Many years ago, a client wanted me to teach him some English idioms before his business trip to the United States.

I shared two of my favourites:

• “Not every Tom, Dick or Harry*”—This means not everyone.
  For example, you could say: “My new programme isn’t for every Tom, Dick or Harry; it takes a lot of effort.“
  
• “And Bob’s your uncle!*” —This means “there you go!” or “there you have it”.
  For example, you could say: “Having trouble opening a jar? No problem! Grip the lid with a cloth, twist it to the left (counter-clockwise), and Bob’s your uncle—the jar is open!”

Perhaps you can imagine … my client came back unhappy. No one understood his wonderful British phrases!

(What I didn’t think about at the time … Americans might not understand a lot of our British expressions.)

Every language has some expressions that don’t translate well.  British English has a lot of these!

So next time you want to impress someone with a new expression, be careful! It might not be understood.

My tip: Clear and simple language is always best. Especially in business!

Has anything similar happened to you?

_________

* nicht jeder x-Beliebige
* schwuppdiwupp, … und schon haben wir’s!

Ever walk your dog on a Sunday morning in Germany and feel like you’ve wandered onto a deserted movie set? No zombies, just an unexpected hush.

Unlike some places, Sundays in Germany are all about peace and quiet. Shops, banks, and offices are closed, taking a well-deserved Ruhetag (day of rest) to recharge. It’s partly a nod to the Christian Sabbath, but mainly a chance for families and friends to connect.

Public Holidays: Any Day, Anytime

This serene silence isn’t limited to Sundays. Public holidays, which can fall on any day of the week, bring Germany to a similar standstill.

Bridge Day Bonanza

Here’s where Germany gets creative: Brückentage (bridge days). When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, people often take the Monday and Friday off, creating a glorious four-day break for just one vacation day.

Planning is Key!

These bridge days are coveted, so you need to book them early. But even without one, expect a deserted office—perfect for catching up on emails or, let’s be honest, browsing cat memes and finally learning that new TikTok dance craze.

Mayday! Mayday! It’s a Holiday Extravaganza

Just recently, May 9th was Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day)—a public holiday in Germany (and some parts of Austria and Switzerland too!). This long weekend was a perfect prelude to the upcoming Pfingstsonntag (Whit Sunday) and Pfingstmontag (Whit Monday), making May a truly delightful month (a Wonnemonat).

The Takeaway?

Germany might seem eerily quiet on Sundays and holidays, but the Germans know how to maximise their relaxation time. Bridge days are genius, and who can argue with more family time?

So next time you experience the Sunday silence, embrace it.

Happy holidays (whenever they may fall).

PS: Don’t even think about using a lawnmower on Sundays—there are noise laws, and your neighbours have hawk-like hearing.

Gestern erzählte ich Christine von meinem freien Tag letzte Woche. (Franz war auf Geschäftsreise in London.)

Das Wetter war traumhaft, also schnappte ich mir mein Fahrrad und radelte zur nächsten Eisdiele. Dort gönnte ich mir zwei Kugeln Vanilleeis.

Beim Erzählen merkte ich, dass mir einige Vokabeln fehlten. Die deutschen Begriffe sind kurz und knackig, also versuchte ich zu übersetzen. Aber das klappte einfach nicht.

Christine brachte mir also einiges bei.

So lernte ich, dass „Ich habe mir etwas gegönnt“, „I treated myself to something“ heißt. Da wäre ich nie allein darauf gekommen.

Und die Eisdiele heißt „ice cream parlour“ und eine Kugel Eis „a scoop of ice cream.“ (Ich hätte „A ball of ice“ gesagt!) „Ice“ ist allerdings gefrorenes Wasser und nicht Speiseeis – wer hätte das gedacht? „Ice cream“ wird in einem „Cone“ oder einer „Tub“ serviert. Und die Dame oder der Herr hinter der Theke fragt: „Which flavour(s) would you like?“

Ach, wie schön. Wieder etwas Neues gelernt. Das macht mir richtig Spaß. Und ich gebe nicht auf! Ich bin immer noch total motiviert, endlich flüssig Englisch sprechen zu können.

Mal sehen, was die nächste Woche bringt. Ich bin gespannt!

Bis bald,

Greta

PS Christine liebt Vanilleeis. I prefer strawberry. 🙂

Today’s National Lost Sock Memorial Day!

Do you know where the other half of your favourite pair of socks might be?

We might never know why they disappear, but we can still celebrate their memory.

Here are some ideas:

• Get creative. Use your mismatched socks for fun projects like making puppets or stress balls.
• Give your socks a voice. Add googly eyes and share a picture on social media with #LostSockMemorialDay.
• Wear mismatched socks. It’s a fun way to remember the missing ones. (This is my favourite!)
• Have a treasure hunt. See if you can find some lost socks with your children or neighbours’ children.

No matter how you choose to celebrate, National Lost Sock Memorial Day reminds us that even small things deserve to be remembered.

Who knows, maybe someday the sock gnomes will return our lost treasures. 😂

PS: A tip from one of my sons … Buy several pairs of socks of the same style and colour to make sure you always have a matching pair, even if some get lost.

PPS:  What other cool things can we do with our odd socks?

Ever stumble over words that sound the same but mean totally different things?

Today’s tricky pair: biannual and biennial.  

Both start with “bi,” which means “two”—and that’s where things get a little crazy.

• Biannual means “twice a year”. Imagine increasing your fees biannually—now how does that sound to you?

• Biennial means “every two years”. The famous Venice Art Biennale is held biennially. So you have two years to save up for that gondola ride and that perfect artsy beret (optional, but highly recommended).

Confused? It happens to the best of us. 

So, why use big words that might leave people scratching their heads?  

Stick to “twice a year” or “every two years”, and everyone will understand perfectly.

 Clear communication is the way to go!

No more word mix-up madness!

One day, the frogs in the forest decided to hold a competition.

The winner? The first frog to climb the tall tower—a tower much taller than any tree in the forest. It seemed an impossible task.

Twelve frogs started the race. Their friends cheered them on. “Go! Go! Go! You can do it,” they shouted.

But as the frogs got closer, their friends were scared. “The tower is much too high! You can’t climb it! Come back down!” they yelled.

One by one, the frogs listened to their friends. They stopped climbing. All except one frog. This frog kept jumping tirelessly up the tower.

“Stop!” the other frogs shouted. “Can’t you see how tall the tower is? You’ll never make it.” But the frog didn’t listen. It kept going.

And do you know what? That frog was the only one to reach the top!

The other frogs were surprised. “How did you do it?” they asked. “Didn’t you hear us warning you?“

When the winner didn’t answer, it suddenly became clear. It couldn’t hear the other frogs! It was deaf.

What the story teaches us

• Don’t listen to others who try to talk you out of your dreams.
• Look at your problems differently. Maybe they’re actually secret weapons.
• Believe in yourself. You got this.
• Stay positive. Don’t let negativity slow you down.
• Be you. Your unique path is the best one.