Never Ending English Lessons

Black Friday (USA)   Black Friday is the day following  Thanksgiving Day in the United States  (the fourth Thursday of November). Since 1952, it has been regarded as the beginning of the  Christmas shopping season  in the U.S., and most major retailers open very early (and more recently during overnight hours) and offer promotional sales. Black Friday is not an official holiday, but California and some other states observe "The Day After Thanksgiving" as a holiday for  state government  employees, sometimes in lieu of another federal holiday such as  Columbus Day . Many non-retail employees and schools have both Thanksgiving and the following Friday off, which along with the following regular weekend, makes it a four-day weekend, thereby increasing the number of potential shoppers. It has routinely been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005.

Thanksgiving Day   Thanksgiving Day  is a national  holiday  celebrated in  Canada , the  United States , some of the  Caribbean islands , and  Liberia . It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the  harvest  and of the preceding year. Similarly named festival holidays occur in  Germany  and  Japan . Thanksgiving is celebrated on the  second Monday of October  in Canada and on the  fourth Thursday of November  in the United States, and around the same part of the year in other places. Although Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, it has long been celebrated as a  secular holiday as well.

The Most Useful Phrasal Verbs: Put Up With When you put up with something you do not like or are not happy about, you accept it and do not try to change it. E.g. Her neighbors have loud parties every night, but she doesn't complain. She just puts up with it.

Idiom of the Day: Barking up the wrong tree Barking up the wrong tree = looking in the wrong place. Accusing the wrong person

On Mercury a day lasts 1,408 hours. Just like every Monday does on Earth.

The first five days after the weekend are always the hardest.

Quote of the Day: “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.”   J.K. Rowling ,  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Go for ZNO 2020: usage problems: Fewer, less: •          Fewer is properly used with things that are counted, and less is used with qualities or quantities that are not counted. •          Fewer books, fewer complaints. •          Less trouble, less milk.

The Most Useful Phrasal Verbs: Pull Through When you recover  from a serious illness or injury , you pull through. E.g. The doctor didn't think his chances were very good, but he pulled through.

Idiom of the Day: Ball is in your court Ball is in your court = i t is up to you to make the next decision or step

Why is Monday so far from Friday, and Friday so close to Monday? -

Go for ZNO 2020: Improving Your Listening Skills Try some or all of these tips, and practice a little bit every day as far in advance as you can! ·         Have conversations with other people in English. It doesn’t matter if they are native or non-native speakers. Any practice helps! ·         Speak English as much as you can, even if you speak to yourself, alone. Speaking practice helps with listening skills. ·         Practice taking notes as you listen to radio and watch movies or television shows. You can use the “subtitle” option on DVDs of movies   to check the accuracy of your notes. ·         If you visit an English-speaking country these winter holidays, call information numbers on the telephone and follow the directions to press specific buttons or you can call businesses that have recorded information about hours and services. Take notes on the information you hear.

Go for ZNO 2020: usage problems: Farther, further: •          Farther is a reference to a measureable distance, but further means “to a greater degree.” •          Grandmother’s place is farther than what we expected. •          Grandmother asked us further how were able to get to her place.

Idiom of the Day: Don't put all your eggs in one basket Don't put all your eggs in one basket = d o not put all your resources in one possibility. 

You can’t be both awesome and negative. Choose one.

Idiom of the Day:   Don't give up the day job Don't give up the day job = y ou are not very good at something. You could definitely not do it professionally.

The Most Useful Phrasal Verbs: Look After When you look after somebody or something it means you are taking care of somebody or something. E.g. Babysitters look after children.

Go for ZNO 2020: Improving Your Listening Skills Try some or all of these tips, and practice a little bit every day as far in advance as you can! ·          Watch DVDs of English movies and television shows (this will help with following conversations) ·         Watch DVDs of English documentaries (this will help with following   lectures) ·         Listen to DVDs on a wide variety of topics and subjects, to get used to hearing different vocabulary and speaking styles ·          … and there is more to come J

Guy Fawkes Day (UK)   Guy Fawkes Night , also known as  Guy Fawkes Day ,  Bonfire Night  and  Firework Night , is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in  Great Britain . Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when  Guy Fawkes , a member of the  Gunpowder Plot , was arrested while guarding  explosives  the plotters had placed beneath the  House of Lords . Celebrating the fact that  King James I  had survived the attempt on his life, people lit  bonfires  around London, and months later the introduction of the  Observance of 5th November Act  enforced an annual public day of thanksgiving for the plot's failure.

This Day in History: 1879  African American inventor Thomas Elkins patents refrigerating apparatus 1922   Howard Carter  discovers tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt 2008   Barack Obama  becomes the first African-American to be elected President of the United States, defeating Republican candidate  John McCain