VERB + PREPOSITION

That’s fantastic! (Words meaning ‘very good’)

May 18, 2016

by Kate Woodford

We all need words and phrases for saying that things are good or great – that we find them nice or very nice. This post aims to give you more ways to say that you like, or really like, something.

Starting with a very frequent adjective; lovely is used a lot in UK English for generally good things and experiences: That’s a lovely dress you’re wearing!/It was so lovely to see you again!

Moving on to words that express stronger approval; two very common adjectives meaning ‘very surprising’ are also used slightly informally to mean ‘extremely good’. Incredible and amazing are both used to praise things, sometimes describing a thing that is so good, you cannot quite believe it: It was an amazing performance – I’ve never seen anything like it./He was an incredible artist – almost certainly a genius. Other strong adjectives that are commonly used to mean ‘extremely good’ are wonderful, (UK)marvellous/(US) marvelous and fabulous: He’s a wonderful cook./It’s a marvellous story./The food was fabulous. The word excellent is also used a lot, often describing something that is of extremely good quality: The service was excellent./I thought the acting was excellent. Similarly, superb is used to describe something of the highest quality: a superb album/It was a superb goal.

Of course, there are more informal adjectives too that are used to ‘great’. ‘Fantastic’ is one and ‘brilliant’ (in UK English) is another: The view was just fantastic./We were lucky – the weather was brilliant. Two informal, approving adjectives that are used especially by younger people are cool and awesome: “It’s a really cool place to hang out.” “She has an awesome voice.”

Other adjectives describe things which are very unusual because they are so good, for example exceptional: The care I received from the hospital staff was exceptional – it couldn’t have been better. Outstanding also refers to something that is very much better than others of the same type: All in all, it was an outstanding performance by Messi. The adjectives remarkable and extraordinary, meanwhile, describe things that are extremely good, having a quality that is unique, or at least, very special: her extraordinary beauty/Even as a young girl, she had a remarkable singing voice.

Of course, we also use idioms to say that things are very good. Something that isout of this world is extremely good:The food there is out of this world. If you say that something takes some beating, you mean it is so good that it is hard to improve on:That hotel would take some beating. Finally, someone or something that leaves someone or something standing is very much better than others of the same type: His voice is excellent – it leaves the others standing.

Have a fantastic week!

                                                                                                                                                              dictionaryblog.cambridge.org

Hummingbirds

Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time,carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation.

ENGLISH IS WEIRD

Have you ever started to write out a common expression, only to realize that you’re not really sure how it’s spelled? We all have. Lots of idiomatic English phrases contain words that we don’t otherwise use anymore, or that have changed meaning outside the expression. Check out our list of commonly confused phrases to help you toe (or is it tow?) the line of proper spelling.
1- Toe the line
Yes, it is, in fact, “toe the line.” To toe the line means to follow the rules, conform, or behave. It’s a reference to the way people arrange themselves (with their toes placed along a line on the ground) at the beginning of a race or parade, or to present themselves for an inspection. Other related expressions that have fallen out of use include “toe the mark” and “toe the scratch.”
2-  Just deserts
This is often incorrectly written as “just desserts” because that’s the way we pronounce the phrase. But in fact, this expression has nothing to do with cake and ice cream or with hot, sandy wastelands. When we say someone got their “just deserts” we mean that they got what was coming to them. Or, to put it another way, they got what they deserve. Notice anything similar about the spelling of “deserts” and “deserve”? “Deserts” is an archaic noun form of “deserve.”
3 - Take for granted
It’s easy to mishear this one as “take for granite.” It does kind of make sense, after all. Taking something for granted means that we fail to appreciate it because it seems like it has always been there and always will be. Granite is pretty long-lasting, right? But what the expression really means is that we mistakenly believe that something has been permanently granted to us.
4 - Home in on
To home in on a problem means to focus your attention on it. It’s not hard to see why it’s sometimes mistakenly written as “hone in.” When you hone a knife you make it sharper, and therefore more precise—sort of what you are doing with your attention. But this expression uses “home” in the sense of “moving toward a target,” as in “homing missile” or “homing pigeon.”
5 - Different tack
Not “different tact.” To understand why this expression is spelled the way it is, it helps to know that once upon a time “tack” was a nautical term for the direction a ship was traveling. So, to try a “different tack” means to approach a problem from a new direction. The confusion here probably comes from the similarity in meaning between “different tack” and “different tactic.”
6-  Humble pie
And finally, no matter how proud we are of knowing the right way to write phrases that everyone else always seems to misspell, we should all remember to eat a slice of humble pie now and then. Language evolves over time, and so do expressions. Sometimes the “wrong” version eventually replaces the original and the malapropism becomes standard. In fact, “humble pie” was once “umble pie,” a pie containing deer innards and supposedly representative of inferior food.
                                                                                                             Gramarly - BRITTNEY ROSS

IDIOMS

Kept under wraps: Idioms that describe secrets

April 6, 2016

by Kate Woodford​

As part of our series on English idioms, we’re looking this week at common expressions for describing secrets and secretive behaviour.

A lot of expressions refer to secret situations or information. If someone keeps a new piece of work or information under wraps, they keep it secret: They didn’t know whether to make the announcement immediately or keep it under wraps for a few weeks. Someone who has somethingup their sleeve has a secret plan: Who knows what she has up her sleeve. If a situation is cloaked or shrouded in secrecy/mystery, it is deliberately kept secret: Very little was known about the incident. For years it was shrouded in secrecy.Meanwhile, something that happens behind closed doors happens in a place where most people cannot see or hear it: These deals take place behind closed doors.

Other idioms refer to remarks that are made in private. A comment that a public figure, such as a politician, makes off the record is not intended to be told to the public: She made it clear that her remarks were made off the record. If you tell someone something in the strictest confidence, you tell them it in private on the understanding that they will not tell anyone else: I told him, in the strictest confidence, that I was looking for another job. Someone who takes someone to one side has a private talk with them away from other people: I took him to one side and told him to apologise to Jamie. Meanwhile, if you complain that someone else has said something unkind about you behind your back, you mean that they deliberately said it when you weren’t listening: She got the feeling that the other girls had been talking about her behind her back.

A third group of idioms describes people who are secretive, hiding their plans and actions from others. Someone who is said to keep or hold their cards close to their chest does not tell others what they intend to do: No one knows what Joe will do next. He keeps his cards close to his chest.  Meanwhile, in UK English, someone who keeps an ability or achievement secret may be described as a dark horse: I had no idea Sophie was a published author. She’s something of a dark horse, isn’t she? Finally, someone who does not tell or show you what is going to happen may be said to keep you guessing: As ever, the world’s most famous football manager keeps the press guessing about his next move. Do you know anyone who keeps their cards close to their chest or keeps you guessing?

https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2016/04/06/kept-under-wraps-idioms-that-describe-secrets/

IDIOMS

Practicing Reported Speech