Let's watch the following video
Listen to the radio programme below just to get an idea of the Welsh language.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/
20 Interesting Facts about Wales
Wales, otherwise known as Cymru, is part of the United Kingdom and a country known for its rich history and culture. Here are some facts about this fascinating place.
1. Mount Everest was named after Welshman Sir George Everest from Gwernvale, Breconshire.
2. Only 21% of the entire Welsh population of Wales can speak the native language.
3. Wales is believed to have more castles per square mile than anywhere else in the world.
4. Welshman Pryce Jones from Newtown Montgomeryshire created the first Mail Order business in the World.
5. Robert Recorde of Pembrokeshire invented the “equal to” sign.
6. The letters K, Q, V and Z do not appear in the Welsh alphabet at all.
7. All the statues surrounding Cardiff Castle are of animals.
8. Lawn tennis first appeared in Wales in the 1800s.
9. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch is the name of a town in North Wales which translates as “The church of St. Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St. Tysilio’s of the red cave”. It is believed to be the longest place name in the world.
10. Marconi’s first radio transmission in 1897 was between two points in Wales.
11. The Millenium Stadium in Cardiff has the largest retractable roof of any sports arena in the World.
12. Wales is the land of mythical Kind Arthur.
13. The Welsh motto is “Cymru am byth” which means “Wales forever”.
14. The Welsh Anthem is “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau” which means “Land Of My Fathers”.
15. Wales is the only part of the UK not to be represented on the Union Flag (Union Jack).
16. Wales has a population of around 3 million.
17. The population sheep in Wales is four times greater than the Welsh population of humans.
18. Famous people from Wales include Richard Burton, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Tom Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Shirley Bassey, Timothy Dalton and Charlotte church.
19. Saint David (in Wales “Dewi Sant”) was a Welsh Bishop during the 6th century, later regarded as a saint and regarded as the Patron Saint of Wales.
20. The Seven Wonders of Wales is a list of seven geographic and cultural landmarks in Wales, identified in the late 18th century in doggerel verse. All in North Wales, the “wonders” are: Snowdon (the highest mountain), the Gresford Bells (the bells in the medieval church of All Saints at Gresford), Llangollen Bridge in Flintshire, the Wrexham (Wrecsam) Steeple, the Overton Yew trees and Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall.
Also
Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde (c. 1512-1558) invented the equal sign (=), and introduced the plus (+) and minus (-) signs as well as algebra to Britain.
Wales is the most important sheep raising area in Europe
Rugby is the sport in Wales....
What is an idiom?
Rugby is the sport in Wales....
Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
What is an idiom?
An idiom (full name is idiomatic expression) can be an expression, word, or phrase that only has a meaning to the native speaker. The meaning of an idiom is totally different from the literal meaning of the idiom's individual elements.
Idioms do not mean exactly what the words say. They have a hidden meaning.
Example of idioms with their literal meaning and idiomatic meaning
One of the more common idioms in the English language is, “break a leg”.
Before Peter went on the stage for the show, John told him to break a leg.
Literal meaning: I am telling you to break a bone in your leg and then you will probably have to go to the hospital afterwards to get a cast put on your leg.
Idiomatic meaning: Do your best and good luck . A lot of actors and actresses tell each other to “break a leg” as they are about to go on stage to perform. It is deemed to be good luck.
Watch the following video to learn some idiomatic expressions
Below is a list of just a few idiomatic expressions and their meanings with examples
This short story about an what it takes to be successful in a small company focuses on the use of idioms in context. Read the story and use the idiom notes below to help you learn new idioms in context.
Young and Free: Prerequisite for Success
Let's face it: In today's business world you need to be young and free of attachments to strike it rich. It's a dog eat dog world out there and you're going to have to work quite a lot. Of course, not only will you have to work quite a lot, you'll need to be flexible and ready to take advantage of anything. That's where the "free" part comes in.
I've got a young friend, he's only 25, but he fits the bill perfectly. He's single and he's hungry. He's willing to start from scratch and, best of all, he isn't afraid of putting his nose to the grindstone for those 80 hour weeks. He decided to take the bull by the horns by going starting up his own business. He found a software developer who knew the internet inside out. This young man was also very ambitious. He left his safe job at the drop of a hat. They were both reaching for pie in the sky, and they were ready.
They were also lucky. They founded a startup and got into the whole social networking business in 2002. In other words, they were early birds and they were willing to sink or swim. Probably the most important ingredient in their success, was that they were willing to play things by ear. They kept their ears to the ground, moved full steam ahead and drove hard bargains. Soon, their business was growing by leaps and bounds. Of course, they had some stumbling blocks along the way. Who doesn't? Still, they got the jump on the competition and by the year 2008 they were multi-millionaires. This sort of success for the young and free now has copycats around the world.
Idioms Used in the Story
at the drop of a hat = immediately
by leaps and bounds = very quickly (used with improvement)
copycat = someone or a company who tries to do things like another person or company
dog eat dog = very competitive
drive a hard bargain = to make a business deal that is very advantageous for you
early bird = someone who takes early advantage of a situation
fit the bill = to have the right characteristics for something
by leaps and bounds = very quickly (used with improvement)
copycat = someone or a company who tries to do things like another person or company
dog eat dog = very competitive
drive a hard bargain = to make a business deal that is very advantageous for you
early bird = someone who takes early advantage of a situation
fit the bill = to have the right characteristics for something
full steam ahead = to continue with full commitment
get the jump on someone = to get the advantage over someone by starting early
have one's ears to the ground = to pay attention to rumors, news, and industry insiders
know something inside out = to have expert knowledge about something
pie in the sky = something very hard to achieve, a dream
play something by ear = to improvise in a situation, react to a situation as it occurs
put one's nose to the grindstone = to work hard and put in many hours
sink or swim = succeed or fail
start from scratch = to start from the beginning
startup = a small company that begins to do business, usually in technology
strike it rich = to become rich, often by creating a new product or service successfully
stumbling block = a difficulty or hurdle that stands in the way of success
take the bull by the horns = to confront a problem and deal with it
know something inside out = to have expert knowledge about something
pie in the sky = something very hard to achieve, a dream
play something by ear = to improvise in a situation, react to a situation as it occurs
put one's nose to the grindstone = to work hard and put in many hours
sink or swim = succeed or fail
start from scratch = to start from the beginning
startup = a small company that begins to do business, usually in technology
strike it rich = to become rich, often by creating a new product or service successfully
stumbling block = a difficulty or hurdle that stands in the way of success
take the bull by the horns = to confront a problem and deal with it
It's important to learn and use idioms in context. Of course, idioms are not always easy to understand. There are idiom and expression resources that can help with definitions, but reading them in short stories can also provide context that make them come more alive. Try reading the story one time to understand the gist without using the idiom definitions. On your second reading, use the definitions to help you understand the text while learning new idioms.
More Idioms and Expressions in Context Stories
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