Monthly Archives

August 2023

Intermediate+ Word of the Day: piss

Piss is the vulgar word we use for urine or the act of urinating. As a verb, it means ‘to urinate.’ But piss has many other meanings, depending on the adverb we use it with. For example, piss away means ‘to waste’ something, such as money, time, or an opportunity. In the UK, piss off means ‘to leave a place,’ but to piss someone off is…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: noodle

A noodle is a dried strip of egg or other dough, a bit like pasta, that is boiled and mostly served in soups or with stir fries; it is very common in Asian cuisine. As a slang term and, figuratively, noodle means ‘head’ and it also describes a foolish person. Used originally as a jazz term, to noodle means…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: tie

To tie means ‘to bind something with a cord’ or ‘to fasten something by making a knot.’ Figuratively, it can mean ‘to join firmly’ and, with negative connotations, ‘to restrict.’ In games, sports, or contests, when you tie, it means that you get the same score as your opponent. As a noun, a tie is a cord or string used for tying, a knot or bow, and broadly…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: clutch

To clutch means ‘to seize or hold tightly.’ As a slang term, in US English, usually followed by “up,” it means ‘to panic and become tense.’ This use was more common a few decades ago. A clutch, as a noun, is a tight grip or hold and, often in the plural form clutches, it means…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: pad

A pad is a piece of soft material used for comfort, protection, applying ointments or creams or cleaning, or for stuffing. It is also the soft cushion of flesh under the end of each finger and toe, in humans, or on the underside of an animal’s paw. A number of sheets of…

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