A shoutout to LinkedIn for making me smarter (even if it’s unintentional).

Last week, I came across an interesting new word: “fika” (pronounced “fee-kuh”) from a company called KWH Karl und Wagner Haustechnik (quite a mouthful!). 

In Sweden, this magical word means “to have coffee” or “take a coffee break”—often with a tasty treat on the side.

Now, this “fika” thing sounds suspiciously similar to our good old English tradition of “Elevenses.” You know, that delightful moment around eleven o’clock when we all down tools and head for the kettle or coffee machine?

I decided to revive my own Elevenses habit a while back. Every day, around eleven-ish, I head downstairs for a mug of coffee.

It’s a simple routine: hot coffee, a sprinkle of sugar, a dash of cream (“You’ve got to treat yourself sometimes,” or as they say in German, “Man gönnt sich sonst nichts.”) And sometimes, just to live a little dangerously, I might even grab a chocolate biscuit (or a “choccy bickie” as we Brits call it) and dunk in my coffee. Because, you know, #treatyourself!

So, my question to you is this: Do you have a special break time in your day? If so, what do you call it, and what kind of treats do you indulge in?

Describing someone as “an old funny lady” just sounds weird, right? Native speakers instinctively know there’s a better way to say it.

Here’s why…

It’s because English has a hidden rule for the order of adjectives.

Try using this specific order when describing something:

1. Determiner: a, an, the, this, those, my, your, our, their…)
2. Quantity: one, eight, few, many…
   _____________________________
3. Opinion: pretty, ugly, boring, delicious, perfect, valuable… .
4. Size: tiny, medium-sized, giant, large… 
5. Age: old, new, decades-old, brand-new, ancient… 
6. Shape: round, square, triangular, heart-shaped, circular… 
7. Colour: green, blue, pink, colourful… 
8. Origin: French, German, Chinese… 
9. Material: silver, wood, plastic, cardboard…
10. Purpose (or qualifier): wedding, travel, shopping, cleaning, sports…

Remembering the acronym: OSASCOMP (Old Susi’s Apple Strudel Competition Offered Many Prizes) might be able to help you.

Let’s see how it works:

• Would you like three adorable grey kittens?
• We watched a thrilling old Japanese film. 
• They have three nice teenage boys.
• He’s an attractive young German actor.
• She wore a dazzling emerald green silk dress.

Now it’s your turn. Can you describe something using the secret order? 

Ever mumble a word that sounds like a confused parrot? Yes, we’ve all been there.

Last month, we conquered Worcestershire sauce. (If you’re still struggling with the word listen in here.)

But the pronunciation struggle is real.

Today’s weapon of choice? YouGlish.

Imagine scrolling through social media and seeing a meme about a “flamboyant flamingo.” (Flamingos are pretty fabulous, after all.)

But how do we say it? Enter YouGlish.

Simply type in “flamboyant” and poof! You’re whisked away to a land of real people using the word in real-life videos. No stuffy voiceovers. No awkward reenactments. Just authentic pronunciation magic.

YouGlish is a pronunciation buffet. Here’s what’s on the menu:

• Hear it in action: Listen to native speakers from over 20 languages tackle those tricky words in different accents.
• Phonetic breakdown: YouGlish deciphers the pronunciation code, showing you how to form those sounds.
• Vocabulary booster: Need more than pronunciation? Click on a word for definitions and synonyms—a one-stop shop for word nerds.

The best part? YouGlish is free. No need to signup. Although, if you’re feeling fancy, creating an account unlocks even more features.

So, the next time you come across a word that has you tongue-tied, head over to YouGlish and become a pronunciation ninja.

P.S. Still not sure about Worcestershire sauce? YouGlish can help you avoid future disasters (and bewildered stares from your native speaker friends). Here’s how to say it like a pro.

Do you know how to express your upcoming adventures or commitments in English? Let me see if I can help you.

“Will” for Spontaneous Decisions

We use “will” to talk about spontaneous plans or decisions made on the spur of the moment. Here are some examples:

• “What can I wear to work? I think, I’ll wear my grey suit.” (A spontaneous choice)
• “Oh dear, I forgot to call my colleague. I’ll do it after lunch.” (A sudden realisation)
• “There’s no bread left. I’ll buy some after I leave the office.” (An unplanned errand)

“Going To” for Pre-Planned Adventures

We use “going to” to talk about pre-decided plans and things we’ve already arranged to do. Here are some examples:

• “I’m going to go to the butcher’s later. What do we need?” (A planned shopping trip)
• “I’m going to call my colleague this afternoon. I told him I’d call around 3 o’clock.” (A pre-arranged call)
• “I’m going to wear my new shoes this evening.” (A pre-decided outfit)

The Present Continuous for Confirmed Commitments

We use the present continuous for those arrangements we’ve already confirmed with others. Here are some examples:

• “I’m having dinner with Maria tonight. We’re going to try that new Italian place.” (A confirmed dinner arrangement with a specific time and place)
• “We’re taking the children to the zoo this weekend. ” (A family outing with a set timeframe)
• “I’m presenting my project at the meeting tomorrow afternoon. I’m a bit nervous, but I’m ready.” (A work commitment with a specific time)

Remember:

• “Will” is for spontaneous decisions made on the spur of the moment.
• “Going to” is for pre-decided plans you’ve already made.
• The present continuous is for confirmed arrangements with others.

So, now you can confidently express all your future plans, be they spur-of-the-moment ideas or well-organised schedules.

Hello dear grammar enthusiast. Ever stare at a sentence and wonder, “There, Their, They’re… which one is it this time?”

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. These three little words can cause even the most confident writer to break into a cold sweat.

Look at this…

“You’re crafting a scathing (or hilarious) online review for a clothing store. There/Their/They’re selection of sweaters is amazing, but there/their/they’re all gigantic. There/Their/They’re I was, surrounded by racks of beautiful sweaters, yet none fit me properly—they all swallowed my petite frame.”

So how do you remember the difference?  Let’s have a look:

• “Their” is for things that belong to someone, like “Their selection of sweaters is amazing!” 
• “They’re” is a contraction for “they are,” like “They’re all gigantic!”
• “There” is for places you can go, like “There I was…!” (Points dramatically in a random direction)

See? Easy, right? (Winks sarcastically)

Now go forth and conquer those pesky little words.

Still scratching your head? This little illustration might help you:

Gestern war’s wieder soweit: Franz und ich waren mit Christine zusammen. Während Franz wie ein Vokabel-Ninja durch die Grammatik flitzte, kämpfte ich mit einem tückischen Verb: “to look“.

Franz, in bester Laune, verkündete: “I looked for my grandma yesterday.” Christine schaute ihn verdutzt an. War sie verwirrt oder spielte sie nur Komödie? “Hast du sie verloren?“, fragte sie besorgt.

Bäm! Da war es wieder – die tückische Präposition! Denn “to look” kann ganz schön vielseitig sein. Je nachdem, welches Wörtchen ihm folgt, ändert sich seine Bedeutung schlagartig.

“To look for” bedeutet, nach etwas zu suchen. Zum Beispiel, wenn man verzweifelt nach den Schlüsseln sucht, die sich im Universum der verlorenen Gegenstände versteckt haben, oder die Polizei nach einem vermissten Jungen fahndet.

“To look after” bedeutet hingegen, sich um jemanden oder etwas zu kümmern. So wie Oma, die sich liebevoll um die Enkel und den Hund kümmert, oder der Gärtner, der die Blumen im Park hegt und pflegt.

(Franz hätte also besser sagen müssen: “I looked after my grandma yesterday.”)

Ich gebe es zu: Diese “Phrasal verbs” bringen mich immer wieder ins Schwitzen. (Und ich bin nicht die einzige! Auch Franz kämpft mit ihnen.)

Aber hey, Übung macht den Meister. Deshalb habe ich mir einen Eselsbrücken-Tipp gebastelt:

Imagine you lost a puppy! You’d look for it everywhere, calling its name. But once you found it, you’d look after it, making sure it’s safe and happy.

Vielleicht klappt’s jetzt mit den “look“-Verben. Das werden wir sehen.

Eure Greta