Be right back!

I'll be back with your order.

vs.

I'll be right back with your order.

What's the difference between these two sentences? The first sentence is open-ended, meaning the person doesn't say WHEN they'll be back with your order. It could be 5 minutes later, it could be 5 hours later... you have no idea.

By using right you add EMPHASIS that the time will be short.

So you will often hear it when someone says they won't be long:

Be right with you in a sec!

meaning

I'll be with you in just a second.

She's coming over right now.

meaning

She is coming over at this moment.

So right now means without delay.

Do it right now.

meaning

Don't wait. Do it NOW.

One of the best uses of this is the expression.

Be Right Back

meaning

I'll be back very soon.

It is used so often that it became an acronym used in internet chat: BRB.

Have a nice weekend!

Phil

Sophisticated vs complicated

Hey everyone, for today's quick little lesson I'd like to ask you if you know the difference between these two adjectives?

complicated 複雑 (ふくざつ)

This generally has a NEGATIVE kind of feeling. It means something is too complex, it isn't simple and so is a little annoying. When talking about machines or tools, it means it isn't easy to use OR that it has many small moving parts working together (like and old-style clock's gears).

My job's too complicated.

Our relationship's complicated.

The new photocopier at my office's complicated. It always takes me 10 minutes to
make a simple photocopy!

sophisticated 貴やか (あてやか), 粋 (いき; すい)

This generally has a POSITIVE feeling. It means something is advanced or worldly. When talking about machines it means that it is the latest technology, really high tech. The Japanese translations I found seem to be used to talk about people but sophisticated in English is a bit broader and can also be used to talk about things.

Our electric cars are extremely sophisticated.

He's a sophisticated man.

Any questions? Have a nice week!

Phil

Time flies~!

Sorry guys, I meant to post again before now but time flies~!

Do you understand this idiom? It means time goes by quickly.

It is part of an idiom:

Time flies when you're having fun.

Whenever you are having a good time and enjoying yourself time seems to go by much more quickly. BUT when you're bored time seems to go by really slowly! Which sucks...

We use this saying when we want to explain why we lost track of time.
The short form, time flies, is used when talking about how time is moving quickly. It is neutral and doesn't mean you're having fun, just that time is passing by fast.

Wow! Time really flies! It's almost Christmas already, I really have to finish my Christmas shopping soon...

Have a nice weekend,

Phil

He's cheap. She's thrifty. My boss is stingy.

Today, we're going to talk about the differences between these three similar adjectives:

thrifty

This has a POSITIVE meaning. It means that someone is good at economizing money (economize in Japanese is: 節約 - せつやく).

When I was a kid, my parents were quite thrifty.

You need to be more thrifty! Stop wasting your money.

stingy

This has a NEGATIVE meaning. It is similar to the Japanese, けち.

Jim's a stingy jerk. He wouldn't even lend me 5$ when I forgot my wallet!

Stop being so stingy! Give me a bite of your cookie!

cheap

This can have a positive or negative meaning. When talking about a person it is usually negative:

John's so cheap!

When talking about a thing or place it can be POSITIVE or NEGATIVE.

Sukiya's cheap but tasty. (positive)

You should try the lunch special, it's pretty cheap. (positive)

Do you like my jacket? It's Chanel but I got it cheap because it was on sale! (positive)

A: What the?! My tablet broke!

B: Well, what do you expect for 60$. It was cheaply made. (negative)

A: Yeah, you're right. you get what you pay for.

You shouldn't buy cheap medicine, it's dangerous. (negative)

Have a nice weekend!

Phil

Go to home??? huh?

Hey everyone, a few years ago I posted on the difference between go and go to. You can find that link here. Today, I am going to talk about a when you should use:

go to + place

and

go + place

Usually, we use go to + SPECIFIC place, for example:

I want to go to Tokyo.

He went to Isetan.

Her parents are going to Mongolia next week.

Tom went to the post office.

I have to go to the bank today.

SOMETIMES, we just use go + place. We use this structure when the place ISN'T specific.

A: Have you been to Disney Sea?

B: Yeah, I went there 3 years ago.

--------------

Harry: Ted's never gone abroad.

Alice: What? Really? He seems so cosmopolitan.

Harry: Yeah, he's well-read. He's gonna go abroad this winter.

Alice: Good for him!

--------------

Mom: Kids, go outside and play.

later

Neighbour: What's that racket? Oh, it's just some kids playing outside.

--------------

Wow, it's late. Time to go home.

So when the place isn't specific like with there, outside, abroad, or home we DON'T use go to!

I am aiming for about 6 lessons this month. Have a nice week!

Phil

Check it out!

Hi guys, you may have read my previous post about phrasal verbs using check:

http://phils-english.blogspot.com/2008/12/check.html

But, I've recently realized I left out a few of the meanings for CHECK OUT:

1- to look at something

Bob: Hey Tom! Check out that Lamborghini!

Tom: Man that's a nice car...

2- to try something

Bob: Yeah, I'd love to check out how fast how it drives.

Tom: speaking of checking something out. Why don't we check out that new cafe?

3- to finish a stay at a hotel and leave

Bob: Good idea, let's check out of the hotel first and drop off our bags at the station.

Tom: Sure, that sounds fine.

4- the cashier at a shop/convenience store/supermarket

talking at the cafe...

Bob: Don't you hate it when the check out line is so long?

Tom: Yeah, I don't know why Japanese supermarkets don't have express check out lanes... ...but why are you bringing that up now???

Bob: I was at the supermarket today and had to wait like 30 minutes to buy just 2 things!!!

Tom: Man, that sucks...|

5- to borrow a book from the library

later at at the library

Bob: I'd like to check out this book.

Librarian: Certainly, please return it in two weeks to avoid paying late fees.

Bob: No problem.

OK that's all for this month I think. Have a great weekend!

Phil

good TO you vs. good FOR you

Hi guys, do you know the difference between these two expressions? Well, after reading today's lesson you will! ^_^

good to someone

This means that someone is nice to you.

Your new husband's really good to you.

My company has been really good to me over the years.

good for someone

This means that it is something that will help you, it will make you better.

Carrots are good for you, they're good for your eyes.

I know exercise is good for you but I just don't have enough time.

My new girlfriend's really good for me, she has me learning and trying new things.

Have a nice Sunday!

Phil

I can't stand him!!!

Do you understand the title? Here's a quick lesson to explain it.

can't stand (something/someone)

This means HATE. It means you dislike something so much that you can't stand there, you just want to leave the room.

I can't stand my new boss he's a total jerk!

I can't stand it when people lie.

You know she can't stand pickles, so make sure you order her burger without them.

You might also hear a small variation which is a bit stronger.

can't stand the sight of X

This means you HATE SEEING something. So it is often used for emphasis to make a statement stronger.

He couldn't be a doctor because he can't stand the sight of blood.

After we got divorced, I couldn't stand the sight of her.

Any questions? Have a nice sunny Thursday!

Phil

I tripped vs I took a trip

The other day one of my students mixed up these two expressions. Do you know the difference between them?

From an earlier lesson:

to trip = this is when you are walking and you catch your foot on something which makes you fall or almost fall down. The key thing when using this word is that you hit your foot on something...

You can see the rest of it here.

So if you use trip as a VERB you are talking about FALLING DOWN. But if you use it as a NOUN you are talking about GOING SOMEWHERE.

A: I took a trip to Seoul last month.

B: Oh really? How was it?

A: It was great! I ate great food, saw some cool sites and did some shopping.

---------------------

Jim: Ouch! What the...? Who left this in the middle of the hallway?

Jim's son: Sorry Dad, are you ok?

Jim: I almost tripped! Be careful!

Have a nice weekend!

Phil

Sorry, I lost track of time...

Hey everyone here's a quick lesson! Do you know what this expression means?

to lose track of time

This is when you are doing something and get really caught up in it, you are so focused on what you are doing that time flies by(seems to pass quickly)! It can be used in formal or informal situations.

A: Where were you??? I've been waiting for 30 minutes!

B: Sorry, I was reading a great book and I lost track of time.

A: Next time, email me to let me know you're gonna be late.

B: Ok, let me make it up to you-dinner's my treat.

A: Alright, I forgive. What book were you reading?

So remember to treat someone is to pay for them (in Japanese, 奢ります　おごります) and to make it up to someone means that when you do something bad you need to do something good to balance things out.

More posts soon!

Phil

Ya wanna go?

Do you understand the above question? For the first mini-lesson of the month I will explain the meaning so if you don't understand the question now you will in about 5 minutes!

In North American casual English between friends, people often drop words. Also, you will often become ya.

you ----> ya

What do you do? is formal

Whaddo you do? is standard

Whaddayado? is casual

So, what does "Ya wanna go?" mean?

A: Ya wanna go to the party?

B: Yeah! Sounds like fun.

Basically, DO has been dropped and you became ya. Of course, want to became WANNA. That means that in casual English Do you...? questions will often become YA...?

John: Ya like baseball?

Adam: Nah, I'm from Australia I prefer cricket.

--------------

Ed: Ya know anyone who's good with cars?

Bill: Huh? Um, maybe Joe is. Why?

Ed: My cars making a weird noise... ya think Joe'll come take a look at it?

Bill: Sure, no problem. He's a really nice guy.

Ya get it? (Do you get it - Do you understand)

Pretty simple, no? Now you are one step closer to understanding American TV shows and movies perfectly!

Have a good week,

Phil

Was that a g-g-ghost???

Hey everyone, here's a Halloween lesson on a few useful idioms that mean COWARD, the person will not stand up for themselves...

to be spineless

A spine is the link of bones (the vertebrae) that makes up your back and helps you stand up straight. So to be spine less means you have no spine! So you can't stand, you are a coward...

a spine from http://www.cedars-sinai.edu/Patients/Programs-and-Services/Spine-Center/Anatomy-of-the-Spine/Curves-of-the-Spine.aspx

Tom: What was that?? Was that a g-g-ghost?!?!?!

Bob: Don't be so spineless! It was just the wind...

later...

Alex: Should we ask Tom to go with us and check out the haunted house (お化け屋敷 -おばけやしき)?

Bob: Tom he's spineless! There's no way (zero chance) he'll go with us.

Alex: Yeah, you're right. Let's just go.

to have no backbone

Backbone means the same as spine but is much more casual... so it sounds a bit weaker than to be spineless. Of course, if you say someone HAS a backbone then you are saying they are BRAVE.

Jim has no backbone! His wife's always pushing him around.

You need to have more backbone! You can't let your coworker bully you!

Too bad he has no backbone, otherwise he'd be a really attractive guy.

Have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Phil

Leave vs. leave for

Today, I will talk about the difference between leave and leave for.

Leave

This focuses on departing somewhere.

He already left.

He left work early because his kid is sick.

On the other hand, leave for focuses on going somewhere-it focuses on the destination!

She left school.

It means she WAS at school but is not at school anymore.

She left for school.

This means she is GOING to school.

It's time to go to work.

It's time to leave for work.

Obviously, leave for sounds more formal than go to. Any questions?

Have a nice day!

Phil

Stop Procrastinating!

I briefly talked about the verb to procrastinate back in June, 2010. It means to delay, to put something off. Whenever you say "I'll do it tomorrow" you are procrastinating!

A more casual way to say it is the idiom:

to drag your feet

When you don't want to do something you drag your feet. Think about when parents bring their kids to the dentist and they don't want to go... the Mom literally has to drag her kids feet~!

Stop dragging your feet! You shouldn't procrastinate so much.

Personally, I like to get things over with. This means when you have something you DON'T want to do it is better to do it right away. That way you can focus on something else.

Let's get this meeting over with, I have to get to the airport.

Another report to write?!?! I'll get it over with this weekend...

Any questions? Have a nice weekend!

Phil

I insist.

Do you know the meaning of the above sentence? It means to not take no for an answer! When someone insists it means they push until you accept. It is a fairly polite word. If you insist you are demanding something persistently, you won't give up until it happens.

My boss insisted I work overtime...

I insist we investigate the accident.

The most often usage is when giving something:

Harry: This is for you!

Jill: A Rolex? That's too much, I can't accept such an extravagant gift.

Harry: I insist, please accept it. I think it would suit you perfectly.

Jill: Well, if you insist. Thanks for the wonderful gift.

Harry: It's nothing. I am glad you like it.

---------------

Philip: I'll pick up the check. It's my treat.

Bill: Are you sure?

Philip: Of course, I insist.

Bill: Thanks!

Have a nice week,

Phil

It doesn't matter...

Hey everyone, here's a lesson that matters! We will talk about the noun matter and the verb to matter. The noun means:

- a thing that exists

Reading matter (a thing you read)

Liquid matter (a thing that is a liquid)

organic matter ( a thing that is organic)

I have an important matter to attend to. (I have something important to do)

- a trouble or difficulty, something that is bothering you

What's the matter? (What's wrong?)

-related to or a concern of

It's a private matter. (a private issue)

That's a foreign policy matter. (related to foreign policy)

As you can see the noun matter is a formal and pretty high level word.

The verb to matter means to be important.

Nothing matters! (nothing is important)

A: Ooops! I broke a glass.

B: Oh, that's ok. It doesn't matter I got it for 50 yen.
(Don't worry, it's not important)

He matters to me. (He's important to me)

Any questions?

Phil

Stop messing around! It's time to be serious about your studies!

I was just studying the word ふざける (巫山戯る) and learned it means to mess around!

This is the same as goofing around or horsing around and fooling around.

Josh and Sam around always goofing around.

Lex and Tod often horsing around. They need to grow up.

Those two brothers are always fooling around.

BUT be careful to fool around has an EXTRA meaning. It can also mean to kiss, french kiss, touch each other, have sex, etc.

A: What's wrong with John?

B: He's getting a divorce.

A: Really? Why?

B: His wife caught him fooling around with the babysitter!

Have a nice weekend,

Phil

Wow two posts in a row!

Today we will look at two expressions that mean to do something again without a break. One thing follows the next without any interruptions.

You've been late 3 days in a row~!

You've been late 3 days back to back!

I watched all the Lord of the Rings movies yesterday in a row! It took me like 15 hours!

The Hanshin Tigers have won two games in a row.

Tom went on 2 business trips back to back. First, he was in Thailand and now he's in Paraguay!

He dated the Smith sisters back to back. What a playboy!

Any questions?

Phil

That guy's always slacking off!~!

OK everyone, for the first lesson of the month I'd like to apologize for slacking off. This means that I have not been working as hard as I should.

It comes from sailing when a rope is taut or tight it is being held in place right but if it is slack or loose the sailor is not pulling his weight and is literally slacking off~!

To pull your weight means to do your fair share, you are doing the same amount of work as the other people on your team. Someone who doesn't work hard while the rest of his team does isn't pulling his weight. He is a slacker (noun).

I mentioned it in a previous blog post:

彼は油を売っている。

He's goofing/slacking off.

Today, I want to go over the slight difference between slacking off (not working hard) and goofing off (not working hard because you are having fun playing games & making jokes).

A goof or goofball is someone who is really silly, not serious and always making jokes. So to goof off is to not take work seriously and instead play.

A similar idiom is goof around or horse around. This has an even stronger feeling of playing and not working. Parents often tell their kids (usually boys) who are fighting or playing too much:

Stop horsing around!

or

Stop goofing around!

If the kids are just not working so hard a teacher might say:

Stop slacking off!

or

Stop goofing off! Get to work!

At work if I am feeling tired I might slack off a bit but I am getting older and more serious so I rarely goof around anymore!

Have a nice week,

Phil

He's a shoe in~!

For the last lesson of the month I have a short idiom lesson. Sorry I didn't post more often but after getting hitched (married) and going on vacation for 3 weeks, but I am out of my blogging groove... it will take me awhile to go back to normal and post 6-8 times a month. Wish me luck!

Anyways, this idiom lesson is about:

to be a shoe in

This means that you think someone is sure to get a job/position or be picked for something. It means something/someone will definitely win.

John's a shoe in for the Assistant Manager position.

Who do you think will get the promotion? I think Tara's a shoe in!

Apparently, the correct spelling is "shoo-in" which I don't think I've ever seen until researching this lesson! Here's a good explanation I found posted by fireflyscout on College Confidential:

Shoo in is how I've always seen it.

Just did a google search, and here's what I found:

This one is spelled wrongly so often that it’s likely it will eventually end up that way.The correct form is shoo-in, usually with a hyphen. It has been known in that
spelling and with the meaning of a certain winner from the 1930s. It came from
horse racing, where a shoo-in was the winner of a rigged race.

In turn that seems to have come from the verb shoo, meaning to drive a person or an animal in a given direction by making noises or gestures, which in turn comes
from the noise people often make when they do it.

The shift to the horse racing sense seems to have occurred sometime in the early 1900s. C E Smith made it clear how it came about in his Racing Maxims and Methods of Pittsburgh Phil in 1908: “There were many times presumably that ‘Tod’ would win through such manipulations, being ‘shooed in’, as it were”.

A rigged race is one where the winner has been (illegally) decided in advance. And from common errors in English usage they say:

"This expression purportedly comes from the practice of corrupt jockeys
holding their horses back and shooing a preselected winner across the finish
line to guarantee that it will win. A “shoo-in” is now an easy winner, with no
connotation of dishonesty. “Shoe-in” is a common misspelling."

So feel free to use shoe in or shoo in both are ok I think! Anytime you think someone is sure to win you can say:

She's a shoe in~!

Phil

R/L sound... and B/V...

Hey everyone, I am not sure if I mentioned this app before but it's lots of fun! I often have my kids play it to check their listening skills for the difference between R and L. Most of them get about 50% correct... so I guess they need more practice! How about you?

It's called the English Ear game and it is FREE. Check it out here:

English Ear Game R/L

Here is a sentence you can use to practice your pronunciation, using 3 English words that sound very similar: boiling (BOY-Ling), boring (bow-RING) and bowling (bow-LING).

It was boiling at the boring basketball game so the boy went bowling.

Apparently, they have also made an English Ear 2 which is so you can practice your listening for the B/V sound. You can find it here:

English Ear Game 2 B/V

And I'll give you a sentence so you can practice it too ^_^

Betty & Veronica like the very berry butterscotch banana Sundae very much.

Have a nice Tuesday!

Phil

You should bring your umbrella...

...just in case.

Today we will be looking at this expression. Have you heard it before? It is often used by parents, teachers and friends when giving advice or suggestions about what you should do. Most often, the case we are talking about is not mentioned because it is clear from the context.

You should call her before going to her place just in case.
(...she is out and you waste your time)

You should bring an umbrella just in case.
(it rains)

Billy bring your jacket just in case.
(you get cold)

According to bablefish, the online translation program ,it means ちょうど場合で. A more formal way to say the same thing is: to be on the safe side. Which babelfish translates as: 大事を取って.

You should go to the station now to be on the safe side.
(so you don't miss your train)

Tom don't forget to bring extra socks to be on safe side.
(so you don't run out of clean socks)

I always write down a grocery list before going to the store just to be on the safe side. (so I don't forget to buy anything)

So we use these two expressions in pretty much the same way. Have a nice weekend!

Phil

Plastic surgery

I will continue talking about medical topics today: plastic surgery.

Or sometimes it is called cosmetic surgery. In North America, the most popular types of plastic surgery are:

botox ボトックス

This is an injection (注射 - ちゅうしゃ) of a neurotoxin which kills your nerves to stop wrinkles (老いの波 - おいのなみ). It only lasts a few months and then you need to do it again.

A lot of movie stars get botox.

liposuction 脂肪吸引 (しぼうきゅういん)

This is when they suck the fat out of you.

A: Man, Bob's lost a lot of weight! Did he hit the gym?

B: Nah, I heard he got liposuction!

A: No way! He's looking good, I hope he can keep the weight off.

a boob job 豊胸手術 (ほうきょうしゅじゅつ)

This is casual English, it is also called a breast enlargement (medical term). Where the doctor will install breast implants to increase a woman's breast size.

My friend is thinking of getting a boob job but I told her she looks fine and doesn't need it.

a nose job 隆鼻術 (りゅうびじゅつ)

This is where someone will have their nose done. The medical term is rhinoplasty. In the west it is most often used to make your nose smaller. I think in Asia it is often to make it a bit more pointy.

Wow! She looks really beautiful since she got her nose job.

Those are the most common, you might also hear someone say:

A: I think she got a face lift!

B: Yeah, I think so too. Her wrinkles are gone but now her skin is too tight.

A: Yeah! She looks kind of scary...

A face lift is a surgery where they will lift your face up and tighten your skin to get rid of wrinkles.

In Asia, a lot of people have their eyes done. This is the surgery people get to have more western style eyes or bigger looking eyes.

Have a nice week!

Phil

illness vs. disease

Hey everyone, time for a quick lesson~! Today, I'll be talking about the difference between the words: illness & disease.

Illness n.

1. a. Poor health resulting from disease of body or mind; sickness.
   b. A disease. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/illness)

Disease n.

1. A pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms.


2. A condition or tendency, as of society, regarded as abnormal and harmful. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/disease) Example: Crime is a disease plaguing our cities!

Illness isn't used as often as disease, it sounds more formal and old fashioned. I guess in terms of usage, we are usually vague when we use illness. It seems to focus more on the condition of your body.

He's ill. (adj, old fashioned)

He has an illness that makes him tired all the time. (n.)

Disease seems like something has gone wrong with you because of a virus or bacteria. But, apparently can also refer to genetic problems and stress related issues. It is used more to focus on the thing which is attacking or weakening your body. It is often used in a specific way.

He has Parkinson's Disease.

Have you heard of Lou Gehrig's Disease?

Cancer is a disease that is a real problem these days.

Malaria is a tough disease to eradicate (get rid of).

We also have a more recent and casual word which has the same usage as illness:

Sickness n.

1. The condition of being sick; illness.


2. A disease; a malady.


3. Nausea. Ex: motion sickness, sea sickness


4. A defective or unsound condition. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sickness)

He has some kind of weird sickness that makes him tired all the time.

His sickness is getting worse.

He's really sick. (adj)

Any questions?

Phil

I got hitched~!

Sorry everyone, I got married last month so didn't really have time to post any lessons but I want to try and make it up to you guys by posting 7-8 times this month~! To start I will cover a bunch of expressions that mean "to get married".

A: Hey, I heard you tied the knot last month!

B: Yup, it's true. I got hitched to my longtime girlfriend Anastasia.

A: So was it a shotgun wedding?

B: What?! No way!

A: Ha ha, gotcha! (got you)

B: Ha ha ha, very funny (said sarcastically). But seriously, we want to have kids in a few years.

A: Well good luck with the old ball and chain.

B: Ha ha, you're a real comedian today aren't you? (more sarcasm)

A: I do try to be funny.

B: You're not succeeding.

A: Ok, I get it. Anyways, congratulations. I hope you and Anastasia are really happy together.

B: Thanks.

A shotgun wedding in Japanese is dekichatta kekkon,　出来ちゃった結婚 . Meaning, you are getting married because you got the woman pregnant. It comes from the fact that farmers used to chase down boys who got their daughters pregnant with a shotgun and force the boys to marry their daughters!!

Got you (gotcha) means I tricked you or you fell for my joke.

The old ball and chain is an expression men use to describe their wives--it isn't very polite so men usually use it when their wives are NOT around. It comes from the fact that prisoners in jail used to wear a chain attached to a heavy metal ball that stopped them from running away!

More lessons soon, have a nice weekend!

Phil

He claims he works for Mr. Smith...

Hey everyone, today we're going to look at the difference between these two sentences:

He says it was an accident.

He claims it was an accident.

Do you know the difference in meaning between the two???

Don't worry you will! So when we report speech we can either use SAY or CLAIM.

Say is a neutral verb, and we use it to just report the information someone told us. It doesn't carry any sort of judgement of the information.

She said that she didn't break the vase.

Claim is used when we want to imply that we DON'T BELIEVE the speaker. We are highly skeptical about what we're told.

She claimed that she didn't break the vase. (but I don't believe her)

Any questions?

Phil

Is it your first trip to...?

Hey everyone, it is almost summer vacation time so let's look at a few useful phrases:

Is it your first trip to (country name)?

We use this phrase most often BEFORE we go on a trip.

A: Is it your first trip to Australia?

B: Yes, it is but I've wanted to go for a long time!

A: Well, have fun. I wish I could go with you...

REMEMBER ~to + specific place! So you can't say

Are you going to home? X INCORRECT

Are you going to abroad? X INCORRECT

Instead say:

Are you going home? O CORRECT

Are you going abroad? O CORRECT

I think people get mixed up because you can also say:

Are you going to go home? O CORRECT

Are you going to go abroad? O CORRECT

BUT here going to = gonna with the verb go and home/abroad DON'T follow to!

Is it/this your first time in (country name)?

We use this when you are IN the country. We often use it when talking to tourists or people from out of town. So it is most often used DURING YOUR VISIT.

Local: Is this your first time in London?

Tourist: Yeah, it is. So far I'm having a great time!

Local: Be sure not to miss the British Museum and the Tate Modern.

Tourist: Thanks for the tip!

--------------------

Friend: Is it your first time in Japan?

Out-of-towner: Yeah, it is. People are so helpful here.

Friend: I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. Thanks for visiting, I was a bit homesick.

Out-of-towner: No problem! Here's some food from home.

Friend: Wow, thanks! I really missed Mac n' cheese!

Any questions? Enjoy this rainy Monday!

Phil

How was it? How is it?

Ok so for today's lesson we will look at two useful sentences:

How is it?

pronounced

How izzit?

This question is used to ask about current events, most often when trying food.

For example:

A: Here, try my cake. I baked it this morning

B: Ok, sure. It looks great. (takes a bite)

A: How is it?

B: Wow~! It's delicious! Can I have the recipe?

How was it?

pronounced

How wazzit?

This is a much more useful phrase. We use it all the time to talk about past experiences.

Bob: I went to Australia.

Dan: Really? How was it?

Bob: The weather was great and the people were really friendly.

----------

Tracy: I saw the movie Thor last week.

Fred: How was it?

Tracy: It was good but I was expecting more. X-Men: First Class was better.

----------

Hank: I finally tried that new sushi place.

Mel: I've been dying to try it! How was it?

Hank: It was pretty good but a bit expensive.

Mel: Is it worth checking out?

Hank: Yeah, I think so.

Ok that's enough for today, if you have any questions leave me a comment!

Phil

Idiom app

Hey everyone, I just came accross this app (in Japanese you say appli - which is short for application) to help people learn English idioms and it is currently free~!

It is called Idiom Attack with 300 idioms in 25 chapters. It looks good so why don't you check it out?

http://itunes.apple.com/app/idiom-attack-japanese-edition/id409791811?mt=8

Phil

I'll think about it....

Hi everyone, it's time for another cultural miscommunication's lesson~!

When someone says:

I'll think about it.

It often means:

No.

When someone you are dating says:

We need to talk.

It usually means, there's bad news... for example:

I'm gonna break up with you.

BUT sometimes it can be good news~!

We need to talk... ...I'm pregnant!

Well, that example could be good or bad news depending on your point of view ^_-

These examples are a kind of code that is culturally based, you hear them all the time in movies and TV shows. People react not based on the words that are said but on their hidden meaning!

For example, in the 1950s this was a common scene:

Tom: Hey, Sally wanna go out with me on Friday night?

Sally: Sorry, I'm busy. I'm washing my hair.

Tom: Oh, ok... -_-

The subtext here is that:

I'm washing my hair = I am not interested in you/I don't want to date you.

Have a nice rainy day,

Phil

ねちょっと聞いて。

Phil: Guess what?

Students: What?

Phil : I'm gonna write 6-7 lessons this month!

So "ねちょっと聞いて" literally means "Hey, listen a bit" but in English we say "Guess What?".

The answer is always "What?" after which the person usually tells you his big news.

For example:

A: Guess what?

B: What?

A: I'm getting married~!

B: Wow, congratulations!

But sometimes people say:

A: Guess what?

B: What?

A: Go on guess!

B: Umm, You're new girlfriend is an alien?

A: No, come on make a serious guess!

B: Huh, I don't know. I give up.

A: I won a trip to Italy!

B: Wow, great!

So the next time someone asks you "Guess what?" remember to reply "What?"!

Have a great weekend,

Phil

Do you wanna do something tomorrow?

Ok everyone, to round up this month here's a small lesson about a structure you can use for a casual invitation/offer.

Do you want to ~ X?

To make it more casual remember to use: wanna.

want to -----> wanna

So you should say:

Do you wanna ~ x?

Do you wanna go out for drinks tonight?

Do you wanna catch a movie this weekend?

Do you wanna have dinner with me?

To make it EVEN MORE casual you can DROP "Do you"...

Wanna ~ X?

Wanna go dancing tonight?
Do you want to go dancing tonight?

Wanna watch Teen Wolf?
Do you want to watch Teen Wolf?

Wanna beer?
Do you want a beer?

Any questions? Remember, "Wanna~x?" is SUPER casual so you should only use it with close friends and family.

Have a good night, I'm gonna try and post 6-7 times next month. Wish me luck!

Phil