Lesson 341--Fussy



a fussy eater

 

One of my favourite English words is fussy.

It means to be particular or demanding about something.  Often these demands are very detail oriented.  People who are fussy are hard to please.

While it is negative, it isn't extremely negative.

Examples

He is very fussy about his kitchen.  He cleans it three times a day.

Mary is very fussy about her salads.  If she finds even the wrong lettuce, she gets angry.

Daniel is a fussy eater.  He doesn't eat any red or yellow vegetables.

I am very fussy about my beer.  It has to come from glass bottles and it must be cold!  Don't even try and serve me beer from a can!

Lesson 326--tread carefully and tread lightly

 

Today's expression is one you will often hear in movies or on television.  You will hear this in scenes between a judge and a lawyer and you will hear it during very intense scenes between people.

Tread carefully/Tread lightly

The exact meaning is to "walk carefully", but when we use it, we usually mean that the person is talking about something personal and upsetting, or that they are talking about an area which they shouldn't.

examples

The judge warned the lawyer to tread carefully with her line of questioning.

Margot had to tread carefully when talking about her boyfriend with her father.

Daniel couldn't tread carefully and often got into trouble with his coworkers.

Lesson 325--go for a stroll

Two celebrities go for a stroll.

Sometimes we need time to think, or at least get away from everyone and take some time to think.  The following expressions include this idea.  Sometimes they are just meant to explain physical exercise, but sometimes they are meant to explain needing time to think.

go for a stroll

take a walk

go get some air

clear my head

examples

I can't think straight.  I am going to go out and get some air.

I have a lot of decisions to make so I am going to take a walk and sort things out.

Whenever I have a lot on my mind, I go for a stroll.  It helps clear my head.

Lesson 314--A Labour of Love

Helping someone fix their bicycle can be a labour of love.

 

 

One of my favourite expressions is "to be a labour of love."  I like it because it is quite fitting for my life.  A lot of the things I do are a labour of love.  What that means is, I do it because I love it, not because I will get some reward.  Things that are labours of love are not cost efficient and usually require more work, time and sometimes money than the person will get out of it.

This blog is a labour of love.  I have spend many hours doing it, but financially the advertising has only accumulated to less than 10 dollars.  That's fine, because I am not doing it for the money.  It is a real labour of love.

examples.

Daniel spends a lot of time trying to fix his 1967 Mustang.  It is a real labour of love.

Philip loves baking, but his family doesn't care.  They just eat his food and hardly ever tell him how delicious it is.  He doesn't complain, though.  For him it is a labour of love.

Every Sunday, Maria washes her car.  It takes hours to wash, wax and polish her car but it is a labour of love and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Raising children is a labour of love.

 

Spelling reminder

labour is also spelled labor.  Choose wisely.

Lesson 292--Talking About Winter

 

For many of my students, experiencing winter in Canada was one interesting experience that they will probably never forget.  I would just like to give them some phrases they can use when talking about the cold weather and winter in general.

When you enter a house or apartment and you want to explain it was snowing outside,  use this phrase.

It's really coming down out here/there!

If you want to make friends at the bus stop, use this phrase.

It's so cold I can see my breath.

My feet are freezing!

I can't wait for summer.

I wish I were on a beach somewhere.....anywhere but here.

I can't feel my toes.