Confusing words: Because, As, Since and For

Word Explanation Example because  The reason is very important in the sentence, so because comes in the sencond clause of the sentence. I read this book because I like it. as  The reason is already known. As we read, we learn. since  The reason is already known. (more formal than as) Since we were in… Read More

Meow Meow: Cat Meows in Different Languages + Catfight

A meow is a sound used by cats to signal a request to their mother or owner. Adult cats do not normally meow to each other, and so the meowing to human beings that domesticated cats exhibit is likely partly an extension of the use by kittens of this plaintive signal. Afrikaans: miaau Albanian: mjau… Read More

I would like to buy a hamburger

Ter uma pronúncia impecável em inglês era um pré-requisito importante no aprendizado do idioma. Era, não é mais. 1. O inglês deixou de ser um segundo idioma e se tornou um instrumento de comunicação global. 2. Já não há mais um único idioma inglês, há vários. 3. Num mundo globalizado, não há porque esconder a… Read More

The Origin of “om nom nom nom”

1. Om nom An onomatopoeical adjective based on the sound emitted when something is “oh so tasty” (either through hunger or flavorological value) that one gnaws through it without regard to cleanliness or etiquette. This sort of ravenous eating will often result in an “om nom nom nom” noise being emitted from the eater. Arthur:… Read More

Same verb, different meaning: take off

A multi-word verb is a verb that has more than one word. We usually think of them as a main verb followed by one or two particles. The particle could be an adverb or a preposition. I never messed around at school, I was a good student. (to mess around = to behave badly) Multi-word… Read More

Confusing words: Envy and Jealousy

“Jealousy is when you worry someone will take what you have. Envy is wanting what somenone else has.” – Homer Simpson It’s no fun to feel envy or jealousy because both make you feel inadequate. Envy is when you want what someone else has, but jealousy is when you’re worried someone’s trying to take what you have. If you want your neighbor’s new… Read More

What’s in a Pun?

The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect.These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic, homographic, metonymic, or metaphorical language. A pun differs from a… Read More

Confusing words: Lose and Loose

A lot of people are mixing up lose and loose. In particular, a lot of people are writing loose when they really mean lose. Here are the definitions of the two words from my Penguin dictionary: loose [lOOs] adj not fastened or pre-packed; not tied up or confined; able to move freely; not tight, not… Read More