The heating in a gigantic mansion had failed. The owner had hired one expert after another, but no one was able to figure out what was wrong.

Then they found an old man who had been tinkering with heating systems since he was a child.

He arrived with a large toolbox, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work straightaway.

The old man examined the heating for several minutes. Suddenly, he took a small hammer out of his toolbox and gently tapped a specific spot. Before you could say, “Bob’s your uncle,” the heating started to work again.

A week later, the owner received an invoice for €10,000.

The owner was shocked: “What? That can’t be right. All he did was to hit the heating a few times with his hammer.”

So he wrote to the old man asking him for a breakdown of the costs.

The old man then sent the following invoice:

Tapping with the hammer         €5

Knowing where to tap         €9,995.00

The Moral

Prices do not reflect the work done, but the benefit to the customer.

And a little reminder

Things you learn and things you’ve been through are worth more than anything you can buy.

Ever thought about the term “public viewing“? Well, it’s not as harmless as it sounds. 🤨 It’s normally connected with, well, funerals…

Seriously, it’s when the dead body is on display in an open coffin.

Got a private or public viewing? That’s decided by who’s invited. Family-only or anyone can stop by to bid farewell.

Now, imagine you’re all excited for a live sports event. You tell your friends and colleagues, “Hey, let’s go for a public viewing!”

You might get some odd looks, right?

So, with the European Championship now underway, if you’re off to watch a football match, not a funeral, “public screening” is the word you’re after.

You get the difference, right? We don’t want any awkward misunderstandings. 😉

Remember, the words we choose matter. It’s all in the details. Catch the right word, and you’re good to go. Slip up, and, well, you might end up somewhere you didn’t expect!

Thought I’d drop this titbit.

Because, why not?

It’s always good to learn something new.

So, I’ll see you at the next public screening, not viewing. 😀

Heute war besonders anstrengend, da wir eine lange Diskussion über die ‘Future Tense‘ im Englischen hatten. Mein Kopf raucht. Ob ich mir das alles merken kann? Christine sagt, ich soll mir darüber nicht den Kopf zerbrechen. Es braucht Übung. Ihr Lieblingsspruch: ‘Practice means progress‘.

Ich habe immer geglaubt, dass wir die ‘will-future’ verwenden, wenn wir über die Zukunft sprechen. Franz dachte das auch. Aber das ist nicht wahr.

Also schreibe ich mir das Wichtigste hier auf, in der Hoffnung, dass ich mir alles besser merken kann.

• ‘Will future’ für eher spontane Pläne und Entscheidungen, die im Eifer des Gefechts getroffen werden:
  • ‘I will flip a coin to decide which restaurant to try.’
  • ‘I forgot to tell my colleague. I’ll see her after lunch.’
  • ‘There’s no bread left. I’ll buy some after work.’
• ‘Going to future’ für vorüberlegte Pläne und Entschlüsse:
  • ‘I’m going to go to the butcher’s later. What do we need?’
  • ‘I’m going to call my colleague this afternoon. I missed his birthday.’
  • ‘We’re going to take a week off work in August.’
• Das ‘present continuous’ für bereits mit anderen bestätigte Verpflichtungen:
  • ‘I’m having dinner with Maria tonight. We’re going to try that new Italian place.’
  • ‘I’m presenting my project at the meeting tomorrow afternoon. I’m a bit nervous, you know.’
  • ‘We’re attending a conference in Paris next week. Our travel arrangements have been finalised.’

Wow! Das ist ganz schön viel. Oder?

Jetzt schreibe ich schnell Zettel und klebe sie auf meinen Küchenschrank:

• ‘Will’ ist für spontane Entscheidungen, die im Moment getroffen werden.
• ‘Am/is/are going to’ ist für bereits getroffene Pläne.
• Das ‘present continuous’ ist für bestätigte Vereinbarungen mit anderen.

Jetzt kann nichts schiefgehen. (So hoffe ich!)

Deine Greta (die neue Expertin für ‘Future Tenses’?)

Have you ever come across the German word “Schockverliebt” and found yourself completely puzzled?

You’re not alone!

This intriguing term can be quite the head-scratcher. But don’t worry, we’re here to figure it out together.

“Schockverliebt” is a fascinating blend of two words: “Schock” (shock) and “verliebt” (in love). It describes that sudden, overwhelming feeling of falling in love at first sight—almost as if you’ve been struck by lightning. Know the feeling?

Think of it as love at first sight, but with an extra jolt of surprise and intensity. It’s that magical moment when you see someone or something and are instantly and unexpectedly captivated—basically, it blew your socks off*.

So, next time you hear “Schockverliebt,” you’ll know it’s all about that electrifying, heart-stopping moment of instant infatuation.

Have any more puzzling words? Let’s keep exploring and solving them together

*Note: The phrase “it blew your socks off” is an idiom and might be best understood by fluent English speakers. Use with caution when communicating with non-native speakers.

PS Want to listen to me talk about “Schockverliebt“?

Ever feel like you’ll never master a language? Even after years in Germany, I still get confused by “dessen,” “deren,” and “derer”! (Did I look it up again? Nope!)

Language learning is a crazy journey—full of bumps, wrong turns and funny mix-ups. I might mix up “der, die und das” like they’re my latest square dance moves. And you might struggle with tricky English tenses. Or those words that pretend to be helpful but really want to embarrass you. Yes, I’m talking about those sneaky false friends.

But I’m here to help with your English, not German (sorry!)

You know I share tips and tricks on social media and host free speed networking events. (Yes, free, and no catch. Okay, maybe I ask for a Google review.)

Some people say, “Why give away free advice online, Christine? Clients pay you for that!” Think of it like free samples in your local supermarket. You try the cheese, then maybe you buy the whole block, right? My free tips are a taste of what I can offer to help your English.

And I love sharing my passion for English. I’m always learning too. If just one person learns something new from my posts, I’m thrilled.

Got a question about confusing grammar? Drop it in the comments below. Or send me a smoke signal. Or a carrier pigeon. Whatever works for you.