It's Halloween !

One of the most traditional and popular activities in the U.S. on Halloween (October 31) is trick or treat. Children go from house to house wearing costumes; dressed as monsters, devils or ghosts, among other things, and they ask for candy, as a treat (recompensa, regalo) . If they don’t get a treat, then they do a trick (truco,broma ) . But in reality, this happens very little. Every house is prepared with candy to give to the neighborhood kids when they call at their doors.

Curiously, this tradition has its roots in the Middle Ages in Britain. Poor people went door to door begging for food in exchange for prayers for the dead on All Saints’ Day. However, people were indignant at having to give food to children because they felt pressured. It is likely that the American tradition developed independently. The activity of trick-or-treating didn’t appear in the press until 1934.

Listen to this  groovy (genial, guay)  song by Otis Redding called Trick or Treat !

You say you love me, girl
But you, you don't know
When I tell you I want I wanna wanna take you out (salir con)
And you don't want to go, girl
So if you love me
(Don't say you like me)
And if you like me
(Don't say you love me)
Cos I can't wait till Halloween to to find out (averiguar)
If it's trick or treat
I love you, babe
But you play ............., girl 
But you know, you know, you know
That ain't where it's at, baby
Now if you love me
(Don't say you like me)
And if you like me
(Don't say you love me)
Cause I can't wait till Halloween to find out 
If it's trick or treat
You can make life good or make it a drag (lata )
With all them good things you got cooking in your bag
I want you to treat me, girl
Cause you got just what it takes, yeah
I've been tricked so many times baby
Of everything I've made, yeah
So if you love me
(Don't say you like me)
And if you like me
(Don't say you love me)
Cos I can't wait till Halloween to find out
If it's trick or treat
Yeah
What is it?
What is it, baby?
Is it trick or what kind of treat have you got 
hanging baby in your bag?
I, I wanna know what kind of tricks, girl
What kind of tricks, girl
What kind of tricks, baby
Say you love me
What you wanna ...
You say you need me but ....
Girl, you got to show me what 
Uh, show me what I wan
Now you got to tell me, baby
Now tell me what I want
You got tricks baby hanging out your bag
Now you got some tricks hangin out your bag
You got good tricks

---

Lou Reed Sunday Morning

Desde Home English queremos rendir homenaje al recién desaparecido Lou Reed, con 71 años y un gran elenco de temas rock-glam a su espalda. Desde su grupo Velvet Underground con la vocalista Nico hasta sus temas en solitario, todos despiertan nuestro lado más poético, tanto que hasta para dejarnos, escogió un Domingo por la mañana "Sunday morning", curiosamente igual que una de sus canciones más legendarias. Justo la que os proponemos hoy en nuestro post.

Sunday mornin', praise the dawnin'
It's just a restless feelin', by my side
Early dawnin', Sunday mornin'
It's just the wasted years so close behind

Watch out, the world's behind you
There's always someone around you, who will call
It's nothin' at all

Sunday mornin' and I'm fallin'
I've got a feelin', I don't want to know
Early dawnin', Sunday mornin'
(Early dawnin')
It's all the streets you crossed, not so long ago

Watch out, the world's behind you
There's always someone around you, who will call
It's nothin' at all

Watch out, the world's behind you
There's always someone around you, who will call
It's nothin' at all

Sunday mornin'
Sunday mornin'
Sunday mornin'
Sunday mornin'

 

Veggie Burger

Un clásico de la cocina vegetariana... la hamburgesa vegetal .Prueba esta receta al mismo tiempo que amplías tu vocabulario.


Ingredients:

•  1 cup of dry lentils (lentejas)
•  2 1/2 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 /2 medium onion, diced ( cortar en dados)
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 3/4 cup of rolled oats, (copos de avena) finely ground (molidos)
• 3/4 cup of bread crumbs ( migas)
• salt and pepper

Preparation

-Place the lentils, water, and salt in saucepan, bring to a boil, lower heat , cover and simmer (hervir a fuego lento)  for about 45 minutes, until water is nearly gone and lentils are very soft.
-Sauté (sofreír) the onion and carrot in oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
-Mix the lentils ,onions, carrots , pepper and  then mix in the ground oats and bread crumbs.
-While still warm, form the lentil mixture into burgers , which can now be frozen, refrigerated ( for up to 5days) or cooked immediately.
-In a frying pan, heat a bit of oil, place a burger on top , and fry until brown, 1-2 minutes. Repeat on other side and serve.

It's not unusual

Desde Home English queremos hoy homenajear al mítico Tigre de Gales, el enérgico cantante Tom Jones, que popularizó canciones como Delilah, o ésta que hoy os proponemos. Seguro que la habéis escuchado mil veces en discos, fiestas de pueblos, etc...

¿Os animáis a coger el micro y Tom-jon-ear con nosotros? :)

 

It's not unusual to be loved by anyone
It's not unusual to have fun with anyone
But when I see you hanging about with anyone
It's not unusual to see me cry
Oh I wanna' die
It's not unusual to go out at any time
But when I see you out and about it's such a crime
If you should ever want to be loved by anyone
It's not unusual it happens every day no matter what you say
You find it happens all the time
Love will never do what you want it to
Why can't this crazy love be mine
It's not unusual, to be mad with anyone
It's not unusual, to be sad with anyone
but if I ever find that you've changed at any time
It's not unusual to find out that I'm in love with you
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh

Useful Slang about the Weather

   

En este post aprenderemos expresiones en argot para hablar del tiempo y de nuestro estado de ánimos. Presta atención, algunas son muy divertidas!

When it’s cold:                                       

“It’s a bit nippy.”(1)

“It’s freezing!”(2)

“It’s a bit parky.”

 “I’m chilled to the bone!” 

When it’s hot:

“It’s boiling!”(3)

“It’s roasting!”(4)

“Phew! What a scorcher!”

“It’s hotter than hell outside!”

 

When you’re ill:

“I’m under the weather.”(5)

“I’m feeling out of sorts.”

“I’ve got one foot in the grave.”(6)

“You are looking a bit peaky.”

“I’m at death’s door.”

When you’re getting better:

“I’m on the mend.”

“I’m feeling a little chirpier today.”(7)

“I’m in the pink!”

“Things are looking up for me.”

 

Comments

(1) to nip significa pellizcar, así que literalmente la frase dice que el frío te esta pellizcando o que hace bastante frío.

(2) freezing realmente significa congelando, pero es muy común usarlo para decir que hace mucho frío.

(3) boiling realmente significa hirviendo pero lo usamos para decir que hace un calor agobiante.

(4) roasting viene del verbo to roast que significa asar, pero como con la frase anterior se usa para decir que hace mucho calor.

(5) to be under the weather significa literalmente estar debajo del tiempo, pero se usa cuando uno no se encuentra bien porque esta enfermo o triste.

(6) Significa literalmente tener un pie en la tumba. Se usa esta frase cuando uno quiere exagerar mucho para crear un efecto cómico. Por ejemplo: ´My brother acts like he’s got one foot in the grave, but really he only has a little cold´.

(7) to chirp – cantar como un pájaro. To feel chirpier es sentirse mejor, de salud y también de ánimos.

Words Often Confused

¿Estás utilizando estas palabras correctamente ? Comprueba algunas de las expresiones que  más confunden  los estudiantes de inglés de habla española. ¿Se te ocurre alguna más?.

We all know of words that students of English learn and regularly use, but which are not correct in the context in which they use them. Many times, learners are surprised to see that words they use in Spanish that they thought were English are not really used in English! (like “parking”) .Other times , two words that look similar have different meanings in each language ( decepción; deception) .Take a look at some of the most common expressions that can cause problems for Spanish speakers:

                              incorrect                                             correct

1.                      parking                                      car park, parking lot
2.                      camping                                     camp site
3.                      footing                                       jogging
4.                      deception                                  disappointment
5.                      actually                                      nowadays, presently
6.                      career                                        degree, studies
7.                      fathers                                        parents
8.                      parents                                       relations, relatives

Comments:

La expresión hacer" footing" no existe, se diría "go jogging". " A " deception"  no es una decepcion sinó un engaño (ocultar la verdad). "Actually"  significa " de hecho" . Cuando hablamos de "career" nos referimos a  la trayectoria profesional de una persona, no sus estudios o  "la carrera"."Fathers"  sería el plural de "padre" ( no incluye a la madre). "Parents"  se refiere a tus padres no a " parientes". 

Things To Say When...

¿ Cansado de utilizar siempre las mismas expresiones  ? Aquí te damos algunas ideas para saludar, mostrar sorpresa,resignación o despedirte de una forma distinta.

Things to say when… 

You say hello

What’s up? (1)

How are things?

What’s new?

Howdy!

                                                   

You’re surprised

I’m flabbergasted!(2)

You could knock me down with a feather!(3)

My jaw dropped!(4)

I can’t believe my eyes!

                                             

 You’re resigned

I’ve given up worrying.(5)

I’m throwing in the towel.(6)

There’s nothing I can do about it.

You say goodbye

See you around!(7)

Catch you later!

Take care!(8)

So long!

Comments

(1) What’s up? se parece a las frases en español ¿Qué tal? o ¿Qué hay? Es un saludo muy común en Estados Unidos. También se usa para preguntar ¿Qué te pasa?

(2) Esta frase aparece por primera vez en 1772 en un libro que recopiló nuevas palabras en Inglés. Dice que viene de la región de Suffolk en Inglaterra. Nadie sabe exactamente cómo surgió la palabra, pero una teoría posible es la combinación de flabby (fofo) y aghast (horrorizado). Se usa como adjetivo para decir atónito: I was flabbergasted when she told me she had won the prize (Me quedé atónito cuando me contó que había ganado el premio)

(3) feather – pluma. Literalmente la frase significa “Podrías derribarme con el golpe de una pluma”. Se usa para decir estoy muy sorprendido.

(4) My jaw dropped es como la frase en español me quedé boquiabierto/a

(5) En este caso to give up significa rendirse. Así que la frase quiere decir me rindo, no voy a preocuparme más. También se puede decir I give up

(6) to throw in the towel – tirar la toalla

(7) See you around es como las frases en español hasta luego, hasta la vista o nos vemos a la vuelta

(8) Literalmente la frase take care significa ten cuidado, pero se usa más para decir cuídate cuando nos despedimos de alguien

Curso de Home English con El Periódico.

El inglés sigue siendo una asignatura pendiente para mucha gente. Los datos son más que evidentes. Por ello, desde Home English junto con El Periódico, lanzamos un ameno curso de inglés el próximo 5-6 Octubre que estamos seguros que ayudará a mucha gente a lanzarse con el idioma. Cada ejemplar de la colección incluye un libro, un CD con audios para trabajar la comprensión y la pronunciación, y un código de acceso a un campus on-line y al servicio de tutoría. Cada uno de los libros incluye tres niveles diferentes (elementary, intermediate y advanced) para adaptarse a los conocimientos de cada lector del diario.

What are you waiting for?

 

Message in the flowers

Las flores han formado siempre parte de nuestras vidas desde el principio de los tiempos. Hoy en dia, las usamos mayormente para la decoración, pero en el pasado la gente las usaba para comer, como medicinas naturales o incluso para envíar un mensaje de amor. 

Uses of flowers

Scientists estimate that there are about 250,000 different kinds of flowering plants and that more than 10,000 of them are cultivated purely for their ornamental value. Apart from using flowers for decoration, we also use them to express feelings at weddings symbolise love, at funerals or on graves (tumbas) as a sign of respect and remembrance (recordatorio) and at religious ceremonies. Christians celebrate the Easter (Semana Santa) mass surrounded (rodeado/a) by bouquets (ramos de flores) of white lilies (lirios) to mean “purity”. Buddhists and Hindus consider the lotus flower sacred  and they use it in their ceremonies.

Although we automatically associate tulips with Holland, it may surprise you to know that they originated in Persia. In the 16th century they grew only in Turkey, where they were named tülbent because of their resemblance to the turban (turbante) – a kind of hat. The first tulip bulbs arrived in Holland in the middle of the 16th century but they were so expensive that only very rich people could afford (se lo podían permitir) to buy them. If you look at still life paintings (cuadros de bodegones) of the time, you will find only one or two tulips in them; the artists could not afford to buy more than that. During the “tulip mania” period in the 17^th century, tulip bulbs were a type of currency (moneda) and became increasingly valuable. The price of a single bulb was equal to the cost of a house in Amsterdam! In the end, just one bulb was worth so much that the Dutch government had to step in to control the speculation and stabilise the situation. 

         

Decorate your plates

In the past, people grew flowers for food. In prehistoric Mexico they ate the roots (raíces) of dahlias and Chinese people still eat lotus seeds (semillas de loto) and stalks (tallos) today. In medieval times, people used marigolds (caléndulas) as a herb to season (sazonar) meat and in Elizabethan England, they ate uncooked violets in a salad with onions and lettuce or put them in soups. Nowadays, top chefs are starting to use flowers to decorate their dishes, so you may find a pansy (pensamiento-flor) on your plate one day.

• “Say it with flowers” is the slogan for the American Society of Florists
• In Hamlet, by Shakespeare, Ophelia tells us that rosemary (romero)  is for remembrance and that a pansy means thoughts. 
   

Here are a few common meanings for flowers to help you decide what to buy:

• Carnation (clavel) – Fascination, devoted love
• Daffodil (narciso) – The sun shines when I am with you
• Daisy (margarita) – I’ll never tell (a secret)
• Geranium – This usually signifies a true friend… but it can sometimes mean “stupidity”, so be careful! Maybe you should avoid this one.
• Pansy – Thoughts
• Sweetpea (guisantes de olor) – Good bye. Thank you for a lovely time.

Flower power

Dr. Bach, a British physician, used 38 essences from flowers to restore emotional balance in his patients and to help the body heal (curar) itself. Recent research at the State University of New Jersey demonstrated that flowers have a beneficial effect on our health and happiness. Chinese healers have always believed this and they frequently use flowers in their treatments. The secret is in the colour. If you haven’t got much energy, surround yourself with red roses. If your problem is a lack of confidence (falta de confianza) – buy yourself some irises.(iris) Sunflowers (girasoles) stimulate the brain – good before an exam. If you are suffering from stress, choose lilacs. When you finish reading this article, why don’t you run out to the florist and buy yourself a lovely bunch (ramo) of flowers?
         

Nature’s Cure

We use flowers in medicine today much less often than in the past. There are now chemical alternatives for almost every ingredient that flowers supplied.(suministran) But there are still some medicines that contain flowers. We use camomile blossoms (flores) to make infusions to calm an upset stomach (estómago irritado) and both morphine and codeine are obtained from poppies.(amapolas )