Интересные факты об английском языке
a small meal eaten in the late afternoon, usually including cake and a cup of tea
In the UK afternoon tea is traditionally a rather formal meal where you drink tea and eat small sandwiches (especially cucumber sandwiches), scones and cakes. Not many British people now have this type of meal at home, but it is still served in hotels and in special tea rooms that serve tea in delicate, finely decorated cups.
|[ bɪəd ]|
the hair that some men allow to grow on the lower part of their face
In the UK, people sometimes use the phrase “beards and sandals” in a joking way to describe the type of person who is interested in protecting the environment, achieving peace, and eating organic food. It is a stereotype used to make fun of people who have beards and wear sandals.
|[ kə’mju:tər ]|
someone who regularly travels between work and home
In the US, people mainly think of commuters as people who spend a long time driving to work because of traffic jams. In the UK, the stereotype of a commuter is of a person wearing formal business clothes who sits and reads a newspaper on the train to the office and does not talk to anyone else.
|[ dɒdʒ sɪti ]|
city S Kansas on Arkansas River population 25,176
If someone in the US compares a place to Dodge City, they mean that it is very dangerous and full of crime. The phrase “get out of Dodge” is sometimes used to mean to leave a very bad, dangerous and unpleasant situation.
|[ ɪk’stɜːmɪneɪt ]|
to kill all the animals or people in a particular place or of a particular type
In the British television programme DR WHO the DALEKS, evil creatures from another part of the universe, said “Exterminate! Exterminate!” in a machine-like voice when they wanted to kill someone. British people sometimes say “exterminate” in this way as a joke.
Fish and chips
|[ fɪʃ ə n tʃɪps ]|
fish covered with batter (= a mixture of flour, eggs and milk) and then fried and served with pieces of fried potato
Fish and chips are very popular in the UK, and are considered to be a typically British meal. They are bought in a fish and chip shop rather than cooked at home, and they are a quick, fairly cheap meal. The food is usually wrapped in paper and eaten at home or in the street. The chips usually have salt and vinegar and sometimes tomato ketchup on them.
|[ ‘gælən ]|
a unit for measuring volume
In the US, the gallon is used as standard liquid measure. Gas is always bought by the gallon, and milk, water, and ice-cream are usually bought in gallon of half-gallon sizes. In the UK the gallon was used in the past, but now the litre is the standard measure of liquid.