on Sunday, September 30, 2012

Why start an English blog?

I can still recall one of my first linguistics classes in college. The professor posed a very simple question:
what makes humans different from other animals?

I won't begin to list the wonderful answers that came from the mouths of my peers, instead I'll jump to the conclusion: Language is mankind's special skill. Yes, birds do have their songs, dogs have their barks, and other animals have their calls, but they never change; only humans have the ability to create and use languages.
Well, I won't give a textbook explanation, that's not the point of this blog. Simply put, language is amazing, and I want to explore the English language (since I am an English teacher) by posting thoughts that I have in regards to teaching it to speakers of other languages. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to address them below or through other channels of communication.
Cheers!

This blog is dedicated to my former and present students. It is also for anyone interested in becoming better at English. I hope everyone here will enjoy learning these little parts of the English language and use it them in the future!


Beating around the bush

Meaning: To speak indirectly in order to avoid problems.

Example:
  • Mary: Hey, tell me who took my book!!!"
  • Shelly: Ok...it was...a tall man, with black hair, brown eyes, glasses...
  • Mary: Stop beating around the bush and tell me already!
  • Shelly: Ok, ok...it was Jimmy!!!
jimmy

Origin: This term probably comes from the practice of beating (or hitting) bushes to scare animals out of hiding.

This is what a bush looks like: