Before I Wake: Euphemism

Euphemism:

It's important that we be all polite to each other. For this reason, there are many polite ways to talk about impolite topics.

Match the euphemisms with the real message transmitted.

1 - He's light-fingered

2 - She's been doing time

3 - I'm just going to powder my nose

4 - Down and out / A down-and-out

5 - She's in the family way

6 - She had a baby

7 - He made an honest woman of her


(   ) she has been in prison.

(   ) she gave birth to a new child.

(   ) the person is a thief / steals things.

(   ) a polite phrase that some people use to say that they are going to the toilet.

(   ) 'Down and out' is an adjective but 'a down-and-out' is a noun that describes a person who is homeless.

(   )  a man has married a woman.

(   ) means pregnant. Other euphemisms include 'she's expecting a baby' and 'she has a bun in the oven'.

KEY: 

2 - 6 - 1 - 3 - 4 - 7 - 5

Watch the movie segment and decide:

What is the euphemism used?

What is the real message given?



KEY -

Euphemism: He's in heaven.
Real meaning: he is dead.


WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - BEFORE I WAKE

Jurassic World: Acronyms

ACRONYM: Technically, a word that is formed by combining some parts (usually the first letters) of some other terms. Newsgroups, chat rooms and e-mails have spawned a rich set of acronyms and initialisms for common phrases. Here is a list of common acronyms used nowadays.

ASAP: As Soon As Possible

ASL: Age/ Sex/ Location

AAMOF: As a matter of fact.

ATM: At This Moment.

BBL: Be Back Later.

BC: Be Cool.

BRB: Be Right Back

BTW: By the Way.

B4: Before

CU: See You!

CUL: See you Later.

Cuz: Because

DIY: Do it yourself.

DND: Do not Disturb.

F2F: Face to Face.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions.

FB: Facebook (Most used)

FYI: For your information.

GAL: Get a Life.

GM: Good Morning.

GN: Good Night.

GNASD: Good Night and Sweet Dreams

G2B: Going to Bed.

GR8: Great.

G2G: Got to Go.

HBU: How about you.

HAND: Have a Nice Day. (nice one)

IDC: I don’t care.

IDK: I don’t Know

IC: I See. (As same as it sounds)

IDC: I don’t care.

IMY: I miss u

IS: I’m sorry.

JAM: Just a minute.

JK: Just Kidding

K: Okay

LAM: Leave a message.

LOL: Laugh out Loud

LMK: Let Me Know

L8R: Later.

MP: My pleasure.

Msg: Message.

NP: No problem.

OMG: Oh my God!

Pls: Please

Ppl: People

ROFL: Rolling On Floor Laughing

Q4U: Question for you.

SD: Sweet Dreams

sup: wassup

TBH: To Be Honest

Tnx: Thanks

TY: Thank You

Txt: Text

TMI: Too much information.

TTLY: Talk to you later

WBU: What about you.

W8AM: Wait a minute.

Watch the movie segment. Observe that many people are texting during the scene.Work in pairs. Write a dialog with acronyms for you to describe what you saw and to express your feelings about what happened. You may use other words, not only acronyms.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - JURASSIC WORLD

Into the Woods: Rhymes

This is a great movie. Meryl Streep is simply magnificent in this role. I used this scene to talk about rhymes and poetry.

A rhyme is when two words sound the same when spoken. Rhyming words don't have to be spelt the same to be classed as a rhyme. Rhyme is used in poetry to help the poem become interesting. Rhyme is used to help create a pattern within a poem.

I. Work in pairs:

 

Read the script of the scene and choose the best word to match the rhymes. Check the rhyme and the meaning too.

[WOLF]

Good day, young lady.

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD].. good day Mr.Wolf.

[WOLF]

Look at that flesh

Pink and plump.

Hello, little girl...

Tender and (fresh/ flash / trash),

Not one lump.

Hello, little girl...

This one's especially lush,

Delicious...

Hello, little girl,

What's your (crush / rush/ blush)?

You're missing all the flowers.

The sun won't set for (ours/ hours/ towers),

Take your time.

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]

Mother said,

"Straight ahead,"

Not to delay or be (misled/ glad/ sad).

[WOLF]

But slow, little girl,

Hark and hush-

The birds are singing sweetly.

You'll miss the birds (immediately/ completely/ quickly),

You're traveling so fleetly.

Grandmother first,

Then Miss Plump...

What a delectable couple:

Utter perfection-

One brittle, one supple-

One moment, my dear-!

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]

Mother said,

"Come what (pay/ pray/ may),

Follow the path

And never stray."

[WOLF]

Just so, little girl-

Any path.

So many worth exploring.

Just one would be so (boring/ storing/ sorry).

And look what you're ignoring...

Think of those crisp,

Aging bones,

Then something fresh on the palate,

Think of that scrumptious carnality

Twice in one day-!

There's no possible way

To describe what you (steal/ peel/ feel)

When you're talking to your meal. (GROWL) for granny

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]

Mother said

Not to stray.

Still I suppose,

A small delay...

Granny might like

A fresh (play/ bouquet/ gourmet)

Goodbye, Mr. Wolf.

[WOLF]

Goodbye, little girl.

And hello...

(howls)

II, Watch the scene and check your answers,

Key:

[WOLF]

Good day, young lady.

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD].. 

good day Mr.Wolf.

[WOLF]

Look at that flesh

Pink and plump.

Hello, little girl...

Tender and fresh,

Not one lump.

Hello, little girl...

This one's especially lush,

Delicious...

Hello, little girl,

What's your rush?

You're missing all the flowers.

The sun won't set for hours,

Take your time.

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]

Mother said,

"Straight ahead,"

Not to delay or be misled.

[WOLF]

But slow, little girl,

Hark and hush-

The birds are singing sweetly.

You'll miss the birds completely,

You're traveling so fleetly.

Grandmother first,

Then Miss Plump...

What a delectable couple:

Utter perfection-

One brittle, one supple-

One moment, my dear-!

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]

Mother said,

"Come what may,

Follow the path

And never stray."

[WOLF]

Just so, little girl-

Any path.

So many worth exploring.

Just one would be so boring.

And look what you're ignoring...

Think of those crisp,

Aging bones,

Then something fresh on the palate,

Think of that scrumptious carnality

Twice in one day-!

There's no possible way

To describe what you feel

When you're talking to your meal. (GROWL) for granny

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]

Mother said

Not to stray.

Still I suppose,

A small delay...

Granny might like

A fresh bouquet...

Goodbye, Mr. Wolf.

[WOLF]

Goodbye, little girl.

And hello...

(howls)

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - INTO THE WOODS

WORKSHEET 

Into the Woods: Similes

Similes: a comparison between two dissimilar things using like or as.

A simile is a direct comparison of two things. Similes are a easy to understand. The uses of similes can be confusing to people who are not fluent in a given language, because they will interpret the words literally. Also, similes  can change from region to region, and even among groups of people, like musicians or teenagers.

Come up with the most logical similes. Match the adjectives and the nouns . Then watch the segment and check your answers.


CAPE                    RED           BLOOD

COW                     WHITE       MILK

SLIPPERS             PURE          GOLD

HAIR                   YELLOW    CORN

  

Work in small groups, Come up with similes about the pictures*. Use your imagination!

* YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURES ONLY IN THE WORKSHEET.

Key:

A COW  AS WHITE AS MILK
THE CAPE AS RED AS BLOOD
THE HAIR THAT IS YELLOW AS CORN
SLIPPERS PURE AS GOLD

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - INTO THE WOODS

Ivan the Incredible: Similes, Figures of Speech

This movie is great. It is wonderful to see the story of an ordinary boy who can be the best at everything for just one day. You can't miss it.

http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/figures-simile.htm


A simile is a figure of speech that says that one thing is like another different thing. We can use similes to make descriptions more emphatic or vivid.
We often use the words as...as and like with similes.
Common patterns for similes, with example sentences, are:

• something [is*] AS adjective AS something 
• His skin was as cold as ice.
  It felt as hard as rock.
  She looked as gentle as a lamb.
• something [is*] LIKE something
  My love is like a red, red rose.
  These cookies taste like garbage.
  He had a temper (that was) like a volcano.
• something [does**] LIKE something
  He eats like a pig.
  He smokes like a chimney.
  They fought like cats and dogs.

* stative verb: be, feel, smell, taste etc
** action verb

A simile is a direct comparison of two things. Similes are a easy to understand. The uses of similes can be confusing to people who are not fluent in a given language, because they will interpret the words literally. Also, similes  can change from region to region, and even among groups of people, like musicians or teenagers.

I. Match the adjectives and nouns and make similes connecting them. You may repeat the adjectives. What does the witch say to Ivan, using similes?


1. Strong
2. Calm
3. Happy


( ) Cow
( ) Steer
( ) Tarzan
( ) Hog

1. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
3. _______________________________________
4. _______________________________________


II.  Watch the segment and check your guesses.

III. Work in groups. Mention five things that you would like to do or be, using similes.

Ex: I'd like to be as fast as Superman.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - IVAN THE INCREDIBLE

Answer key:

He is as strong as a steer

He's as calm as a cow.

He's as happy as a hog. 

He's just as strong as Tarzan.

42: Etymology

http://fun-with-words.com/etym_explain.html

ETYMOLOGY

The word etymology is derived from the Greek etumos which means real or true. The ending ology suggests the study/science of something, as in biology or geology. And that is the etymology of etymology. It is the study of the origins of words; how they evolved. 

The Ancient Greek word hippos means horse. And potamus means river. Hence hippopotamus literally means river horse.

A few other parts of words derived from Ancient Greek are tele (long distance), micro (small), phone (speak), and scope (look). From these come such words as telephone, telescope, microphone, and microscope.

I. In small groups, come up with a definition for the following words. Then try to imagine its origin. Be creative!

ASSASSINS - UTOPIA - SALARY - ROBOT - CARNIVAL

II. Before watching the segment, make a guess about the origin and meaning of the following words:

SYMPATHY - PHILADELPHIA

Sympathy - Origin

a) Latin
b) Anglo-Saxon
c) Greek
d) Germanic
e) Persian
f) Slavic

Sympathy - Meaning

a) to love
b) to suffer
c) to mercy
d) to sin
e) to help
f) to lose


Philadelphia - Origin

a) Latin
b) Anglo-Saxon
c) Greek
d) Germanic
e) Sioux
f) Apachian


Philadelphia - Meaning

a) Brotherly Love
b) Mother Nature
c) North Sunset
d) Land of the Children
e) Winds of Hills
f) Green Plain

III. Watch the segment and check your answers.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - 42

Answer Key:

II.  Check your answers below:


Assassins:
During the time of the Crusades the members of a certain secret Muslim sect terrorized their Christian enemies. These acts were carried out under the influence of hashish, and so the killers became known as hashshashin, meaning eaters or smokers of hashish. Hashshashin evolved into the word assassin.

Utopia:
"Utopia" is ancient Greek in origin and means "Not" + "Place"; in other words, "nowhere".

Salary:
The ancient Roman word salarium has developed into today's word salary, which is the money we earn from employment. The Roman were originally paid in salt. The Latin word for salt is sal.

Robot:
Comes from the Czech word robota, meaning "forced labour" or "hard work".

Carnival: 
This word for a fun festival is related to such words as carnal and carnivore. It originated as a word for a festival  in which the eating of meat was forbidden. Carnival literally means the withholding of meat.



III.

Simpathy:
GREEK WORD - SUFFER


Philadelphia:
GREEK - BROTHERLY LOVE

Wanderlust: Metaphorical x Literal Meaning

I have been adding posts about figures of speech and pragmatics. This one contrasts literal and figurative meanings, important nuances of language.

 

Figurative and literal are terms that signify whether language complies with its accepted, dictionary definition (literal) or whether it diverges from its generally accepted meaning by the use of symbolism, exaggeration, or other device (figurative). Literal language strives for one, clear meaning, while figurative language seeks to add layers of meaning that require interpretation. The particular devices a writer employs (for example, metaphor, simile, or personification) are referred to as figures of speech. 

By Chegg

I. Watch the movie segment. Then take a look at the statements selected from the snippet. Finally, decide if they have literal or figurative language.

Money Buys Nothing

Literal or Figurative?

You Can't Express Your Feeling by Sending a Letter through a Fax Machine

Literal or Figurative?

II. Discuss these questions:

1. Why did the characters disagree about the meaning of the sentence "money buys nothing'?

2. What did both of them have in mind when they expressed their ideas? Who do you think is right?

3. What does the character mean with "you can't express your feeling by sending a letter through a fax machine"? 

4. Come up with some figurative ways to say the following sentences.

- She died.

- She's very ugly.

- He's extremely handsome.

- He's very rich.

- That car is very powerful.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - WANDERLUST

Answer key:


I.
Money...      (literal)
                    You can't ... (figurative).


II.
3. He means he wants the couple to stay in the community.

Oz The Great and Powerful & Monster House: Personification - Figures of Speech

I love both movies. Monster House is an underrated animated movie, and Oz is the new version of the classic, Wizard of Oz. It is always recommendable watching classics.

Oz The Great and Powerful:

Personification is the giving of human attributes or a personality to inanimate objects. Personification works well in children's stories such as these, as it gives a story a fun, fantastical element. It allows children to use their imaginations and expand their creativity. It is a figure of speech.

Personification can be simply an instance of human characteristic in an object. For example, a phrase such as, “The house frowned upon him” creates the idea of a house having a personality, without it being an actual character in the story. This sentence helps describe the scene and paint a vivid picture in the reader's mind. It is also indicative of the mood of the character “him.”

A sentence such as, “The sun dimmed disapprovingly” gives a characteristic to the sun that it does not normally have. It could be describing a lone character's interaction with his surroundings in a creative way.

Personification is a great fiction writing technique when it comes to characterization, describing scenes and creating story tone, and it can be used in both children's stories and adult fiction. Try personification in writing and develop your creativity.

Edited from: http://suite101.com/article/create-a-character-how-to-use-personification-in-fiction-writing-a336017



Watch the segment from the movie Oz The Great and Powerful and write three sentences describing  the human characteristics that you could notice in China Girl. Do the same with the monkey, Finley. Make sure you follow the example:

“The house frowned upon him” 
"The doll cried in pain"


CHINA GIRL:

______________________________________________________________ 
______________________________________________________________ 
______________________________________________________________

FINLEY:

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Now watch the segment from the movie Monster House and repeat the process in the previous exercise.


Monster House:

















HOUSE:

________________________________________________________________ 
________________________________________________________________ 
________________________________________________________________


WORKSHEET 

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - MONSTER HOUSE

Spirit - Stallion of the Cimarron: Onomatopoeia

Teaching figures of speech are occasionally necessary. This is a fun way to practice identifying onomatopoeia. REMEMBER:

Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech that employs a word, or occasionally, a grouping of words, that imitates, echoes, or suggests the object it is describing, such as "bang", "click", "fizz", "hush" or "buzz", or animal noises such as "moo", "quack" or "meow".

I. Match the animals or things below and the onomatopoeia you believe the sound they make suggests. There may be more than only one matching for each of the items. Try to figure out the "sound" the verbs may have to identify the corresponding noun.

1. Wind

2. River

3. Wings

4. Bird

5. Eagle

6. Geyser


( ) rumble

( ) swoosh

( ) flutter

( ) screech

( ) chirp

( ) spout

( ) blow


II. Watch the movie segment and check your answers:




WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - STALLION SPIRIT OF THE CIMARRON

Answer Key:


river: rumble

wings: swoosh, flutter

eagle: screech

bird: chirp

geyser: spout

wind: blow

bird: chirp

Avalon: Homophones x Homographs

Read the definitions below:

A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning. The words may be spelled the same, such as rose (flower) and rose (past tense of "rise"), or differently, such as carat, caret, and carrot, or two and too. (more at the related link)

The word homophone is made from two combining forms:
homo- (from the Greek word "homos", meaning "same"
-phone (from the Greek word "phone", meaning "voice" or "sound"

HOMOPHONES sound alike and have different meanings, but have different spellings.

Ex:

bee (insect) - be (verb)
HOMOGRAPHS are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings.

Ex: lie (untruth) - lie (down)

I. Watch the movie segment and decide what words are examples of homophones (2 words) and homographs (3 words). Then write their definitions.




HOMOPHONES:

__________ AND _________

Definitions: ______________ AND _________________

HOMOGRAPHS:

______________, ______________ AND ________

Definitions: __________, _____________ AND ____________

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - AVALON

Answer key:

Homophones: Aunt AND Ant

1. Aunt: The sister of someone's father or mother

2. A very small insect that live under the ground in a very organized society

Homographs: Great AND Great AND Great

1. Great: a member of the family that is one generation away from that member

2. Great: big

3. Great: very good

Shall We Dance? & Save the Last Dance: Similes x Metaphors

Both movies are great. Shall We Dance? has Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez at their best and Save the Last Dance is absolutely amazing, with great songs. Both talk about kinds of music and these scenes are perfect to contrast similes and metaphors, about which many people, even teachers, have doubts.

A. Remember the difference between SIMILES and METAPHORS:


A simile - or to be like something - is to retain a difference which means one can never fully substitute for the other. On the other hand, a metaphor actually is a substitution - it is an equation in principle. Typically, if it needs further explanation, it's probably a simile; if it makes instant sense, it's most likely a metaphor. The simile is always poetic, while the metaphor always has the ring of truth. They are similar, but different in essence.

Simile - Basic Rule: If it uses the words "is like" or "is as", it is usually a simile; if it uses the word "is", without "as" or "like", it is usually a metaphor .

B. Before watching the first movie segment from the movie "Shall We Dance?", try matching the first part of the sentence with the simile or metaphor in the second column.

1. The rumba

2. The rumba

3. You have to hold her

4. Let her go

5. Put her back

6. Then finish

( ) like the skin of her thigh is your reason for living.

( ) like she's ruined your life.

( ) is the dance of love.

( ) like your heart's being ripped from your chest.

( ) is a vertical expression of a horizontal wish.

( ) like you're going to have your way with her, right there on the dance floor.

C. Now watch the segment and check your answers. Identify which items are similes and metaphors.

Answer key: 3, 6, 1 (or 2), 4, 2 (or 1), 5
Metaphors are: 1 and 2

D. Now repeat the process with the next segment from the movie Save the Last Dance. Make a guess matching the first part of the sentence with the simile or metaphor.

1. Hip Hop is

2. Be strong

3. Sit

4. Slouch a little bit

( ) like you're chilling

( ) like you're a nasty bitch

( ) like an attitude

( ) like a tree

E. Now watch the movie segment and check your answers. Identify which items are similes or metaphors

Answer Key: 3, 4, 1, 2 - All are similes.

F. Think about the most popular dance or music in your country and write 2 similes and 2 metaphors describing it.

Ex: SAMBA.

Samba is like a volcano in the heart. (Simile)

Samba is a ferocious animal in the shape of dance. (Metaphor)

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - SHALL WE DANCE

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - SAVE THE LAST DANCE