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On edge
Word of the Day: On edge Sorry to have not asked you for a while, but how are you doing? Have you been feeling OK, or have you been on edge? If you have, join the club. If you are on edge, you are feeling nervous, worried or anxious about something. When you are on…
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Old hat
Word of the Day: Old hat Today we’ll be looking at the term old hat. No, I’m not referring to what your grandfather wears on his head when he goes to the grocery store. Old hat is a term used to describe something that has been done before, no longer interesting or exciting. Occasionally, old…
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Imposter syndrome
WotD: Imposter syndrome Imposter syndrome is something that we all suffer from time to time. It’s a feeling of being inauthentic in your achievements, and therefore, you do not deserve the success or accolades you have received. It often happens when we compare ourselves to others. To be in the same league as someone else…
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Speak your mind
Phrase: Speak your mind Learning a language changes you. You will be able to switch back and forth from one culture to another. If you are Japanese, you will be able to speak your mind in English and follow the crowd in Japan. If you can speak your mind, you are able to say what…
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Cast your net wide
Idiom: Cast your net wide One of my favourite expressions is variety is the spice of life. That’s why I believe you have to cast your net wide if you want to get the best out of life. There was a time not too long ago when we all worked for money and what money…
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Under your belt
Idiom: Under your belt One of the best things about being an English teacher is that you never run out of things to teach. No matter how many years of study a student has under their belt, you can move the goalposts and introduce them to another idiom or phrase. Here we are on another…
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Pig-headed
WotD: Pig-headed Some people are very hard to deal with because they are pig-headed. Students often ask if a word has a positive or negative meaning. Well, let me turn the question around and ask if you’d like to have a pig’s head. To be described as pig-headed means to be stupidly stubborn or refuse…
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Long COVID
WotD: Long COVID COVID-19 is scary enough as it is without it getting any worse. However, the phenomenon known as Long COVID is worse. Yes, Long COVID is a thing, but a hard and fast definition accepted worldwide is almost impossible to find. Generally speaking, it refers to the situation when people continue to experience…
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Gobbledygook
WotD: Gobbledygook Dr. Doolittle was a doctor who preferred to treat animals because he could talk to them in their own language. Now, I am going to introduce you to the word gobbledygook. I will also forgive you if you think this is the language spoken by turkeys – gobble, gobble, gobble. Even though gobbledygook…
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Drive
Word of the Day: Drive Why is it that some people succeed when others do not? Ask a million people this question, and you will receive a million excellent answers. For my purposes today, though, the answer I am looking for is “…because they have drive.” Some people are incredibly resilient. They get knocked down…
Got any book recommendations?