Vocabulary Test #1

Want to check your vocabulary? Pass this vocabulary test. I created it based on the first 10 words and expressions I’d shared with you so far. Even if you’re new to my website it’s a great opportunity to see what you’re already know and what you can add to your vocabulary. Even if you don’t […]

The whole shebang: meaning and origin

I first encountered the expression “the whole shebang” in the pronunciation practice sheet of the Accent Makeover course. And I didn’t know the meaning of this expression. But I loved how it sounds and I felt that my guess about it’s meaning was right. And actually, it was right. It’s close to the expression “the […]

Long time no see: meaning and origin

There is no confusion about “long time no see” meaning. It’s easy to understand that it means ‘it’s been a long time since people saw each other last time’. I think I first heard it in a movie or a TV series and back then I thought that maybe I recalled it incorrectly. Even if […]

What does impromptu mean

When I first saw the word impromptu I thought that it’s some sort of app for speech recognition. I thought this because the sentence was this: Who asked me about the impromptu speech? To be honest, I didn’t read the whole message, I just saw it in my Facebook feed and didn’t read it properly. That’s […]

Learn the word “constraint”: definition and usage

I like how the word “constraint” sounds. It’s not difficult to learn how to pronounce it: there are no tricky parts in it. Maybe only the schwa sound in the first syllable. So if you have no idea what the schwa is, you’ll probably pronounce it as /kOnˈstreɪnt/ but actually it’s /kənˈstreɪnt/. But the definition […]

Does “for good” mean something good?

When you hear ‘for good’ without the context you probably think that it means good things because of the word ‘good’. And it’s wrong. And even if you see it in the sentence it still doesn’t make sense. The experience almost frightened me away for good. I remember this expression because of the Scandal, an […]

“You got this” vs “You got it”. What’s the difference

What would you think if someone tells you “you got this”? If you hear it for the first time you could think that it means that you have something. But actually the expression means “you can do it”. Usually, people say this in order to encourage someone who handles a challenge or a task. Here’s […]

Save the date: what does it mean

‘Save the date’ literally means ’save this day on your calendar and plan nothing on this date, so you won’t miss the event’. Presenters, bloggers, and various public figures use this phrase when they announce the important dates. Here’s an example from Vox’s newsletter.   As you can see, the subject of the message says […]

How to Improve Your English Using the Compound Effect

“Your English is awful!” – my boss shouted across the busy newsroom. I was shocked, mortified, and my only thought was, “I’m gonna lose this job”. If you’ve ever been ashamed of your English, you know the feeling. There’s nothing pleasant about it. In this post, I will share with you a proven and effective […]

When ‘so long’ doesn’t mean ‘so long’

I don’t remember when I first heard this expression ‘so long’ and what I thought about it (probably that it was about something that is really long). But I remember very well when I decided to look it up in a dictionary. It was because of James Blunt’s song So long Jimmy. And I remember […]

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