Chris Moyles Show

Long time no....write. I know. I've made myself extra holiday recently and went with my sister and niece to Spain:) Then, it took me some time to come back to reality and sort out my professional life. But here I am, ready to blog on ;)... so what do I do this morning? I turn on my computer, as usual, sip my coffee, as usual, do the usual round of my fav sites and head straight for bbc radio 1 to listen to the "old chap" Chris Moyles, and....surprise surprise! Instead od Moyles's breakfast show I hear some...Nick ...something (forgive me my ignorance Mr Nick). So I do some research and come across this headline:

Chris Moyles says goodbye to Radio 1 breakfast show

...and my mornings will never be the same...;)

To be honest, I've never been a devoted fan of the show but since my old friend recommended it to me maaaany years ago, I've got used to it so much that every now and then, especially when I wanted to have a good laugh, I turned to this guy as my last rescue. Sometimes I didn't even get his jokes (blaming it on cultural differences) or prefered  not to get it coz mostly they were politically incorrect and made my eyes get rounder and bigger and my jaw drop. However, he had MILLIONS of listeners (7.9 at its peak) and well, like it or not, I was one of them and in a quirky way I liked it. 

What's more, I thought this show was eternal....like grass. 

I've realized I am one of these people who appreciate things only when they lose it. And I simply took it for granted.

It was said in the article: " At 38, Moyles has also been criticised for being too old for Radio 1, which is currently struggling to attract a younger audience.

His replacement is 10 years younger.."

As far as I can judge, men in their 30s and 40s are in the prime of life, but what can I know, right? Still, bbc radio 1 shame on you, SHAME!

I know I'm being oddly sentimental... but who cares.

Below, the last 5 minutes of the very last show:

For those who got interested, go here and here... and a lot more that you can find in the web.

And one more thing - THANK YOU for being my window to the other side of Englishness Mr Moyles ;)

source: youtube, google images.

Catchy ad slogans

Advertisements are ubiquitous, we all know that. Most of the times it just annoys me but the other day when I got stuck in a traffic jam and was bored to death I started to read some of the ad slogans and realize you can actually learn from them - at least a bit:) they are catchy, sometimes witty and in some cases show how the language works. Do you have your favourite ones?
Have a look at mine:

 

 

 

source: google images

confusing words - part two: holiday vs vacation vs leave

HOLIDAY vs VACATION vs LEAVE

HOLIDAY/HOLIDAYS (British English) -  a time of rest from work/school etc.

[`holɪdeɪ] countable and uncountable

Where are you going for your holiday this year?

Sandra is on holiday all next month.

I get 22 days' holiday with my new job.

Where are you going for your holidays this year?

VACATION (American English) - a time of rest from work/school etc.

[və`keɪʃən] uncountable and countable

Did your parents really go to Tasmania on vacation?

When are you going to take a vacation: in August or in September?

British English speakers say holiday , not holidays in the structuresbe on holiday, go on holiday and return/come back from holiday• something to read when you are on holiday (NOT when you are on holidays)• When you come back from holiday, it's hard to work (NOT When you come back from holidays).Holidays is usually used after the, my, your etc• Soon it will be the holidays.• Where do you want to go for your holidays?!! Do not say 'be in (your) holidays' or 'go in (your) holidays'. Say goon holiday or go on your holidays or be on holiday or be on your holidays.!! Do not say 'make a holiday'. Say have a holiday .

COLLOCATIONS:

HOLIDAY:

on holidaygo on holiday also go on your holidayshave/take a holidayholiday abroadsummer holidayfamily holidayskiing/camping/walking etc holidayholiday resort (=a place with many hotels where a lot of people go on their holidays)holiday brochure (=a magazine that advertises holidays)holiday snaps informal (=photographs taken while on holiday)holiday romance
VACATION:

summer vacationtake/have a vacationChristmas vacationfamily vacationtwo-week/three-day etc vacationvacation spot (=a place where a lot of people go on vacation)

LEAVE - time that you are allowed to spend away from your work.

annual leave

maternity leave

paid/unpaid leave

sick leave

compassionate leave

I've applied for three days' leave.

She's on leave.

Your basic annual leave is 20 days.

We can also say to TAKE/HAVE some time ( e.g. a few days) OFF.

Would you be able to take some time off?

I have time off at Christmas.

And now the promised answers to the Waking Life part 2 listening:

1) life's waiting room

2) infinite possibilities

3) minimum wage

4) fancy myself

5) anxiety stuff

6) less bizarre

7) alternate universe

8) going off

9) in the first place

10) awake

11) sleepwalking

12) unstable

13) light switch

14) dimensions of reality

15) dig

16) whispers

source: google images; Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English; Angielski Wyrazy Kłopotliwe.

Waking Life - listening part 2.

'Waking Life' once again - part two - this time about lucid dreaming. The listening takes around 5 minutes - quite long, I know. But really worth the effort. As previously, you will get the answers in the next post. 

Good luck!

              I had a friend once who told me...

              that the worst mistake that you could make...

              is to think that you are alive...

              when really you'’re asleep in 1).......................

              The trick is to combine...

              your waking rational abilities...

              with the 2)......................... of your dreams.

              'Cause if you can do that, you can do anything.

              Did you ever have a job that you hated and worked real hard at?

              A long, hard day of work. Finally you get to go home, get in bed, 

              close your eyes.

              And immediately you wake up and realize...

              that the whole day at work had been a dream.

              It's bad enough that you sell your waking life for-- for 3)..........              ...........

              but now they get your dreams for free.

              Hey, man, what are you doing here?

              I 4).................... the social lubricator of the dream world,

              helping people become lucid a little easier.

              Cut out all that fear and 5)............................. and just               rock and roll.

              By becoming lucid, you mean just knowing that you’re dreaming, 

              right?

              Yeah. And then you can control it.

              They're more realistic and 6)............... than non-lucid dreams.

              You know, I just woke from a dream.

              It wasn't like a typical dream. It seemed more like I'd walked into              an 7)..........................

              Yeah, it's real.

              I mean, technically, it's a phenomenon of sleep,

              but you can have so much damn fun in your dreams.

              And, of course, everyone knows fun rules.

              - Yeah. -So what was going on in your dream?

              Oh. A lot of people. A lot of talking.

              Some of it was kind of absurdist, like from a strange movie or some              thing.

              Mostly, it was just people 8)............... about whatever, really 

              intensely.

              I woke up wondering, where did all this stuff come from?

              - You can control that. - Do you have these dreams all the time?

              Hell, yeah. I'm always gonna make the best of it.

              But the trick is, you got to realize that you're dreaming 9).......              .....................

              You got to be able to recognize it.

              You got to be able to ask yourself, " Hey, man, is this a dream?"

              Most people never ask themselves that...

              when they're 10)............ or especially when they're asleep.

              Seems like everyone's 11)............ through their waking state...

              or wake walking through their dreams.

              Either way they're not gonna get much out of it.

              The thing that snapped me into realizing I was dreaming was, uh-- 

              was my digital clock.

              I couldn't really read it. It was like the circuitry was all 

              screwed up or something.

              Yeah, that's real common. And small printed material is pretty 

              tough too.

              Very 12)...............

              Another good tip-off is trying to adjust light levels.

              You can't really do that.

              If you see a 13)................... nearby, turn it on and off and               see if it works.

              That's one of the few things you can't do in a lucid dream.

              What the hell. I can fly around,

              have an interesting conversation with Albert Schweitzer.

              I can explore all these new 14)..........................,

              not to mention I can have any kind of sex I want, which is way cool.

              So I can't adjust light levels. So what?

              But that's one of the things you do to test if you’re dreaming 

              or not, right?

              Yeah, like I said, you can totally train yourself to recognize it.

              I mean, just hit a light switch every now and then.

              If the lights are on and you can't turn them off, then most likely               you’'re dreaming.

              And then you can get down to business.

              And believe me, it's unlimited.

              - Hey, you know what I've been working on lately? - What's that?

              Oh, man, it's way ambitious, but I'm getting better at it.

              You're gonna 15)................this. Three-sixty vision, man.

              I can see in all directions. Pretty cool, huh?

              Yeah. Wow.

              Well, I got to go, man.

              Okay, later, man. Super perfundo on the early eve of your day.

              - What's that mean? - Well, you know, I never figured it out.

              Maybe you can. This guy always 16).................... into my ear.

              Louis. He's a recurring dream character.

source: google images, youtube.

confusing words - part one: illegible vs unreadable.

ILLEGIBLE vs UNREADABLE

ILLEGIBLE - difficult or impossible to read.

[ɪ`ledʒɪbl]

Your son's handwriting is illegible.

The notice on the wall was so stained and dirty that it was illegible.

UNREADABLE - an unreadable book or piece of writing is difficult to read because it is boring or complicated

[ʌn`ri:dəbl]

I started her latest novel but gave up after twenty pages. It was simply unreadable. (boring)

His report is totally unreadable. Could it be reworded so that non-professionals might understand it as well? (complicated)

source: google images.

More idioms about success and....Steve Jobs.

Let's focus on something pleasurable today - SUCCESS:)

In English you can describe success in many different ways, it can be:

        remarkable,                       outstanding,                   enormous,                            remendous,        overnight,                 marvelous,              howling, 

              roaring,                      resounding

or

   limited,                qualified             and               modest.

There are of course countless idioms expressing success or failure:

alive and kicking

(also be alive and well) to continue to be well, healthy or successful.

1. Don't worry about your grandfather; he is alive and kicking. 2. Classical music is still alive and kicking among youngsters

back the wrong horse

to support someone or something that later cannot be successful.

Don't back the wrong horse! You know he cannot win the elections.

count one's chickens before they hatch

To assume success too early, before it is certain.

It's too soon to cry victory. Don't count your chicken before they hatch!

dead loss

something described as a dead loss is absolutely unsuccessful or useless (a complete failure)

When it comes to math, my sisiter is a dead loss.

dog-eat-dog

said about a world where people do anything to be successful.

It's disheartening to know that we are living in a dog-eat-dog world.

every dog has its day

everyone has a time of success and satisfaction.

You may become successful in your business someday. Every dog has his day.

green-eyed monster

envy, jealousy, covetousness

1. "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on." William Shakespeare 2. His success aroused the green-eyed monster in his friend.

hit a home run

to be successful.

They hit a home run with their excellent performance in the new play.

home free

to be certain of being successful because you have finished the most difficult part.

Once you hand in the last part of your dissertation, you're home free.

I'll eat my hat

said to suggest that you will be surprised if something happens.

If his business becomes successful, I'll eat my hat.

in the bag

Certain or extremely likely to occur; assured about the success of something.

Don't worry about the final exam. It's in the bag.

put one's shoulder to the wheel

to start hard work; to begin to toil.

Just put your shoulder to the wheel. If you keep working hard, you’ll be successful one day!

the mother of all

an extreme example which is the biggest, most impressive, or most important of its kind.

Failure is the mother of all success.

There are also numerous synonyms for 'successful':

prosperous

thriving

flourishing

lucky

fortunate

triumphant

victorious

famous

wealthy

profitable

rewarding

lucrative

favourable

When you want to ask about the key of someone's success, you can say:

'What's your passport/pass/ticket/ to success?

And now, why Steve Jobs? Well, if the mother of success is failure, the father will be...? ;)

Apart from my innocent infatuation to him ;), I've found some of his rules of success really inspiring and universal. Just have a look:

1. Do what you love to do. (like: learn English!)

2. Be different. (Well...only if you want;)

3. Do your best. (Obviously!)

4. Start small, think big. ( The bigger the better.)

5. Ask for feedback. (To ask is no sin.)

6. Learn from failures. (What else can you do, right?)

7. Learn continually. (Yeah, we know.)

“Your time is limited. Don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drowned your own inner voice. And, most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” Steve Jobs

Stay successful and...tuned ;)

source: google images;www.myenglishpages.com.

British humour - (part 1: Olympic jokes)

Lately, I've got really inspired by one of your comments (thank you dziobas:) concerning the recent Olympics...

      I decided to share my best findings with you. Some of them are just hilarious:

Two Englishmen Meet a German Tourist at the London Olympics

A German competitor was lost, and wanted directions to the Olympic village in Stratford, London.  He was standing outside East Ham tube station when he saw two lads walking by so he stops them and asks,  'Entschuldigung, koennen Sie Deutsch sprechen?'  

The two lads look at each other blankly and stare back at the German.

'Excusez-moi, parlez vous Français?' He tries.

The two continue to stare.

'Parlare Italiano?' Still absolutely no response from the two lads.

'Hablan ustedes Espanol?' The London lads remain totally silent.

The German Olympian walks off extremely disappointed and downhearted that he had not been understood.  One of the boys turns to the second and says, 'You know, maybe we should learn a foreign language!'

'Why?' says the youth, 'That German guy knew four languages, and it didn't do him any good!'

Five Best, Clean and Interesting Quotes by Olympians

1. I was not talented enough to run and smile at the same time - Emil Zatopek, champion Czechoslovakian distance runner, when asked about unusual facial expression when running.
2. The swimming and diving were held in part of the old moat ... it was the clammiest, darkest place and the water was frigid.  It looked bottomless and black - Alice Landon, American Diver, on facilities at the Antwerp Games of 1920.
3. One shouldn't be afraid to lose; this is sport. One day you win; another day you lose. Of course, everyone wants to be the best.  This is normal. This is what sport is about. This is why I love it. - Oksana Baiul, Olympic Gold Medalist
4. All I've done is run fast. I don't see why people should make much fuss about that - Dutch sprinter Fanny Blankers-Koen, who won four gold medals at the 1948 Games
5. To anyone who has started out on a long campaign believing that the gold medal was destined for him, the feeling when, all of a sudden, the medal has gone somewhere else is quite indescribable. - Sebastian Coe, after losing the 800m final in 1980.

Five Fabulous Funny Short Olympic Jokes

1. Former President Bush gave a rousing inspirational speech yesterday to the USA Olympics Fencing team. Bush told the athletes, 'Now go out there and build that fence.' - Conan O'Brien
2. Nastia Luikin won the gold in the woman's all-around event in gymnastics. The competition was nasty, but she was Nastia.
3. Why isn't sun tanning an Olympic sport? 
   Because the best you can ever get is bronze.
4. A javelin thrower called Vicky 
   Found the grip of her javelin sticky. 
   When it came to the throw 
   She couldn't let go 
   Making judging the distance quite tricky.
5. Heard on the BBC News: 'The Olympic Countdown Clock has stopped, I think it's a wind-up.'   

10 Funny Olympic Commentating Howlers

1. The Republic of China - back in the Olympic Games for the first time.
2. And the line up for the final of the Women's 400 metres hurdles includes three Russians, two East Germans, a Pole, a Swede and a Frenchman.  (Guy had to read the last word again FrenchMAN?)
3. That's the fastest time ever run - but it's not as fast as the world record.
4. Old Olympic skiers never die. They just go downhill.
5. Paralympics: 'They're making great strides with their swimming'.
6. The late start for this final is due to the time.
7. Watch the time - it gives you an indication of just how fast they are running (Ron Pickering).
8. Basketball analyst: "He dribbles a lot and the opposition does not like it.  In fact you can see it all over their faces". 
9. You won't win silver medals at the Olympic Games unless you're the very, very best. - Pat Glenn, weightlifting commentator.

source: google images, http://www.guy-sports.com/olympics/london_olympics_jokes.htm