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Sly as a fox
English Cliché: Sly as a fox Some people are so intelligent and clever that they can get anything they want. Most of the time, the term sly as a fox is used negatively to describe these people. For example, there is a lot of telephone fraud these days targeting older people. Quite often, the perpetrator calls an…
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Perpetrator
WotD: Perpetrator If you read crime reports or watch police dramas, you will hear the word perpetrator. A perpetrator is a criminal or someone who is thought to have committed a crime. If someone steals your purse, you will have to describe the perpetrator to the police so they can look for them. If you’re…
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Off the cuff
English Phrase: Off the cuff This weekend, the world continues to be engrossed in the ongoing discussion about the first televised debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Many people have analyzed the debate, and the overwhelming opinion is that Hillary won. People believe she was well prepared, whereas Donald spoke off the cuff. Off…
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Demeanour
Word of the Day: Demeanour In an American presidential debate, the demeanour of the candidates is observed. Your demeanour is the way you look and behave, such as how often you smile, frown, look frustrated, or feel confident. Political analysts, with their keen eye and expertise, dissect the candidates’ every smile, frown, and expression of…
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Silver bullet
Word of the Day: Silver bullet All Hollow’s Eve is just around the corner. Today is the last day of September, and before we know it, it’ll be October 31st (All Hallow’s Eve, Halloween, Hallowe’en). As we approach All Hallow’s Eve, we must be prepared for the potential presence of ghosts, goblins, spooks, vampires, and…
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Engrossed
Word of the Day: Engrossed Usually, when we are engrossed, we are giving all our attention to something. We often say engrossed in/by/with (something). For example, I am reading a fantasy book right now, and it is so good that last night, I became engrossed in the book and lost track of time. Just this…
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Have your head in the clouds
English Idiom: Have your head in the clouds Have you ever had your head in the clouds? I’m sure you have, and if you haven’t, then I bet you have seen someone who did. We’ve all been there. Perhaps you were in an English language class in high school, and instead of paying attention to…
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Peter out
Word of the Day: Peter out I was at my friend’s house the other evening. He has three small children, and when I showed up, they got excited and started to run around the house like little swallows. I played with them for a little while. I was amazed at their energy, but they began…
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Misery loves company
Proverb: Misery loves company Misery loves company. It may be true; unhappy people may want other people to be miserable, too. Perhaps this is why unhappy people always tell younger people to settle down, get married, buy a home, and have lots of kids. Who knows? Misery loves company is a proverb that means unhappy…
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Pick-up game
Word of the Day: Pick-up game Most kids across North America have fond memories of pick-up games. A pick-up game is a game of ice hockey, baseball, soccer, basketball, etc., that kids play together. There are no adults, referees, uniforms or organization of any kind. People just get together and play. Many Canadians have fond…
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