JOKES Teacher's notes: Cut these jokes into strips. Give each student in your class a strip. They should then match the strips i.e. the questions and the punch lines. As a follow-up activity, ask the students to translate a joke from their own language into English. ...

Read More

inveigle March 17, 2015 verb \in-VAY-gul\ Definition 1 : to win over by wiles : entice 2 : to acquire by ingenuity or flattery : wangle (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Examples I was relieved when I finally managed to inveigle her assistant into fitting me into her schedule. "… but now the industry is headed down a path where more loathsome strategies are being put in place to inveigle consumers...

Read More

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Be just before you are generous. Meaning: Make sure all your debts are paid before you start offering help to others...

Read More

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); gibe March 14, 2015 verb \JYBE\ Definition 1 : to utter taunting words 2 : to deride or tease with taunting words Examples "I had read every piece he had written in the last five years. I playfullygibed him about obscure predictions he had made years ago in other articles, and was prepared to thoughtfully discuss his most recent column." — Keith Ferrazzi, Never Eat Alone, 2005"The Gridiron Show...

Read More

Justice delayed is justice denied. Meaning:  If the law is applied too late, there is no justice. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});...

Read More

A young idler, an old beggar. Meaning:  If you don't work, you won't have any money when you're old. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});...

Read More

nonage March 13, 2015 noun \NAH-nij\ Definition 1 : minority 2 a : a period of youthb : lack of maturity Examples "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed nonage. … This nonage is self-imposed if its cause lies not in lack of understanding but in indecision and lack of courage to use one's own mind without another's guidance." — Immanuel Kant, "What is Enlightenment?" (1784), translated by Mary C. Smith "[Adolf]...

Read More

mythomania March 12, 2015 noun \mith-uh-MAY-nee-uh\ Definition : an excessive or abnormal propensity for lying and exaggerating Examples The idea of trust is an important theme in the book; the reader is never sure of the extent of the protagonist's mythomania."The pathological liar … cannot help lying, even when the lie causes harm. It is this aspect of mythomania that distinguishes it as an illness rather than a habit." — Gloria Wall, Journal Review (Crawfordsville,...

Read More

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A dry March, a wet April and a cool May  may fill barn and cellar and bring much hay. Meaning: Harvest predictions according to the weather. ...

Read More

lucrative March 12, 2015 adjective \LOO-kruh-tiv\ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Definition : producing wealth : profitable Examples The company announced plans to expand its manufacturing operations soon after it won a lucrative contract with the government."Many mistakenly believe they need to spend years in school … before they can start earning a decent salary; this is simply a misconception. In fact, there are a number...

Read More

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); You are never too old to learn. Meaning: You can always learn something new, no matter how old you are. ...

Read More

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Meaning: If you think about the weather in March, the expression above makes sense The weather at the beginning of March is stormy and at the end is mild. ...

Read More

panjandrum March 10, 2015 noun \pan-JAN-drum\ Definition : a powerful personage or pretentious official (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Examples Little gets done in this town without the approval of the local panjandrumson the board of selectmen."Unexpectedly, this private sector panjandrum launched into a paean of praise for the public service ethos." — David Walker, The Guardian, January 30, 2015 Did You Know? Panjandrum looks...

Read More

A guilty conscience needs no accuser. Meaning:  If you know that you have done something wrong, you don't need anyone to tell you that you're guilty. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})...

Read More

apple-polish March 10, 2015 verb \AP-ul-pah-lish\ Definition 1 : to attempt to ingratiate oneself : toady 2 : to curry favor with (as by flattery) Examples "There still might be time to apple-polish the boss." — Garry Smits, Florida Times-Union, October 30, 2008"One of the reasons unions (and step increases) exist is to eliminate cronyism or favoritism. No teacher has to apple-polish the principal to get a raise." — John Jones, Columbus...

Read More

False friends are worse than open enemies. Meaning:                                    It's better to know who your real enemies are rather than trust someone who pretends to be a friend but is capable of stabbing you in the back. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})...

Read More

ilk March 06, 2015 noun \ILK\ Definition sort, kind Examples The hole beneath the stairs of the cabin's porch allows in squirrels, woodchucks, and other creatures of that ilk. "In many parts of the world, anyone who will ever buy a smartphone probably has done so, and now we're on to the steady business of buying a new one only when we break, lose, or need to replace our old phones. When analysts discuss growth predictions for cell phones and their ilk, they signal...

Read More

sprightly March 05, 2015 adjective \SPRYTE-lee\      Definition 1 : marked by a cheerful lightness and vivacity (as of movement or manner) : spirited 2 : having a distinctively piquant taste Examples Uncle Jack, a sprightly man nearing 90, was an avid storyteller, and we all listened with rapt attention as he regaled us...

Read More

      Opportunity seldom knocks twice. Meaning:        Don't miss opportunities that come along. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})...

Read More

thanatology March 04, 2015 noun \than-uh-TAH-luh-jee\ Definition:  the description or study of the phenomena of death and of psychological mechanisms for coping with them Examples One of the seminal texts on thanatology is Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's On Death and Dying, which outlines the five stages of grief. "In her eight-week yoga for grief course, Stang...

Read More