Cocktail

Cock - adult male bird/chicken
tail - the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body.
Cocktail - any of various short mixed drinks, consisting typically of gin, whiskey, rum, vodka, or brandy, with different admixtures, as vermouth, fruit juices, or flavorings, usually chilled and frequently sweetened.

Do you want a doggy bag to take the rest of your pizza home?

Keychains

The Devil's Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared mysteriously. Popular culture has attributed these disappearances to the paranormal or activity by extraterrestrial beings.[1] Documented evidence indicates that a significant percentage of the incidents were inaccurately reported or embellished by later authors, and numerous official agencies have stated that the number and nature of disappearances in the region is similar to that in any other area of ocean.
Source: Wikipedia

Overconfidence as a rule of thumb

Handkerchief

A handkerchief is a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory

Gavel

A gavel is a small mallet used by a presiding officer or a judge

A rule of thumb is simply a principle which you base one of your actions on.

Let the cat out of the bag

You let the cat out of the bag when you tell a big secret. Example: "Bob didn't want anyone to know he was sick, but his wife let the cat out of the bag."

A secret is like a cat that has been kept a bag. Once you let the cat out of the bag, it goes wherever it wants. Example: "We were going to keep our plans to get married a family secret, but my mother let the cat out of the bag."

The person who told the secret is the one who let the cat out of the bag. Example: "Hey! Who let the cat out of the bag?" Example: "Oops. It looks like I let the cat out of the bag

Cry over spilled milk

Crying Over Spilled Milk (complaining about some past loss)

To cry over spilled milk is to remain upset about a past loss. Example: "We came so close. Really. We almost won that game!" Reply: "There's no use crying over spilled milk."

When milk has been spilled, it is wasted and cannot be used. There is no reason to keep complaining over the loss. Note that either of the words spilled or spilt can be used. Example: "Well, the car is ruined and that's too bad, but there's no use crying over spilt milk. We're just going to have to get a new car."

Crying over spilled milk is not useful because the thing is already lost. Parents often tell their children to stop crying over spilt milk. Example: "I can't believe we lost my favorite toy!" Reply: "Oh, stop crying over spilled milk. You have other toys to play with."

REVIEW OF VERB TENSES

PRESENT PERFECT
When we talk about something that happened in the past, but we don´t specify precisely when it happened( perhaps we don´t know, or it is not important to say when it happened), we use the present perfect:
I have already traveled to Japan.
Mom has already done three surgeries.
My boyfriend has already had three car accidents.

PAST SIMPLE
When we want to indicate that something happened at a specific time in the past, we use the past simple. We can either say when it happened, using a time adverb, or assume that the listener knows when it happened or can understand this from the context:
I arrived late for the meeting yesterday.
I went to the movies alone last weekend.
Mom gave me two gifts on my last birthday.

We use the present perfect when we talk about something that happened in a period of time up to the present. We use the past simple to talk about something that happened at a particular, finished time in the past.
Science has made many advances this century.
Scientists made some fundamental discoveries in the 18th century.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
We use the present perfect continuous to talk about a situation or activity that started in the past and has been in progress for a period until now. Sometimes we use the present perfect continuous with expresssions that indicate the time period (with since and for):
Jane has been living in New York for over a year now.
I have been working as a teacher since last year.
John has been exercising a lot because he needs to loose weight.

PAST PERFECT
We use the past perfect to talk about a situation or activity that happened before another past situation or activity, or before a particular time in the past:
Jo discovered that Leslie had lied to her.
________________________________
Leslie lied Jo discovered }past now

We use the past simple rather than the past perfect when we simply talk about a single activity or event in the past:
I handed the letter to him.
I´m late because I took the wrong bus.

Notice the difference in meaning of these sentences with the past perfect and past simple:
When he stopped laughing, everyone left. (they left after he stopped laughing)
When he stopped laughing, everyone had left. (they left before he stopped laughing)
I got up when the phone rang. (the phone rang and then I got up)
I had gone to bed when the phone rang. (I went to bed and then the phone rang)

Wrong again

I might’ve, but I didn’t
Perhaps I could’ve, but I didn’t
Perhaps I should’ve, but I didn’t
Perhaps you would’ve, but I didn’t
Perhaps I would’ve, if I could’ve, but I didn’t
Somebody should’ve, you probably would’ve, but I didn’t
I thought about it, but I didn’t do it

Wrong again

YOU SHOULD HAVE COME

YOU SHOULD HAVE
You’d love it
You’d have loved it. You should have come

You’d like him
You’d have liked him. You should have come

You’d enjoy it
You’d have enjoyed it. You should have come

You’d get a lot out of it.
You’d have got a lot out of it. You should have come.

Why didn’t you come?
Why didn’t you come? You should have come.

Now it’s too late.
You’ve missed your chance. You should have come.

Quiz

How do you call the light meal
Americans have at 10:00 A.M.?
Dinner
Lunch
Brunch

An Idiomatic Expression that is the same of “I don’t know”.
God Bless you!
Beats me!
Gesundheit!

If you are footlose you are;
Free to da wathever you want.
Very angry.
Recovered from a disease

False Cognates

Spot the mistakes (false cognates) in the sentences below and replace them with an appropriate word.

a) “Make sure you wear preservatives to avoid veneral diseases.”, the doctor advised Joey.
false cognate : …………………….. appropriate word : ……………………..

b) “Hey , stop snooping. This is a particular conversation !” , Lenny told Jay.
false cognate : …………………….. appropriate word : ……………………..

c) The flood has caused great prejudice to the eastern part of the city.
false cognate : …………………….. appropriate word : ……………………..

d) As part of the company´s marketing campaign they are planning to mail out prospects to advertise their products.
false cognate : …………………….. appropriate word : ……………………..

e) The survey realized last month found that 40% of the voters have changed their minds.
false cognate : …………………….. appropriate word : ……………………..

Key to the exercises

a) false cognate : preservatives appropriate word : condoms
b) false cognate : particular appropriate word : private
c) false cognate : prejudice appropriate word : damage
d) false cognate : prospects appropriate word : flyers
e) false cognate : realized appropriate word : carried out

IDIOMS

A bad excuse is better than none.
A bad penny always turns up.
A bad workman always blames his tools.
A barking dog never bites.
A bellowing cow soon forgets her calf.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
A bird never flew on one wing.
A bleating sheep loses a bite.
A blind man`s wife needs no paint.
A bully is always a coward.
A burnt child dreads the fire.
A carpenter is known by his chips.
A cat in gloves catches no mice.
A cat may look at a king.
A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.
A change is as good as a rest.
A cherry year, a merry year; a plum year, a dumb year.
A civil question deserves a civil answer.
A creaking door hangs longest.
A deaf husband and a blind wife are always a happy couple.
A dog that will fetch a bone will carry a bone.
A door must be either shut or open.
A dripping June sets all in tune.
A drowning man will clutch at a straw.
A fair exchange is no robbery.
A false confessed is half redressed.
A fool and his money are soon parted.
A fool at forty is a fool indeed.
A fool may give a wise man counsel.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
A golden key can open any door.
A good beginning makes a good ending.
A good horse cannot be of a bad color.
A good surgeon must have an eagle's eye, a lion's heart, and a lady's hand.
A great book is a great evil.
A green Yule makes a fat churchyard.
A grey mare is the better horse.
A guilty conscience needs no accuser.
A house divided cannot stand.
A hungry man is an angry man.
A king’s chaff is worth more than other men’s corn.
A liar ought to have a good memory.
A lie has no legs.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
A little pot is soon hot.
A live dog is better than a dead lion.
A man is as old as he feels, and a woman as old as she looks.
A man is known by the company he keeps.
A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for his client.
A miss is as good as a mile.
All roads lead to Rome.
All that glitters is not gold.
All things are possible with God.
All things come to those who wait.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All's fair in love and war.
All's well that ends well.

Idioms

Choosers/off my shoulders/me/see/devil/present/for the wicked/me mad/joking
Long time no ......................!
Talk of the...........................!
Beggars can’t be..................!
Rather you than...................!
There’s no time like the.......!
You must be........................!
No rest for the.....................!
It’d drive.............................!
It’s a real weight ................

So, do you know the answers?

Who are you?

Are you a pessimist or an optimist? Explain.
Are you a messy person or a neat person?
Are you a morning person or an afternoon person?
Are you a dog person or a cat person?
What is your favorite color to wear?
What is one skill you wish you had?
Do you like to go barefoot?
Do you cry in movies?
Do you wear perfume or cologne?
Do you prefer to live in the country or the city?
Are you always on time? Or are you often late? How late?
What is the most beautiful sight in the world?
What is one thing you own that you will never throw away or sell?
What is the best advice anybody ever gave you?
If you had to be an animal, which one would you be? Why?
If you could choose anywhere in the world to live, where would you live and why?
If you could only travel to one more place in your life, where would you go? Why?
Have you ever been onstage in front of an audience? Explain.
What two items would you take to a desert island? Why?

Expressions to use when

To Express Opinion
I think…..
From what I can see…..
As far as I’m concerned…..
In my experience…..
What I’ve found is that….

Expressions
Let me think…..
I mean…..
Sorry, what I meant to say was…..
What I mean is….
I mean….

Ways Of Changing the…

Anyway,…..
Sorry, but…..
By the way…..
I’d just like to say something else….
Something else…..
The reminds me of…..
Another point…..
Besides that,….

Agreement and Disagreement
I doubt it.
Right.
That’s very unlikely.
Absolutely.
That’s just not the case.
I don’t agree.
Exactly.
That’s it.

FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness is letting go of the pain and accepting what has happened,
Beucause it will not change.

Forgiveness is dismissing the blame.
Choices were made that caused the hurt;
We each could have chosen differently,
But we didn’t.

Forgiveness is looking at the pain,
Learning the lessons it has produced,
And understanding what we have learned.

Forgiveness allows us to move on
Towards a better understanding
Of universal love and our true purpose.

Forgiveness is knowing that love
Is the answer to all questions, and
That we all are in some way connected.

Forgiveness is starting over with the knowledge
That we have gained.
I forgive you, and I forgive myself.
I hope you can do the same.

Poem by Judith Mammay

The Olympics

Olympic Sports from A-W
Some Olympic Sports
baseball,basketball, beach volleyball, field hockey, soccer, softball, team handball, volleyball, water polo
Some sports can have solo or team events. For instance, sailing has events that involve more than one person. Tennis games are either 'singles' (one player on each side) or 'doubles' (two players on each side).
badminton, canoeing and kayaking, rowing, sailing, synchronized swimming, table tennis, tennis
These sports are usually considered individual sports. Athletes are awarded points as a team, but they compete as individuals.
archery, boxing, cycling, diving, equestrian, fencing, gymnastics, judo, modern pentathlon, mountain biking, shooting, swimming, taekwondo, track and field, trampoline, triathlon, weightlifting, wrestling.

Words,
goal the area in which a player tries to put a ball in order to win a point
paddle 1) a flat object with a handle used for hitting a ball; 2) a short pole with a wide flat end used for steering and moving a boat

racket an object made of a handle, and an oval top with woven strings, used in sports like tennis and badminton

nets a barrier made of woven threads, used in tennis, volleyball and badminton; nets are also used in goals for soccer, and in baskets for basketball

bow and arrow a weapon made of curved material, especially wood, and a tight string (bow), and a stick with a pointed end (arrow). William Tell and Robin Hood both used a bow and arrow.

target something you practice shooting at; in archery competitions targets are circular with different colored rings painted on them

court a smooth surface where you play tennis, badminton, basketball etc.

Security Deposits

Secure means "safe". Deposit means "something you put somewhere". For
example, you "deposit" money or checks into a bank. What do you think
"security deposit" means?

A security deposit is money that you pay to the owner of the apartment
to hold until you move from that apartment. The reason for the security
deposit, which is usually the amount of one month's rent, is to pay for
anything broken in the apartment at the time you move out. If you
broke a window, the owner will take money from this security deposit to
pay for the "damage" or broken things in the apartment. If you do not
have to give the owner money, you should get your money back with
interest (the amount that a bank gives you when your deposit is put into
a bank account). The security deposit helps make sure that you will
keep the property in good shape but it also is like having money in the
bank.

Do you have to pay a "security deposit" when you rent an apartment in
your country? What does an owner do if you break something in the
apartment? Does the owner have to pay or the renter? Come to the
Hosted Chat and tell us!

Tips

This isn't so much of a writing tip as it is a cultural tip! In the
U.S., you are normally expected to tip your server in a restaurant. You
should tip 15% of the bill if you are pleased with the service. If you
are very pleased, then 20%.


If you pay with a credit card, they will leave a space on the bill for
you to write your tip. Write the total of your tip, add it to your food
total, then write the new total on the bill.

Cultural Note

"All-you-can-eat" salad bars or buffets are a nice alternative to the
usual restaurant fare when you're traveling. A good salad bar will also
have several types of soup and rolls.And a really good salad bar might
even have a make-your-own sundae bar, too!
Speaking of sundaes, look for Sunday morning buffets. Many larger chain
hotels will have buffets from around 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. These
buffets are usually a little more expensive, but they offer a very nice
variety of breakfast and lunch food.

Time - Prepositions

TIME

Look at these time words.
Some use in , some use on , and some use at.
For example:
on Saturday.
I’m leaving in March.
at 4 o’clock.

Put them in the correct column.
March Saturday 1974 half past six Wednesday evening 4 o’clock Monday midnight a quarter past twelve Autumn two minutes March 1st Friday the morning Christmas Tuesday morning September

in on at
March Saturday 4 o’clock

Used to

FORM Used to
[USED TO] + [verb]
EXAMPLES:
I used to go to the beach everyday.

USE 1 Habit in the Past
"Used to" expresses the idea that something was an old habit that stopped in the past. It says that something was often repeated in the past, but it is not usually done now.

EXAMPLES:
Jerry used to study English.
Sam and Mary used to go to Mexico in the summer.
I used to start work at 9 o'clock.
Christine used to eat meat, but now she is a vegetarian.

USE 2 Past Fact
"Used to" can also be used to talk about past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.
EXAMPLES:
I used to live in Paris.
Sarah used to be fat, but now she is thin.
George used to be the best student in class, but now Leena is the best.
Oranges used to cost very little in Florida, but now they are quite expensive.

The lions sleeps tonight

In the jungle The might jungle The lion sleeps tonight. In the jungle The quiet jungle The lion sleeps tonight. Near the village The peaceful village The lion sleeps tonight. Near the village The quiet village The lion sleeps tonight. Hush, my darling Don’t fear, my darling The lion sleeps tonight. Hush, my darling Don’t fear my darling The lion sleeps tonight.

Interview

What is your name?
What is your father’s name?
What is your mother’s name?
What is your occupation?
How old are you?
What is your nationality?
What is your hometown?
What color is your hair?
What color are your eyes?
What is your favorite food?
Who is your favorite singer?
Who is your favorite actor?
Where do you work?
Where do you study?

Name:......................................…..
Father’s name................................
Mother’s name...............................
Occupation:...............................…
Age:...........................................…
Nationality:...............................…
Hometown:................................…
Color of the hair:...........................
Color of the eyes:..........................
Favorite food:................................
Favorite singer:.......................….
Favorite actor:...............................
Place of work:...............................
Place of study:...............................

El condor pasa

EL CONDOR PASA

I’d rather be a sparrow than a snail.
Yes, I would. If I could, I surely would.
I’d rather be a hammer than a nail.
Yes, I would. If I only could, I surely would.
Away, I’d rather sail away
Like a swan that’s here and gone.
A man gets tied up to the ground;
He gives the world its saddest sound,
Its saddest sound.
I’d rather be a forest than a street.
Yes, I would. If I could, I surely would.
I’d rather feel the earth beneath my feet
Yes, I would. If I only could, I surely would.

The more...the more

The more we study, the more we know,
The more we know, the more we forget,
The more we forget, the less we know,
The less we know, the less we forget,
The less we forget, the more we know.
Why study?

(William Shakespeare)

Dream an Awesome Dream

The difference between persons and people.

"people" is a collective noun, and it is used to refer to a group of people collectively.
These people are a community.

"persons" is the plural form of "person" when you want to refer to a number of people individually.
These persons are part of a community.
Note: The word "people" can also be used as a singular noun and pluralized:
That native people has died out.
The invention was worked on by many peoples from all over the world.
Thus, a list can be made:
Person (A person)
Persons (A group of persons individually)
People (A group of persons as a unit)
OR
People (A specific group of persons)
Peoples (Multiple groups of persons)

The use of the word "persons" nowadays is being shifted towards "People". The word "persons" is seldom heard even though it is often grammatically correct (i.e. Four people died is wrong. Four persons died is correct).
Nobody will punish you for using "people" instead of "persons" in most cases, though.
Persons refers to a group of individual humans. You usually refer to persons with a disability, or persons who are high school graduates
People, on the other hand, is a collective noun that simply refers to a group. So you can have 'people who speak Spanish' as opposed to 'persons with Spanish ancestors'
It's a small difference, but it can be important.
Does that help?
You're supposed to use persons when you referring to the exact number or units of people.
Three persons were hit by the car.
Also, people can be plural - peoples.
The peoples of the world rebelled against their respective governments. (Distinguishing that there are different types of people.)

Mickey Finn

Chloral hydrate in combination usually administered to make the drinker unconscious.
"She gave him a Mickey Finn and stole all his money". By Jack Scholes
The famous Boa Noite Cinderela drink in Brazil.

Dog Chow

You have probably heard or seen the word chow, so it means food, not only for dogs because of Dog Chow, but food in general. It´s slang but very common in English.

Squeegee

Squeegee - The person who stays on the corners and cleans the windows of cars, mainly the windshield.

PMS

Pre-Menstrual Syndrome - A syndrome that occurs in many women from 2 to 14 days before the onset of menstruation.

Five-and-dime store

Median

Dividing line of two streets or lanes, usually landscaped.

Pastrami

Highly seasoned cut of smoked beef.

Conditionals

Zero Conditional
General Conditions

If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
If you need advice, I am here to help you.
If I get up early, I feel tired all day.

If + present tense condition + present tense result

1º Conditional
Future Possible

If I get a job offer from Italy, I’ll take the next plane.
If it rains tomorrow, I’ll stay home.
If I pass the test, it will be a miracle.

If + present tense condition + future result

2nd Conditional
Present Unreal

If I won $1,000,000 in the lottery, I would buy my own plane.
If I could be any kind of animal, I’d want to be a cat.
If I were you, I wouldn’t wear that outfit.

If + simple past condition + conditional (would) result

3rd Conditional
Past Unreal

If I had been smarter, I would have started studying earlier.
If I hadn’t eaten those shrimp last night, I would have felt better afterwards.
If I had been smarter, I would have invested all of my money in Microsoft.

If + past perfect + present perfect conditionals ( would have) result

Difference between rise and raise.

What is the difference between the verbs rise and raise?"

Rise is an irregular verb: rise / rose / risen
Raise is a regular verb: raise / raised / raised

Although both of these verbs have the general meaning of "to move upwards", the main difference is that rise is an intransitive verb (it does not take an object), while raise is a transitive verb (it requires an object):

The sun rises in the east.
The temperature rose to 100 degrees.
Mary raised her hand.
The government is going to raise taxes.
As you can see from these examples, something rises by itself (nobody is pushing up the sun!), whereas something else is needed to raise something (Mary moved her hand upwards/The government make laws to increase taxes).

Allergies such as asthma and hay fever are continuing to rise around the world despite efforts to curb pollution, the principal suspect.
After rain, the river level rose and fell mightily, and the channels were mined with sunken tree limbs.
However, it is true that the footballer's weight has risen and fallen over the past few years.
... envelops the target in a substance, like a science fiction product, that is completely disabling. There is no need to kill; a gunman cannot even raise his arm to fire.
... she smiled broadly and raised a clenched fist at a crowd of airport workers.
For further examples, go to the Web Concordancer’s home page, type rise, rose, risen, raise, or raised into the 'search string' field, select any corpus in the 'select corpus' field, and then click on the 'search for concordances' button. You will get many examples of how the words are used.

I would like a hamburger.

From the movie The Pink Panther..it is hilarious!

How do you say "requeijão" in English?

You say cottage/cottage cheese.
Cottage also means a small, modest house at a lake, mountain resort, etc., owned or rented as a vacation home.

Farofa

How do you say farofa in English? Farofa
Farofa is a dish of wildly varying flavors consumed in South America. It can be found commercially produced and packaged in most South American markets but is often prepared at home based on family recipes. The key ingredient of all Farofas is either toasted manioc (also known as Mandioca, macaxeira, macaxera, cassava, yuca, or tapioca) flour or maize flour (farinha de milho) . Most recipes will also contain varying amounts of salt, smoked meat, and spices. The consistency of the mixture also ranges from large grains the size of cracked bulgur wheat or couscous, down to a table-salt-sized powder. Most farofas have a very smoky and slightly salty taste, by and large used to accentuate the taste of meat, particularly barbecued meat, and the hearty stews.
Source: Babylon

Periwinkle

Periwinkle is a color in the blue-violet family. Its name is derived from the lesser periwinkle or myrtle herb (Vinca minor) which bears flowers of the same color.

The color Periwinkle is also called lavender blue. The color periwinkle may be considered a pale tint of indigo--a pastel indigo.

The first recorded use of periwinkle as a color name in English was in 1922.
Source: Wikipedia

ho-ho

Ho Hos are cylindrical, frosted, cream-filled cakes that are made by the Hostess company and are distributed in the United States. These cream filled chocolate cakes have a pinwheel design.

A San Francisco bakery created the first Ho Hos in 1967.
A nut-covered version, "Nutty Ho Hos," was introduced in 1999, along with a promotional search for "the country's nuttiest celebrity laugh" which was awarded to comedian Eddie Murphy based on consumer votes.
"Caramel Ho Hos" were introduced in February 2004, and are still sold in stores today.
"Happy Ho Ho" was the original cartoon mascot for Ho Hos, and appeared on the boxes, ads, and television commercials for many years before he was discontinued. The character wore an outfit similar to that of Robin Hood, including a feathered cap.

snowcaps

Ingredients
Makes 18.
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 teaspoons instant espresso
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, for coating
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, espresso, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until well combined; mix in cooled chocolate. With mixer on low speed, gradually add dry ingredients; beat in milk just until combined. Flatten dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Freeze until firm, about 45 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl; working in batches, roll balls in sugar twice.
3. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies have spread and coating is cracked, 12 to 14 minutes; cookies will still be soft to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

How to say "pega-pega" in English?

Tag: a game in which one child chases the others; the one who is caught becomes the next chaser.
To play tag - when you touch;tag;catch the other person, you say "tag, you're it!"

Famous quote in English

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.
By William Blake