Synonyms of Gaze:
domingo, 31 de marzo de 2013
sábado, 30 de marzo de 2013
Demote
Demote (v)
to reduce to a lower grade or rank
to reduce to a lower grade or rank
Andrew's boss was so angry with him for coming late to work every day that Andrew was demoted from his position as manager to janitor. He was so embarrassed by being reduced to a custodian that he begged his boss to promote him back to manager. Kevin promised his boss that he would never be late to work again. Unfortunately, his boss didn't believe him and Kevin remained demoted. In my opinion, Kevin's boss demotes people so often that most of the employees have given up trying to succeed.
Vocabulary Videos for SAT and GRE Words
Source: http://www.vocabahead.com/VocabularyVideos/Videos/TabId/59/VideoId/558/Default.aspx
viernes, 29 de marzo de 2013
jueves, 28 de marzo de 2013
water cooler
water cooler
Definitions
noun
- a device for cooling and dispensing drinking water
modifier
water-cooler- (informal)
- indicating the kind of informal conversation among office staff that takes place at such a dispenser ⇒
water-cooler conversations
- indicating an event, television programme, etc, sufficiently controversial or otherwise noteworthy to provide subject matter for such conversations ⇒
water-cooler television
,a water-cooler moment
- http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/water-cooler
water cooler
water cooler
Definition of water cooler
noun
water cooler in other Oxford dictionaries
Definition of water cooler in the US English dictionaryEjemplos de traducciones de otras fuentes para 'carve out'
carve out
Carve out
Usually occurs when a company decides to IPO one of their subsidiaries or divisions. The company usually only offers a minority share to the equity market. Also known as equity carve out.
miércoles, 27 de marzo de 2013
lunes, 25 de marzo de 2013
domingo, 24 de marzo de 2013
sábado, 23 de marzo de 2013
viernes, 22 de marzo de 2013
jueves, 21 de marzo de 2013
pull strings
If you 'pull strings' you use important people you know to help you get what you want.
pull the strings
elduaien.blogspot.com
pull the strings
elduaien.blogspot.com
to be in control of an organization, often secretly
I'd really like to know who's pulling the strings in that organization, because it's not the elected committee.
to control the actions of a person or group, often secretly
I'd like to know who's pulling the strings in that organization, because it's not the elected committee.
He wanted to make his own decision, with no one pulling his strings.
the 'writing is on the wall'
If the 'writing is on the wall' for an individual or company, it looks like they are going to fail or go out of business.
the writing is on the wall (British, American & Australian) also the handwriting is on the wall (American)
the writing is on the wall
watchingthenews.xanga.com -
the writing is on the wall (British, American & Australian) also the handwriting is on the wall (American)
the writing is on the wall
watchingthenews.xanga.com -
if the writing is on the wall for a person or an organization, it is clear that they will fail or be unable to continue (often + for) The team has lost its last six games and the writing is definitely on the wall for the manager. (British, American & Australian)
The writing is on the wall
Meaning
Imminent danger has become apparent.
Origin
'The writing is on the wall' is also sometimes expressed as 'the handwriting is on the wall' or as 'mene mene'. The first of those variations is an obvious synonym but what does 'mene mene' mean? This is a shortening of 'mene mene tekel upharsin', which is of Aramaic origin. If your Aramaic isn't that strong you can get some guidance from the Bible, Daniel 5, in the story of Belshazzar's feast. To cut a long Old Testament story short, Belshazzar was indulging in a drunken revelry and debasing sacred temple vessels by using them as wine goblets when a disembodied hand wrote 'mene mene tekel upharsin' on the palace wall.
On the face of it, and using a literal translation, this appeared meaningless. The expression seemed to mean 'two minas, a shekel and two parts' or alternatively 'numbered, weighed, divided'. None of this meant much to Belshazzar, who decided that he needed further interpretation and sent for the Jewish exile Daniel. It then became clear that the phrase was an elaborate wordplay, relying on the fact that each word can denote a different coin, and the third word can be interpreted as 'Persia'. Daniel's interpretation, as recorded in the first easily understood English version of the Bible, the King James Version, 1611, was:
And this the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This the interpretation of the thing:
MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
The point of the moral tale was that Belshazzar couldn't see the warning that was apparent to others because he was engrossed with his sinning ways.
The subtlety of the biblical wordplay is now somewhat lost on those of us who don't speak ancient Aramaic. Perhaps a flavour of the style can be conveyed by comparing it to the lyrics of the popular World War II novelty song Mairzy Doats:
Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy diveya
A kiddley divey too, wooden shoe?
Literally, that's meaningless but a wartime Daniel could have translated it into its actual meaning:
Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy,
A kid'll eat ivy too, wouldn't you?
'Writing on the wall' began to be used figuratively, that is providing warnings where no actual writing or walls are involved, from the early 18th century; for example, Jonathan Swift's Miscellaneous works, 1720:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-writing-is-on-the-wall.htmlA baited Banker thus desponds,
From his own Hand foresees his Fall;
They have his Soul who have his Bonds;
'Tis like the Writing on the Wall.
To make a name for yourself
make a name for yourself also make your name
behindthehustle.com -
to become well known and respected for doing something in particular She would have done well in any sport, but Virginia ended up making a name for herself in soccer. The French director made his name in the 1980s with off-beat movies.
If you 'make a name for yourself' you do something that
makes people notice you or see you as important.
makes people notice you or see you as important.
It was with his third novel, 'The Darkest Hours', that he made a name for himself.
lunes, 18 de marzo de 2013
domingo, 17 de marzo de 2013
sábado, 16 de marzo de 2013
domingo, 10 de marzo de 2013
sábado, 9 de marzo de 2013
Cannes 2012: In the Fog – review | Film | guardian.co.uk
Cannes 2012: In the Fog – review | Film | guardian.co.uk:
"Cannes 2012: In the Fog – review
The Ukrainian director and former documentary-maker Sergei Loznitsa scored a succès d'éstime with his first fiction feature My Joy, which was in competition in Cannes two years ago. Now he has returned with a mysterious, compelling and grim story from the Nazi-Occupied Soviet Union in 1942, shrouded in the fog of war, the fog of fear and the fathomless fog of European history – comparable, perhaps, to Elem Klimov's 1985 film Come and See
Vocabulary:
shroud [SraUd]
(covering) velo m
(for burial) sudario m
(of dust, fog) capa f
II. vt envolver
to shroud sth in sth envolver algo con algo
shrouded in mystery envuelto en un halo de misterio
The fog of war … Vladimir Svirskiy (centre) and Vladislav Abashin (right). Photograph: EPA"
'via Blog this'
"Cannes 2012: In the Fog – review
The Ukrainian director and former documentary-maker Sergei Loznitsa scored a succès d'éstime with his first fiction feature My Joy, which was in competition in Cannes two years ago. Now he has returned with a mysterious, compelling and grim story from the Nazi-Occupied Soviet Union in 1942, shrouded in the fog of war, the fog of fear and the fathomless fog of European history – comparable, perhaps, to Elem Klimov's 1985 film Come and See
It is a second world war story about something with which few war movies concern themselves: the banal and poisonous disgrace of collaboration that the Nazis visited on every corner of the Reich. Here former Soviet commanders put themselves eagerly at the disposal of the Nazi invader, assuming administrative duties and enforcing the new order with the usual cruelty, and Russian police strut (pavonearse, contonearse) around wearing armbands reading: "In the service of the German armed forces." Meanwhile, the partisans hide out in the forest, waiting to hit back.
At the centre of this stark parable (parabola completa, severa) is Sushenya, a Russian railway worker whose face is etched with pain (estar grabadp en la memoria con dolor): he looks like a cross between Anatoly Solonitsyn in Andrei Rublev and Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now. When the innocent Sushenya is arrested with a group of rail saboteurs, the Nazis hang everyone but him and soon the rumour gets out that he must be a collaborator who has cut a shameful deal. Two partisans Burov (Vlad Abashin) and Voitek (Sergei Kolesov) turn up at Sushenya's house and take him away into the forest, making him bring a shovel to dig his own grave before they shoot him. The innocent Sushenya submits to all of this without complaint, although a dramatic twist of fate ensures his survival and he must retreat further into the ancient trackless forest, with a wounded captor on his back – the cross he has to bear.
Why does Sushenya behave as he does? Is it though Soviet patriotism, fatalism and sheer world-weariness? Perhaps. But why did the Nazis spare him? The officer who took this decision is Grossmeier, well played by Vlad Ivanov, the abortionist in Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days. Sushenya suspects it was a ploy (Tactica), to lure (atraer, hacer caer en la trampa) the partisans into the open. But Loznitsa shows it was also pure cruelty, a sadistical caprice to enforce the stain of collaboration on a man who had actually refused this deal. As for Sushenya, he may indeed feel the pain of obscure guilt, having tried to dissuade the saboteurs, because of the vicious reprisals the Nazis would carry out on nearby villagers.
And so Sushenya's mysterious Passion in the forest begins – perhaps that same forest where Tolstoy described the partisans fighting Napoleon's invasion in War and Peace. The forest is an abyss of history, where Sushenya must undergo a spiritual ordeal. In the Fog is an intense, slow-burning and haunting drama.
Vocabulary:
shroud [SraUd]
(covering) velo m
(for burial) sudario m
(of dust, fog) capa f
II. vt envolver
to shroud sth in sth envolver algo con algo
shrouded in mystery envuelto en un halo de misterio
The fog of war … Vladimir Svirskiy (centre) and Vladislav Abashin (right). Photograph: EPA"
'via Blog this'
viernes, 8 de marzo de 2013
jueves, 7 de marzo de 2013
Learning English - Words in the News - Walrus seen in Scotland
Learning English - Words in the News - Walrus seen in Scotland: "Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from news reports.
Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly.
dozes / once in a lifetime event / in good health / the centre of attention / blubber
1.
Pups weigh 14kg at birth but quickly gain the __________ they need because their mother's milk contains 60% fat.
2.
The children went to sleep, and as the wine had made us sleepy too, we all three went to our rooms to lie down and __________ until about four o'clock.
3.
Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "To host part of the Paralympic Torch Relay is fantastic news for our area and we hope that all our residents will join us in celebrating this __________".
4.
The Queen has left hospital in central London after being assessed for gastroenteritis symptoms. Buckingham Palace said the Queen, 86, was admitted as a precaution and was otherwise __________.
5.
He added: "Everyone just loves him. Basically he was __________ every night.""
Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly.
dozes / once in a lifetime event / in good health / the centre of attention / blubber
1.
Pups weigh 14kg at birth but quickly gain the __________ they need because their mother's milk contains 60% fat.
2.
The children went to sleep, and as the wine had made us sleepy too, we all three went to our rooms to lie down and __________ until about four o'clock.
3.
Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "To host part of the Paralympic Torch Relay is fantastic news for our area and we hope that all our residents will join us in celebrating this __________".
4.
The Queen has left hospital in central London after being assessed for gastroenteritis symptoms. Buckingham Palace said the Queen, 86, was admitted as a precaution and was otherwise __________.
5.
He added: "Everyone just loves him. Basically he was __________ every night.""
Learning English - Words in the News - Walrus seen in Scotland
Learning English - Words in the News - Walrus seen in Scotland: "Thousands of miles from home, a walrus dozes on a beach in Scotland's Orkney Islands.
It's been called a "once in a lifetime event" for a walrus to be spotted so far south of the Arctic Circle.
Nonetheless, the young male appeared to be in good health, and happy to be the centre of attention.
In the past, the animals were hunted for their blubber, ivory and meat, but now numbers are recovering.
dozes
once in a lifetime event
in good health
the centre of attention
blubber"
'via Blog this'
It's been called a "once in a lifetime event" for a walrus to be spotted so far south of the Arctic Circle.
Nonetheless, the young male appeared to be in good health, and happy to be the centre of attention.
In the past, the animals were hunted for their blubber, ivory and meat, but now numbers are recovering.
dozes
once in a lifetime event
in good health
the centre of attention
blubber"
'via Blog this'
Learning English - Grammar, Vocabulary & Pronunciation - Crowd pleaser
Learning English - Grammar, Vocabulary & Pronunciation - Crowd pleaser: "A crowd pleaser is someone or something that is always popular with large numbers of people.
Examples:
That kiss between Prince William and Princess Catherine was a real crowd pleaser.
The appearance of Madonna at the music festival was a crowd pleaser."
Examples:
That kiss between Prince William and Princess Catherine was a real crowd pleaser.
The appearance of Madonna at the music festival was a crowd pleaser."
Learning English - Grammar, Vocabulary & Pronunciation - Checkmate
Learning English - Grammar, Vocabulary & Pronunciation - Checkmate: "'Checkmate' is what you say in chess when you attack the opponent’s king in such a way that no escape is possible, meaning you win the game. It is now used in other contexts to mean 'complete victory'.
Examples
The rebels surrounded the president's palace. He had no option but to agree to their demands: it was checkmate.
Unless we make some serious changes around this business our competition will catch up and it will be checkmate.
It can also be used as a verb:
Garry Kasparov checkmated the chess computer after a fine series of moves."
Examples
The rebels surrounded the president's palace. He had no option but to agree to their demands: it was checkmate.
Unless we make some serious changes around this business our competition will catch up and it will be checkmate.
It can also be used as a verb:
Garry Kasparov checkmated the chess computer after a fine series of moves."
Learning English - Grammar, Vocabulary & Pronunciation - On a slippery slope
Learning English - Grammar, Vocabulary & Pronunciation - On a slippery slope:
If someone or something is on a slippery slope, it's in a situation which is getting worse and will continue to get much worse. Sometimes we say it's 'going downhill'.
Examples:
The country's economy was on a slippery slope following the closure of its biggest industry.
With his big drinking problem he was on a slippery slope to bad health.
martes, 5 de marzo de 2013
lunes, 4 de marzo de 2013
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