Word of the month for April...

Bat

Swanky hotel?

This word means fashionable and expensive in a way that is intended to impress people.

It is a swanky new hotel.
That house on the side of the mountain is really swanky!
We went to a swanky new restaurant for dinner last night.



swanky - adjective
ˈswæŋki ˈswæŋki

swankier, swankiest (especially British English) (also swank especially in North American English) (informal, approving)

Definition of "tweet"

1. the short high sound made by a small bird

2. (also twitter) a message sent using the Twitter social networking service.

He started posting tweets via his cell phone to keep friends and family updated on his progress

Word of the Month

luxurious

adjective

1. fond of or indulging in luxury
2. constituting or contributing to luxury; splendid, rich, comfortable, etc.

Origin of luxurious

Old French luxurius ; from Classical Latin luxuriosus

Related Forms:

• luxuriously
  adverb
• luxuriousness
  noun

Sample sentences:

 

      She sat down in the luxurious leather seat.

She sank into the luxurious seat, enjoying the smooth ride and the smell of leather.

The round tub was luxurious, and her thoughts turned a different direction.

He lived in a luxurious penthouse suite in Paris overlooking the Arc de Triomphe.

The man stood in a luxurious living room with several people in front of him.

Word of the Month

Vibrant 

[vī′brənt]   

adjective

Someone or something full of energy, colour and life.        

 

 1. An example of something that would be described as vibrant is a bright, cheery and colourful yellow.

 

Adding the new wall hangings and the colourful pillows to the living room makes it more friendly and vibrant.

 

2. An example of someone who would be described as vibrant is a smart, lively and engaging person who always gets the most out of life.

She is such a vibrant person; always ready and willing with a smile on her face.

Word of the Month

The Word September 

comes from the Latin root septem-, meaning “seven,” because in the original Roman republican calendar September was the seventh month of the year rather than the ninth. The Roman calendar was only ten months long and included the following months—Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Junius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September, October, November, and December. The last six months were assigned names according to their ordinal numbers—Quintilis is the fifth month, Sextilis is the sixth month, and so on.

Word of the Month

Habit [hab′it]
 The definition of habit is something that you do regularly, or an addiction.

Brushing your teeth every morning and every night is an example of a good habit.
Being addicted to heroin is an example of having a heroin habit.

Another usage for the noun Habit:Noun
1. Obsolete costume; dress
- a particular costume showing rank, status, etc.; specif., - a distinctive religious costume: a monk's habit
- a costume worn for certain occasions: a riding Habit

Origin of the word habit
Middle English ; from Old French ; from Classical Latin habitus, condition, appearance, dress ; from past participle of habere, to have, hold ; from Indo-European base an unverified form ghabh-, to grasp, take from source give transitive verb to dress; clothe

Word of the Month-Australian Slang

Sunbeam

– noun: an item of cutlery or crockery laid on the table but not used, and so not needing to be washed.

     OR?   
The story behind:

In What’s Their Story? A History of Australian Words (OUP 2010), It is mentioned that sunbeam in the sense ‘an item of cutlery or crockery laid on the table but not used, and so not needing to be washed’ is an Australianism, and this was noted in a review of the book in the Canberra Times. This prompted a number of letters to the editor of the newspaper:

In his review ... Robert Willson observes that he has ‘never heard the expression sunbeam’. ... Me neither. My mother has always referred to such an item as a ‘shining jewel’. It’s fascinating that while ‘the rest of the world seems to think that there is no need for any word to describe such items’, they apparently loom large enough in the Australian psyche to have attracted at least two different Labels.

There may be regional differences in expressions such as those mentioned ... referring to implements left on the table after a meal. I don’t use any such expressions myself, but my mother-in-law, who spent almost all her life in Victoria, often said, ‘That’s a sunbeam!’

It is possible the term has a British dialect origin, but it is not recorded in any of the dialect dictionaries.

   

authority

noun

An authority is a public organization that controls an area or certain activities. (noun)

A corporation that provides bus service in a city is an example of a transit authority.

An authority is a person who is considered an expert in his field. (noun)

A philosophy scholar who publishes books is an example of an authority.

Examples in a sentence:

You must notify the enforcing authority without delay i.e. by telephone.

Capital receipts: money received by the local authority from the transfer of housing stock.

The licensing authority will take over responsibility for granting gaming machine permits from the courts.

Authority various prosecuting authorities, not only the cps, could benefit from such an order.

Competent German authorities are able to give further information about this.

For German translation click here

sarcastic

noun

Amusing New Year Quotes
Some slightly sarcastic, these quotes poke fun at us as people.

• "People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas." ~Author Unknown
• "Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits." ~Author Unknown
• "It wouldn't be New Year's if I didn't have regrets." ~William Thomas
• "Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to." ~Bill Vaughan
• "Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go." ~Brooks Atkinson
• "An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves." ~Bill Vaughan

For the German translation click here 

collaboration

noun

synonyms: Joint work toward a common end coaction, cooperation, synergy, teamwork.

Collaboration refers to two or more people or entities working together to achieve some common aim. (noun)

When the police department and a politician work together to get a new crime bill passed, this is an example of a collaboration between the police department and the politician.

For the German translation click here

chant

A chant is a song, melody or something repeated over and over again. (noun)

An example of a chant is a simple church hymn.

Chant means to sing or to say something over and over again. (verb)

An example of chant is to continuously shout the same cheer at a sporting event.

Sentence examples:

Chant the mantra, sign up, send money.

We got as far as the porch, before hearing the sung chant of the offices within.

The music is very much inspired by gregorian chant.

Chanting loudly and displaying banners so that the public know what is happening behind all that razor wire.

Think a dragging romantic performance of handel's messiah, or " village church " anglican chant.

For the German translation click here

honest

Honest describes someone or something that is truthful, trustworthy or genuine. (adjective)

1. An example of honest is someone telling their friend that a meal they prepared had too much salt.
2. An example of honest is a student admitting they cheated on a test.

For German translation click here

thrive

 

To thrive means to grow strong and healthy. (verb)

An example of to thrive is the growth of a successful vegetable garden.
"What a great season!  My tomato plants are thriving!"

To thrive means to be successful in managing business or money. (verb)

"Apple Corporation is doing very very well.  The company continues to thrive."

 

An example of to thrive is investing in a stock that makes lots of money.
Another example of to thrive is when a movement such as 'The Arab Spring' continues to get bigger. 
"The Arab Spring movement continues to spread across the Middle East. Experts expect this movement to thrive."

For German translation click here

firebrand

firebrand •\ˈfī(-ə)r\-ˌbrand\• noun

1. A burning stick, a piece of wood that has been burned or is burning-- torch, brand, burning ember, spill; see embers

2. someone who deliberately foments trouble. An inflammatory person--
incendiary, mischiefmaker, rabble-rouser; see agitator

firebrand sentence examples

Body Image

Body image means how you see yourself. Positive body image and self-esteem are important. Puberty means lots of changes, and sometimes you can feel different or awkward. Don't worry -- all bodies are different. Nobody can tell you to look a certain way or that you have to wear certain clothes. Besides, real friends would not say those things. Accept who you are. Your personality and values matter, not how you look. If you exercise and eat right, you're healthy and fine. What's inside counts, not the packaging.
Vocabulary on this topic here

curious vs interesting

If someone is curious it means they are interested in learning about what is around them.

For example: "Lynne was curious to find out how many people used the website."

If something is curious, it means it's odd, strange or unusual.

For example: "The results were very curious because a lot of Americans were using the website."

If someone or something is interesting it means it gets your attention because it may be unusual, exciting, or has a lot of ideas

For example: "She found the results very interesting."

So, something curious can be interesting, but something interesting isn't necessarily curious.

Word of the Day | stupefy

By THE LEARNING NETWORK


stupefy •\ˈstü-pə-ˌfī, ˈstyü-\• verb

1. make dull or stupid or muddle with drunkenness or infatuation
2. make senseless or dizzy by or as if by a blow
3. be a mystery or bewildering to

An article appeared in the NY Times recently using this word. Read it here.

Prevaricate

Here is the newest word of the month.
Do you ever "beat around the bush"?
Do you avoid giving a direct answer to a question asked of you?

Do you prevaricate when answering a question?

Onomatopoeia: Sounds of Words

Many words in English reflect the actual sounds they refer to. An obvious example is the "clip-clop" of a horse's hooves. Less obvious are the words in the sentence:
The old man in the canal was coughing and spluttering.
Why? Because he was drowning.
A list of similar words follows. Say the word, and perform the action!


Give short spoken answers. Why/When might someone...?

01. sneeze
02. sniff
03. hiccup
04. snore
05. wheeze
06. snort
07. retch
08. belch
09. puff
10. gasp
11. gargle
12. grunt



Answer guide
1. if you have a cold 2. if your nose is running 3. if you eat too quickly 4. if you sleep on your back with your mouth open 5. if you cannot breathe 6. if you don’t like something 7. if you are sick (vomiting) 8. if you drink too quickly 9. after you have run to catch a bus, putting out a candle 10. if you are surprised, if you have difficulty breathing 11. if you wash your mouth out 12. if you are hit in the stomach, if you are a weight-lifter