Lesson 313--more insults in English

 

Just in case you didn't have enough insult words in English last week, and because that post was so popular, I decided to give you a few more words to call people when you want to insult their intelligence.

doofus

nimrod

dumbass

dumb bunny.

I think you could use the following structures (please put your choice of words in the blank).

You're such a ______.

Why are you such a ______?

I've never met a bigger ______ than you.

Do your parents know how much of a _______ you are?

Lesson 312--a half-assed job

Doing a half-assed job

 

When people are lazy, or even unskilled the work they produce or do is obviously not going to be any good.  We have several phrases to describe this.  They include;

doing a half-assed job

doing piss-poor job

doing a crappy job

doing a crap job

examples

Jimmy did such a half-assed job on his homework that the teacher sent a letter to his parents.

The painters did such a piss-poor job that Matthew refused to pay them.

Bruno is so lazy that he does everything half-assed.

The boss warned the workers that doing a crappy job was not what the company believed in.

 

Other words to consider:

subpar

 

Lesson 311--Insulting someone in English

An interesting choice

 

In English there a lots of ways to say someone is not smart or unintelligent.  While I don't want you to insult people, you should know them because they are often used on television and I want you to understand what you are watching.  This list is just a small sample of the words we use.  Please use them carefully.

nit wit

dimwit

half wit

moron

dunce

dolt

numbskull

The light is on, but nobody is home.

Lesson 310--Be up to something

 

We use this phrase to indicate that a person is doing something sneaky, bad, illegal, deceptive, tricky or unfair.

examples

When Mellissa volunteered to clean the kitchen, her parents knew she was up to something.

"I don't like it.  He is up to something," John explained.

The teacher was suspicious that the students were up to something during the exam.

The judge knew the accused was up to something, but the lawyers couldn't prove it.

"What are you up to?" the Policeman asked the driver.

Lesson 309--Prepare to be Startled

something startled them!

to startle someone

We use this verb when we explain that we scared someone unintentionally.  Usually approaching them from behind.   Of course, some shocking news can also startle someone.

examples

Ken startle Maria by tapping her on the shoulder in the subway.

A noise outside startled Bob.

If you want to approach the cat, do not startle it or it might scratch you.

A "startling book" for some.

Tammy was startled by the sound of gunfire.

The news of his father's death startled Dominic.

The book "50 Shades of Grey" startled some parents.

 

 

 

The adjectives for this word are startled and startling.  The follow the same general patter for all --ing vs. --ed adjectives.

examples

I was quite startled.

The information in the document was startling.

The explosion was startling.

Greg was startled by the explosion.

 

Lesson 308--UN vs. Dis

The prefixes un and dis have similar meanings, but sometimes they can both be used as a prefix for the same base word, but with different meanings.

unassembled--it is not together

disassemble--take it apart

uninterested--not be interested

disinterested--have no interest (often used in legal cases)

discoloured--wrongly coloured

uncoloured--having no colour

disable--deprive of some ability

unable--not having the ability

disprove--show that it is wrong

unproven--has not been proven, though it might be

Lesson 307: tangled

Having seen the Disney movie, you might wonder why they used the word tangled.  Tangled is a great word to describe things that are long and slender and somehow mixed up.  I think the pictures say it all.  Things that can get tangled include:

hair

phone cords

USB cables

power cables

rope

extension cords

string

thread

shoelaces

However the word also has some other meanings.  (pay attention to the prepositions)

It can mean become involved with.

example

He's tangled up with that crowd.

Maria got tangled up with the wrong people at school.

It can mean mixed up/confused.

example

Jim hated talking on the phone.  He felt his words got tangled up too easily.

It can mean fought.

example

Tim and Paul tangled a few times.  Mostly they fought over Elizabeth.

Tim tangled with Paul a few times.  Mostly they fought over Elizabeth.

Lesson 306: Splurge!!

 

Today's l  That word is splurge.  It means to spend a lot of money on something.  This can be either buying something or paying for something like a hotel room.  This also means that the person could not usually afford something like this.

esson is about an interesting word.

examples

For his son's graduation, Peter splurged on a limousine.

When Maria and Tom were on their honeymoon they splurged on their hotel room and meals, but saved money on the airfare.

If I had money I would splurge and fly business class everywhere I went.

On his girlfriend's birthday, Mark splurged on dinner at the CN Tower restaurant.

Lesson 305--I Feel like I am (just) Spinning my Wheels

 

This expression is kind of like being stuck in snow, and your wheels aren't gripping.  You are pressing the accelerator, but you're not moving.  You are doing things, but nothing is happening and no progress is being made.  You're working but not getting the results.

Jim.  How's the new job?

I feel like I am spinning my wheels.  I go to work every day, but nothing gets done.

We can't keep having this conversation.  I feel like I am spinning my wheels.  Why can't we solve this problem?

Lesson 304--People You Shouldn't Drive With

 

Here is a short list of people you don't want to drive with.

A Backseat driver:  someone who criticizes your driving or tells you how to drive.  They don't have to be sitting in the backseat.  They might be in the passenger seat.  This is considered a negative word.

A Nervous Nelly:  someone who is nervous when they are a passenger in the car.  They seem tense and stamp on the floor as if to press a brake pedal.

A bad navigator:  someone who can't read a map and/or can't give instructions on how to get someplace.

A Pit-stop Paul:  someone who can't drive for too long without needing to go to the washroom.

A Stereo-searcher:  someone who is constantly fiddling with the radio.  They might be trying to find the perfect song, or they might be constantly adjusting the volume, bass or treble.

Lesson 303--Car vocabulary

Car are one of my passions.  Because of this, I would like to spend the next couple of lessons teaching you some important phrases related to cars.

gun the engine

rev the engine

These phrases mean to speed up.  This can be done when the car is moving, or when it is not moving.  The engine will sound louder and faster.

Vroom!!

 

This is an onomatopoetic word to describe the sound an engine makes.  When we explain the engine working, or when we are playing with toy cars, this is the sound we make.