#364 | Do Idioms Really Matter?

In 1975, a French mercenary landed in the Comoros, a chain of small islands off East Africa, and decided he was going to run the place. Bob Denard staged four coups, converted to Islam, built a farm, and controlled the country from the shadows for over a decade. It was a story of ...  Show more

How did a small band of Norman soldiers in 1170 begin 800 years of English control over Ireland? It started as a deal between rival Irish kings. It ended in plantation, dispossession, and a divided island. This is the story of how a short-term alliance became a centuries-long occ ...  Show more

In this episode, we’re focusing on an interesting and fun part of vocabulary - idioms. I’m sure you’ve heard of idioms. Ya know: kicked the bucket. It’s raining cats and dogs. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. A picture paints a thousand words. These are all examples o ...  Show more

In this episode, we'll explain what idioms are and how they have both literal and figurative meanings. Idioms are phrases that have a special meaning that is different from the words' actual definitions. We'll explore popular idioms, find out where ...

**New course: Join the Plain English ChatGPT Challenge Our free 5-day course will introduce you to ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence tool that everyone is talking about. And we'll do it just like we do this podcast: at a pace that's right for English learners. Sign up for free ...  Show more

Taking IELTS? Get our free IELTS video training course now Are you confused about when to use “fun” and when to use “funny” in English? They don’t have the same meaning! In today’s episode you’ll learn the difference between these two English vocabulary words and you’ll learn how ...  Show more