Thank you for all your lovely comments about the walk through Dalston last Saturday. I'm pleased that you enjoyed the walk and I hope that you learnt lots of new words too! I really enjoyed walking with you and sharing the history of the area. And it didn't rain all day either!!
Here are the some of the new words that we went over at the end. If there are any others that you would like to add, please do so!
I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Best Wishes
Gail
Towpath (noun): A path next to a river or canal. Originally it was a pathway for the horses that used to pull (tow) the barges (canal boats).
To tow (verb): To pull a boat, car or any other vehicle along with a robe or some other item E.g. When Harry’s car broke down, the man towed it to the garage.
Strength (noun): a) When we can do something well, we say it is our ‘strength’. It is the quality or state of being strong. E.g. As a teacher, her strength was helping the children to understand the letters. b) Physical power. E.g. walking can help to build up your strength.’
Brutal (adjective): Violent or uncomfortable. a) E.g. The brutal dictator killed hundreds of people. b) They were brutally critical about that film.
A plaque (noun): A tablet or tile that is fixed to a wall to commemorate a person or an event. It is usually made of metal, porcelain or wood. In London, you will see lots of blue plaques. This scheme began in 1866 and it’s thought that it is the oldest like it in the world. Blue plaques are fixed to the wall of a house or building where a famous person once lived or worked.
A barometer (noun): An instrument that tells us what the weather is. On this walk we saw the large barometer on the tower St. Mark’s Church. It’s unique in England and believed to be the only working barometer in Europe. When we looked at it, it told us it was raining ... it was correct!!
To sprain (verb): When we twist our ankle, wrist or another joint very violently, we say that we have ‘sprained it’. E.g. Mandy went to the hospital because she’d sprained her ankle.
A sprain (noun): The result of when we twist a joint (ankle, wrist etc). E.g. The doctor told her that it was a sprain and she needed to rest it.
Posh (adjective): wealthy and rich, aristocratic.
Flamboyant (adjective): When a person dresses or behaves in a way that gets everyone to look at them. E.g. If a person dresses in brightly coloured clothes and everyone notices them, we say that they are ‘flamboyant’.
To limp (verb): When someone has hurt their leg or foot and cannot walk properly. E.g. He fell over and hurt his foot. He had to limp all the way home.
To grumble (verb): Complain or protest about something in a bad-tempered way. For example, when the cafe was closing as we arrived after our walk, a lot of us grumbled! We complained among ourselves and not to the cafe. That means that we grumbled or that we were grumbling!
Grumbling (present participle of ‘grumble’(verb): They were grumbling about the cost of the tickets.
Grumpy (adjective): To be bad-tempered and sulk.
Barmy (adjective): Mad, insane, a little crazy. On this walk, we went through the De Beauvoir Square which originally was called the Balmes Estate in the 17th century. Later the large house became a psychiatric institution and this is where we get the word ‘balmy ... then barmy’ from!
To demolish (verb used with an object). a)When we pull down a building or other structure, we say us the verb ‘to demolish’. E.g. They demolished the building where The Four Aces Club was and built a new library.
b) We also use ‘to demolish’ informally. E.g. If we are very hungry and eat our dinner very quickly, we might say ‘I demolished that lot quickly!’ or ‘he demolished his meal in no time!’ or ‘she demolished that chocolate bar!.’
c) demolition (noun). The act of demolishing something. E.g. Demolition work began on the old office building this morning.
To destroy (verb): When we ruin something (a building, painting, dinner or any other object or thing), we use the verb ‘to destroy’. E.g. During the riots, the toy shop was destroyed in the fire. E.g. She poured paint everywhere and destroyed my work.
Joseph Grimaldi (a person so a proper noun): Grimaldi was born in Clerkenwell in 1778. He was the person who created the image of a clown as we know it today – the big painted smile, the costume, the sadness behind the smile and audience participation.
A goat (noun): An animal often found on farms or in mountain and hill areas. We make cheese from their milk i.e. goat’s cheese. Some goats have a long, pointed beard.
A goatee or goatee beard (noun): When someone has a beard which is a triangle shame and comes to a point, we call it a ‘goatee’ or ‘goatee beard’.
A curve (noun): A line that gradually starts to bend.
To curve (verb): To form a bend in a line.
To google (verb): This is a new verb and used all the time! When we search something on the internet, we say that ‘we are googling something’.
E.g.
Person A: I need to get some information about India
Person B: Why don’t you google it?
A google (noun): E.g. ‘Do a google. It’ll be quicker.’
In everyday English, we use ‘google’ more than the word ‘search’.
Sellotape (noun): A long, thin strip of sticky and usually transparent material that is used to join things together. It is sold in a roll. E.g. She used sellotape to stick the paper together.
It’s expensive (adjective): When something costs a lot of money.
It’s pricey (adjective): When something costs a lot of money.
It’s dear (adjective): When something costs a lot of money.
A rip-off (noun): a) When a product or service is over-priced (costs more money than it deserves), we say ‘it’s a rip-off’. When we are cheated out of money or some other thing. E.g. I bought the sofa for £500-00 but, afterwards, I saw it for £300-00. The shop ripped us off.’
Dirt cheap (adverb): Extremely cheap. E.g. That sofa’s dirt cheap. Look! It’s only £99-99!’
A learning disability (noun): When someone has difficulty learning skills or acquiring knowledge to the standard expected of their age group, we say that they have ‘a learning disability’. When someone has a learning disability, they have problems understanding new or complex information, learning new skills and being able to cope independently. There are different levels of learning disability – mild, moderate or severe. Disabilities include: Down’s Syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, dyslexia etc.
Stressed out (adjective): When you are very worried and nervous, you can say that you are ‘stressed out’. E.g. I was stressed out when I had to wait so long to hear if I got the job’. E.g. I’m really stressed out at the moment. I’ve been working 12 hours a day for ages ...
Grammar corrections:
‘In this moment’ – we say ‘at this moment’
They must to help people – we do not use the infinitive with ‘to’ here.
To like or love a language: Someone said, ‘I’m loving this language’. We can’t use ‘ I’m loving’ as it’s a continuous verb and an emotion. But we can say: ‘I love the language’ or ‘I love English’.
To look after (verb): to care for. In the introductions, someone said: ‘I’m looking for the children’. If we are ‘looking for’ the children, we are searching for them because they have disappeared. So, we need to say, ‘I look after the children’.
To write (verb): I write a letter (present), I wrote a letter (past simple), I have written a letter (present perfect), I was writing a letter (past continuous)