I'm Not One To Humblebrag, But Here Are Some Amazeballs New Words

Well, August 2014 has seen some more new words added to the online Oxford Dictionary. We will have to see if they stand the test of time, and are eventually added to the paper dictionary, but if you want to be hip and trendy you can use these in informal situations. Let’s just take a look at a few of them.

The use of acronyms in social media, such as facebook and twitter, continues to grow and the following are just a sample of my favourites that are now included in the dictionary:

YOLO = you only live once, and is most often used to explain reckless behaviour eg “I have just spent my rent money on the most fabulous pair of shoes but YOLO!”

 

ICYMI = In case you missed it. This is used to highlight an important point.

SMH = Shaking my head/shake my head, when the word “no” just isn’t enough. This really let’s someone know that what they are suggesting is a bad idea!

Then we have abbreviations such as “adorbs” which is short for adorable and can be used to describe anything from a person to a fluffy kitten!

For all the men reading this if you are described as a “hench” take this as a real compliment, as this describes men who are seen as strong, fit and muscular. However, when you are talking to women please do not “mansplain”, that is explaining something to a woman in a particularly condescending or patronizing way. An example of this could be something like “He told me my car wouldn’t run properly without petrol, wow I’m so glad he mansplained that!”   

 

Another thing to watch out for is the “humblebrag.” This has also made it into the dictionary and refers to a statement that appears to be modest, but is made with the intention to draw attention to a quality or achievement that the person is really rather proud of. The humblebrag can be seen as bragging in a humble way!      

Were you aware there are many new ways to watch television? Now you can binge-watch, meaning to watch many episodes (maybe even the whole series) in one go! This often involves losing a day of your life sitting in front of your television or computer with drinks and snacks. Alternatively you may hate-watch a programme. That is to say that you only watch it for the enjoyment that is derived from making fun of it. If you are tech-savvy (another newly added word, meaning that you have a good understanding of technical terms), you could even live-tweet (tweet as it is happening) about the programme that you are hate-watching- lol!

 

Perhaps my most favourite of the new words that have been added to the online dictionary is “amazeballs” which can be used to describe anything that is not just good, it’s better than good, it’s truly amazing.

We wanted to share some of these words with you as they are different and fun, but please remember to keep their use to informal situations, like talking to your friends on social media or by email. In more formal situations, such as completing college work or applying for jobs, it is prudent to use more formal language. We hope you enjoy trying out some of these new words on your friends and family!     

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Tips for Attending a Job Interview

As promised today we are looking at something for all you job hunters out there! As you will remember, last week we looked at a few tips for completing a job application, now we are ready for the next step, the interview.  

Okay so you have received a reply to your job application and you have been invited for an interview, that’s great news but now you need to start to prepare. If you are a serious job hunter with many applications outstanding I suggest you keep a diary logging all important dates and times to make sure that nothing gets overlooked. Treat looking for a job as a job!

There are several things you need to do to prepare for an interview. It is important to make sure that you know exactly where the interview is taking place; how you are going to get there and how long it is likely to take you! If you are driving make sure there is somewhere close by to park or if you are taking public transport carefully check the timetables. It is well worth having a trial run to make sure you are going to arrive in good time. Believe me you will not create a good impression if you are late, and if you are rushing and panicking you are not likely to produce your best ever interview performance!

So to recap, read the letter carefully, make sure you know where the interview is taking place and how you are going to get there, so you will arrive calmly and in good time.

You obviously have the qualifications/experiences that the company is looking for as they have invited you for interview, this should help you feel confident. However, take another look at exactly what is involved in the post you have applied for and the personal attributes they are looking for. You need to be able to show the interviewers that you are able to match all aspects of the personal specification. By giving this some thought beforehand you are more likely to be able to answer any of the “can you tell us when......”questions that may be asked. For example can you tell us when you have successfully worked in a team; can you tell us what you consider to be your most important achievement ...etc etc.

Make sure you thoroughly research the company you have applied to work for. This may help you answer the interview questions more fully. Also it is very likely that you will be given an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the interview. A couple of thought out, reasonable questions will impress the interviewers and possibly make you stand out from the crowd.

Although I do not believe that anyone should be judged by the way they dress, it is certainly true that “inappropriate” dressing can work against you at an interview. I am not suggesting for one minute that everyone needs to wear a suit to be successful; just think a little about the post you are applying for and wear something that is suitable for that position, and comfortable for you.

Finally when interview day arrives there are a few things to remember. They have asked to see you, so they feel you are suitable for the position they are looking to fill. Try not to be too nervous, remember, the interview panel have all been on the other side of the table at some point, they will not be trying to catch you out, just looking for the right person.

Don’t forget the interview is also about you finding out if this is the job you would really like, and if the company is one you would like to work for. Of course you should always be polite and respectful (as should your interviewer), but if you have prepared and are confident that you are the right person for the job relax, answer the questions and let your personality shine through!

Good luck with the job hunting, and remember: if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!

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Tips for Completing a Job Application

With so many people leaving school, college and university at this time of year we thought we would look at the right way to complete job applications, to give you the best chance of landing your perfect job!

Firstly, do not just jump in feet first! Many job applications will be accompanied with instructions, it is important to read and follow them. For example you may be asked to ring first for an informal chat. If you are given this opportunity then take it as it will give you the chance to pick up lots of valuable information. By asking the right questions you should be able to find out more about the type of strengths and skills they are looking for, and then be able to tailor your application accordingly. On the other hand it may say something as simple as use a black pen or complete online. It is most likely that the employer will receive many applications for the vacancy so anyone that can’t follow the most basic of instructions is most likely to be disregarded at this point.

 Remember to write clearly and precisely, the employer is likely to be a busy person and will not have the time to wade through page after page of waffle picking out the salient points. If you are given a copy of the job description and personal specification follow these to highlight the reasons that show why you are the best candidate for the job. Do not lie on your application; if you do and you are found out at a later date then you are likely to lose your job and credibility. However, there is no reason why you cannot stretch the truth a little, and give non work based experiences to show that you possess the qualities that the employer requires. For example if it states that you must be able to work as part of a team then you can give an example that is not work related. It could be that you have been part of a sports team, and you can explain why it was necessary for you all to work together to make the team successful. Similarly, they may be looking for someone with good budgeting skills. Okay you may have little experience in the field of employment but I’m guessing all you guys who have been students for a number of years have a lot of experience of living on a budget! You see most life skills and experiences are valuable and transferrable to the world of employment. 

Although the picture says that this applicant was hired, we would not suggest being this truthful in your application!

Obviously, you need to complete the application in draft first. Read and re-read to check the spelling and grammar are correct. Do not rely on an auto corrector to pick up your mistakes. Although they are fine for picking up the odd typing error, none of them are perfect and will sometimes change grammar that does not need changing, and loses the sense of your work. Similarly they will often try and change your spellings to the American version. This is fine if you are applying to an American company but otherwise should be avoided. It is important to spend some time making sure the application is correct, it displays to a prospective employer that you take a pride in your work, and are treating the search for employment seriously.

Lastly, be yourself. If this is the right job for you and you can show that you have the necessary qualifications and experiences then be confident in showing the employer who you are. Let your personality shine through, so that your application stands out from the others and encourages the employer to invite you for an interview to discuss your abilities in more detail and learn more about you.

Do not be discouraged if you do not receive a reply to your first application or do not get asked for interview, there are many, many candidates applying for each position. Just stick at it and keep trying. The more applications you complete the more confident you will become and the whole process becomes easier.

Good luck to anyone on a job search at the moment!

Next week we will take a look at tips for attending interviews.   

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Ten Essential English Sayings

Earlier this week I was working on my computer when, for some unknown reason, I began thinking of all the sayings we have in the English language. You know me, mind like a butterfly, fluttering from one thing to the next! So I decided that I would like to share my top ten English sayings with you. As you can imagine English (like most languages) has many, many sayings, and these are only a tiny sample, but they are my favourites and I hope you will enjoy.       

1.    Not my cup of tea – This phrase can be used to describe a person or an object that you are not particularly drawn to or like very much. You may say something like “I met our new neighbour yesterday, I don’t know, but not really my cup of tea”. Alternatively it could be used to describe a song, some artwork, a building, an actor or actress, anything really that does not appeal to you.

2.    Clear as mud – For some reason this expression always makes me smile. It means that something is absolutely not clear at all! For example if you have attended a lecture and afterwards you still have no idea on the subject you may say that now it is as clear as mud!

3.     Dull as ditchwater – is a very old saying, dating back to the 1700’s. It is used to describe a person or object that is extremely boring. You could use it to describe a film that you have found tedious to watch, an acquaintance or an item of clothing. This saying is still used frequently, although a more modern take on it is “as dull as dishwater”, which it is believed came into use in the 1900’s.

4.    All singing, all dancing – If you have a piece of machinery, like a car or computer, which is all singing, all dancing, then you have the top of the range model with many impressive features. You may be surprised to learn that the origin of this saying is from the posters used to publicise the 1929 film “Broadway Melody”. This film, the first musical, was described as “all talking, all singing, all dancing”.      

5.    Chickens come home to roost – When chickens come home to roost it is payback time for the bad deeds someone has done in the past. This saying has been around in some form for about 700 years and suggests a similar idea to karma, that bad actions will come back to cause trouble for, or haunt a person.

6.    Economical with the truth – if someone is being economical with the truth, they are not usually actually telling lies, but more likely withholding some information to tell a story that supports their version of events. It is often used to describe politicians when talking about the economy (or anything else for that matter!).  

7.    Heard it through the grapevine – If you have heard something through the grapevine then you have heard it in an informal way, often gossip or rumour. The idea is that as a grapevine grows and spreads out quickly, in the same way gossip is passed from person to person. It should be pointed out that the “grapevine” is not always 100% correct and stories tend to be embellished as they are past from person to person.

8.    Jump on the bandwagon – to jump on the bandwagon is to support a movement or follow a fashion that has recently become popular. However, when using this expression there is often the underlying notion thought that a person has done this because in some way it will be advantageous for them.

9.    Chip off the old block – this describes a person who is very similar in character, looks or ways to one of their parents, usually but not exclusively their father. You could say something like “Look at George organising everyone, he’s just like his Dad, a real chip off the block”.  

10.    A red rag to a bull – if the mention of something is enough to enrage a person it is often said that it is like a red rag to a bull. For example you could say “Don’t mention the cuts in education to John; it’s like a red rag to a bull”. The person knows that even the mention of this will make John upset and angry. In recent times this saying has sometimes been abbreviated to like a red rag......everyone knows what this means.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at my top ten favourite sayings. Please let me know some of yours, or if you have heard a saying and you are not sure of the meaning I will do my best to explain.  

Don’t forget, if you need help with correct written English, visit our website www.writtenenglishcorrected.com, and remember to follow us on facebook and Twitter.

New Year Resolutions

So here we are on the 2^nd January 2014, and I wonder how many of us have given up on our New Year’s resolutions already? I have to say I am still going strong and hope that I can at last beat the smoking habit, but I know it will be a bumpy road!

The tradition of making promises of self improvement has a long history. It is believed that the ancient Babylonians began the New Year by making promises to their gods that they would repay debts and return any borrowed items. Today they resolutions often focus on a person’s self improvement. It may be that an individual decides to lose weight, cut down on their consumption of alcohol or, like me, try and give up smoking. Alternatively, it may be that he or she resolves to do something positive to improve physical or mental health, such as join a yoga class or sports team, or learn a foreign language.  Others may decide to look at their finances and resolve to get a better paid job, start saving for a family holiday or pay off debts and start living within their budget. Others still may resolve to make regular donations to a charity they support or volunteer to help out in some way that will make a difference.

There will be a lot of us, millions (if not billions) across the world, who will have made a New Year’s resolution. Unfortunately, many people will fail. I have seen some statistics that suggest only between 8% - 12% of people actually achieve what they set out to do. Personally I think many of these who fail probably set their goals a little too high to begin with, you know “I want to be a size 8, have a fabulous, high paid job and travel the world,” may be just a bit too much to aim for in one year! If you really want to keep to your resolution best to set yourself small goals, for example if you want to lose weight look at losing 2-3lb a week, rather than stating I need to lose 4 stone by next year.  Set achievable targets that can be measured and slowly but surely you will start to see the effects you desire.

However, to me the failure rate of New Years resolutions is not really important, if we all achieved all our goals this year what would we do next year or the year after? No, what I think is important is that every year we feel optimistic about the start of a New Year. We plan and resolve to bring about changes to improve ourselves, our lives and the lives of others. That says to me that even in these days of unrest and discontentment that we are still hoping and planning for a better future -now that is something to celebrate!       

Please remember that if you need help with correct written English, you can visit our website www.writtenenglishcorrected.com, and follow us on facebook and Twitter.

OMG It's Friday the 13th

So it’s Friday the 13^th of December – oh no what bad things are going to happen today? I must admit that, like many others I am a little superstitious. I don’t think I am obsessive about such things but I will always choose to walk around rather than under a ladder; if I spill salt I will always throw a pinch over my right shoulder; if I break a mirror I’m worried about seven years bad luck, you know all the usual little superstitions that we have been brought up with. Therefore, I have to say that I am always most pleased when Friday the 13^th has come to an end and I have escaped unscathed!

According to the Mirror News, one third of Britons will change their normal plans and routines when the 13^th of a month falls on a Friday. Just over one third of adults (34%) say they would prefer to have a duvet day, and not even leave the house, whilst a whopping 72% of adults say they have experienced bad luck on this date. It is widely known that many, many people refuse to travel, will not make big purchases (like signing a business deal or completing on a house sale), get married or hold important meetings on Friday 13^th. It’s not just in Britain either, The Stress Management Centre and Phobia Institute in North Carolina, states Friday 13^th is the most feared date in the history of the USA. It is estimated that millions of dollars of business are lost each time the 13^th falls on a Friday!   There is even a name for the phobia of this date – paraskavedekatriaphobia, bet you didn’t know that!   

So why are we all so afraid that bad things are more likely to happen on this date than any other? There is not one particular answer to that question. Many people believe it is that historically the number thirteen and the day Friday have been seen as unlucky, and so, when you put them together you are in for double trouble! Christians will point to there having been thirteen people at the last supper, and it was the thirteenth person to sit down, Judas, who went on to betray Jesus. Jesus was then crucified and put to death on a Friday. Others suggest it goes even further back in the bible, to the Garden of Eden, when the forbidden fruit was eaten on a Friday. And let us not forget that Cain was supposed to have killed his brother Abel on a Friday.

Another factor may be that it is said in 1306 King Philip of France had the revered Knights Templar arrested and tortured on a Friday, giving more evidence that Friday was an evil day. And let’s not forget that most hangings in Britain were carried out on a Friday, and traditionally there were 13 steps up to the noose! As if this wasn’t enough there are also 13 witches in a coven – wow it is a wonder any of us survive this awful date!

It is true that the superstition surrounding the number 13 is so strong that many high rise buildings do not have a 13^th floor (they jump straight from 12^th floor to 14^th). Also some hotels don’t have a number 13 room as their owners believe customers would not want to stay in there. Just as an aside I once lived in a street of houses that did not have a number 6 – I never got to solve the mystery of that either!

There have been a number of small studies carried out that suggest that there are more accidents and admissions to hospital when the thirteenth of the month falls on a Friday. Could this be yet more proof that it is a bad date, or are we just so fearful of having an accident that we act in a different way? Personally, my logic tells me that Friday 13^th is no more unlucky than any other date, I think I am a reasonable person who can think things through to a logical conclusion and I know fearing one particular date is not sensible. However would I move house, get married, start a new business or book a flight on Friday 13th – to be honest probably not!        

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Great Yarns and Soft Poems

December has well and truly arrived, the days are shorter, the weather is colder and preparations for Christmas are all in hand. Funnily enough I love December! It's a month of good cheer, of parties and catching up with family and friends. Even more than that, the holidays with the cold, damp weather are a perfect time for catching up on your favourite authors and watching your best loved films.

So with this in mind, I thought today we could have a quick look at the famous Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894). Stevenson is most famous for his novels Treasure Island, Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, however it must be noted he published much, much more than this and was an excellent novelist, poet and travel writer who ranks among the 26 most translated authors in the world. To give you a little potted history, Stevenson suffered long periods of ill health as a child which meant that he missed a lot of time away from school, and often had to be educated at home by a private tutor. Although late learning to read and write his love of storytelling became evident at a very early age, and his father paid for his first publication when he was only sixteen years old. He attended Edinburgh University, at first to study engineering, possibly with the idea of following his father into the design and building of lighthouses, but was quickly disillusioned and changed subjects to obtain a law degree. Stevenson never practiced at the bar though, as by the time he qualified he was certain that his career lay in writing. Stevenson married Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne, an American divorcee who was over ten years his senior in May 1880 and they remained married until his death in 1894 at the age of 44.

So why did December make me think of this great author? Well if you have any children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews who you love to sit in front of a roaring fire and read to, then I can recommend his work. Robert Louis Stevenson certainly knew how to write an adventure to captivate an audience. Without giving too much away Treasure Island, written in 1883 is a tale of pirates, buried treasure and desert islands. Kidnapped, written in 1886 tells the adventure of a young orphan, David, who is in pursuit of his rightful inheritance. Both tales have stood the test of time and remain firm family favourites. Both have been adapted for film and TV on numerous occasions.

Stevenson also wrote “A Child's Garden of Verses” in 1885. Although written for children, the poetry proved just as popular with the parents! I have taken a poem from this book to show you a sample of the brilliant writing by this amazing author. I hope you enjoy it as much as I always do!

Winter-Time by Robert Louis Stevenson

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,

A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;

Blinks but an hour or two; and then,

A blood-red orange, sets again.

 

Close by the jolly fire I sit

To warm my frozen bones a bit;

Or with a reindeer-sled, explore

The colder countries round the door.

 

When to go out, my nurse doth wrap

Me in my comforter and cap;

The cold wind burns my face, and blows

Its frosty pepper up my nose.

 

Black are my steps on silver sod;

Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;

And tree and house, and hill and lake,

Are frosted like a wedding cake.

 

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