Or ‘absolutely wallpapered’ after a night out? 

If you’re scratching your head, let me explain. 

Brits have this knack for turning practically any word into a synonym for ‘drunk’—just by adding an ‘-ed’ to the end of it. (British comedian, Michael McIntyre explains in detail!) 

Very much like the Sámi people of northern Europe who have 300 words for snow, Brits have 546 words dedicated to being ‘plastered’, ‘sloshed’, ‘hammered’… All words explaining they’ve had one too many.

This hilarious tradition isn’t a joke—it’s backed by a study from Prof. Christina Sanchez-Stockhammer, who spent a year delving into the British love for booze (and words describing it).

She found out that this quirk is uniquely British—you wouldn’t find it in Germany, for example. 

So, we’ve seen how many words end in ‘-ed’,  but there are also exceptions. These include ‘legless’, ‘tipsy’, ‘merry’, ‘woozy’, ‘squiffy’, ‘tight’ and many more.

And why are there so many ways to say ‘drunk’?

It lets Brits talk about their drinking adventures with a bit of fun, ignoring the not-so-great parts of drinking too much.

So, cheers to Brits enjoying a pint and their clever way with words!

 

A father turns to his daughter, all smiles, and says, “You’ve done well in your exams! As a reward, I’ve got a car for you. It’s not new, though. I bought it ages ago. But before you take it, pop over to the used car dealer in town and see what they’d offer for it.”

So off she goes. When she returns, she says to her father, “They’d give me €500 for it. They said it’s a wreck.”

Her father just nods and says, “All right. Now, take it to the pawn shop.”

She does as he says and returns with a shrug. “They offered me €100. They said it’s too old.”

“Hmm,” her father murmurs, “Now, why don’t you show it to the car club? Let’s see what they think.”

With a wave, she heads off to the car club. And when she comes back? Her eyes are wide. “They offered me €50,000! They said it’s an old Porsche, a collector’s dream.”

Her dad just smiles. “See, my dear,” he says, “don’t feel bad if people don’t see your worth. It just means you’re in the wrong place. The people who know your value? They’ll appreciate you.“

So here’s the thing: Never sell yourself short. The right people will pay the right price. They’ll see your worth. You just need to find them.

_____________

to sell yourself short = sich unter Wert verkaufen

Heute ging es weiter mit meiner Reise durch die spannende Welt des “Plain English”, dem Konzept, das Christine, meine geduldige Englisch-Trainerin, so oft propagiert.

Natürlich weiß ich, dass Briten, Amerikaner und Co. ihre eigenen Redewendungen und Sprichwörter haben – manchmal so unterschiedlich, dass man als Nicht-Muttersprachler ganz schön ins Grübeln kommen kann.

Genau deswegen ist “Plain English” so wichtig! Es geht darum, so zu kommunizieren, dass alle uns verstehen, unabhängig von ihrer Muttersprache.

Das bedeutet natürlich nicht, dass wir komplett auf Redewendungen verzichten müssen. Aber es ist wichtig, sie bewusst einzusetzen und darauf zu achten, dass sie im jeweiligen Kontext auch von unseren Gesprächspartnern verstanden werden können.

Trotzdem habe ich Christine gebeten, mit mir einige ihrer Lieblingsredewendungen zu üben. Denn bald kommt meine englische Freundin Ruth zu Besuch, und ich möchte sie natürlich mit meinen Sprachkenntnissen beeindrucken (mal sehen, ob’s klappt ).

Zwei Redewendungen haben es mir besonders angetan:

1. “A penny for your thoughts”

Wenn ich in Gedanken versunken bin, fragt Christine oft: “A penny for your thoughts, Greta“. Wörtlich übersetzt bedeutet die Redewendung “Einen Pfennig für deine Gedanken“. Im Englischen wird sie verwendet, um jemanden zu fragen, woran er/sie gerade denkt.

Also übe ich gerade:

“Hey Ruth, you seem lost in thought. A penny for your thoughts?” (Hey Ruth, du siehst so nachdenklich aus. Was geht dir gerade durch den Kopf?)

2. “It takes two to tango”

(Ob Christine merkt, wie oft sie es benutzt?) Wie Christine erklärt, bedeutet diese Redewendung, dass man für eine erfolgreiche Zusammenarbeit oder Beziehung immer zwei braucht. Es kann sowohl im privaten als auch im beruflichen Kontext verwendet werden.

Ich weiß, dass Ruth im Moment Probleme mit ihrem Chef hat. Vielleicht kann ich sie zum Nachdenken anregen, indem ich sage:

“Remember, Ruth, ‘It takes two to tango’. Even though it’s tough right now, a relationship always requires two people to be committed. Perhaps this is an opportunity for something new and better?“

Mit diesen beiden Redewendungen im Gepäck bin ich bestens gerüstet, Ruth mit meinem neu erworbenen Sprachwissen zu beeindrucken… und ihr vielleicht sogar ein Lächeln aufs Gesicht zu zaubern.

Heute haben wir einige Redewendungen geübt! Aber zuerst will ich diese zwei mir einprägen.

Ich bin gespannt, welche weiteren Schätze Christine mir noch näherbringen wird.

Bis nächste Woche!

Greta, die neugierige und ungeduldige Englisch-Schülerin

You have some amazing news, but then someone bursts your bubble with grammar talk. ‍

That’s what happens when you say, “I have a good news.” 

“News” is a word that can’t be counted (sorry for getting technical). That just means it doesn’t pair with ‘a’ or ‘an’ like other nouns.

Instead, you can say:

• “I’ve got good news!”
• “I’ve got some good news!”
• “I have a piece of good news!” (For something specific)

Now go ahead and share your awesome news with confidence!

Inspired by translator Matt Popplewell’s LinkedIn post on preparing for a half-marathon, I’d like to share my own experience—not of “pounding the pavements” (as Matt puts it), but of twirling and swinging across the dance floor.

As an experienced Nordic walker and home exercise enthusiast (“wer rastet, der rostet” – s/he who rests, rusts!), I decided to take on a new challenge in February. Unlike my classmates who started in September (“Class” as we are affectionately dubbed), I was a bit late to the party.

Let’s have a look at how the six principles Matt discovered apply to my (sometimes fumbling!) square dance adventure:

New things can be scary, but you can do them.

At first, it was much more difficult than I had expected. The steps were like a secret code and the calls sounded like gibberish from a foreign film. (We never know which moves are coming next; it’s the caller’s job to let us know.) But with practice and support from the others (I’ll tell you more about them later), it slowly began to make sense.

Everyone makes mistakes, that’s okay.

So I started with stumbles, wrong turns, and not understanding the calls. What did I do? I smiled (sometimes cursed under my breath or out loud) and kept practising. And now I’m dancing with much more confidence.

Getting better takes work.

Square dancing may not be a marathon, but it keeps me on my toes (literally!). The choreography requires focus, coordination, and surprisingly, a good dose of memorisation. Going through the steps at home with the help of a small app and YouTube has been incredibly helpful. And it’s a wonderful feeling when you realise you’ve just mastered a new move.

Compare yourself to yourself, not others.

If I compare myself to the experienced dancers (those who dance Mainstream), I might feel discouraged. So instead, I focus on my own progress. Being able to navigate the square with fewer mistakes than the week before is a victory in itself.

You need others to succeed.

We beginners are supported by helpers called “angels,” experienced dancers who gently guide us. We are never alone. There’s always someone willing to help. In fact, the camaraderie and sense of community are just as rewarding as the dancing itself.

Things are not always what they seem.

I used to folk dance in my school days and thought square dancing would be similar. But while it might look like fancy steps and easy twirls, there’s so much more to it. It’s a fun way to exercise, meet new people, and challenge your brain.

Are there some new activities you’d like to try but feel hesitant about?

Ever wonder why we say “splish-splash-splosh” instead of “splash-splish-splosh”? Or why “ding-dong” sounds better than “dong-ding” when someone rings the doorbell?

It’s because of a sneaky little rule in English called “ablaut reduplication” (don’t worry, it’s simpler than it sounds!). It basically means our brains like certain sounds together, especially when we repeat words for emphasis.

When a word is repeated, the vowels often change according to a pattern we follow automatically: The I-A-O pattern

For three words, the vowels change like this: “splish-splash-splosh” or “ding-dang-dong.”

For two words, the first vowel is “I” and the second can be “A” or “O.” Like in “ping pong,” “King Kong,” “hip-hop,” “flip-flop,” “tick-tock,” “dilly-dally,” “chit-chat,” “zig-zag,” “riff-raff,” “wishy-washy,” “pitter-patter,” and “mish-mash.”

Now it’s your turn. Can you think of any other fun or cool-sounding examples of “ablaut reduplication” in English?