Out of the blue

February 27th, 2009

I recently heard from an old friend out of the blue (= unexpectedly). We used to know each other quite well, but we lost touch as we got on with our lives, worked hard at our jobs etc. But the thing that most surprised me was how happy I was that he had got back in touch. It was such a lovely surprise to hear from him.

Has this ever happened to you? When something unexpected but really good happens?

Looking forward to hearing your happy stories!

Confusing words

February 22nd, 2009

There have been a couple of posts recently on the Help Me! forum about confusing word pairs, such as economy / economics; historic / historical. Are there any pairs of words that you find confusing in English? If you have any, post them here in a comment, and I'll give an explanation or definition.

Let me get this straight

February 18th, 2009

A recent question on the Help Me! forum asked what this expression meant. As one person suggested, it can also sound quite aggressive, as in some situations, you are saying to the other person that you don't believe them.

Other phrases you can use to tell someone you don't believe their story are:
You're joking!
You've got to be joking!
Rubbish! (Also quite aggressive)
No way!
I just don't believe you!

You can also use the phrase "Let me get this straight!" when you are trying to understand two different points of view – perhaps from two people who are arguing. Perhaps their stories don't make sense or are contradictory, and you want to repeat the stories to make sure you understand.

Love, love, love

February 14th, 2009

Today is St Valentine's Day, an occasion which makes not only lovers, but also card and chocolate manufacturers very happy!

In an article in today's Guardian, Blake Morrison writes about how love is portrayed in literature. But we also dedicate films and songs to love. What's your favourite book, poem, film or song about love?

What's difficult in English?

February 10th, 2009

A quick question for you!

Is there anything that you find particularly difficult about learning English? For some people, choosing the right tense is difficult, for others, it's speaking English, and for others, phrasal verbs are difficult.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Is there a cure for the cold?

February 5th, 2009

At this time of year, people often get colds. For three or four days, they sniff and sneeze, complain of aches and pains, and generally feel under the weather.

There's a huge industry in cold remedies, but do any of them actually work? My favourite remedy is simple: hot water with lemon, honey and cinnamon, plenty of rest, and fresh air. What about you? Do you have a favourite cure for the cold?

Street food

February 1st, 2009

One of the greatest pleasures for me when I visit new places is to discover the food. I don't always have the time (or money) for a restaurant meal, and I've often eaten really well at street stalls. Noodle soup in Vietnam, rice and tofu in Hong Kong, falafel in the Middle East, pizza in Italy, Cornish pasties in England – each country seems to have its own speciality for providing cheap, filling food for people on the go.

If I came to your country, what sort of street food could I expect to find? What do people eat for snacks in your country?