It's up to you

It's up to you means that you can decide. For example, "it's up to Arnaud whether we go out for dinner or stay in." It's Arnaud's decision. In the negative "I can give you my opinion, but finally it's not up to me what we do."

Signing off

To sign off is to end a communication. With business emails, there are some very basic and common ways to end the message. The only question is how formal or informal you want to be.

The last sentence of an email often says something like this: please contact me if you have any questions. This is neutral and you can always use it. To make it less formal: please let me know if you have any questions. More formal: please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Closing the message, you can put: regards or best regards. More formally, you could put sincerely. Less formally: best or all best. Sometimes people from the UK will put cheers.

Want to practice? Send me an email titled "practice email" at coultonv@yahoo.com

When the going gets tough...

...the tough get going.






This is a classic expression! It plays with the words and their double meanings, and it makes sense to look at it in detail.


In the first part, the going means the way we have to go, or the thing that we're trying to do. To get tough means to become difficult. So you can translate this as "when the way becomes difficult."


In the second part, the tough refers to strong people. To get going is to start moving. So you could translate this part as "the strong people start moving."


When the going gets tough, the tough get going. When the way becomes difficult, the strong people start moving.


P.S. This post is dedicated to Calderwood and Davis: great friends, great people, a great romance. Two truly tough customers in the best old school sense: quiet heroes.

I heart NY

The logo here was designed in the 1970s by Milton Glazer, and commissioned by the city of New York for a promotional campaign.

This design became extremely popular, and it was intended to be read as I Love New York. Lots of people copied the design and made stickers and teeshirts for just about everything.

At some point, however, people started saying "I heart" instead of "I love." This expression comes up in articles and blog posts, for example, "Why We Heart the Kinect." When you see this expression, you can remember the original image!

Thinking about New York made me remember the opening of Woody Allen's film Manhattan. Here it is:

Although it's been many, many years since I last went to New York, I hope that I'll go again soon... What about you? Have you been there recently or are you planning to go soon?

P.S. This post is dedicated to Barbara Montaner, who hearts NY. I think NY also hearts Barbara. Who wouldn't?

What's happening?

"What's happening?" is a typical way to greet someone you know well, like a friend or coworker. It's very casual. You could also say "What's new?" or "What's going on?" or "What's up?" Then the other person could say "Nothing much," or something like that, or he or she could tell you what's happening...

Handmade/Homemade

This December I have received a beautiful origami Christmas ornament. It's made very well and I see it every time I come in my front door. It's handmade by someone very special. Handmade is an adjective that means made by hand, not by machine. We use it to describe things like clothes, books, ceramics, and other objects made by hand.

Homemade is similar: it's an adjective that means made at home instead of bought in a store. We usually use it for foods and drinks, like homemade cookies. These are cookies baked at home instead of bought.

I have to admit that I buy many things that aren't handmade, and this is something I'd like to change. More and more, I see that lots of people are making wonderful things! Certainly, I love to cook, and although I enjoy going out to restaurants, I prefer places where everything is homemade, including the desserts.

I hope that you receive something handmade this season, like a card or a small gift, and that you enjoy some great homemade treats!

P.S. Thanks to http://merchgrosso.blogspot.com/ for the image. They make some very nice clothes that you might find interesting, and they have a lot of good links on the blog.

P.P.S. This post is dedicated to Sandra Tulleuda, who makes beautiful things and gives them truly from the heart.

Nourish

In this season about giving, I find this video very, very moving.
To nourish is:
1. To provide with food or other substances necessary for life and growth; feed.
2. To foster the development of; promote.
3. To keep alive; maintain.

The most important thing is to express your true nature in the simplest, most adequate way and to appreciate it in the smallest existence. --Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

P.S. This post is dedicated to Jaume Gurt, with joy and appreciation