Necessity is the mother of invention

Necessity is the mother of invention

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

Translate the Text into English: Übersetzen:

Susann, Andreas, Nadine, Heike, Reiner, and Simone.

Ich habe ihn.

Wir trinken seine Milch.

Wir essen seine Bananen.

Die Katze trinkt eure Milch.

Merkel braucht uns.

Alle mögen ihn.

Sie mag jede Zeitung.

Wir sehen jedes Ei.

Ich kenne euch nicht.

Nein, es ist jemand anderes.

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Business English Word of the Week:

Geschäftsenglisch Wort der Woche:

A business word/phrase = power cuts – Stromausfälle.

At the time of writing. Businesses in the UK can claim compensation for power cuts lasting over 12 hours (non-storm conditions), starting at £180, plus £40 for every additional 12 hours. Compensation is managed by network operators (not suppliers), with payments for longer outages or frequent, shorter cuts. Contact your operator, often found via 105, within 3 months of restoration.

 

Law English Word of the Week:

Gesetz Englisches Wort der Woche:

A law word/phrase = their official capacity – ihre offizielle Funktion.

Acting in an official capacity in law refers to actions taken by an individual—such as a government official, corporate officer, or agent—while exercising their formal duties and authority on behalf of an entity. These actions are distinct from personal acts and are usually authorised, making the entity, not the individual, liable for resulting liability.

Sample Sentence:

“The police officer was performing their task within their official capacity under the Law.”

 

Vocabulary for Contracts:

Wortschatz für Verträge:

A word/phrase for contracts = Refunded – zurückerstattet – to get your money back, “a money back guarantee”.

Sample Sentences:

“Upon receipt of delivery in the case of damaged products, the amount of each damaged product must be refunded immediately.”

“We operate a money-back guarantee on all our products if our customers are not fully satisfied.”

 

Vocabulary for Negotiations:

Wortschatz für Verhandlungen:

A word/phrase for negotiations = a credit note – eine Gutschrift.

Sample Sentence:

“I would like to make sure that if the articles purchased arrive at our factory in a state that either we cannot use, are made of the wrong material that we have specified within the contract or are not up to the quality standard specified within our contract, then we wish to have a credit note issued immediately for the full cost of those items delivered.”

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Word of the day: Wort des Tages:

Lackadaisical means lacking enthusiasm, interest, or energy, often characterised by lazy, careless, or half-hearted efforts. It describes a spiritless, indifferent, or dreamy, lazy approach to tasks.

Sample Sentences:

• “His professors did not approve of his lackadaisical approach to studies.”

• “They had a lackadaisical attitude, making a lackadaisical attempt at their science project.”

• “The café service was lackadaisical, the waiters and the waitresses serving at an extremely slow pace.”

Phrase of the day: Satz des Tages:

“The Hub of the Universe” is a nickname for Boston, Massachusetts, USA, signifying it as a central, albeit ironic, focal point of commerce, culture, or activity. Popularised from Oliver Wendell Holmes’ phrase “The Hub of the Solar System,” it implies a place considered the centre of everything, often used to describe major hubs like Boston or NYC. I think most babies and toddlers think they are at the centre of their own Universe.

Key Aspects and Usage Examples:

• Original Usage (Boston): Refers to Boston’s historical, intellectual, and economic significance.

• General Usage: Refers to any city, place, or entity that acts as a central hub or focal point for activities, such as a major transportation or business centre.

• Figurative Usage: Can describe a person or entity that acts as the centre of attention, power, or importance in a particular context.

• Idiomatic Meaning: Often indicates a place where major events, trends, or conversations revolve

 

Idiom of the day: Redewendung des Tages:

“Barking up the wrong tree” = “Auf dem Holzweg sein.”  – This is an English idiom meaning to have the wrong idea, pursue a mistaken line of thought, or blame the wrong person. It signifies wasting effort on a misguided action or misconception. The phrase originates from 19th-century American hunting, referring to hounds that have cornered their prey in the wrong tree.

Sample Sentences:

“If you ask me for a percentage raise, you’re barking up the wrong tree; The CEO controls the budget.”

“As usual, the Private detective thought the butler did it, but he was barking up the wrong tree.”

“If we both think that this software bug is caused by the front-end code, we’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“Trying to convince her to change her mind is barking up the wrong tree; I know her, she is too stubborn.”

British English / American English Vocabulary:

Britisches Englisch / Amerikanisches Englisch Wortschatz:

British English (B.E.) = a multi-plug for electricity

American English (A.E.) = A power strip

NOTE: like I have for my computer desk, which has the possibility to plug in 8 different plugs, plus a couple of points for USB ports.

Special Grammar Tip of the Week:

Spezieller Grammatik-Tipp der Woche:

Passive + by = “We were woken up by a noise.”

Something was invented by – Wurde erfunden von – Germans say FROM.

A song by the Beatles.

A book written by Shakespeare.

Produced, manufactured, written, sang, played, etc. BY and NOT From.

“My brother was BITTEN BY a DOG last week.” = Because the DOG was the one who was DOING the BITING. Some sort of ACTION DONE BY something else.

Pronunciation Tip: Aussprachetipp:

Heal – heel / sole – soul / die – dye.

These words are pronounced in the same way, so we will practice this in our lesson.

Heilen – Ferse eines Fußes / Sohle eines Schuhs – die Seele / sterben – färben.

 

False Friends Tip of the Week:

Falsche Freunde Tipp der Woche:

German                    = eine Bank

Translation              = a Bank (for money)

False Friend (F.F.)   = Auf einer Bank sitzen

Meaning of F.F.        = To sit on a bench

„Sie Sieht die Bank nicht.“ „She does not see the bank.” The Bank could mean the place where you put your money or the bank of a river (the sides of the river – the riverbank). Bank German = bench in a park, whereas bank money river False Friend – “Don’t bank on it!”

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Wit, wit, wit – Food:

Witz, Witz, Witz – Ausbildung:

“At my lemonade stand, I used to give the first glass away free and charge 5 dollars for the second glass. The refill contained the antidote.”

Quote by Emo Philips.

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Slang word of the day:

Slangwort des Tages:

To stop all that “Jiggery and Pokery” = secret or dishonest behaviour, noun informal British.

noun: jiggery-pokery meaning to be deceitful or dishonest behaviour.

Sample Sentence:

“The Navy’s quick intervention was disguised by constitutional jiggery-pokery.”

Colloquial / Colloquialisms:

Umgangssprache / Umgangssprache:

A Hamster Bike = A home trainer / Tretmann HOME – Klappbarer Heimtrainer = A “Hamster Bike” generally refers to either a metaphorical “hamster wheel” representing monotonous, repetitive, and unproductive work, or a physical, miniature, all-terrain Russian motorcycle called the “Khomyak” (Hamster). Synonyms for the metaphor include the “rat race,” “treadmill,” or “endless loop” of tasks.

Metaphorical Meaning: “Hamster Wheel”

• Usage Examples: Used to describe being busy all day but accomplishing nothing, such as answering emails constantly without moving projects forward. It is often applied to high-speed, high-energy efforts that yield no progress, commonly in corporate or, as explained on Quora, life-routine contexts.

Cockney Rhyming Slang:

Cockney Reimender Slang:

Duke of Kent = rent (the rent (money) that someone pays on a flat (apartment) or on a house, paid to the Landlord or Landlady).

Quote of the week: Zitat der Woche:

Alica Cooper: His message was clear:

“Legacy is not measured by what you keep. It is measured by what you give to change lives.”

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