LEAP YEAR

What is a Leap Year? A leap year is a year that has one extra day in it. A leap year occurs roughly every four years. Most years have 365 days, but a leap year has 366 days. The extra day is added onto the end of the shortest month, February; in a leap year, February has 29 days (instead of its usual 28 days). February 29 is called leap day. 

LAND ON YOUR FEET

Land on your feet

To return ​ to a good ​sitution after experiencing problems, especially​ because of good luck rather​ than ​skill or hard ​work.

Este idiom se pued traducir como "Caer de pie" con el significado de llegar al lugar adecuado en el momento adecuado.

 She's really ​landed on her ​feet with this new ​job.

JAB - JUG - JAR

Word that usually are confused

 

 JAB          INYECCIÓN
 JAR          FRASCO
 JUG          JARRA

INVERSIONS

Inversion

Inversion happens when we reverse the normal word order of a structure, most commonly the subject-verb word order. For example, a statement has the subject before the verb, but to make question word order, we invert the subject and the verb, with an auxiliary or modal verb before the subject:

She sings.

Does she sing?

They are working.

Are they working?

Joe can swim.

Can Joe swim?

When does inversion happen?

The most common type of inversion is question word order. Inversion also happens in other situations.

Negative adverbs

In formal styles, when we use an adverb with negative meaning (never, seldom, rarely, scarcely, hardly) in front position for emphasis, we invert the subject and auxiliary modal verb:

Never have we witnessed such cruel behaviour by one child to another. (or We have never witnessed …)

Seldom does one hear a politician say ‘sorry’. (or One seldom hears …)

Expressions beginning with not

We also invert the subject and verb after not + a prepositional phrase or a clause in initial position:

Not for a moment did I think I would be offered the job, so I was amazed when I got it.

Not till I got home did I realise my wallet was missing.

Here and there

Inversion can happen after here, and after there when it is as an adverb of place. After here and there, we can use a main verb without an auxiliary verb or modal verb:

Here comes the bus!

Here’s your coffee.

I opened the door and there stood Michael, all covered in mud.

PAT A CAKE

PAT A CAKE

"Pat-a-cake” is one of the oldest and most widely known Nursery Rhymes.

The rhyme is often accompanied by hand-clapping between two people, a clapping game. It alternates between a normal individual clap with two-handed claps with the other person. The hands may be crossed as well. This allows for a possibly complex sequence of clapping that must be coordinated between the two. If told by a parent to a child, the "B" and "baby" in the last two lines are sometimes replaced by the child's first initial and first name.

Common modern versions include:

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man.

Bake me a cake as fast as you can;

Pat it and shape it and mark it with "B",

And bake it in the oven for baby and me.

Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man.

Bake me a cake as fast as you can;

Roll it up, roll it up;

And throw it in a pan!

Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man.

 

 

CALL A SPADE A SPADE

"To call a spade a spade" 

Este idiom tiene en español una traducción casi exacta:

Al pan pan y al vino vino 

Van Gogh's bedroom

Only this particular chambre isn't in the "Yellow House" in Arles, France, but in Chicago, where an exhibition devoted to the artist's quest for home is opening on Sunday.

As part of a promotional campaign, The Art Institute of Chicago commissioned a recreation of the famous room, which rents for just $10 a night in Chicago's River North neighborhood.

"We hope it's a way to bring fresh eyes and fresh perspective to the painting, which has long been an icon of our permanent collection," said Art Institute spokeswoman Amanda Hicks.

More than 30 additional works round out the exhibit.

The $10 nightly rate includes tickets to the exhibition.

There's also a to-scale replica of the bedroom within the exhibition itself.

That replica is part of an immersive experience featuring music and scrolling images and text.

Saint Valentine (History)

Saint Valentine (History)

PANCAKE FOR KIDS

PANCAKE DAY

PANCAKE DAY

Pancake Day has been celebrated by Britons for centuries.  Known also as Shrove Tuesday, its exact date, rather confusingly, changes every year, because it is determined by when Easter falls. But it is always the day preceding Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), and always falls in February or March. This year, you'll need to get your pans ready for Tuesday, February 9th.

Traditionally, pancakes were eaten on this day to use up rich, indulgent foods like eggs and milk before the 40-day fasting season of Lent began. But although it is enshrined in Christian tradition, it is believed that Pancake Day might originate in a pagan holiday, when eating warm, round pancakes - symbolising the sun - was a way of celebrating the arrival of spring. 

ALL, EVERY AND WHOLE

ALL, EVERY AND WHOLE

Tanto "all"como "whole" significan "todo". Hay algunas pequeñas diferencias.

ALL

La estructura es: all + determinante + sustantivo
Ejemplo:

He is thinking about the exam all the time.

WHOLE

La estructura es: determinante + whole + sustantivo
Ejemplo:

He is thinking about the exam the whole time.

EVERY

Significa "todos", y se utiliza cuando mencionamos la frecuencia
Ejemplo:

We go there every year.

THESAURUS

IT IS A NETWORKED COLLECTION OF VOCABULARY TERMS USING ASSOCIATIVE RELATIONSHIP.

GROUNDHOG DAY

Groundhog Day

  It is a traditional holiday celebrated on February 2. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhod emerges from its burrow on this day, then the spring season will come early; if it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its den, and winter weather will persist for six more weeks.