Continuing the money theme from my last post I thought of this expression while in class today:
Money is no object!
Now unfortunately, I've never been in a position to say this but I've heard it in movies & TV shows often enough. It simply means that "I don't care about the cost" or "I will pay whatever price you like" or "Spare no expense". Basically, it's used to tell a shopkeeper that you want the best and don't care about the price. You can find thefreedictionary.com's definition here.
I just won the lottery, give me your best bottle of champagne! Money is no object.
After my uncle got promoted he started spending like money was no object, eventually he went bankrupt!
Here's a great video of a talk where Alan Watts a British philosopher asks the question:
What would you do if money was no object?
Have a great weekend!
Phil
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Put your money where your mouth is~!
Today we'll look at a few idioms linked to gambling. If you are very sure about something you could say:
I'd put money on it.
This means that you believe it so much that you are willing to bet money that you're right. It is generally used in the following grammar structure:
X would put money on Y
And since you are telling people about your high degree of certainty X is usually I.
I'd put money on it raining tomorrow.
I'd put money on Tom getting the promotion.
You might talk about other people but this isn't so common:
She'd put money on him proposing on their anniversary next week.
In this case it is a form of reported speech, you are telling someone that she told you he is sure he will propose on their anniversary.
Another, more dramatic way, to express a high degree of certainty that something is true/will happen is to say:
I'd stake my life on it
You often hear this in casual English and it is in a ton of movies where gangsters catch someone and want them to talk:
Gangster: Where's the money?
John: I don't know~!
Gangster: (breaks a finger) Where's the MONEY?
John: Tom might have it...
Gangster: MIGHT? (pushes on the broken finger)
John: He has it, he has it. I'd stake my life on it.
Gangster: You just did.
In this case you are literally saying "I'd bet my life on it" so if you are wrong they'll kill you!
The last idiom we'll look at is one where two people are arguing and someone says"
Put your money where your mouth is!
This means that you talk tough like you are right or can do something but prove it - make a bet and show me I'm wrong.
Al: I can sink 3 basketballs in 1 minute from half-court.
Bill: What? No way!
Al: I can, I do it all the time.
Bill: Put your money where your mouth is, 20$ says you can't.
Al: You're on, let's go to the basketball court and I'll show you how it's done.
So Al said he could do something, Bill didn't believe him and bet him 20$ he can't. They made a bet and now they will go find out who is right.
Have a nice weekend guys,
Phil
I'd put money on it.
This means that you believe it so much that you are willing to bet money that you're right. It is generally used in the following grammar structure:
X would put money on Y
And since you are telling people about your high degree of certainty X is usually I.
I'd put money on it raining tomorrow.
I'd put money on Tom getting the promotion.
You might talk about other people but this isn't so common:
She'd put money on him proposing on their anniversary next week.
In this case it is a form of reported speech, you are telling someone that she told you he is sure he will propose on their anniversary.
Another, more dramatic way, to express a high degree of certainty that something is true/will happen is to say:
I'd stake my life on it
You often hear this in casual English and it is in a ton of movies where gangsters catch someone and want them to talk:
Gangster: Where's the money?
John: I don't know~!
Gangster: (breaks a finger) Where's the MONEY?
John: Tom might have it...
Gangster: MIGHT? (pushes on the broken finger)
John: He has it, he has it. I'd stake my life on it.
Gangster: You just did.
In this case you are literally saying "I'd bet my life on it" so if you are wrong they'll kill you!
The last idiom we'll look at is one where two people are arguing and someone says"
Put your money where your mouth is!
This means that you talk tough like you are right or can do something but prove it - make a bet and show me I'm wrong.
Al: I can sink 3 basketballs in 1 minute from half-court.
Bill: What? No way!
Al: I can, I do it all the time.
Bill: Put your money where your mouth is, 20$ says you can't.
Al: You're on, let's go to the basketball court and I'll show you how it's done.
So Al said he could do something, Bill didn't believe him and bet him 20$ he can't. They made a bet and now they will go find out who is right.
Have a nice weekend guys,
Phil
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
A kind of handsome vs. kind of handsome
Sorry for not posting in awhile but I have been busy with other things, awhile back a student of mine said:
My friend is a kind of handsome.
Now in English when you add a the meaning can change quite significantly:
I ate a pizza yesterday (a whole pizza!)
I ate pizza yesterday (some pizza, we don't know how much)
In this case by using "a kind of" it means a type of or a variety of. This tells someone that your friend is not the normal style of handsome but rather that he is an unusual variety of handsome.
Pork is a kind of meat.
meaning
Pork is one variety of meat.
So a kind of is used to define something or put it into a category.
My friend is kind of handsome.
In this case, kind of is a modifier where you can soften the following word. So it means that her friend is a bit handsome.
It's kind of far.
meaning
It's a little bit far.
So as you can guess in conversation people are much more likely to use kind of than a kind of!
Any questions?
Phil
My friend is a kind of handsome.
Now in English when you add a the meaning can change quite significantly:
I ate a pizza yesterday (a whole pizza!)
I ate pizza yesterday (some pizza, we don't know how much)
In this case by using "a kind of" it means a type of or a variety of. This tells someone that your friend is not the normal style of handsome but rather that he is an unusual variety of handsome.
Pork is a kind of meat.
meaning
Pork is one variety of meat.
So a kind of is used to define something or put it into a category.
My friend is kind of handsome.
In this case, kind of is a modifier where you can soften the following word. So it means that her friend is a bit handsome.
It's kind of far.
meaning
It's a little bit far.
So as you can guess in conversation people are much more likely to use kind of than a kind of!
Any questions?
Phil
Sunday, July 13, 2014
be used to vs. used to
Now back in 2010 I wrote a blog post about the meaning and the way to use the expression used to. Today I will be looking at the difference between be+used to and used to.
BE + USED TO
This is what we say when people have adjusted to a change in their lives.
It was tough when I started my new job at first but I am used to it now.
Are you used to living in Japan yet?
In many cases, be will be replaced with get:
Oh you think it's noisy here? You'll get used to it.
(You will adapt to it.)
I couldn't get used to the smell of stinky tofu when I was in Taiwan.(I couldn't adjust and accept the smell)
USED TO + verb
This simply means that before X was true and now it isn't
I used to play tennis. (now I don't)
She used to work at Panasonic. (now she doesn't)
My company used to make a pomegranate jam. (now it doesn't - it was discontinued)
Be very careful not to mix these two up!
Any questions?
Phil
BE + USED TO
This is what we say when people have adjusted to a change in their lives.
It was tough when I started my new job at first but I am used to it now.
Are you used to living in Japan yet?
In many cases, be will be replaced with get:
Oh you think it's noisy here? You'll get used to it.
(You will adapt to it.)
I couldn't get used to the smell of stinky tofu when I was in Taiwan.(I couldn't adjust and accept the smell)
USED TO + verb
This simply means that before X was true and now it isn't
I used to play tennis. (now I don't)
She used to work at Panasonic. (now she doesn't)
My company used to make a pomegranate jam. (now it doesn't - it was discontinued)
Be very careful not to mix these two up!
Any questions?
Phil
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Clever, Smart, Intelligent Revisited
Sorry for not having posted lately but I've been busy with my other hobby beer and my page/blog Kansai Beer Lovers.
Anyways, way back in 2008 I wrote a post looking at the difference between clever, smart and intelligent. It was a good post and quite informative. Today I just want to quickly review what I said.
Clever
While popular among Japanese English speakers among native English speakers it often has more of a NEGATIVE connotation. It's somewhat condescending, like you are talking down to someone. It kind of emphasizes someone is good at solving problems or playing tricks. It's often used to talk about animals & kids.
A really clever crow keeps getting into my garbage can.
My dog's so clever he knows many tricks.
My kid gave a clever answer when I asked him why the sky is blue.
Intelligent
This has the same meaning as smart but is more formal and typically seen in written more than spoken North American English.
That company made an intelligent decision when they hired him.
My professor is a very intelligent man.
Smart
This is the word you'll most often hear in casual conversation and the one Japanese English speakers should be using instead of clever.
My son's really smart, he always gets good grades.
She's incredibly smart, funny and attractive. You should ask her out.
That wasn't a smart choice...
Have a good week,
Phil
Anyways, way back in 2008 I wrote a post looking at the difference between clever, smart and intelligent. It was a good post and quite informative. Today I just want to quickly review what I said.
Clever
While popular among Japanese English speakers among native English speakers it often has more of a NEGATIVE connotation. It's somewhat condescending, like you are talking down to someone. It kind of emphasizes someone is good at solving problems or playing tricks. It's often used to talk about animals & kids.
A really clever crow keeps getting into my garbage can.
My dog's so clever he knows many tricks.
My kid gave a clever answer when I asked him why the sky is blue.
Intelligent
This has the same meaning as smart but is more formal and typically seen in written more than spoken North American English.
That company made an intelligent decision when they hired him.
My professor is a very intelligent man.
Smart
This is the word you'll most often hear in casual conversation and the one Japanese English speakers should be using instead of clever.
My son's really smart, he always gets good grades.
She's incredibly smart, funny and attractive. You should ask her out.
That wasn't a smart choice...
Have a good week,
Phil
Thursday, May 1, 2014
What about you? How about you? And you?
Hey guys, I haven't written in awhile but last week I was teaching a student and he asked a good question:
What's the difference between "What about you?" and "How about you?" ?
I had a hard time answering him at first as they're both kind of used like a mirror to shoot the question back at someone but after some thought I realized that they work slightly differently.
1- How about you?
A -----> B -----> A
2- What about you?
A -----> B -----> C
So with #1 it is generally going back to the person that asked you the question.
Helen : Do you have any kids?
Craig: No, I don't. How about you?
Helen: Me neither.
With #2 it may be used to go back to the questioner but is more often used to ask the question of SOMEONE ELSE, a third person in your group. To continue the previous conversation:
Helen: What about you Tom?
Tom: Actually, I have two kids: a boy & a girl.
We then briefly talked about the difference between those two questions and "And you?".
Again this differs slightly in usage, this is usually used after a statement rather than after answering a question like #1 & #2.
Jerry: Oh wow, fresh strawberries! I love strawberries. And you?
Kelly: Strawberries are ok but I prefer raspberries.
Have a great Golden Week,
Phil
What's the difference between "What about you?" and "How about you?" ?
I had a hard time answering him at first as they're both kind of used like a mirror to shoot the question back at someone but after some thought I realized that they work slightly differently.
1- How about you?
A -----> B -----> A
2- What about you?
A -----> B -----> C
So with #1 it is generally going back to the person that asked you the question.
Helen : Do you have any kids?
Craig: No, I don't. How about you?
Helen: Me neither.
With #2 it may be used to go back to the questioner but is more often used to ask the question of SOMEONE ELSE, a third person in your group. To continue the previous conversation:
Helen: What about you Tom?
Tom: Actually, I have two kids: a boy & a girl.
We then briefly talked about the difference between those two questions and "And you?".
Again this differs slightly in usage, this is usually used after a statement rather than after answering a question like #1 & #2.
Jerry: Oh wow, fresh strawberries! I love strawberries. And you?
Kelly: Strawberries are ok but I prefer raspberries.
Have a great Golden Week,
Phil
Thursday, April 17, 2014
to milk X
This expression comes from farming and milking a cow. Yes in English milk can be used as a verb!
The original meaning is simply: to milk a cow.
From this verb we got the expression to milk something for all it's worth.
Hal: Did you hear that Tomo won an award?
Bill: Yeah, he's milking it for all it's worth! He's been telling everyone he meets about it.
This was eventually shortened to milk X. So this usage of milk means to exploit something as much as possible, to take of advantage of something as much as you can.
Husband: Oh, I'm so tired from yesterday's marathon. Can you do the dishes?
Wife: Stop milking that! Yes you ran a marathon but you haven't done any work since then!
Fred: He's really milking the sympathy card from his breakup.
Jeb: Yep, he's had a whole string of new ladies recently.
Fred: Well wouldn't you do the same thing?
Jeb: Yeah, probably. hahaha
Have a nice weekend,
Phil
The original meaning is simply: to milk a cow.
From this verb we got the expression to milk something for all it's worth.
Hal: Did you hear that Tomo won an award?
Bill: Yeah, he's milking it for all it's worth! He's been telling everyone he meets about it.
This was eventually shortened to milk X. So this usage of milk means to exploit something as much as possible, to take of advantage of something as much as you can.
Husband: Oh, I'm so tired from yesterday's marathon. Can you do the dishes?
Wife: Stop milking that! Yes you ran a marathon but you haven't done any work since then!
Fred: He's really milking the sympathy card from his breakup.
Jeb: Yep, he's had a whole string of new ladies recently.
Fred: Well wouldn't you do the same thing?
Jeb: Yeah, probably. hahaha
Have a nice weekend,
Phil
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Typical.
Hey everyone, today we'll look at a casual usage of the word typical. This is an adjective that means regular, usual, standard, average, etc. It basically means that something matches a particular group or type.
A: What do you do on a typical day at work?
B: I prepare lessons, talk to students and teach classes.
It can be used as the adverb typically.
Typically Japanese houses are rebuilt every 30 years.
Now the usage of typical I want to look at today is casual English. It acts as a kind of negative さすが. It's used when someone does something wrong or bad but that person often does that kind of thing. So it's their typical behavior.
She cancelled your date at the last minute again? Typical.
Student: I forgot to do my homework.
Teacher: Typical. You'll have to stay after school today.
You're husband was out late with co-workers, that's so typical of him!
As you can see it is regularly, or typically, used as a one wonder answer when someone shares information.
Kenta: The JR Tokaido line is delayed again today.
Yuko: Typical.
Gerry: My boss was in a bad mood again today.
Sam: Typical.
Gerry: Yeah, I think his wife yelled at him again for coming home so late.
You can find the Japanese definition on weblio here. The examples we've been looking at are under 2b:
But as I said, when used in this way it is generally, or typically, used to describe a NEGATIVE behavior.
Have a nice week,
Phil
A: What do you do on a typical day at work?
B: I prepare lessons, talk to students and teach classes.
It can be used as the adverb typically.
Typically Japanese houses are rebuilt every 30 years.
Now the usage of typical I want to look at today is casual English. It acts as a kind of negative さすが. It's used when someone does something wrong or bad but that person often does that kind of thing. So it's their typical behavior.
She cancelled your date at the last minute again? Typical.
Student: I forgot to do my homework.
Teacher: Typical. You'll have to stay after school today.
You're husband was out late with co-workers, that's so typical of him!
As you can see it is regularly, or typically, used as a one wonder answer when someone shares information.
Kenta: The JR Tokaido line is delayed again today.
Yuko: Typical.
Gerry: My boss was in a bad mood again today.
Sam: Typical.
Gerry: Yeah, I think his wife yelled at him again for coming home so late.
You can find the Japanese definition on weblio here. The examples we've been looking at are under 2b:
| 用例 |
But as I said, when used in this way it is generally, or typically, used to describe a NEGATIVE behavior.
Have a nice week,
Phil
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Well, technically speaking...
Today we'll look at the expression "technically" this is used in modern English when we want to say that while something is true on paper but it may not be true in actuality.
A: You're married?!?!?
B: Well, technically I'm still married but we've been separated for 2 years and are in the middle of getting a divorce.
So this is used to express that based on precise facts or a specific definition X is true BUT in reality it may not be all that true.
Technically most Japanese people are Buddhists. If you ask them "What religion do you follow?" they'll answer "I'm Buddhist". Actually though, most Japanese people don't read about Buddha or go to temples all that often or pray to Buddha so really they're not all that Buddhist. It's like in Europe where most Europeans are technically Christian but don't really go to Church anymore.
As you can see it is used to contrast two levels of truth, an objective & subjective truth.
A: Do you still work at Panasonic?
B: Yeah, technically I still work there but I quit last month and have been using my vacation days. Even though I no longer go to the office, my last official work day will be in 2 weeks.
You can find a nice discussion about the usage of technically here. Any questions?
Phil
A: You're married?!?!?
B: Well, technically I'm still married but we've been separated for 2 years and are in the middle of getting a divorce.
So this is used to express that based on precise facts or a specific definition X is true BUT in reality it may not be all that true.
Technically most Japanese people are Buddhists. If you ask them "What religion do you follow?" they'll answer "I'm Buddhist". Actually though, most Japanese people don't read about Buddha or go to temples all that often or pray to Buddha so really they're not all that Buddhist. It's like in Europe where most Europeans are technically Christian but don't really go to Church anymore.
As you can see it is used to contrast two levels of truth, an objective & subjective truth.
A: Do you still work at Panasonic?
B: Yeah, technically I still work there but I quit last month and have been using my vacation days. Even though I no longer go to the office, my last official work day will be in 2 weeks.
You can find a nice discussion about the usage of technically here. Any questions?
Phil
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
It's gonna be a long hard slog.
Have you guys heard this before?
A slog is a long hard exhausting walk.
The image in your head should be of soldiers marching along a muddy road where their boots get stuck in the mud & pop out with sucking "slog" type sound.
So when someone says:
It'll be a hard slog but we can do it.
They mean it will be a long tough job but we can do it!
For example:
Alice: I heard you finished your diet?
Betty: Yeah, I'm so happy! It was a long hard slog dieting for 6 months but I lost 20 pounds and am ready for swimsuit season!
Have a nice day,
Phil
A slog is a long hard exhausting walk.
The image in your head should be of soldiers marching along a muddy road where their boots get stuck in the mud & pop out with sucking "slog" type sound.
So when someone says:
It'll be a hard slog but we can do it.
They mean it will be a long tough job but we can do it!
For example:
Alice: I heard you finished your diet?
Betty: Yeah, I'm so happy! It was a long hard slog dieting for 6 months but I lost 20 pounds and am ready for swimsuit season!
Have a nice day,
Phil
Thursday, February 6, 2014
It feels cramped.
Hey guys, do you know what this means? This adjective comes from the noun cramp. This has a few meanings:
Number 3 is when your muscle isn't responding, you have a temporary paralysis. Usually, because your arm or leg was in a tight space which reduced circulation and it fell asleep. This gives us the adjective cramped which means that something feels too small, too tight, the space is restricted & uncomfortable.
I don't like this hotel room it feels cramped. There's too much furniture for such a small space.
He lives in a cramped apartment.
She has cramped handwriting. All her letters and words are too close together. It's really hard to read.
There is also an idiom: to cramp one's style. I think this isn't used that much these days, it was popular in the 1970s-80s. It means that someone is too close, getting in the way and stopping you from acting as freely as you'd like. The image that comes to mind is two guys go out to a bar to meet women but one guy is getting in the way of the ladies man.
Matt: So which girls should we talk to?
Mike: There's no rush man, I'll let you know when I see some cute girls.
Matt: What should I say? How about her, she's cute!
Mike: Dude, you're cramping my style, just chill out.
Matt: Sorry man.
Have a good weekend!
Phil
- I have a cramp in my leg. (leg spasm & pain)
- She's on her period so is taking medicine for stomach cramps. (spasm & pain women feel when menstruating)
- I have a cramp in my arm.
Number 3 is when your muscle isn't responding, you have a temporary paralysis. Usually, because your arm or leg was in a tight space which reduced circulation and it fell asleep. This gives us the adjective cramped which means that something feels too small, too tight, the space is restricted & uncomfortable.
I don't like this hotel room it feels cramped. There's too much furniture for such a small space.
He lives in a cramped apartment.
She has cramped handwriting. All her letters and words are too close together. It's really hard to read.
There is also an idiom: to cramp one's style. I think this isn't used that much these days, it was popular in the 1970s-80s. It means that someone is too close, getting in the way and stopping you from acting as freely as you'd like. The image that comes to mind is two guys go out to a bar to meet women but one guy is getting in the way of the ladies man.
Matt: So which girls should we talk to?
Mike: There's no rush man, I'll let you know when I see some cute girls.
Matt: What should I say? How about her, she's cute!
Mike: Dude, you're cramping my style, just chill out.
Matt: Sorry man.
Have a good weekend!
Phil
Sunday, February 2, 2014
What's your ETA?
Hi everyone, ETA is an acronym that stands for Estimated Time of Arrival. You pronounce it E - T - A. It comes from the military and so is most often used by men. You might hear an airline pilot use it.
Good morning passengers, this is Flight 2304 to Munich our ETA is 2:30PM local time.
It is a useful acronym for text messages or online chats.
My ETA's 10 minutes from now.
Our ETA's around 4PM.
Any questions?
Phil
Good morning passengers, this is Flight 2304 to Munich our ETA is 2:30PM local time.
It is a useful acronym for text messages or online chats.
My ETA's 10 minutes from now.
Our ETA's around 4PM.
Any questions?
Phil
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Since when've you been working there? vs. How long've you been working there?
Hey guys, here's a quick lesson looking at two very similar grammar structures that have slightly different meanings & usages.
How long've you had a dog?
This question has a NEUTRAL tone you're simply asking for the length of time someone has had a dog.
(small talk)
Al: I see your smartphone's home screen is a dog. Are you a dog person?
Bell: Yeah, I love dogs. Actually, that's a photo of my dog.
Al: What's your dog's name?
Bell: Terrence.
Al: How long've you had a dog?
Bell: I've had dogs since I was a kid, but I've had Terrence for 2 years.
One thing to note is that have is often contracted into 've which is pronounced like of. In casual North American English, the of or ou sound is often replaced with a. So you might hear this:
How long-a ya been married?
Now let's look at the structure that starts with since:
Since when've you had a dog?
This expression is asking the same thing, the length of time you've had a dog BUT it is expressing SURPRISE. The speaker thought you didn't have a dog so is surprised to see you with a dog.
(walking in the park Ken sees Mark)
Ken: Hey Mark, since when've you had a dog?
Mark: He's not mine, I borrowed him from a friend. Terrence here's a real chick magnet.
Ken: Really? He's kind of ugly.
Mark: Naw, he's a cute kind of ugly women really like him.
Ken: So meet any cute girls today with Terrence?
Mark: Yeah, I got 2 phone numbers already!
You could also use it if you visit your friend's house and they suddenly have a dog there. You want to ask them where did this dog come from? I didn't think you had a dog...
(barking sounds through the door)
Hal: Come in.
Glen: What? Since when've you had a dog Hal???
Hal: I don't, I'm just dogsitting for my sister.
Have a good week,
Phil
How long've you had a dog?
This question has a NEUTRAL tone you're simply asking for the length of time someone has had a dog.
(small talk)
Al: I see your smartphone's home screen is a dog. Are you a dog person?
Bell: Yeah, I love dogs. Actually, that's a photo of my dog.
Al: What's your dog's name?
Bell: Terrence.
Al: How long've you had a dog?
Bell: I've had dogs since I was a kid, but I've had Terrence for 2 years.
One thing to note is that have is often contracted into 've which is pronounced like of. In casual North American English, the of or ou sound is often replaced with a. So you might hear this:
How long-a ya been married?
Now let's look at the structure that starts with since:
Since when've you had a dog?
This expression is asking the same thing, the length of time you've had a dog BUT it is expressing SURPRISE. The speaker thought you didn't have a dog so is surprised to see you with a dog.
(walking in the park Ken sees Mark)
Ken: Hey Mark, since when've you had a dog?
Mark: He's not mine, I borrowed him from a friend. Terrence here's a real chick magnet.
Ken: Really? He's kind of ugly.
Mark: Naw, he's a cute kind of ugly women really like him.
Ken: So meet any cute girls today with Terrence?
Mark: Yeah, I got 2 phone numbers already!
You could also use it if you visit your friend's house and they suddenly have a dog there. You want to ask them where did this dog come from? I didn't think you had a dog...
(barking sounds through the door)
Hal: Come in.
Glen: What? Since when've you had a dog Hal???
Hal: I don't, I'm just dogsitting for my sister.
Have a good week,
Phil
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