A (dog) person

   

A dog person is someone who likes dogs. A tea person is a person who prefers tea to coffee. By using the phrase, “a (noun) + person”, we express a preference, a taste etc. that suits our lifestyle or personality, showing our likes and dislikes.

1. I’m generally not a morning person. It’s difficult for me to be energetic and full of life in the morning - only when I have to be. If you’re not a morning person it will normally take some time to warm up (to people and life). The opposite could be “a night owl”.

2. Most British people you meet will be tea people, while most Americans will be coffee people. Isn’t it fascinating how our cultural heritage affects our tastes in life? Wikipedia says, “Since the 18th century the British have been the largest per capita tea consumers in the world, with each person consuming on average 2.5 kg per year.” The country with the highest per capita coffee consumption is Finland, followed by Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden. Could it in any way be related to the weather? :) In an article on “Coffee Culture in the USA”, it says: “Although the average European drinks more coffee per year than the average American, the cultural importance and its effects on the average American is far greater.”

3. At heart I am an outdoor person, however, watching TV series has made me into somewhat of an indoor person recently. A person who prefers to stay at home is called a stay-at-home person or a “homebody”.

4. I often meet people who live close to the beach here in Brazil who are not really beach people… they prefer the mountains and cooler regions. I am without a doubt a hot-weather person… I like a year-round summer, whereas many people I know are cold-weather people. They like taking vacations in Europe during the winter. Which type are you?

Show off

If someone shows off, they try to make a good impression. They want people to admire them. If you show off, you exhibit your abilities or what you have.

1. When you buy something new, do you like to show it off to everyone? If you send emails from your iPad, iPhone or Blackberry, do you include the email signature, “Sent from my iPad”? It is the default (automatic) setting, but it is possible to turn it off. Personally it doesn’t bother me, but many people say that the owner of the device is just showing off. I should end all my emails with, “Sent from my Windows netbook”.

2. The title of an article on nervousbreakdown.com states, “Adults Have Ruined Facebook with Juvenile Showing Off.” It continues, “Facebook has become a tool for one-upping others, or keeping up with the Joneses… I do not think that Facebook should be used to gloat, brag, show off or try to make other people feel like losers compared to you.”

3.  Often when people show off they have accidents. Take a look at this video of someone falling off a motorbike while doing a “wheelie”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxAPobrzZqE

4. If you are good at something, do you like to show it off? Perhaps you play a musical instrument or maybe you have a good knowledge in some particular area?

... leaves something to be desired

Ad = advert = advertisement 

If (anything) leaves something to be desired, it does not meet your expectations… it is not as good as it should be. It’s a diplomatic way of saying that something was terrible.

1. Do you live in a city where you get great service in stores and restaurants, or does the customer service in your city leave something to be desired? Does good or bad service depend on someone’s level of education, or do you think it’s a cultural thing?

2.  Have you ever watched a pirated movie that was filmed in the cinema? The image and audio quality leave a lot to be desired, so it’s not worth watching. It’s better to go to the cinema or wait for the DVD release.

3. FIFA has said that Brazil’s preparation for the 2014 soccer world cup leaves much to be desired. They say that the progress with the construction of stadiums, transportation infrastructure and hotels is far behind schedule. FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke was criticized for stating that Brazil needed a "kick up the backside" to get everything ready on time.

4. Did you ever study in an English course that left a lot to be desired? Was it the material or the teacher?

Come up with

                   Bug = irritate          Sharp = intelligent           retort = answer/ response

When you “come up with” something, you think of something original; you find a creative solution/ plan. A synonym is “to think up”.


1.  People who work in the advertising industry need to come up with original and dynamic marketing ideas. Do you need to come up with new ideas or plans in your line of work?

2. Often people come up with the best ideas when there is a necessity. There is an expression: “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Can you think of any inventions that were born out of need?

3. Do you know who came up with the idea of the Leap Year? Leap years are years with 366 days, instead of the usual 365. Leap years are necessary because the actual length of a year is 365.242 days, not 365 days. Julius Caesar was behind the origin of leap year in 45 BC.

4. Can you come up with new ideas under pressure, or do you get inspiration when you are relaxing? Some people come up with ideas when they are in the shower, driving, exercising or walking on the beach.

Up to speed

   

If you are up to speed with a subject or an activity, you have all the latest information about it. It relates to being competent in knowledge, skill or training. This expression is similar to: “fill someone in”.

1. When you’ve missed a couple of episodes of your favorite TV series, do you like to get up to speed by watching the ones you missed, or are you OK to continue with the latest episode?

2. When you haven’t spoken a 2nd language for quite some time, you might want to brush up on (practice/ revise) your ability and get a bit of practice before you plan to engage in that language. A good way to bring yourself up to speed would be to read a book in that language or take a few conversation classes.

3. Why do you think Africa is so far behind the rest of the world in technology? Is the problem cultural… or is there maybe a historical disadvantage? What do you think it would take to bring Africa up to speed?

Burn out

“Burnout” is what happens when you have been pushing yourself or working too hard for too long. It is physical or mental exhaustion caused by long-term stress.

1. Many people are experiencing burnout and they don’t even know it. They are so used to working under stress and pressure that it seems normal to them. Some symptoms of burnout are: emotional, physical and mental exhaustion, disillusion, depression, a loss of interest in your work or life in general and becoming susceptible to illness.

2. Is your boss working you too hard… or are you maybe pushing yourself too hard? Sometimes if you are self-employed (work for yourself) like myself, you have to regulate how many hours you work a day or force yourself to work less, so that you don’t burn yourself out.

3.  People who are living a fast-paced lifestyle are living in what we call “the rat race”. The rat race often leads to burnout. Working long hours in a competitive environment will cause stress, and eventually, burnout. Not many people are able to keep up with a lifestyle that demands so much over the long-term.

4. When you have been “burning the candle at both ends” and not getting sufficient sleep, it could definitely lead to burnout. How many hours of sleep a day do you think are sufficient for you to function normally? If you are sleeping less than 5 hours every night, and if you aren’t able to take a nap during the day, then you are heading for a burnout.

Make do (with)

If you “make do” with something, you have to use what you have at the moment; you have to make a plan with what is available - even if it is not the best or ideal. You improvise until you can have what you want later.

1. I would love to have air conditioning in our apartment, but for now we will have to make do with fans.

2.  Before I got my first computer I had to make do with going to an internet café and also storing all of my important information on a USB/ pen drive.

3. If you don’t have a car, you need to make do with public transportation or getting lifts (rides) from friends.

4. When you make do with what you have, you are being resourceful. You use your creativity and ingenuity to improve your situation when you have limited resources. During my first months in Brazil, we didn’t have a washing machine, so I used to put all of our clothes into a big plastic tub, climb into the tub and run on the spot, churning the clothes with my feet. I had to make do with a plastic tub until we could afford a washing machine.

Settle for

When you “settle for” anything, you are accepting second best or something that is inferior to what you really wanted – because you have limited options, or what you want is not possible.

1.  I would really love a house right on the beach one day - but if not possible I will have to settle for renting an apartment with a sea view.

2. If I ask for a pineapple juice when I am at a restaurant, and they don’t have any, I usually settle for an orange juice.

3. If you can’t get into the course at university that you really want, you may have to settle for something similar… or even consider studying another career. Sometimes life doesn’t work out the way we want or expect.

4. What brand names do you have to settle for because the product that you want is either not available or much more expensive?