The Generosity Experiment

In this presentation on Vimeo, Sasha Dichter of the Acumen Fund shares the results of his month-long "Generosity Experiment" where he said "yes" to every request for help.

Sasha Dichter: The Generosity Experiment from TED Blog on Vimeo.

Crowded

My word for the day is crowded.

This is an adjective derived from the noun crowd. A crown is a large group of people. Crowded means full of people.

Whether or not you think a place is crowded is very subjective, based on your culture and you personal preferences. If you've grown up surounded by a lot of people, or in a culture where being close together is important, you may feel more comfortable in a crowded place. For someone else, though, a bar could feel crowded with only a few people. What about you? Do you prefer crowded places, or quiet ones?

This image of NYC from www.safran-arts.com

Overrated and underrated

It's very popular to rate things: movies, books, hotels, restaurants, etc. To rate is to give an opinion on quality, to evaluate. A lot of websites allow users to post their ratings, and these are often represented with stars.
If something is overrated, it means that people give it an evaluation which is too high. If something is underrated, the evaluation is too low.
In my opinion, new restaurants are often overrated. People write and post reviews with a lot of stars simply because a place is new. On the other hand, some movies are definitely underrated: they receive bad or so-so reviews, and then people don't see them.
A concept or idea can also be overrated. Ideas come and go, and sometimes they're in fashion for a while, until people feel that they're overrated, or proven to be untrue or useless.
Have you noticed anything overrated or underrated lately?

Doodle

My word for the day is doodle.

To doodle is to draw or write in an unstructured way, often when you're supposed to be listening to someone in a classroom or meeting, or when you're on the phone.

The truth is, I don't doodle much these days, but when I was in high school, I doodled a lot. My notebooks are filled with notes, but also lots of drawings and the names of boys I liked, repeated many times.

Some people think that doodling is bad, but I think it can be very creative! And some people draw or write truly beautiful things.

What about you? Do you doodle now, or did you when you were in school?

The image here is from www.jocheung.com

When a verb is the subject

When a verb is the subject of the sentence, you should use the gerund or -ing form. Here are some examples:

1. Working in the UK: some useful information.

2. Getting eight hours of sleep can be difficult.

3. Being on time is very important in business.

4. Smoking is prohibited in all areas of the airport.

English in the elevator: be brave!

I feel sorry for my colleagues.

Especially the ones who get into the elevator with me in the morning.

The problem is that I'm committed to speaking English here at work. All the time. In fact, just the other day one of my favorite people in the office told me that he was hearing me speak too much Spanish around the office, and that I should watch out!

Well, those people in the elevator might not agree. It's not easy to speak a second or third language with someone you don't know very well in a small crowded elevator, in front of your workmates. I realize this, and I offer you my compassion.

So, what is the best approach, apart from complete silence? Probably just to be able to ask, "How are you?" And to respond, "Fine, thanks. And you?" This is probably enough. And if you're brave enough to say more, good for you! But if not, don't worry! The time in the elevator will be over very soon!

Snack

A snack is a small amount of food that you have between meals. Some people prefer a sweet snack, like a cookie or some chocolate; other people like a salty snack such as peanuts or potato chips. Similar to other meals or drinks, we use the verb have: the kids had their snack at 11:oo.
When people talk about healthy snacks, they usually mean some fruit or something better for you than what you'll find in the vending machine.
Snack can also be a verb, and it often goes with the preposition on: we shouldn't have snacked on those chips because now it's time for dinner!
Typical times for a snack are mid-morning or mid-afternoon, although we also have the expression "midnight snack" for those trips to the fridge to satisfy nighttime cravings...

Follow a news story

One of the best ways to improve your English is to start following an ongoing news story. Ongoing means continuing, so your story should be something important enough to be in the news for several weeks. Why is this a good idea? Here are some reasons:
1. If you choose something you're interested in, it will help you to keep following the story.
2. If you keep following the story, you'll learn a lot of new words, because they will be repeated and this way you'll really learn what they mean.
3. Important news stories are usually in many places at the same time: in the newspaper, online, on television and on the radio. So you have the opportunity to use any or all of these sources to follow your story.
So, what do you think is the most important story in the news right now, from your perspective?

Navel-gazing

Navel-gazing is a wonderful verb which literally means to look at your own belly button. Metaphorically it means that you’re looking inward in an ineffectual manner; you’re not reflecting on yourself critically or constructively, you’re just very busy with your own, possibly inconsequential issues. Meanwhile the world is going on all around you.
In business, navel-gazing is a common problem that generally arises at a point of maturity, or after early success. The passionate, customer-driven startup can easily become a slow organization primarily focused on its own internal atmosphere, with lot of time spent on creating comfort, diversions and perks for the staff.
This phenomenon would seem to stem from a misunderstanding of the workplaces of famous high tech companies like Google, Apple and Facebook. In each case, an uneducated outsider is likely to see an oasis for workers, while missing the long hours and productivity which create real value. But high tech aside, we’ve probably all been to a shop, bar, doctor’s office or restaurant which appears to be set up more for the staff’s comfort and entertainment than to actually serve customers or patients effectively.
The bottom line is that if you’re not the only provider of your product or service, there’s probably someone out there would like to capture some of your customers while your employees are enjoying their massages or taking that long coffee break. Are all your perks and comforts really adding value and productivity? Or are they helping your people to forget that there are customers our there?

Undercover English speakers

One of the best things about my job is that I'm constantly meeting people who appeared not to speak ONE WORD of English, who turn out to be Undercover English speakers. These are people who actually know a good amount of English but are shy or lacking in confidence because it's been a long time (or a little while) since they last had an English class or any other chance to practice. The great thing is that when they start speaking again, they often remember English very quickly! Then it seems like magic! Sometimes they can really talk a lot, and it's wonderful that they've had the courage to begin again, and come into the light as English speakers. If you should happen to be an Undercover English speaker reading this, I encourage you to find an opportunity to start speaking again... If you look for a supportive person or people to talk with, you will benefit and probably inspire some other people too!

This image is from the original Get Smart TV series, and it shows the agents with their famous shoe phones.

Author Bill Coulton

Some of the readers of this blog already know that my dad, Bill Coulton, is a novelist. He now has a website and blog, and his books are available on Amazon. I think he has some really interesting things to say about writing fiction on his blog, as well as excerpts from his work.

Happy reading!

Today at 999 Things...

Have you visited the blog near the top of the links list called 999 Things that make me happy?
I really recommend it! Not only is it well done in general, I think you might be surprised by it, because the things are interesting and different, like "The Sunflower's example," or "So in love as the beginning."
Also, it might inspire you to start a blog of your own...

Tired vs. sleepy

Are you tired? Are you sleepy? Is anyone yawning?

Tired means that you're physically and/or mentally fatigued. Sleepy means that you feel like sleeping, even if you're not really tired. After lunch, for example, or on a summer afternoon when you're lying on the beach or by the pool, or just relaxing on the sofa. Your eyelids are getting heavy, you feel sooooooo relaxed....

This image from Calvin and Hobbes is by Bill Watterson.

Text describing words

Text words describe the form of the letters and the text. This is called italic. This is bold. We use different fonts, like Arial, Times New Roman, or Courier. Sometimes we write in ALL CAPS, but this sounds like SHOUTING! Sometimes we use emoticons :) to help to give the right message. We can put information in a list with numbers, or with bullet points.
What's your style?

Remind to/about

We often put notes or post-its on our desks or refrigerators to remind us to do something. These are called reminders. We can also ask someone to remind us to do something, or to remind us about an event. For example:

Could you remind me to feed the cat?

Thank you for reminding me about the meeting.

I reminded him to call his mother.

Why didn't you remind her about the lunch?

If you review these examples, you'll notice that we use remind + me/him/her + to + verb, and remind + about + noun.

Remind of

If someone reminds you of someone else, it means that he or she is similar to that person in some way, either in appearance, or personality. For example:
You remind me of my brother. You look just like him!
Does he remind you of anyone?
She reminds me of my aunt Mary because her smile is so similar.
We can also use this for places, or other things which make us think of something or someplace similar. For example:
Your apartment reminds me of my first apartment on College Avenue.
That dress reminds me of the one you wore to John's wedding.
This presentation reminds me of the one we saw last year.
It's important to note that you need remind+me/him/her+of to make the complete structure.

Stay the course

To stay the course is to maintain your direction and continue, even if you have problems. This is an expression often used to talk about people or organizations who keep going in spite of difficulties, and it has a very positive feeling. People who stay the course are considered to be strong and resilient. Stay is a regular verb. Here are some examples of the expression in use:

The crisis has been difficult for the company, but we're staying the course.

At first, he didn't like English, but he stayed the course and now speaks fluently.

This is a very tough situation for you, do you think you can stay the course?

Man up

To man up is to act in a way traditionally associated with being a man, to be brave and take responsibility. It's often used as advice: I think you should man up and talk to your boss before the situation gets any worse. This is a popular colloquial expression right now, so you are likely to see it online and hear it on TV or the radio.

Wink vs. blink

To wink is to close one eye.

To blink is to close both eyes quickly.

Wink is often used with the preposition at, for example: she winked at him across the bar. Blink doesn't usually need a preposition: they say that people blink more when they're not telling the truth.

Put your two cents in

To put your two cents in is to give your opinion. A cent is the smallest coin of American money, and so the expression has a modest, humble feeling. Here are some examples:

After listening to the others for a long time, she finally decided to put her two cents in.

"Mary, you know a lot about this subject, so why don't you put your two cents in?"

"Well, you may not agree with me, but I want to put my two cents in before we make a decision."

'n

When you see 'n between two English words, it means and. So the sign here means pie and burger. This way of writing and is most common on signs, or names for things, and I think it tries to express the way that people speak. Often when people say and between two words, you can only hear the n. This is very informal, and is supposed to give a feeling of being friendly, casual, and in no way posh.

Thanks to A Maxwell, for reminding me of this restaurant!

Ain't

Ain't is a slang word for isn't or aren't. You often hear it in country songs or hip-hop, and we associate ain't with the old west as well as African American speech.

One current expression I hear when I visit the US, and sometimes read online, is this ain't my first rodeo. A rodeo is an event that has competitions in "cowboy" skills like bull riding. This ain't my first rodeo means that I have experience, that I've done this before. Here's an example:

Bob: Are you sure you're prepared for the presentation?

Kate: This ain't my first rodeo, Bob. Don't worry!

English Attack!

English Attack! I've just discovered this online resource which was launched earlier this year. Here's the info:

About English Attack!
Who Are We?
English Attack! is the world’s first 100% entertainment-focused online resource for helping people around the world improve their English language skills. It was created by media and entertainment executives who now work in English Language Teaching and see huge potential in a totally different approach to learning through online entertainment platforms.

Creating True Innovation in English Language Learning
English Attack! creates real innovation in English language learning by promoting discovery and learner autonomy instead of the traditional linear lesson based method; and focusing on "learning by doing." Our approach uses short-session online entertainment to encourage frequent digital immersion in real everyday English, with fresh content published daily. Join a worldwide community of learners of English with whom you can make friends, start discussions, and use what you learn.
...

Rough

Rough is an important adjective. It has different meanings which branch from its most physical meaning: rough is the opposite of smooth. In this photo, we see rough marble, marble that hasn't been polished and made smooth. The surface has a rough texture.

We can extend this meaning to describe situations or experiences. When they're not smooth or easy, it means we have some problems, and we can say that the day was rough, the meeting was rough, etc.

Rough can also describe a violent situation: The protest turned rough and three people were hurt. This means that people were physically violent. If a person is rough, it usually means that he or she can be violent.

Finally, we use rough to describe something which isn't exact. A rough estimate doesn't tell what the precise amount will be, but more or less. For example: can you give me a rough estimate on how much the repairs will cost?

The pronunciation of rough sounds like ruff.

To make the comparative and superlative forms of the adjective: rougher, roughest

The adverb is roughly and the noun form is roughness.

Acronyms explained: TGIF

TGIF=Thank God It's Friday.

When you say goodbye to someone on Friday, it's customary to say, "Have a good weekend!" and the response to this is usually, "You too!"

Why synonyms are important

When you have a good level of English and are able to communicate in different situations, you start to face a new challenge: increasing your vocabulary. One of the best way to do this is to learn synonyms for words you already know. A synonym is a different word that means the same thing. For example, you probably know the adjective fast. Quick and rapid are synonyms for fast. If you already know fast, why do you need to know other words that mean the same thing? For three reasons: 1. to be able to understand what you hear and read, 2. so you don't have to use the same words all the time, and 3. because it's fun. Maybe the first reason is the most important for you, but I would recommend thinking about the second and third as well. Learning synonyms is a great way to rapidly increase your English fluency. A good way to learn synonyms is to use a thesaurus. Here's one online thesaurus for you to try. If you keep a vocabulary file or notebook, making groups of synonyms can be a good way to learn and remember them. In the image here, we have a word cloud of synonyms for nice, which was created with Wordle.

On the same page

To be on the same page with someone is to have the same understanding. This is a very common expression in business, used in meetings and emails to confirm that people understand each other. Here are a couple of examples:

You: Are we on the same page about the schedule for the product launch?

Bob: Yes, I think so. We're planning for November 1st.

You: Okay, great!

*****

You: How are things going with the new HR manager?

Mary: Well, I thought we were on the same page about changing our intranet, but now it seems like she has a different concept, so I don't know...

And the winner is...

MIT Open Courseware
This is a truly amazing site. In the words of the winning contributor, Marc Pou, "Here you can find high quality free courses to boost your knowledge in different areas from one of the most recognized universities in the world."

I agree with this description. From literature to management and beyond, entire university and graduate level courses are offered here, with complete documentation, all without any cost or subscription requirement. For me, this is a great example of an organization using the internet to full potential.

Congratulations, Marc! And thank you for this great addition to the links list of Thinking in English!