The Improve Your English Thread v3

[Vita]

Again, "Merlin's saggy -" is an explicative like "Good God" or "Oh my!" One word however has been omitted from that phrase as it is not really appropriate for a children's book or this forum.

[featherfish81]

Originally Posted by mykoko1998

I dunno clearly about liaison rules.Do American use liaison,and Bristish not?Could you give some commonly rules of liaison.Then give examples of its.And I should listen which the slowly song so that singer sing prounuciate liaison.Thank thank.

Do you mean times when you would use the word liaison? In the US, it's most often used for a person who helps connect two organizations. So a Congressional liaison will speak to members of Congress about what their organization needs.

[mykoko1998]

The song title" Pretty boy" of M2M.But the"pretty" word do mean beautiful of things and female.What is the"pretty boy"?Could you please explain this ?

[kala_way]

Originally Posted by mykoko1998

The song title" Pretty boy" of M2M.But the"pretty" word do mean beautiful of things and female.What is the"pretty boy"?Could you please explain this ?

"Pretty boy" usually refers to young guys that are handsome in a very clean cut, traditional sense. Not rugged or macho. It's usually said in a sort of negative way, but not always harshly. Robert Pattison as Cedric was the epitome of pretty boy--perfect hair and teeth and skin. It doesn't necessarily mean feminine, though if it's used as an insult it might. I listened to that song and they're definitely using it in a positive way.

[mykoko1998]

what does "My Oh My" in the same title of song for Aqua means? And in "25 minutes-Michael Learns To Rock ",there is noun phrase" Out in the streets places where hungry hearts have nothing to eat",what mean "Out in street"?Thank you!

[Vita]

"My oh My" is an exclamation of pleasure, delight and wonder. Kind of along the lines of "Oh my God!" It's used usually in circumstances when something good happens.

To be "out on the street" means to be homeless (living in the streets)

[eaglestreasure]

Originally Posted by Vita

"My oh My" is an exclamation of pleasure, delight and wonder. Kind of along the lines of "Oh my God!"

I would say that it could also indicate surprise, e.g. "My oh my, what have you done with your hair?"

[mykoko1998]

=What dothe noun phrases"I ain't got no days" , "Feel out of place and out of time","There ain't no you",and "God knows there ain't no me" in The Loneliness of Babyface.But the "ain't" refer " negative meanings",why did they use "no+noun"?

=What do"She moves like she don't care .Smooth as silk .Cool as air"mean?,"Latina ,Regina
Ave Maria ",who are they?" in "Maria-Blondie".Thanks a lot.

What does "rootie/rooty toot toots and Rummy/Rummie tum tums" in "Santa Claus is comin' to town" Christmas song? refer Food or sound of something

[Vita]

Originally Posted by mykoko1998

=What dothe noun phrases"I ain't got no days" , "Feel out of place and out of time","There ain't no you",and "God knows there ain't no me" in The Loneliness of Babyface.But the "ain't" refer " negative meanings",why did they use "no+noun"?

=What do"She moves like she don't care .Smooth as silk .Cool as air"mean?,"Latina ,Regina
Ave Maria ",who are they?" in "Maria-Blondie".Thanks a lot.
"
What does "rootie/rooty toot toots and Rummy/Rummie tum tums" in "Santa Claus is comin' to town" Christmas song? refer Food or sound of something

Ooh song lyrics! Well first I have to tell you it might not be easy to explain or understand to non native speakers. All of these phrases are figurative and require the listener) or reader to o some critical thinking and come to their own conclusions. I will do my best to explain.


"Feel out of place and out of time"

Basically, when a person would say this they are saying they don't feel like they belong to their surroundings, like they don't fit in anymore.

[i} "There ain't no you and God knows there aint no me"[/i]

I wish I knew the whole context of the song... it might be easier to explain. What I get from this phrase the singer is going back to the first phrase you picked out. He says again that he feels like they don't belong to a point of not even existing.

Songs lyrics do not have to use correct grammer. "Ain't no" sounds catchy so that's why it's used in songs.


"She moves like she don't care. Smooth as silk. Cool as air"

General meaning of this phrase is that she's a good dancer.

"Latina, Regina, Ave Maria"

I'm not sure as how they pertain to the context of this song to tell you they truth. Ave Maria is a salutation of the Roman Catholic church to Mary (the mother of Jesus) Latina refers to a woman from Latin America and Regina is a common woman's name. It also could refer to an opera titled Regina but I am uncertain.


"rootie/rooty toot toots and Rummy/Rummie tum tums"

Fun words basically to stick into they song. Reader and listener can have their own interpritation. I think the rooty toot toots refers to a trumpet and the Rummie tum tums refers to a drum.

[Mundungus Fletc]

Regina is the Latin for queen so might be referring to Mary's title "Queen of Heaven"

[Puppet_Master]

Hello there
I am always confused when I am going to use "Any" or "Anything"
Because "anything" is used in a non-negative way too.

Is "anything" negative the most of the times?

For example, I want to deny something, I say
He was not anything of that
There isn´t anything
There isn´t anyone

Is that correct?

But my doubt is to use "not" in the same sentence with "any"
So I wonder if the sentences are the same saying this
He was anything of that
There is anything
There is anyone

Is that correct?

Thanks in advace

[Melaszka]

Originally Posted by Puppet_Master

Hello there
I am always confused when I am going to use "Any" or "Anything"
Because "anything" is used in a non-negative way too.

Is "anything" negative the most of the times?

No, not always. It's also used in questions (e.g. Is there anything you like better than chocolate? Do you want any cheese?) and conditionals (e.g. "If there are any chairs left, please save one for me", "If you are anything like me, you will find this grammar very confusing", "If I have annoyed anyone, I apologise")

He was not anything of that

Sorry, but that sentence doesn't make any sense. Do you mean "he was not anything like that"?

So I wonder if the sentences are the same saying this
He was anything of that
There is anything
There is anyone

Is that correct?

No, you can't usually say those.

You can, however, use "any", "anything" etc in sentences where the implication is that you don't have a particular choice or preference - e.g. "I will eat anything you put in front of me", "Put on any music you like - I don't mind what I listen to".

[kala_way]

Originally Posted by Puppet_Master

Is "anything" negative the most of the times?

For example, I want to deny something, I say
There isn´t anything
There isn´t anyone

'Any' and 'anything' don't have to do with negation but with amount.
Your two examples would make sense with some details, but rarely (if ever) by themselves.
"There isn't anything I'd rather do."
"There isn't anyone here."

[hpfan_142]

the rule with because, I believe, is more to avoid answering a question incompletely. For example, if you were asked why did you go to the store yesterday? you should say "I went to the store because I needed to buy milk" rather than simply saying "because I needed to buy milk" But if you wanted to say "Because I needed to buy milk, I went to the store" that would be perfectly acceptable because you still have a complete idea.

[Puppet_Master]

This is very confussing
I find it hard to get

Sorry, but that sentence doesn't make any sense. Do you mean "he was not anything like that"?

Humm It does make sense, just one word is changed after all jeje.
That was my question indeed, how to say that.
So I will try to remember the correct sentence.

'Any' and 'anything' don't have to do with negation but with amount.
Your two examples would make sense with some details, but rarely (if ever) by themselves.
"There isn't anything I'd rather do."
"There isn't anyone here."

OK I see.

[mykoko1998]

The one time, king of pop may have lost his cry in recent years,
but when the Michael jackson circus comes into town,

what do "lost his cry and "circus" mean?

And What does "tin- horn" in lyric of Santa claus is coming to town mean?

[Vita]

"Lost his cry" I think refers to his fame he had as an artist in the 80's. In recent years Jacksons was made fun of more than respected for his talent.

I also think it nods to Jackson's Free Willy song where he had an extended note that sounded like a loud cry. Again, this is only my opinion.

Circus refers to the entire crew that worked with Jackson's concert. One would get the idea that there were alot of people and confusion.

Tin-horn I would imagine is some kind of musical instrument.

It also refers someone who is new to the American West but I don't believe it was used in that context here.

[mykoko1998]

Oh . thanks !

and :

he would bring them by the theatre every single day and the pips were, were, were really more familiar with the guys than i was and they had been talking about them for the longest time.

[Morning_Star]

I have a question. I am a huge Tolkien fan, and in his books he use a lot of words and expressions that aren't as commonly used now. Therefore, I am unsure of the meanings of some of them, and my dictionaries won't tell me. Could someone here please help me?

Hey Presto!
Behold!
Lo!
And another, I believe, but I can't remember it now.

I know more or less what they mean, and I have concluded that behold! means something like see!

What I do know for certain, is that they can all be found in The Lord of the Rings, and that they are used in sentences in this way:

Lo! lords and knights and men of valour unashamed, kings and princes, and fair people of Gondor, and Riders of Rohan, and ye sons of Elrond and Dúnedain of the North, and Elf and Dwarf, and greathearts of the Shire, and all free folk of the West, now listen to my lay. For I will sing to you of Frodo of the Nine Fingers and the Ring of Doom.

But lo! suddenly in the midst of the glory of the king his golden shield was dimmed. The new morning was blotted from the sky. Dark fell about him. Horses reared and screamed. Men cast from the saddle lay grovelling on the ground. [...] The great shadow descended like a falling cloud. And behold! it was a winged creature: if bird, then greater than all other birds, and it was naked, and neither quill nor feather did it bear, and its vast pinions were as webs of hide between horned fingers; and it stank.

(All quotes are from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.)

I didn't know that any word was allowed to pop up in sentences, and, despite finishing its sudden appearance with an exclamation mark, be followed with an un-capitalized word? If someone could please make this clear for me, I would be glad. (I do understand why the next word isn't capitalized though: it is an exclamation, it's as if someone is shouting it out to emphasize something.)

EDIT: I had another question to ask, but I forgot. So I'm adding it now! What is the difference between further and farther? I have a vague idea, but I'm not sure at all.

[Mundungus Fletc]

For further and farther go here

Words like Lo and Behold are a way Tolkien uses to sound grandiloquent. They are almost always superfluous. Hey Presto is used by stage magicians rather like Abracadabra