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Good things come in small packages
English Saying: Good things come in small packages Good things come in small packages, which is a great little saying to use, especially around the gift-giving and receiving season. It means that big things are not always the best, and little things are not always bad. Basically, good things can be small. The moral of…
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Friends
It’s Christmas Eve need I say more?
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Humbug
Word of the Day: Humbug In Charles Dickens’s timeless Christmas classic A Christmas Carol, the main character, Ebeneezer Scrooge, says, ‘Bah! Humbug!’ He only says it twice in the story, but it is a big part of a modern Christmas. If something is a humbug, it is a lie intended to trick people. It is…
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Keep it between the mayonnaise and the mustard.
English Expression: Keep it between the mayonnaise and the mustard It’s Christmas time, and many people get home late from Christmas parties. Remember, if you drink, DO NOT DRIVE! Ensure you have a designated driver before you get lit up like a Christmas tree. If you are a designated driver, you will probably be driving…
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Lit up like a Christmas tree
English Idiom: Lit up like a Christmas tree It is December 22nd, and I can guarantee you that many little girls and boys, and big girls and boys, for that matter, are anxiously awaiting Santa’s arrival. There have been many office or company Christmas parties for the big boys and girls, and I’m sure a…
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Get your goat
Idiom: Get your goat If you get someone’s goat, it does not mean that you steal or borrow their goat. Why would you want to borrow someone’s goat anyway? What would you do with a stolen goat? Make cheese, maybe? I mean, what can you do with a goat? I had a goat when…
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Gerrymander
Word of the Day: Gerrymander Some words, such as gerrymandering, are obscure or so rarely used that they are never introduced in a typical English language classroom. However, gerrymandering may be relevant to the current electoral situation in Japan. It refers to changing electoral borders to increase the number of people in an electoral district who…
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A-game
Word of the Day: A-game When you go to work, your boss wants you to bring your A-game daily. I bring my A-game to every class. I always give my students the best lesson and value in each classroom experience. If you bring your A-game, you do your best and put all your energy into doing an…
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Warm the cockles of your heart
Figure of Speech: Warm the cockles of your heart Right from the start, you should know this is an old-fashioned figure of speech. It’s Christmas time, and when many people see a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, hear songs of the season, or even think about the Christmas spirit, it warms the cockles of their hearts.…
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In situ
Word of the Day: In situ Those who know me know that I occasionally introduce Latin words used in modern English. In situ is another example of Latin used in modern English. In situ means in its original place. For example, the veterinarian could not move the sick elephant, so she decided to perform the…
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