Language and business: European deal (Fry and Laurie)

Click on the image if you want to read the script:

Elections ... the American way

http://learning.loc.gov/learn/features/election/home.html

A useful tool to understand the American voting system.

Love conquers phonetics

Either has two different pronunciations in modern English. The pronunciation IPA: /"i;D@/ prevails in American English, and is the pronunciation of the majority of English speakers. The pronunciation /"aIð@/ is associated with British English and Canadian English, but it is not universal in either place or in Australian English and other dialects that take their lead from British English. It is also found in the U.S., especially in New England, although many Americans will regard it as an affectation.

An Ira Gershwin song, Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, opens with the words "You say /"i;D@/ and I say /"aIð@/", and concerns a couple who lament the difficulties in their relationship by pronunciation differences (and the different social backgrounds which they imply). These differences between the two lovers could be the reason to call off the relationship. But they can't stand the thought of being apart so the singer will compromise for love.

Click on the image below to see the lyrics in full size:

This is Halloween - A song from the film Nightmare Before Christmas

LYRICS

[SHADOW]
Boys and girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?

[SIAMESE SHADOW]
Come with us and you will see
This, our town of Halloween

[PUMPKIN PATCH CHORUS]
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Pumpkins scream in the dead of night

[GHOSTS]
This is Halloween, everybody make a scene
Trick or treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright
It's our town, everybody scream
In this town of Halloween

[CREATURE UNDER THE BED]
I am the one hiding under your bed
Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red

[MAN UNDER THE STAIRS]
I am the one hiding under your stairs
Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair

[CORPSE CHORUS]
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!

[VAMPIRES]
In this town we call home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song

[MAYOR]
In this town, don't we love it now?
Everybody's waiting for the next surprise

[CORPSE CHORUS]
Round that corner, man hiding in the trash can
Something's waiting now to pounce, and how you'll...

[HARLEQUIN DEMON, WEREWOLF & MELTING MAN]
Scream! This is Halloween
Red 'n' black, slimy green

[WEREWOLF]
Aren't you scared?

[WITCHES]
Well, that's just fine
Say it once, say it twice
Take a chance and roll the dice
Ride with the moon in the dead of night

[HANGING TREE]
Everybody scream, everbody scream

[HANGED MEN]
In our town of Halloween!

[CLOWN]
I am the clown with the tear-away face
Here in a flash and gone without a trace

[SECOND GHOUL]
I am the "who" when you call, "Who's there?"
I am the wind blowing through your hair

[OOGIE BOOGIE SHADOW]
I am the shadow on the moon at night
Filling your dreams to the brim with fright

[CORPSE CHORUS]
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
Halloween! Halloween!

[CHILD CORPSE TRIO]
Tender lumplings everywhere
Life's no fun without a good scare

[PARENT CORPSES]
That's our job, but we're not mean
In our town of Halloween

[CORPSE CHORUS]
In this town

[MAYOR]
Don't we love it now?
Everyone's waiting for the next surprise

[CORPSE CHORUS]
Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back
And scream like a banshee
Make you jump out of your skin
This is Halloween, everybody scream
Wont' ya please make way for a very special guy

Our man jack is King of the Pumpkin patch
Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King now

[EVERYONE]
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!

[CORPSE CHILD TRIO]
In this town we call home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song

[EVERYONE]
La la-la la, Halloween! Halloween! [Repeat]
WHEE!!! Ha Ha Ha!

The history of Halloween

Halloween vocabulary

Click on the pictures so that you can view them in their actual size.

Word of the week 27 October -2 November 2008: CHAV

CHAV noun (BrE, slang) a young person, often without a high level of education, who follows a particular fashion. Chavs usually wear designer labels, and if they’re girls, very short skirts and stilettos. Chavs still see branded baseball caps as a status symbol and wear them at every opportunity. The term is similar to America's 'white trash' stereotype.

EXAMPLES:

noun: There are always loads of chavs hanging round the shopping centre.

adj. [only before noun]: The bus was full of chav kids and chav girls with their big gold jewellery.

In Britain there are many words to describe people from this social group, and they are often limited to a particular town or region. Other words with a similar meaning to chav are townie, scally, ned and charver. The word chav has become common in southern England, and is generally thought to come from Chatham girls (Chatham is a town in Kent.) Some people think, however, that the word comes originally from the Romany word chavo (boy), which is also the origin of the Spanish word chaval.

To learn more about this word:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

The Chinese zodiac

Learn about Chinese Zodiac Signs

First aid - The Heimlich manoeuvre

The alphabet

Two versions of the same song: Hello, goodbye by The Beatles and The Jonas Brothers

What is graphology?

The same English course - Exercises and answers

Just click on the pictures to see the exercises and answers in their actual size.

Des'ree - You gotta be