Category: English Vocabulary

Lend vs. Borrow

Someone tweeted me this week asking me to explain the difference between lend and borrow.  I thought that other people might have this same question so I thought I’d write about it.

lend

This word means that a person was allowed to use something for a certain amount of time and will eventually return it.  (Given to someone.)
I would love to lend you my dress. I just need it back by next week so I can wear it on a special date.

borrow

This word means that you are taking something from someone and will eventually return it.  (Taken from someone.)
Tom borrowed a shovel from me and he never returned it.

As you can see the words are very similar. The difference is the direction of the action that is taking place. Look at the picture below and see if it helps to explain these words.

Some Slang

Here are a few slang words that you can use, just be careful with some of them as some are negative.

dirt

This means gossip.
You have to tell me the dirt on Penny. Something is just not right with her.

drag

This is someone who is boring or someone who brings everyone down.
Fred is being such a drag. Let’s not invite him to go out with us next time.

wuss

This is someone who is weak and/or timid.
Don’t be such a wuss.  Just come horseback riding with us!

wimp

This word means the same thing as a wuss. Someone who is weak and/or timid.
You are such a wimp. Just be a man and do your thing.

Animal Sounds in English

Have you ever noticed how every language interprets and spells animal sounds slightly different?  Here’s a list of some animal sounds in English.

Cat – meow

Dog – ruff, bark

horse – neigh

duck – quack

rooster – cock-a-doodle-doo

bee – buzz

mice – squeak

turkey – gobble

pig – oink

sheep – baa

goats – meeeh, baa

chick – cluck

cow – moo

donkey – hee-haw

frog – ribbit

bird – chirp

 

Rain, Rein or Reign

Here are three words that sound the same way, but all have different meanings.

rain

This is the one you are probably most used to. It is the water that condenses and falls to the earth.
What a beautiful day.  It rained a little, and then the sun came out and we saw a rainbow.

rein

Reins are the leather straps that are used to guide a horse when you ride it.
When I was little I used to ride horses very often. One day the horse went crazy and I had to take the reins and really pull him or he would’ve ran straight into the gate.

reign

This is a period of time when a monarch occupies the throne of a country.
The king’s reign over the country was short, but very productive to the country’s economy. 

7 ways to say that you understand…

Want a more creative way to tell someone that you understand what they are saying?  Here are 7 different expressions that have similar meanings to I understand.

I feel your pain

– This expression is used more when you are empathizing with someone and what they are going through.
Wow, that is terrible that your husband cheated on you, I feel your pain, my husband did the same thing to me last year. (FYI – not true.)

I know where you are coming from

– This means that you understand the situation that the person is in.
I know where you are coming from, it must be so hard to have to go through that.

I’ve been down that road

– This means that you understand the emotions they are going through because something similar happened to you.
Your daughter has chicken pox? I’m so sorry, I’ve been down that road before, it isn’t fun.

I hear you

– This is the same as the one above; it means that you understand what the person is going through.
Yup, I hear you alright. I knew that guy was bad news.

10-4 (ten four)

– This is a code that you is used on radio scanners. It means that the person has received the message and they understand what was said.

I follow you

– This means that you are following the line of conversation that is going on with you and the person who you are talking to.
Yes, I totally follow you, it must’ve been so hard for you.

Roger or Roger that

– It is used in military or aircraft aviation and means that the person receiving the message heard everything that was said.

Wednesday’s Slang!

As mentioned last week, Wednesday is the day that I will highlight some American English slang.  Usually phrases that I said frequently throughout the week.

the skinny

This is information that you really want to hear about or need.
Give me the skinny about the concert!

boo-boo

This is a cut or bruise, when you hurt yourself, usually used with children. Or it can also mean a mistake that you did.
Did baby fall down and get a boo-boo?

buck

Although this means a male deer, in slang it means a dollar.
Hey, can you give me a buck? I wanna buy a coke.

bummed

This means to be disappointed about something.
I’m so bummed that my package didn’t come in the mail today.

Eye, I, or Aye


Here are three words that look different, yet sound the same.

Eye – This is an easy word, that I’m sure you all know. It’s the body part that you see through. It can also be used to mean the center of something, like the center of the hurricane or eye of the hurricane.

I – Another easy one and I’m sure this was one of the first words you learned in English. It’s the nominataive singular pronoun that a user uses to talk about himself/herself. It’s also a letter in the alphabet. Another definition for it is that it can be an abbreviation for the word ‘interstate’ (or big highway).

Aye (or Ay) – This is a less used English word, unless you are a pirate or in the British Parliment. It means yes. And, like I said before they are all pronounced the same way, but usually when you hear an American say ‘Aye’, they usually say it with a fake British or Pirate accent.

At the Post Office

It’s easy enough to just ask for a stamp at the post office, “I would like to buy 1 stamp, please.” But, what if you have bigger needs for your post office visit? Here are some things you might say at the post office.

Can I have a book (roll) of stamps? In the past if you wanted to buy a lot of stamps, you could buy a roll. These are more outdated now that most stamps in the United States are stickers. Nowdays, if you want to buy a large amount of stamps you can buy a book of stamps.

Can I buy some ‘forever’ stamps? During the last few years the cost of a stamp has gone up every May, by a penny. The United States Post Office made some stamps that are forever the correct price of mailing an envelope in the United States. These are the types of stamps I would buy unless I wanted special stamps, like Christmas stamps or some with pretty flowers.

How much does it cost to mail this package? There are several different methods of shipping at the post office. You have Media Mail for mailing books. Then, there is parcel post, which is cheap, but slow. There are other options too, but the fastest is next-day which costs an arm and a leg (saying something costs an arm and a leg means it costs a lot).

Do you have prepaid boxes? Prepaid boxes – boxes you can buy that cost the same amount to ship no matter how much you pack into them – are quite handy. If you can fit it in, you can ship it for a set price. I often come out ahead when using these boxes.

Can I buy insurance for that? You can insure anything you mail as long as you pay for the insurance. It’s not really too expensive, and often worth the extra money.