Worday
Today lesson includes 5 sections study all of them by heart to make headway and become a word nerd1. A proverb and it's originA bird in the hand is worth two in the bushMeaning It's better to have a small actual advantage than the chance of a greater one. OriginIt isn't until the late 18th century that we find the phrase in its currently used form. The earliest I've located is from a directory of British folk ballads - The Vocal Magazine: Or, Compleat British Songster, 1781. This lyric is taken from a song entitled 'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' and is listed as being 'Sung at Vauxhall' [London]
In addition to the obvious change in meaning of the word 'gay' we can also see in that lyric a use of 'bird' as a synonym for girl/woman. This usage is in fact quite old and dates from at least the 14th century. By how much the phrase predates 1781 isn't clear, as variations of the phrase have been known for centuries. The earliest English version of the proverb is from the Bible and was translated into English in Wycliffe's version in 1382, although Latin texts have it from the 13th century:
Alternatives that explicitly mention birds in hand come later. The earliest of those is in Hugh Rhodes' The boke of nurture or schoole of good maners, circa 1530:
John Heywood, the 16th century collector of proverbs, recorded another version in his ambitiously titled A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue, 1546:
The Bird in Hand was adopted as a pub name in the UK in the Middle Ages and there are still  many pubs of that name there. This refers back to mediaeval falconry where a bird in the hand (the falcon) was certainly worth more than two in the bush (the prey). The term bird in hand must have been known in the USA by 1734, as that is the date when a small town in Pennsylvania was founded with that name. |
People believed for a long time that the heart was the center of a person's emotions. That is why the word heart is used in so many expressions about emotional situations.
One such expression is to "lose your heart" to someone. When that happens, you have fallen in love. But if the person who "won your heart" does not love you, then you are sure to have a "broken heart." In your pain and sadness, you may decide that the person you loved is "hard-hearted," and in fact, has a "heart of stone."
You may decide to "pour out your heart" to a friend. Telling someone about your personal problems can often make you feel better.
If your friend does not seem to understand how painful your broken heart is, you may ask her to "have a heart." You are asking your friend to show some sympathy for your situation. Your friend "has her heart in the right place" if she says she is sorry, and shows great concern for how you feel.
Your friend may, however, warn you "not to wear your heart on your sleeve." In other words, do not let everyone see how lovesick you are. When your heart is on your sleeve you are showing your deepest emotions.
If your friend says, "my heart bleeds for you," she means the opposite. She is a cold-hearted person who does not really care about your situation.
In the ever-popular motion picture, The Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man seeks a heart. He wanted to feel the emotion of love, and was seeking help from the powerful Wizard of Oz to find a heart.
The cowardly lion, in the same movie, did have a heart. But he lacked courage and wanted to ask the Wizard of Oz to give him some. You could say that the cowardly lion was "chicken-hearted." That is another way of describing someone who is not very brave. A chicken is not noted for its bravery. Thus, someone who is chicken-hearted does not have much courage.
When you are frightened or concerned, your "heart is in your mouth." You might say, for example, that your heart was in your mouth when you asked a bank to lend you some money to pay for a new house.
If that bank says no to you, do not "lose heart." Be "strong-hearted." Sit down with the banker and have a "heart to heart" talk. Be open and honest about your situation. The bank may have a "change of heart." It may agree to lend you the money. Then you could stop worrying and "put your heart at rest."
3.phrases and sayings from Shakespeare
Meaning
Literal meaning - a person or thing that is viewed more with sadness than with anger.
Origin
From Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1603. Horatio describes to Hamlet the appearance of his father's ghost:
Hamlet: What, look'd he frowningly?
Horatio: A countenance more in sorrow than in anger.
1. | The inspector overlooked many weaknesses when he inspected the factory in his perfunctory manner. | ||||||||||||||
| (A) | genial | ||||||||||||||
| (B) | thorough | ||||||||||||||
| (C) | uninterested | ||||||||||||||
| (D) | cordial | ||||||||||||||
| 2. | Those young people crossing the dilapidated bridge were in great peril. | ||||||||||||||
| (A) | excitement | ||||||||||||||
| (B) | courage | ||||||||||||||
| (C) | danger | ||||||||||||||
| (D) | assurance | ||||||||||||||
| 3. | None of the peripheral criticism would do any harm to the project itself. | ||||||||||||||
| (A) | profound | ||||||||||||||
| (B) | poignant | ||||||||||||||
| (C) | shallow | ||||||||||||||
| (D) | biting | ||||||||||||||
| 4. | Those who wield the sword will perish by the sword | ||||||||||||||
| (A) | die | ||||||||||||||
| (B) | survive | ||||||||||||||
| (C) | flourish | ||||||||||||||
| (D) | thrive | ||||||||||||||
| 5. | When several witnesses appeared to challenge his story, he was indicted for perjury. | ||||||||||||||
| (A) | theft | ||||||||||||||
| (B) | robbery | ||||||||||||||
| (C) | arson | ||||||||||||||
| (D) | false testimony | ||||||||||||||
| 6. | The economy will perk up sooner or later. | ||||||||||||||
| (A) | improve | ||||||||||||||
| (B) | stagnate | ||||||||||||||
| (C) | slump | ||||||||||||||
| (D) | slumber | ||||||||||||||
| 7. | A warm friendship permeates the sophomore class. | ||||||||||||||
| (A) | perseveres | ||||||||||||||
| (B) | desists | ||||||||||||||
| (C) | deteriorates | ||||||||||||||
| (D) | pervades | ||||||||||||||
| 8. | The teacher argued that these books had a pernicious effect on young and susceptible minds. | ||||||||||||||
| (A) | innocuous | ||||||||||||||
| (B) | extremely harmful | ||||||||||||||
| (C) | harmless | ||||||||||||||
| (D) | erudite | ||||||||||||||
| 9. | Only an insane person could perpetrate such a horrible crime. | ||||||||||||||
| (A) | refrain | ||||||||||||||
| (B) | commit | ||||||||||||||
| (C) | resist | ||||||||||||||
| (D) | subsist | ||||||||||||||
| 10. | The monumnet was built to perpetuate the memory of a great statesman. | ||||||||||||||
| (A) | annihilate | ||||||||||||||
| (B) | erase | ||||||||||||||
| (C) | obliterate | ||||||||||||||
| | (D) cause to last
Definition: To do something very well, particularly an examination (verb); first-rate (adjective), or an expert (noun). Example: 1) I'm going to ace this exam - I've been studying all week! 2) Lois Lane was the ace reporter for The Daily Planet -- although she did have a lot of trouble uncovering Superman's identity! Etymology: In World War I, a pilot who shot down five enemy planes was called an 'ace', which is the powerful one card in a deck of playing cards. 'Ace' can be used as a verb (to do well) or as an adjective (excellent, best) or as a noun (a nickname for someone who is good at something, or for a good friend). | ||||||||||||||
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