LINGUA FRANCA Sprachschule

Want to cut personnel costs? Hire a bunch of monkeys!
translation to this week's idiom and more available at:

Idiom 130 – „if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys“ | LINGUA FRANCA Blog Idiom 130 – „if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys“ 9. November 2017English / Englisch , , idiomRichard Mowrer I was talking to a friend last weekend about her job as a physiotherapist. She’s worked at the same practice for a few years and was complaining about the high staff turn...

"Why didn't you tell me the other buyers pulled out of the negotiations, Marion?"

"I'm sorry Frank, I wanted to keep it quiet and drop the news on the seller. It's our ace in the hole!"

Find the translation and more at:

idiom 129 – „ace in the hole“ | LINGUA FRANCA Blog idiom 129 – „ace in the hole“ 23. August 2017English / Englisch , , idiomRichard Mowrer Today’s idiom is neither violent, nor bloody. It comes from the world of poker and is used in the following discussion between two co-workers who are in the middle of some tough negotiations...

Logistics, birds of prey, Shakespeare, the translation of "in one fell swoop" and more can be found here: http://www.lingua-franca.de/blog/idiom-128-in-one-fell-swoop/

Idiom 128 – „in one fell swoop“ | LINGUA FRANCA Blog Idiom 128 – „in one fell swoop“ 27. Juli 2017English / EnglischRichard Mowrer We’ll continue in our ad-hoc miniseries of idioms with violent origins but not so violent meanings. Allow me set the stage: it’s the end of the month in a small warehouse (Lager) and two co-workers are discussing what must...

„Well, some people say that he was taking too much money, and Michelle got angry.“

„So she threw him under the bus?“

„It appears so…“

Find the translation and more at:

http://www.lingua-franca.de/blog/idiom-127-to-throw-someone-under-the-bus/

Idiom 127 – to throw someone under the bus“ | LINGUA FRANCA Blog Idiom 127 – to throw someone under the bus“ 18. Juli 2017English / EnglischRichard Mowrer Today’s idiom is a bit violent, maybe a bit bloody, but very descriptive. All the best idioms are, so pay attention and enjoy the gossip (Klatsch) : „Why is Karl packing up his things? Has he been fired?“ „Yo...

"How does Caryn do it? It’s Wednesday and she’s already made at least 25 new sales!"

"I dunno, but we can’t hold a candle to her! I hope our manager doesn’t notice…"

Find the translation and more at: http://www.lingua-franca.de/blog/idiom-126-to-hold-a-candle/

Idiom 126 – to hold a candle | LINGUA FRANCA Blog Idiom 126 – to hold a candle 13. Juli 2017English / EnglischRichard Mowrer We’re back! After a long, looooong break, it’s time to return to idiom blogging! Here we go: Two co-workers, Andy and Bill, are talking about the newest member of their sales team, Caryn. She’s in her first week, doing wel...

I had an unpleasant and time consuming job to do this week. But then I made our intern do it and now, I'm off the hook!

Find the translation to the idiom "off the hook" and more at:
http://www.lingua-franca.de/blog/idiom-125-off-the-hook/

Idiom 125 – off the hook | LINGUA FRANCA Blog Idiom 125 – off the hook 21. Dezember 2016English / Englisch , , idiomRichard Mowrer We had a new delivery of office supplies coming in at the end of week. It was so big, in fact, that I would have needed to re-arrange a lot of the current stock (Bestand) in the storage room. B...

After reading this week's "Misused Words & Expressions" entry, you might eventually learn something!

http://www.lingua-franca.de/blog/misused-words-expressions-in-eu-publications-entry-3-eventually/

Misused Words & Expressions in EU Publications – Entry #3 – „eventually“ | LINGUA FRANCA Blog Misused Words & Expressions in EU Publications – Entry #3 – „eventually“ 16. Dezember 2016English / EnglischRichard Mowrer I knew we’d eventually have to hit this point. Sooner or later, we would have to take a moment and think about the word eventual, which is a „false friend“ of the German word ev...

"How are you going to get Harold to approve of the new software?

"I was going to butter him up with U.S. Open tickets..."

Find the translation to the idiom "to butter someone up" and more at: http://www.lingua-franca.de/blog/idiom-124-to-butter-someone-up/

Idiom 124 – to butter someone up | LINGUA FRANCA Blog Idiom 124 – to butter someone up 14. Dezember 2016English / EnglischRichard Mowrer „Honestly, Alex, I don’t think that Harold in Purchasing will like your new billing software concept too much. You know how old fashioned he is…“ „I know; I’m a bit worried about his reaction myself. Guess I’ll just h...

Second post in a series on misused English in EU documents. Find out the correct translation for the word "kontrollieren" and more at: http://www.lingua-franca.de/blog/misused-words-expressions-in-eu-publications-entry-2-to-control/

Misused Words & Expressions in EU Publications – Entry #2 – „to control“ | LINGUA FRANCA Blog Misused Words & Expressions in EU Publications – Entry #2 – „to control“ 23. November 2016English / Englisch , , vocabularyRichard Mowrer Our second entry in the series on misuse of English in European Union documents take a look at a word that, in Germany, almost all English st...

„Hey Nadine, can you mention something quick about the projected sales figures for 2017 in this afternoon’s meeting with the Budgeting Committee?“

„Sorry Alex, but I’m going home after I finish up this e-mail. I’m feeling under the weather and need some rest.

FInd the translation and more at: “http://www.lingua-franca.de/blog/idiom-123-under-the-weather/

Idiom 123 – under the weather | LINGUA FRANCA Blog Idiom 123 – under the weather 17. November 2016English / EnglischRichard Mowrer „Hey Nadine, can you mention something quick about the projected sales figures for 2017 in this afternoon’s meeting with the Budgeting Committee?“ „Sorry Alex, but I’m going home after I finish up this e-mail. I’m feelin...

First post from Jeremy Gardner's "Misused English words & expressions in EU publications" - find out what I am ACTUALLY talking about http://www.lingua-franca.de/blog/misused-english-words-and-expressions-in-eu-publications/

Misused English Words and Expressions in EU Publications | LINGUA FRANCA Blog Misused English Words and Expressions in EU Publications 3. November 2016English / EnglischEU, language learning, vocabularyRichard Mowrer I might be preaching to the choir (offene Türen einrennen) here, but have any of you ever read EU publications and been totally baffled by what you read? Here’s…