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Educational channel devoted to learning English language. Channel in Russian: @violaschool VK: https://vk.com/violaschool Our chat: @violachat Feedback: @tonyprots
root for someone or something = to cheer and encourage someone or something
...let's root for the admin to cope with all the deadlines and post new cheerful idioms :)
"Houston, we have a problem" is a popular but erroneous (=incorrect) quote from the radio communications between the Apollo 13 astronauts and the NASA Mission Control Center ("Houston") during the Apollo 13 spaceflight, as the astronauts communicated their discovery of the explosion that crippled (=corrupted) their spacecraft. The erroneous wording was popularized by the 1995 film Apollo 13, a dramatization of the Apollo 13 mission, in which actor Tom Hanks, portraying Mission Commander Jim Lovell, uses that wording, which became one of the film's taglines (=slogans).
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a nail-biter is:
1. Literally, someone who bites off his or her fingernails, especially due to nervousness or agitation.
I was a nail-biter at a young age, and, try as I might, I've never managed to shake the habit completely.
2. By extension, a situation, especially a competitive one, whose outcome is particularly close or uncertain and marked by nervous apprehension.
Did you catch the football match last Sunday? Man, what a nail-biter!
Well... "To develop" has numerous meanings, yet these two are the most interesting:
To bring out the possibilities of; bring to a more advanced, effective, or usable state;
To process (a photosensitive medium such as exposed film) in order to produce a photographic image.
Well, that's a great way to move from the "victory" topic to the "films" one.
take something over = to take control of something / to assume responsibility for a task / to acquire all of an asset; [for a company] to acquire another company / to deliver someone or something to someone or something
a battle of wits = a competition in which opponents attempt to gain victory or an advantage over each other using their intelligence
The two young geniuses entered into a battle of wits as they competed for first place in the national trivia championship. As each candidate tried to defend his stance on the hot-button issue, a battle of wits began as they each produced seemingly endless lists of statistics to support their views.
The opposite idiom is "to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory".
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"You nailed it" - means you did something exactly right.
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I'm already baking a cherry pie. I can't bake an apple pie. It's too late to change horses in the middle of the stream.
The house is half-built. It's too late to hire a different architect. You can't change horses in midstream.
If you do know how the animals are called, it's high time you learned their sounds.
The whole list is available here: https://goo.gl/BO2e1A
By the way, as far as Russian speaking followers are concerned, we do have a channel that is in Russian - @violaschool.
Moreover, you can easily find us (in English) in FB - https://www.facebook.com/violaclub and VK - https://vk.com/violaschool.
It's our favourite one!
The Pumpkin Spice Latte is a coffee drink made with a mix of traditional fall spice flavors (cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove), steamed milk, and espresso, topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice. The drink is offered by Starbucks and many other cafés on a seasonal basis.
While the pug... It's a dog of a small sturdy breed developed in China, having a short muzzle, wrinkled face, short smooth coat, and tightly curled tail.
tone is:
- a manner of expression in speech or writing: (took an angry tone with the reporters).
- a colour or shade of colour: (light tones of blue).
you don't get me = you don't understand me
what is the matter with you = is there something wrong with you?
la-la land:
1. Los Angeles, California (often abbreviated L.A.). This expression pokes fun at the alleged eccentricities of the city's inhabitants. For example, What do you expect? Frederick has lived in la-la land for ten years and it has rubbed off on him . [Slang; c. 1980]
2. A state of being out of touch with reality, as in "I don't know what's going on with Amy - she seems to be in la-la land'. [Slang; c. 1980]
The most anticipated series has just revealed its official trailer. We can do nothing but share :)
https://youtu.be/giYeaKsXnsI?utm_content=kuku.io&utm_medium=social&utm_source=telegram&utm_campaign=kuku.io
to watch:
1. To look or observe attentively or carefully; be closely observant: watching for trail markers.
2. To look and wait expectantly or in anticipation: watch for an opportunity.
3. To act as a spectator; look on: stood by the road and watched.
4. To stay awake at night while serving as a guard, sentinel, or watcher.
5. To stay alert as a devotional or religious exercise; keep vigil.
Get the show on the road! We have just posted a new idiom.
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The collocation is primarily heard in the UK.
With her arch-rival out of commission with a pulled hamstring, the defending champion romped to victory at the Olympics once again.
It's TED-time!
It's a classic underdog tale: David, a young shepherd armed only with a sling, beats Goliath, the mighty warrior. The story has transcended its biblical origins to become a common shorthand for unlikely victory. But, asks Malcolm Gladwell, is that really what the David and Goliath story is about?
https://youtu.be/ziGD7vQOwl8?utm_content=kuku.io&utm_medium=social&utm_source=telegram&utm_campaign=kuku.io
Admin's reaction to the slang used in t.me/violachat.
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cat has nine lives (proverb)
Cats can survive things that are severe enough to kill them. (You can also refer to a particular cat's nine lives.)
Jill: My cat fell off a third-floor balcony and just walked away. How can he do that?
Jane: A cat has nine lives. I think my cat used up one of her nine lives when she survived being hit by that car.
Generally, horse around = to be active in a silly way.
Stop horsing around in all those nasty chats and pay attention to ours!
@violachat
Well, sharing this meme was an irresistable temptation.
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Animals are [the new black] the new topic of the week.
BTW, to have a memory/mind like a sieve = to be very bad at remembering things.
It's TED time!
Dustin Yellin makes mesmerizing artwork that tells complex, myth-inspired stories. How did he develop his style? In this disarming talk, he shares the journey of an artist — starting from age 8 — and his idiosyncratic way of thinking and seeing. Follow the path that leads him up to his latest major work (or two).
http://lnk.al/4cQ2
(don't forget about the opportunity to enable English subtitles)