“Zero” is obviously a number in English, but do you know how else it can be used?

Learn some popular expressions with “zero,” including:

• To zero in (on)
• Zero tolerance
• To go from zero to hero

Check out more examples of using “zero” in Cultural English 28.

~Jeff

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What Will I Learn in My Free Lesson?

Here is just a small part of what you’re going to learn in this free lesson:

• What “take a rain check” means and how to use it in a conversation . . .
• The difference between a “recluse” and a “busybody” . . .
• Why “to fend OFF” means something from “to fend FOR” . . .
• What it means to “take a rain check,” “keep to yourself,” and “to appoint (someone)” . . .
• What a social secretary is . . .
• The best way to use “to sort out” and “to turn down” . . .
• How to use phrasal verbs like “to settle in” and “to settle down” (they’re not the same!) . . .

“Short” has lots of uses in English. Learn about some of the most popular ones in this video, including:

• To be short on
• Nothing short of
• To make a long story short (Long story, short)
• The long and the short of it

And for even more uses of short, check out our Cultural English 549  and Daily English 961 – Learning to Dance.

~Jeff

English uses a lot of abbreviations, especially in business English. Learn some common ones and when to use them in this video:

• YTD
• TBD
• ETA
• EOD
• COB

To improve your English ASAP (as soon as possible), check our our Unlimited English Membership.

And get even more abbreviation help, listen to our Cultural English 20.

~Jeff

P.S. Like this English lesson? Get a FREE sample lesson (no money needed) – SIGN UP BELOW!

Just fill out the form below and we’ll send a FREE lesson to try!

We hate spam, too! We will never sell, rent, or give your information to anyone – ever!

What Will I Learn in My Free Lesson?

Here is just a small part of what you’re going to learn in this free lesson:

• What “take a rain check” means and how to use it in a conversation . . .
• The difference between a “recluse” and a “busybody” . . .
• Why “to fend OFF” means something from “to fend FOR” . . .
• What it means to “take a rain check,” “keep to yourself,” and “to appoint (someone)” . . .
• What a social secretary is . . .
• The best way to use “to sort out” and “to turn down” . . .
• How to use phrasal verbs like “to settle in” and “to settle down” (they’re not the same!) . . .

“Jack” has many different meanings and uses in English. Find out how to use them correctly in this video.

I’ll explain how to use “jack” in different expressions, including:

• a man named John
• something for your car
• a playing card
• “jack of all trades, master of none”
• “you don’t know jack”

For more on “jack,” see our Daily English 416 – Finding a Niche in Business.

~Jeff

P.S. Like this English lesson? Get a FREE sample lesson (no money needed) – SIGN UP BELOW!

Just fill out the form below and we’ll send a FREE lesson to try!

We hate spam, too! We will never sell, rent, or give your information to anyone – ever!

What Will I Learn in My Free Lesson?

Here is just a small part of what you’re going to learn in this free lesson:

• What “take a rain check” means and how to use it in a conversation . . .
• The difference between a “recluse” and a “busybody” . . .
• Why “to fend OFF” means something from “to fend FOR” . . .
• What it means to “take a rain check,” “keep to yourself,” and “to appoint (someone)” . . .
• What a social secretary is . . .
• The best way to use “to sort out” and “to turn down” . . .
• How to use phrasal verbs like “to settle in” and “to settle down” (they’re not the same!) . . .

A “pair” refers to two things. But can you have a pair of pairs?

And what words do you have to use “pair” with?

Learn all about using “pair” in this video.

For more information on pair and pairs, see our Daily English 5 – Getting Dressed and Ready for Work.

~Jeff

P.S. Like this English lesson? Get a FREE sample lesson (no money needed) – SIGN UP BELOW!

Just fill out the form below and we’ll send a FREE lesson to try!

We hate spam, too! We will never sell, rent, or give your information to anyone – ever!

What Will I Learn in My Free Lesson?

Here is just a small part of what you’re going to learn in this free lesson:

• What “take a rain check” means and how to use it in a conversation . . .
• The difference between a “recluse” and a “busybody” . . .
• Why “to fend OFF” means something from “to fend FOR” . . .
• What it means to “take a rain check,” “keep to yourself,” and “to appoint (someone)” . . .
• What a social secretary is . . .
• The best way to use “to sort out” and “to turn down” . . .
• How to use phrasal verbs like “to settle in” and “to settle down” (they’re not the same!) . . .

What’s the difference between someone saying “I’m hungry” and “I’m hungryish”?

You’ll hear a lot of words ending in “-ish” in conversational English, but what does this suffix (word ending) really mean?

Find out about the differences in how we turn nouns to adjectives with –ish and how to use them in a sentence.

For more on “ish,” see our Cultural English 324 lesson here.

~Jeff

P.S. Like this English lesson? Get a FREE sample lesson (no money needed) – SIGN UP BELOW!

Just fill out the form below and we’ll send a FREE lesson to try!

We hate spam, too! We will never sell, rent, or give your information to anyone – ever!

What Will I Learn in My Free Lesson?

Here is just a small part of what you’re going to learn in this free lesson:

• What “take a rain check” means and how to use it in a conversation . . .
• The difference between a “recluse” and a “busybody” . . .
• Why “to fend OFF” means something from “to fend FOR” . . .
• What it means to “take a rain check,” “keep to yourself,” and “to appoint (someone)” . . .
• What a social secretary is . . .
• The best way to use “to sort out” and “to turn down” . . .
• How to use phrasal verbs like “to settle in” and “to settle down” (they’re not the same!) . . .

There are some nouns in English that are only used in the plural (with an -s at the end).

Learn why you should never use these nouns in the singular:

• thanks/congratulations
• contents
• earnings
• amends

For more on plural nouns, see our Cultural English 97 lesson.

~Jeff

P.S. Like this English lesson? Get a FREE sample lesson (no money needed) – SIGN UP BELOW!

Just fill out the form below and we’ll send a FREE lesson to try!

We hate spam, too! We will never sell, rent, or give your information to anyone – ever!

What Will I Learn in My Free Lesson?

Here is just a small part of what you’re going to learn in this free lesson:

• What “take a rain check” means and how to use it in a conversation . . .
• The difference between a “recluse” and a “busybody” . . .
• Why “to fend OFF” means something from “to fend FOR” . . .
• What it means to “take a rain check,” “keep to yourself,” and “to appoint (someone)” . . .
• What a social secretary is . . .
• The best way to use “to sort out” and “to turn down” . . .
• How to use phrasal verbs like “to settle in” and “to settle down” (they’re not the same!) . . .

I recently talked about “loanwords” in a short video about “glitch” and “ketchup.”

Today, I talk about three more common loanwords in English:

cul-de-sac

kudos

angst

To expand your vocabulary even faster, check our our Unlimited English Membership here.

~Jeff

P.S. Like this English lesson? Get a FREE sample lesson (no money needed) – SIGN UP BELOW!

Just fill out the form below and we’ll send a FREE lesson to try!

We hate spam, too! We will never sell, rent, or give your information to anyone – ever!

What Will I Learn in My Free Lesson?

Here is just a small part of what you’re going to learn in this free lesson:

• What “take a rain check” means and how to use it in a conversation . . .
• The difference between a “recluse” and a “busybody” . . .
• Why “to fend OFF” means something from “to fend FOR” . . .
• What it means to “take a rain check,” “keep to yourself,” and “to appoint (someone)” . . .
• What a social secretary is . . .
• The best way to use “to sort out” and “to turn down” . . .
• How to use phrasal verbs like “to settle in” and “to settle down” (they’re not the same!) . . .

“Literal” and “figurative” are two types of meaning in English, but they are often confused (even by native English speakers!).

Learn the difference between them in this video, and why Americans who say “I was literally starving” will not die soon of hunger.

For more on the use of “literally,” see our Daily English 840 – Translating a Document and Cultural English 334.

~Jeff

P.S. Like this English lesson? Get a FREE sample lesson (no money needed) – SIGN UP BELOW!

Just fill out the form below and we’ll send a FREE lesson to try!

We hate spam, too! We will never sell, rent, or give your information to anyone – ever!

What Will I Learn in My Free Lesson?

Here is just a small part of what you’re going to learn in this free lesson:

• What “take a rain check” means and how to use it in a conversation . . .
• The difference between a “recluse” and a “busybody” . . .
• Why “to fend OFF” means something from “to fend FOR” . . .
• What it means to “take a rain check,” “keep to yourself,” and “to appoint (someone)” . . .
• What a social secretary is . . .
• The best way to use “to sort out” and “to turn down” . . .
• How to use phrasal verbs like “to settle in” and “to settle down” (they’re not the same!) . . .