Word of the day - dachshund

dachshund - (uwaga na wymowę! BrE /ˈdæksnd/ AmE /ˈdɑːkshʊnd/)

a small dog with a long body, long ears and very small legs

the dachshund

In British informal English it is also called  'a sausage dog' ;)

A cute dachshund puppy

wire-haired - szorstkowłosy

short-haired - krótkowłosy

Source of the photos: pixabay.com

The story of famous pictures...Tennis players on a special court...

As you maybe know, I absolutely adore photography. I've decided to explore the story of worldwide famous photographs...You have surely seen this photo somewhere...:

The picture was taken on 25 October 1925. The photograph shows two players - Ivan Unger and Gladys Roy. Yes, one of the players is a woman! Gladys Roy was a wing walker, who enjoyed aviation and stunts in space. The woman and Ivan Unger were members of an aerial stunt group called the Flying Black Hats.

Gladys Roy

wing walking

The daredevils are playing tennis on the wings of a flying plane. In the middle, there is a kind of net. In the picture we can also make out the players' helmets and old-fashioned tennis rackets. In the background we can notice tiny buildings, roads and trees. In fact, the picture was taken above Los Angeles, California. Franc Tomac was the pilot flying the plane at 3,000 feet! Even though the players seem to have their feet attached to the wings of the aircraft, it looks sooooo scary!
The stuntmen quickly discovered that the only problem with playing tennis on a plane is that when your ball is out, it's really out! ;)

Glossary

a tennis player - tenisista

plane/airplane/aircraft - samolot
wing walker - osoba chodząca po skrzydłach samolotu
aviation - /ˌeɪviˈeɪʃn/ lotnictwo
stunt - wyczyn kaskaderski
aerial - /ˈeəriəl/ lotniczy
daredevil - śmiałek

a kind of - rodzaj (czegoś), jakaś...

make out = notice

a helmet - kask

racket - rakieta (w sportcie, rocket is an object going up in space ;)

tiny = little
even though - nawet jeśli...

attached -  przypięty
stuntman - kaskader
astonishing - wspaniały
feat - wyczyn

By the way, have you heard that the famous Serbian tennis player, Novak Djokovic, has performed a similar astonishing feat?

Which other games can you play on a plane? ;)

Source of the photos and video: the Internet, youtube

Word of the day - nettle

nettle (also stinging nettle) -  /ˈnetl/ a wild plant with leaves that sting if you touch them

stinging nettle

to grasp the nettle - to deal with a difficult situation firmly and without hesitating (~'chwycić byka za rogi')

I've been putting off solving the problem for too long and I think it's high time to grasp the nettle.

Glossary

nettle - pokrzywa

to sting - kłuć

to deal with sth - załatwić (np. sprawę)

firmly - stanowczo; zdecydowanie

without hesitating - bez wahania

to put sth off - odkładać coś 

it's high time - najwyższy czas

Source of the photo: pixabay.com

Word of the day - hope

On the occasion of today's defeat of the Polish volleyball team - the word 'hope'...

hope /həʊp/- a belief that sth you want will happen

a glimmer of hope - cień nadziei

false hopes - złudne nadzieje

to have high hopes for sth/sb - mieć wielkie nadzieje co do czegoś/kogoś

to shatter sb's hope - odebrać komuś nadzieję

to pin one's hopes on sb/sth - pokładać w czymś/kimś nadzieje

you are my only hope - cała nadzieja w tobie

"Learn from yesterday, live today,
hope for tomorrow"
- Albert Einstein

Source of the photo: the Internet

Word of the day - a glow-worm

a glow-worm - an insect whose female produces a green light at the end of the tail

glow - /ɡləʊ/ blask, poświata

worm - /wɜːm/= a maggot; robak

a glow-worm

Here's a famous poem about the glow-worm:

glum = sad; smutny

grumpy - zrzędliwy

shine - świecić

out - z

bum = bottom, behind (informal); pupa ;)

Souce of the images: the Internet

Suzanne Vega - "Tom's Diner"- Answers

I am sitting

In the morning (=siedzę rano)

At the diner (=w knajpie)

On the corner (=w rogu)

I am waiting

At the counter (=czekam przy barze)

For the man

To pour the coffee (=na tego faceta by nalał kawy)

And he fills it

Only halfway (=nalewa tylko do połowy)

And before

I even argue (=i zanim wogóle zacznę się kłócić)

He is looking (=patrzy na szybę)

Out the window 

At somebody

Coming in (=na kogoś, kto wchodzi)

"It is always

Nice to see you" (=zawsze miło cię widzieć)

Says the man

Behind the counter (=mówi mężczyzna za barem)

To the woman

Who has come in (=do kobiety, która weszła)

She is shaking

Her umbrella (=potrząsa parasolem)

And I look

The other way (=patrzę w drugą stronę)

As they are kissing

Their hellos (~witają się pocałunkiem)

I'm pretending

Not to see them (=udaję, że ich nie widzę)

Instead (=zamiast tego)

I pour the milk (=nalewam mleko)

I open

Up the paper (=otwieram gazetę)

There's a story (=jest historia)

Of an actor (=o aktorze)

Who had died

While he was drinking (~który się zapił na śmierć)

It was no one

I had heard of (=nie był to ktoś, o kim wcześniej słyszałam)

And I'm turning

To the horoscope (=przechodzę do horoskopów)

And looking

For the funnies* (=szukam części humorystycznej)

When I'm feeling

Someone watching me (=czuję, że ktoś na mnie patrzy)

And so

I raise my head (=więc podnoszę głowę)

There's a woman

On the outside (=na zewnątrz)

Looking inside (=patrząca do środka)

Does she see me? (=czy ona mnie widzi)

No she does not

Really see me (=nie, ona mnie nie widzi)

Cause she sees

Her own reflection (=ona widzi swoje odbicie)

And I'm trying

Not to notice (=staram się nie zauważać)

That she's hitching

Up her skirt (=że podciąga spódnicę)

And while she's

Straightening her stockings (=jak poprawia pończochy)

Her hair

Has gotten wet (=jej włosy zrobiły się mokre)

Oh, this rain

It will continue 

Through the morning (~ten deszcz będzie dalej padał cały ranek)

As I'm listening (=i słucham)

To the bells

Of the cathedral (=dzwonów katerdy)

I am thinking

Of your voice...(=myślę o twoim głosie)

And of the midnight picnic

Once upon a time

Before the rain began... (=i o pikniku o północy, kiedyś, zanim ten deszcz się zaczął)

I finish up my coffee (=kończę moją kawę)

It's time to catch the train (=czas złapać pociąg)

Quite atmospheric...isn't it? 

* the funnies - the part of a newspaper where there are several drawings that tell a funny story

An example of the funnies

Source of the drawing: the Internet

Suzanne Vega - 'Tom's Diner'

Hey! Today I've got a new listening exercise for you - Suzanne Vega's song - 'Tom's Diner'. Suzanne Vega is an American songwriter and singer performing eclectic folk-inspired music. The song, first released in 1984, was also used as the background soundtrack (=ścieżka muzyczna w tle) for the opening scene of the 1993 movie "Untamed Heart" (untamed - nieoswojony, nieposkromiony; Pl. "Skryta Namiętność", Fr. "Coeur sauvage"). 'Tom's Diner' is a vignette (=opis) of someone stopping at a diner (=cheap restaurant) for a cup of coffee. What's interesting Vega wrote the lyrics inspired by her friend who confessed (=wyznał) that: 

"he saw his whole life through a pane of glass (=szybę), and [...] like he was the witness (=świadkiem) to a lot of things, but was never really involved in them." 

Reading the lyrics you can notice that the scene is described through a male perspective. 

The song constitutes a very nice listening exercise as the artist's way of singing resembles melodeclamation - she pronounces the lyrics as if she were speaking, not singing. 

Listen to the song and try to complete the lyrics!

I am sitting

In the ...................

At the diner

On the corner

I am waiting

At the .................

For the man

To pour the ...............

And he ............ it

Only halfway

And before

I even argue

He is looking

Out the ................

At somebody

..................... in

"It is always

Nice to ................ you"

Says the man

Behind the ...................

To the woman

Who has ................ in

She is shaking

Her .....................

And I look

The other ..............

As they are kissing

Their hellos

I'm ..................

Not to see them

.................

I pour the milk

I open

Up the paper

There's a .......................

Of an actor

Who had died

While he was .................

It was no one

I had ................... of

And I'm turning

To the ..................

And looking

For the .................

When I'm feeling

Someone .................. me

And so

I .................. my head

There's a woman

On the outside

Looking inside

Does she ............. me?

No she does not

Really see me

Cause she sees

Her own .......................

And I'm trying

Not to ..................

That she's hitching

Up her skirt

And while she's

Straightening her ....................

Her hair

Has gotten wet

Oh, this rain

It will .....................

Through the morning

As I'm listening

To the ...............

Of the cathedral

I am thinking

Of your ...............

And of the ................. picnic

Once upon a time

Before the ................. began

I finish up my coffee

It's time to catch the ................

Here's the opening scene of 'Untamed heart':

You'll find the answers in my next post!

Source of the photos: the Internet