In teaching this week, two different phrases came up that required explanation for my students: mixed blessing and false dichotomy. Additionally, I used the phrase double-edged sword in a mini-lecture and had to explain that as well. These phrases and the explanations got me thinking about absolutes and how we like things to be one […]
Category Archives: Blog
In Sickness and In Health
Everyone everywhere gets sick some time or another. Luckily, most of us get better too. Subsequently, every language has its own phrases for talking about sickness. I was wiped out by sickness all spring break, so I had the chance to think about how we speak of sickness and health in English. Hence, this week’s […]
Spring Break Idioms
Spring Break that wonderful break in the middle of the Spring Semester – how I love and hate it both! Vacation is, of course, a wonderful thing! Nonetheless, Spring Break for me is less of a break and more of a grading marathon to get caught up for the second half of the semester. To […]
Success by Choice
It’s almost midterms at IVC, so everyone, instructors and students alike, is on edge. Over the past week, several of my colleagues have bemoaned their students’ lack of understanding of basic college concepts– not the classroom content, but the soft skills so needed for success in an American college. Here in the USA, it is […]
Keep Your Fire Burning
One of the most awesome yet arduous aspects of working for or with others is that there is help in feeding the fire of accomplishment and motivation. Unfortunately, many aspects of life require us to stay motivated on our own and finish what we started without cheerleaders or spectators. To be successful, you have to […]
Lessons from Mom
I miss my mom. She passed away from complications of her multiple sclerosis in 2014. These feelings are epitomized in a current pop song by Luke Graham titled “You’re Not There,” when he sings: You’re not there To celebrate the man that you made You’re not there To share in my success and mistakes […]
Mistake Idioms
Mistakes. Some are incidental while others, of course, can be substantial, but we all make them, usually on a daily basis. As a college instructor, my mistakes are so often very public and thus that much more embarrassing, frustrating, or even potentially harming than the errors of others less in the public eye. I try […]
Life Lessons from the Super Bowl
Football is the quintessential American entity with both simultaneous awful and awesome aspects. There little doubt that ticket prices are exorbitant, player salaries are not equitable, and injuries are potentially extreme; nevertheless, it provides some measure of unity across social, age, gender, and economic classes. The topic transcends the sport. When you have nothing to […]
Love Not Only for Lovers
Valentine’s day is coming up, offering a wonderful chance to express affection and appreciation for those in committed relationships. Idioms for romantic love will abound on the internet this week, so having one more from me seems superfluous. Moreover, love is not limited solely to lovers. Casual friends and even strangers in the street can […]
American Friendship
In my position as a Community College instructor, I often read ESL college placement exams. A theme that I encounter again and again is how living in the USA is a lonely experience. People attend college for a variety of reasons, one of which is a simple desire for better communication. Even my degree-seeking students […]