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English Phrases: Their Origins and Meanings

2022-08-31T14:19:24+01:00

We've talked about idioms a lot here on the Bespeaking blog (English idioms, Sports Idioms, and More Idioms), but it's only because English speakers use them so much! And all this talk about idioms had us asking, "Where do they come from?" So this week we did some research on several English phrases to find out the origins (as well as the meanings). Check out these 5 crazy stories below and pepper your speech with our findings. Raining Cats and Dogs   Meaning: If it's raining cats and dogs, unfortunately you're not going to find your new furry best friend [...]

English Phrases: Their Origins and Meanings2022-08-31T14:19:24+01:00

Sports Idioms – Learn English Sports Idioms Used in Daily English

2024-01-25T11:49:09+01:00

The biggest sporting event of the year in the US was this past Sunday night: the Super Bowl! I have to say, after living in Germany for so long (and not being the biggest football fan in the first place), I wasn't aware that the Super Bowl was on until after it had already happened. Whoops! However, it got me thinking about how many sports idioms we have in English and wow... are there a lot of them! Here are some of our favorite sports idioms with explanations as to what they mean and which sport they come from: Par [...]

Sports Idioms – Learn English Sports Idioms Used in Daily English2024-01-25T11:49:09+01:00

Who vs Whom: The Difference and How to Use Them

2022-10-30T21:42:00+01:00

Who vs Whom: an old favorite point of contention (discussion point). Admittedly, even I, your trusted weekly blogger, sometimes have trouble remembering which is which. Maybe it’s because the pronoun “you” is the same regardless (in all cases) if the object is direct or indirect…? Or because whom is weird to pronounce…? The good news is when it comes down to understanding the difference between who and whom, it's actually not that hard! Just like with Affect vs Effect, there's a very simple trick to remember it. Good luck! The Trick If you're trying to navigate (handle, decide) who vs [...]

Who vs Whom: The Difference and How to Use Them2022-10-30T21:42:00+01:00

7 Spanish Words Used in English

2022-10-30T21:36:26+01:00

We've said it before, but English is truly a wonderful language because it has taken on words from many other languages. It's one of my favorite things about English, and can make it a bit easier for new learners, since they recognize some words from their mother tongues. This week we’ll tackle (work out, handle) Spanish words used in English. On the Bespeaking blog, we've covered loan words from German (here and here), as well as loan words from  French, Latin, US vs. UK words, and even Yiddish. So we figured it was about time we rolled around to (finally did something) [...]

7 Spanish Words Used in English2022-10-30T21:36:26+01:00

How to Say “Sorry” in English

2022-10-30T21:35:18+01:00

We all make mistakes and learning how to say sorry in English (or any language) can be extraordinarily (very) helpful. From bumping into someone accidentally on the street, to what you could say to a friend, or what you could say if you offend someone (although we hope this doesn't happen), here are some ways you can say sorry in English! I'm sorry "I'm sorry" is a good, quick way to apologize to someone if you happen to bump into them (lightly touch someone) or if you have made a mistake. It's not too serious, as in you haven't offended (insulted, hurt their [...]

How to Say “Sorry” in English2022-10-30T21:35:18+01:00

Common Abbreviations in English

2022-10-30T21:32:20+01:00

In this busy day and age (current time), there are so many expectations on our time and so many (more) things we want to do, that we take shortcuts (use a shorter/easier way) all over the place. Think about it: emails are getting shorter, text messages are bare bones (almost nothing), and sending a picture is faster than explaining a situation sometimes. We just don't have the time we need anymore...even when we speak! (How lazy can we be??) Learning common abbreviations in English can take your language fluency to a whole new level. You don't want to use these [...]

Common Abbreviations in English2022-10-30T21:32:20+01:00

Silent Letters in English

2022-10-30T21:28:01+01:00

English can be one of the hardest languages to learn. So if you've decided to take on this job, kudos to you! With all the irregular verbs, similar words with different meanings (like affect and effect), and silent letters in English, things can get pretty hairy (complicated). To try and alleviate (get rid of) some of the confusion, we're talking all about silent letters in English this week on the Bespeaking blog. Silent letters can be tricky when trying to write and spell words correctly, but it is easy when it comes to pronunciation- especially when they aren’t pronounced at [...]

Silent Letters in English2022-10-30T21:28:01+01:00

7 Great Holiday Phrases: Easy English Blog

2021-02-28T11:40:55+01:00

Today is December 1st and that means we are in the holiday season (the time of year we celebrate lots of holidays)! Winter is here, Thanksgiving (in the US) is over, and it’s time to start decorating the house with holiday cheer! What are some holiday phrases in English that you could say to your old or new friends at this time of year? Here on our second Easy English Blog, I'll teach you! Here are some great holiday phrases to get you in the mood! If you missed last month's blog, here it is again - we wrote about [...]

7 Great Holiday Phrases: Easy English Blog2021-02-28T11:40:55+01:00

When to use Affect or Effect

2022-10-30T21:24:08+01:00

You know this situation: you are writing a text and suddenly (in an instant) you can’t remember if you have felt the affect or effect of something. Or did something affect or effect you? Oh no! Don’t worry. Even the best of us make mistakes (errors, typos) sometimes, no matter our field (or native language!). However, this one is easy to fix. One mistake in English that gives even native speakers an unreasonable (not fair, not logical) amount of trouble is knowing whether to use affect or effect. Almost identical (the same) spellings, a similar pronunciation, and a similar meaning [...]

When to use Affect or Effect2022-10-30T21:24:08+01:00

10 Common Latin Words in English

2022-10-30T21:23:19+01:00

Last week, we covered ten Latin words used in English and their English derivatives (words that come from other words). Because it was such a success (popular), because Latin is such an important source for English, and because we promised a part two…here are ten more Latin words in English! If you are the type that loves word etymology (where words come from) and word borrowings, check out our past blogs with words that come from French, Yiddish, and German here and here! So, get a bit ancient with your vocabulary and check out the list below: Gravis Latin meaning: heavy [...]

10 Common Latin Words in English2022-10-30T21:23:19+01:00

Latin Words Used in English

2022-10-30T21:22:00+01:00

I was the worst Latin student of all time (ever). I took one year of Latin when I was in 7th grade, hoping it would help me later in college when I studied English. It might have benefited (helped) me more, however, if I had decided to go into the medical field, but I still think it's fun to find Latin words used in English and try to remember what they mean. As with our borrowings from French, Yiddish, and German here and here, we've gained a lot as a culture from the Ancient Romans and their language, Latin, such as [...]

Latin Words Used in English2022-10-30T21:22:00+01:00

Halloween Traditions in the US

2023-10-03T16:57:55+01:00

Next week is October 31st . Why is that important, you may ask (want to know)? Because it’s one of my favorite days of the year! I finally get to write about Halloween traditions in the US! Halloween is always on October 31st and it's one of the best holidays ever. I remember my grandma dressing up (wearing a costume) as a witch, and us kids trick-or-treating around the neighborhood (the area where people live). Now that I'm an adult (a fully grown person), I don't trick-or-treat anymore, but I still dress up- even though my costumes are usually bad, carve pumpkins, and watch [...]

Halloween Traditions in the US2023-10-03T16:57:55+01:00
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