In a previous blog, we shared somestrange English phrases that might have left you with some questions. The English language is full of peculiar phrases that can even confuse fluent speakers. In today's post, we'll take a look at a few more such phrases to help you expand your repertoire.
Play
This phrase is used when someone has nothing to say. Attempts to get to the bottom of this phrase have left many speechless (sorry, we couldn’t resist). One tale states that, in the times of witch-hunting, a witch – or her cat – would steal a person’s tongue to prevent them from telling others about the witch.However, this is only a tale and there are many other guesses where this phrase came from. Others have suggested that ancient kings would punish those who displeased them by cutting out their tongues and feeding them to their pet cats.
Use it: “You’re very quiet – cat got your tongue?”
It is used to warn someone against a needless action (often motivated by anger or greed) that will be self-destructive. For example, if someone plots revenge but the act ultimately results in more harm to the individual than to the focus of their anger. Legend has it that this phrase originates from when pious women would disfigure themselves in order to protect their chastity. The most famous of these was Saint Ebba, the Mother Superior of the monastery of Coldingham. In 867 Viking pirates landed in Scotland, and when this news reached Ebba, she urged her nuns to cut off their noses and upper lips so they would be unappealing to the Vikings.
Use it: “I’m angry that my colleague was promoted before me, so I might just quit.” – “But you like your job and you need the money. If you react like that you’re just cutting your nose off to spite your face.”
This is used when someone is pursuing a mistaken or misguided line of thought or course of action. Very simply, it alludes to the mistake made by dogs when they believe they have chased their prey up a tree, but it has actually escaped by leaping from one tree to another.
Use it: “If you think I want to get up at 5am tomorrow to go fishing with you, you’re barking up the wrong tree!”
This describes how a person who takes the earliest opportunity to do something will gain an advantage over others. This is first recorded in John Ray’s 1670, 1678: “The early bird catcheth the worm.”
Clearly, the title of the work indicates that this was considered proverbial even in the 17th century, and it recognizes that the first bird to spot a worm will likely grab it first.
Use it: “The sale starts tomorrow and the store opens at 8am. Arrive early to get the pick of the best stuff – the early bird catches the worm.”
The phrase is often used to describe a good attempt at something that is almost – but not – successful. It is said that this saying is of American origin – along with its variant “nice try, but no cigar” – where fairground stalls used to give out cigars as prizes. It appeared in The Lima News in November 1949 in a report about how the Lima House Cigar and Sporting Goods Store narrowly avoided being burnt down in a fire. The title of the article was: “Close But No Cigar.”
Use it: “Actually, my name is June, not Jane – close, but no cigar.”
This means to make a bad situation worse. The origin of this phrase is debatable, but one theory is that it derives from the fables of from the first century AD. The that has landed on his head and bitten him. Instead, he hits himself on the head and the fly says: “You wished to avenge an insect’s sting with death; what will you do to yourself, who have added insult to injury?”
Use it: “I went for a job interview, but they told me I was too old for the job. To add insult to injury, my car broke down on the way home – what a bad day!”
These are just a few commonly used English phrases, so next time you hear them, you'll know exactly what they mean and their origin. You also might be able to potentially impress your friends with this knowledge.
Curious about more phrases and slang? Make sure to check out9 slang terms from across the UK.
Have you considered studying abroad? Moving to Canada to study? With more than 100 world-class universities across the country, there’s good reason to. From coast to coast to coast, it offers many international students a safe and supportive learning environment and the opportunity to work after graduation.
Want to learn more? In this guide, we cover ten things you should know about studying in Canada:
Language skills have become increasingly important in the workplace as the world becomes more globalized and connected. Having the ability to communicate effectively in more than one language is very valuable, and with English being a leading lingua franca for businesses across the world, language skills sit at the heart of business success.
Here we highlight four top reasons why language skills are so valuable in the workplace.
Effective communication is the number one soft skill that employers look for, . Having strong language skills enables better communication with clients and colleagues, and also helps to work effectively with people from different cultures. It builds solid relationships and reduces frustration where customers or colleagues may otherwise feel that they are not understood or listened to.
Having different languages on your CV can really help to stand out among other candidates. For some industries it is essential, such as tourism, where it is necessary to serve clients from different countries, and this is also true where companies serve clients in international markets.
Where businesses are increasingly moving to hybrid working practices that can include teams spread across different countries and timezones, it is also becoming more of an expectation and advantage to be able to connect through a central language, such as English.
Furthermore, having English language skills can provide employees with better networking opportunities, in particular through conferences, trade shows and social media platforms such as LinkedIn.
Learning a new language can be a very enriching experience that enhances personal growth and skills development. Language learning doesn't just impact communication skills; it's also been noted that learning a language helps the brain process and remember information more efficiently[1], as well as developing new cognitive and problem-solving skills.
Learning a new language requires discipline, dedication, and patience, which are qualities that can be applied to other areas of work and life.
To summarise, language skills are highly valuable in the workplace and can open up new career opportunities for employees, as well as adding tangible benefits to businesses. Investing in language skills can increase an employee's value, and this can help them succeed in today's ever-evolving work landscape.
Students who are actively involved in deciding what and how they learn are typically more engaged and motivated.
That’s not surprising, because independent learners are extremely focused on their personal learning objectives.
, independent learning is “a process, a method and a philosophy of education whereby a learner acquires knowledge by his or her own efforts and develops the ability for inquiry and critical evaluation."
