To put your best foot forward

To put your best foot forward

 

HOW TO KNOW WHEN YOU ARE MIDDLE-AGED.

1. You don’t understand what the young peasants are talking about.

2. Your eyes hurt to read Chaucer in Weak Candlelight.

3. You’ve come to hate rowdy taverns.

4. You constantly worry that you have contracted the black death,

5. You don’t know (or care) who Blondel is sleeping with.

6. The Crusaders look younger every year!

7. The struggle with new technologies; such as the heavy plough and the longbow.

8. You find Gothic architecture too modern.

9. You keep forgetting who the King is.

10. You dream of buying a second-hand hovel in France.

11. You cannot get your head around this new idea that the earth isn’t flat, but round!

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NOTE: Business English etc.
can be found below the translation exercises.

Translate the Text: Übersetzen:

Susann, Faten, Rico, Heike, Simone and Frank.

 

Die Touristen besuchen das Brandenburger Tor.

Die Touristen müssen Neuschwanstein sehen.

Neuschwanstein ist ein Schloss.

Das Brandenburger Tor ist in Berlin.

Meine Tochter möchte das Brandenburger sehen.

Neuschwanstein ist in Deutschland wirklich beliebt.

Ich beischtige morgen Neuschwanstein.

Die Touristen können die Kirche nicht beischtigen.

Möchtest du heute ein Schloss sehen?

Die Touristen woollen das Schloss beischtigen.

Möchtest du das Brandenburger beischtigen?

Die Touristen müssen den Bus bis zum Hotel nehmen.

Können die Touristen den Bus nach Frankfurt nehmen?

Mach Urlaub in Costa Rica, es ist schön dort.

“Go to” & NOT “take a holiday in”

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Business English Word of the Week:

Geschäftsenglisch Wort der Woche:

Expenses – Kosten

Sample Sentence:

“All travel expenses will be paid immediately upon receiving the receipts of the business trip (= Geschäftsreise – die Dienstreise).”

 

Law English Word of the Week:

Gesetz Englisches Wort der Woche:

Bank Holiday – Feiertag

Public Holiday – Feiertag

Sample Sentence:

“By Law, most people do not have to work on a Bank/Public holiday. However, there are “the essential services“; such as hospitals, the police, the Fire Brigade, and the Ambulance service.” People who work within the “Entertainment industry” also have to work on a Bank/Public holiday; such as in restaurants, hotels, and in theatres.

 

Vocabulary for Contracts:

Wortschatz für Verträge:

are under no obligation not required (to do something) You are under no obligation to stay.Not forced to do something for legal or moral reasons. under an obligation to do something:

Sample Sentence:

“The county court held that the local bank was under an obligation to return the deposit.”

“Our client is under no obligation to accept your offer.“

 

Vocabulary for Negotiations:

Wortschatz für Verhandlungen:

Commission – die Provision

Sample Sentence:

“I do not want to work for 100% Commission, I would rather have a fixed salary with monthly targets to reach and have a bonus when I reach these targets each month.“

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Word of the day: Wort des Tages:

Observe = Beobachten

Observation = Überwachung

Sample Sentence:

“To observe the markets.”

“To keep the situation regarding the volatility of the pound under observation.”

 

Phrase of the day: Satz des Tages:

Sample Sentence:

“Last week when I visited my girlfriend’s parents I tried to be on my very best behaviour and put my best foot forward.”

 

Idiom of the day: Redewendung des Tages:

To take goods on approval

Sample Sentence:

“Some shops/companies may allow their customers to take goods on approval. If they do not like them for some reason or other then they are under no obligation to buy and they can send the goods back without any payment being made.“

 

British English (B.E.) / American English (A.E.) Vocabulary:

Britisches Englisch / Amerikanisches Englisch Wortschatz:

British English (B.E.) = A chest of drawers (eine Kommode)

American English (A.E.) = a dresser.

Pronunciation tip: Aussprachetipp:

Billy Bob blabbered boldly.

Try and say this sentence ten times quickly without a mistake.

Versuchen Sie, diesen Satz zehnmal schnell und fehlerfrei zu sagen.

 

False Friends Tip of the Week:

Falsche Freunde Tipp der Woche:

German   Translation   False Friend (F.F.)   Meaning of F.F.

Fleisch        meat                 flesh                      Fleisch

(zum Essen)                                                                (als Teil des Körpers)

Wit, Wit, Wit Business examples:

Witz, Witz, Witz Geschäftsbeispiele:

“There’s no business like show business, but there are several businesses like accounting.” Quote by David Letterman.

 Slang word of the day:

Slangwort des Tages:

Posh

Posh typically denotes English upper-class folks. It equates to the American word ‘fancy‘. There is “Posh Spice” from the Spice Girls if you remember them. 🤣

Colloquial / Colloquialisms:

Umgangssprache / Umgangssprache:

Muppet

Another great British insult. A “muppet” is a person who is ignorant and is generally a bit clueless. The Muppet Show with puppets and the like is probably where the use of the word originates from.

Cockney rhyming slang:

Cockney reimender Slang:

George Raft = a draught

(George Raft was a famous American film star, often playing the part of a Gangster) ‘a draught of wind‘ = ein Windzug.

Sample Sentence:

“Oi, mate! Shut that door there’s a terrible George Raft!”

 

Quote of the week: Zitat der Woche:

“Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.” W. C. Fields.

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