This video explains the meaning of the American slang term "mid".   Essentially "mid" means mediocre or average.  It can be used in reference to a song or artwork:  "Jason Mraz latest is SO mid."   It can also be used as an insult, to insult a person:  "PlayStation hustling is SO mid.   Get a real job."   

All right?   All right.   And if you are interested at all in ESL or accent reduction lessons for yourself,  give me a call or text--text is fine if you are uncomfortable speaking on the phone--at 732-807-5424.   I look forward to hearing from you.  And remember to check out my David Berlin ESL YouTube channel.  For general info on me and my services and rates, check out my ESL and Accent Reduction Training Webpage.

 

 

This video explains the American Idiom, "Break a Leg", which basically means "good luck!".

But there's another concept addressed in the video--the idea of "jinxing" someone.   A "jinx" is like what some cultures call an "evil eye".   The Italians call it "malocchio" which Italian Americans have turned into, "malooks"--bad luck.   If you "jinx" someone who give them bad luck.   Our superstition--a common one across cultures--is that if you say a good thing, it might not happen.   So you say, "Break a leg!"  its a superstion so you don't "jinx" someone--give them bad luck in whatever they're trying to accomplish.

All right?   All right.   And if you are interested at all in ESL or accent reduction lessons for yourself,  give me a call or text--text is fine if you are uncomfortable speaking on the phone--at 732-807-5424.   I look forward to hearing from you.  And remember to check out my David Berlin ESL YouTube channel.  For general info on me and my services and rates, check out my ESL and Accent Reduction Training Webpage.

 Here is a great explanation of a basic error in verb tense often made by Indian subcontinent language speakers.   Doesn't matter if you speak Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi--speakers of these languages often make this mistake with English verb tense.

Essentially Indian speakers will often say, "This escalatES into a bidding war" when what they mean is this HAS escalatED into a bidding war.    The difference is, the statement "This escalatES into a bidding war is a general statement--it happens now in general, or it might have happened in the past and continues into now.

Saying "This HAS escalatED into a bidding war" (HAS MODIFIER AND -D or -ED ending to verb as opposed to -S or -ES ending) means that it started in the past at a nonspecific time continues into the now.

(And if you use the -ING ending, this WAS escalatING into a bidding war--WAS MODIFIER AND -ING ENDING, it means it started in the past, continued and ended in the past, nonspecific time, but before right now.   So for instance you wouldn't say, "we drink orange juice for breakfast" unless you do it every morning.    You could say he WAS drinkING orange juice with breakfast--in the past, but now he drinks tea.)

(also remember subject verb agreement.   Singular subject gets singular verb HE *WAS*.   But plural subject gets plural verb--WE *WERE*.)

WHO EVER SAID ENGLISH WAS TOO SIMPLE A LANGUAGE TO EXPRESS COMPLEX THOUGHTS!

I look forward to hearing from you.  And remember to check out my David Berlin ESL YouTube channel.  For general info on me and my services and rates, check out my ESL and Accent Reduction Training Webpage.