And now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English. On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language. And we often explain where they come from and how to use them. In the summer months, we often get together with our family members who live far away. If you listen in as people talk with and about their families, you might hear some interesting expressions. Like many idioms, it is often difficult to understand these expressions simply by knowing the meaning of individual words and the grammar of the sentence in which they appear. This week we will explore a few of these expressions, so you will understand them better when you hear them. While watching television with your family in a crowded room, you might hear, "Your father was not a glass blower." Of course, it is impossible for a person to be made of glass. That expression really means you are blocking the view of someone else, and they want you to move. A similar expression is, "You make a better door than a window." It also means, "Please move out of the way." When a child starts to act just like the parent, we say, "He's a chip off the old block." This suggests the image of an artist making a statue of someone from a block of stone. It can mean that the child is made of the same material as the parent. In a similar way, we may think that a child's action can show how they will act as an adult. To express this idea, we use the phrase, "The child is father to the man." Lighting a fire for a family barbecue is a job that can be easy, with the right tools. After she lit the barbecue grill, I heard my sister say, "… and Bob's your uncle, there's the fire." This expression means something is easy. It describes how those in high positions may sometimes give jobs to family members, making their lives easier. There are other expressions that have to do with money in the family. Someone who starts out life in a wealthy family was "born with a silver spoon in their mouth." And an adult may warn a child, "A fool and his money are soon parted." In other words, do not make a bad investment or spend money unwisely. And a child who is not given an inheritance is said to be "cut off without a penny." My younger brother liked to play with the boys on our street who always caused trouble. Mom told him to stay away from the troublemakers with this expression: "Birds of a feather flock together." She meant that, if he does not want people to think he is one of the troublemakers, he should not spend time with them. That is good advice. The child who does not listen to mother's words is in danger of becoming the "black sheep of the family." That expression describes a family member whose behavior gives them a bad reputation. Speaking of animals, our cat is going to have kittens soon. A friend who saw her said she was "in a family way." Soon, the cat will have her own family to care for. Finally, when a group of people live or work closely together, they might say, "We are like one big happy family – we argue all the time!" This expression could mean that the group is happy to be so close; or, if said with irony, it means the group is not happy to work together. And that’s all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. I’m Jill Robbins. Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this lesson for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. __________________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story view –n. the things that can be seen for a particular place statue – n. a figure usually of a person or animal that is made from stone, metal, or wood grill –n. a device used to cook over an open fire or hot coals inheritance – n. money, property, or the like that is received from someone when that person dies reputation –n. the common opinion that people have about someone; the way people think about someone irony – n. the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really think especially to be funny What expressions do you have in your language about family members? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
"Hii ni kwa sababu ya ""Waziri wa Habari"" wa VOA, ambaye anajifunza Kiingereza." Katika programu hii, tunachunguza maneno na misemo katika lugha ya Kiingereza. Mara nyingi tunaeleza chanzo cha vitu hivyo na jinsi vinavyotumiwa. Katika miezi ya kiangazi, mara nyingi sisi hukutana na washiriki wa familia yetu wanaoishi mbali. Ukisikiliza watu wakizungumza na familia zao, huenda ukasikia maneno fulani yenye kupendeza. Kama ilivyo na maneno mengine mengi, mara nyingi ni vigumu kuelewa maneno hayo kwa kujua tu maana ya maneno na sarufi ya sentensi ambayo yanapatikana. Katika makala hii tutajifunza baadhi ya maneno haya ili uelewe maana yake. "Kama unaangalia televisheni na familia yako katika chumba chenye watu wengi, huenda ukasikia, ""Baba yako hakuwa mpiga-kioo.""" Bila shaka, haiwezekani mtu awe amefanyizwa kwa kioo. Maneno hayo yanamaanisha kwamba unazuia mtu mwingine kuona, na wanataka uondoke. "Kuna msemo mwingine unaosema, ""Ufanyiza mlango bora kuliko dirisha.""" Pia humaanisha, "Tafadhali ondoka njiani". "Mwana anapozungumza na wazazi wake, sisi husema, ""Huyu ni kipande cha kipekee cha mtoto.""" Hilo laonyesha picha ya msanii anayefanya sanamu ya mtu fulani kutoka kwenye jiwe. Inaweza kumaanisha kwamba mtoto ametengenezwa kwa vifaa sawa na mzazi. Kwa njia hiyohiyo, huenda tukafikiri kwamba tendo la mtoto linaweza kuonyesha jinsi atakavyotenda akiwa mtu mzima. "Kutokana na maneno haya, tunaweza kusema kwamba ""mwana ni baba kwa mwanamume.""" Kuwasha moto kwa ajili ya karamu ya familia ni kazi ambayo inaweza kuwa rahisi, kwa vifaa sahihi. "Mwanamke huyo alipokuwa akichoma grill, alimsikia dada yake akisema, ""Bob ni mjomba wako, kuna moto.""" Maneno haya yanamaanisha kwamba jambo fulani ni rahisi. Inaelezea jinsi wale walio katika nafasi za juu wakati mwingine wanaweza kuwapa kazi washiriki wa familia, na kufanya maisha yao kuwa rahisi. Kuna maneno mengine yanayohusiana na pesa katika familia. Mtu anayeanza maisha katika familia tajiri "alizaliwa akiwa na kijiko cha fedha kinywani mwake". "Mtu mzima anaweza kumwonya mtoto wake, ""Mjinga na pesa zake watagawanyika upesi.""" Kwa maneno mengine, usifanye uwekezaji mbaya au utumie pesa bila busara. Na mtoto ambaye hapati urithi husemwa kuwa "amekatwa bila senti moja". Ndugu yangu mdogo alipenda kucheza na wavulana wa mitaani yetu ambao sikuzote walisababisha matatizo. "Mama alimwambia aondoke kwa wale wanaosababisha matatizo kwa kusema hivi: ""Mbwa wa aina moja hukusanyika pamoja.""" "Amesema, ""Ikiwa hutaki watu wafikiri yeye ni mmoja wa wale wanaosababisha matatizo, basi hapaswi kutumia wakati pamoja nao.""" Hilo ni shauri zuri. Mtoto ambaye haisikilizi maneno ya mama yuko katika hatari ya kuwa "kondoo mweusi wa familia". Maneno hayo yanafafanua mtu wa familia ambaye tabia yake huwafanya wawe na sifa mbaya. Tukizungumza juu ya wanyama, paka wetu atapata watoto wa paka hivi karibuni. Rafiki mmoja aliyemwona alisema kwamba alikuwa "katika hali ya familia". Punde si punde, paka huyo atakuwa na familia yake mwenyewe ya kutunza. Mwishowe, kikundi cha watu wanaokaa au kufanya kazi pamoja, wanaweza kusema, "Sisi ni kama familia moja kubwa yenye furaha - tunabishana daima!" Maneno hayo yanaweza kumaanisha kwamba kikundi hicho kinafurahi kuwa karibu sana; au, ikiwa yanasemwa kwa ucheshi, yanamaanisha kwamba kikundi hicho hakifurahi kufanya kazi pamoja. Na hiyo ni wakati wote tuna kwa ajili ya maneno haya na hadithi zao. Mimi ni Jill Robbins. Jill Robbins, Mtaalamu wa Kiingereza, aliandika kitabu hiki kwa ajili ya wanafunzi wa Kiingereza. Mario Ritter, Jr. alikuwa mhariri. "Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano wa ""Mfano""" Mfano wa mtu au mnyama unaotengenezwa kwa mawe, chuma, au mbao. "Kichwa cha moto ni kifaa kinachotumiwa kupika moto au makaa ya mawe moto. ""Mali, mali, au kitu kama hicho kinapopokelewa kutoka kwa mtu wakati mtu huyo anakufa." "Kuna maneno mengi ya kawaida ambayo watu wana maoni juu ya mtu fulani, kama vile ""irony"" au ""irony"" ambayo ni maneno ya kawaida ambayo yanamaanisha kinyume na kile unachofikiria, hasa kwa kuchekesha." Tunataka kusikia kutoka kwako. Tuandikie katika Sehemu ya Maoni.