domingo, 30 de marzo de 2014

Teen Language

 
Teenagers have always liked to be different from previous generations and one of the best ways of doing it is though language, they invent new words and expressions every day. 
We can see it in their tweets or mobile language. We can listen to it in the street, in songs, in films. 
Someone invents a word, changes its meaning or transforms it and immediately it is widespread and becomes trendy. 

 So, bro, if you don't want to be a dork about language,
 check this list and be hella tope.

Describing people 

BRO / BRA(H) : friend, brother
A N00B : Someone with no interest in learning  (the 00 stand for zeros)
A FRENEMY: Friend+ Enemy (someone who appears to be your friend but at the same time is antagonistic)
A GANSTA: Someone who is cool and tough (from rap culture) 
A WANKSTA: Someone who is trying to be cool
A HATER: Some who is pessimistic and talks constantly about friends and other people 
A CATFISH: Someone who pretends to be someone different.
A ROCKET / A SHAWTY: A very attractive girl.
A GOOF ( TO BE GOOFY) : A silly person
A DORK: an awkward person
A NERD: studious person with few social skills
A JERK: Stupid person.
An EMO: a dramatic person, normally depressed and moody. (from a style of music and fashion) 
A SILVER SURFER: an old person who is keen on computers.

ADJECTIVES  This is the most changing category. 
  • Positive 
    To be TOPE: TIGHT+ DOPE = extremely good, beyond cool.
To be CRUNK. crazy+drunk= awesome
To be MEGA/SUPER = Extremely
To be SNUG: very cool
To be FLY:  cool, attractive, HIP
To be CRAY CRAY: crazy
To be CHILLIN' / CHILLAXIN : To be relaxing
To be SICK/ ILL: to be cool, awesome, delicious
To be MATCHY MATCHY: to be trendy with matching clothes and accessories.
To be BLING BLING: To be great, cool.
  • Negative
To be SALTY: angry, annoying
To be CHEESY/ CHEESEY: to have  very low quality
To be BUSTED:  to be ugly
To be H: to be "hardcore" very intense




OTHER COMMON EXPRESSIONS

CHEDDAR (not a type of cheese) = money, cash
A RIDE ( Not a car) =  Special brand, expensive sneakers
To FRIEND/ UNFRIEND ( adding or removing someone from social networks)
MY BAD= My fault, I made a mistake.
'SUP= What's up?
DOWN= To do something with someone, to agree on doing it. 
MY MAINS= close group of friends or family 
TO BOUNCE= to leave
A SELFIE= a self portrait with mobile or computer.    
HELLA= really  
TO SUCK= To be very bad
TO ROCK= to be great
A HICKEY= a love mark, from kissing (suck on the skin)
TO PLAY HOOKY/ HOOKEY= not to attend school or some classes without permission
A ZA= a pizza
THE MUFFIN TOP= excess fat falling from you belly.

SHORTENINGS AND ABREVIATIONS

MOS-DOS-POS (Mom,Dad, Parents over shoulder) Parents watching you or around you
Ttyl = Talk to you later
G2g = got to go
LOL= Laugh out loud
YOLO= You only live once
OMG = Oh My God / Gosh
BF / GF = boyfriend, girlfriend
BF4L= Best friends for life

EXERCISES

1. CHANGE THE SENTENCES INTO TEEN LANGUAGE

a) It would be great if you give me some money
b) My mother always matches her out fit with her earrings and high-heels.
c) I discovered that my friend, who seemed very cool, was a real enemy.
d) My girlfriend is very attractive.
e) I know a girl who is very crazy and stupid. I am going to remove her from my FB.

2. COMPLETE USING TEEN LANGUAGE

a) Please, don't talk about my ...................., you have to be respectful to my family.
b) I don't feel very well. I have to .................... from here.
c) Don't step on my .......................... They are brand new.
d) Don't be a ................... Study and get a job!
c) I met a ......................... at the party who was  pretending to be .................... but he was really ....................

domingo, 2 de marzo de 2014

PANCAKE DAY / SHROVE TUESDAY

The last Tuesday before Lent is called Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day. It is a British tradition but it's also celebrated in other countries. 
Why is it called Pancake Day? It's a custom to eat pancakes on this date. Lent represents a time of  abstinence and pancakes contain all the things that aren't allowed during this period: fat, eggs, butter, milk, sugar. So people indulge themshelves eating them. 

The word shrove is the past tense of the English verb shrive, which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by way of Confession and doing penance. Thus Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the custom for Christians to be "shriven" before the start of Lent.
This is also the time for carnival ( Latin  carne levare = to take away meat) or Mardi Grass (French "Fat Tuesday").
People celebrate it having parties or wearing all kinds of fancy dresses and eating different things: 
- Iceland : salted meat and peas
- Sweden: pastry called semla
- Finland: pea soup and whipped-cream filled buns.
- What do you eat in Spain?  T_ _ _ _ _ _ S

In Britain it is traditional  to hold pancake races all over the country but the most famous one and the origen of it is held in Olney, Buckinghamshire.


This famous pancake race has been held since 1445. The contestants, traditionally women, carry a frying pan and race to over a 415 yard course to the finishing line. The rules are strict: contestants have to toss their pancake at both the start and the finish, as well as wear an apron and a headscarf.  The race is followed by a church service. 


Do you feel like making pancakes and celebrating too? Here is a pancake recipe
and a video too.

If you want to know more about this traditional date, click on the following links: 

* Project Britain: a wonderful web with lots of information about Shrove Tuesday, Lent,   Easter, Pancakes and how it is celebrated all over the world.
* Sandy Millin´s Blog: with lots of activities to do about it.