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