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Princeton University's Prospect Garden

One of my favorite stops anytime I find myself on the Princeton University campus is Prospect Garden.  Established in the mid 1800's by Ellen Wilson, wife of former Princeton President and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, the garden attracts many campus visitors, who stop by to admire its lush landscaping.

Eight thousand flowers are planted in Prospect Garden each year in May after the spring tulip bulbs have been removed, including geraniums, begonias, and impatiens to name a few.  They complement the garden's stunning array of day lilies, habiscus, iris and other colorful perennials.  Another interesting fact about the garden is that when viewed from above, its pathways define the outline of the University seal.  Be sure to stop by if you happen to be in Princeton this summer...

Do you know the difference between annuals and perennials?  Visit Wonderopolis to learn, and to pick up some more vocabulary related to gardening and flowers:  http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/whats-the-difference-between-annuals-and-perennials/

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I don’t buy it.

Have you ever heard this expression? “I don’t buy it” doesn’t actually refer to buying anything. It means “I don’t believe it,” or “I’m not convinced.”  Generally speaking, we say “I don’t buy it” when we think the person who’s telling us the story also knows it’s not true.  

The kids said they have no idea who broke the window, but I don’t buy it.  

If you’re an American parent, it’s a phrase you’re familiar with.  Do you have an expression like this in your language?     

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(Photo: Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville, New York)

This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend, which in the U.S. is traditionally viewed as the kick off weekend to the summer season.  But what is Memorial Day, and what does this day mean in American culture?  Read on to discover why Americans celebrate, how they celebrate, and when the holiday formerly known as Decoration Day began.

Memorial Day falls on the last Monday of May every year.  Formerly called Decoration Day, it was originally established to honor and remember the approximately 750,000 soldiers who lost their lives in the American Civil War.   The nation grieved, and decorated the graves of her fallen with flowers.  Later on, after World War I, the holiday was expanded to include all American men and women who died in service to their country.

Every year on Memorial Day Americans pause for one minute of silence at three o'clock in the afternoon. This is called the National Moment of Remembrance.  We still adorn the graves of our fallen soldiers with flowers (some say that the date was chosen specifically because flowers all over the country would be in bloom at that time,) and it is also tradition to place an American flag at the grave of every soldier in the cemetery.  Finally, patriotic Americans come together for parades to honor our servicemen and women. These parades march through the streets of cities and towns all across the country.

Because Memorial Day weekend is a long weekend (Monday being a federally recognized holiday,) and given the time of year and warming temperatures, these three days are also traditionally celebrated as the start of the summer season in America. We gather with friends and family and celebrate in our backyards, at the park, the lake, or the beach.  We take family road trips, get out into nature, and go to the malls, the movies and restaurants together.  Americans love a good cookout, and many families open their pools Memorial Day weekend and fire up their grills, welcoming neighbors to join them.

Whatever we do, however we celebrate our Memorial Day weekend, we enjoy our freedoms.  And as we do- we remember to whom we give thanks for delivering them to us.

Approximately 1.1 million Americans have died in the nation’s wars.

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TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX... to think in an original or creative way. 

Visit https://www.behance.net/gallery/5719523/Idioms-in-pictures for more ‘Idioms in Pictures’ by artist/photographer Joe Eitzen. Very cool. 

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Happy Mother’s Day!

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To check something out

View image | gettyimages.com

There are quite a few idiomatic expressions in conversational English that include the the word check, one of the more popular being to check something out.   

To check something out means to look at or evaluate it, to get a feel for what it’s like, or to get more information about it. Here are some examples.  

Let’s say I’m talking to someone who’s raving about the food at a new restaurant that’s just opened, and I happen to be looking for someplace to go to dinner with my friends this weekend. Before I decide to make a reservation there, I might stop by to check it out first, to make sure it's someplace we would like.       

If you’re thinking about buying a new car in the near future, you’ll probably want to test drive a number of different vehicles first, to check them out and see what you like and don't like. 

Basically, anytime you want to show someone anything interesting, you can say “Check this out.” It’s an expression that’s super common in spoken English and especially among kids.  I probably hear “Hey Mom, check this out,” at least twenty times a day.  

There’s another way you’ll hear this expression used in colloquial English, too. To check someone out. If your friend tells you that the person across the room is checking you out, well... you probably get the picture.  

(you get the picture = you know what I mean.) 

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Bryant Park

(Photo Haute Living.com)

While it may be true that no trip to New York is complete without a visit to Central Park, there are plenty of smaller green spaces spread throughout Manhattan that merit a stop on your travel agenda, too. Bryant Park is definitely one of them. It's a favorite among residents and visitors alike, all seasons of the year. (It's my favorite, too.)   

Bryant Park is like an oasis of greenery and peace nestled among the skyscrapers towering around it. Proximity-wise, it's close to Times Square and just a feet from the New York Public Library. Best of all, it's one of the best places you can go in New York to catch a first glimpse of spring (Over 100,000 daffodils are planted in the park each year.) 

So what else makes this small park special? A lot of things. There's the famous Carrousel that circles to the tune of French cabaret music, the Putting Green, a spot where you can play Chess and Backgammon (there are even Chess tournaments held here,) and the Art Cart- with free drawing and craft supplies. There’s also the Reading Room. The original Reading Room dates back to 1935 and the Depression Era in America. To learn more, visit: 

http://www.bryantpark.org/things-to-do/reading_room.html.  

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Red tape, defined.

Red Tape refers to all the seemingly unnecessary bureaucratic things you have to do in order to get something accomplished- and is usually used within the context of public business, large organizations, or government.

Examples of red tape might include excessive amounts of time consuming paperwork to be filled out, or the need to comply with an unreasonable number of rules and regulations that seem to defy common sense and hinder progress in attaining whatever the goal may be. 

Red Tape Blues is an article that appeared in The Economist last year- it’s got a lot of great examples of the level of frustration that red tape can cause ordinary people who just want to get stuff done.  

http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21606293-small-businesses-fret-less-about-taxes-over-regulation-red-tape-blues 

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Act up

This phrasal verb is used two ways- 1) to talk about an appliance, device, machine or vehicle that isn’t working right, and 2) to talk about kids who aren’t behaving (younger kids, usually.)     

When our laptops, ipods, printers, chargers, cars, snowblowers, lawnmowers, dishwashers, washing machines, etc. aren’t working properly, we say they’re acting up. 

The dryer’s been acting up lately. The clothes aren’t drying completely. 

My car is acting up again. I need to bring it in to get looked at (to the shop.) 

Children misbehaving is pretty self-explanatory, but here are a couple of examples anyway. 

She has to leave. Her babysitter just called and said the kids were acting up again.

Some parents make their kids go to bed early if they’ve been acting up. 

Speaking of acting up... it just so happens to be spring break across much of America right now which means that kids are out of school for the week. The entire week. 

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The Top 3 Most Populous States in the U.S.

Photo: Miami

The top three most populous states in the U.S. are California, Texas, and Florida. Previously New York held the third spot, however the Census Bureau reported at the end of 2014 that Florida had officially surpassed the Empire State in its number of residents, coming in at nearly 20 million (NY 19.7 million.) California has 38.8 million residents, Texas 27 million. Seems the USA Today is right- all those snowbirds are starting to stay.

*Snowbirds are what we call northerners who head south to warmer places during the winter months. So many New Yorkers now retire to Miami-Dade County, it's become known as the sixth borough.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/23/census-florida-new-york-population/20812473/

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The Adirondack Park

Photo:  http://www.historichotels.org/hotels-resorts/the-sagamore/

Many people outside the U.S. hear New York and tend to think of Manhattan and all the sprawling suburban areas surrounding it. Rightfully so, New York City is am amazing place to visit (and live.) New York State however, is quite large. There are a lot of other great places to see and explore as well, especially if you’re looking to get out into nature. For outdoor adventure, the Adirondack Park should be at the top of every traveler’s bucket list.  

The Adirondack Park is four hours north of NYC. It’s the largest park in the continental United States, encompassing over six million acres. It is also the largest protected area in the continental U.S., with over 2.6 million acres designated forever wild and 3.4 million being privately owned.   

The Adirondack Park is larger in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Parks combined. It has over 2,000 miles of hiking trails, 3,000 lakes and ponds, and 30,000 miles of rivers and streams- perfect for canoeing and kayaking, or fishing. Golf and mountain biking are among the other many popular sports enjoyed in the park, too. In the wintertime, residents and visitors alike flock to the region’s cross country and downhill ski resorts.  

Whether your idea of fun is hiking and camping in the wilderness, or a more tranquil type of stay in the mountains, the Adirondack Park has something to offer everyone- from music festivals and national heritage sites to museums, farmer’s markets, restaurants, breweries and wineries. The same goes for lodging. Visitors can opt for a rustic lodge in the woods, a tent next to the lake, or a stay at one of the region’s luxury resorts, like the Sagamore on Lake George, pictured above.   

The Adirondack Park was created in 1892 to protect the water and timber resources of the region. Native American tribes inhabited the Adirondack mountains throughout most of the 1500s-1700s. 

For more on the Adirondack Park visit:

http://visitadirondacks.com/about/mountains/adirondack-park

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Happy Spring!

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We have a saying about March~ In like a lion, out like a lamb. It isn't quite the end of the month yet, so I suppose we can still be hopeful. 

Do you have an expression in your language about the coming of spring?

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Think Like a Tree

Soak up the sun

Affirm life’s magic

Be graceful in the wind

Stand tall after a Storm

Feel refreshed after it rains

Grow strong without notice

Be prepared for each season

Provide shelter to strangers

Hang tough through a cold spell

Emerge renewed at the first signs of spring

Stay deeply rooted while reaching for the sky

Be still long enough to hear your own leaves rustling. 

Karen I. Shragg

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2015

Over 33 million- the number of Americans who claim Irish ancestry. (Over 39 million including those who say they are of Scots Irish heritage.) 

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“Had better”

“I better...” Americans use this expression all the time, along with “I better not...” Grammatically speaking, what we should be saying is “I’d better” and “I’d better not,” but we’ve shortened it. We cut out the had. 

I better = I had better. 

The shortened form has been around for a long time. It dates back to the 1830′s. We use it to talk about what we ought to, should, or have to do. We also use it to give advice. 

Admittedly, this isn’t the best example of correct English grammar, but we use it in everyday conversation anyway. All languages have their colloquialisms*, and this is one of ours. Occassionally you might hear someone say “I’d better,” but not often among native speakers.    

They better go, or they’ll miss their flight.

You better not say anything; she doesn’t want to talk about it. 

I better get going; my meeting starts soon.

We better get tickets ahead; the show might sell out.

Despite its informality, “I better go” has almost become a polite way of excusing yourself when you’re in the middle of a conversation and you need to cut it short, or if you’re on the phone and you need to hang up. I probably use at least once every day, and that’s coming from someone whose kids call her the Grammar Police.

I should also mention that there are plenty of people who’ll even say I gotta, but that’s really slang, and I’m afraid I just can’t encourage the use of that one. I’ve got my reputation to uphold and all.   

*A colloquialism is an informal word or phrase used in familiar conversation. 

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3 Expressions with "Used to"

These expressions may look similar, but they have different meanings. Here's an explanation of when and how to use each.

1. Used to do

The one is for expressing something you were accustomed to doing or were in the habit of doing at some point in the past. You can use it to talk about when you lived someplace else, or had a different job, etc. For example if I’m talking about when I lived in New York I might say “I used to take the subway every day,” or “I used to run in Central Park after work,” because these were things I did regularly. 

Think of where you were and what you were doing fifteen years ago. What are some of the things you used to do?  

Another way we use this same expression is to describe things, or say how things were in the past. 

That new development (neighborhood) that just went up used to be farmland. 

He used to teach, but now he’s retired.  

2. To be used to

This second expression, to be used to, conveys the idea that something is comfortable or familiar, or easy for you. It can be used in the past or present. Either way, when followed by a verb- the verb should end with -ing. 

Now I live in the suburbs, so for example I might say that I'm used to having more space, or that I'm used to the quiet (sort of. Outside, anyway.)   

What are some of the things you'd say you’re used to where you live now? Or, maybe there are some things you’re not yet used to?

3. To get used to 

This is another common expression in English. To get used to means to become familiar with something. 

For some people, it takes a day or two to get used to the time change. 

It might take a little while to get used to driving a new car when you first get it.  

What’s an example of something you’ve had to get used to recently?    

                .  

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Complement vs Compliment

Do you know the difference between these two words? Complement and compliment are pronounced the same, but they're not interchangeable as far as spelling is concerned.  

A compliment is a flattering remark or an expression of praise. If someone tells you that you have a nice smile, or that you did a great job on the project you just finished, he or she is paying you a compliment. Do you blush when someone pays you a compliment? Some people do.

The word complement, spelled with an e, is used to express when things go well together, or complete one another. You can use it with people or things. The color of your shirt might complement your eyes, for example. Or you and your spouse might complement one another, just as certain wines pair well with, or complement, certain meals.  

(And in case you really want to impress your friends with your English, two words that sound the same but have different meanings and may have different spellings- are called homophones.)