Day 20: Improve Your English

[Ute42]

.

I've been letting my place in Germany for 16 years through all kinds of distribution channels. Until 2017 all my guests were German. In January 2018 I decided to start listing with airbnb and I thought, I might now get international guest, time to polish up my English.

At the time my english was kind of ok on a smalltalk-level, what I was completely lacking was the vocabulary around hosting, bedding, cleaning and the like. In order to improve my english in this specialised field, I decided to start reading in the english community center. Because refering words would pop up in this forum for sure and they did.

Whenever I found a word that I didn't know I looked it up in some online dictionary. Next thing I did I created a spreadsheet with all these new words, an airbnb glossary. This is how it looks:

Sometimes though an online dictionary is not sufficant to find out the meaning of a word or an expression. A while ago some Robin in Australia opened a thread entitled:

• Stirring the pot

I couldn't find out what that means. So I sent Robin a privat message and asked him flat out: Robin, what means stirring the pot? Here's his answer:

• I will answer one expression with another....Stirring the pot is linked with Playing the devils advocate!! When you 'stir the pot', you keep the contents on the move, you stop them from boiling over but you keep some action going on in the pot! To bring that into context here Uté it means you keep the thought alive and in others minds by reactivating a worthwhile discussion. You keep on bringing up the same conversation.

Ok – thank You, I've got it. But Robin didn't stop explaining. He continuoued:

• And by playing 'Devils Advocate' you deliberately bring alternative ideas to the conversation. You will state an opinion you don't agree with for the sake of promoting conversation on a subject! Mark Rutte the Dutch Prime Minister may say that no more funds should be made available for EEU bailouts and Angela Merkel may disagree with him and say Germany and France have a duty to support the European community! Although you Ute, agree with Angela Merkel you deliberately take the side of Mark Rutte in order to bring new ideas up that may make both sides agree.

This was not the end of his explanation. Then he talked about the expressiveness of the english language, that it's like a river flowing to the sea, about channels and ditches, empty streams,

tributaries, directions and the ocean.

You must know one thing: Whenever You drop @Robin4  two lines, he comes back with 37 lines. Robin loves to write, he's a great writer an many people in the CC love him for that.

By the way: I learned another word from Robin:

• Jibber Jabber

Have You ever seen that before? I found the word in one of Robins posts:

• But company 'jibber jabber' like that don't instill me with confidence.

I forgot which company he was talking about, but it doesn' matter in this context anyway.

I continued to read in the english CC and while cruising through the lines, again and again I came across the word „bleep“, and it was always accompanied with 2 asterix' in front and in the back:

• **bleep**.

It's easy of course to find out what bleep means, that's the sound a bird makes when it tweets. But **bleep** came up in so many places and in so many contexts and none of them was bird-relatet. I just couldn't figure out what the meanig of it was.

And then this happened: In 2015 I hosted a group of 4 young religious women. While checking them in they told me that they will not check in, because they didn't like my place. I was furious. This was the first time in one and a half decades that someone refused to check in. In 2018 I told this story in the Comminity Center. I wrote:

When I looked how it came out in the community center, I saw this:

• For the first time in 15 years, 4 young religious womed from **bleep**,
  all wearing a **bleep**, refused to check into my place bc they didn't like it.

Aaaahaaaaa, now I understood. Airbnb has a discriminating word detector in place and whenever such a word pops up, it get's erased and replaced by **bleep**. All of a sudden everything made sense. Ever since this incident, whenever I talk about people from that area, I refer to them as „People from an area that starts with „a“ and ends with „rab“. The airbnb detector never cought me on that.

My best source of new vocbulary is the lovely @Susan17  in Dublin. While an average english native speaker has a vocabulary of 20.000 word, I think she has 60.000 words to choose from and she does. Here's a list of words I found in her recent threads:

• incendiary, knick-knack, skedaddling, flashing shamrock deely-boppers, Begorrah, malice or sleight, misogynistic, funnelling, beano, feisty side, Geezer, pesky, besmirch, abdicate, villain, astroturfing,

I had to look all these words up. Meanwhile I have restrikted myself to not reading more than 2 Susanposts per day, because it's so much work for me. Same as with Robin in Australia, sometimes I cannot find out the meaning of the words she uses through a dictionary, so I have to ask her. Recently she used the word:

• jack sh*t

Did You see how clever she is? She's putting an asterix into the second word to fool the airbnb bad word detector. So I had to asked her and here's her answer:

• Well, "jack sh*t" is a slang term that originated from the poker world, and refers to drawing an opening hand of Jack, two, unsuited (of different suits - hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades) - and it's considered to be the worst possible hand you could start with.
  
  - Did you have a good hand?"
  - "No, I had jack sh*t"
  
  In terms of everyday use, there's not a whole lot of difference in the terms "sh*t" and "jack sh*t", and both are interchangeable.

So far we've been talking abount reading in the Community Center. Now what about writing?

If You are from South America, Asia, Greenland or whereever You may come from, don't be shy to write in this community center of ours. I have never seen anybody making a remark about someone elses english being poor. This really never happened. If You don't get something, look it up and if that is not enough, ask the Person who wrote it.

You may end up with a new CC-friend in Ireland or in Australia.

Schöne Weihnachten und ein gutes neues Jahr.

[Robin4]

@Ute42 

As always, a lovely contribution Ute. My feeling is no matter what language you would write in, you would do it well because, that is what you are, You are a person who attends to details....someone who does everything possible to get it right!

And personally I think that is, ein wunderbarer Charakter Persönlichkeit

If I may be permitted to make one small correction Ute, your reference to 'Jibber Jabber'!

My intention with that remark was to say.....When someone is speaking complete nonsense, (as I have been know to do) they are speaking 'Jibber/Jabber'! They are making a statement that does not make sense, it is not a reasonable statement. The best reference to this Ute, would be many of Donald Trump's quick responses to the comments of others. They don't make any logical sense!

So, your reference here should be....."He was speaking a lot of 'Jibber/Jabber'....... 'double talk' or 'double speak'!

Things do sometimes get lost in translation though, and it doesn't matter how much you try to get it right, somethings just don't translate!

I got this review last year from a lovely couple.....

硕

April 2018

非常完美的入住体验,我们预定的时候已经比较晚了,但是主人很及时确认并且把房间清理干净,主人是一对老夫老妻,还有一只小狗,非常幸福｡主人迎接出门,并且一一介绍了房间设施,给我们介绍了他的母亲,是一位很漂亮的夫人｡这间公寓提供了牛奶,麦片,培根,坚果,咖啡,茶等等一应俱全｡我们和主人交了朋友｡Huan Qiu Qu Wan Le.Run the world.

I thought, now what is all this about, the only Chinese I know is 你好吗....pronounced 'Nee how Ma', which means literally, 'How are you'!

So I thought I would put the review through Google translate......... and this is what I got.......

So, there you go Ute, We are officially and old couple and a puppy......Ade loved the beautiful bit, but wasn't mad on being referred to as my mother!

Ute, it's not the words that are important, words are just words, it's the meaning behind them that defines your,  Charakter.

Cheers......Rob

[J-Renato0]

@Ute42 

Good and interesting post!

Now, what I am going to say is somewhat off topic.

I was in Germany in October-November this year, 2019!
I liked it! I visited 3 regions, having Berlim, Kohl and Munich as base city.
It is interesting that the germans can speak portuguese much better than the english native speaker can speak portuguese. To my surprise, I met by by chance some germans that would speak portuguese very well.
When flying from Berlim to Frankfurt I talked to a Mr who was musician and plays for the Frankfurt Opera.
My wife speaks a bit of german. When there I used english to communicate, except for when I met some people who spoke portuguese. I loved currywurst and bratwurst! 🙂

@Robin4  I got it - 'Jibber Jabber' = kind of "bull**bleep**"

To me your english is easy to understand. Once in a while you use some different idiom that I have never came across. Then I learn it looking it up it in an on line idiom dictionary! Thanks! 🙂

I think that Aussies and Brits are very similar in terms of written english. They have one common thing that has to do with portuguese culture. We also tends to beat around the bush before getting to the point and use euphemism. In fact, I think that it enriches the languages.

[Robin4]

@J-Renato0

What is puzzling to most of us is that each version of a specific language will have within it, various expressions which are exclusive to the particular region where that version of the language is spoken. 

Possibly English is the best example of this because it came into use in so many different parts of the world. This local 'colour' in the language are called colloquialisms!

Most people are aware of some of the common used local expressions. 

When describing someone doing something strange,

A (British) English speaker would say...."He's off his trolley'!

An (Australian) English speaker would say....."He's a stubbie short of a 6 pack"! 

An (American) English speaker would say ...."He's gone bananas.....Troppo"!

You are right about the written version of English though. Australia has kept very much to the current Oxford version, the same as the British have. But Americans have virtually re-invented the language and changed not only the way traditional English words are spelt but the way they are pronounced. 

Admittedly the English themselves did some really weird things with the language but possibly that had a lot to do with French influence and the Americans have simply put it back the way it possibly should have been . Words like Lieutenant the British pronounce as..... 'Leftenant', where as the Americans refer to it as Lootenant, which is more logical and matches the spelling! 

Being a writer on a couple of other sites, what annoys me immensely are the 'Language Police'! Those people  who will reproduce your post with language edits they think are more appropriate. I write the way I do for a reason, I write it my way, I don't need some w h anker from another branch of the language being my public editor!

Good on you @Ute42 for getting this thread going.

@Branka-and-Silvia0  I wish a lot more people wrote your version of English Branka! We here do tend to call that haircut a 'Mullet'....the expression coming from a 'Beastie Boys' song Mullet head! 

@Helen427 I do love the way you guys interpret English, though I must say I prefer to eat 'fish & chips'  as opposed to 'fush & chups'! ;-))

@Helen350 Helen I have no idea if you speak English 'Posh' 'Middle class' , 'Working class' or, heaven forbid.......'Footballer', but you do write English impeccably!

@Clara116 Clara, I can't make up my mind about you! You do live in America, and I guess that covers a multitude of sins! :-))

Cheers.......Rob

[Ute42]

.

@Robin4 

Very interesting, thank You.

Now if I, as a none english native writer, would pick up some expressions in the US and some expressions in the UK, wouldn't that sound strange for You to see all that in one post? Would it sound ridiculous to You? Or should we foreigners restrain from mixing up colloquialisms alltogether?

[Robin4]

@Ute42 

Hope your a bit better, but Ute, I have to say.....'self inflicted injury'! Riding around in a convertible with the top down in the midst of winter........I know desperation drives us to do strange things but Ute, what did you think would happen, he, he, he ;-((

To your question, my feeling is, what makes us great is, that we are all different, we have different ways of expressing ourselves and I think using generic colloquialisms would detract from each others identity. I personally would not like to see Australian expressions brought into other branches of English, some of our sayings would sound silly coming from someone who had no idea as to why they came into use. 

Ute, if you came back to this post and said ..."I would love to carry on with this but, I have an appointment to go to, I am goin' to hit the frog and toad" (road) .....it would sound gratuitous and silly, and yet, coming from another Aussie it is a perfectly fine and acceptable way of finishing a conversation! . 'Rhyming slang' is a large component of Australian speech, just as it is in England, but Australian examples tend to be more locally specific! 

Cheers........Rob

[Stephanie]

@Ute42 

Brit's often use Americanisms and vice versa. Most the time we understand each other...

Off his trolley is pretty old school @Robin4 . Off his rocker works too. Here's a good one - "He's gone doolally."

[Helen427]

@Ute42 @J-Renato0 @Robin4 

What a classic topic and post @Ute42 

It reminds me of when I popped into the Italian Section of CC and I got a stern talking to by

@Francescafor writing in English and not Italian 🙂 - I made sure I apologised to her and did my utmost best to make amends!

It's very good for us all to pop into another Language Section to try to learn another person's language and embrace those people's cultures.

Looking forward to more cross language Community Centre projects where we all mix into the melting pot.

All the best

[Clara116]

@Ute42 @Robin4 @J-Renato0 @Helen427   What a fun post to begin my morning (3am)  - I'm not much of a sleeper.  Thanks Ute your list was great for me as I do work to speak German and the hosting words were not words that have been thrown around when trying to communicate with another person on the street.  And the best part for me was reading how you reached out to Robin and we all know he loves writing and does it was such a brilliant flair and the exchange of learning. Yes, I often now find myself using words that I've grabbed from some of  my favorite hosts on here CC. Like the word "brilliant"  I really never used that word much and its such a positive word - I delight how it rolls off the tongue. The finest part of working to learn another language like German is in its humbling impact in my world. I'm a little embarrassed but must say so many other cultures especially those speaking German know the English language (esp. structure & use of words) way better than we Americans do. Ute you clearly demonstrate this in your spreadsheet!  I don't mean to offend anyone but I had to do a lot of apologies when I was spending some years in and all around Germany on tour as I discovered the word superficial went right along next to the word or introduction of my being an American. And this was a big upset for me as my grand father taught us "A man is only as good as his word" - his handshake was the confirmation and sealed any deal just as strongly as a legal document. So one could say you "could take his word or what he said to the bank". meaning it was good, real, honest and 100% true. I work to live by that - it does get me in trouble at times and can somehow create  what looks and sounds in me that right fighter approach/attitude.  I don't really need to be right or change someones' opinion -  I guess I just need to be heard.  Funny (odd) how we become who we are from so many elements of life, childhood and those that have impacted us.  And then when we learn a new different language suddenly that world  of comfort  is stripped down bare and we get to work to start new  and fresh. So as you can see the coffee is beginning to kick in and I'm rambling - just really want to say I so enjoy learning from, interacting with and laughing along side so many of you. You enhance my world and I'm grateful. 

p.s. Robin tell your very beautiful mother Ade (lol)  hello and give that sweet pup Betts a kiss for me.

May the days ahead be filled with joy, wonder and lots of fun  communication between us all - be well everyone, and I hope all of you find lovely & delightfully brilliant things that take your breathe away. many blessings, Clara

[J-Renato0]

@Clara116  @Ute42 

Have a look on this (just out of curiousity)
The better way to speak some second or third or fourth language is by acquisiting the language. The natural approach.

https://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zGQraXDrEw

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Ute42 

I always enjoy reading your posts and comments :)))

I am also here on CC because I like to "speak" with other hosts and, the same as you, to improve my English.  I also have the same problem with understanding idioms, expressions, and some less common words sometimes, and then google is my best friend 🙂

The best thing here on CC is how everyone is polite, and nobody ever mentioned how bad my English is, although I bet, sometimes they have to struggle to understand what I meant 😄

[Helen350]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 Your English is near perfect, near native speaker level! -(And way above 'footballer', or many of the people where I live! 🙂 )

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Helen350 

footballers? 😄  

THE haircut is called fudbalerka here.... since the 80s hehehe 😄

[Helen350]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 FOREIGN footballers in the UK often speak excellent English... It's a bit of a joke here that the native British ones do not have a good standard of English!

[Sarah977]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  That hairstyle is called a mullet on this side of the world. The 80's really was a time of really bad styles, wasn't it?