All about the US II : emblems and symbols of the US

Here we are once again learning more quirks about one of the cornerstones of the English language : the US. Did you read my post about Independence Day ? Well, now you're fully prepared for this one. In this post I would like to honour this beautiful country by stating some of its most known symbols : 

Symbols and emblems of the US

a) The US flag

From : http://www.usaflagsupply.com/american-flags/ 

Who hasn't seen the US flag in films, TV serials or hanging from the houses ? It is a symbol of patriotism. All the US citizens carry it or have a representation of it in their clothes during Independence Day (July, 4th) or the Veteran's Day (11th November). As you will know, there are 50 stripes including the fifty states comprised in the US, and thirteen stars, representing the first thirteen colonies which declared independence from the United Kingdom. 

Colours bear a lot of importance as well : the white colour represents innocence and purity; red represents hardiness and courage and blue is the colour of justice. 

b) The bald eagle : 

From : http://guff.com/20-bald-eagles-who-love-america

This is the US representative animal. Why ? There are various reasons : first and foremost, it is an animal that lives for a long time, so it is often associated to perseverance and hardiness. In addition it is a noble animal featured by its strength and resilience, an animal that lives alone in the mountains, being totally free. 

c) Skyscrapers : The US is cramped with skyscrapers. They are everywhere. Why ? Probably because skyscrapers represent grandeur and they are majestic creations. Somehow they represent the American dream : everything is possible. One of the most important skyscrapers is the Empire State Building. 

From : http://www.esbnyc.com/

d) The statue of Liberty : Who doesn't know it ? Built by Gustave Eiffel (yeah ! You heard right !) ,the statue represents freedom since it represents the Goddess of liberty. However, it is more frequently associated to a feeling of hope especially for the foreigners who arrive in the US looking for an opportunity. The statue will welcome newcomers standing majestically over Liberty Island and this is why it is holding a torch. It also holds something law-like, so it is closely connected to justice, reminding foreigners that they must abide by the law if they want to succeed. The statue was built in Paris who gave it to the US as a symbol of gratitude. There are two more "replicas" of the statue in Paris and Vegas. 

From : https://www.statuecruises.com/

e) Hamburger : With 50 million burgers eaten yearly in the US, and three hamburgers eaten weekly by each household, we cannot deny that burgers have become a national symbol for the US. There is even a National Hamburger Day (28th May). 

From : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hamburgers

f) Bison / buffalo : This almost sacred animal dates back to a time of an American populated by Indians. It is often linked to abundance, strength, stability and prosperity, survival and honour. The native Americans worshiped the bison to secure their abundance of food and harvest. 

From : http://www.rikkflohr.com/specials/thunderinwinterprint.htm

g) Turkey : Another very popular animal . Tons and tons of turkeys are eaten all along the year, especially on Thanksgiving and at Christmas. In fact, 46 million turkey are eaten only on Thanksgiving. Every year, two turkeys are pardoned by the president, that means the lives of two turkeys are speared, while millions and millions are slaughtered to serve as food.

From : http://theanimalglobe.com/turkey-clipart/

h) The national anthem : The Star-Spangled Banner is one of the most important songs in the US. I am sure you will have listened to it in films or in TV serials such as The Simpsons, or during the breaks of Superbowl. The song is an example of resilience, enhancing the bravery and courage of the US people and soldiers. It is an inspiring song that all the citizens take extremely seriously and you can see in the video :

i) The White House : Another representative symbol of the Americans. The White House has repeatedly been shot in all kinds of films. Once more it represents America's grandeur since it has 132 rooms, including a bowling alley, a swimming pool, a cinema, outdoor basketball and tennis courts and 35 bathrooms. Isn't it amazing ? The perfect house to organise scavenger hunts. In fact, it is a tradition to organise a scavenger hunt for the children of the new president. President George Washington had the idea to build it and President Adams was its first inhabitant. The White House has even a webpage that you can see here. Thus, the White House has become an undeniable symbol of leadership, given that it has stood there over the centuries and has put up countless and countless presidents. 

From : https://www.whitehouse.gov/about/inside-white-house

j) American football and baseball : These sports clearly represent the US. American football is watched every Sunday and on Thanksgiving wishing to see their favourite team's touchdowns. Everybody is watching when the Superbowl is on. This huge annual event is never missed since it displays a wide range of performances and acting, a display of fireworks,... amazing ! Advertisements during Superbowl are outrageously expensive reaching 5 million dollars !   

Regarding baseball, it is really popular among schools. Pitchers, catchers and batters struggle to get the final goal : a home run. Here you can see a video-quiz about these sports. Why don't you try doing it ?

Baseball and American football on PhotoPeach



k) Arms : Sadly, arms and weapons have become commonplace in the US. As you may already know, Americans have the right to bear arms to defend themselves. Citizens usually carry more than one gun as it is established in the second amendment of the Constitution. There have been several attempts to limit this amendment, but most of them have failed. The arm policy has led to shooting sprees in high schools or to some big companies mildly requesting their customers not to bring guns to their shops. 

From : http://49ccscoot.proboards.com/thread/8652/lock-scooter

Well, as you can see the US has a lot of symbols. This post is far from being over. Sooner or later I will write another one with important monuments in the US, its influential people, its festivities and its food. Anyway, I hope you will have learnt a lot from this post ! Please, post a comment ! 

Joy all over my body !

Well, I know I promised that this week I would write another post about the US, reprising my post about Independence Day last week. However, as some of you may know, I got really good news : I passed my public examinations to be a teacher at a Language School, and not only that, at last I can get to share the life with my girlfriend, who also happened to pass her public exams, in Madrid. This wonderful news led me to write this post about expressions and idioms related to happiness. English has different ways of expressing happiness, so let's examine some of them :

Adjectives and synonyms of 'happy'

Content / contented

Joyful / joyous

Gay / jolly / glad

Cheerful / cheery

Merry

Adverbs associated to happiness :

To be blissfully happy 

To be deliriously happy 

To be extremely happy  

Extreme adjectives for 'happy' : These adjectives cannot be premodified by 'very' but they can be premodified by 'extremely' or 'totally'. These adjectives mean 'much more than happy.' 

Delighted / pleased 

Elated 

Jubilant 

Ecstatic (filled with ecstasy) 

Euphoric 

Blissful 

Overjoyed 

Rapturous 

To be cock-a-hoop over something (informal expression)

Idioms related to happiness
To be on cloud nine  

From : http://www.kaplaninternational.com/blog/on-cloud-nine-idiom

To be in seventh heaven 

From : http://www.symbols-n-emoticons.com/2014/03/emoticon-in-seventh-heaven.html

To be over the moon 

From : https://www.illustrationsource.com/stock/image/2062/a-man-walking-over-the-moon/?&results_per_page=1&detail=TRUE&page=3

To walk / to tread on air
To be jumping for joy 
To be on top of the world 
I believe I can fly

From : https://plus.google.com/106970685184723047804/posts/W9ET5c6Tttu

To burst with joy 
To have a whale of a time = to have a really good time 

From : http://www.123greetings.com/birthday/kids/have_a_whale_of_a_birthday.html

(To cry) tears of joy / happiness / victory 

From : http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/mind-read/why_do_we_cry_when

Similes related to happiness :
Similes are idioms that compare two things, objects, people or situation. 
They are usually compared with 'as' or 'like' :
To be as happy as Larry : This one rhymes, similar to Spanish 'ser feliz como una perdiz.'
To be as happy as a clam (at high tide) 

From : http://lobbylobster.com/shellfish-university/clams/

To be as happy as a sandboy 
To be like a child with a new toy (when you receive a really good present) 
To be as happy as a little boy on Christmas Day 

From : http://www.speaktomeenglish.com/idioms/as-happy-as-a-sandboy-i26/

To be as happy as a lark 

From : http://www.trafalgarssquare.com/products/happy-as-a-lark-1

To be as happy as a flea in a doghouse 
To be happy as can be
To be as happy as a king. Can you imagine someone happier as a king ?
To be as pleased as punch : This one is outdated.
To be high as a kite : (probably because you took drugs)

Metaphors related to happiness

I would like to finish this post with one of the most precious metaphors about happiness used by the English : 'a bundle of joy.' Can you guess what this metaphor refers to ? It refers to a baby. What else could be a bundle of joy ? Another metaphor worth mentioning is a happy camper, referring to a happy person ! Last but not least, a metaphor associated to pink colour : to be tickled pink

From : http://www.kaplaninternational.com/blog/tickled-pink

Did you enjoy and learn some expressions related to happiness ? I hope so. Thanks to passing my exam I am over the moon now, like some songs say 'I am so happy I could die'... Anyway, here you have the links to some other posts about idioms : animal idioms I, animal idioms II, violence idioms, food idioms, idioms related to cold,  idioms related to heat and idioms related to luck. Besides, on your right, you can click on my post about the song : It's a Beautiful Day, quite an optimistic song, perfect to finish this post related to happiness. See you soon ! 

Enjoy ! 

All about the US I : Independence Day

Last Monday it was Independence Day, a very important day for the United States. It was on this day in 1776 that after a lot of years of working hard for the United Kingdom, of preparing manufactured products for them, of belonging to another country... the United States said "no more". What does it mean ? It simply means that the United States is a very young country which has gone through a lot of suffering to consider its hard-earned independence from the British Empire. Let's learn some trivia facts and customs about this day : 

1. It all started with tea : tea lit the spark of independence : Surprising though it may sound, tea is very much responsible for the United States' independence. The British Parliament decided to raise taxes in some goods including tea. This was badly considered by the Americans ("no taxation without representation") and they reacted by throwing the tea of boats into the sea ! This act of 1773 reignited the feeling of revolt that would lead to the Revolutionary War of 1776. 

From : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Tea_Party 

2. Stamp also led to independence : The British Parliament also decided to impose a special tax on stamps, forcing the American colonies to use stamps produced in the United Kingdom. Obviously, Americans were furious with this decision, so they protested formally in the Stamp Act Congress, considering the United Kingdom had no rights to tax them. This was also followed by revolts and riots on the streets. 

From : http://hdimagelib.com/stamp+act+congress

3. Why are there 13 stripes in the US flag ? : In 1776, thirteen colonies, namely Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island and Province Plantations proclaimed themselves free from the tyranny of the United Kingdom. The thirteen stripes are a homage to these first "thirteen heroes". I can't believe why some people say that number thirteen brings bad luck ! Well, may be for the UK, he he ! 

From : http://slideplayer.com/slide/737638/

4. Independence was hard to get : Revolutionary War and Treaty of Paris : Although the official year of Independence was 4th July 1776, it was, in fact, a very long process : it was first signed in August 1776. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and revised by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. However, actual independence wouldn't come to an end until 1783, after the Revolutionary War. That year, the Treaty of Paris was signed, stating the borders of the United States and especially its complete autonomy and self-determination from the United Kingdom. 

From : http://www.latinorebels.com/tag/declaration-of-independence/

From : http://americainclass.org/sources/makingrevolution/war/text9/text9.htm

5. Modern celebrations of Independence Day : Independence Day is a bank holiday in the US and one of the most important festivals. People go out, hang US flags on their houses and even wear patterns of it in their clothes, they have barbecues or picnics with family and friends, there are big parades all over the US, firework displays, and other important events. Most importantly, the American Independence has become a leitmotif in films, books, all around the globe; a symbol for freedom, bravery and independence. 
Here you can see some news about the Fourth of July (more common than Independence Day)

Did you enjoy a little bit more about July, 4th ? I hope so. If you are not so fond of reading and prefer videos, I recommend you watch this last video which somehow summarizes my post. See you next week with some more symbols of the US !

Lexical creativity : English flexibility never ceases to surprise us !

Hello there,

I have been busy for a while sitting public examinations for the zillionth time. Anyway, I would have wanted to write a blog entry about Brexit and my opinion, but I kind of lost the opportunity studying hard.

Anyway, after all this I decided to write a blog entry about lexical creativity. English has different -and funny mechanisms to create new words :

1) Blending : As you may have read in my previous article about blends and exercises about blending, this process consists of using part of a word and part of another words and mix (blend) them together. The  most common process is to take the beginning of a word and the ending of the other one. However, there are some exceptions, such as 'satnav', formed by merging to beginnings of two words.  New products and words are created through this process : 

Brexit = Britain + exit

Bregret = Britain + regret

Bremain = Britain + remain

Satnav = satellite + navigator

On some occasions, blending can be masterfully used as a way to cause laughter. Don't believe me ? Have a look at the following puns about the consequences of Brexit ? Do you recognize the two elements used in blending here ?

2) Word coinage : This process consists of inventing a new lexical item from scratch. The inventions of the words 'aspirin' or 'Google' are the result of this process. Sometimes, new inventions are eponyms, words resulting from the person contributing to the invention of the word. Examples of this are 'jacuzzi' (Candido Jacuzzi) or 'Thatcherism' (named after Margaret Thatcher).

3) Conversion : This process is basically about changing the grammatical category of a word. 'Photo' is usually a noun, but the magic of English allows sentences like 'prepare to be photoed', where 'photo' is used as a verb. The opposite thing happens with 'swim', which is usually a verb, but it can be transformed into a noun as seen in the sentence : he went to the beach to have a 'swim.'

4) Compounding : This phenomenon is produced when we join two or more words together.

This was done by Mark Zuckerberg when he invented Facebook = face + book. There are more ways to do this : we can do it with hyphens. We can join a lot of words with hyphens  as in 'animal-robot; 'Jack-of-all-trades' or 'the-girl-who-lives-next-door's' father. In addition, we can add the suffix -like (similar to) or the adjective -free to create non-existing words as in computer-like object or meat-free dinner. 

5) Affixation / derivation : This process consists of adding prefixes or suffixes to some stems to form non-sensical or non-existing words. This is a funny process : you can invent new words and be creative. Let's see this in detail :
- Prefixes : 'unsit' (stand up); 'superbook' (a very big book); 'minibottle' (a very small bottle); 'bitable' (a table consisting of two boards or with two legs); 'polyhanded' (with a lot of hands)
- Suffixes : 'feelingless' (with no feelings); 'chocolatish' (similar to chocolate); 'importantness' (another words for 'importance'), 'boldery' (bravery), 'best-sellerdom' (the quality of selling well).
- Prefixes and suffixes : 'unopenable' (something that can't be opened).

6) Shortenings / clippings : It is a very interesting process where words are reduced. 'Photo' is the clipped form of 'photograph'; 'ad', and 'advert' are clippings for 'advertisement'; 'vegs' or 'veggies' are shortenings of 'vegetables'...

7) Acronyms and initials : As you can see in my blog entry about abbreviations and initials, there are lots of example s of acronyms and initials : DJ (disc jockey); laser (light amplification system of emission or radiation); PIN (Personal Identification Number),...

8) Loanwords : They are borrowings from other languages. As you can see in my blog entry about all the languages which have influenced English, English receive influences from a great deal of languages : Italian ('piano', 'paparazzo', 'spaghetti', 'macaroni' ...); Spanish ('fiesta', 'siesta', 'burrito', ...); Latin 'matrimony', 'rapid', 'vendor', 'alumnus'...); French ('beautiful'; 'fiancé', 'ballet', 'connoisseur', 'personage'...); Greek ('polyglot'; 'philosophy', 'Philology'...); Australian ('boomerang', 'kangaroo'...); German ('kindergarten', 'hamburger'....); Hebrew ('kibbutz', 'cherub'...) 

As you have seen, English is quite an interesting language that allows you to invent and create new words to make yourself understood, so do not doubt it , keep learning English and start inventing words. At the end of the day, that's what most native speakers do ! 

P.S. Why don't you invent more words and post them in the comments? It would be really interesting to see your creations !