Buletin PSP Julai 2009 - Politeknik Seberang Perai

40
Perancangan Aktiviti
SPICE UP YOUR ENGLISH! ( Part I)
By Eda Idoera Mohd Yusak
The ability to express yourself
well depends on how well you
are familiar with words in English
language. You could spice up
your language and make your
communication more interesting and
entertaining with the use of
• Similes
• Metaphors
• Idioms
• Proverbs
However try to avoid using clichés
(a phrase or an idea that has been
used so often that is no longer
has much meaning and it is not
interesting). The passage below is
an example of the use of metaphors
and idioms.
Linda was refuelling her car at the
petrol station. When she placed the
pump back into the slot, the receipt
did not spew out as usual. “Great!”
she muttered. She walked into the
store to get a copy of the receipt.
An Indian woman was taking sweets
from a candy jar and spreading
them out on the counter. “I like this
flavour better. Lemon is nicer than
strawberry,” she said.
“Excuse me,” Linda cut in. “If you
want to shoot the breeze,
would you mind if I cut queue?
Receipt, please,” she said to the
cashier.
“Er...how do you shoot the breeze?”
the Indian woman asked. “By
engaging in idle conversation,”
Linda said. You mean like making
small talk?” she said.
“Exactly ! Another similar expression
is chew the fat,” Linda
said and took the receipt from
the cashier. “Shanti here likes to
pass the time of day with
me,” the cashier said. “Are you the
owner?” Linda looked at the cashier.
“Yes! Would you like some snacks?
Coffee is free from ten to five every
day.” She gestured to a counter
at the side where biscuits, buns,
cakes and snacks had been neatly
arranged.
Linda was feeling a bit hungry as
she has only taken a cup of milk for
breakfast. She stepped over and
selected a piece of bun.
“Two ringgit,” the cashier said,
punching the amount into the cash
register. “Coffee is self-service.”
Linda smiled. She poured a cup of
coffee from the pot on the warmer
and took a seat at the remaining
empty table.
“Do you mind if I join you?” Shanti
came by with a cup of coffee, a
cream bun and a packet of lemon
sweets.
“Not at all, the other table is taken
by those men talking turkey,” Linda
said.
“Talking turkey?” Shanti
asked.
“They’re talking business is what
I mean,” Linda said. “My, my that
young man can certainly talk a
blue streak.”
“Let me guess, that means he’s
talking very fast without stopping,
right” Shanti said, observing the
men who were seated about two
arm lengths away. “Yeah. That
older chap can’t get a word
in edgeways”
As if the young man had heard
Linda, he stopped speaking long
enough for the other man to say
something.
“All right, Ted. I shall give you three
months to put your plan into action.
That should be enough time to get
the kiosks into the supermarkets,
then I’ll give you another three
months to test the market,” he said.
“That’s the gift of the gab for
you,” Linda said and sip her coffee.
“Is that mean that person can talk to
anybody?”
“Actually, it’s more than that. The
gift of the gab is the ability to
speak easily and confidently and
to persuade people to do what you
want, like that young man.”
The men got up, shook hands and
strode out of the store. The cashier
was chatting with some customers
at the counter.
“That woman can talk the
hind leg off a donkey,”
Linda said.
“You know quite a lot of these weird
expression, don’t you?’ Shanti
said. Linda shrugged. “It’s more
interesting that just saying she talks
a lot.”
“How do this phrase come about?”
“A donkey’s hind legs are the
source of its strength, and if you
talk so much as to drain your
listener of all strength, then, you
could easily talk the hind leg off
a donkey. An Australian variation
is to talk the leg off an
iron pot. This refers to iron
pots of olden days, which had short
legs so that the pot could be placed
over the fire.”
Shanti nodded. “Interesting. What
about talking turkey? It
sounds strange that turkeys know
how to talk business.”
“This phrase originated from the
US. Apparently, the first contacts
between Native Americans and
settlers centred on the supply of
wild turkeys, so much so that the
Indians always enquired whenever
they met a colonist, ‘You come to
talk turkey?’”
Linda finished her bun and wiped
her mouth with a piece of tissue.
Shanti laughed as she said, “That
is fascinating.”
“Excuse me, miss!” the cashier
called out to Linda. “Would you
mind removing your car please?
Some cars are queuing at the
pumps already.”
“Oops! I’d better go. Nice talking to
you,” Linda said to Shanti.
“Hope to chew the fat with
you some other day.” Shanti said,
winking.
Adapted from Teh, Lydia. “Word’s Up: Eh Poh
Nim?.” The Star 22 May 2009, Startwo, pg.T20.