a bone of contention
something that two people or groups cannot agree about:
“Money is a common bone of contention in many marriages.“
(Definition of a bone of contention from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press.
If you say that you cannot get a word in edgewise, you are complaining that you do not have the opportunity to speak because someone else is talking so much.
NOTE: Business English etc.
can be found below the translation exercises.
Translate the Text into English: Übersetzen:
Susann, Faten, Rico, Heike, Simone and Frank.
Trinkst du jeden Morgen Orangensaft?
Tisch
Klavier
Apfel
Katze
Geld
Warum ist meine Flasche Apfelsaft leer?
Toto, warum trinkst du meinen Orangensaft?
Du bist ein Schatz.
Ja, jetzt bist du hilfreich.
Mitternacht
Leer
Schatz, vielen Dank für deine Hilfe!
Kannst du unser Bett machen, Toto?
Kannst du bitte unser Badezimmer putzen? (clean/polish/groom/wipe/preen/scrub/trim/attire/brush down).
Endlich putzt er die Küche, das ist sehr hilfreich.
Endlich = finally/at last – putzt is cleaning, cleaning, cleans.
Ja, dein Zimmer ist sehr ordentlich.
Kasse
Haben
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English – English – English – English – English – English – English – English – English
Business English Word of the Week:
Geschäftsenglisch Wort der Woche:
A business word/phrase = Assemble = fit together the separate component parts of (a machine or other object). To put something together.
Sample Sentence:
“My new machine is being assembled and my old one is dismantled.” Disassemble to take something apart.”
Law English Word of the Week:
Gesetz Englisches Wort der Woche:
A law word/phrase = “No unauthorised absence” means that staff members cannot be absent from the company without the written consent of the management.
Vocabulary for Contracts:
Wortschatz für Verträge:
A word/phrase for contracts = A ‘one-off payment’ means a person or people within a company may receive a payment of money – known as ‘a lump sum’, but only ‘once’ for a specific reason. For example, as a payment for some loss suffered by the person/people.
Vocabulary for Negotiations:
Wortschatz für Verhandlungen:
A word/phrase for negotiations = “a staggered lunch break” means different members of staff have different times in which to eat their lunch, so that there is always someone to answer the phones if necessary.
English – English – English – English – English – English – English – English – English
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Word of the day: Wort des Tages:
Dangerous – gefährlich
Sample Sentence:
“It’s dangerous to put your hand into the machine whilst the saw is turning.”
Phrase of the day: Satz des Tages:
“It doesn’t fill me with the greatest of joy, I must admit.”
Sample Sentence:
“Going to the dentist does not give me the greatest joy!”
Idiom of the day: Redewendung des Tages:
“To nip something in the bud” – this idiom means to stop something – a growth, a behaviour etc. before it grows into something unwanted.
Sample Sentence:
“This sort of antisocial behaviour must be nipped in the bud before it gets out of control.”
British English / American English Vocabulary:
Britisches Englisch / Amerikanisches Englisch Wortschatz:
British English (B.E.) = Black Treacle
American English (A.E.) = Molasses
Both have a deep, aromatic flavour that adds a unique finish to food and drink recipes, but they are subtly different, with Treacle tending to be a sweeter product that has less of a bitter profile than molasses. Compared to treacle, molasses is thicker in consistency and darker in colour.
Pronunciation tip: Aussprachetipp:
“OUGH” WORDS Pronunciation:
Drought
Enough
Tough
Slough
Plough
Dough
Through
Thorough
Bread dough (doe – Damhirschkuh )
Pronunciation:
Enough (Genug Enuff),
Slough “Slauw” (a town in the south of England near London),
“Schlau wie ein Fuchs” = “Sly as a Fox”
Rough (Ruff),
Plough (Plauw),
Tough (Tuff) (meaning rough, hard, dangerous, harsh, threatening),
Cough (koff) (= Husten German),
Bough (Bau) (branch of a tree and Bow),
Trough (Troff) (a trough is for food or water for pigs or horses, channel, trench, gutter).
False Friends Tip of the Week:
Falsche Freunde Tipp der Woche:
German Translation False Friend (F.F.) Meaning of F.F.
Stapel stack, pile, mount Staple Heftklammer, Krampe,
Haupterzeugnis
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Wit, wit, wit – Drink and Other Drugs:
Witz, Witz, Witz – Trinken und andere Drogen:
“I don’t do drugs anymore because I find I get the same effect just by standing up really fast.”
Quote by Jonathan Katz.
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Slang word of the day:
Slangwort des Tages:
The English slang word/phrase The Briny = the sea.
Sample Sentence:
“It’s lovely shiny bobbing up and down in the Briny.”
Colloquial / Colloquialisms:
Umgangssprache / Umgangssprache:
Another interesting English Colloquialism is ‘Higgledy Piggledy’ meaning very disorganized and untidy.
Books are often stacked in ‘higgledy-piggledy’ piles on the floor. Synonyms: haphazard, muddled, jumbled, indiscriminate More Synonyms of ‘higgledy-piggledy’.
Sample Sentence:
“If you say that things are ‘higgledy-piggledy’, you mean that they are very disorganized and untidy.”
Cockney Rhyming Slang:
Cockney Reimender Slang:
Oily rag = a fag (= a cigarette)
Sample Sentence:
“OIY! I couldn’t ‘alf do with a lovely Oily rag! Got a lighter mate?”
NOTE: I will not say this Colloquial phrase as I am wise enough not to smoke!
Quote of the week: Zitat der Woche:
“God never asks us questions in order to gain information. God asks us questions in order for us to think about the question and answer it for ourselves.” MIB
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English – English – English – English – English – English – English – English – English – English
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