Bites and Bits of English: 2023

domingo, 29 de octubre de 2023

Some Underworld things

We are in a month of changing seasons, from summer to Autumn, when the frontier betweeen life and death is so weak, when the ones who died are closer to us, when Persephone returns to her husband Hades to the underworld, leaving her poor mother Demeter devastated. That's Halloween or Día de los Santos o los Muertos.

That's why I have decided that it could be interesting to see some videos about the underworld, witches etc to clarify some aspects of it.

I hope you enjoy them and find inspiration for these days.

A Tour of the Ancient Greek Underworld by TED-Ed

The Sybil of Cumas guides Aquilles, recently dead in Troy, all along the Underworld

The myth of Hades and Persephone

Who are the God and Godess of the Underworld?, Why does plants and flowers die in Autumn and Winter ?

Witches have always been relevant characters all along this season, nowadays girls dress as witches just for fun in Halloween or fancy dress parties, but we must remember that this wasn't that way in ancient times, women who were just healers or nurses were prosecuted, accused and killed for that reason.

Here you can see one of the most famous or better said "infamous" witch trials in history

Witches Trials in Salem ( Massachussets, USA)

But it didn't only happened in USA, but all around Europe, even in Spain we have the famous Brujas de Zugarramurdi (Navarra) where they held a similar trial for suspected women.

Witches and Covens from Zugarramurdi (Navarra, Spain)

I wish it gives us some foood for thought as it was only women the ones who mostly were suspected. women were thought to be impure and could be friends with the devil, they were "inferior" or "mentally weak". Those who were more independent or showed more knowledge were suspected even till recent times.

domingo, 22 de enero de 2023

LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS

We are close to February, which some people consider the love month because of Saint Valentine's Day.

There are lots of expressions and idioms that are used to talk about love and relationships and new ones are created everyday. Most of them come from songs. Here you have some in case you want to use them with the person you love.

LOVE EXPRESSIONS AND IDIOMS

to have a soft spot for someone / to have a crush on someone = to be attracted to someone
to love somebody to death = to have a extremely strong affection for someone
to fall/ be head over heels in love = to be completely in love with someone as Alanis Morrisey said in her song "Head over Feet"

to have the hots for…= to feel sexually attracted to someone
to be the apple of your eye = to love someone deeply, this is what Stevie Wonder said to his daughter in his famous song " You are the Sunshine of my Life"

To be an item / a couple= to be in a romantic relationship with someone.
A match made in heaven = a very successful combination of two people or things

To act / to be lovey- dovey = when people show they love in public, kissing, touching each other or saying loving things, which could be a bit embarrasing sometimes, don't you think?

someone or something is out of someone's league = someone / something is too good or expensive for someone to have

to pop the question = to ask someone to marry you

What are the weirdest situations that you have seen in films or TV series when someone popped the question?

How would you like to be asked to get married?

Listen to Bruno Mars in " Marrry me" and you'll get an idea.

to tie the knot / to get hitched = to get married

FRIENDSHIP AND RELATIONSHIPS

Birds of feather flock together = they have so much in common and they get along so well that it’s almost impossible to think of one without thinking of the other one. Like Annie, Brooke and Haydenin " Chicken Girls"

A friend in need is a friend indeed = You can use it both as a cry for help and as a way of saying “thank you” to someone who has stayed by your side through tough moments.