Learning English

Session 1

Fortunately = I'm pleased
Fortunately, there wasn't much traffic on the roads.

I'm afraid = I'm sorry
I'm afraid I forgot to buy any bread.

I must admit = This might be unpopular or embarrassing
I must admit I don't really like his wife.

Obviously = This idea is easy to see or understand:
Obviously, we want to help as much as we can.

If you ask me = In my opinion
If you ask me, too many people go to university these days.

Ideally = This would be ideal, although I realise it's probably not possible:
Ideally, we'd like a four-bedroomed house if we can afford it.

Seriously = I'm not joking:
Seriously, I'd like to have at least four kids.

Of course = I realise that what I'm saying is generally known and not surprising:
The rush hour is the worst possible time to travel, of course.

Session 3

fussy eater
someone who chooses what they eat very carefully and refuses to eat things they don't like

gourmet
someone who likes to eat food of very high quality

savour
enjoy (normally used when you are talking about food)

purist
someone who follows very traditional rules

turn up her nose
reject something because she believes it is not good

cut his teeth
did something for the first time

made a name for himself
became well-known for being good at something

delved into
studied something carefully to find out more about it

bitter
(here) resentful, angry

authenticity
the quality of being real or genuine

peers
similar people in a group

mastering
becoming very good at doing something

dry ice
frozen carbon dioxide, easy to identify by its very low temperature and white smoke

centrifuge machines
machines which separate solids in liquids by rotating at high speed

Petri dishes
glass dishes traditionally used in laboratories to grow bacteria

delicacies
food that is expensive and eaten only on special occasions

with a pinch of salt
(here) with suspicion that something might not be true

cup of tea
(here) preference

food for thought
something that makes you think about something

scoffing
eating quickly and with enthusiasm

fad
something that is very popular for a brief period of time

second helping
a second serving of the same food

Session 4

ingredients
pieces of food used to make a particular meal or dish

feast
a special and large meal

set you up
prepare you

not be everyone's cup of tea
not something that everyone will like

onomatopoeia
words that include sounds that are similar to the noises the words refer to

Session 5

sermon
a talk given by a priest or religious leader during a religious ceremony

adapt
to change something

christening
a Christian ceremony during which a baby is given a name and made a member of the Christian Church

christen
to carry out a religious ceremony during which a baby is given a name and made a member of the Christian Church

absurd
stupid

disgraceful
very bad

invalid
a person who is ill or disabled and cannot look after themselves

liar
a person who says things that are not true

childish
behaving in a silly way, like a young child

mourning
custom of wearing black clothes to show sadness for someone who has died

vanity
the fact of being too proud of your appearance or abilities

outrage
an action that is shocking

parting
the act of leaving someone