Tallow , Suet - Word of the Day

 

Tallow (στέαρ, ζωικό λίπος) is a rendered (μεταποιημένη ) form of beef or mutton fat (λίπους προβάτου) primarily made up of triglycerides. It is used to make soap, candles, etc.

Suet (ξίγκι) is the raw, hard fat of beef, lamb or mutton (πρόβειο κρέας, προβατίνα) found around the loins (οσφύς, λαγόνια, φιλέτο) and kidneys.

Proverb Origin Stories part 1

 

A proverb is a short sentence that people often quote, which gives advice or tells you something about life. (Απόφθεγμα ονομάζεται μία σύντομη πρόταση ή φράση, η οποία περιέχει συμβουλές ή κρίσεις από πρόσωπα αδιαμφισβήτητου κύρους και θεωρείται μία αιώνια αλήθεια.)

The study of Proverbs is called Paremiology and we can trace the origin of proverbs as far as the times of the great Philosopher Aristotle. But the authors of most of the proverbs are still unknown.

Today's proverb is  " A bad workman always blames his tools."

But how has this proverb come about?

Kumar and Ravi were two farmers who were neighbors. Both owned a pair of oxen (singular:ox/plural:oxen - βόδι/βόδια) each with which they plowed (άροτρο / οργώνω) their land. Kumar worked hard all day long in order to get a good yield (σοδειά / αποδίδω/ λυγίζω) and looked after his oxen very well since he knew that they were very important for his farming activity.

Ravi on the other hand was very lazy and a miser (τσιγκούνης / παραδόπιστος) who never fed his oxen properly but extracted maximum work from them and kept complaining that they were not doing a good job.

As a true friend Kumar advised and pointed out to Ravi that it was cruel to ill-treat (κακομεταχειρίζομαι) the animals which were helping him make a living. Ravi paid little heed to Kumar’s words. He soon bought a tractor to plow his land and chased the oxen away, since he no longer needed them. Taking pity on the poor animals Kumar took them under his wing (παίρνω κάτω απο την εποπτεία μου) although he could ill-afford to maintain them.

The monsoon (μουσώνας) soon arrived and it was time for cultivation. Kumar’s land was well plowed and ready for cultivation – thanks to his oxen. Ravi in his miserly fashion had not maintained his tractor well and it kept giving him trouble. As a result, he could not get his land ready for cultivation on time. He lamented and blamed it all on bad luck not realizing that it was he who was responsible for his miserable state. Ravi not only lost out on a good yield by his laziness but also spent more money than required to repair his tractor due to poor maintenance.

Despite having better equipment, Ravi was unable to get the best results, whereas Kumar was a good workman and hence (επομένως) was able to succeed with the limited resources that he had.

Video source:

pet vocabulary

 dog house

cat tree

cat litter box

collar

leash

pet duffel bag carrier

pet carrier crate

dish / bowl

flea powder (σκόνη για ψύλλους) / shampoo

veterinarian (vet) :  a doctor for animals.

pet food

harness

treats

kennel (σκυλόσπιτο)

breed (ράτσα)

shelter (καταφύγιο)

Κibble - dry pet food

 The verb “kibble,” meaning to grind grain (αλέθω σιτηρά) or cereal (δημητριακά) into rough bits, has been around since the late 18th century, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.

To be more precise, the English word kibble comes from Proto-Germanic *kip-, and later Old English cipp (A small piece of wood; a shaving; chip.)

The noun “kibble” is even older, dating from the early 15th century, but it had nothing to do with pet food (or bits of grain) in the early days. It meant a cudgel (ρόπαλο), a cobblestone (λιθόστρωτο), a piece of coal, and a kibble-hound–a cross between a beagle and the old English hound.

grind grain 

cudgel 

cobblestone 

How every day of the week got its name

A friend of mine recently posted where "Monday" was named after. An action that triggered the following post. Let's see how every day of the week got its name.

The ancient Mesopotamians first associated the days of the week with figures from astrology and mythology, and the ancient Romans kept this tradition alive in their own naming conventions. The speakers of other languages, though, swapped the Roman gods and goddesses for some of their own, and that change has had a lasting impact on the names of the days in modern English.

Sun Day and Moon Day

The first two days of the week evoke solar and lunar power, respectively. The ancient Romans celebrated diēs sōlis, meaning “day of the sun.” “Sunday,” as we know it, comes from the Old English word Sunnandæg, which is a translation of the Latin name.

The word “Monday” comes from the Old English word Mōnandæg, meaning “moon's day” (mōna means “moon,” and dæg means “day”). This is a translation of the day’s Latin name, diēs lūnae (“day of the moon”).

Tiu’s Day

The Romans called Tuesday diēs Mārtis (“day of Mars”) in honor of Mars, the Roman god of war. In Old English, Mars was replaced with Tiu (sometimes spelled “Tiw”), the Germanic god of war. As a result, diēs Mārtis became Tīwesdæg in Old English. The names used in Middle English are even closer to our “Tuesday”: Tewesday and Tuesdai.

Woden’s Day

The Latin name for Wednesday is dies Mercurii, meaning “day of Mercury.” In Old English, “Woden” was substituted for Mercury and the name Wōdnesdæg (“Woden's day”) was used instead. The counterpart of the Norse god Odin, Woden is the supreme god in Germanic mythology, and is commonly identified with Mercury, the Roman god of commerce and the messenger of the gods.

Thor’s Day

The Romans called Thursday diēs Jovis, meaning ”day of Jupiter” (“Jove” is another name for Jupiter, the supreme Roman god). Yet in Old English, this name became Thūres dæg, a name likely influenced by the Old Norse Thōrsdagr, meaning “Thor's day.” Thor is the Norse god of thunder and the sky, and he is commonly identified with Jupiter.

Freya’s Day... Or Frigg’s Day

The Latin name for Friday—diēs Veneris—invokes Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. In Old English, Venus was replaced with a Norse goddess—but which one? The Old English name Frigedæg has been said to refer to both Freya and Frigg, perhaps because they are both are goddesses of love (like Venus). Either way, TFIF.

Saturn’s Day

“Saturday” is closely related to the Latin diēs Sāturnī, which literally means “Saturn's day,” referring to the Roman god of harvests and father of Jupiter. The Old English name Saternesdæg is a translation of the Latin name, and “Saturday” is not far removed from the Middle English word for this day: Saturdai.

House: Renovation / Decoration part 1

Many people renovate their houses to keep up with fashions and trends. Here are some useful English words and phrases to describe this. When a red-colored word appears it corresponds with an according picture.

Decorating

give something a lick / a coat of paint = paint walls

hang / put up wallpaper = to attach new paper to the walls

fit / put up blinds or curtains = cover the windows either with curtains (fabric hanging across the window) or blinds (strips of plastic or fabric that cover the window)

throw out / replace the old light fittings = change the lights

go for a (name of fashion) effect = recreate a particular look

put the finishing touches to = complete the decoration with the final details

Renovation

have an extension = build on to the existing house to provide more rooms

put in a conservatory (*1) / a fitted kitchen / a new bathroom = to install a conservatory (room between the back of the house and the garden), a fitted kitchen (where the units are connected, rather than being single pieces) or a new bathroom

convert the loft (have a loft conversion) = convert the attic into a liveable room

turn the dining room into a spare bedroom = convert a room into one with a different purpose

knock down a wall = demolish a wall

knock through from the kitchen = demolish the wall from the kitchen into another room

build a patio (*2) = build a paved area around part or the whole of the house

rewire the house = put in new electrical wiring

install central heating / solar panels = put in a new heating system

re-plaster (*3) the ceiling = take off the old plaster (covering the bricks) and replace it with new

re-tile (*4) the bathroom = put new tiles on the floor and walls

(*1)

(*2)

(*3)

(*4)

Other useful expressions

diy = Do it Yourself (doing maintenance and building works in your house)

be handy around the house = to be practical and able to do jobs in the house

draw up plans = to make technical plans before you do building or renovation work

get planning / building permission = to get authorisation from the town hall to do work on your house

Cleaning vocabulary

Everyday / weekly cleaning

Tidy up your house, by putting away things in their right places. Use a soft, dry cloth (a duster (*1)) to remove the dust from furniture. Then use the vacuum cleaner (*2) (or hoover) to hoover the floors, rugs and carpets. Use different hoover attachments for different types of hoovering (i.e. one for the floors, another for the furniture, etc.)

If you have wooden or tiled floors, you can also sweep these with a broom (*3). For smaller areas, use a dustpan (*4) and brush to sweep up dirt, dust, or broken glass, for example.

Every so often, you can clean the floors with water. For this, you can use a long-handled mop and bucket (for the water.) If you have wooden floors, you can also wax them (a sort of protective liquid that will make them shine.)

If a surface is particularly dirty, you might have to scrub it with a scrubbing brush (a wooden brush with stiff bristles) or scour (*5) it (with a tough scouring cloth) to get rid of the marks or stains.

Disinfect the toilet with toilet duck (*6) (a special cleaning product that contains bleach.)

Use window cleaner to clean your windows, and oven cleaner to clean your oven. Use furniture polish (a type of wax) to clean and protect wooden furniture.

(*1)

(*2)

(*3)

(*4)

(*5)

(*6)

Spring-cleaning

Many people spring clean their houses When winter seems to be finally over. Spring-cleaning is a thorough clean, from top to bottom! Here are some words to describe this:

Polish your silver (such as silver cutlery) with silver polish.

Declutter (*1) = get rid of extra things you don’t need.

Wash soft furnishings (take down the curtains, or take off furniture covers).

Touch up the paintwork (paint the places where the paint has come off, or where there are dirty marks.)

Get into all the corners of your house, and clean them thoroughly – i.e. behind heavy furniture where you wouldn’t normally clean.

Get rid of any mould (*2) on the walls, or on bathroom tiles, for example.

Clean high up or difficult areas to reach. Remove cobwebs (spiders’ nests.)

(*1)

(*2)

For any audiophiles out there, you may also take a look at the following renovation - vocabulary video: