A Lovely Language Wedding!

Vocabulary

Following the old tradition, brides should wear "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue" at their wedding ceremony.

In a way, also the English language is a happy marriage of terms and expressions. Let’s have a look!

SOMETHING OLD
Latin abbreviations are very common in English, such as:

AD ( anno domini ) = in the year of our Lord.
A.M. (ante meridiem) = before midday.
ca. (circa) = about, approximately.
cf. (confer) = compare.
e.g. ( exempli gratia ) = for example.
i.e. (id est ) = that is
P.M. ( post meridiem ) = after midday.
P.S. ( postscriptum ) = written after; commonly written after the signature in a letter.

SOMETHING NEW
New words added to the dictionary this year are:

m-commerce : a business transaction conducted using a mobile electronic device.

Crowdsourcing: the practice of obtaining services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers.

Bromance: a close nonsexual friendship between men.

Cougar : middle-aged woman seeking a romantic relationship with a younger man.

Parkour: rapid and efficient running, climbing, or leaping over environmental obstacles as in movies.

Helicopter parent :a parent who is overly involved in the life of his or her child.

Boomerang child : a young adult who returns to live at his or her family home especially for financial reasons.

Robocall:  a telephone call from an automated source that delivers a prerecorded message to a large number of people

SOMETHING BORROWED
Words taken into English from other languages :

Parka ( Russian ) : a jacket originally for arctic weather, with a hood.
Siesta ( Spanish ) : a nap after lunch.
Femme fatale (French) an irresistibly sexy woman.

Kangaroo ( Australian ) : a marsupial mammal.
Hors d'ouvres ( French ) : delicacies served at parties – foreign food terms are abundant in English.
Patio ( Spanish ) : a house yard covered with tiles.
Futon (Japanese) a flat kind of sofa or bed.

Smorgasbord (Swedish) a buffet-style meal with multiple dishes.

Gesundheit! ( German ) : Bless you! -- phrase used when someone sneezes.
Kayak ( Eskimo ) : a type of canoe, propelled by a double-bladed paddle.


SOMETHING BLUE
Phrases or idiomatic expressions with the word blue :

A blue-collar worker : a manual worker, usually one who works at a factory.
To feel blue : feeling low in spirits, melancholic or sad.
Blueprint : a photographic print in white on a blue background especially for copying maps, drawings, etc.
To talk until one is blue in the face:  to talk until one is exhausted

Once in a blue moon :  very rarely, almost never.
Out of the blue : happening suddenly, without being expected.

Adapted from an activity published in The Lighter Side of TEFL

1.Use a Latin abbreviation to complete the examples:

1. The three U.S. states on the west coast ( _____________ , Washington, Oregon, and California) have favorable climates.

2. The Romans visited this area _____________  50 _____________

3. Dinner is served at 9 _____________.

4. These results were similar to those obtained using different techniques (_____________  Rogers, 2003).

5. The shipping company has a surcharge on any items weighing over a ton; _____________, a car or truck.

6. See you on Sunday.

John Smith.

_____________ Tell mother I say hello!

7. We will meet for our morning class on Fridays at 10 _____________

2. New words

 Across

 4. a telephone call from an automated source that delivers a prerecorded message to a large number of people

6. a business transaction conducted using a mobile electronic device.

7. middle-aged woman seeking a romantic relationship with a younger man.

 8. the practice of obtaining services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers.

       

Down

1. a parent who is overly involved in the life of his or her child.

2. a young adult who returns to live at his or her family home especially for financial reasons.

3. a close nonsexual friendship between men.

5. rapid and efficient running, climbing, or leaping over environmental obstacles as in movies.

3.Words from other languages. Match the term to the English closest version:

1.Siesta	A.a kind of yard
2.Gesundheit!	B.a type of canoe
3.Parka	C.bless you!
4.Kangaroo	D. a jacket
5. Smorgasbord	E.a nap
6.Hors d'ouvres	F. a kind of bed
7.Kayak	G. appetizers
8.Patio	H. a buffet dinner
9.Femme fatale	I. a marsupial
10.Futon	J. a sexy woman

4.Something Blue. Use a phrase to complete the sentences below:

a) _______________ are going on strike this week to demand higher wages.

b) He's not a bad student but he gets A's ______________.

c)  I was driving along a quiet street and ________________ there appeared a huge truck.

d)  The dull cloudy weather makes me _____________.

e) We argued with our supervisor until we were _________________.

f) The engineer wanted to see the _________________ of the model car.

Answers here!