Ever hear expressions said in contexts that make no sense? The English language, with its kinks, twists and quirks, can seem complex, when in reality it is a truly a fun language with beach bags of character. With the heat of summer and the hope of vacation upon us, here are 20 unique phrases and their meanings relating to the holidays that’ll definitely help you seem like a native speaker!
A portmanteau of “phone” and “snubbing”, phubbing describes the habit of ignoring someone in favor of a mobile phone. Initially coined by a campaign conducted by Macquarie Dictionary, the word gained the majority of its traction and popularity due to the “Stop Phubbing” campaign created by Alex Haigh of McCann advertising agency.
What is an idiom? This is an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements. In other, a bunch of words put together in an unusual way to mean something completely different! Apart from being just downright fun, idioms are also a window into the cultural origins of a language and an amazing way of blending into a new place as a local. We have put...
What better place for a holiday than one of South East Asia’s most popular travel destinations – Thailand? With its beautiful beaches, national parks, benign climate, and incredible cuisine, Thailand continues to dominate at the forefront of South Asian tourism, and with good reason. Every year Bangkok makes the list of the best cities to visit, ranking first in Euromonitor...
Add color to your language and sound like a native speaker! A primary means of describing any object is to talk about its color. It immediately paints an image of the object in the mind’s eye and allows for more creative expression during a dialogue. However, the real challenge is to go beyond the monotony of the reds, blues and yellows to really describe an object using a specific...
Over the past 2 decades, the UAE (Dubai in particular) has become a significant business and leisure destination. From its stunning architecture to its irresistible beaches, the UAE has redefined the art of hospitality in its central geographical location where “east meets west”. Learn the ins and outs of the Arab culture to make the most of your trip or relocation to this fascinating...
“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” This famous quote by Charlemagne is especially significant in an increasingly globalized world, where functionality in multiple languages may be considered as the passport of a true global citizen. Therefore in a world with over 6000 spoken dialects, what languages would be the most useful to maximize communication? The following is a list...
Ramadan is a holy month in the religion of Islam and is marked by a time of required fasting. Observance of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Ramadan takes place in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is lunar-based., and therefore falls on a different date in the Gregorian calendar every year. Here’s our quick guide to useful phrases you should know in Arabic during...
Language learning is often associated with cramming vocabulary and remembering grammar rules. While these are necessary to master a language, there are additional factors that play a role in how fast and how well you can be fluent in a particular language. Countries across the globe have varying numbers of multilinguals. While some nations have a poor record in mastering languages that are not...
You say p’TAYto and I say p’TAdo. Although both America and England speak the same language, it’s not hard to tell the difference between an American and a British person.