E-TIDBIT OF THE DAY: That's all she wrote

That's all she wrote is an American idiomatic expression that dates back to the Dear John Letters of World War II (WWII). As the story goes, there was a sad serviceman said to have received a letter that only had two words: Dear John. This became a joke among the soldiers. Some would receive a full-page letter, or just a few lines, or in the case of the sad serviceman who received just a two-word letter.

The expression that's all she wrote came to mean something that has ended or finished or something that has ended and there is nothing more to say about it.

Examples:

"We were just two days from completing a 5-week project, when our supplier informed us that the additional materials we needed were no longer in stock. Our deadline was almost up and we had no more time to look for another supplier, so...that was all she wrote!"

"Our house burnt down last week. We immediately called the fire department, but they took too long to get there and that was all she wrote!"

"John Smith, our champion Formula 1 sensation is neck-to-neck with Ted Campbell...Oh, oh no! His tire blew up just 200 meters from the finish line! He's out and that's all she wrote! What a stroke of bad luck! Ted Campbell, the new champion, has won, folks!"

"Out of 100 candidates, my son got the job! That's all she wrote!"

                                                                                                           Video: Personal Archives

Congratulations! You're that much closer to speaking excellent American English!

E-TIDBIT OF THE DAY: Stopped up & backed up

Stopped up & backed up are phrasal verbs! Remember those things?! They have been put into our English vocabulary to confuse those of you whose English is not your mother tongue! 

  

                                                         Video: Personal Archives

                          

Stopped up and backed up are related to each other. Stopped up and backed up means something is unable to flow freely, generally inside a pipe. Or something is blocking the flow, so we say the pipe is stopped up! When this happens, it's not fun, because the next thing one has to do is unplug whatever is blocking the flow. 

Note: We can also say that the traffic is backed up, which often happens at rush hour, meaning that many cars are on the street or freeway, causing cars to move slowly or stop.

For example, a kitchen sink drain can get stopped up or backed up, meaning that whatever is down the drain is going to come up and into the sink. You would probably have to turn off the water faucet to keep the water in the sink from overflowing unto the floor! You can be certain that the water, when backed up in a drain will not be clean! So, keep your drains and toilets free (using a plunger) from stopping up or backing up!

Congratulations! You're that much closer to speaking excellent American English!

E-TIDBIT OF THE DAY: Toothbrushing on the go!

TOOTHBRUSHING while out and about is part of Brazilian culture. Most Brazilians carry a toothbrush to brush their teeth after lunch at work or when on an outing away from home for the day. It is a practice that Americans don't have. 

Americans who see a Brazilian brushing their teeth in a restroom, think it strange, to say the least. Brazilians who travel to the United States and who are seen brushing their teeth in a restroom, have told me they have received strange or puzzled looks from Americans. I admit that I reacted the same way when I began seeing Brazilians brushing their teeth in restrooms here in Brazil.

But, my fellow Americans and Canadians...what's all the fuss?!? When you think about it, how hygienic is brushing your teeth after meals eaten out? Very oral hygienic!! So, I ask my countrymen again: What's the problem? We need to brush our teeth more than just once or twice a day. One thing I can't stand is grungy-feeling teeth, even for a few minutes, let alone several hours! Plus, poppin' a breath mint, is not gonna get your teeth clean! After a few years living in Brazil, I not only started carrying a toothbrush, but also dental floss! Doctors say that a clean mouth helps to keep our bodies healthy!

                                           

Well, it's a question of customs related to culture. I'm American, a dentist's daughter, and I think it's a great idea to carry a toothbrush while away from home. Here's a little tip: You should floss correctly (ask your dentist how) before brushing; you must have a good toothbrush (not hard and not too soft - medium is the best) and a proper brushing technique - little pressure and brush with a small circular motion for at least 3 minutes (ask your dentist who can show you). When your toothbrush's bristles start fraying outwardly like a "Y", it's way overdue for a new one. You should have two of two different colors (three, if you decide to carry one with you), and use them alternately. 

There you have it! Think about how much sense it makes to carry and use a toothbrush while at work, the Brazilian way. Does your country have this custom? Let me know! Send a comment.

Congratulations! You are that much closer to speaking excellent American English!

E-TIDBIT OF THE DAY: Toilet Paper doesn't belong in the toilet?!?!

TOILET PAPER in Brazil does NOT belong in the toilet, in most places. So, you ask: Where then does it belong after used? Well, there is a logical explanation for why Brazilians put used toilet paper (hereafter referred to as T.P.) somewhere other than the toilet. 

Now, before we continue this conversation, please keep an open mind! Many might be shocked when they hear this. In Brazil, the toilet water pressure when flushing is not strong in many homes nor businesses. So, to keep from clogging the toilet, you will sometimes see a sign on the wall behind the thone (as we often call it in the USA), instructing visitors and reminding Brazilians to please put the toilet paper in the wastebasket (the sign is usually written in Portuguese). 

Americans think that is nasty, to say the least. We are not accustomed to this practice. Those of my homeland are very happy when we are able to live in an apartment building in Brazil, because the water pressure must be stronger to flush everything down the toilet including TP. I have been doing this for years and the toilet has never failed to get rid of TP...and no stopping up the toilet! What can be really nasty is when the toilet gets backed up, meaning it can start to overflow. 

                                                                                   Video: Personal Archives

                                                
        

Well, anyway...enough of talking about toilet life! I think you now understand the reason why TP doesn't belong in the toilet, but in the wastebasket beside the toilet...in Brazil. Now, should you ever visit Brazil and find no wastebasket in the restroom, well, just do the logical thing and put the TP in the toilet, and hope you don't need a plunger, because you won't find that in the restroom, either. You might wanna hold onto the flusher mechanism for a few seconds just to make sure.

Oh! By the way, you may have noticed that there are a couple of phrasal verbs in bold italics in this cultural lesson that have been used. Don't worry! I'll explain them in the next few posts, just in case you didn't quite understand their meaning or when to use them.

Congratulations! You are that much closer to speaking excellent American English!

E-TIDBIT OF THE DAY: Stop Signs

STOP SIGNS are just decoration in the streets of Brazil, or at least they are in São Paulo and Rio. There is a law that you have to stop, but it is tolerated if you don't! I don't know of anyone who has ever gotten a ticket for going through a stop sign without stopping. On the other hand, you will get a ticket for driving through a red traffic light! 

                                                            Video: Personal Archives

  

If you do decide to stop at a stop sign, you are probably going to get hit from behind, or as we say in the USA, you're going to get rear-ended! This is another cultural difference from the USA, where you must stop at a stop sign, unless you live in California, where you just slow down almost to a stop, while moving slowly through the stop sign with caution. It's actually called "The California Stop"!

Congratulations! You are that much closer to speaking excellent American English!

E-TIDBIT FOR THE DAY: Traffic Lights

TRAFFIC LIGHTS in the United States turn green when the cars can advance and red when the cars must stop. There is  also the  amber  or  "yellow"  light which serves to warn motorists that the light is about  to turn red, but that it is okay to go through it, as long as you are not in the intersection when it turns red. Traffic lights are also called "stop lights".

Brazilians say that the traffic light opens or closes, meaning that the light, when green, allows cars to advance and when red, cars must stop. The amber or yellow light means you must stop. You cannot lawfully go through the amber light.

                                                                                   Video: Personal Archives

On another note, I want to mention that Brazil has posted STOP SIGNS, which are only there for decoration...well at least they are in São Paulo and Rio! Some interior cities do obey stop signs.

Also, in the big cities, when the power goes out and you come to intersections (with four-way approaching traffic), they do not respect the 4-way stop rule. It's every man for himself at that time, guys! Oh, in case you don't know what the 4-way stop rule is, I'll explain:

If a car to your right gets to the intersection first, that car must first stop and you allow them to go first through the intersection because they have the right-of-way, since the power is out and the traffic light is not working. Even at a four-way intersection with stop signs, the same rules apply. Every car that approaches the intersection must allow the car to the right to go first, IF that car reaches the intersection ahead of them. All cars approaching the intersection must stop before proceeding. That gives ORDER to the sequence of cars crossing the intersection. If you don't follow this rule, then the potential for taking advantage of others increases and so does the possibility of collisions in the intersection! 

In the USA, 4-way stops during power outages, work well and are strictly enforced by law.

Hope you enjoyed this piece of information! You are that much closer to speaking excellent American English!

E-TIDBIT OF THE DAY: Phrasal verb "add up"

"Add up" is a phrasal verb that means "to make sense", "reasonable" or "plausible". Let's define what a phrasal verb is: verb + preposition or verb + adverb, when put together does not have the original meaning of the verb. 

Outside of being a phrasal verb, the verb add, literally means:

• to combine, put together, join to result in a final value. For example: Adding 2 and 2 results in 4. Adding 3 and 6 and 1 results in 10, etc.
• to unite or join together to increase in quantity, size or quality: My Mom added more food to my plate (quantity); the boy added more air to his balloon making it bigger (size); the two-toned red and light brown shoes added elegance and glamor (quality) to them.

Up outside of a phrasal verb and as an adverb, means: 

• a higher position
• above a surface
• something going in the opposite direction against gravity
• etc. 

* For more clarity and meaning, read the definitions in an English dictionary.

When the preposition up is joined to the verb add - add up - the meaning changes, creating a phrasal verb. The English language is full of thousands of phrasal verbs, which when used in speech, make a person sound more fluent, whose native language is not English. 

However, phrasal verbs can be confusing to non-native English speakers, because the meaning is different than the original meaning of both the verb and the preposition or adverb. The phrasal verb takes on a new meaning. 

Examples of the phrasal verb, ADD UP, in sentences:

• Hey, Bill! The figures in the new budget don't add up.
• Something just doesn't add up, because Norman's bed hasn't been slept in for days.
• The witness's testimony adds up with the facts.
• The math student added up the numbers in the equation.

The best thing to do is listen to how a phrasal verb is used in different contexts and then start using it. Or for some, googling "phrasal verbs in English", to find lists with the meanings of phrasal verbs, memorize them, and then use them, can be of help.

Hearing, associating the meaning in their context and speaking, is the best way to learn how to use phrasal verbs.

In the next few weeks, we will talk more about phrasal verbs.

You are that much closer to speaking effective American English!