O dia 22 de abril é o Dia da Terra (Earth Day), esse dia foi criado com o objetivo de chamar a atenção do mundo para a intensificação dos cuidados relacionados ao meio ambiente e a necessidade de preservá-lo. Confira abaixo o incrível vídeo produzido pela BBC de Londres e logo após o texto escrito pela americana Mary Ziller sobre o tema.

Today is a day to commemorate our love for the Earth: *Earth Day. In Brazil it is called Dia da Terra. In the town where I used to work, Narberth, they celebrate by having a garden show. The call it NarbEARTH Day. The prettiest properties in the town are put on display in a self-guided walking tour. The gardens feature beautiful flowers and trees in bloom and artistic landscaping. Some yards even have fish ponds, and ornamental rock gardens.Today they will be planting beach grass at Island Beach State Park in New Jersey and cleaning up the beach. The beach grass will help stem (stop) further erosion of the sand dunes. I went to Island beach State Park yesterday and took the nature trail walk and bird watching tour. (Mary Ziller from USA)

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See you soon!

I have been talking about the different kinds of talk in English like pep talks and small talk. Other expressions involving the word talk are:idle talk: gossip, nonsensical banter, irrelevant and foolish chatter;

crazy talk: uttering illogical irrational statements or trying to justify unreasonable ideas that will fail have a negative or injurious outcome);

silly talk: funny, whimsical patter that makes children giggle;

victory talk: politicians talking about winning elections or wars;

trash talk: Someone is trash talking when he tries to intimidate his opponent during a game using insults and boasts–definition courtesy of Gustavo;

back talk: talking back to your parents or other authorities, disagreeing with an authority figure in a disrespectful tone. Usage: “Don’t give me any back talk” or “don’t give me any lip”.

Parents want to talk sense into their children, when they want to set them straight or dissuade them from making a wrong choice.

When parents and teachers give their children a talking to, they are scolding them (reprimanding, lecturing them).

When you talk down to someone, you are patronizing them (being condescending) or using a lower level of language so that they will more easily understand you.

When you talk someone up you are praising them or trying to sell someone on them.

Although “small talk” ( cocktail conversation) exists in the lexicon, I thought there is no such corresponding concept of “big talk.”

But I stand corrected. Tio Google turned up such collocations as “He talks a big talk, but doesn’t deliver” and “big talk among small systems,” which I admit sound perfectly logical to me. Live and learn. (It’s a large lexicon out there, but hey, someone’s got to catalogue it).

Beijinhos,

Mary

Hello folks, I am continuing with my post last week to give you 13 more idioms. Enjoy the idioms!N - Nothing is certain but death and taxes
My definition - Well, this is fairly self explanatory, you will die, and you will have to pay taxes!
Example sentence: I thought my marriage would work out, but nothing is ever certain but death and taxes.

O - One for the road
My definition: One last drink before leaving for the evening.
Example sentence: John already had seven beers, but before he left the bar, he said, “hey, let’s have one for the road!”

P - Play it by ear
My definition: To do something in an impromptu manner with no prior planning. It comes from playing an instrument with no sheet music.
Example sentence: I have not planned for this meeting, but I will play it by ear.

Q - Quality time
My definition: The time spent with family and loved ones is quality time.
Example sentence: Her husband decided to take the week off to spend quality time with their children.

R - Rain cats and dogs
My definition: To rain heavily.
Example sentence: I had a little trouble driving from Charleston to Atlanta last month because it was raining cats and dogs west of Columbia.

S - Skin of your teeth
My definition: To barely escape from a dangerous or bad situation.
Example sentence: The family escaped from the erupting volcano by the skin of their teeth.

T - Tie the knot
My definition: To get married.
Example sentence: After ten years of dating, the couple finally tied the knot.

U - Uncle Sam
My definition: The US government.
Example sentence: I served Uncle Sam for four years in the Air Force.

V - Van Gogh’s ear for music
My definition: Tone deaf. It comes from the fact that Van Gogh’s ear was cut off.
Example sentence: The singer at the recital has Van Gogh’s ear for music.

W - Who let the cat out of the bag?
My definition: Who divulged the secret?
Example sentence: The company Chief Financial Officer let the cat out of the bag too early when he said that the company was in some dire financial straits. Immediately the company’s investors sold their stocks.

X - X marks the spot
My definition: this is where you find it.
Example sentence: On this map, x marks the spot where the treasure can be found.

Y - Yankee
My definition: Someone from the northern United States, especially New England.
Example sentence: Those Yankees from Boston talk funny.

Z - Zero Tolerance
My definition: This means that a crime or infraction is not tolerated even once and is punished for first time offenders.
Example sentence: Singapore has zero tolerance for littering.

See idiomsite for a full list of idioms and their probable etymologies.