what do you do?

There are many questions in English that start with “what do you do?”

What do you do for fun? (What are your hobbies?)

What do you do for exercise? (How do you exercise?)

What do you do after work?

What do you do on the weekend?

All of these questions ask about a person’s habits or routines. However, the most common “what do you do” question is:

What do you do?

This question has a special meaning: what is your job? In my last post, I called phrases like this hidden idioms - common phrases that have been shortened and have a different meaning than expected. (The full phrase is “What do you do for a living?”)

How should you answer this question?  The most common answer is to reply with your job title:

I am a professor.

I am a businessman.

I am a hairdresser.

We do NOT say “My job is a professor.“  Another way to answer the question is to describe your job duties:

I teach English at Korea Nazarene University.

I sell accounting software to local businesses.

I cut hair at a salon.

Finally, if you are unemployed, a common euphemism is: “I’m between jobs.”

 

WHAT is she expecting?

“She’s expecting.” This is what I call a hidden idiom. The full phrase is so common that it has been shortened into an idiom. The full phrase is “She’s expecting a baby.” In other words, she’s pregnant. In fact, the title of a very famous book about pregnancy is, “What to Expect When You Are Expecting”.

This idiom is especially confusing to ESL students because it appears ungrammatical! In normal usage, the verb expect must be followed by an object.

She is expecting a phone call.

He was expecting his friend to meet him.

The dog expects you to throw the ball.

The only time expect(ing) is used without an object is when it is used as an idiom. Additionally, this idiom is often used when talking about a woman’s weight.

Sarah looks like she’s gained some weight. Is she expecting? (Is she pregnant?)

Also, when talking about pregnancy, “child” is often used instead of “baby”.

The happy couple was expecting their first child. (not baby)

They’re expecting a child in June.

Finally, a common euphemism for a miscarriage is “lost the baby” (”child” is not used).

She was expecting, but she lost the baby. (not child)

After she lost the baby, she became very depressed.

 

Why does the suffix “-gate” mean?

The addition of -gate to a word is a reference to the Watergate scandal which led to the resignation of President Nixon. Watergate is the name of the hotel complex where 5 men tried to break into the Democratic National Committee headquarters. Ever since this scandal, the suffix -gate has been added by the media to a keyword or topic to refer to a related scandal or controversy.

The most recent “-gate” controversy is Spygate in which the New England Patriots football team was caught videotaping the defensive signals of the New York Jets during their game on Sept. 9, 2007.

 

Who’s at large?

I’ve been away quite a while… I got swallowed up at the end of the semester, was home for a few weeks, and just finished an English camp here on campus. The kids are fun, but I’m glad I teach university students

Now, for a new entry based on a comment from my about page. (If you are reading this blog and have a question, please leave a comment or send an email. I’ll do my best to answer it.)

When “at large” is used together it has a special meaning. It is often used to talk about criminals or wild animals that are out in the public and not caught:

The criminals who robbed the bank remain at large. (They haven’t been caught yet.)

The tiger that escaped from the zoo is still at large.

It is often used with the verb “remain” or the adverb “still”. If a person or animal is at large, people are trying to catch them.

“At large” can also have a different meaning. When “at large” is used after a title or position it means “among the people” or “not limited to a specific area or district”.

• A “reporter at large” is a reporter that travels around and reports from “among the people”. They do not have a certain story that they have to report about.
• An “ambassador at large” does not work at 1 country, but instead deals with 1 problem.
• A “delegate at large” is elected from people of an entire state or area - as opposed to smaller districts

Finally, when “at large” is used after a group of people, it means “in general”

The people at large did not trust the new government.

Many students don’t know about the world at large.

Any more questions? Please let me know.

 

sickness, hospitals, and doctors

In English, we often say “catch a cold.” For other illnesses we often use the phrase “come down with.”

I caught a cold from my sister.

If you catch a cold, you should drink lots of liquids and get lots of rest.

He came down with the flu.

I haven’t been feeling well lately, I think I’m coming down with something.

When we don’t know the reason for the sickness, it is very common to say, “I’m coming down with something.“

If you catch a cold or come down with any minor sickness in Korea, many Koreans will ask you if you have gone to the hospital! This sounds very strange to Americans. First, for colds and other minor sicknesses, many Americans do not see a doctor. They will take some medicine and stay home. Second, in America, it’s very common for a doctor to work in an office apart from the hospital. So, it’s much more common to say:

Have you been to the doctor? (CORRECT)

Have you been to the hospital? (WRONG!)

You should go to the doctor. (CORRECT)

You should go to the hospital. (WRONG!)

The only time we go directly to the hospital is for an emergency. Any other time, we go to the doctor first. If we need a test that the doctor cannot perform in his office or if we need to have surgery or another serious treatment, then we will go to the hospital.

 

Can you eat spicy food well?

This is translated directly from Korean: “매운 음식을 잘 먹어요”

The grammar is correct. The problem is we don’t say this in English. It sounds very strange. In English we would say, “Do you like to eat spicy food?” or “Can you eat a lot of spicy food?”

To answer the question, you could say, “Yes, I like to eat spicy food.” or “Yes, I can eat a lot of spicy food.”

To answer “no” you might say, “No, I can’t handle spicy food.” or “No, spicy food doesn’t agree with me.”

When used in this way, handle means to endure a situation or circumstance. It is usually used negatively, with “not.”

He couldn’t handle the roller coaster. It made him sick.

You can’t handle truth.

The idiom “not agree with” is used with food. It means that the food makes you sick or nauseous. It is only used negatively, with “not.”

The fish I ate last night didn’t agree with me. I was up all night.

This restaurant’s chili doesn’t agree with me. It always gives me diarrhea.

 

a Korean slang dictionary

(Sorry for the long delay since my last posting. I’ve been very busy. Anyway, I’m back.  By the way, if you have any English questions, please feel free to send an email and I will do my best to answer.)

I just received a comment the other day asking if I could recommend a Korean slang dictionary. I am learning Korean myself, but I have never seen a Korean slang dictionary. The best Korean slang phrasebook I know of is the one I mentioned in an earlier post.

I have also come across another book which may be of interest to people wanting to learn about Korean idioms. It’s called, “How Koreans Talk” and it gives the derivation of many Korean idioms.

(The commenter asked for some references in German if possible… sorry I only know English… and a little Korean )

 

fender benders and car accidents

My sister was in a fender bender last weekend. What is a fender bender? Fender bender is a common idiom. It means a minor car accident. (A fender is a part of a car - the metal side panel over one of the front wheels. Bender comes from the verb “bend”.) No one gets hurt, and there is minimal damage to the car. Usually fender benders occur in a parking lot or when you are parking your car. (So, when people say they have been in a fender bender you usually don’t ask them if they got hurt.) Finally, fender bender is usually used with the verb “get in” (and sometimes “have”).

My sister was in a fender bender last weekend. It cost her $300 to fix her car.

The parking lot is always very busy, so there are a lot of fender benders on the weekend.

Have you ever had a fender bender?

If you are in a car crash that is more serious, we say that you were in a car accident. In an accident, the car has more damage and people may be injured by the crash.

If your car is damaged so much that it cannot be fixed we say that it is totaled.

His car was totaled in an accident over the weekend. Amazingly, he suffered only minor injuries in the crash.

I was in a car accident last year. I hurt my back and my car needed over $2000 in repairs.

If someone is in a car accident and they drive away before the police come, the accident is called a hit-and-run. This is a serious crime in the U.S. and you can be arrested for it!

The police are looking for the driver involved in the hit-and-run accident on Main Street last night.

My friend was in a hit-and-run, but a witness wrote down the license plate of the car as it drove away.

 

What do we have in common?

The phrase “have in common” is used when you compare people or things. The phrase “have in common” means to share characteristics with. In other words, what is the same about the things you are talking about. For example:

What do Ann and her sister have in common? They both have black hair, they both wear glasses, and they both like shopping.

What do dogs and cats have in common? They are both popular pets in the U.S.

What do Thanksgiving and Christmas have in common? They are both holidays at the end of the year where people meet their families and have a big meal together.

If there are many things the same, we often say, “They have a lot in common.” If nothing is the same, we often say, “They have nothing in common” or “They don’t have anything in common”

My friend and I have a lot in common. We both like scary movies, we both teach at a universities, and neither of us likes hot weather.

My friend’s mother and her daughter have a lot in common.

You and your sister are very different. You don’t have anything in common.

He likes chocolate ice cream; she likes vanilla ice cream. He likes the summer; she likes winter. He likes science; she likes art. Those two have nothing in common.

 

talking about weight and diets

University classes are starting again in a couple weeks, so I thought I’d talk about weight and dieting.

In the U.S. when freshman (1st year students) enter school, they often talk about the “freshman 15“.  In the U.S. the freshman 15 refers to the tradition that many university students gain 15 pounds during their first year at college.

When you talk about the weight of people or animals in English, you should use the verbs “gain” and “lose”, NOT “increase” and “decrease”.  The grammar in the example sentences below is OK, but if you talk this way it will sound very strange to a native speaker:

My weight has increased by 10 pounds since I hurt my ankle. (WRONG!) 

I’ve gained 10 pounds since I hurt my ankle. (CORRECT)

My weight decreased after I got sick. (WRONG!)

I lost weight after I got sick. (CORRECT)

Also, when you talk about a diet, we use special verbs.  When you start a diet we say you are “going on a diet”.  While you are watching what food you eat we say you are “on a diet” or just “dieting”.  If you fail at your diet (by eating something you shouldn’t) we say you are ”breaking your diet” or “cheating”.

I would like to lose 10 pounds, so I’m going on a diet.

She would have some ice cream, but she is on a diet.

She has been dieting for over six months.

I broke my diet last night and had an ice cream sundae.

She said she was on a diet, but she cheated and had some cake.

Finally, some advice to ESL students… in North American culture it is usually considered rude to talk about or ask if someone has gained weight.  On the other hand, if someone has apparently lost weight, it is OK to talk about it.  There are some exceptions to this, but if you are not sure about a situation, the best advice is not to say anything!

Wow, you look great! Have you lost weight? (OK, polite)

Hey, you look like you’ve gained a little weight. (NO, rude!)