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Vocabulary: Borough Wednesday 15th October 2014

20/10/2014

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Hi to you both

Here is some of the vocabulary that we went over at the end of last Wednesday’s conversation walk. There are certainly some very interesting words! Your contributions to the walk were excellent so a very big thank you from me.

I look forward to seeing you both again soon.

Best Wishes

Gail


To mushroom (verb created from a noun): To describe how something shoots up unexpectedly and very quickly. E.g. Buildings are mushrooming around this area.

To stroll (verb): A slow walk for pleasure. E.g. We strolled around Borough, stopping to look at buildings and gardens.

To rehearse (verb): To practise a play, dance, a piece of music etc. E.g. Orchestras use Henry Wood Hall to rehearse before a concert.

A rehearsal (noun): The time when you practice a play, dance, piece of music etc. E.g. The rehearsal will be at 10:00am tomorrow.

A rag (noun): A small piece of old cloth that you use for cleaning.

Rags (noun): Clothes that are very old and torn.

To wipe (verb): To clean or dry something by rubbing it with a cloth. E.g. She wiped the windows using a rag. E.g. Don’t forget to wipe the mirror with a rag.

A tea towel (noun): A small piece of cloth that is used for drying plates, knives, forks etc.

A fire drill (or fire practice) (noun): A practice for what you would do in an emergency. E.g. We saw the school children line up in the playground because they had a fire drill.

To go off (phrasal verb): To make a sudden loud noise. E.g. The alarm went off for a fire drill. E.g. The siren on the police cars suddenly went off.

A fag (noun) (informal): A cigarette

A fag-end (noun) (informal): the end of a cigarette after its been smoked. [also called a cigarette butt]

A roll-up (noun): A cigarette that is made by hand.

Individuality (noun): The qualities that make somebody/thing different from other people and things.

E.g. Each of the houses in Redcross Gardens have their own individuality – they are all slightly different from each other.

E.g. Teenagers like to show their individuality by wearing different clothes.

E.g. The homeless lose their individuality by drinking and taking drugs.

A brothel (noun): A place where men can go and pay to have sex with a prostitute. E.g. We visited the Crossbones Graveyard and heard about how the Bishop of Winchester was given the power to licence prostitutes to work in Southwark brothels during the 1100s.

A red-light area (noun): An area where there are many brothels and prostitutes.

Impression (noun): An idea, a feeling or an opinion that you get about somebody/thing. E.g. What’s your first impression of the new manager? E.g. I need to make a good impression at the job interview.

A stretcher (noun): A piece of cloth supported by two poles that is used for carrying a person who has been injured. E.g. We saw some old railings outside a block of flats. During World War Two a large number of stretchers were stored ready, in case there were lots of causalities. After the war, the problem with what to do with all the stretchers was resolved by using them for railings!

To stretch (verb): To pull something so that it becomes longer or wider. E.g. My t-shirt stretched when I washed it.

Vermin (noun): Small wild animals that carry disease and destroy plants and food, i.e. mice, rats, squirrels etc.

A snail (noun): A type of animal with a soft body and o legs that’s covered by a shell.

A slug (noun): A small black or brown animal with a soft body and no legs, that moves slowly along the ground and eats garden plants.

A frog (noun): A small animal with smooth skin and long back legs that it uses for jumping. Frogs live in or near water.

A bat (noun): A small animal, like a mouse with wings, which flies and hunts at night.




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Vocabulary: Vauxhall to Battersea, Saturday 20th September

24/9/2014

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Hello to all of you
What a mixed group - from Spain (Basque), Germany, Italy, Columbia and Brazil! Fantastic!

Thank you so much for the hard work you put into the history research. They were interesting, relevant and presented exceptionally well.

We went through a lot of vocabulary together at the end. You will find most of it below. i hope it's useful and I really look forward to seeing you all again on a future walk.

Best Wishes
Gail

Vocabulary Vauxhall to Battersea Saturday 20th September 2014

To salvage (something from something) (verb): to manage to rescue something from being lost or damaged. E.g. the company, LASCO, salvages old furniture, paintings, road signs, lights, clocks, books etc and displays them at Brunswick House to sell them.

A price-tag (compound noun): the small piece of card attached to an time in a shop etc, with the price written on. E.g. We looked at lots of price-tags of salvaged items in Brunswick House. A clock, for instance, had a price-tag on it for £2,000. It was beautiful though!

A name-tag (compound noun): A small piece of card with your name written on, that you wear on your clothing. Often used at conference.

A badge (noun): A small piece of metal or plastic with a design or words on it that you wear on your clothing. E.g. She bought a birthday card for her daughter that had a 'I am 5 today' badge attached.

A button (noun): A small, often round, piece of plastic, wood or metal that you use for fastening your clothes.

A pass (noun): A form of ID (identification) needed to enter an office building, museum, work place etc. E.g. Filippo showed his pass to the security people to get into his work place.

To tremble (verb): To shake, for example because you're cold, frightened etc. E.g. Albert Bridge was known as 'The Trembling Lady' when it was built because it shook when people walked across it.

To shake (verb): To move from side to side or up and down with short, quick movements. E.g. I was so nervous when that huge dog jumped up that I was shaking.

To shake in your boots (expression): Often used to describe how frightened, nervous, scared you are. E.g. I was shaking in my boots before the job interview.

To wobble (verb): To move from side to side in a way that isn't steady. E.g. To wobble like a jelly!

An eyesore (noun): Something that is ugly and unpleasant to look at. E.g. When Lots Road Power Station was first built, people thought it was an eyesore.

Bear with me (phrasal verb): To be patient with somebody/thing. Often used as a polite expression to keep people waiting!

To bear weight: When something has to carry/take the weight of something. E.g. Albert Bridge couldn't bear the weight of the traffic.

To not bear something (expression / informal): E.g. I can't bear it! I can't stand it! I hate it!

Creepy (adjective / informal) (creepier, creepiest): That makes you feel nervous or frightened. E.g. One of the upstairs rooms at Brunswick House felt creepy when we entered. There were lots of wooden heads and faces on the walls!

To creep (verb): To move very quietly and carefully so as not to wake him. E.g. The traffic was only creeping along.

Creepy crawlies (informal): Insects, particularly those that we don't like!

To crawl (verb): To move slowly with your body on or close to the ground, or on your hands and knees. E.g. An insect crawled across the floor. E.g. The traffic crawled along (we also say 'the traffic crawled along at a snail's pace!)

To stroll (verb) To walk slowly for pleasure. E.g. We strolled through Battersea Park and saw the young musicians on the bandstand.

A bandstand (noun): A covered outdoor platform for an orchestra or band to play music on. E.g. We stopped at the bandstand in Battersea Park where some youth were preparing to play some music.

To mushroom (verb created from a noun): To describe how something shoots up unexpectedly and very quickly. E.g. In London, buildings are mushrooming all the time.

To pop up (phrasal verb): To appear or happen when you're not expecting it. E.g. The mushrooms popped up through the earth over night.

To pop (verb): to make a short sudden sound like a small explosion. E.g. The balloon popped.

To pop in (phrasal verb): To make a quick visit. E.g. Why don't you pop in for a cup of tea?

To pop out (phrasal verb): To come out (of something) suddenly and quickly. E.g. Her eyes popped out of her head in surprise!

A pop-up (noun): When shops, cafes, cinemas etc move into empty premises for a temporary period. E.g. There's a pop-up clothes store on the High Street. Hurry, it'll only be there for a week!

To belch (verb): To let gas out from your stomach through your mouth with a sudden noise. E.g. The Battersea Power Station chimneys belched out smoke and polluted the air.

To burp (verb): To make a noise with the mouth when air rises from the stomach and is forced out.

Note: belch and burp are the same actions in the body. However, we don't say 'the chimneys burped out smoke' No, we say 'they belched out smoke'

To moor (something to something) (verb): To fasten a boat to the land or to an object in the water with a rope or chain. E.g. The house boats are moored in front of the new residential buildings.

Mooring (noun): A place where a boat is tied; the ropes, chains etc. Used to fast a boat.

The tide (noun): The regular change in the level of the sea (or river) caused by the moon and the sun. At high tide, the sea is closer to the land. At low tide, it's further away and more beach can be seen.

We also say: the tide is in (high tide) or out (low tide).

A tree-lined avenue: When a street, path, road etc has a row of trees along both sides. E.g. We walked up the tree-lined avenue in Battersea Park to the bandstand.

To set (something) up (phrasal verb): To start a business, an organisation, a system etc. E.g. The company has set up a new branch in Vauxhall.


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Vocabulary: Hoxton to Shoreditch, Wednesday 17th September 2014

19/9/2014

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Dear all
What an interesting walk we had ... especially when the owner of the Pie & Mash shop in Hoxton came and spoke to you to explain the history of this very traditional East End food to you. And what a high level of English from you! Well done!

The vocabulary that we went through at the end is below. I hope it's useful and I really look forward to seeing you again on one of these English conversation walks.

Best Wishes
Gail


Vocabulary Hoxton to Shoreditch Wednesday 17th September 2014

To thrive (verb): to grow or develop well. E.g. We talked about how Hoxton became a thriving art community during the 1980s.

E.g. In the past, Shoreditch was a poor area. Today it is thriving.

An up-and-coming area (expression): When an area is changing from a poor to wealthy, we can say it is 'an up-and-coming area'.

On the up (expression): as above. But we can also use this expression about people. E.g. Since John started his new job, he's really on the up.

A leaf / leaves (noun): One of the thin, flat, usually green parts of a plant or tree. E.g. In Autumn, the leaves change colour / turn.

Speciality / ies (noun): something made by a person, place, business, etc, that is very good and that he/she/it is known for. E.g. All the markets in London have their specialities.

To expel (verb): To force somebody to leave a country, a school, a club etc. E.g. The boy was expelled from school.

A listed building: In the UK, when a building, park or piece of land has historic or architectural importance, they are protected by law. We say that they are 'listed'. There is Grade I Listed (highest level) and Grade II Listed.

Grains (noun): A generic term we often use for wheat, barley, oats, corn etc.

On foot: When we travel we go:

by bike

by car

by plane

BUT on foot!

A cupboard (noun): a piece of furniture, usually with shelves inside and a door or doors at the front, used for storing food, clothes etc.

A cabinet (noun): a cupboard with shelves or drawers used for storing things. E.g. We saw a painted sign on an old building: 'cabinet maker'. In the past, one of the main industries in Shoreditch, was furniture making.

E.g. We saw a glass cabinet in the cafe at the end of our walk.

an eel / eels (noun): a water animal that looks like a snake. E.g. We spoke to the owner of the Pie & Mash shop in Hoxton. Eels have been a traditional food in the East End.

Upstream (adverb): In the opposite direction to which a river flows. E.g. Eels swim upstream when they lay their eggs to have babies.

Downstream (adverb): In the direction in which a river flows.

Squid (noun): A sea animal that you can eat, with a long soft body and ten tentacles (= long thin parts like arms). E.g. One of you described how squid is prepared in the Basque area of Spain and cooked in its own ink.

Haberdashery (noun): the small items used in sewing such as buttons, zips and thread.

A haberdasher (noun): A person who deals, sells haberdashery.

To get rid of (phrasal verb): a) to throw something away, dispose of. b) to make yourself free of somebody / something that is annoying or that you don't want. E.g. Let's get rid of that old chair and buy a new one.

Compulsory (adjective): that must be done, by law, rules etc. E.g. It was compulsory to learn English in German schools from the age of eight.

Salt cellar (noun): the contain for salt that we put on the table.

To paint over something: to cover something up with paint. E.g. In a town in Spain, the authorities painted over the street art.

To pop-up (informal phrasal verb): To appear or happen when you are not expecting it.

A pop-up (noun): a new concept in London. Often when a property or place is empty/not being used, a business or people open a shop, cafe, restaurant, cinema etc for a temporary period of time, often only one day.

E.g. There is a pop-up cinema on a roof in Dalston this summer.

E.g. We saw a pop-up shop in Shoreditch, near the cafe we went to.

Corrections from the conversations:

a) To google (verb): Instead of saying 'I didn't go to the google', you can say:  'I didn't google'.

b) Instead of saying 'the street artists said 'what happens here?'', you can say:
'What's this about?'
'What's up?' (v informal)
'What's going on?'
'What's happening?'

c) 'Young people can make some workshops' needs to be replaced with the verb 'do'. E.g. young people can do some workshops.


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Vocabulary: Old Street to London Bridge - Wednesday 18th June 2014

23/6/2014

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Dear all
We were very impressed with the level of English last Wednesday ... well done! The presentations about the history of places we passed was excellent - clear, interesting and really good English.

Below you'll find some of the vocabulary that we went over in the George Inn at the end. I hope you start to use it ...

I look forward to seeing you all again.
Best Wishes
Gail



Vocabulary: Where business, skyscrapers and finance meet medieval London 18th June 2014


Rope (noun): Very thick, strong cord that is used for tying or lifting heavy things, climbing up etc. E.g. We need some rope to tie up the boat with. E.g. We walked down Ropemaker Street and guessed that it must have been an area for making rope many years ago!

String (noun):  a piece of long, strong material like very thin rope that you use for tying things. E.g. The key is hanging on a string. E.g. Don’t forget to tie up the parcel with string.

Rubble (noun): Pieces of broken brick, stone etc., especially from damaged buildings. E.g. We saw lots of rubble as we walked through the City – especially from old buildings that have been demolished in order to construct new, modern ones.

Cobbles (noun): A small round stone used to cover road surfaces. E.g. We walked down a cobbled street near the Market.

To cobble something together (phrasal verb): To make something or put something together quickly and without much care. e.g. Hopefully, together, we’ll be able to cobble something together before the manager gets back from lunch.

A cuff (noun): The end part of a sleeve, which often fastens to the wrist.

Cufflinks (noun): A pair of small objects used instead of a button to fasten a shirt sleeve together at the wrist.

Handcuffs (noun): A pair of metal rings that are joined together by a chain and put around the wrists of prisoners.

A cash machine (noun): A machine on the outside of a bank from where you can get cash. Also commonly called A hole in the wall. E.g. Excuse me, can you tell me where the nearest hole in the wall (cash machine) is, please?

A stench (noun): A strong and very unpleasant smell. E.g. The stench of rotting fish is horrible. (we don’t say that someone ‘stenches’ – this form doesn’t exist)

To stink (verb) (also a stink – noun): To have a very strong and unpleasant smell. E.g. Uh, it stinks in here – open the window!

To take hold (idiom): To seize or become established. E.g. After the third day, the fire took hold of the buildings. E.g. The new plants quickly took hold (became established).

Narrow-minded (adjective): Not willing to listen to new ideas or to the opinions of other people. [opposite to Broad-minded; open-minded]

A riot (noun): A situation in which a group of people behave in a violent way in a public place, often as a protest. Usually spontaneous. E.g. Further riots have broken out in Manchester.

A rebellion (noun): An occasion when some of the people in a country try to change the government, using violence. The act of fighting against authority, or refusing to accept rules. E.g. voting against the leader of the party was an act of open rebellion.

To rebel (verb): To fight against authority, society, a law etc – usually in a planned and organised way.

To demonstrate (against/for somebody/thing) (verb): To take part in a public protest for or against somebody/something. E.g. Enormous crowds have been demonstrating against the government.  

A demonstration (noun) (a demo – British informal): A public protest for or against somebody/thing. E.g. Did you go on the demo last Saturday?

To sniff around/round) (informal expression): To investigate secretly, especially in an attempt to find out confidential information, or information that will hurt the other person. e.g. A couple of journalists are sniffing around.

To brown-nose (verb): To try to make someone like you or support you by doing things to please them by acting in a subservient way. E.g. Our prime minister is brown-nosing other countries in order to get his policies.

A brown-nose (noun): An extremely slimy, subservient, submissive person.

To converse (verb) (formal): To talk to somebody; to have a conversation. Note: We are more likely to say: I’ve had a chat with; talked to; spoken to; had a conversation with etc.

Goosebumps (or Goose pimples) (noun): Small points or lumps which appear on your skin because you are cold or frightened or something has made you feel emotional. E.g. When we walked through St Dunstan’s-in-the-East, the feeling in the garden gave us goosebumps.

Batter (noun): A mixture of flour, eggs and milk used to cover food such as fish, vegetable etc before frying them. Also used to make pancakes or Yorkshire Puddings (yummy!!).

To batter (verb): To hit somebody/thing very hard, many times. E.g. The wind battered against the window. E.g. He battered the door down. E.g. She battered the child until the police arrived.

To beat (somebody) up (phrasal verb): To attack somebody by hitting or kicking them many times. E.g. He was badly beaten up outside the pub last night.

To go downhill (idiom): To get worse. E.g. Our conversation after the walk went downhill as we laughed at some of the new vocabulary!

Instead of saying ‘I don’t know’, we can say ‘I haven’t a clue!’ (informal)

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Vocabulary: Hampstead Saturday 31st May 2014

5/6/2014

1 Comment

 
Dear all
Thank you joining me in Hampstead last Saturday and making it such an enjoyable English conversation walk. Isn’t Hampstead lovely? I hope you all enjoyed it. Your research and participation in speaking English was very welcome … thank you.

Some of the vocabulary that we went over at the end is below.

Best Wishes

Gail


To rattle (something) (verb): To make a noise like hard things hitting each other. E.g. The windows were rattling all night in the wind. E.g. He rattled the money in the tin.

To get rattled (inf): To become a bit angry or worried. E.g. The news of his arrival really rattled her. E.g. When he opened his wallet and saw all the money gone, really rattled him.

To get tanked up (informal expression): To drink lots of alcohol. Get drunk.

A graveyard (noun): In English, it is more common to use the word ‘graveyard’ than cemetery. ‘Cemetary’ tends to be used more by other European countries.

Foul (adjective): a) When something smells or tastes disgusting E.g. this coffee tastes foul. E.g. Their kitchen smells foul!

b) We also use the word ‘foul’ to describe how we feel. E.g. He’s in a foul mood/temper. E.g. this weather is foul.


To drown (verb): To die in water because it is not possible to breath. E.g. Last year a woman drowned in one of the Hampstead ponds.


To grind (something down/up, something into something) (verb): To press and break something into very small pieces or into a powder between two hard surfaces. E.g. When there was a windmill in Hampstead, it ground the wheat into flour.

A grinder (noun): A machine for grinding. E.g. A coffee grinder.

Expressions using ‘grind’:

Life is a hard grind: difficult, hard work

To feel ground down by something/one: Exhausted. E.g. I worked for 12 hours a day for a month. By the end I felt ground down.

To sneak (into, out of, past etc) (verb): To go very quietly so that nobody can see or hear you. E.g. She sneaked out of the room before the meeting finished.

Sneaky (adjective): E.g. She had a sneaky cigarette (when no-one was looking).


Sneakily (adverb): E.g. They ate their sandwiches sneakily.

To sneak up (on someone) (phrasal verb): Go near somebody very quietly, especially so that you can surprise them.


To talk (something) over (phrasal verb): To get control of something or responsibility for something. e.g. The firm is being taken over by a large company. E.g. Can you find somebody to take over my English class next week, please?

To deceive (verb): To try to make somebody believe something that is not true. (see ‘to fall for something’ below)

To fall for somebody (phrasal verb) (inf): To be strongly attracted to somebody. To fall in love with somebody. E.g. Keats fell in love with Fanny Brown.

To fall for something (phrasal verb): To be tricked into believing something that is not true. E.g. Don’t fall for anything he says. He’s deceiving you!


An eyesore (noun): something that is ugly and unpleasant to look at. E.g. To some people, The Shard is an eyesore.

Cross your ‘t’s and dot your ‘i’s (idiom): Take care of all the details of what you are doing, even the smallest ones.

To take one day at a time (idiom):  To deal with things as they happen, and not to make plans or to worry about the future. E.g. While he lived in London, he took one day at a time. He didn’t know when he’d return to his own country.

To riot (verb): A situation in which a group of people behave in a violent way in a public place, often as a protest. E.g. The riots in London in 2011 were mostly young people fed up with having no jobs.

To have a riot (inf): To enjoy yourself and have a good time. E.g. How was the party last night? Oh, it was a riot!

Glad rags (noun) (inf): Clothes for a special occasion.

To keep your eyes peeled (idiom): To watch carefully for someone or something. E.g. Keep your eyes peeled so we get of the bus at the right stop!


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Vocabulary: Borough Walk - Saturday 26th April 2014

1/5/2014

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Dear all
Thank you for making last Saturday English conversation walk so enjoyable. Your contributions were very good indeed – whether it was sharing your research about a place that we visited, or asking questions and discussing things. A great group!

The vocabulary that we went over at the end is below.

I look forward to seeing you all again.
Best Wishes
Gail


A touch typist (adjective + noun): A person who is able to type without looking at the keyboard and so type quickly.

Destitute (adjective): Without any money, food or a home. E.g. We stopped to read the plaque about a woman who worked to help the ‘destitute children’ in Southwark in the 1880s.    

A rag (noun): a) Clothes that are very old and torn. E.g. We talked about how the children at the ‘Ragged Schools’ would have be dressed in rags. b) A small piece of old cloth that you use for cleaning.

A brothel (noun): A place where men can go and pay to have sex with a prostitute. E.g. We visited the Crossbones Graveyard and heard about how the Bishop of Winchester was given the power to licence prostitutes to work in Southwark brothels during the 1100s.

Impression (noun): An idea, a feeling or an opinion that you get about somebody/thing. E.g. What’s your first impression of the new manager? E.g. I need to make a good impression at the job interview.


A stretcher (noun): A piece of cloth supported by two poles that is used for carrying a person who has been injured. E.g. We saw some old railings outside a block of flats. During World War Two a large number of stretchers were stored ready, in case there were lots of causalities. After the war, the problem with what to do with all the stretchers was resolved by using them for railings!

To stretch (verb): To pull something so that it becomes longer or wider. E.g. My t-shirt stretched when I washed it.

Stretchy (adjective): E.g. stretch fabric, like elastic.

Stretch Idioms:

To stretch your legs (idiom): to go for a walk after sitting down for a long time. E.g. I need to stretch my legs before dinner.

The last stretch (or home stretch) (idiom): The final part of an activity, especially one that is long and tiring. E.g. She ran the first 24 miles of the Marathon very well. However, she found the last stretch really difficult.

At a stretch (idiom): Continuously, without stopping. E.g. In my last job, I had to work 12 hours at a stretch.

A (bit of a) stretch (idiom): Unlikely.

To stretch something (idiom): Make something last, go further. E.g. I’ll have to make my money stretch until the end of the month
.

A goose (noun) (pl. geese): A large bird with a long neck that lives on or near water. Geese are also kept on farms for their meat and eggs.

Mad (adjective): Formal = Insane. Having a mind that does not work normally. Usually associated with mental illness.

Mad (adjective): Informal =

a) Angry - to be mat at somebody/something. E.g. I was mad at Caroline because she lied to me about what he said.

b) Stupid – not at all sensible. E.g. You must be mad to drive in this weather.

c) Very interested – to be mad about/on somebody/something. E.g. I’m mad about french cinema.

d) Wild – not controlled or very excited. E.g. When George Clooney appeared outside the cinema, his fans went mad!

A brewery (noun): Place where beer is made. In the pub at the end, we talked about how independent (or micro) breweries are increasingly popular in the UK. They make what we call ‘Craft Beers.’


To brew (verb): a) to make beer. E.g. ‘Mad Goose’ is brewed and sold by the brewery that owns the pub we were in.

b) to make a drink of tea by adding hot water. E.g. She brewed a pot of tea.

A brew (noun) (informal): A cup of tea is often referred to as ‘a brew’. E.g. Do you want to come back to my place (home) for a brew?

Slum (noun): An area of a city where living conditions are extremely bad, and where the buildings are dirty and have not been repaired for a long time. E.g. We walked through a park that had been a slum area. It was transformed after the 2nd World War.

To slum it (phrasal verb) (informal): a) to spend time relaxing and not bothering to tidy yourself or anything else! E.g. I spent the weekend in my pyjamas in front of the TV with a huge box of chocolates!

b) To put up with conditions that are less comfortable than you are normally used to. E.g. The business men had to take the economy class seats in the plane. Usually, they go first class!


To slum (verb) (informal): To spend time doing an activity at a lower social level that your own. This is done through curiosity or for charitable reasons.

A dwelling (noun): The place where a person lives; a house.

To dwell (verb): To live or stay in a place.

Self-employed (adjective): Working for yourself and earning money from your own business.

Freelance (adjective): Earning money by selling your services or work to different organisations, rather than being employed by a single company. E.g. A freelance journalist.

To freelance (verb): E.g. I left my full-time job because I can earn more by freelancing.

Touristy (adjective) (informal): Usually used negatively. Relating to or visited by tourists. It’s often used to suggest a lack of authenticity.  E.g. A touristy shopping street.

Note: The word ‘touristic’ does not exist!


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Vocabulary: Barnes to Fulham Palace Saturday 22nd March 2014

25/3/2014

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Dear all,
Here is the vocabulary from last Saturday's English conversation walk. I can't believe how lucky we were with the weather ... it stayed dry and sunny all day. Half-an-hour after I got home, it thundered and hailed!

Thank you for all your hard work doing the history research and making it such an enjoyable afternoon.
I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Best Wishes
Gail


Vocabulary:


To moan (verb): To keep saying what is wrong with something. To complain. E.g. The English always moan about the weather!

A moan (noun): E.g. She had a moan about all the work her manager expected her to do.  

Touristy (adjective) (informal): Usually used negatively. Relating to or visited by tourists. It’s often used to suggest a lack of authenticity.  E.g. A touristy shopping street.

Note: The word ‘touristic’ does not exist!

A pond (noun): An area of water that is smaller than a lake. E.g. she built a pond in her garden.

To borrow (something from somebody) (verb): To take or receive something from somebody that you intend to give back, usually after a short time. E.g. Can I borrow your pen for a minute, please? E.g. I borrowed some money from the bank to pay for my new car.

To lend (something to somebody) (verb): To allow somebody to use something for a short time. And to give somebody money that must be paid back after a certain period of time. E.g. Could you lend me £10 until Friday? E.g. He lent me his bicycle / he lent his bicycle to me.

A disease (noun): An illness of the body in humans, animals or plants. Trees and plants cannot be ‘sick’ – they can only be ‘diseased’. E.g. The trees became so diseased that they died.  E.g. When we passed Barn Elms Playing Fields, I explained that his area got its name from the number of Elm trees that used to grow there. However, in 1970s, Dutch Elm disease killed the majority of Elm trees across the UK.

April Showers (expression): The expression we use to describe the short bursts of rain in spring.  

A shower (noun): (see above) a short period of rain, often heavy.

To row (verb): To move a boat through the water using oars (= the long thin pieces of wood with flat parts at the end). E.g. There were lots of people rowing on the Thames last Saturday.

A knee-length skirt (adjective/noun): If we want to describe an item of clothing by its length, we often specify the area of the body where the clothing reaches too. E.g. The children had to wear knee-length skirts to school. E.g. She wore an ankle-length coat in winter.

Packed (adjective): Crowded tightly together. E.g. The museum was packed with tourists / packed full of tourists. (negative meaning) E.g. The train is always packed in rush hour. (negative meaning) E.g. My sandwich is packed full of cheese and salad. It’s lovely. (positive meaning)

Common (adjective): usual

E.g. It’s common for a student to feel silly/embarrassed when we make mistakes learning English.

E.g. We make common mistakes.

Note: We can’t say: ‘I have to return to my common work. We can say: ‘I have to return to my usual work.

Common (adjective / expression): ordinary, not special.

E.g. The officers had much better living conditions than the common soldiers.

E.g. We often refer to the ‘common man’ = ordinary people, not the wealthy, politicians, celebrities etc.

E.g. It’s common to meet foreign people in London (= it’s nothing unusual or strange)

To differentiate (between one thing and another) (verb): To see or show how things are different between A and B. E.g. It’s difficult to differentiate (hear the difference) between a Scottish and a Welsh accent if you are an English language student.

The ground (noun): The solid surface of the earth. E.g. We sat on the ground to eat our picnic.

The grounds (noun): The land or gardens surrounding a large house or building. E.g. The grounds of Fulham Palace are lovely in spring.

Grounds (for something or for doing something): A reason for something. E.g. She divorced her husband on grounds of cruelty. E.g. The grounds for her dismissal were dishonesty.

Rhubarb (noun): A plant with red stalks (= the long thin parts) that can be cooked and eaten as fruit. We usually call the stalks ‘sticks of rhubarb’ when buying them.

To stroll (verb): To walk slowly for pleasure. E.g. Let’s stroll along the beach before dinner.

A stroll (noun): A slow walk for pleasure. E.g. She went for a stroll through the grounds of Fulham Palace.


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Vocabulary: Clerkenwell: a history of rebellion - Wednesday 12th March 2014

17/3/2014

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Dear all
I hope you all enjoyed exploring Clerkenwell last week. The history you all researched was amazing so thank you for your hard work!

I really enjoyed spending the day with you and hope to see you all again soon.

Best Wishes
Gail


A slum (noun): An of a city where living conditions are extremely bad, and where the buildings are dirty and have not been repaired in a long time. E.g. We walked past a playground that had been a slum before the second world war.

Brand (adjective): Completely new. E.g. A brand new building. E.g. Do you like my new shoes? They’re brand new!

To find your feet (verb): To become confident and independent in a new situation. E.g. We talked about arriving in a new city and how long it can take to ‘find your feet’.

A playground (noun): An area of land where children can play. When it is within a school, we usually specify and say ‘the school playground.’

A daffodil (noun): A tall yellow flower that grows in the spring.

A tramp (noun): A person who has no home or job and who moves from place to place.

Homeless (adjective): Having no home.

The homeless (noun) (pl): People who have no home.

A rough sleeper (noun) A homeless person

To sleep rough (verb): To be a homeless person.

A down and out (noun): Someone who is homeless or has rejected standard living.

Money:

A note (noun) (or banknote): A piece of paper money

A coin (noun): A piece of money made of metal

Cash (noun): Money in the form of coins or notes (not bank cards, cheques etc). E.g. Would you prefer me to pay you in cash or by credit card?

Change (noun): The money that you get back if you pay more than the amoun
t something costs. E.g. Have you got change for a £1-00 please?

Readies (noun) (informal/slang): money

Dosh (noun) (informal/slang): money

A gimmick (noun): An idea for attracting customers or persuading people to buy something. E.g. We talked about the restaurant where you have to eat in the dark and wondered if it was a gimmick. E.g. Often new magazines use free gifts to get people to buy them.

Pitch-black (adjective): Completely dark, with no light at all.

A steeple (noun): A tower on the roof of a church.

A vent (noun): an opening in the wall of a room or machine which allows air to come in – and smoke, steam or smells to go out. E.g. We was the black vents in the outside wall of the building that used to be printing works.

To ventilate (verb): To allow air to move freely in and out of a room or building.

Stained glass (noun): Pieces of coloured glass that are used in church windows. E.g. A stained-glass window (and we saw some beautiful ones in that crypt!

A convent (noun): A place where nuns (religious women) live together in a community.

A nunnery (noun): The same as a convent.

Different ways to describe the movement of a river:

A bend (noun): A bend in the river

To wind (verb): The river winds its way …

To meander (verb): The river meanders through the field.

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Vocabulary: Richmond-upon-Thames Saturday 22nd February 2014

26/2/2014

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Dear all
It was the first time that we've had all Spanish people on a walk! I thoroughly enjoyed being with you ... You all provided such thorough history research and spoke English very well.

I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Best Wishes
Gail

Vocabulary: Richmond upon Thames: River Views and Royal Connections 22nd February 2014

A caravan (noun): a large vehicle that is pulled by a car or a horse. You can eat, sleep, etc in a caravan when you travel or are on holiday.

A camper van (noun): a motor vehicle in which you can sleep, cook etc when you are on holiday.

An open-top car (noun): a car that can remove the roof. E.g. an open-top car drove past us when we were discussing them!

To stray (verb): to go away from the place where you should be. E.g. The sheep strayed onto the road.

To rid (yourself of something) (verb): We usually say ‘to get rid of something/somebody’. To make yourself free from somebody or something that is unpleasant or not wanted. E.g. I got rid of that old carpet. E.g. He took English lessons for fifty years but he couldn’t get rid of his Spanish accent! E.g. She paid someone to get rid of her husband (have him killed)!

A bench (noun): a long wooden or metal seat for two or more people. Often outdoors in a park (i.e. a park bench)

To flow (verb): to move in a smooth and continuous way (like water). E.g. On Saturday the Thames in Richmond was flowing very fast.

To go with the flow (expression): to do what other people are doing. Or to agree with other people because it is the easiest thing to do. E.g. Relax … just go with the flow! E.g. I wasn’t happy with the decision, but it was easier to go with the flow.

To go against the flow (expression): to do or say the opposite of what most other people are doing or saying. E.g. The Prime Minister went against the flow and declared that the population could have a 50% increase in their salaries!

A cottage (noun): a small house very often found in the countryside (rural areas). We saw some cottages just after we left Richmond Palace and walked toward the river.

A bungalow (noun): a low house that usually only has one floor.

Blossom (noun): a flower, or mass of flowers, particularly on a fruit tree. Note: We say that the trees are in blossom.

Free-range eggs (adjective + noun): the eggs from chickens where the chickens can move around freely.

Battery eggs (adjective + noun): the eggs from chickens which are kept in very small cages.

Batter (noun): a mixture of flour, eggs and milk used to cover food such as fish and vegetables before frying them. Also used for making pancakes, Yorkshire Puddings etc.

To batter (verb): to hit somebody/something hard, many times. E.g. the wind battered the windows. E.g. He battered the door down.

Battered women = women who have been hit badly and regularly by their husbands or partners.

A shoal (noun): a large group of fish that feed and swim together.

A vineyard (noun): a piece of land where grapes are grown in order to produce wine.

A vine (noun): the climbing plant that grapes grow on.

Street musicians: musicians who play outside, either on the street, under railway arches etc. E.g. We saw some street musicians on the embankment, under the bridge.

A greenhouse (noun): a small building made of glass in which plants are grown.

A fishmonger (noun): a person whose job is to sell fish.

A fishmonger’s (noun): a shop that sells fish.

Actually (adverb):

a) really, in fact

E.g. You don’t actually believe her, do you?

E.g. I can’t believe that I’m actually going to Spain.

b) although it may seem strange

E.g. He actually expected me to cook his meal for him!

c) Actually is often used in conversation to get somebody’s attention or to correct somebody politely.

E.g. Actually, I wanted to show you something. Have you got a minute?

E.g. We aren’t married, actually.

E.g. I don’t agree about the book. I think it’s pretty awful, actually.

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Vocabulary: Brixton Wednesday 12th February 2014

18/2/2014

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Hello to you
Here is the vocabulary that we went through at the end of the Brixton English Conversation walk. I thoroughly enjoyed spending the time with you ... your level of English is very good indeed!

I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Best Wishes
Gail

Vocabulary:
To drop out (of something)
(phrasal verb): to leave or stop doing something before you have finished. E.g. His injury forced him to drop out of the competition. E.g. More boys than girls drop out of school when they reach sixteen.  E.g. The drop-out rate of boys leaving school early has increased since 2009.

To be paid peanuts (informal): A very small amount of money. E.g. A lot of people who come to London and find work, get paid peanuts.

In my teens: in my twenties; in my thirties etc: When we tell a story about our past, we do not have to be exact about age. E.g. When I was in my teens, I hated school. E.g. She was in her twenties when she got married the first time.

Ear muffs (noun): A pair of soft fabric coverings which are connected by a band across the top of the head. They are worn over the ears to protect them from cold or noise.

To gentrify (verb): To renovate and improve (an area or a house) so that it conforms to the middle-classes.

Gentrification (adjective): We often say ‘the gentrification of’ a place. E.g. When we walked through Brixton Village Market, we saw how the gentrification of Brixton has changed the area.

An atheist (noun): a person who doesn’t believe that there is a god.  

Atheism (noun): The belief that there is no god.  

A landlady / landlord (noun): A person who rents a house or room to people for money. E.g. I pay my rent to the Landlady on the first of every month.

A tenant (noun): a person who pays rent to the owner of a room, building or land so that they can live in it or use it.

Church of England (noun): Abbrev. C of E. The Protestant Church which is the official church in England, whose leader is the Queen or King.

A bay window (noun): A window built to project outwards from the outside wall. E.g. We looked at the houses near Brixton Windmill and decided that we like the bay windows and the style of those houses!

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