Wickedly Wonderful Words (1-5)

-
Image created with Chat GPT

1️⃣ BEARABLE (adj) Something that can be endured, tolerated, or handled without too much discomfort, pain, or difficulty.  (soportable)

🌞 Having a friend by my side made the long wait much more bearable. (llevadera)

🌞 The pain after the surgery was bearable with the help of medication.

🌞 The loud construction noise became unbearable after a few hours. (insoportable)

🌞 The tension in the room was unbearable as everyone waited for the results.

🌞 It's been unbearably hot this summer.

Some 🐻 expressions: 

A 🐻‍❄️ binomial:


🌞 Answer any of the following questions: 

🪭 What kind of weather do you find bearable? And what weather is unbearable for you?

Juanmi: For me, sunny and cool weather with a little wind is totally bearable. And without doubt humid is unbearable.

Graham: I agree. Humidity is unbearable. The heat is much more bearable in Madrid than it is in Rome.


🛌 Do you think waking up early is bearable or unbearable? Why?

Juanmi: It depends on the day, for instance Saturday is absolutely bearable if after the waking up, you have a coffee with a toast. 

Graham: Absolutely bearable sounds strange. We use absolutely with extreme adjectives - bearable is not one though unbearable is (so absolutely unbearable is fine). Instead, I'd say - It depends on the day. For instance, Saturday is perfectly bearable if after waking up, you have a coffee with toast.

I can't function in the mornings without a proper breakfast.


👃What food smells are unbearable for you?

Juanmi: Broccoli is the worst smells and not unbearable if you have a visitor at home while you are cooking.

Graham: Broccoli is the worst smell and unbearable if you have a visitor at home while you are cooking. 

I love cabbage (even when I was a kid, I loved it) but it stinks. I think cabbage trumps broccoli in the league of awful smells.


🚇 Do you find public transport bearable during rush hour? Why or why not?

Juanmi: Public transport during rush hour is bearable if you have a good playlist of Metallica. But it’s unbearable when it’s too crowded and noisy.

Graham: I haven't used public transport for ages. It'd be difficult to get used to it again.


😶 Can something be bearable for one person but unbearable for another? Give examples.

Juanmi: Running a marathon is bearable for people like Graham, but unbearable for someone like me.

Graham:  It's amazing what you can do when you put your.mind to it.



🖥️ Do you think modern technology has made life more bearable or more unbearable? Why?

Juanmi: It’s not debatable for me that modern technology has made life more bearable. Because it helps to democratize the information access to the information to the people.

Graham: It’s not debatable for me that modern technology has made life more bearable. Because it helps to democratise information access to the people.

I think we lived perfectly happy lives without it.


Augusto: (voice message)

Graham: I think modern technology makes many things more better. 😡

I think modern technology makes many things better. 😍

The idea of technology is to make life easier and save time. However, I seem to spend a lot of time trying to solve problems created by technology.


🛜 Imagine living without the internet for a month — would that be bearable or unbearable for you?

Juanmi: If only its a month could be bearable for me 🤣.

Graham: If it is only for a month, it could be bearable for me 🤣.


Augusto: During the month of August the heat in Madrid is unbearable. 😍

Augusto: That schoolmate was more unbearable than a toothache.


2️⃣ SHRUG to raise your shoulders slightly, often to show that you don’t know something, don’t care, or aren’t sure about something. (encogerse/encogimiento de hombros)

🌞 "I don’t know," she said, and shrugged.

→ “No lo sé”, dijo, y se encogió de hombros.

🌞 He just shrugged his shoulders when I asked about the homework.

→ Solo se encogió de hombros cuando le pregunté por la tarea.

🌞 "Are you coming to the party?"

→ "¿Vas a venir a la fiesta?"

"Maybe," he said with a shrug.

→ "Quizás", dijo con un encogimiento de hombros.

🌞 Sometimes people shrug when they don’t want to answer.

→ A veces la gente se encoge de hombros cuando no quiere responder.


🌞 Create some example sentences of yor own and/or answer any of the following questions:

🤷 When was the last time you shrugged because you didn’t know the answer?

🤷‍♀️ How do you feel when someone just shrugs instead of answering you?

🤷‍♂️ How often do you shrug your shoulders? Is it a bad habit?

🤷 Give an example of when someone shrugged to show they didn't care.


Augusto: He was so drunk that he shrugged when the police asked him his name.


3️⃣ SETBACK (noun): a problem, difficulty, or delay that makes it harder to achieve something you want. (🇪🇸 contratiempo / revés)

🌞 We had a small setback when the computer stopped working.

→ Tuvimos un pequeño contratiempo cuando la computadora dejó de funcionar.

🌞 Failing the exam was a real setback, but I’m going to try again."

→ Suspender el examen fue un verdadero revés, pero lo voy a intentar de nuevo.

🌞 Don’t worry! This is just a minor setback. We’ll still finish on time.

→ ¡No te preocupes! Esto es solo un pequeño contratiempo. Aún terminaremos a tiempo.


🌞 Create some example sentences of your own and/or answer any of these questions:

📖 Have you ever had a setback while studying English? What happened?

👟 Imagine you’re training for a marathon but get injured. How would you describe this setback?

🛟 Do you think setbacks are a normal part of life? Why or why not?

😵‍💫 What setbacks have you suffered with your plans?

💡 Every setback is a chance to learn, grow, and come back stronger! 💪✨

 

Augusto: We had a big setback when our car ran out of gas. 

Graham: That's one thing I haven't done is run out of petrol. (🇬🇧 - petrol, 🇺🇸 - gas)

Augusto: We had a big setback when we missed the plane that was supposed to take us to Inverness.

Graham: I've suffered this setback countless times over the years.


Helena: What a big setback to have missed the bus!

Graham: There'll be another one along soon.


Augusto: It was a big setback when it started pouring with rain and I didn't have an umbrella.

Augusto: It was a big setback when I met that math teacher who was a huge pain.

Graham: math 🇺🇸 maths 🇬🇧

Augusto: It was a big setback when my car stopped across the street.

Graham: ... when my car broke down in the middle of the street.

Augusto: It was a big setback when I was eating a steak and suddenly my tooth broke.

Helena: Yes  that's a really big setback because in August most of the dentist clinics are closed.

Graham: It's great to see all these examples though don't use setback interchangeably with problem. A setback is a problem that makes it harder to achieve something. ( 🇪🇸  contratiempo, revés )


Augusto: What a big setback when I fell off the bike twice during my first practical lesson.

Augusto: It was a big setback for me the first time I went to boarding school.

Graham: Even after all these setbacks, I'm still not sure if you have got the hang of the word. What did you find harder to achieve by going to a boarding school?


Helena: Is a setback @⁨Graham⁩ a little problem? Or can we say that politicians are a setback in our lives?

Graham: It's a problem that stops your progress in achieving something. The example you give sounds strange.


Juanmi: Videocalls with Graham used to setback (not now 🤣), but we managed to recover quickly.

The blackout we suffered in Spain a few months ago was a setback, but it was funny to see the bars fully with people

Graham: I think I get what you mean - loss of connection, delay in seeing the image etc. 

We used to have a few setbacks with our video calls but we managed to sort things out quickly.

The blackout caused many setbacks but it was funny to see the bars full of people.


4️⃣ HUM (verb): 

- to make a sound with your lips closed, usually when you’re singing a tune quietly. 🎶 

- to make a continuous, low sound (like machines or bees). 🐝

(🇪🇸 tararear / zumbar)

🌞 She likes to hum her favourite song while cooking.

🌞 I couldn’t remember the lyrics, so I just hummed the tune.

🌞 I can hear the fridge humming during the night.


☺️ Do you ever hum when you’re happy? When?

🎵 What song do you usually hum when you can’t remember the lyrics?

🏠 Can you think of something in your house that is always humming?

José: Years ago, I used to hum "Maria Isabel " by Los Payos and author Josele.

Graham: It's not the first time that I've heard this song. It must be one of the first songs of the summer. It is catchy. I'll be humming it over the next few days now.

José: At my home, every night I hum the fridge and the dog of my neighbour.

Graham: I can't figure this one out. I suppose you mean (but I could be completely wrong):

At home, every night I hear the humming of the neighbours' fridge and their dog barking. (Dogs don't hum)

José: I'm afraid when a bee is humming around my head.

Graham: I like to see bees humming around the garden. 

It's the wasp that is the real baddy. I remember the chaos when a wasp entered the classroom, I was frozen with fear and they always came for me. Apparently, they can detect fear in people and will attack the scaredy-cat.

Helena: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Helena: I highly recommend you all to listen to this song and hum it when you are sad...

Graham: I highly recommend you all listen to this song.

It's a difficult tune to hum. As for the lyrics, 😮 ... It's not my cup of tea.

I prefer José's choice of tune.

Helena: 🤣🤣🤣


Juanmi: He always hums in the shower, even in the morning.

Sometimes I hum when I walking in a rainy morning.

Graham: I suppose if someone is humming, it means they are in a good mood.

... when I walk about on a rainy morning.

Just like Gene ☔ ⛈️


 5⃣  LIMELIGHT (noun) - being the centre of attention or fame (🇪🇸 estar en el candelero/ estar en el centro de atención)

🌞 After winning the award, she was suddenly in the limelight.

🌞 Some people love the limelight but others avoid the attention.


👀Would you like to be in the limelight? Why or why not?

👀 Can you name a celebrity who loves the limelight?

Compare to spotlight:

Augusto: Cassius Clay was always in the limelight throughout his career.

Graham: Muhammad Ali - The Greatest


Helena: And you dear @⁨Graham⁩ are in the limelight of English teachers.

Graham: I don't like being in the limelight but I still stand out.  I prefer to go under the radar.

Helena: To go under the radar is to be unnoticed?, not in the limelight? 😍


José: I don't need to be the limelight because I'm an ordinary people. If I would want to be the limelight, I couldn't. I don't have stood out anything in my live.

I don't dismiss that I could be the limelight any day. In this case, it would like to be limelight  because I would stand out about good thing.

Graham: I don't need to be in the limelight because I'm an ordinary person. If I had to be in the limelight, I'd find it tough going. I haven't stood out for anything in my life. 

I wouldn't discount being in the limelight one day. If it were to happen, I hope it would be for something positive.

José: I remember Adolfo Suárez, famous people, who didn't like the limelight.

Graham: There are some well-known people who don't like the limelight.

However, one of the problems of the modern world is that ordinary people crave to have their fifteen minutes of fame.

 

Juanmi: Belén Esteban is used to the limelight. 😍

He does not like the limelight. 😍

She prefers working behind the scenes than being in the limelight. 😍

Graham: 


Is Belén still in the limelight? I have seen the People's Princess for ages.

Juanmi: No, she is not on TV now, but I think they're making a series about her.

Graham: Oh that's something to look forward to. 🙄

Juanmi: She is the princess of the people (pueblo) as you know.


Newspaper Headlines:

Rents Reach Unbearable Levels for City Residents

Long Commutes Becoming Bearable Thanks to Remote Work

Markets Shrug Off Inflation Fears After Strong Jobs Report

Public Shrugs at Another Ministerial Apology

Government Faces Major Setback in Budget Talks

Injury Setback Delays Star Striker’s Return

Crowds Hum Along as Singer Opens Surprise Street Performance

Residents Complain of Constant Hum Disrupting Sleep

From Obscurity to Limelight: The Rise of a Local Hero

Minister Back in the Limelight Amid Fresh Allegations


WORKPLACE DIALOGUES

(Un)bearable:

Employee: “These meetings used to be unbearable.”

Manager: “Better now?”

Employee: “Much. Shorter agendas make them bearable.”


Shrug:

Employee 1: “Did you see the new policy update?”

Employee 2: “Yeah. Everyone just shrugged.”

Employee 1: “That’s how it goes around here.”


Setback

Manager: “The supplier pulled out this morning.”

Team Lead: “So that’s a setback, but not a disaster.”

Manager: “Exactly. We regroup and move forward.”


Hum

Employee 1: “Can you hear that hum?”

Employee 2: “Yeah, it’s been driving me crazy all day.”

Employee 1: “I thought it was just my computer.”


Limelight

Colleague: “You’re in the limelight now after that presentation.”

Employee: “I know—and I really didn’t ask for it.”

Colleague: “Well, enjoy it while it lasts.”


Comments

Sir Joseph said…
Hi Graham,

What kind of weather do you find bearable? And what weather is unbearable for you?
Cold is bearable for me, cold and dry weather is good for me in places such as in Segovia, Soria or Burgos, but the wind is unbearable for me in any circumstances.

Do you thing waking up early es bearable or unbearable? Why?
Waking up early is bearable for me. The reason is because I must be owl.

What food smells are unbearable for you?
The smell of the onion is unbearable for me.

Do you find public transport bearable during rush hour? Why or why not?
The rush hour in the public transport is bearable for me because nobody lives alone and it´s necessary sometimes.

Can something be bearable for one person but unbearable for another? Give examples.
It´s ordinary that one person was bearable for a few and unbearable for others, for instance, politicians.

Do you think modern technology has made life more bearable o more unbearable? Why?
You have two possibilities with mordern technology, to use or not to use it, and then it´s bearable for me.

Imagine living without the internet for a month – would that be bearable or unbearable for yoy?
Living without the internet will be bearable for me, for a month or for a year.

When was the last time you shrugged because you didn´t know the answer?
When the policeman stopped me during the covid pandemic and he asked me: ¿Where are you going? I shrugged because I was in my street.

How do you feel when someone just shrugs instead of answering you?
I would like to move his shoulders with my hands and I will tell him please don´t shrug.

How often do you shrug your shoulders? Is it a bad habit?
I don´t ussually shrug my shoulders. I think it´s typical of people who coudn´t care less everything.

Give an example of when someone shrugged to show they didn´t care.
I remember an employee who always arrived late to the office and if you told him that he must arrive before, he shrugged.

Have you ever had a setback while studying English? What happened?
I went to my village on holiday and when I was there I could check that I had forgotten my computer. I couldn´t study English.

Imagine you´re training for a marathon but get injured. How would you describe this setback?
I´m sorry for people who make a hard effort and they can enjoy it for this setback.

Do you think setbacks are a normal part of life? Why or why not?
This is life. Life with setbacks would be utopia. It´s inposible to live without setbacks.

What setbacks have you suffered with your plans?
I have had a lot of setbacks, without stopping. For instance, I only wanted to work in my profession, but I couldn´t do it because I didn´t have money.

Every setback is a chance to learn, grow, and come back stronger!
Sometimes it´s right, but others it´s a failure, which only serves to injure your head.

Do you ever hum when you´re happy? When?
I suppose not. I think I hum after listening a song that I like it, after I doing with success a difficult thing, when I wake up early, when I walk in the countryside and so on.

What song do you usually hum when you can´t remember the lyrics?
I usually hum classical music, for instance, “El amor brujo” de Manuel de Falla and “El concierto de Aranjuez” de Joaquín Rodrigo.

Can you think of something in your house that is always humming?
The engine of my refrigerator is always humming.

Would you like to be in the limelight? Why or why not?
First of all, you are wrong, the goat was always Nadal, in his moment.
I would like to be in the limelight because people would recognise me for anything. I know that I will be in the limelight. I know it.

Can you name a celebrity who loves the limelight?
Almost every singers love the limelight because they need to be popular, like Rosalía.

Sorry Invernessian for this long comment, but your text is very long too. It can serve for two o three days, if you want.

See you.
Saturday, 25 April, 2026
Graham said…
Good afternoon José,

I'm impressed. You can answer as many questions as you like - all of them or just one for each Wickedly Wonderful Word. It's up to you.

I've had to split this comment into two because Blogger says that it is too long.

What kind of weather do you find bearable? And what weather is unbearable for you?

Cold weather is bearable for me. Cold and dry weather is good for me in places such as Segovia, Soria, or Burgos, but ̶t̶h̶e̶ wind is unbearable for me under any circumstances. (I've never been to Burgos but I always stop off at Landa for a bite to eat on any journey North)

Do you think waking up early is bearable or unbearable? Why?

Waking up early is bearable for me because I must be an owl.

(More natural alternative: because I’m a morning person.)

What food smells are unbearable for you?

The smell of onions is unbearable for me.

Do you find public transport bearable during rush hour? Why or why not?

Public transport during rush hour is bearable for me because nobody lives alone, and sometimes it’s necessary. (I consider myself lucky not having to drive or use public transport.)

Can something be bearable for one person but unbearable for another? Give examples.

It’s common for something to be bearable for some people and unbearable for others. For instance, politicians. (One in particular I find so unbearable that I want to smash the TV screen every time she appears on it.

Do you think modern technology has made life more bearable or more unbearable? Why?

Modern technology gives you two possibilities: to use it or not to use it, so it is bearable for me.

Imagine living without the internet for a month – would that be bearable or unbearable for you?

Living without the internet bearable for me, whether for a month or evenfor a year.

When was the last time you shrugged because you didn’t know the answer?

During the COVID pandemic, a policeman stopped me and asked, “Where are you going?” I shrugged because I was .

How do you feel when someone just shrugs instead of answering you?

I would like to move shoulders with my hands and tell them, “Please, don’t shrug.”

How often do you shrug your shoulders? Is it a bad habit?

I don’t usually shrug my shoulders. I think it’s typical of people who couldn’t care less about anything.

Give an example of when someone shrugged to show they didn’t care.

I remember an employee who always arrived late to the office, and if you told him that he had to arrive earlier, he shrugged.
Friday, 08 May, 2026
Graham said…
Have you ever had a setback while studying English? What happened?

I went to my village on holiday, and when I arrived there, I realised that I had forgotten my computer. I couldn’t study English.

Imagine you’re training for a marathon but get injured. How would you describe this setback?

I feel sorry for people who make a great effort and then can’t enjoy it because of a setback like this.

Do you think setbacks are a normal part of life? Why or why not?

This is life. A life without setbacks would be utopian. It’s impossible to live without setbacks.

What setbacks have you suffered with your plans?

I have had a lot of setbacks one after another. For instance, work in my profession, but I couldn’t because I didn’t have enough money. (This is a bit confusing. In the end you must have found the finances to go on to be a lawyer.)

Every setback is a chance to learn, grow, and come back stronger!

Sometimes that’s true, but other times a failure just causes psychological damage.

Do you ever hum when you’re happy? When?

I suppose so / I suppose I do. I think I hum after listening to a song that I like, after successfully doing something difficult, when I wake up early, or when I walk in the countryside.

What song do you usually hum when you can’t remember the lyrics?

I usually hum classical music, for instance, El amor brujo by Manuel de Falla and Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo.

Can you think of something in your house that is always humming?

The motor of my refrigerator is always humming.

Would you like to be in the limelight? Why or why not?

First of all, you are wrong — Nadal was always the GOAT in his time.

I would like to be in the limelight because that would mean people would recognise me for something. I know that one day I will be in the limelight. I know it.

Can you name a celebrity who loves the limelight?

Almost all singers love / every singer loves the limelight because they need to be popular, like Rosalía.

Sorry, Invernessian, for this long comment, but your text is very long too. It could be enough for two or three days, if you want.
Friday, 08 May, 2026
Post a Comment