Trung Tâm Anh Ngữ StudEase

⚡ Phrase of the day: STEAL ONE'S THUNDER ⚡

To steal someone’s thunder means that:
🔹take credit for someone else’s work
🔹use someone else’s ideas to their own advantage
🔹take success or praise away from someone
🔹win praise by pre-empting or forestalling someone else’s attempt
🔹to take attention away from someone else

Similar sayings are “steal someone’s limelight”, "take a spotlight away from someone" or “upstage someone”.

Origin:
The origin of this phrase is attributed to an English playwright John Dennis. In 1704, he had invented a new method of creating the sound of thunder and used it in his play “Appius and Virginia”. The play was unsuccessful. Shortly afterwards, the thunder method was used in a performance of Macbeth. Dennis was not pleased and said “Damn them! They will not let my play run, but they steal my thunder.”

Example:
1️⃣ They all worked together on the project, but while submitting it, one of them stole the thunder.
2️⃣ She did not announce the news at the party because her friend was getting married and she did not want to steal her thunder.
3️⃣ Somebody stole my thunder by leaking the designs I had made on the Internet.

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Have you ever found yourself standing in the 🌧️, letting the water fall on you and feeling inexplicably happy? Or do you love the sound of raindrops 💧 pattering your windows at night? If so, you might be a pluviophile.

The word PLUVIOPHILE comes from the Latin word for rain “pluvial,” and “phile,” which denotes a person who has a fondness for a thing.

Pluviophiles love the pitter-patter sound that rain makes against their bedroom window. They enjoy the outdoors regardless of the weather and will draw open their curtains to watch the spectacle of a thunderstorm late at night. They will breathe in the sweet smell of rain in the morning and will find joy and happiness on rainy days. They will breathe in the sweet smell of rain in the morning and will find joy and happiness on rainy rays.

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🇻🇳 🇻🇳 Việt Nam's foreign policy and the legacy of Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng 🙏 🫡

The concept of "bamboo diplomacy" was first introduced by Party General Secretary Trọng during the inaugural National Conference on Foreign Affairs in December 2021, formalising it as a diplomatic doctrine. This approach emphasises resilience, flexibility, and a strong Vietnamese identity.

In his address, General Secretary Trọng highlighted that over the past 90 years, Việt Nam had built a unique school of diplomacy characterised by "firm roots, solid trunk, and flexible branches". It embodied the spirit of the Vietnamese people–steadfast in principles, yet flexible in strategies; soft and skilful, but also very resilient and decisive; adaptable and creative, but very courageous and steadfast in the face of difficulties for the independence of the nation and the happiness of the people.

When Nguyễn Phú Trọng became General Secretary in 2011, Vietnam had only one comprehensive strategic partner, China. Under Trong’s leadership, Việt Nam has established many strategic and comprehensive partnerships, elevating them to new levels to meet the requirements of the current era. So far, Việt Nam has established strategic partnerships and comprehensive strategic partnerships with all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

With close neighbouring countries such as Laos and Cambodia, the Party chief always fostered solidarity, friendship, and special cooperation, demonstrated through meetings between the top Party leaders of the three countries in Hà Nội in 2021 and 2023.

In relations with powerful countries, Việt Nam has been no less proactive. Within only nine months, Việt Nam welcomed leaders of three world powers – US President Joe Biden (September 2023), General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and Chinese President Xi Jinping (December 2023), and Russian President Vladimir Putin (June 2024).

👉 Source of News: https://vietnamnews.vn/politics-laws/1659948/viet-nam-s-foreign-policy-and-the-legacy-of-party-general-secretary-nguyen-phu-trong.html
Image: Financial Times ft.com

🌕 Phrase of the day: ONCE IN A BLUE MOON 🌚

The meaning of the idiomatic phrase "Once in a blue moon" is something that happens very occasionally or rarely. It symbolizes the nature of inconsistency in anything or anyone.

In popular culture, it is believed that people back in the 16th century had a notion that the surface of the Moon was blue. 🎨 But when scientists refuted the notion, it gave birth to the phrase "Blue Moon" (meaning something that is never going to happen).

Usage with Examples:
The usage of "Once in a Blue Moon" is well-suited to put a sarcastic comment or playfully tease someone. You can bring the idiom into the conversation, writing, or speech when it goes informal and relates to the idiom's meaning. 😉

Now let's take a look at these examples to better understand the usage of the idiom "Once in a blue moon":

1. I only see my old friends from college once in a blue moon.
2. My brother rarely cleans his room, only once in a blue moon.
3. We usually go out for dinner, but we eat at home once in a blue moon.

These words are synonymous with the idiom once in a blue moon:

Infrequently
Rarely
Seldom
Occasionally
Sporadically

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English trinomials are popular idiomatic expressions consisting of three main words that appear together in a fixed order. So they’re basically three-word, fixed collocations in English. For example: blood, sweat and tears. 💪💦😢

The Latin prefix “tri-” refers to “having three” and “-nomial” derives from Greek “nomos”, which means “part” or “portion”.

Here are some common trinomials:
1. A hop, skip, and jump: Trung Nguyen coffeeshop is a hop, skip, and a jump from our office.
2. Beg, borrow or steal: I'm going to get a dress for the prom, whehter I have to beg, borrow, or steal one.
3. Blood, sweat and tears: This has been a tought time. have all put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.
4. In (no/any) way, shape, or form: I have never been involved in any way, shape, or form with criminal activities.
5. Lock, stock and barrel: The place is owned lock, stock, and barrel by an oil company.
6. Morning, noon, and night: I never would’ve dreamed I would eat lobster morning, noon, and night, for free.
7. Ready, willing, and able: Any time you want me to start a business, I’m ready, willing, and able to join as a shareholder.

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UNRAVELING THE WEB OF OVERTHINKER 🚫🤔💭

🧠 Notice when you overthink: Be aware of your thought patterns. If you are constantly thinking about something without reaching any kind of resolution, leaving you feeling unsettled and anxious, you are probably overthinking.
🚦 Challenge your thoughts: Put your thought patterns on trial. Recognize that your thoughts are like habits that can be broken. Evaluate their validity and question their accuracy.
🔍 Distance yourself from your thoughts: Remember, you are not your thoughts! Just because you think something doesn't make it true. Remind yourself to observe your thoughts from a more objective standpoint.
🚶‍♂️ Move your focus away from the problem: Instead of obsessing over the problem and feeling stuck, shift your focus to actionable steps or opportunities for growth. Ask yourself if there is anything you can do about it or if you can find lessons within the situation.
💡 Is this under my control?: Differentiate between things you can and can't control. Recognize that overthinking about things beyond your control serves no real purpose and won't change the outcome. Redirect your energy towards what you can influence.
⚙️ Realistic thinking: Reframe catastrophic thoughts into more realistic ones. It's not about forcing yourself to be positive, but rather finding a balanced and realistic perspective. Challenge exaggerated or irrational thinking patterns.
❓ Nobody can read minds: Avoid believing assumptions without fact-checking. If you find yourself making assumptions about others' thoughts, consider the possibility of directly communicating and seeking clarity instead.
🧘‍♀️ Mindfulness/Grounding Techniques: Practice mindfulness to unhook from the past and future, staying present in the moment. Utilize grounding techniques that engage your senses, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, to anchor yourself in the present.
✍️ Journaling: Journaling helps declutter the mind and gain clarity. It allows you to identify and evaluate your thoughts, as well as explore problem-solving strategies or learn from your experiences.
😌 Embrace and understand anxiety: Rather than avoiding or trying to eliminate anxiety, sit with it and reflect on its underlying causes. Listen to what your body needs and show compassion to yourself as you gain a deeper understanding of your anxiety. 💛

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💰💡 Boost Your FINANCIAL VOCABULARY: MASTERING PERSONAL FINANCE 💡💰

Learning about personal finance is an investment in your future financial well-being. Here are some essential terms you need to know:

🚣‍♀️ To keep/stay afloat: To keep your head above water, to keep yourself in money or in credit, so that you don't owe anybody any money. So to keep afloat means to keep yourself on the right side of your personal finances, that you've got more money coming in than going out. 💡🌊

He was able to keep afloat because he had a very good business, head on his shoulders, and was able to know when to do a deal and when not to do a deal. 💪💼

💸 To get into debt: During our lifetime, we all get into debt at some stage. It might be small, it might be medium, or it might be very big.

During a period of financial hardship, she had to rely on credit cards and loans to cover her expenses, causing her to get into debt.

🎰 To spend a fortune: To spend money, that you've inherited money, you've earned money, you've been given, fortuitously, locally or whatever way. It also means to go through the money quite quickly until there's none left.

She couldn't resist the allure of luxury designer brands and ended up spending a fortune on extravagant clothes and accessories.

💳 To run up an overdraft: An overdraft is a credit the bank gives you because you're expecting to get money in the short term. And to run up means to build up from small add, add, add, and then at the end of a period of time, you've got something quite large, and that can cause you some problems. 💰📈

Despite careful budgeting, unexpected expenses caused him to run up an overdraft, putting a strain on his financial situation.

Remember, gaining financial knowledge and making smart choices can help you navigate the financial waters and secure a stable future. Share this post to spread the importance of financial literacy!

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Knowing how to nicely say "no" is an important part of asserting yourself and setting boundaries. When you constantly say "yes" to things you don't want to do, you may find yourself in challenging situations. When saying "no," there are plenty of ways to reframe your decision in a polite manner. Let's check 4 suggested phrases below.

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Telling someone they’re doing a good job is a little generic. But what else can you say?

Let's explore better alternatives with a detailed good job synonym list.

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💬 Phrase of the day: BEAT AROUND THE BUSH 🌿

If you beat about the bush - which can be translated as 'vòng vo tam quốc' in Vietnamese - you spend a long time getting to the main point of something for some reason, often because you are embarrassed or reluctant to offend the other person.

The expression appears to have its origins in hunting in medieval times. 🏹🌳 Rich noblemen who enjoyed the hunt would employ young men to do the dangerous work of flushing animals out of the undergrowth so that the noblemen could kill them. This was often done by beating a wooden board with a stick to make a noise that would frighten the animal. 🦌🥁

However, the beaters knew that some animals were dangerous and, in particular, wild boar. Often they would be reluctant to enter bushes or areas of dense undergrowth in case they disturbed a boar that would attack them. In such cases, instead of going into the bush, they would beat around it, thus remaining safe but essentially avoiding the main point of their activity.

Check out its usage in some context:

1️⃣ Will you please stop beating about the bush and get to the point?
2️⃣ Tee always beats around the bush when I ask him about his love life.
3️⃣ You need to quit beating around the bush and open up about your problems if you want your relationships to improve.

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📚 IELTS vocab: GAMES AND SPORTS

⚽The UEFA European Championship 2024 🏆 takes place once every four years, and this year's edition is scheduled from June 14th to July 14th. It's an eagerly awaited and thrilling football extravaganza that captivates fans across the globe.

Whether you're a seasoned supporter or a newcomer to the sport, familiarizing yourself with essential football vocabulary will enable you to discuss the latest events with genuine enthusiasm.

Let's explore some essential football terms that will equip you to follow and engage in match discussions like a true professional.

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