You don't have to rub it in!!!

Hey guys sorry for not posting more but I am on vacation and not really in the mood to blog about English which is my job!

Do you understand this lesson's title? It comes from an expression: rubbing salt into an open wound. This actually disinfects the wound but is EXTREMELY painful. The expression has been shortened to "to rub (something) in" it means that someone repeats many times something negative to make themselves feel good and you feel bad.

John: I hear Tara broke up with you.

Ben: Yeah, it sucks.

John: I told you she would, she was no good for you.

Ben: Yeah, you warned me.

John: Yup, she wasn't the girl for you. I heard she's dating Ted now.

Ben: Ok, ok, quit rubbing it in!

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Ben: John's a real jerk sometimes.

Sara: Why do you say that?

Ben: Whenever he's right, he likes to gloat. He always rubs it in.

Sara: Yeah, that's true.

To gloat means to express or feel a great sense of pleasure or satisfaction usually because you won or you are right. It has a negative meaning!

Winners who gloat are jerks.

That guy is always gloating whenever he's right. He loves rubbing it in!

So you can see that the usage of "rub (something) in" is when someone is bothering you by telling something true but that you don't want to hear or be reminded of. Usually we say "Stop rubbing it in!" the it referring to what the other person said or did.

A: We won! In your face suckahs!

B: Good game...

A: You guys SUCK!

B: Um, yeah, you beat us.

A: Hahaha we're number 1, we're number 1!!!

B: Ever heard of sportsmanship??? It's not nice to rub it in...


Any questions?

Phil

I'm dead tired...

Hey guys, I am now back in my hometown after a grueling trip that took over a day! Grueling means physically or mentally demanding to the point of exhaustion. The trip was fine and I even got upgraded to business class but traveling internationally these days is such a hassle with all the lines (security, immigration customs), paperwork and flight delays.

Anyways, right now I am feeling jet lagged (jisa boke in Japanese) and exhausted from my trip but happy to be back. So, today we will look at the casual English expression:

to be dead tired

It simply means that you are super tired, you are exhausted, you don't have any energy left to do anything.

Tracy: Sam ya wanna go out dancing?

Sam: Nah, I'm dead tired. I was helping out at my Uncle's farm all day.

Tracy: Wow, sounds exhausting. How about we go to a day spa and relax?

Sam: That sounds nice, but... how about tomorrow? I think if I go today, I'll fall asleep in the hot tub!

Tracy: OK, get some rest and see you tomorrow!

Any questions?

Phil

summer weather...

Hey guys, summer vacation is just around the corner... and things are getting way too hot in Japan~! So here's a quick lesson of useful vocabulary to talk about this kind of weather.

muggy

This means it is hot and  very humid, it is similar to 油照り (あぶらでり) or 蒸し暑い（むしあつい）. This kind of weather makes you sweat a lot and your clothes stick to your skin.

It's been really muggy lately, by the time I get to work my shirt is soaked with sweat! Gross!

sweltering

This means it is excessively hot and humid. It's too hot and humid and it makes you sweat like crazy. It is stronger than muggy, so muggy that you don't even want to move.

Let's go to the Japan Alps to escape the sweltering summer heat in the city.

boiling

This literally means 100C when water boils but it is used in casual English to say that it is REALLY hot. The opposite is freezing.

It's boiling. Let's go somewhere with air conditioning.

scorching hot

This means it is VERY VERY hot. It is hot and dry enough to burn.

It was scorching hot yesterday! I went to the beach and burned my feet when I stepped onto the sand!

stuffy

This means that the air is old and stale, it isn't fresh. We often use it to describe a house or room. In the summer, when you go away on vacation then come home your place is usually stuffy.

Hey open the windows, this room is too stuffy.

This month is vacation time so I am not sure how often I will be posting on my blog. I will aim for about 6 times. Wish me luck!


Phil