English Corner

Yiddish Words in English

Yiddish is a language that was spoken by Jewish people living in eastern Europe and Russia. It is a combination of Hebrew and an old German dialect.

Many Jews migrated to America in the 19th century, and they took Yiddish with them. They published newspapers in Yiddish, and produced plays in Yiddish.

Very few people speak Yiddish now, but many of its words have been adopted into English. You may find some of these words when you read American and Canadian books, magazines, and websites. They are usually part of "informal" English—you would use them in conversation with friends, or in casual writing. You would not use them in a formal report or when giving a speech.

Here are some Yiddish words, with their pronunciations:

schmooze (shmooz]--To talk; to gossip. "Bob and Jim are always schmoozing about football."

klutz (kluts)--A clumsy, stupid person. "I'm a klutz! I broke another plate."

schlemiel (shla-MEEL)--A person who can't do anything right. "He's such a schlemiel—he can't keep a job."

bubkes (BOP-kiss)--Beans; something worthless; nothing at all. "He asked for a loan, but he got bubkes."

kvetch (rhymes with fetch)--to complain; a person who complains. "She's always kvetching about the weather." "Her husband is a kvetch too."

schmalz (shmalts; rhymes with waltz)--chicken fat; something very sentimental. "My boyfriend sent me a schmaltzy birthday card."

chutzpah (HOOTS-paw)--arrogance; audacity; crazy courage. "He murdered his mother and father. Then he had the chutzpah to ask the judge for mercy because he was an orphan."

schlep (shlep; rhymes with step)--to move slowly; to carry slowly. "I have to schlep clear across town to get to school." "I've got to schlep these boxes up to my apartment."

chotchke (CHOCH-ka)--a pretty object; a toy. "My grandmother has a lot of chotchkes on the shelves of her living room."

tsimmes (TSIM-muss)--a problem; a complicated business. "We went on a trip, but it was a real tsimmes."

dreck (rhymes with deck)--excrement; something worthless. "I hated that movie. It was pure dreck."

mensch (rhymes with bench)--a man; especially a brave, decent man. "He works hard for his family. He's a real mensch."

mavin (MAY-vin)--an expert. "He's the computer mavin for all the students." "She's a fashion mavin."

schtik (shtik)--an act or performance; a trick or lie. "Da Shan has a great schtik as a Chinese-speaking westerner." "She believed his schtick about working in the movies."

Americans and Canadians who use Yiddish words are usually from big cities like New York, Chicago, and Montreal. But many Jewish people have worked in the American movie industry, so Yiddish words often appear in movies, television shows, and newspaper stories about entertainment.

A sad, good day in Canada

We Canadians lost Oscar Peterson last month. He was a great jazz pianist, admired around the world. And today the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation broadcast Oscar Peterson—Simply the Best: The Tribute Concert.

I hope you can reach the CBC website and listen to the concert.

A Job After Graduation

Here is an article in China Daily: Job market demand varies, responsible workers welcomed. This is how it starts:

Chinese college students have graduated to find the job market vary from when they entered school and those so-called "hot courses" might fail to land them good jobs.

Graduates with different majors have very different experiences in the job market. But degrees in finance, economics and a few other fields often guarantee good jobs.

"I have applied to 15 companies online, and most of them show interest in hiring me," said Wang Ming, a postgraduate of Labor Economics at Southwest University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

He said that all the students of economics, finance and accounting in his university had received at least two job offers.

Students of mining and materials science which were not popular before, however, have observed more employment opportunities than before. The employment rate of graduates from the two courses was 100 percent at Guizhou University in southwestern Guizhou Province.

"Many companies would come straight to our school to find employees," said Wang Hua with the university's employment guide center.

On the contrary, some so-called "hot courses" including law, journalism and computer science which have received large groups of students, failed them in the job market.

What kind of job do you want after graduation?

Words about Noses and Smelling

We have a lot of words and expressions about noses and the sense of smell. Here are some of them:

A good reporter has a nose for news—she knows where to find a good story.

A person who asks personal questions about you is nosy—he's pushing his nose into your life. You can tell him: "Quit nosing around! Keep your nose out of my business!"

If a horse wins a race just ahead of the next horse, he wins the race by a nose.

If you buy something for a high price, you are paying through the nose for it.

If you have the correct answer for a question, you're right on the nose.

If you buy very cheap seats at the top of the theatre, you are in the nosebleed seats...because you are so high in the air that your nose starts to bleed!

If an airplane loses power, it may nosedive and crash. If someone fails a course, his classmates may say, "He really nosedived."

We have different words for smelling things.

"Aroma" is the word for food that smells good. If something smells very good, we say "I love the aroma [a-RO-ma] of fresh coffee!" or "What a great aroma coming from the bakery!"

Other good smells are scents[sents]. "We enjoyed the scent of the roses." "Your perfume is a lovely scent."

An odor [O-dor] is usually a pleasant smell. We may say, "The odor of the flowers was very fragrant [FRAY-grunt]." But if you have not bathed for days, you may have an unpleasant body odor. That is why many people use deodorants [de-O-dor-unts]--then they don't smell bad.

If you haven't noticed something, your friends may say, "Wake up and smell the coffee!" You've been asleep—now it's morning.

And if you're always working, your friends may say, "You should stop and smell the roses." Just enjoy the good things you find in your life.

A bad smell is a stink or a stench, or it's just smelly: "We turned away from the stink of the chemicals." "The stench of the pig sty was unpleasant." "The room was smelly with old tobacco smoke."

If we're suspicious about something, we say, "Something smells fishy," or "I smell a rat."

Can you think of other English expressions about noses and smells? Do you have such expressions in Chinese?

Red maple leaves in Jinan

I just found this on the website of China Daily: Red maple leaves in Jinan. It made me think of Ms. Yu and her students.

Are you enjoying the autumn colours in Jinan?

In Vancouver, our autumn colours are all gone. The leaves have fallen. It is below 0º Celsius at night. I hope we don't have a stormy winter like last year!

How do you do?

What do you say when you meet an English speaker?

If you don't know the person, you say:
"How do you do? My name is — —. I'm pleased to meet you." And you shake the person's hand. If the person is older than you are, you say, "How do you do, sir?" (man) or "How do you do, ma'am?" (woman). "Ma'am" is short for "madam," which means "my lady."

North Americans, Australians and British people expect you to look in their eyes when you shake hands. If you look away, they think you are shy.

If you know the person, you don't have to shake hands. You smile and say:
"Good morning! How are you?" (until 12:00 noon)
"Good afternoon! How are you?" (from 12:00 until about 5:00 or 6:00 in the afternoon)
"Good evening! How are you?" (from 5:00 or 6:00 until you go to bed)

If the other person asks you first, you say: "Good morning! Very well, thank you. How are you?"

If you see the person again that day, you can say, "Hello," or "Hi." Or you can just smile and nod if you pass each other in the hall.

If you are good friends, you say hello differently:
"Hi, how are you?" or:
"Hi, good to see you!" or:
"Hey, how's it going?"

The answer is also informal:
"I'm fine, thanks! How about you?" or:
"Great! You?" or:
"OK!"

If you are feeling ill, or you're unhappy, don't tell the other person unless it's a good friend!
"Hi, how are you?"
"OK, thanks."

To a good friend:
"Oh, I feel awful. I have a cold, and I got a bad grade on the test."
"That's too bad! I'm sorry to hear it."

Sometimes we enjoy "small talk":
"Isn't this a beautiful day!"
"Yes, it's lovely!"

"Can you believe how hard it's raining?"
"Terrible! I hope tomorrow is better."

"Oh, you've cut your hair! It looks great!"
"Thank you. It was getting too long."

When we end the conversation, we say different things:
"Excuse me. I must leave now, but I've enjoyed talking with you." (formal)
"It's been a pleasure." (formal)

"I've got to run, but thanks for this." (informal)
"It was fun. Talk with you soon, I hope. (informal)

"Gotta run. Catch you later." (very informal)
"Take care!" (very informal)

Do you know other ways to say hello and goodbye in English?

"Heart" Words

In English, the “heart” is the organ that pumps blood.

But it also means bravery, kindness, energy, and love.
“I didn’t have the heart to tell him the bad news.” That is, I was not brave enough to tell him.

“Have a heart and let me go on the trip!” Be kind to me!

“What a heartless man!” He is very cruel!

“They gave us a hearty welcome.” They were very happy when they welcomed us.

“My wife cooked a hearty meal.” She made lots of good food.

“When my boyfriend left me, he broke my heart.” I was very, very sad.

We even have a symbol of the heart that means "love": ♥ You see it in expressions like "I ♥ NY"—that means, "I love New York City."

We have another word for “heart” that comes from the French word “coeur.” It gives us words like “courage” and “discourage.”

“The soldiers’ courage gave them victory.” They won because they were brave.

“My bad test score discouraged me.” I didn’t want to go on studying.

Does the Chinese word for “heart” also mean brave or kind?

Welcome to Ms Yu's New Students!

Hello from Canada!

My name is Crawford Kilian. You can call me Crof. I'm a friend of Ms Yu. I teach English at a college in Vancouver, Canada. But I also work with Ms Yu to help her students learn English.

This blog, English Corner, is a place to talk about speaking, reading, and writing English. You are welcome to ask me questions. I hope you also visit the websites listed here.

Here is a picture of me this summer. I was on a train with my wife, going from Vancouver to Ottawa, the capital of Canada. We were going to visit our younger daughter and her husband. They both work for the government.

I was born in New York City in 1941. I grew up in Los Angeles, California, and in Mexico City. In 1967 my wife and I moved to Canada. We became Canadian citizens in 1973. We love it here very much. I have taught at Capilano College since 1968—almost 40 years!

English invades Chinese language

I found this story in People's Daily Online: English invades Chinese language. Here is part of the story:

Does technology pose a threat to the purity of the Chinese language?

Many Chinese use instant messenger tools such as MSN or QQ, listen to music on MP3 players and log on the Internet using ADSL - most without knowing the literal Chinese translation of the abbreviations.

But they don't have to, as many English letters have become part of the local lexicon.

A dozen abbreviations including GDP, NBA, IT, MP3, QQ, DVD and CEO are among the 5,000 most-frequently used words in the Chinese-language media last year, according to a report on the 2006 Language Situation in China, which was released yesterday in Beijing.

The report said some parents are so keen on English letters that a couple tried to name their baby "@", claiming the character used in email addresses reflects their love for the child.

While the "@" is obviously familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word "at" to pronounce it - which with a drawn out "T" sounds something like ai ta, or "love him", to Putonghua speakers.

Do you use English expressions like MP3 or DVD when you speak Chinese? Can you think of other English words that people use?

We have some Chinese expressions in English. If someone is a hard worker, we may say, "He's really gung ho about his job." I believe "gung ho" means "work together." Am I right?

"Dead" Expressions

"Dead" means without life, but in English we also use it to make an expression more lively!

"Dead center" is the exact middle of something: He hit the target dead center.

"Dead of winter" means the coldest, darkest time: She had to travel a long way in the dead of winter.

"Stop dead" means to stop moving: We stopped dead when we heard him shout.

"Dead ahead" means directly in front: When I went up on deck, Hainan Island was dead ahead.

"Dead end" means a street with no exit: I had to back the car out of the dead end.

"Dead heat" means a tie: The two race-horses crossed the finish line in a dead heat.

"Dead letter" means two things: a letter that can't be delivered, or a law that's not enforced: Her postcard ended up in the dead-letter office. The law against smuggling is a dead letter.

"Deadline" is the time when something must be done: The deadline for completing the report is noon on June 5.

"Deadlock" means lack of activity because of two equal forces fighting each other: The talks have reached a deadlock because neither side will give up anything.

"Deadpan" means a face without expression: He's got such a deadpan that I never know what he's thinking.

"Dead set" means very determined: She is dead set on going to China this year.

"Deadwood" means a useless person or thing: That company is losing money because it has so much deadwood in its management.

"Dead shot" means very accurate: He is a dead shot with a pistol or rifle.

"Deadbeat" means someone who doesn't pay his debts: I lent him $100, but the deadbeat never paid me back.

Here are some other "death" expressions.

If a girl is drop-dead gorgeous, she is so beautiful that the boys die when they look at her.

If a ship is dead in the water, it has no power.

A person who sleeps very hard is dead to the world.

A dangerous building is a deathtrap.

If you like something very much, you are willing to die to get it; so some people say, "This chocolate cake is to die for."

If a person dies violently, we might say, "He died with his boots on." (This is why in the American West, the cemetery was called Boot Hill--because the people buried there died with their boots on.)

Do you know any other "death" expressions in English?

Job Search

Here is the material I use when I teach my Canadian students how to look for a job. The English may be hard to follow. But I hope the samples resumes and letters will be helpful.

I've included both a PDF and a Word version of the material. If you have questions or comments, I would love to hear them!

Download ResumePackage.pdf

Download ResumePackage.doc

Treasures from China

I'm back from my trip to Ottawa. My wife and I went to the Museum of Civilization, where we saw a wonderful exhibition: Treasures from China. Many of the objects were very beautiful, like the horse and trainer from the Tang dynasty.

Across Canada by Train

On Friday evening, my wife and I are going by train to Ottawa. This is the train we will go on: VIA Rail Canada / Silver & Blue.

We will go from Vancouver to Toronto, Canada's largest city. We will spend Monday night in a hotel there. Next day will go by train to Ottawa, the capital of Canada.

I will try to take a lot of pictures to share with you when I get home on May 27.

I know that trains are very important for travellers in China, but not many people take trains in North America. Still, trains are more comfortable than airplanes. I am looking forward to this trip!

Jinan Job Fair

I just found this photo on the website of China Daily. It's from a job fair in Jinan, just for female undergraduates. Did you attend this job fair? Do you know anyone who did? I would like to hear about how students in China can find jobs.

Up and Down

"Up" and "down" appear with many English nouns and verbs, and they can change the meaning in strange ways. Here are some examples:

Drug Expressions in English

In the 1960s, millions of American and Canadian young people began to experiment with drugs. It was mostly marijuana (mare-ee-WA-na), but some also tried a strange drug called LSD. It could create hallucinations—you would see and hear things that didn’t exist.

LSD means “lysergic acid diethylamide”—many users called it “acid.” If they took just a tiny drop, they would spend hours in a very different state of mind. LSD users called this an “acid trip.” It was like going on a journey to a faraway place. The British author Aldous Huxley invented the word “psychedelic” (syke-a-DEL-ic), meaning “mind-expanding,” to describe the experience.

Taking the drug became known as “tripping.” If the experience was happy, it was a “good trip.” But sometimes people saw terrible, nightmarish images. Then it was a “bum trip,” or just a “bummer.”

Because most people considered drug use very bad by most people, LSD users called themselves “freaks”—very different from others. If a drug user became hysterical because of his hallucinations, people would say, “He’s freaked out!”

These words were soon adopted even by people who didn’t use drugs. This was because so many popular rock bands were using LSD and marijuana, and singing about them. If you were enjoying something very much, you were “tripping.” For example, you might say, “I’m really tripping on this ice cream.”

But it could also be a negative word. A “power tripper” was a person who ordered other people around, or bullied them. If someone criticized you for doing something bad, you might say: “You’re laying a guilt trip on me!”

“Freak” also changed its meaning to mean anyone with a strong interest in something. A “neat freak” is a person who likes everything very tidy. A “chocolate freak” loves to eat chocolate. An English teacher might be a “grammar freak”!

Forty years later, young people still use these expressions. If they arrive late because they missed their bus, their friends will say, “Bummer!” If they feel sad, they’ll say, “When I heard the news, it really bummed me out.” And if someone is very upset, his friends might say, “Don’t freak out about it, dude!”

A few other drug expressions came from using marijuana. The drug comes from the hemp plant, but many users call it “pot” or “grass” or “dope.” A user may be a “pothead” or “doper.” (In recent years, “dope” has become teenage slang for “very good.” But “dope” also means a stupid person.) To inhale a marijuana cigarette is to “toke on a joint.”

Cocaine and heroin were not used much in the 1960s, but they are more common now. A user of cocaine is a “cokehead,” and the drug is called “nose candy” because it’s inhaled through the nose. Heroin is usually injected into a vein; this is called “mainlining.” The effect of heroin is a “rush.” (For marijuana and LSD, it’s “getting off.”)

Drug use continues to be a big problem in North America. But many people who don't use drugs will use these drug expressions without even thinking about where they come from.

Chinglish on Beijing's signs shocks foreigners

Here's an article from China Daily that might interest you: Chinglish on Beijing's signs shocks foreigners.

What strikes foreign visitors the most in Beijing may not be the interesting customs, unique architecture and enticing dishes, but the Chinglish on signs.

China Centennial Altar is a landmark building completed in 1999 to greet the new millennium. However, a name plate near the front door reads "China Centennial Temple" and another sign about 50 meters away confidently offers "China Centennial Monument."

Some menus of Chinese dishes are also confusing. The "Italian spaghetti" is translated into "ideas' powder," which derives from the literal translation of the Chinese name.

A thick wheat-based noodle in Japanese cuisine is literally translated according to the Chinese name into "fry the dark winter in the sun's way," which makes no sense at all.

To Jill, an Australian student in Beijing, the Chinglish translations she has collected serve as a chronic laughing stock.

"It is not too difficult for the foreigners who know some Chinese to understand the Chinglish although the translations are very funny," said Jill, who has taken almost 100 pictures of the ridiculous translations.

In addition, some English translations seem horrible. In a restaurant menu, the name of a dish made of young chicken is translated into "young chicken without sex," which makes foreign customers flinch.

The signboard of a small noodle restaurant near the Beijing West Railway Station reads "face powder restaurant," because the two Chinese characters of "noodle" in a whole can be separately translated to "face" and "powder."

Seeing the translation on the sign, a foreigner named David said he would not eat there. He said, "I feel horrible!"

English language is catching on in China. About 250 million Chinese people are learning English as a second language, according to an estimation of the organizers of the Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Program, which is working hard to ensure all of Beijing's English signs are grammatically correct and free of "Chinglish" by the end of 2007.

What do you think about Chinglish? In Jinan, do you see signs in bad English?

Writing About Jinan

I saw this photo on a Chinese website a couple of days ago. It made me want to know more about Jinan. If you email me a short essay about Jinan, I will be happy to correct it and post it here on English Corner.

Here are some possible titles:
The Sounds of Jinan
A Day in a Jinan Park
My Favourite Jinan Restaurant (or Internet Café)
Spring in Jinan
Let's Go Sightseeing in Jinan!

If you can send me photos, I'll post them also!

Happy New Year!

I wish everyone a very happy and successful Year of the Pig. I hope your studies go very well.

Would you like to tell us how you spent the new year holiday? Did you visit with family and friends? Go sightseeing? Make plans for the new year? I'd love to hear from you!

Here in Vancouver we have had some late snowfalls, but also some clear, cold weather. And the flowers are already coming up, almost ready to bloom.

My College in Winter

More weather news from Canada!

We had a lot of snow last week. This is what my college looked like last Thursday, January 11:


I took these photos in the woods between our south campus and our north campus.

This empty field will have new buildings in a few years.

We name our college buildings after trees. Maple Building has classrooms, a pottery studio, and the student union office.

And here is what it looked like from my home on Friday:

Now our weather is sunny but cold—below freezing. The snow hasn't melted. I hope Jinan has better weather than we do.

Send me some photos of your school and I'll post them here. Good luck on your exams!