False friends are words in different languages that look or sound similar but have different meanings.

If you’re not careful, they can lead to confusion or embarrassment. Or, if you’re lucky, to just a good old laugh.

Here’s a quiz with some typical false friends,

How would you translate them?

1. backside a) Hintern b) Rückseite

2. blackboard a) schwarzes Brett b) Schultafel

3. undertaker a) Leichenbestatter/in b) Unternehmer/in

4. to blame someone a) jemanden blamieren b) jemanden beschuldigen

5. sensible a) vernünftig b) sensibel

6. formula a) Form b) Formel

7. gymnasium a) Gymnasium b) Turnhalle

8. half four a) half fünf b) halb vier

9. to be lucky a) glücklich sein b) Glück haben

10. overhear a) mitbekommen b) überhören

And the answers

1. a
2. b
3. a
4. b
5. a
6. b
7. b
8. a
9. b
10. a

So how did you do?

I know false friends can be tricky. So just be careful.

Are you tired of scouring your writing for hours, only to discover pesky errors that slipped through the cracks?

Don’t worry,  Grammarly is your new writing pal.

This handy-dandy browser extension is like having your own personal writing coach, giving you real-time edits and suggestions for your emails, social media posts and more.

As you type away, Grammarly works its magic, keeping an eagle-eyed watch on your grammar, spelling and punctuation.

It even provides real-time suggestions on the tone and clarity of your writing, to save you the headache of proofreading your work later on.

Try Grammarly and see the difference for yourself.

And don’t forget to tell me how it goes!

———–

scouring = durchforsten, durchkämmen
pesky = lästig
handy-dandy = praktisch
oodles = Unmengen
to proofread = Korrektur lesen

Did you know that reading books not only helps us become smarter and think more deeply, but it also has some really good effects on our health?

According to Hooked to Books, when we read books regularly, we can enjoy several health benefits (as long as we don’t strain our eyes).

Even 20–30 minutes of reading can:

• help our brains become more adaptable and connected,
• help us feel more ready for sleep so that we can have a better night’s rest,
• reduce feelings of sadness and improve symptoms of depression,
• lower anxiety that comes from worrying about future events,
• lower our blood pressure,
• improve the health of our heart and can lead to better outcomes for our cardiovascular system, and
• help prevent a decline in cognitive abilities as we age, keeping our brain sharp and functioning well.

So, by spending just a short amount of time reading, we can enjoy all these benefits for our brain, sleep, mood, anxiety levels, blood pressure, heart health, and cognitive abilities.

It’s a simple and enjoyable activity that can have a positive impact on our overall well-being.

Are you diving into a book today?

This is the fourth article about inclusive language.

So how can we talk about race, power and decolonisation?

Here are some recommendations from Oxfam’s Inclusive Language Guide.

Feeling a little burnt out?

Well, here’s a quirky reminder from the wise Anne Lamott:

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.

Imagine yourself as a gadget in dire need of a recharge.

Just like your phone or laptop, sometimes you need to hit that power button, unplug from the world—and give yourself a breather.

Take a leisurely stroll, have a good laugh or simply sit back and relax.

You’ll be amazed at how everything falls back into place when you give yourself that much-needed recharge.

Remember, even the most sophisticated machines need a break, and you’re no exception!

Get ready, get set, unplug!