Make it!

If you “make it”, you achieve a goal, you are successful… especially with your career.

* Wait tables:  To work as a waiter at a restaurant

1.      Frank Sinatra, in his song, “New York, New York”, sings: “…If I can make it there [New York], I’ll make it anywhere…” He was saying that it was not that easy to make it in New York, but that if he could be successful there, it would be easier in just about any other city.

2.      Countless aspiring movie actors move to Hollywood in the hopes of making it in the movie industry. Similarly, in the music industry, many people move to Nashville, Tennessee to give it a shot (try) and launch their careers

3.      To make it in business, not only will you need to have good ideas or provide great services, but you will also need to have a business mind and effective ways to promote or advertise yourself.

4.      Do you have any ambitious plans, projects or goals? What are you hoping to make it in?

5.      Do you think it’s easier to make it in a technical or in an artistic career? Is your chosen career very competitive? Are there many people who are competing for the same as you?

6.      What would it take for you to reach the “top of your profession” - to make it, and be in a position where you could say, “I have arrived!” Have you already made it?

7.      Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva didn’t make it the first time he ran for the Brazilian presidency, but he tried and tried again, until he eventually (finally) made it.

Present perfect continuous: Have been + -ing

When you want to express an action that started in the past and is continuing in the present, or something done recently,  we use “have/has been + -ing”.

1.      I have been teaching English as a second language for over 11 years (since 2003).  It has been my bread and butter (how I earn a living). How long have you been doing what you currently do?

2.      I’ve been learning Portuguese slowly but surely for the last 5 years. How many more years do you think it will take for me to become fluent in Portuguese?

3.      I have been thinking about moving to Rio de Janeiro in the near future. The cost of living there is the one major obstacle, though.

4.      Recently I have been watching some new TV series (for me): “Vikings”, “Game of Thrones” and “Shameless”. As a result I have been going to bed later than usual.

5.      I have been making pancakes almost every Sunday morning. It’s becoming a tradition. What have you been doing on a regular basis that is becoming a routine for you?  

Gotta

Gotta is an informal contraction for “have got to”. It’s also a synonym for “must”. We use this in casual speech, and so often it is not appropriate in writing.

1.      If you’ve never been bungee jumping, you’ve gotta try it someday… or something similar such as hang gliding,  abseiling or skydiving. If not, you’re missing out!

2.      When you say to people, “I’ve gotta go,” it could be that you really do need to go because of time constraints or it could just be an excuse. 

3.      You’ve gotta see the movie, “The Cabin in the Woods.” Although it is in the Horror genre, it is the first horror movie I’ve watched since I was  a kid, and I must say that it is not too scary. You’ve gotta watch it for the storyline… and the revelation at the end.

4.      I’ve gotta try getting to bed earlier so I can get some more sleep. They say that each hour you sleep before midnight has the same value as two hours after midnight. Do you think this is true?

5.      I’ve gotta learn to relax a lot more. I’ve been hanging out a lot with my Brazilian friends, many of whom are my students, and their relaxed attitude is starting to rub off on me (affect me).

A blanket statement

A blanket statement is a generalization. It is a statement that “covers” a whole group or category, without recognizing the differences or exceptions, especially when talking about stereotypes.  It is an all inclusive (or exclusive) statement. 

1.      It is human nature to make blanket statements (many times unconsciously) and generalize about everything under the sun when giving our opinions. We can’t help it! This example is a blanket statement!

2.      Many people say that alternative medicine is for hippies. That’s a blanket statement… a stereotype.

3.      “Iran wants to wipe Israel off the face of the planet”, is a generalization. More specifically, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his “cronies” are intent on destroying Israel.

4.      “Young people think they know everything” is a common blanket statement. Can you think of any others?

5.      Couples, when arguing, often make blanket statements by using words like, “Always” and “Never”...

Kill time

When you “kill time”, you find something to do while the time passes… usually something that occupies your mind. You find something to do to use up your extra time before an important or significant moment. You spend time doing nothing in particular in order that it seems to pass more quickly.

1.      What do you do when you are bored out of your mind… when you have nothing to do for a period of time and you need to kill time while you’re waiting for something to happen?

2.      When you have time to kill do you usually veg out (do absolutely nothing) or do you catch up on some work and try and be productive?

3.      How to you kill time at the airport when you’re waiting for your connecting flight? Do you go shopping, read a newspaper, get connected to the internet, or do you just watch people?

4.      Playing video games is a great way to kill time. It epitomizes the expression, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” The other thing is that it is addictive, so you don’t notice the time passing.

Blame it on (someone or something)

If you are blaming (something) on (someone), you are saying that it is their fault, that person is the perpetrator, they are to blame, are guilty or responsible.

1.      Iran's currency, the rial, has lost more than 80 per cent of its value since the end of 2011 and is now at an all-time low, having devaluated sharply against the US Dollar. The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, blamed it on political and economic sanctions from “The Enemy”, otherwise known as the United States, which is absolutely correct to say. The real problem is that Iran will not back down from its nuclear program, and so the sanctions continue. 

2.      It is very common to hear people blaming their debt on the state of the economy rather than their uncontrolled spending habits. In times of economical difficulty, people need to cut back on (reduce) spending and do without some things or find cheaper alternatives.  

3.      Have you ever heard someone blaming everything on the devil? Either way, we are responsible for our actions, even when provoked. Michael Jackson sang,

“The devil's gotten to me through this dance”. Other people sometimes blame it on “bad karma”.

4.      Why do people “point the finger” and blame it on everyone and everything under the sun except themselves? We sometimes need to “take the log out of our own eye” first so that we can see clearly.

Blend in

If someone blends in, they become inconspicuous/ less noticeable.. they don’t stand out. They look natural in their environment or even “camouflaged”.

1.      Chameleons, as everyone knows, have the unique ability to blend in to their environment.

2.      When you travel to another city or state in your country, can you successfully blend in, or do people know that you are “not from that neck of the woods” because your appearance or accent stands out?

3.      “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”  If you want to blend in while in another culture, you may have to imitate their customs and habits. For example, in India, Turkey and some Middle Eastern countries they consider it good manners to burp after a meal as a sign of appreciation.

4.      When you go to the beach, do you like to blend in to the crowd or do you like to stand out by the bikini you wear, the music you play or the activities you do?

5.      When I eat Pizza in public in Brazil, I should use a knife and fork if I want to blend in. I once ate with my hands at a Pizza Hut, and many people kept glancing at me… or was it just my imagination?!  

6.      It is almost impossible for me to blend in when I catch a bus, go to Centro, eat at a “lanchonete”, go to a hairdresser, buy coconut water, etc. Sometimes I just want to be a local and blend in.  

7.      If people who are not from Fortaleza want to blend in, they usually need to dress down and wear more casual clothes in general. Shorts and flip-flops are the status quo here in the Northeast. 

Get + adjective

When we use the combination get + adjective, the verb “get” means “become”.

1.       Children get excited about everything. As we get older we get excited about fewer and fewer things. That’s sad! What do you usually get excited about these days?

2.      Most of the time I watch a really boring movie right until the end while I wait for it to get interesting.

3.      The only women in the world you can say, “You’re getting fat” to are your sisters. I wouldn’t recommend saying that to anyone else. You have been warned!

4.      When you get hungry between meals, do you snack on sweets/ candy and other junk food, or do you look for something a little healthier. What would you consider a healthy snack?

5.      When I used to get embarrassed I would (used to) blush and go red… but now I am able to hide the fact that I am feeling awkward, and I can face the world.

6.      Sometimes I get stressed out about the most inconsequential things. If you’re like me, would you be honest in a job interview or psychological test and admit that you get frustrated over tiny things?