Plans / A Plan

“Do you have any plans for the weekend?” is a very common North American phrase that you’re very likely to hear on any given Friday. “Plan” is always used in the plural (“plans”), and this expression means “What are you going to do this weekend?”

“Do you have a plan?” is used for when you have a specific goal in mind, and never to just ask about what someone is going to do during a certain time.

A: I am going to start a business.
B: What is your plan?
A: I will open a restaurant that sells the world’s best hamburgers.

Wrong: Do you have a plan for tonight?
Right: Do you have any plans for tonight.

Wrong: Do you have any plan for the weekend?
Right: Do you have any plans for the weekend?

…are you planning.. ...“What are you planning to do this weekend?” has the same meaning as “Do you have any plans for the weekend?” You can also use “…are you planning…” interchangeably with “Do you have a plan…?”, but need to add ‘on +verb-ing’ after planning to indicate the goal.

Ex. Are you planning to steal that girl away from her boyfriend?
Are you planning anything special for this weekend?

Partner / Keypal Activities- Do you have any plans this weekend?

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IDIOMS

1. A phrase that must be taken as a whole, usually having a meaning that is not clear from the meaning of the individual words, as hang around and a change of heart.
2. The use of particular words or of words in an order that is regarded as standard, the idiom is "wash up the dishes" but not "wash up your hands."
3. The language used by a people or group, in the scientific idiom.
4. a characteristic mode of expression in art or music etc.

Source: Oxford American Dictionary

idiom: To hang loose
meaning: To relax, to wait without anxiety, to take it easy in general.
usage: I got anxious waiting for her to call back, but I decided to just hang loose.

idiom: To get someone's drift.
meaning: To understand what someone is saying.
usage:
example 1:
A: Do you understand what I'm saying?
B: Yes. I get your drift.Example
2:A: Do you understand what I mean?
B: No, I'm sorry. I don't get your drift.

idiom: To screw up.
meaning: To make a mistake.
usage: I really screwed up.

idiom: To have egg on your face.
meaning: To feel embarrassed about something you have done.
usage: Oh no! I screwed up. I sure have egg on my face.

idiom: To bite the big one
meaning: to make a major mistake
usage: Sally really knows how to bite the big one.

idiom: to space-out, to feel spaced-out
meaning: To forget something, to be absent minded, to daydream
usage:
1) I couldn't sleep last night so I feel spaced out.
2) Sorry, what did you say? I just spaced out.
3) I'm feeling spacey today.

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Koreans - Killing & Eating Dogs

Did you know that in Korea there is a practice of killing dogs for food. Dog meat is touted as being a substance which can boost the sexual prowess of men. The fact that this theory is absolutely false, makes no difference. A profitable commerce has been established.

The eating of dogs for food is not a new controversy for South Korea, as this photo from 1988 indicates. The photo originally accompanied a story on dog meat sales by The Sun's Lorrie Goldstein during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The government banned the killing of dogs for food, in locations frequented by visitors, during the Olympics. They were afraid of upsetting Westerners visiting their country.

The Koreans who eat these poor dogs, take great delight in watching the poor animals die, wagging their tails in a last moment's desperate, but futile plea for mercy. It is believed the more the dog suffers in death, the better tasting the meat! Slow hanging and burning the hair off with propane torches is common practice. Cats receive equal treatment, shoved into sacs which are then smashed against brick walls until the poor animals are pulverized. Then they are liquified in blender machines and sold as drinks.

Something to Think About!
Dogs and man have been living together, helping each other, for more than 30,000 years according to anthropoligists. That represents about 1000 generations. Geneticists believe the figure is closer to 100,000 years.

They were dangerous times, 30,000 years ago. Man's weapons for hunting and protection were primitive and enemies were everywhere, two legged and four. Often, a dog's warning of danger was how a man survived. If a dog saved the life of its master 30,000 years ago, then all descendants of that man, also owe their existence to that dog. Supose a man had two children in each generation and that there have been 1000 generations since that time, it means that 2 to the power of 1000 or 21000 would represent the number of people today, who owe their existence to that dog. That number, 21000 is a number greater than all the people who have ever lived! Saving its master's life was common place until fairly recent times. In the last 300 years St. Bernards alone, have been credited with saving over 3000 people from snow avalanches in Europe. Think about how many people today owe their existence to those St. Bernards. Newfoundland Dogs, better not forget them, because over the decades they have saved countless children, adults, and shipwrecked mariners from drowning. It doesn't take a genius to figure that every man and woman on the face of this earth probably owes his/her existence to some dog, way back. Don't you think that dogs have earned special protected status, worldwide.

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT THIS ARTICLE?

THIS ARTICLE IS CREATED BY:
http://www.dogbiz.com/dont-eat-dog-meat.htm

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Week 1
Bored to death

"I have nothing to do. I’m bored to death."
"I hate it when I’m bored to death."
"Would you rather be super busy or bored to death?"

A: "Hey Seth, what are you doing?"
B: "I’m reading book. What are you doing?"
A: "I’m bored to death. Let’s do something."
B: "Sure. Come over and we can play some games.

"Other Common Sentences
"I’m so bored, I could die."
"I’m dying of boredom."

You've got to be kidding

A: "Hey Jared. Mom told me to tell you that you shouldn’t stay out too late."
B: "You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m 30 years old."
A: "Patrick won the school election by two votes."
B: "He’s not that popular how did this happen?"
A: "Nobody voted because they expected Jason to win."
B: "You’ve got to be kidding me."

Other Common Sentences
"I really hope you’re wrong."
"Please tell me it ain’t so."

Sick and Tired

"I’m sick and tired of eating the same thing for lunch everyday."
"I’m getting sick and tired of this song. They play it way too often at this club."
"I’m sick and tired of listening to him nag all the time."

A: "Where are you going for lunch today?"
B: "I don’t know… how about a burger?"
A: "No. I eat that almost everyday. I’m getting sick and tired of them."
B: "Let’s go eat teriyaki then."

Other Common Sentences
"I’m getting sick of this phone. I think I’ll buy a new one."
"I’m tired of the same routine. I need to find something new and different."

Call it a day

"Let’s call it a day. I’m too tired to continue working."
"We can’t continue working without Mike, so let’s call it a day."
"It’s already nine o’clock. Let’s call it a day."
A: "How much more work do we have for tonight?"
B: "I think we finished everything for the day."
A: "Good. Let’s call it a day then."

Other Common Sentences
"Let’s turn in for the night."
"I think we should pick it up from the morning."

pick it up = continue

Get on one's nerves

"You’re beginning to get on my nerves."
"Will you please stop doing that? It’s getting on my nerves."
"His whining is getting on my nerves."
A: "He doesn’t like his birthday present."
B: "He’s starting to get on my nerves. It’s one thing to not like it, but it’s another to complain about it. We tried our best to get him a good present."
A: "Yeah. It’s bothering me too."

Other Common Sentences
"You’re beginning to annoy me."
"His complaints are starting to bother me."

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in is used with:
years

in 1998

centuries
in the 19th century

parts of the day (exception: at night)
in the morning

decades
in the 1990s

seasons
in summer

months
in October

on is used with:

dates
on January 1, on May 2, 2004

days of the week
on Monday, on Sunday evening

“special days”
on my birthday, on Christmas Day

at is used with:

times
at 7:00, at midnight (12:00)

holidays
at Christmas, at Easter

no preposition is used with expressions with:

ago
one year ago
tonight, this morning, this afternoon, etc.
I'm going to see a movie tonight
tomorrow, tomorrow afternoon, etc.
See you tomorrow
yesterday, yesterday morning, etc.
I didn't go to school yesterday
expressions with last or next
I was in Japan last year

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