Don't be afraid of the difficult-looking words above! It's really quite simple: Homophones are all words that sound the same, but have different meanings. Heterographs are simply homophones that have different spellings. They can be quite confusing in spoken language, because the only way to tell homophones and heterographs apart is by the context in which they are used. The word "homophone" literally means "sounds the same," whereas the word heterograph means "written differently."
English has a large number of heterographs, and this probably has a lot to do with the history of the language. English is a Germanic language, meaning that it has its basic roots in the languages that were spoken in Scandinavia more than a thousand years ago. These peoples, called the Saxons, occupied much of Britain for centuries. But in the 1100s, the Normans, from what is now in France, invaded much of Britain and brought with them influences from the French language. This is also why English spelling can seem so difficult. The mix of languages in its development made for a mix of influences that also changed over time. For example, the word "rough" is pronounced RUFF, but the word "through," with the same -ough letter combination, is pronounced THROO. Let's take a look today at some heterographs in English.
Oh no. It's going to rain all week.
Caption 20, Sigrid explains - The Weather
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There have been ravens here since the reign of Charles the Second.Caption 9, The London Story - Tower of London
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The words "rain" and "reign" sound the same. But if somebody is talking about weather, you'll know they are probably talking about rain. On the other hand, if the talk is about a king or a queen, they are likely discussing reigns.
I can hear about what they've been up to since they've been here.
Caption 48, The Apartment - Maggie's Visit
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In the example above, the heterographs "hear" and "here" both appear in the same sentence. Again, in most cases you can tell the difference in their meanings by the contexts in which the words are spoken.
OK, sure, it looks complicated, but bear with us.
Caption 3, Brexit - What Happens When the UK Leaves the EU?
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The koala bear is not a bear. It's a marsupial.
Caption 38, English with Lauren - Contradictions
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And our nightgowns are trailing and our feet are bare.
Caption 10, Katie Melua - Moonshine
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In the first example above, we see the verb "to bear," which figuratively means "to have patience" or literally "to carry" something. The noun "bear," which refers to a large mammal, is a homophone of the verb "to bear." They are spelled the same but mean different things. The last example, "bare," sounds the same as the verb "to bear" and the noun "bear," but is spelled differently. "Bare" can mean "uncovered," as in "bare feet," or "empty," as in "a bare cupboard." So a silly sentence like "Bear with the bare bear" means "Have patience with the uncovered large animal."
Pollination happens when insects, such as bees, or wind, or other forces of nature transport pollen from one flower to another.
Captions 31-32, Luana explains - Plants
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Mix the baking powder well into the flour before adding it to the other ingredients.
Caption 14, English Afternoon Tea - Victoria Sponge - The Royal Connection
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Again, the context in which the word is spoken will help you to know if the speaker is talking about flowers or an ingredient in a recipe!
Further Learning
Take a look at this list of 335 English heterographs and make yourself familiar with some of the words that are new to you. Then choose a pair of words that are pronounced the same, but spelled differently, and find some videos on Yabla English that use the words. Listen to the videos with the captions turned off so you can practice listening to the two words in the context of the videos. In most cases, you will probably know which word is meant! You can also watch the 10-Part Yabla series "The History of the English Language."
La palabra inglesa way puede utilizarse en una gran variedad de contextos distintos y por ello tiene significados diferentes. Algunos de los usos más comunes de la palabra way incluyen:
Como sustantivo way puede referirse a un método, a una forma o medio de hacer algo. También puede referirse al curso, dirección o camino que uno toma, asimismo a una manera, a una costumbre o práctica.
Now I'm free to run the company my own way!
¡Ahora soy libre de dirigir la compañía a mi propia manera!
Subtítulo 28, A Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Workin' Stiff
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That's a great way to start.
Es una buena forma de empezar.
Subtítulo 31, Abiventures - Happy New Year
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Como adverbio way puede indicar distancia o grado como en:
These friends keep talkin' way too much
Estas amigas siguen hablando demasiado
Subtítulo 13, Ariana Grande - Side to Side (Live on The Tonight Show)
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Junto a un adjetivo way puede ayudar a indicar un grado excepcional, como en:
but you're way too young to find out.
ero tú eres muy joven para enterarte de esto.
Subtítulo 51, Ask Jimmy Carter - Interview with Angelina Jolie
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Como interjección way se utiliza para expresar aprobación o acuerdo, como en:
No way!
¡Ni hablar!
Subtítulo 4, Oliver Tree - All That x Alien Boy
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Aprendizaje adicional
Way es una palabra comúnmente utilizada en el inglés hablado y escrito. Según el corpus de datos del Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), way es una de las 3,000 palabras más comunes utilizadas en el idioma inglés y se utiliza en una variedad de contextos y frases. Ahora identifica la función gramatical (sustantivo, adverbio, adjetivo e interjección).
En esta edición vamos a aprender algunas expresiones en inglés sobre el invierno.
Los ejemplos con expresiones auténticas son tomados de videos de la biblioteca de Yabla inglés. Haz click sobre cada uno de ellos y diviértete.
El invierno es la estación más fría del año, todo se congela, las noches se hacen
más largas y los días más cortos, el suelo se cubre de nieve. Durante el invierno, muchos animales migran ya sea para encontrar comida o un lugar adecuado para reproducirse y criar a sus pequeños. Es el caso de la inmensa ballena jorobada:
while they spend their winter in tropical and subtropical waters.
mientras pasan el invierno en aguas tropicales y subtropicales.
Subtítulo 7, Evolution Sea Creatures - Part 3
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Con la llegada del frío invernal hay que ajustar cosas en casa para que el servicio de calefacción, las tuberías de agua y el aislamiento térmico, entre otras, estén preparadas para algunos meses de bajas temperaturas y mucha humedad. Desde Reino Unido, Amanda Lamb nos da útiles consejos al respecto:
Now if your boiler breaks down during the winter months,
para ayudarlos a preparar sus hogares para los meses de invierno.
Subtítulo 9, British Gas Top Tips on Preparing Your Home for Cold Weather
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Sentir frío físicamente aumenta el gusto y la disposición de ver y escuchar tanto películas como canciones románticas. Hay algo en las noches frías, en los días más cortos, en los días grises y nevados y en los paisajes nublados que la gente asocia con historias de amor:
Tryin' to find ourselves in the winter snow
Tratando de encontrarnos en la nieve del invierno
Subtítulo 8, Ed Sheeran Afterglow
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I see you break It's like the sound of winter
Veo que te quiebras, Es como el sonido del invierno
Captions 42-43, Bush The Sound of Winter
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En resumen, cuando llega el invierno provoca estar más tiempo en casa. Es una época propicia para visitar o recibir visitas. El invierno también es época de reconocidas fiestas que son celebradas por una gran parte de la población mundial. Sigrid del Yabla team nos comenta:
So, just as Christmas is a winter holiday,
Entonces, así como la Navidad es una fiesta de invierno,
Subtítulo 4, Holidays and Seasons with Sigrid Easter - Part 1
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Aprendizaje adicional.
Escribir los New Year Resolutions, propósitos del año nuevo, es un ejercicio muy útil para autoevaluar lo que hemos hecho y para visualizar aquello que se quiere lograr ¿Cómo fijarse propósitos para el Año Nuevo? Piensa ¿Qué quieres conseguir? ¿De qué te has sentido orgulloso este año? Entérate de lo que te dice Abi del Yabla team sobre sus propósitos para el venidero año:
If you ever decide to move to an English-speaking country, you may be looking for an apartment or house to rent. Let's take a look today at some of the basic English terminology related to renting a place of your own! Note that in some countries like the UK, an apartment is often informally called a "flat."
Are you still looking for an apartment?
Caption 3, Side by Side: Beginners Looking for an apartment
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The first step in finding an apartment is to look for one! Sometimes people also say they are "apartment-hunting."
Hi, I'm calling about an apartment that I saw listed on craigslist?
Caption 33, Jessica and Liz: How Much and How Many
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How much does it cost? -A thousand a month.
Caption 36, Jessica and Liz How Much and How Many
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Looking on the internet is one of the best ways to find listings for rental apartments. Some people still use a website called craigslist, but in the United States, one of the most popular current websites is Zillow. Once you have found an available apartment that meets your requirements for size, price, and neighborhood etc., you can make an appointment to see the apartment.
Many employers don't check references at this stage of the application process.
Caption 4, Business Life: Curriculum Vitae
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The video above is about a job application, but when you find an apartment you like, you will then need to fill out an apartment application. In your application, you state things like job and landlord references. Sometimes potential landlords will ask your permission to run a credit check on you, which in some cases requires you to pay a fee. You may have to pay this fee whether you get the apartment or not, so be careful in these situations!
And how soon can you send us the contract to finalize the deal?
Caption 48, The Company: Difficulties with Coworkers and Contracts
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Once your rental application and credit check are approved, the next step is for you to sign a rental contract. This is often referred to as a "lease."
And if you're interested you can put down a deposit. How much money do you want for the deposit? 200 for the deposit and I'd like the first month's rent up front.
Captions 49-51, Jessica and Liz: How Much and How Many
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In most cases, you will be required to pay a rental deposit, either directly to the landlord, or into a shared escrow account. The amount is usually the equivalent of two or three months' rent.
Where are my keys?
Caption 50, Parts of Speech: Question Words
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Once you have signed the rental contract, it is standard for the landlord to give you the keys to the apartment.
I'm so excited to show her our new apartment.
Caption 3, The Apartment: Maggie's Visit
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Congratulations on getting your new place, at least in theory! A good English vocabulary will help you in your quest, but you'll need a little bit of luck too!
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the entire Looking for an Apartment video, then practice any new words that you've learned. Happy holidays from Yabla!
This is the third and final lesson about non-digital office supplies that we use in the workplace and at school. You probably know some of the words already, but today let's take a look at some items that may be new to your vocabulary.
On your desktop you will see a folder marked "Irish Promotion."
Caption 32, The Company: Starting on a New Job
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This book is big. This is a red folder.
Caption 31, Parts of Speech: Introduction
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A folder is a folded piece of plastic or thin cardboard that you can store papers in. Like many office supplies, the folder has a digital counterpart, such as the virtual folders on your computer desktop.
I take notes in a notebook or on a notepad.
Caption 9, The Alphabet: The Letter N
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Do you know where you can see da Vinci's notebook?
Caption 20, Visit London: Top 10 London Attractions
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A notebook or notepad is a bit like a book with blank pages. Sometimes they are bound like a book, and sometimes they are bound with piece of spiral wire. Some laptop computers are called notebooks or notepads. So while Leonardo da Vinci would probably have been very impressed with a laptop, they hadn't yet been invented in the 15th century!
And in this cubby I have my interior design tools like my scale ruler and my measuring tape.
Captions 39-40, Creative Space: An Artist's Studio
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A cubby, also called a "cubbyhole," is a small shelf that may be part of a desk or part of a free-standing shelf. Cubbyholes are convenient for keeping items that you use a lot within easy reach.
A scale ruler is a kind of ruler that designers and architects often use. Unlike a flat ruler, the scale ruler is shaped on the end like a 3-pointed star and has 6 sides.
A measuring tape, also called a "tape measure," is for measuring things that are longer than a standard ruler. Measuring tapes roll up into a small case that you can carry in your pocket.
Let's get down to brass tacks.
Caption 20, Groucho Marx: You Bet Your Life
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A tack, or "thumbtack," is usually a round piece of metal with a pin attached that allows you to attach papers onto a bulletin board or a wall.
A bulletin board is a somewhat large board usually made out of cork for tacking papers onto. A tack with a plastic handle that makes it easier to pull out is called a push-pin.
Note that in the video caption above, the phrase "to get down to brass tacks" is an expression that means "to get down to the basic facts." It probably came from Cockney rhyming slang.
Further Learning
Review Part I and Part II of this office supplies series to see if you remember the different English names for the various items commonly found in an office. Then go to to Yabla English and watch the videos above to get a better overview of the words you just learned. If you're feeling really brave, read the Wikipedia article above and see if you can invent your own Cockney rhyming slang for something!
La palabra now se utiliza mucho en la vida cotidiana. Funciona principalmente como adverbio y a veces como conjunción. Now se refiere al momento presente y se utiliza para explicar que algo está ocurriendo o va a empezar a ocurrir en ese momento concreto
Como es un adverbio, entonces se utiliza para modificar verbos, adjetivos u otros adverbios, por lo que principalmente va después de estos. Sin embargo, es posible tener un now, adverbio de tiempo al principio de una frase.
En ocasiones es un nombre también como en la frase: Now is a good time to do it (Ahora es un buen tiempo para hacerlo)
En esta lección, hablaremos de cómo utilizar now.
Now como adverbio.
Now es un adverbio de tiempo para expresar cuando algo está sucediendo en el momento presente. Al hablar, se usa now para llamar la atención de alguien antes de cambiar de tema; se usa para introducir una orden, reprimenda o petición y también cuando queremos mostrar informalmente que algo nos ha molestado.
But now I give up
Pero ahora me rindo
Subtítulo 30, Adele Easy On Me
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And sometimes I wake up in the morning and it's all I want to do now.
Y algunas veces, me levanto en la mañana y es todo lo que quiero hacer ahora.
Subtítulo 25, Ask Jimmy Carter Interview with Phil Collins
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I've been living here for about two years now.
He estado viviendo aquí aproximadamente dos años ya.
Subtítulo 3, Bindni, Film Producer Bollywood and Indian Film Production
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Now como conjunción.
La palabra now como conjunción se utiliza para unir palabras, frases y oraciones.
Se le considera como tal cuando se utiliza junto con la palabra that para unir dos oraciones,
en particular cuando se dan instrucciones o se introduce una nueva idea o tema.
Might as well do it now that I'm getting paid for it...
Mejor lo hago ahora mientras me pagan por eso...
Subtítulo 16, Drivers Wanted Pizza Delivery - Part 5
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now it's... boiling a little bit, so I'm gonna stir it.
ahora que está… hirviendo un poco, así que la voy a menear.
Subtítulo 19, Cooking with Aria French Toast and a Berry Topping - Part 2
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Aprendizaje adicional.
Tomando en cuenta que now es un adverbio de tiempo, te invitamos a disfrutar en las librerías de Yabla inglés del siguiente video que nos explican este tema:
English Grammar Lesson - English Sentence Structure - Part 4 of 8
Let's talk today about office supplies that we use in the workplace and at school. Some words, like "ballpoint pen," you probably know already, but let's take a look at some items that may be new to your vocabulary.
This is a felt-tipped pen because the tip, the end — usually a small end — is made of felt or something synthetic.Captions 15-17, Sigrid explains: The Tipping Point
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Felt-tipped pens are also called "marking pens" or "permanent markers." This is because you can write on surfaces like steel or plastic with them and the ink does not rub off. They also often smell bad!
This highlighter is pink, and pink is usually just red and white mixed together,
Captions 31-32, Luana explains: Colors
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A highlighter, also called a "highlighter pen," is often used to mark passages of text in books with bright colors so you can more easily find them again. Since this makes it difficult for someone else to read it later, you may want to consider marking the book lightly with a pencil instead. It's also more environmentally friendly.
The caveman assembles the board with glue.
Caption 5, Caveman Skatetech: Desert
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Glue is a sticky fluid used to fasten objects such as wood and paper together. There are many different kinds of glue for different purposes.
I use a ruler to draw a straight line.
Caption 52, The Alphabet: The Letter U
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A ruler is a straight, flat, and narrow piece of wood, plastic, or metal that you can draw a straight line with, but it usually also has centimeter or inch markings on it so that you can measure something. Builders often use a tape measure, which is much longer than a ruler, and rolls up into a small case that is portable.
Most people think that the pink part of the eraser is for pencil marks.
Captions 36-37, Facts Verse: 10 Things You Did Not Know The Use For
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An eraser is a rubber-like object you use to remove or erase pencil marks.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above to get a better overview of the words you just learned. Stay tuned for the last part of our office supplies series next month!
A quien aprende inglés generalmente le resulta complicado el uso apropiado de make y do porque en español no hay dos o más verbos que simplemente signifiquen hacer.
Además, este es un tópico que requiere atención y memorización puesto que con ambos verbos existen muchos modismos, que por así decirlo, no tienen una regla precisa.
Entonces, explicados de manera introductoria:
Verbo make
El verbo make se utiliza cuando se habla de creación o producción en un proceso. Este verbo es similar en inglés al verbo create (crear). En otras palabras, se utiliza para referirse al resultado de una acción.
Make plans
You should've made some plans with me
Debiste haber hecho planes conmigo
Subtítulo 12, Lady Gaga Telephone, featuring Beyoncé
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También se usa make cuando haces que alguien o algo haga algo.
Make noise
Sorry, yeah -Make some noise!
Lo siento, sí -¡Hagan un poco de ruido!
Subtítulo 39, Justin Bieber Sorry
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Del mismo, se escribe con make cuando provocas que alguien o algo sea o esté de cierta manera.
Make someone proud of something
Who define us -to go to school! -Make us feel proud
Que nos definen -de ir a la escuela! -Nos hacen sentir orgulloso
Subtítulo 46, 1GOAL Education for All
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Verbo do
El verbo do se utiliza cuando hablamos de tareas, deberes, obligaciones y trabajo rutinario. Se refiere al proceso de llevar a cabo estas acciones. Este verbo es similar a los verbos perform y execute (ejecutar, llevar cabo). Si se le compara con make puede considerarse un verbo con significado más general.
Do one´s homework
But you can't do that if you don't study and do your homework and listen to your parents,
Pero no puedes hacer eso si no estudias y haces tus tareas y escuchas a tus padres,
Subtítulo 49, Entertainment Weekly The Obamas Answer Kids' Adorable Questions - Part 1
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También se usa do para sustituir a otro verbo en el contexto de un resultado claro o directo.
Do one´s hair
as I'm doin' my hair
mientras me arreglo el cabello
Subtítulo 25, Rihanna Unfaithful
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Do the dishes.
I did the dishes last night.
Lavé los platos anoche.
Subtítulo 19, The Alphabet The Letter D
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Aprendizaje adicional.
Es normal estar confundido sobre cómo utilizar los verbos make y do en inglés. Hay cientos de expresiones en el inglés cotidiano que recurren a estos verbos incluso ya en el saludo más rutinario: how are you doing? Por ejemplo, el verbo make sustituye en muchos casos al verbo cook (cocinar) cuando se trata de preparar recetas. Te invitamos a buscar en las librerías de Yabla inglés videos en los que aparezcan oraciones con ese sentido.
Let's talk today about office supplies that we use in the workplace and at school. Some words, like "ballpoint pen," you probably know already, but let's take a look at some items that may be new to your vocabulary.
Who, from what I hear, needs to keep his stapler in his desk drawer.
Caption 39, New Year's Resolutions: Friends
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The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes a stapler as "a small usually hand-operated device for inserting wire staples." A stapler looks like this!
I have a brown tape, a paper tape, and this clear tape.
Caption 25, Abiventures: Organizing
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The tape described above is adhesive tape, which usually comes in rolls and has a band of plastic or paper that is sticky on one side.
What's this envelope? Is this a wedding invitation?
Caption 3, How I Met Your Mother: Douche-pocalypse
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An envelope is the folded paper holder in which you send and receive letters—the part of a letter that has the address on it.
My green pencil... My red pencil... My yellow pencil.
Captions 44-46, David and Red: in England
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A pencil is, of course, a writing instrument, usually made of wood with a graphite center. They are sometimes called "lead pencils," because in ancient times, people sometimes wrote with sticks of lead. Pencils that are other colors, such as those in the video above, are called "colored pencils."
I'm cutting this string with my scissors,
Caption 12, The Alphabet: The Letter C
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In English, unlike many other languages, the noun "scissors" is always plural. Thus you say "The scissors are..." and never "The scissors is..." The word "scissor," without the -s ending, can be a verb or an adjective, however.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above to get a better overview of the words you just learned!
Many parts of the world are experiencing a heat wave of unprecedented scale this summer. As an extreme example, the United Kingdom experienced temperatures of 104 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time in recorded history. Let's talk today about the heat wave and other aspects of hot weather — hopefully with some nice, cool air conditioning running!
DJ, let the beat play, make a heat wave when you replay this.
Caption 50, Madcon feat. Ray Dalton: Don't Worry
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The heat wave referred to here is a metaphor, or figure of speech, but the heat wave enveloping many English-speaking countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom this summer is very real.
With more energy in the atmosphere, weather becomes more extreme, so there are more floods, droughts, and storms.
Captions 64-66, FuseSchool: How Burning Fossil Fuels Leads to Climate Change
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A common side effect of heat waves is droughts. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "drought" as "a period of dryness especially when prolonged; specifically, one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth." It is therefore likely that the heat will cause there to be shortages in food production and higher prices in the coming year.
This heat makes more ice melt, which in turn allows more heat to be absorbed.
Caption 80, FuseSchool: How Does Global Warming Affect The Environment
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Another problem with excessively hot weather is the melting of the polar ice caps, which leads to rising ocean levels and floods.
The sea ice acts like the world's air conditioner.
Caption 35, Arctic Sea Ice: Why melting matters
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Many places that are now experiencing heat waves have rarely seen such high temperatures and do not have the infrastructure to deal with them. In some places, living spaces, offices, schools, and public transport do not have air conditioning, which makes day-to-day living uncomfortable and even dangerous. The heat can present a major health risk for the elderly and people suffering from illnesses.
I have a fan, so in the summertime it's cool enough for me to be in here.
Captions 16-17, Creative Space: An Artist's Studio
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If you don't have an air conditioner and are experiencing extreme heat where you live, having a good fan is the next best thing!
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and search for terms like "heat" and "weather" to find more videos relating to hot weather. If you're experiencing intense sunny weather where you live, be sure and follow some good rules for safety in the sun. Thank you for learning English with Yabla and do your best to stay cool out there this summer!
Let's get party started!, ¡Que comience la fiesta!
Una gran parte de los viajes consiste en conocer gente y divertirse. El vocabulario de fiestas es necesario cuando tengas que ir con tus nuevos amigos y divertirte ya sea, al salir a tomar unos tragos, a bailar al club, o al participar en celebraciones de cumpleaños, de aniversario, etc. Presta atención a los siguientes clips de videos con frases, modismos y verbos relacionados con ir de fiesta, o celebrar. En otras ediciones seguiremos tratando este tema.
-All night long
Si se trata de describir cuán larga fue la fiesta, quizás esta expresión adverbial es una de las más usadas en inglés.
You have your alcohol downstairs, party up front, and lock the doors up, and went all night long.
Se tiene alcohol abajo, fiesta al frente, y se cierran las puertas, y se seguía toda la noche.
Caption 30, Turn Here Productions Detroit, Michigan
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-The party is rocking
Es sin duda un adjetivo difícil de traducir literalmente, que significa que
algo está muy animado.
Yes, this song is poppin', yes the party's rockin'
Sí, está canción está movida, sí, la fiesta está prendida
Subtítulo 34, LMFAO featured on The Real World Cancun
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-Throwing a party
Una manera de decir que se organiza una fiesta
Throwing a good party is all about the people who were there. -Yeah. -Definitely.
Organizar una buena fiesta tiene que ver completamente con la gente que está ahí. -Sí. -Definitivamente.
Subtítulo 1, Sugababes Throwing A Party
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-To have a blast
Ya habíamos nombrado esta expresión recurrente que puedes usar para describir cualquier evento o situación en la que la pases extremadamente bien.
I actually had a fuckin' blast!
¡Me lo pasé en realidad demasiado bien!
Subtítulo 41, Taylor Swift All Too Well: The Short Film - Part 2
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-Lit
Cuando algo, una fiesta por ejemplo, está muy buena, es muy agradable o emocionante, se puede decir que está Lit (literalmente, encendido).
It's lit! It's so lit! Here I got you something.
¡Es fantástico! ¡Es tan fantástico! Aquí tengo algo para ti.
Subtítulo 65, BBC Radio 1 Hangs Out at Justin Bieber's House - Part 1
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Aprendizaje adicional.
A lo largo de los años, la gente ha inventado todo tipo de frases curiosas para las fiestas. En la actualidad, el crecimiento de las redes sociales ha ayudado a que el vocabulario del mundo de la fiesta y de la vida nocturna se haga más amplio y popular. Ahora identifica cuántas palabras del inglés utilizas tú, y se utilizan en tu contexto, para hablar de las fiestas, y de la vida nocturna. Puede ser sorprendente darnos cuenta de la internacionalización del inglés como el party language.
La jerga, conocida como slang, ocupa un lugar importante en la lengua inglesa. Por lo tanto, para hablar inglés con fluidez, puede ser muy útil conocerla bien y saber utilizarla correctamente. Al ser utilizada por grupos limitados de personas, la jerga también tiende a confundirse con el dialecto. La jerga capta elementos de la vida en sociedad que no se registran en otros lugares.
La jerga en inglés está llena de expresiones ocurrentes, palabras de contenido vulgar y sexual, modismos difíciles de entender si se traducen literalmente y abreviaturas, las cuales, por cierto, están en boga, por su uso excesivo en las redes sociales y las mensajerías de texto.
Veamos algunos ejemplos con slangs de uso frecuente. Observa el contexto en el que se expresan:
Screw up
Been screwed up for too long
He estado jodido por demasiado tiempo
Subtítulo 8, Bush The Sound of Winter
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To have a blast
Yeah, definitely. I mean... I had a blast.
Claro, definitivamente. Quiero decir... me divertí mucho.
Subtítulo 10, Ask Jimmy Carter Interview with Justin Timberlake
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Hooked
Everybody was hooked on that curly look.
Todo el mundo estaba enganchado a ese look rizado.
Subtítulo 38, That '70s Show The Final Goodbye - Part 14
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Jerk
Fine... -I'm sick of you! -I'll get away from you!
¡Eres un estúpido imbécil! -¡Vete al infierno lejos de mí!
Subtítulo 36, Dream to Believe aka Flying - Part 4
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Hella
And to the fella over there with the hella good hair
Y al tipo que está por allá con el cabello muy bonito
Subtítulo 51, Taylor Swift Shake It Off
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Volveremos sobre el slang para seguir compartiendo las actualidades del idioma inglés.
Aprendizaje adicional.
Como es el periodo del año en el cual muchos viajan, te proponemos que escribas en inglés listas de cosas por comprar para el viaje, lugares que conocerás en el país de destino, qué tipo de actividades vas a hacer. Ciudades como London, New York, Toronto, Sidney pueden ser excelentes destinos para todos los que aprendemos el idioma inglés. Diviértete y alístate.
For those of you reading this lesson on the day it was published, today is the Fourth of July. In many countries, it's just another day of the month, but in the United States it is a federal holiday. The date is the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, when the American colonies declared that they were no longer under the control of Great Britain.
One of the most important holidays in the United States is Independence Day or the Fourth of July. We can also say "July fourth," but when we're talking about that holiday we traditionally say "the Fourth of July."
Captions 30-33, Sigrid explains: Numbers - Part 3
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Many people in the United States celebrate this holiday with a variety of traditional activities. Let's take a look at a few of these today.
It's high summer with warm weather on the Fourth of July, so people often celebrate the holiday by going picnicking and even boating, if there is a lake nearby.
You can have a picnic, there's a lake to take boats out on.
Caption 26, Jessica: Brooklyn Sites
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Cold beer in a cooler and meat cooked on a barbecue are also Fourth of July holiday traditions, but some iced tea or lemonade for the kids and teetotalers, and some vegan sausages for the vegetarians have become traditional too!
Not to mention a cooler for the beer, and the meat for the evening barbecue.
Caption 39, The Last Paradises: America's National Parks
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Traditional Fourth of July picnic salads include potato salad, pasta salad, and a variety of fruit salads.
Then, I'm going to prepare a little salad of cherry tomatoes.
Caption 23, Food Talk with Sigrid: Simple Summer Vegetables
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But even more for its amazing flavor, no Fourth of July picnic would be complete without a fresh, ripe watermelon!
Watermelon, for its beautiful color...
Caption 14, Tara's Recipes: Delicious Fruit Salad with Greek Yoghurt
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The highlight and grand finale of a good Fourth of July is, however, the inevitable fireworks:
It started at seven and ended at one with an amazing fireworks display!
Captions 13-14, The Olympics: Interesting facts by Zara
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and study the captions in the videos above to get a better idea of the contexts in which they are used. Happy Fourth of July to all of you, wherever you may be!
Summer is on its way, and if you are lucky, you may have a garden in your yard that you can take care of. To do that, it may help if you know the names of the gardening tools that you may need. Let's take a look today at some of the English names of some standard gardening tools.
This is what parts of Australia looked like before the European settlers arrived with their axes and saws.
Captions 14-15, BBC Planet Wild: Alien Animals
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An ax is used to chop through the trunks of trees and large branches. The word is made plural by adding "-es" for "axes." Sometimes the singular word is written as "axe," which is grammatically correct, but perhaps a bit old-fashioned. "Ax" is also a verb, "to ax." Thus you can ax a tree down, or you can cut a tree down with an ax.
A saw is used to cut through the trunks of trees and large branches. The plural form is, as you see in the example above, "saws." You can also use "to saw" as a verb. Thus you can saw a tree down, or you can cut a tree down with a saw. A saw that is especially made for cutting branches is called a "pruning saw."
I rake the leaves with a rake.
Caption 25, The Alphabet: The Letter A
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A rake is a gardening tool with a long, usually wooden handle. It has a wide metal fork with hooked ends that allow you to gather leaves and yard debris, much as you sweep with a broom. As you see in the example above, "to rake" is a verb and a "rake" is a noun.
We helped with hands and wheelbarrows, shovels and sweat.
Captions 46-47, All Hands: Volunteers Appeal Video
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People have to shovel their driveways and sidewalks in front of the house.
Caption 43, The Seasons: Winter
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A shovel, also called a spade, also usually has a long wooden handle. Its end is a triangle-shaped flat metal piece that is used to dig holes in the ground or move dirt, sand, and even snow. As you see in the second example, "to shovel" is also a verb.
A wheelbarrow is a cart with one wheel in front and stands in the back that is used to carry dirt, sand, and other similar things. There is no verb derived from "wheelbarrow," and usually its usage is "to push a wheelbarrow."
And anyone who laid it on with a trowel...
Caption 18, The History of English: Shakespeare
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A trowel is similar to a shovel, but much smaller. It works well for making small holes to put potted plants into the ground. The phrase "to lay it on with a trowel" is also an idiom, or saying, that means "to exaggerate."
People have lawn mowers and they mow the lawn.
Captions 27-28, Sigrid Spring Musings
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A lawn mower is a machine used to cut the grass or lawn. Some of them are manual and require a lot of force to push them by hand. Most lawn mowers today have electric or gasoline motors, and some even have powered wheels. There are also lawn mowers called "riding lawn mowers" that you can sit on and drive.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and study the captions in the videos above to get a better idea of the contexts in which references to these garden tools have been made. You can also go to this site and see a long list of different kinds of gardening tools.
Es posible viajar sin dominar bien el inglés, pero hoy en día, conocerlo es esencial para poder moverse por el mundo con más independencia.
Quien es un gran aficionado a los viajes, debe conocer los términos ingleses más comunes del turismo, por lo tanto, es bueno que memorice al menos el vocabulario básico.
¿Cuántas veces has hecho el booking de una habitación de hotel o fuiste al check-in del aeropuerto? Hablamos de situaciones ordinarias en las que el idioma inglés funciona como lingua franca, esto es, lengua universal.
Veamos algunas palabras fundamentales en inglés relacionadas con el tema vacacional:
Holidays o vacations
En inglés americano, vacation se utiliza con más frecuencia y tiene el mismo significado que holiday en inglés británico. Aunque vacation también se utiliza en el inglés británico para referirse principalmente a los descansos de las clases en las universidades, mientras que holiday es utilizado por los estadounidenses para referirse a los días festivos.
Easter, like other holidays, has become very commercial,
La Pascua, como otras festividades, se ha vuelto muy comercial,
Subtítulo 60, Holidays and Seasons with Sigrid Easter - Part 2
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Why don't you go on a vacation? -I could go to Hawaii.
¿Por qué no te vas de vacaciones? -Podría ir a Hawái.
Subtítulo 25, Movie Trailers Forgetting Sarah Marshall
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Travel, trip or journey
El sustantivo travel es un sustantivo incontable que adopta el significado genérico de viaje. Un ejemplo: I love to travel. Del mismo modo, travel, utilizado como verbo, se emplea para referirse a un viaje de larga distancia.
I'm now ready to travel to Amsterdam.
Ahora estoy lista para viajar a Amsterdam.
Subtñitulo 19, A Weekend in Amsterdam Getting ready
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Trip se usa para definir un trayecto con un propósito concreto, viaje por placer o por negocios. I have a three-day trip to the high mountains.
Hi, I want to take a trip to the Grand Canyon.
Hola, quiero hacer un viaje al Gran Cañón.
Subtítulo 2, Jessica Vacation Plans
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Journey puede definirse como una parte de un trip.
The journey starts from our refrigerated warehouses in Brussels and Bordeaux.
El viaje comienza en nuestros almacenes refrigerados de Bruselas y Burdeos.
Subtítulo 7, Doctors Without Borders How do 'cold chains' work?
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También se usan las palabras voyage para hablar de un viaje muy largo, o también tour para describir un journey con muchas etapas, tales como, por ejemplo, las giras artísticas o una competencia ciclística.
Sightseeing.
Significa ir de turismo, visitar los puntos turísticos de una ciudad, de un pueblo.
Se usa acompañado del verbo go (ir), go sightseeing y coloquialmente con el verbo
do (hacer) al que se le debe agregar la palabra some (algo)
After doing some of the sightseeing stuff in Dublin
Después de hacer algunas de las cosas de turismo en Dublín
Subtítulo 22, Cabrinha Kiteboarding With Susi Mai in Ireland
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Aprendizaje adicional.
Yabla está concebido como ese cuaderno de trabajo que te prepara para el momento de hacer un viaje. El viaje de aprendizaje que es Yabla es también el inicio de tus próximas aventuras en contextos angloparlantes. Chequea nuestros videos relativos al tema de Holidays/Vacations y alístate para disfrutar de esos días.
With most English nouns, you simply add an "s" to make the noun plural. The singular word for "noun" is "noun," and if you want to describe more of them, you just add an "s" to make it plural: "nouns." Sometimes there are irregular plurals with no "s," such as the singular "man" becoming the plural "men."
However, there are a number of nouns in English which cannot really be counted and are never used in plural form with an "s" ending. These are called mass nouns (or sometimes "uncountable nouns"). The Oxford Dictionary describes a mass noun as "a noun denoting something that cannot be counted (e.g. a substance or quality), in English usually a noun which lacks a plural in ordinary usage and is not used with the indefinite article."
Children often make the mistake of adding "s" to mass nouns, which is cute but also shows that it's not so easy to understand their usage. "Mommy, look at all the sheeps!" and "I really like to eat spaghettis!" are cute, but unfortunately grammatically incorrect!
You have a sheep and a hippo? -Yeah.
Caption 58, Jimmy Kimmel: Lie Detective
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A herd of bighorn sheep ends up blocking traffic on their way to a better grazing ground.
Caption 1, The Last Paradises: America's National Parks
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"Sheep" is a mass noun and there is no such word as "sheeps": One sheep, two sheep, three sheep.
They can play chess, if they wish.
Caption 30, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four: BBC TV Movie
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The noun "chess" is not used in a plural sense at all. You can have "games of chess," "chess sets," or "chess boards," but in these cases, "chess" is being used as an adjectival describer and the nouns being described are the plurals.
Would you like to sample our vegan bacon?
Caption 1, Parks and Recreation: Best of Ron & April
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The only way to suggest "bacon" in singular form is to combine it with other descriptions such as "a piece of bacon" or a "little bit of bacon."
All spaghetti spoons have a hole in the bottom.
Caption 60, Facts Verse: 10 Things You Did Not Know The Use For
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With "spaghetti" too, you can have "lots of spaghetti" but not "spaghettis."
Thank you for showing your support for women's rights.
Caption 4, A message from Prince Harry: at the CHIME for Change concert
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You may see the word "supports" with an "s" in verb form, as in "Prince Harry supports women's rights." You also see it in a different meaning for the noun, such as "the steel supports for the building." But when you are talking about the kind of support that means you are giving approval, comfort, or encouragement to someone or something, then it's always a mass noun.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and study the captions in the videos above to get a better idea of the contexts in which mass nouns have been used. You can also go to this site and see a long list of mass nouns.
La construcción del vocabulario es clave para muchos de los estudiantes de idiomas. Además de aprender de los nativos aspectos fonéticos, quien aprende un idioma como el inglés puede preparar su repertorio recabando expresiones populares, jerga, interjecciones, lo cual ayudaría a hacerlo inteligible ante sus interlocutores. Se trata de un proceso activo en el que cada elemento que se adquiera representa una ventaja.
Por ello, hemos pensando en compartir contigo expresiones cotidianas y palabras que son muy usadas en el día a día de los países de habla inglesa.
Comencemos…
Para decir que “tenemos mucha hambre”, podríamos decir: we are very hungry. No obstante con el verbo starve sonaría mucho más natural.
We were actually genuinely starving. -Right.
De hecho estábamos genuinamente muriéndonos de hambre. -Correcto.
Subtítulo 6, MTV News Selena Gomez Decodes Her Instagram Pics
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Si queremos decir que algo es cursi poco original y hasta un poco ridículo podemos usar el
adjetivo cheesy
My favorite holiday movie is, uh, and it sounds so cheesy,
Mi película navideña preferida es, eh, y suena tan cursi,
Subtítulo 23, Entertainment Weekly Dwayne Johnson plays “Dwanta Claus.”
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Otra característica usual de la lengua inglesa viene representada por las llamadas reduplicaciones que consisten en repetir una palabra o añadir otra que suene muy parecida. Por ejemplo. tenemos easy peasy que quiere decir muy fácil
Easy peasy, ooh, so breezy!
¡Super Fácil, ooh, tan relajado!
Subtítulo 34, Dr. Sheldon Cooper Fun with Flags - Part 11
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Y si hablamos de phrasal verbs (aquí te explicamos qué son), el verbo hang out es sin duda uno de los más populares
I'm glad we got to hang out again.
Me alegro de que hayamos vuelto a salir.
Subtítulo 1, Hailee Steinfeld Most Girls
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Y para culminar por esta lección, un dúo siempre presente en la cotidianidad del inglés. Nos referimos a yeah, como versión moderna y enfática de “sí” junto a no worries, que literalmente significaría “nada de preocupaciones” pero que la mayoría de las veces puede traducirse como “por favor” o “de nada”.
Yeah, um, no worries, just here for the show.
Sí, no te preocupes, solo aquí para el espectáculo.
Subtítulo 25, People's Choice Kaley Cuoco Opening
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Esperamos haber despertado tu interés sobre este tipo de expresiones cotidianas, las cuales seguramente ampliaremos en lecciones sucesivas.
Aprendizaje adicional
La tecnología de Yabla está enfocada en el aprendizaje activo hacia el vocabulario: jugar con palabras, memorizarlas, escucharlas, repetirlas, asociarlas con hablantes e imágenes. Luego, si quieres ser capaz de recordar activamente y sacar esas palabras cuando las quieras, no sólo recordarlas cuando te las pidan, tienes que escribirlas, usarlas. Todas esas actividades están ampliamente garantizadas con Yabla.
English, like many languages, uses a lot of idioms referring to animals. Let's continue from Part I and take a look today at some more English animal expressions.
We're dying like flies down here!
Caption 16, Stephen King: The Stand
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The more common phrase is "dropping like flies," and probably comes from people having seen many dead flies on window sills, which gave the impression that they die in large numbers. The phrase usually means that many people have gotten sick or are dying.
We'd get together and horse around a little bit and sing.
Caption 5, Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock
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The phrase "to horse around" probably comes from seeing horses play, and means "to fool around." Another common related phrase with a similar meaning is "to indulge in horseplay."
Everything is fast paced in a rat race.
Caption 10, Core Kiteboarding: The Core Diaries
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The term "rat race" probably comes from seeing rats run a long way to try to get a small piece of food. Wikipedia describes "rat race" as "an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit." In American English, "getting out of the rat race" means to quit a stressful job and pursue a less hectic means of employment.
I wouldn't say it was a wild goose chase...
Caption 41, Karate Kids, USA: The Little Dragons
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A "wild goose chase" is a fool's errand, or an attempt to pursue something that is hopeless. It probably comes from wild geese being difficult to catch.
The King James Bible is the book that taught us that "a leopard can't change its spots," that "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," that "a wolf in sheep's clothing" is harder to spot than you would imagine, and how annoying it is to have "a fly in your ointment."
Captions 18-21, The History of English: The King James Bible
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This caption addresses four common animal sayings. "A leopard can't change its spots" means that it's impossible or very difficult for a person to change their character. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" means that you shouldn't risk what you have if you might lose it seeking additional gain. It can also mean you should be satisfied with what you have. "A wolf in sheep's clothing" suggests somebody who is pretending to be a friend, but is in fact an enemy. Lastly, "the fly in the ointment" means that something unexpected has caused something to go wrong. It's also a warning that something may seem too good to be true.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and study the captions in the videos above to get a better idea of the contexts in which they have been used. You can also go to this site and see some other English phrases that use animals.