Do you BINGE-WATCH?

Emma about to BINGE-WATCH a whole season of "Mad Men"!

To BINGE is to endulge in something. This means to eat, use, or do a lot of something that you enjoy. People BINGE-EAT when they are starving and there's a lot of food; you might BINGE ON chocolate cake or potato chips or candy when you love to eat these and the food is in front of you. Unfortunately, a stomach ache usually follows. BINGE-DRINKING can be a problem on college campuses. Some college students think BINGING ON alcohol is a lot of fun.

These days, a lot of people BINGE-WATCH their favorite shows. If you want to watch episode after episode of "House of Cards" or "The Walking Dead" or "Blindspot," you might spend a whole weekend watching only that show so you don't miss anything and you get caught up on the storyline. Most people do this because they don't have time to follow the show once a week or because they missed a couple of episodes or because friends have told them how awesome a show is and they want to check it out, themselves. Once they find out they like it, they BINGE-WATCH!

Making it somewhere

New York Language Center students MAKE IT to class on time, so they don't miss anything important.

 
MAKING IT somewhere is an idiomatic expression that means arriving somewhere (to a place or event). In this usage, the phrase "MAKING IT" has nothing to do with creating anything; it only has to do with movement. If your friend asks you, "Did you MAKE IT to your meeting on time?", you can say, "Yes, I thought I was going to be late, but I MADE IT on time."

Here are some more examples.

1. I didn't MAKE IT to the gym yesterday. I had to finish a project at work.
2. I'm sorry I can't MAKE IT to your party this weekend. I'm going out of town.
3. Peter didn't think he'd MAKE IT to the interview on time. Luckily, traffic was light on the way there, and he did!
4. He needs to MAKE IT to work extra early tomorrow; it's going to be a busy day.
5. We wanted to MAKE IT to the museum before it closed, and we did!

Have you played White Elephant before?

Mike White picking a present and deciding whether to keep it or swap it for another teacher's present.

Exchanging gifts is a huge part of the holidays. With Christmas behind us now, giving and receiving presents are mostly over until next year. However, with Kwanzaa, New Year's, and Three Kings still being celebrated or soon to be, some people in the U.S. may still be giving gifts to each other.

As a gift exchange activity this holiday season, NYLC teachers played White Elephant while students watched. It was fun checking out the gifts laid out on the table and finding out the cool and silly presents being unwrapped, and as switching or stealing someone's gift was part of the game, it was also amusing every time someone's chosen gift got stolen.

• CHECKING OUT - taking a look; examining  #phrasalverb

Thanksgiving idioms!

Thanksgiving lunch on Thanksgiving Eve in Midtown. Students, faculty, & staff enjoyed huge helpings of turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, veggies, & cornbread!

On Thanksgiving Day, people in the U.S. take a couple of days off to be with family and friends. We travel, watch football games, think about shopping for the holidays, but most of all, we gather to cook and eat a huge Thanksgiving meal. Here are some vocabulary that you might encounter if you find yourself at Thanksgiving dinner.

  

ROAST  (cook meat or vegetables in the oven)

• Who roasted the turkey? It's so juicy and delicious!
• I know! The roasted carrots & sweet potatoes are so good, too!

 

BEING GRATEEFUL  (being thankful)

• What are you most grateful for?
• I'm most grateful for being with friends and family for the holidays.

 

HAVE SECONDS  (get more food)

BE STUFFED  (be very full)

• Would you like to have seconds? We have plenty of food.
• No, thanks. Maybe later. I'm stuffed!

 

Idioms tied to nature & the environment

The theme for this Friday's LAB is Nature & the Environment. Here are some #idioms to get you in the mood to talk about these topics!

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON  (rarely)

• She always eats out and only cooks once in a blue moon.

 

FEELING UNDER THE WEATHER  (not feeling well)

• Maria decided to stay home today as she's feeling under the weather.

 

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING  (every problem has a solution)

TAKE HEART  (don't worry)

• Take heart, Tom, every cloud has a silver lining. 

 

Idioms on labor for Labor Day!

A lot of New Yorkers spend Labor Day outdoors. How are you spending your day off? Are you staying in town or going out of town?

This Monday is Labor Day, when we take a day off from work to celebrate the work that we all do to keep the country moving.

Labor Day is also the unofficial end of summer, so most Americans spend this holiday outdoors, enjoying a barbecue or a get-together at a friend's backyard or at the park. In addition, public pools and beaches in New York City will be closed after this weekend, so a lot of people will be taking a dip and getting some sun for the last time before the cold weather comes.

• TAKE A DIP - get into the water  

As Labor Day celebrates work and the country's workforce, we thought we'd teach you English expressions that are commonly used at work. So, check out these idioms and vocabulary that you can say and hear on the job.

• WORKFORCE - citizens who work

 

Are you a NIGHT OWL or an EARLY BIRD?

This temporary owl sculpture stood along Broadway in Midtown not too far from NYLC this past winter. Many owls are nocturnal, which means they sleep during the day and hunt at night. This is most likely the reason why we call people who are wide awake at night NIGHT OWLS!  :-)  Read about this & learn more vocabulary in the lesson below.   

People usually either love staying up late at night or prefer going to bed early. Those who enjoy staying up late and hitting the sack way past midnight don't enjoy getting up early. On the other hand, those who turn in early also enjoy waking up early.

• HITTING THE SACK - going to bed
• WAY past midnight - so much past midnight (as in 2 or 3 a.m.)
• TURN IN - go to bed

Which one are you?  If you love staying up late and hitting the sack in the wee hours of the morning, you can call yourself a night owl! :-) You probably snooze the alarm several times in the morning before you drag yourself out of bed. Then you move very slowly as you struggle to wake up.

• THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING - very early morning, around 3 or 4 a.m.
• A NIGHT OWL - someone who goes to bed very late
• DRAG yourself or someone - force yourself or someone
• STRUGGLE - try hard

Have a blast this Fourth of July weekend!

What ARE you UP TO this Fourth of July?

(What are you doing this Fourth of July?)

 

Americans love celebrating this holiday. Not only is it patriotic, it is also a fun-filled, summertime holiday with tons of options for outdoor activities!

 

These are some of the things we do on July 4:

1. We have get-togethers!

A get-together is another way to say a party with friends.

 

2. We have barbecues!

Barbecues can be in someone's backyard, at the park, or at the beach!

 

3. We go on a picnic!

We pack a picnic basket with munchies & summer dishes. We then head to the park or the beach, lay our blanket on the sand or the grass, and enjoy our food!

• MUNCHIES - chips, crackers, & other finger foods

It's April Fools! DON'T FALL FOR IT!

It's April Fool's Day! It's a day when your friends and family, colleagues, even newspapers, magazines, and radio programs play practical jokes on people. The jokes can be quick and simple or they can be elaborate, making others believe that they're true when, in fact, they're not. Then the pranksters yell out, "April Fools!" ... and you feel (sort of) bad that you fell for the joke.

• PLAY PRACTICAL JOKES - trick someone to believe something false just for fun
• ELABORATE - complicated; complex
• PRANKSTERS - people who play practical jokes on people
• FALL FOR A JOKE - believe someone's joke, usually something that is not true

Here's an example of a practical joke: Michael Brady told his class this morning that they were going to have a test today. The class was taken by surprise.

• BE TAKEN BY SURPRISE - be surprised

What's UP YOUR ALLEY?

An alley in the Beacon Hill area of Boston, Masachusetts

You might say, "There's a garbage can up my alley," or "There's a bunch of trash up my alley." Alleys or alleyways are tiny, narrow paths or passages between buildings. They're usually dark and dirty although once in a while you'll run into a clean one like this alley in the historic Beacon Hill neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts.

• ONCE IN A WHILE - sometimes
• RUN INTO - find; meet; come across

The idiomatic expression "UP YOUR ALLEY," however, has nothing to do with a physical alleyway; it has more to do with someone's interest or expertise. For example, if you're a web designer, then designing web pages is UP YOUR ALLEY. If you're a car mechanic, fixing cars is UP YOUR ALLEY. If you're studying film, then perhaps acting or directing or film editing is UP YOUR ALLEY. You get the picture.

• YOU GET THE PICTURE - You get the idea; you understand

Are you watching the ball drop in Times Square?

We’re less than 12 hours away from 2015 here in New York, and we hear several of our students will be in Time Square tonight to be part of the excitement and experience the New Year’s Eve ball drop in person. If you’re going, definitely bundle up! It’s going to be frigid. Before you go, check out this video about the huge ball that you will be watching drop as they count down to the new year.  Be safe, and have fun!

• BUNDLE UP - dress warmly
• FRIGID - freezing; very cold

It's usually better not to WING IT.

 

If you're in New York City, you've probably seen this ad around town. This one was on the back side of a kiosk along Broadway in Midtown Manhattan. This PSA encourages parents to teach children to be ready for emergencies. WINGING IT when there is an emergency is not good enough; children need to know exactly what to do when something dangerous and unexpected happens.

• AD is short for advertisement
• PSA - Public Service Announcement 

WINGING IT is an idiom that means to do something unprepared. When we are not ready for a test, a presentation, a business meeting, or anything that requires preparation, we WING IT. 

Happy Halloween!

 

 

Halloween 2014 at New York Language Center-Midtown was a total blast! As usual, teachers and staff showed off their costumes in the morning, and students donned theirs after class for the party in the afternoon, ready to have a great time. Everyone had fun checking out each other's costumes, playing games, and taking photos.

• A BLAST - a lot of fun #slang
• DON - put on

 

Check out some of our photos below. Do you have any good ones to add? Share them in the comments below, on Facebook, or on Twitter!

Have a fun, safe Halloween!

Goodbye summer, hello fall 2014!

All sorts of squashes, including pumpkins, at this supermarket in Brooklyn remind us that autumn is here!

 

Did you know today is the beginning of fall? If you're a fan of ASTRONOMY, you probably know that fall officially starts with the autumnal (fall) equinox, which this year happens at PRECISELY 10:29 p.m. EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) today when the earth "straightens out" or isn't TILTED in any direction, giving both HEMISPHERES equal amounts of sunlight. As a result, today we'll have about the same lengths of day and night. Interesting? 

• ASTRONOMY - the study of the stars and planets
• PRECISELY - exactly
• TILTED - leaning to one side
• HEMISPHERES - the northern and southern halves of the earth

Oh, quit WHINING & have a glass of WINE!

No one really feels better when they WHINE, but if they have a glass of WINE instead, now that's a different story!

 

If you walk around Union Square when the farmer's market is there, you've probably seen this sign from a wine vendor. Some people who notice it, especially those who like English or language in general, are usually amused by it. What about you? Do you like this sign? Do you notice the PLAY ON WORDS on it?

Many PLAYS ON WORDS or puns use homonyms and homophones, which I've mentioned in one of our previous posts. This PLAY ON WORDS is a play on the homophones WINE and WHINE. Wine, of course, is the drink you probably enjoy with your meal. WINE isn't really used as a verb, except for the expression to WINE AND DINE someone, which means to treat a person to a fancy dinner.

• HOMONYMS - different words that are spelled the same way and sound the same.
• HOMOPHONES - different words that sound the same, but are spelled differently.

Bears bear their bear cubs in the winter.

You've probably noticed by now that some words in English take on different meanings depending on context. The word BEAR is a good example. Most students know the animal. There are grizzly bears and brown bears and polar bears, and apparently, on this wallpaper from a local burger joint, dancing bears! :-)

Another common meaning of BEAR is to carry or endure something heavy or difficult. In this context, you usually BEAR a burden or a heavy load, which often refers to a problem. You can also BEAR someone's attacks. For example, politicians often have to BEAR frequent attacks and scrutiny from the public or the media.

• SCRUTINY - examination

We also use the word BEAR when we talk about someone giving birth, though this usage is a bit formal: She BORE a son when she was in her 20s and a daughter when she was in her 30s. That's right; the past tense of BEAR is BORE.

Rare, Medium, or Well-done?

When you order a burger at a fast-food joint, they're not going to ask how you'd like your meat cooked--ain't gonna happen. You may be able to request that they hold the onions or even ask for extra pickles, but that's about it. You get the meat as is.

• fast-food joint - fast-food restaurant; establisment
• ain't gonna - isn't going to (informal & technically wrong)
• hold the onions - don't include onions

On the other hand, if you go to some burger joints--and there are more and more of these popping up around town--they'll probably ask you how you want your burger cooked.

• popping up - appearing

So how do you like your meat cooked? The choices are the same as when you order steak: rare, medium, or well done. You ask for rare if you like your meat bloody and still cold in the center with only the outer parts seared and hot. Medium means your meat is mostly pink but warm throughout. Well-done, of course, is when the meat is completely cooked with no signs of blood. Some customers also go for something in between: medium rare or medium well-done.

• seared - cooked on the grill or in a pan with very high heat so the meat browns fast

How are you welcoming summer?

Summer in the city. What are your plans on this longest day (amount of daylight) of the year?

Today is the summer solstice! So what are you up to on this first day of summer? As it’s a beautiful day in New York City, we’re sure you are out and about doing fun things at the beach, the park, or maybe just going here and there running some errands. Is anyone having a barbecue with friends?

• WHAT ARE YOU UP TO? - What are you doing?/What are your plans?
• OUT AND ABOUT - walking around
• RUN SOME ERRANDS - going places to get things done, e.g. the post office, the bank, etc.

You probably know this first day of summer, astronomically speaking, is also the longest day of the year, right? This happens because the earth reaches its full tilt at 23.5˚ toward the sun, and the sun shines directly at the Tropic of Cancer. When this happens, the Northern Hemisphere gets the most daylight in the year. In contrast, the Southern Hemisphere gets the least amount of daylight. 

Pick-up lines!

What is a pick-up line? Well, watch Ryan's quick video lesson below and check out the two examples he uses. Do you know any pick-up lines, yourself? Have you ever used one on anyone or have heard one, yourself? Let us know!

Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's!

Are you wearing green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? People wear green on this day because it represents the color of Ireland's verdant landscape--St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. Green is also the color of the shamrock, a plant that's the national emblem of Ireland. In addition to donning something green, St. Patrick's Day revelers watch or participate in parades, head to a pub to down a couple of pints, and eat some Irish grub, such as corned beef and cabbage.

In New York City, the St. Patrick's Day parade on Fifth Avenue is the largest one in the nation. It marches past St. Patrick's Cathedral and usually features Irish dancing, Irish music from bagpipes, and traditional Irish garb. Here's a short video from History.com with interesting facts about St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is said to welcome much more visitors than the Empire State Building! Have you been one of its visitors?