Jun 26, 2013

I was like

This is not easy to explain.

Sometimes when people are telling each other about something that happened, they use this expression to say what they said or how they felt. You have to experience this to really understand how it works. Here is an example:

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You: What did you do last night?

Your friend: Well, my brother called and he was like, do you want to hang out, and I was like, I'm kind of tired and he was like, I can come over and we can watch TV and I was like, OK if you bring some food and he was like, Thai food? So he came over and we just hung out. What about you?

You: I was like, really tired too, but I had to meet some friends of John's who are visiting. They were like, we want to have tapas and I was like, it's going to be hard to find a table and they were like, that's no problem, we don't mind waiting, and I was like, I do, but I was cool about it and finally we found a place by their hotel.

***

This is a way of speaking that is very common among young Americans (people in their 20s or younger). It may seem strange to you, but once you learn to hear it, it will be easier to understand people when they speak. You can also start using this sometimes... it's very colloquial!

Jun 10, 2013

Flimsy

A wonderful person recently reminded me of a wonderful word: flimsy. This is an adjective, and if we're talking about an object (like a fabric or other material), it means "light, thin and insubstantial; lacking solidity or strength." If we're talking about an idea, theory or argument, it means "lacking plausability, unconvincing". Here are a few examples:

Mary's flimsy umbrella was no match for the strong wind and rain, and it broke a few minutes after she left the house.

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Hi Bob,

Thanks for your message about the meeting with Tom and Dave. I think the presentation is good in general, but I'm concerned that the product section is a bit flimsy. I don't think what we have will convince them to upgrade; could you review it and see what you can do to make it stronger? Thanks!

All best,

Anne
***

Salesperson: Can I help you?
You: Yes, I'm looking for some summer curtains.
Salesperson: Are you looking for anything specific?
You: Well, I want something light and summery, but not so flimsy that it will fall apart after one summer.
Salesperson: Right. I think we have some things over here that might be just right.

Flimsy is a regular adjective, so: flimsy, flimsier, the flimsiest.