneak

Birds are feathered,

Crow(s) Male Female Young Murder

Dove(s) Cock Hen Squab Cote

Duck(s) Drake Hen Duckling Flock

Goose If a group of geese is flying, it

Hawk(s) Hen Tiercel Eyas Aerie

Owl(s) Owl Jenny Owlet Parliament

Peafowl Peacock Peahen Peachick Pride

Pheasant(s) Cock Hen Chick Brood

Pigeon(s) Cock Hen Squab Flight

Robin(s) Cock Hen Chick

Rook(s) Cock Hen Chick Building

Sparrow(s) Cock Hen Chick Flock

Starling(s) Cock Hen Chick Flock

Swan(s) Cob Pen Signet Bevy

There are three types of

Fly (Flies) Male Female Maggot Swarm

There are thousands of

Spiders spin and live on a web.

Salmon Jack Hen Fry Run

Trout Jack Hen Fry Hover

A class of animals that

The eggs of a frog

Crab(s) Male Female Zoea

Lobster(s) Male Female Zoea

Clam(s) Male Female Spat Bed

Mussel(s) Male Female Glochidia Bed

Oyster(s) Male Female Spat Bed

Snail(s) Snails are not often