New Vocab Lesson

I'm in a bad mood at the moment. I have a TON of work to do. I can't pick a narrow enough topic for my final paper this term because I care too much about the subject area I picked. I'm tired and I just ate waaaaay too much. I still can't buy my concert tickets to the show I want to see in Amsterdam and spent way too long on the phone with my US bank with no improvements, and Ticketmaster.nl won't let me try to buy them anymore. My group project work is fun but really draining. I have another dance comp this weekend so will have to practice a lot (since at the one on Saturday we had to make up several of our routines on the spot!), but don't know when I can.

In positive news I booked my flight back to the UK for after New Year, and I will be home for a good long time. And tonight, very soon, I'm giving up on my work to go try salsa dancing. And I know what I'm giving myself for my birthday, I'm going to see a show I have been DYING to see in London, though I need to wait until after term ends so I have enough time to make the journey, but I'm still so so excited, maybe I'll purchase them on my birthday and sing to myself.

For now, I need to take a break from work and start to unwind or I will be a salsa loser. So, on to the vocab!!!

As I get closer and closer with the natives of this land, I am learning the more intimate nuances of the vernacular. And it is totally awesome.
Chuffed- to be chuffed about something is to be excited, tickled, pleased about it. "I was chuffed to learn I could get a direct flight to the UK for that cheap a price."
Blag- this one I learned from my fabulous dance partner, and we use it a lot, as it means to make something up or to fudge it. "We don't have a samba routine, but we'll just spin a lot and blag the rest."
Knackered/shattered- to be very tired or drained. "I danced a 10 dance this weekend and was absolutely knackered after!"
A bell- not hard to guess but still a little unusual, interestingly, one does not give someone a ring on the phone, one gives them a bell. "I'll give you a bell and let you know when to meet me later."
Mine- one does not say "my place" or "my flat," one says simply "mine." "Would you like to have movie night at mine or yours?"
Camp- gay-ish but not gay, as in having flamboyant attributes. However this is not an insult, as describing someone as kinda gay would be in the States. "He's pretty camp but he has a girlfriend."
Nick- to steal. "Someone nicked my milk out of the fridge."
Gutted- made unhappy, put out, upset. "I was gutted when they were ranked higher than us."
And, a further exploration into signing messages with kisses (xx). As previously stated, all correspondence must end with a series of x's. Well, apparently it is in fact an insult to not include them. What is more, the number actually matters significantly. A boy talking to a boy might only put one x, unless maybe with their closest best friends where they will add a few more. General common practice for everyday correspondence is two, xx. But this is still kinda distant and polite, and a good friend might wonder if you are mad at them. So, with good friends one must put three or more, the more to indicate closer and closer affection. To sign a text with one x makes the receiver think you are mad at them.

Hope that was fun. Try to use these phrases in your daily conversation.


Shout out to my family, who I missed on Thanksgiving, but with whom I got to skype! Hello all! xxxx