English in Madrid

Image created with Chat GPT I hear the word buddy more and more . It is an informal American term for a friend that has become widely used in British English. I wouldn't mind so much if we didn't have slang terms for friends already. Mate seems to have been overtaken by buddy. People sometimes use buddy when talking to complete strangers so it can sound insincere and perhaps patronising.             (in the gym)           - Hey buddy! How many sets do you have left ?           - I've just started but we can take turns if you like .               (in the pub)           - Hi there! Can I have two pints of lager please?           - Sure buddy. That'll be £8.50.           - How ya doin', bud? Not seen you in ages. Mate is the UK equivalent of buddy and it is still very common to hear. It'...

World Cup Controversy - Before the 2010 World Cup, some people weren't happy that Spanish players were reported to get €600,000 each if they ended up   winn ing the championship. The country was suffering after the great financial crash but nobody seemed to mind when Spain were crowned the winners. However, Spain got off to a terrible start when they were defeated by Switzerland - Did Spain get too big for  their football boots? , and many pointed the finger at Iker Casilla's partner - Girlfriend gets blame for defeat . England had thought, as they always do, that they would lift the trophy - Arrogant English - will they ever learn?   and most Scots supported Anyone But England - Come on USA, Algeria and Slovenia - ABE! Scotland played the World Champions a few months later - Come on Scotland!!! ; it wasn't as easy a win as Spain had assumed - Scotland 2 Spain 3 Boo-hoo! I didn't post anything related when Spain won the World Cup but I did when they went out in...

Image created with Chat GPT Do the Quizlet to see how many of the twenty random e-words you know:    Now look at some of the following q-words within a tweet. Click on some links (you don't have to explore every single one). You can respond to the tweets in X/Twitter if you like.  QUIET 2/2 ... their dogs' mess. The square is full of litter. I wonder if she would say something to the culprits. I always feed birds away from people but even so, I can't be left in peace. As I asked the señora, is there not anything more important in the world to worry about? pic.twitter.com/D9uvp3c7ky — Upgrade your English (@madteacher72) June 30, 2019 QUOTE crawl: https://t.co/PzXsDJx1iB quote (v,n) - citar, cita - presupuesto I got a few quotes before deciding who to get to do the job. in quotes - entre comillas Read and comment on some of these quotes: https://t.co/j3LwAfuHob pic.twitter.com/TERlWIE0Tn — Upgrade your English (@madteacher72) March 10, 2022 QUIZ The seven Who Wants to b...

Pope begins Spain visit with praise for country's opposition to war and support for migrants Pope Leo XIV has started his official visit to Spain by praising its government's opposition to wars as well as its support for migrants. Speaking at a reception with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at the royal palace in Madrid, Pope Leo spoke of Spain's "active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples". Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has clashed with US President Donald Trump over Iran, and with Israel over the war in Gaza and the Pope hailed Spain's "faithful adherence to international law and multilateralism". During his seven-day visit, Pope Leo will meet victims who experienced sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, as well as groups that look after the welfare of migrants. Immigration is a divisive issue in Spain, and the Pope's focus on the issue during his tour could be seen as support for the socialist prime minister. He will also deliv...

Meta and YouTube found liable in landmark social media addiction trial A Los Angeles jury has handed down an unprecedented win for a young woman who sued Meta and YouTube over her childhood addiction to social media. Jurors found that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google, owner of YouTube, intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed the 20-year old's mental health. The woman, known as Kaley, was awarded $6m (£4.5m) in damages , a result likely to have implications for hundreds of similar cases now winding their way through US courts. Meta and Google said separately that they disagreed with the verdict and would both appeal . Meta said: "Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app. "We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online." A spokesperson for Google said: "This case misunde...

Grisly or just country life? The mole photos dividing social media Warning - this story contains images some readers may find distressing For decades, mole catchers in the countryside have hung their carcasses on fences to be counted for payment and as evidence of their trapping prowess . But when hill walker Simon Lucas shared a photograph of the tradition on social media, he was unprepared for the ferocity of the response. "It seemed to really strike a nerve ," he says. Lucas, 61, a musician from Bristol, travels to the Lake District in Cumbria for one week every month and regularly posts pictures of his wanderings . In February, he was returning from a hike on the road which connects Borrowdale to Seathwaite Farm when something caught his eye : a row of moles had been hung by their pink snouts from a barbed wire fence, their outsized front paws groping lifelessly in the air. "I did think it was a bit grisly but I was mostly intrigued," he says. He put h...

Alcohol-free beer and pet grooming used to measure inflation A shift towards healthy living has been reflected in changes to the way inflation is calculated. Alcohol-free beer and houmous are among the items added to the virtual basket of goods and services used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to chart the rising cost of living. The ONS collects the costs of 760 products and services across different retailers to come up with the monthly inflation figures. The items are reviewed every year and selected on the basis that they are representative of things that consumers typically spend their money on . Motorhomes, dashboard cameras , and pet grooming have also been added in the latest review. "This year, healthier lifestyle choices influence consumer spending, reflected by goods such as houmous and non-alcoholic beer," said Stephen Burgess, the deputy director for prices at the ONS.                       ...

1️⃣ I depend __ my colleague for a lift to work. 🍓 for 🍍 of 🥝 on 🍉 to Augusto: on 👍 Graham: I depend on  my colleague for a lift to work.,😍 If I got a euro.for the amount of times I've heard 'depend of' 😡 , I'd be a very rich man. 🤑 Follow-up Question: How many of these sentences use on ? 🦓 I hope he doesn't let me down. I'm counting __ him. 🐼 The film is based __ a true story. 🐒We agreed __ the plan after a long discussion. 🐢 She insisted __ paying for the meal. 🦊 We rely __ our suppliers to deliver on time. 🐰Please concentrate __ the task at hand. 🐸 I spent too much __ clothes this month. 🦁 He refused to comment __ the rumours Su: I think I could use on in all of them (?) 😅 Graham: You think rightly. Juanmi: 8/8 with on. 👍 2️⃣ Which sentence is right? 💚 I'll be possibly late tonight 💛 I can be late tonight. 💙 I might to be late tonight. 🧡 All 3 sentences 👆🏻are wrong. Su : I'm not sure but I think all wrong. Graham...

Image created with Chat GPT Italy wins claim over name of Spanish restaurant chain The Mafia Sits at the Table After years of court action and complaints , trademark office in Spain rules name is counter to ‘public order and morality’ A Spanish restaurant chain called The Mafia Sits at the Table may soon have to change its name after the country’s patent and trademark office * heeded objections from the Italian government and ruled that the brand ’s nomenclature ran counter to “both public order and morality”. Italy has pursued its claim against the chain – known in Spanish as La Mafia se sienta a la mesa – through various courts and official bodies over the past few years , alleging that the name trivialises both organised crime and efforts to fight it. In 2018, the EU Intellectual Property Office ruled that the name was invalid as it conveyed a “globally positive image” of the mafia. It added that the brand was “ therefore likely to shock or offend not only the victims of...

Image created with Chat GPT 6️⃣ PICK UP ➡️ to  lift or take something from the ground / a surface (🇪🇸 recoger, levantar) ➡️ to learn something - often informally, without studying it in depth (🇪🇸 aprender) ➡️ to improve or increase in speed, ability, or performance (🇪🇸 rejorar, agarrar ritmo) 🌞I dropped my keys, but someone picked them up for me. → Se me cayeron las llaves, pero alguien me las recogió . 🌞Can you pick up that pen from the floor? → ¿Puedes recoger ese bolígrafo del suelo? 🌞 Children pick up languages very quickly. → Los niños aprenden los idiomas muy rápido. 🌞 He picked up some useful skills during his internship. → Aprendió algunas habilidades útiles durante sus prácticas. 🌞 Business usually picks up around Christmas. → El negocio normalmente mejora en Navidad. 🌞 After a slow start, the game picked up in the second half. → Después de un comienzo lento, el partido mejoró en la segunda mitad. 1️⃣ What was the last thing you picked up from...