slang 1

Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language exclusive to the members of particular in-groups in order to establish group identity, exclude outsiders, or both. 

Popularized in English during the mid-18th century, “slang” referred specifically to the lexicon of tramps and thieves. It is most likely Nordic in origin, derived from the old phrase slengja kjeften, which literally meant “to sling the jaw” (κρεμάω το σαγόνι) but which carried the implication “to abuse with words.”

BBC: "TikTok profits from livestreams of families begging"

 By Hannah Gelbart, Mamdouh Akbiek and Ziad Al-Qattan

BBC Global Disinformation Unit (Μονάδα Παραπληροφόρησης), BBC News Arabic and BBC Eye Investigations

Displaced families in Syrian camps are begging for donations on TikTok while the company takes up to 70% of the proceeds(έσοδα), a BBC investigation found.

Children are live streaming (σωντανή μετάδοση) on the social media app for hours, pleading for digital gifts with a cash value.

The BBC saw streams earning up to $1,000 (£900) an hour, but found the people in the camps received only a tiny fraction (μικροσκοικό κλάσμα) of that.

TikTok said it would take prompt action against "exploitative begging"(επαιτεία εκμετάλλευσης).

The company said this type of content was not allowed on its platform, and it said its commission from digital gifts was significantly less than 70%. But it declined to confirm the exact amount.

Earlier this year, TikTok users saw their feeds fill with livestreams of families in Syrian camps, drawing support from some viewers and concerns about scams from others.

In the camps in north-west Syria, the BBC found that the trend was being facilitated by so-called "TikTok middlemen"(μεσάζοντες), who provided families with the phones and equipment to go live.

The middlemen said they worked with agencies affiliated to (συνδεδεμένος με)TikTok in China and the Middle East, who gave the families access to TikTok accounts. These agencies are part of TikTok's global strategy to recruit livestreamers and encourage users to spend more time on the app.

Since the TikTok algorithm suggests content based on the geographic origin of a user's phone number, the middlemen said they prefer to use British SIM cards. They say people from the UK are the most generous gifters.

Mona Ali Al-Karim and her six daughters are among the families who go live on TikTok every day, sitting on the floor of their tent for hours, repeating the few English phrases they know: "Please like, please share, please gift."

Mona's husband was killed in an airstrike and she is using the livestreams to raise money for an operation for her daughter Sharifa, who is blind.

The gifts they're asking for are virtual, but they cost the viewers real money and can be withdrawn from the app as cash. Livestream viewers send the gifts - ranging from digital roses, costing a few cents, to virtual lions costing around $500 - to reward or tip creators for content.

For five months, the BBC followed 30 TikTok accounts broadcasting live from Syrian camps for displaced people and built a computer program to scrape information (απόξεση πληροφοριών) from them, showing that viewers were often donating digital gifts worth up to $1,000 an hour to each account.

Families in the camps said they were receiving only a tiny fraction of these sums, however.

With TikTok declining to say how much it takes from gifts, the BBC ran an experiment to track where the money goes.

A reporter in Syria contacted one of the TikTok-affiliated agencies saying he was living in the camps. He obtained an account and went live, while BBC staff in London sent TikTok gifts worth $106 from another account.

At the end of the livestream, the balance of the Syrian test account was $33. TikTok had taken 69% of the value of the gifts.

The $33 remaining from the BBC's $106 gift was reduced by a further 10% when it was withdrawn from the local money transfer shop. TikTok middlemen would take 35% of the remainder, leaving a family with just $19.

Hamid, one of the TikTok middlemen in the camps, told the BBC he had sold his livestock to pay for a mobile phone, SIM card and wi-fi connection to work with families on TikTok.

He now broadcasts with 12 different families, for several hours a day.

Hamid said he uses TikTok to help families make a living. He pays them most of the profits, minus his running costs, he said.

Like the other middlemen, Hamid said he was supported by "live agencies" in China, who work directly with TikTok.

"They help us if we have any problems with the app. They unlock blocked accounts. We give them the name of the page, the profile picture, and they open the account," Hamid said.

Agencies like these, known as "livestreaming guilds" (συνδικάτο)and based all around the world, are contracted by TikTok to help content creators produce more appealing livestreams.

TikTok pays them a commission according to the duration of livestreams and the value of gifts received, the agencies told the BBC.

The emphasis on duration means TikTokers, including children in the Syrian camps, go live for hours at a time.

Marwa Fatafta, from digital rights organisation Access Now, says these livestreams run contrary to TikTok's own policies to "prevent the harm, endangerment or exploitation" of minors on the platform.

source: {13/10/22} https://www.bbc.com/news/world-63213567 

Slang: Yiddish in movies

 

So...a common practice for most foreign students is watching english movies or tv series. Binging on them, to be more accurate. 

When we zero in on american cinema, we may observe that there are many phrases and words repeatedly used that do not sound English. Such as "Klutz" or "Tuches".

And they are not. So where do they come from? Well they are actually Yiddish. A language spoken by Ashkenazi Jews — Jews from Central and Eastern Europe. But, again, most of us do not have  experience with the enigma known as Yiddish and the only other instances we have heard of it has been in pop culture references such as SNL skits or other television shows. 

First of all, though, "how come"? Little do people know, but every major Hollywood studio was actually founded by a group of European Jews. The Oscar award? Founded by Louis B. Mayer — a Jew. The chairmans of Paramount Pictures, the Walt Disney  Co., Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., CBS Corp., MBM and NBC Universal? All Jewish. With all those Jews running those major corporations, it’s no wonder most people’s only experience with Yiddish comes from movies and T.V. shows.

So, let's break down some of those phrases and words:

Oy vey—An expression of woe, as in “Oy vey, we left the gefilte fish (Το ψάρι Gefilte είναι ένα πιάτο που παρασκευάζεται από ένα μείγμα αλεσμένων ψαριών χωρίς κόκαλα, όπως κυπρίνος, λευκόψαρο ή λούτσος. Σερβίρεται παραδοσιακά ως ορεκτικό από εβραϊκά νοικοκυριά Ασκενάζι) at the grocery store!”

Putz —A jerk, or a self-made fool, but this word literally means penis.

Schmuck (shmuck)—A jerk, or a self-made fool, but this word literally means penis.

Tuches (tuchis) — Butt, behind, sometimes shortened to tush or tushy.

Klutz — A clumsy person

COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS

 

Affect vs. Effect

Affect is a verb meaning to influence. Effect is a noun meaning result.

While the student didn’t see how studying affected his test-taking, the positive effects soon became clear.

Lie vs. Lay

Lie is a verb meaning to recline or rest on a surface. Lay is a verb meaning to put or place.

Kim lies down to take a nap every day at 3:30 p.m. Before falling asleep, Kim lays her bracelet on the table.

Lose vs. Loose

Lose is a verb meaning to misplace. Loose is an adjective meaning slack, moveable, or weak.

I always manage to lose my loose-fitting tank top.

Anyway vs. Any way

Anyway is an adverb meaning regardless. Any way is a phrase meaning any manner or method.

I don’t want to go to the party, anyway. We could take any way we want to get to the party.

That vs. Which

That is used when the phrase or clause that follows it is necessary in the sentence. Which is used when the phrase or clause that follows it is not necessary.

Students that fail to thoroughly proofread often miss unnecessary points. Procrastinated papers, which students write often, fail to lead to the desired grades for their classes.

Who vs. Whom

Who is a pronoun used as the subject of a sentence. Whom is a pronoun used as a direct object.

Who is responsible for the research on this group project? We assigned research to whom for this group project?

NOTE: As a general rule, if you can substitute “she” then “who” is the appropriate choice. If you can substitute “her” then “whom” is the appropriate choice.

ECPE - Speaking - Stage 2 - Alternations B (Paraphrasing)

In continuation of my previous post regarding the ECPE Speaking part, I have created a table of the most common phrases used in  prompts  (specifically regarding people and venues): 

Stage 2 – Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing People
Original	Derivatives	Sophisticated paraphrasing
Was an intern at our firm	She did her internship in our firm	She worked as an apprentice in our company
10 years as executive consultant for competitor	She worked as a consultant for 10 years in a competitive company	She worked as an adviser in a rival firm
Expert in marketing	Her expertise is in marketing	She specializes in marketing
Increased sales dramatically	She managed to have a dramatic increase in sales	She has boosted the sales incredibly
Dynamic personality	As a person she is dynamic	She's competent and energetic
Well-liked by colleagues	His colleagues like him a lot	His co-workers are very fond of him
Dedicated and passionate	Exhibits dedication and passion	Commits to her responsibilities with a “drive”
Has participated in major decision making	He has participation in….	He was part of the body of directors who drafted the action plan of the company
Good relationships with suppliers and clients	He maintains excellent relationships both with suppliers and clients	He boasts excellent rapport with suppliers and customers
Won national science contest	She's a winner of the national science contest	She was awarded the first prize in the national science competition
Paraphrasing Location
More space	Quite spacious	Offers more room for
Will take about 8 months to complete	Completion will last up to 8 months	Project will conclude in 8 months which means…
Cost 20.000	Quite affordable	Risk of going in debt is low
Located near a ….	Easy access to…	Potential gain due to …. proximity

 

Portmanteau Words ( linguistic blend of words)

 What are "Pormanteau" words?

Well interestingly enough a "Pormanteau" literally means a large travelling bag, typically made of stiff leather and opening into two equal parts: 

Based on the fact that it opens in TWO equal parts, a "Pormanteau" word is a blend of two different words. A shining example is the word "smog" (=νέφος) that derives from the words "smoke" and "fog". Several others: 

• moped = motor + pedal (=μοτοποδήλατο = μοτέρ + πεντάλ)

• modem = modulator + demodulator

• motel = motor + hotel (=modem = διαμορφωτής + αποδιαμορφωτής)

• dumbfound = dumb + confound (=dumbfound = χαζή + σύγχυση)

• bash = bang + smash (= βίαιο χτύπημα = πάταγος+σπάσιμο)

• hassle = haggle + tussle (= ταλαιπωρία = παζάρι + αναστάτωση)

• web + seminar = webinar (web + σεμινάριο = διαδικτυακό σεμινάριο)

• brother + romance = bromance (αδελφός + ρομαντισμός = στενή φιλία μεταξύ ανδρών)

• friend + enemy = frenemy (=φίλος + εχθρός = λυκοφίλος)

• hungry + angry = hangry (πεινασμένος + θυμωμένος = εκνευρισμένος λόγω έλλειψης φαγητού)

The video below offers a light-hearted look at how a few well-known portmanteaus have gotten their start.

Lastly, some MARKETING poRTMANTEAUS :

Listicle = is an informal term for an article made up of a series of facts, tips, quotations, or examples organized around a particular theme.

Webinar = an online seminar that turns a presentation into a real-time conversation from anywhere in the world.

Digerati = the elite of digitalization, social media, content marketing, computer industry and online communities.

Edutainment = A combination of entertainment with education: any type of entertainment aimed at entertaining and being educative

Subvertising =  is the practice of making spoofs or parodies of corporate and political advertisements.

Webcast = a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers.

Netiquette = the rules of etiquette that apply when communicating over the Internet 

Advertorial = An advertorial is an advertisement in the form of editorial content.