Hi everybody, welcome to another Full English lesson.
With me Mr Duncan.
It is a windy day here in the UK,
but I hope you are feeling cosy and warm
and you are okay...today!
Before I begin I would like to give you a little brainteaser,
so as to warm up those sleepy synapses.
What word can be used alongside the following five words?
The words are…
bag stalk counter runner baked.
I will give you the answer at the end of today’s video lesson…
so get your thinking caps on!
As you know I love food.
And I couldn’t resist mentioning an expression that is used
before we think about something we’ve just heard.
The phrase is…‘Food for thought’.
A thing heard or read that resonates or lingers in your mind,
or has the possibility to change your view of something
might be described as ‘food for thought’.
“That speech of yours has given me lots of food for thought.”
The thing said has given you something new or challenging to think about.
It has fed some new information into your brain.
It has made you think deeply about a certain idea or topic.
You might even change your opinion because of it.
That new idea or opinion has given you something to chew over in your mind.
It has given you some ‘food for thought’.
Can you see what is behind me?
It is something that is hidden away, so it might be hard to see.
Oh there it is.
This is a nest box.
It is an artificial space where bird eggs can be nurtured
until the chicks growing inside them are ready to hatch out.
So this nest box will allow a pair of birds to add their own bedding,
such as grass and moss to the inside of the box.
The word nest can be used in many ways.
To hide something away in a safe place as a verb is nest.
You nest; you place something away for safe keeping.
You can have a nest egg, which is a sum of money that is saved over a number of years.
The money is often invested so as to gather interest.
You want your money to be worth more in the future for when you retire.
So a nest egg is something that will be used at a later date.
A large quantity or number of animals living in a certain location can be described as a nest.
A collection of furniture that belongs together
and is easy to pack away and store can be described as a nest.
For example, you can have a nest of tables.
All the different sized tables can be store inside each other.
A place where a person likes to rest and relax so as to feel cosy and safe is a nest.
Hopefully soon there will be a family of birds nesting inside this nest box.
A pair of birds will build a nest together and raise their own brood of chicks.
I wonder what type of bird will be living in there.
Could it be a pair of blue tits perhaps?
We will have to wait and see.
It’s time to take a look at another buzzword.
A buzzword is a word or phrase that is often used during a certain period,
or is generally popular.
Today’s buzzword is… ‘Generic’
The word ‘generic’ can be used as both an adjective and a noun.
As an adjective; ‘generic’ means to belong to a group with no precise or exact classification.
The thing in question is named by its group,
without naming a singular characteristic.
We are using its generic name. The overall characteristics are being identified generically,
as belonging to a certain group or ‘genus’.
Certain types of medicine with no clear brand name are often referred to as ‘generic’.
Something with no clear individual identity is generic.
As an insult, a person might describe an uninspiring idea
that lacks originality or thought as ‘generic’.
As a noun, ‘generic’ refers to an unbranded product
and is normally associated with types of medicine.
Can you see what I’m doing over there?
I'm sitting on the fence.
I am enjoying the view and taking in some fresh air.
There is a phrase that exists in English which refers
to the position in which I’m sitting right now.
To; ‘sit on the fence’. This phrase refers to a person who cannot,
or will not express their own opinion or take any particular side in a dispute or argument.
To remain neutral without expressing your personal opinion
can be described as ‘sitting on the fence’.
You might be willing to listen to the discussion, but you are unwilling to get involved directly.
We often use this expression negatively
when describing a person who seems unwilling to express their own thoughts.
“You two can argue all day, but if you don’t mind I would rather sit on the fence.”
“There you go again, avoiding the problem by sitting on the fence.”
“You will have to get involved at some point; you can’t keep sitting on the fence.”
To sit on the fence is to remain neutral. You don’t want to get involved.
You would rather keep your opinion to yourself.
You abstain, withhold, hold back, decline.
You keep your feelings to yourself by not expressing an opinion, decision or choice.
You have chosen to ‘sit on the fence’.
Well that's almost it from me for today.
I hope you have enjoyed this Full English lesson.
However I still have some unfinished business to sort out concerning the brainteaser
that I gave you at the start of today’s video lesson.
I asked you to name the word that can be used alongside the following 5 words.
bag stalk counter runner baked.
The answer is… Bean.
You can have a ‘bean bag’, which is a type of chair.
You can have a bean stalk, which is the main support body of a bean plant.
Then there is ‘bean counter’, which is a slang term for ‘accountant’.
Then there is ‘runner bean’, which is a type of creeping plant.
And of course there is ‘baked bean’,
which is a delicious type of food that goes well with tomato sauce on toast.
Oh, delicious
That's it, it is time to say goodbye.
See you again very soon for another Full English lesson.
This is Mr Duncan in the birthplace of English,
that is of course England saying...
Thanks for watching, see you again soon,
and of course until the next time we meet,
you know what's coming next...
ta ta for now.