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throw marshmallows!

am back from the US. While there, I had my fill of gutter politics. Thank goodness Hong Kong's politicians are too tame for gutter politics. Instead of gutter politics they throw marshmallows! A gutter is at the edge of a road where dirty water collects and drains into a sewer. Gutter politics means very rough or unfair politics in which rules of decency are ignored. It has the same meaning as the expression dirty politics. Newspapers and magazines that focus on sex and crime are also called the gutter press. I had my fill means I had enough. When I say I had my fill of gutter politics it means I had enough of dirty politics. A marshmallow is a soft, light, and spongy candy. When I say Hong Kong A politicians are so tame they throw marshmallows, I don't mean they actually throw marshmallows at each other! It is just my way of saying that Hong Kong politicians are so mild and gentle compared to those in the US that they seldom attack each other in a sharp way. During my recent stay in the US I noticed that American politicians had become far more vicious and divided than when I was a Washington DC correspondent many years ago. Their fierce, and often unfair, attacks on each other over the US debt crisis, was the worst kind of gutter politics I had seen as a journalist. But when I returned to Hong Kong from my US vacation I noticed some dirty politics too over the issue of right of abode for foreign domestic helpers. The Liberal Party did not just throw marshmallows at the Civic Party for defending the right of two Filipino helpers to take the issue of the right of abode to court. The Liberal Party accused the Civic Party of siding with the helpers against Hong Kong people. Playing this kind of politics with an election coming up is dirty politics.

I had my fill of gutter politicsgutter politicsmarshmallowsGutter

Gutter politics dirty politics gutter pressI had my fill I had my fill of gutter politics Marshmallow Hong Kong politicians are so tame they throw marshmallows

dirty politics marshmallows) dirty politics

please wind down a little bit


Most people are very laid-back in America. They are not as high-strung as Hong Kong people. Whenever I return to the US I also wind down a little. Laid-back means very relaxed. To be high-strung means to be very tense or stressed. To wind down means to take things easy or to slow down. If your husband-to-be (or fianc) works too hard, gets too little sleep, and never has time to eat proper meals, you can say to him: Honey, you're too high-strung. You need to be more laid-back. If you don't wind down, you'll be dead before our wedding."? Or you could say: "Honey, you're too tense. You need to be more relaxed. If you don't slow down, you'll be dead before our wedding." Both sentences have the same meaning. During my recent trip to the US, I spent several days with my brother who lives in Detroit. He is a neurologist and has a huge house overlooking a lake. A neurologist is a doctor who specializes in dealing with the brain. I am a high-strung person because living in Hong Kong is very stressful. During my stay at my brother's house I wound down by sitting in his back yard looking at the lake and the geese.

Detroit, which is in Michigan, is sometimes called Motor City or Motown (short for motor town) because it is the centre of America's car industry. Detroit is also the birthplace of Motown music (or soul music) made popular by African-Americans, or blacks, in the 1960s. After a few days in Detroit we drove to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which is in the Great Lakes area. The Great Lakes form part of the border between the US and Canada. We stayed at a hotel overlooking Lake Superior, the biggest of the five Great Lakes. I spent many laid-back hours enjoying the sunrise and sunset over the lake, which looked just like an ocean because of its huge size.

laid-back high-strungLaid-back relaxed High-strung tense stressed Wind down take things easy slow down "Honey, you're too high-strung. You need to be more laid-back. If you don't wind down, you'll be dead before our wedding." high-strunglaid-back "Honey, you're too tense. You need to be more relaxed. If you don't slow down, you'll be dead before our wedding."

neurologistNeurologist high-strung wound down Motor City Motown Motown motor town Motown music soul music laid-back

Selling like hotcakes


2011-08-23

I would like to thank all of you who supported me by buying my new book. As fate would have it, I left for the US on the very same morning the Book Fair started. I should have thought ahead and checked the Book Fair opening date before booking my flight. When I realized I would miss this year's Book Fair, I had no choice but to come to terms with it. As fate would have it means as it turned out, or as it happened, or coincidence. You can say, for example: I wanted to buy my new girlfriend an Audi sports car but as fate would have it, they were all sold out.

To think ahead means to think about what might happen in the future. I am sure your parents must have told you that if you want to succeed in life you must think ahead by doing your best while in school. I am also sure many of you are happy Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah did not think ahead to how the public and politicians would react when he presented his budget last February. They reacted very negatively to his budget and he was forced to give every adult $6,000! To come to terms with something means to accept it because there is no other choice. A pleasant surprise awaited me when I returned to Hong Kong. My publishers told me they were very happy with my book sales. Authors dream of having their books sell like hotcakes. A hotcake is a pancake. Selling like hotcakes means selling very fast in large numbers. My new book is selling well but I don't think it is selling like hotcakes. Only the books of world-famous authors fly off the shelves. Items for sale are usually put on shelves in shops. To fly off the shelves means to sell very fast. It has the same meaning as sell like hotcakes. Maybe one day my books will fly off the shelves too!

as fate would have it thought ahead

come to terms with itAs fate would have it as it turned out as it happened coincidence as fate would have it Think ahead think ahead think ahead Come to terms with

sell like hotcakesHotcakes Selling like hotcakes fly off the shelves Fly off the shelves sell like hotcakes fly off the shelves


First it was Wang Guangya, then Fu Ying, and now Li Keqiang. All three top mainland officials used some English during their visits to Hong Kong. Li Keqiang spoke only a few words in English during a speech, but here's my verdict: his pronunciation sucks but he gets full marks for trying. At least he had the guts to do it, unlike legislators Gary Chan Hak-kan and Kam Nai-wai who are too afraid to speak English for fear of making mistakes. Verdict used this way means judgment or opinion.

Some babies like to suck their thumbs. You can also suck a drink through a straw. But the word suck is also an American slang to describe anything that is lousy. When I said Li's pronunciation sucks, it means it is not good. If your mistress spends hours cooking you a meal but the food tastes awful, you can say: Honey, you're beautiful but your cooking sucks. But if you dare say that, she may throw the dinner at you! Both Wang Guangya

and Fu Ying speak very good English. Li Keqiang is not in their league. This means he is not at the same level. I don't mean to be disrespectful by saying that Li's English is not in the same league as that of Wang Guangya or Fu Ying. In fact, I respect him for making the effort. English is an important language but I don't think people should be measured by their level of English. Measured used this way means judged. Mandarin is climbing the ladder fast as an important world language. One day it could be in the same league as English as an important world language. Climbing the ladder used this way means making progress. My Putonghua sucks. While in the US recently I conned my relatives into thinking I knew Putonghua by speaking a few sentences. To con people means to fool or trick people.

verdictsucks Verdict suck suck suck Li's pronunciation sucks sucks league

measuredMeasured Climbing the ladder Con

"Piss" 2011-08-30

I was really pissed off with the police a few Sundays ago for dealing only half-heartedly with my noise complaint. Some people don't like to use the slang expression pissed off because they feel it is vulgar, which means indecent or rough. But the expression is now so commonly used that I don't feel it is vulgar language. The word piss used as a slang verb means to urinate. For example, you can say: "I always piss a lot after I drink beer." Used as a noun it means urine. For example, there is often piss on the floor in public toilets. But the expression pissed off means angry. But if you tell someone to "piss off" it means you're telling him to go away or leave. The expression getting pissed means getting drunk. And if you say "I am pissed" it means "I am drunk." Try not to be confused with the many meanings of the word piss! I was pissed off with the police because they behaved as if I had imagined the illegal drilling noise from renovation work in an office building. The noise started early on a Sunday, when noisy construction work is not allowed. When the police went to check after I called them, the workers stopped the noise. The police told me there was no noise, but when they left, the drilling resumed. I called the police again, and the workers stopped when they saw the police. Again, the police told me there was no noise. I told the policeman who phoned me that the workers were playing games with him. I also told him that, as a media person, I was familiar with the noise law. He became testy (which means irritated) with me and replied he didn't care even if I was the Chief Executive. He then ended the conversation. The drilling, of course, started again.

pissed off pissed offvulgar Vulgar vulgarPiss piss Piss piss pissed off

piss offGetting pissed I am pissed piss pissed off

testy irritated Completely Rubbish 2011-09-01 Hong Kong is already a divided society. We have a pro-democracy faction and a pro-government faction. But Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen has divided Hong Kong people even further. Senior officials should think before they open their mouths. But Tang didn't think when he used the expression completely rubbish. Now grammar freaks are divided as to whether it should be completely rubbish or complete rubbish. The word freak has many meanings but used this way it means a person who is obsessed, or passionate, about something. For example, people who spend too much time in the gym getting fit can be called fitness freaks. Some grammar freaks say Tang made an error in saying completely rubbish. They say the correct term is complete rubbish. But others say Tang was correct in saying completely rubbish. I say this whole argument is rubbish! The most important thing is that people understand you. The complete rubbish faction says Tang was wrong because an adverb (completely) cannot qualify a noun (rubbish). But the word rubbish is not just a noun. It can also be used as a verb and an adjective. For example, you can say: Henry Tang loves to drink wine but is a rubbish judge of wines. Tang used the word rubbish as an adjective when he said completely rubbish. Security Secretary Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong did the

same when he said totally rubbish. Legislative Council president Tsang Yok-sing, a former teacher, told me Tang used the expression correctly. There is a children's book about recycling called This Book is Totally Rubbish. It is more common to say complete rubbish but that doesn't mean completely rubbish is wrong. I am sure Tang did not intentionally divide Hong Kong's grammar freaks. The completely rubbish and complete rubbish factions should forget their differences.

completely rubbish freaks completely rubbish complete rubbish Freak freaks freaks completely rubbish complete rubbish completely rubbish Complete rubbish completelyrubbish rubbish completely rubbish rubbish totally rubbish rubbish This Book is Totally Rubbish Complete rubbish completely rubbish freaks Completely rubbish complete rubbish 2011-09-06 would like to thank Legislative Council president Tsang Yok-sing for inspiring my last column. He was my guest on my TV show last Sunday. Before the start of the TV shoot he asked for my opinion on whether it is right to say completely rubbish or complete rubbish. I said people

normally say complete rubbish. But he said it is more accurate to say completely rubbish because the word rubbish used this way is an adjective, not a noun. This inspired me to write a column about it. To inspire means to motivate or encourage. You use a gun to shoot, but a TV shoot means a TV recording. It is a word mostly used by people in the news or movie industries. The camera is the gun that cameramen or shooters use to shoot a movie or TV show. Tsang Yok-sing has a good sense of humour. This means he appreciates funny things and can be funny himself too. For example, you can say: Most of our government ministers have no sense of humour. They rarely smile or say funny things in public. When I told Tsang that I would write a column about completely and complete rubbish, his sense of humour immediately came into play. The expression come into play means to come into action, or to have an effect. For example, suspicion of racism came into play after some political parties opposed citizenship for foreign domestic workers. Tsang made me laugh when he suggested that I should use my column to rubbish the argument about whether completely rubbish or complete rubbish is correct. When you rubbish something, you are using the word as a verb. Tsang and I both agree that we should not focus so much on grammar that we lose sight of the English language itself. The expression lose sight of used this way means to forget about something because you are focusing too much on other things.

shoot completely rubbish complete rubbish complete rubbish completely rubbish rubbish Inspire shoot TV shoot shootersshoot

sense of humour sense of humour completely rubbish complete rubbish came into play Come into play came into play rubbishcompletely rubbish complete rubbish rubbish something lose sight of Lose sight of withhold uphold 2011-09-08 Not many people noticed it but Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen jumbled his words last week. Was it an innocent mistake? Or was it a Freudian slip? Only he knows. To jumble means to mix up in a confused way. Tang mixed up two words with very different meanings when he faced reporters after meeting with media executives on press freedom. He said: "Hong Kong people's civil rights are protected under the Basic Law and government has the duty to withhold, uphold these rights." Tang at first said "withhold" but quickly corrected himself and said "uphold". Lucky for him he realized his mistake or he would have angered Hong Kong's media even more. Media organizations are already mad at (or "angry with") him for saying "completely rubbish" when they complained of restriction on press freedom. To withhold means to refuse to give or refuse to allow. For example, the government has the power to withhold the old age allowance, or "fruit money", from people who lie about their age. To uphold means to support. When Tang said it was the government's duty to "withhold" Hong Kong people's civil rights, it meant the government would not allow civil rights! He then quickly said it was the government's duty to "uphold" (support) civil rights.

But was his mistake a slip of the tongue or a Freudian slip? A slip of the tongue is an innocent verbal mistake. But a Freudian slip is different. It is a verbal error that reveals what someone is actually thinking in his subconscious, or inner, mind. The expression is named after the famous neurologist Sigmund Freud. Did Tang make an innocent slip of the tongue, or does he really believe in his subconscious mind that the government should suppress the people's civil rights?

jumbled Freudian slipJumble withhold uphold withhold uphold completely rubbish Withhold Uphold withhold uphold slip of the tongue Freudian slip Slip of the tongue Freudian slip 2011-09-15 I disapprove of what you say but I'll defend to the death your right to say it. That is a famous phrase about democracy. It means that if you believe in democracy you must allow everyone the right to express opinions, even if you disagree with the opinions. And you must protect the right

of others to express views, even with your own life. Many people believe the well-known French writer and philosopher Voltaire composed the phrase. But historians say it was actually composed by the English writer Evelyn Beatrice Hall in her biography of Voltaire, which was completed in 1906. I respect legislator Longhair Leung Kwok-hung for long having been at the forefront of Hong Kong's push for democracy. But I think he soiled the good name of democracy recently by joining protestors who gate-crashed a seminar on Legislative Council elections. Instead of defending to the death the right of others to speak, the protestors used force to prevent others from speaking. In my opinion, that hurt Longhair's fight for democracy. To be at the forefront means to be in the most important, or leading position. Soil is the brown or black earth that farmers use to grow vegetables. You can also put soil into a pot to grow flowers. But soil, used as a verb, means to make dirty. When I say Longhair soiled democracy, it means he made democracy dirty. To gate-crash means to enter without an invitation or ticket. If you gate-crash a party at Li Ka-shing's house, his bodyguards would most likely beat you up or call the police. Longhair criticized the police for restricting free expression during Li Keqiang's visit. But he devalued his criticism by gate-crashing the seminar to stop others from expressing views he opposed. Devalue used this way means to make less important. I hope Longhair will admit he was wrong but I know he is too hard-headed (slang for stubborn) to do that. Just in case you didn't know, I'll be at the Elements Mall in Austin Road, Kowloon this Sunday, September 18 for a book-signing of my new book. I'll also give a short talk about learning English. The event will start at 3 pm at the Metrobooks store, Shop 2001, 2nd Floor. I hope to see you there. It'll be fun to see you and share ideas with you in person. * * * I disapprove of what you say but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.

forefront soiled Forefront Soil soil soiled democracy Gate-crash gate-crash gate-crashing devalued)Devalue hard-headed FanFans 2011-09-20 Ireceived an email last week from a reader saying he was a fans of mine. Several days later there was an email from another reader who also said she was a fans of mine. Many Hong Kong people use the plural fans instead of fan even when they are talking in the singular. I have often wondered why, but I think I have finally figured out the reason. The word has now become part of the Cantonese dialect, but when Hong Kong people use it in Cantonese they say fansee. Maybe that is why they say fans in English even when it is in the singular. Have I figured it out correctly? Please let me know. If, for example, you like Lady Gaga, you should say: I am a fan of Lady Gaga. It is incorrect to say: I am a fans of Lady Gaga. But, of course, if you speak in Cantonese, you can say you are a fansee of Lady Gaga. You only say fans if you are talking in the plural. For example, you can say: All my friends are fans of Lady Gaga. To figure out means to solve or to find an explanation. Can you figure out which

came first, the chicken or the egg? The machine that spins round and round to create wind is also called a fan. So is the circular or triangular object with a handle that you flap in front of your face or body on a hot day to create a cooling breeze. The word fan can be used as a verb as well. For example, a strong wind can fan a forest fire, making it worse. And you can use it figuratively too. For example, Hong Kong's growing wealth gap is fanning hatred of rich. The word fanning used this way means increasing.

fans fans fan fans figured outFans fans figured it out Lady Gaga I am a fan of Lady Gaga. I am a fans of Lady Gaga fans fans Figure out figure out Fan fanFan fan fanning Fanning Put yourself in our shoes 2011-09-22 The chairman of the Police Inspectors Association, Benjamin Tsang Chiu-fo, used a common English expression recently but he got it completely wrong! He used the expression when he criticized the chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, Mak Yin-ting, for accusing the police of

suppressing free expression. This is what Tsang Chiu-fo said: I would try to suggest Ms Mak to stand on our feet to appreciate how difficult police are facing while performing our duties. Is Tsang saying Mak Yin-ting must stand on his feet to understand the difficulties the police face? I don't know how much Mak weighs but I am sure Tsang's feet would hurt if she stood on them ! Tsangs sentence is grammatically incorrect but that is unimportant since English is not his mother tongue. What is important is the incorrect way he used the expression stand on our feet. What Tsang meant was that Mak Yin-ting should put herself in the position of the police to really understand the difficulties the police face. The correct expression for that is put yourself in our shoes and not stand on our feet. For example, a pregnant wife may say to her husband: You have to put yourself in my shoes to really understand how uncomfortable it is to carry a baby inside you for nine months. But, of course, husbands can never put themselves in the position of their pregnant wives! There is an expression stand on our own feet or stand on my own two feet. This means to depend on yourself and not rely on others to always help you. Many Hong Kong people would rather stand on their own two feet than rely on the governments Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, or CSSA. But some are too lazy to stand on their own two feet. They prefer monthly CSSA payments to finding a job. ? ?

stand on our feet

stand on our feet put yourself in our shoes stand on our feet put yourself in my shoes

stand on our own feet stand on my own two feet stand on their own two feet Walk the walk Talk the talk 2011-09-27 On October 12 Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen will make his swansong policy speech in the Legislative Council. Will he use this swansong policy speech to shape his legacy? Or will it be just another run-of-the-mill speech? Swansong means final or last, but do you know why? It's because swans (a kind of bird) are said to sing a sweet-sounding song just before they die. The word legacy has a number of meanings but in this case it means something a person has achieved that is passed down, or that people best remember even after that person stops working or dies. For example, George W. Bush's legacy is that of a US president who started two wars that are still being fought. The expression run-of-the-mill means very ordinary, or not very special. For example, you can say: "Hong Kong's senior officials usually make run-of-the-mill speeches which instantly put people to sleep." Tung Chee-hwa's legacy is that of an unpopular chief executive who had to resign under public pressure. Donald Tsang is not very popular at the moment but he still has about nine months to shape his legacy as chief executive. Will people remember him as the chief executive who narrowed the rich-poor gap, made homes affordable for ordinary people, and created new government policies to deal with Hong Kong's ageing population? Those are the issues he has promised to deal with in his swansong speech on October 12. Will he walk the walk and not just talk the talk? The expression walk the walk means to actually do what you say you will do. To talk the talk means to promise to do something which you don't actually do.

Politicians like to talk the talk during election campaigns but few actually walk the walk when they are elected. This means politicians like to promise a lot during campaigns but very few carry out their promises when elected.

swansong legacy run-of-the-millSwansong swansong Legacy legacyRun-of-the-mill run-of-the-mill legacy legacy

swansong walk the walk talk the talk Walk the walk Talk the talk talk the talk walk the walk slang words 2011-09-29 I would like to start by thanking all those who took the time and trouble to attend my talk and book-signing on September 18. It was an honour to meet and share ideas with my readers in person. Before, during, and after the event some readers asked me questions about English. I'll use this

column and the next one to share with you some of the points that were raised. During my talk, one person asked if it was acceptable to use slang words and expressions. Of course it is! Most languages have their own slang words. The Cantonese dialect is rich with such words. They are an important part of a language's culture. Another person asked me to use more slang words and expressions in my columns. I'll definitely do that from time to time. Do you know what veg-out means? It's an American slang that means to totally relax and do absolutely nothing. The word veg is short for vegetable. Vegetables don't think or move. That's why relaxing and not thinking about anything is called vegging-out. I often use the slang word no-brainer. It comes from the word brain. Some things are very easy to understand or do. You don't need to use your brain. These things are called no-brainers. If you eat McDonald's every day you'll get fat. You don't need to use your brain to understand that. It's called a no-brainer. It's easy to make rice in a rice-cooker. It's a no-brainer. I sometimes call people I don't like jerks. Jerk means a quick and sudden movement but it is also a slang word for a very unlikeable person. If your friend always peeks up the short skirts of girls going up escalators, you can tell him "Don't be a jerk".

veg-out Veg vegetable vegging-out no-brainer

brain no-brainers no-brainer jerks Jerk Don't be a jerk You're a jerk. Orwellian Machiavellian 2011-10-04 While I was waiting for my talk and book-signing to start some weeks ago, one of those who attended the event came up to me to ask for the pronunciation of Freudian slip. I explained this expression some weeks ago. It is a verbal error that reveals what someone is actually thinking in his subconscious, or inner, mind. I told the reader how to pronounce Freudian. I wish I could tell all of you too, but it is not easy to teach pronunciations in a column. Freudian is pronounced "froidien". The reader also asked me for the meaning of the word Orwellian. The word comes from the name of the 20th century English writer George Orwell who wrote the famous book Nineteen Eighty-Four. The book, published in 1949, is about a future society, in 1984, which is totally controlled by the government. Countries where the government controls all aspects of life are called totalitarian states. North Korea, for example, is a totalitarian state. In George Orwell's book, Nineteen Eighty-Four, the government brainwashed the people into believing that war is peace and freedom is slavery. The book was so successful that the word Orwellian is now commonly used to describe government or other behaviour that opposes a free society. You can say, for example, that police behaviour during Vice Premier Li Kechiang's visit was almost Orwellian. Another famous writer whose surname became a common word is the 15th century Italian writer Niccolo Machiavelli. He wrote that, in politics especially, you have to lie, be cunning, be dishonest and have no principles. This came to be known as Machiavellian. Undemocratic countries usually have Machiavellian rulers who mislead the people with lies. People who play office politics often use Machiavellian ways to get promoted by bad-mouthing others in the office who work hard to get promoted. To bad-mouth people means to say bad things about people behind their

backs.

Freudian slip Freudian Freudian froidien Orwellian totalitarian state totalitarian Orwellian Orwellian

Machiavellian Machiavellian Machiavellian Bad-mouth A silver spoon in his mouth 2011-10-06 When Henry Tang Ying-yen resigned as chief secretary to run for chief executive, Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan threw a mean barb at him. He said Tang was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Do you know what all that means? It simply means that when Henry Tang resigned to run for chief executive, Albert Ho said something unkind about him. He said Tang was born into a rich family and therefore could not understand the common people. To throw a mean barb at somebody means to say something very unkind about somebody. To throw in this case doesn't mean you actually throw something, such as a banana, at the chief secretary! It means to say something in a harsh way. The word mean has many meanings but when used

as an adjective to describe barb, it becomes a slang word for unkind. A barb is the sharp part of a fish hook or arrow that makes it hard to pull the fish hook or arrow out. There are two barbs, one at each side, at the base of an arrow head. A fish hook has a small sharp part near the hook that makes it hard for a fish to pull away from the hook. That part is called the barb. But a barb is also a slang word for an insulting comment. A mean barb means an unkind and insulting comment. When Albert Ho said Henry Tang was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, it was intended as an insulting comment. It suggested that because Tang has been rich all his life, he is incapable of understanding the concerns of ordinary people. Some people say Tang also often puts his foot in his mouth. This doesn't mean he actually puts his foot in his mouth! It means saying something foolish or embarrassing. For example, Tang put his foot in his mouth when he said all young people can be rich like Li Ka-shing.

threw a mean barb born with a silver spoon in his mouth Throw a mean barb at somebody throw mean Mean barb Barb barbs barb barb Mean barb

puts his foot in his mouth puts his foot in his mouth

bureaucrat-speak 2011-10-11 As I have explained before, a bureaucrat is a government official, but the word is more often used to describe a government official who follows every single rule even if a rule is unimportant, and following it would not benefit citizens. I think many of our government officials are very bureaucratic. Today, I want to explain an informal word that comes from the word bureaucrat. It is bureaucrat-speak. It is not found in most dictionaries, but many English-speakers use it to describe government officials who use official-sounding words to avoid talking honestly about sensitive issues. Officials who have been in the government for too long also have a habit of using formal and outdated words when they speak. This is also bureaucrat-speak. Many British colonial officials used bureaucrat-speak. Security Secretary Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong seems to have picked up the habit, and is still using it even though the British are gone This is what he said after he announced the government would appeal the court's ruling on right of abode for foreign domestic helpers. At this juncture, processing and approving right-of-abode applications by foreign domestic helpers may involve serious disruption to the many households, as well as events which cannot be unraveled and detriments which cannot be remedied should the legal position be reversed upon appeal.

At this juncture means at this time. Disruption used this way means disorder. Unravel in this case means undone. Detriment means harm, or damage. Remedied means put right, or corrected. What Lee meant was approving right-of-abode applications by foreign domestic helpers at this time could cause problems to employers, and that it would be hard to undo these problems or cancel the right of abode, if the government won the appeal. So why didn't he simply say that ? ? bureaucrat

bureaucratic bureaucrat bureaucrat-speak

bureaucrat-speak bureaucrat-speak juncture disruption unraveled detriments remedied Juncture disruption unravel detriment remedied Adulterer, Philanderer, infidelity 2011-10-13 Regina Ip Lau-Suk-yee told me on my TV show that women would find it hard to forgive Henry Tang Ying-yen for cheating on his wife. I wouldn't since I am not a woman. I think men would find it easier to forgive Do you think that is wrong? But what Ip said made me think about the words in the English language that can be used to describe what Tang know him. many did.

A polite and formal way is to say he had an extramarital affair. Marital comes from the word marriage. You can also say Tang cheated on his wife. You can turn this into a noun by saying Tang is a wife-cheater. A wife-cheater is less polite than extramarital affair, but it is easier to understand! Another word to describe Tang is an adulterer. It comes from the word adultery, which means a married person having sex with someone he or she is not married to. Tang is an adulterer because he had sex with a woman he was not married to. You can also call him a philanderer, which describes a man, especially a married man, having sex for fun with women he does not intend to marry.

Another word is infidelity, which means cheating on your wife or husband. Tang only admitted to having an extramarital affair after the media accused him of infidelity. But now that he has admitted to being an adulterer, the media wants to know if he had multiple extramarital affairs! Multiple means many. Did Tang cheat on his wife multiple times? Is he a philanderer with many extramarital affairs? We may never know. * * *

extramarital affair Marital marriage cheated on wife-cheater extramarital affairwife-cheater adulterer adultery adulterer philanderer infidelity infidelityextramarital affair adulterer multiple extramarital affairs Multiple multiplemultiple extramarital affairsphilanderer

2011-10-18 I recently heard a voice on English radio that I had not heard in a very long time. It was the voice of legislator Gary Chan Hak-kan. I was stunned (astonished or very surprised) because Chan was speaking in English. I couldn't believe my ears. As I've explained before, this means I couldn't

believe what I was hearing. I have not heard Gary Chan speak publicly in English since he became a laughingstock for saying "try my breast" instead of "try my best" in 2008. As I have explained before, a laughingstock is a person who is laughed at by everybody for having done something stupid. But this time Chan's English was not bad. He didn't make any serious pronunciation mistakes when a reporter asked him for the DAB party's wish list for Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's policy speech. He made several grammatical mistakes, which I found acceptable since Chan is not a native English-speaker. Even native English-speakers do not always speak flawless English. Flawless means perfect. It comes from the word flaw, which means imperfection. A wish list is a list of things people wish for. It took courage for Chan to be interviewed in English again. We should give him credit where credit is due. This expression means to praise those who deserve to be praised. ? If your fat boyfriend pigs out at dinner buffets every night but then decides to pig out only once a week, you should give him credit where credit is due. To pig out means to overeat or eat like a pig. Chan should put his embarrassment behind him and speak more often in English. To put something behind you means to put a bad experience out of your mind, or to try to forget about it. For example, if your girlfriend breaks up with you for a rich boyfriend who can afford to buy her a house on the Peak, you should put it behind you and find a new girlfriend.

stunnedastonished very surprised I couldn't believe my ears try my best try my breast laughingstock

wish list flawlessFlawless

flaw Wish list give him credit where credit is due pigs out pig out give him credit where credit is due Pig out put his embarrassment behind him Put something behind you put it behind you thuggish behaviour 2011-10-20 Donald Tsang Yam-kuen lost his cool when he rebuked Wong Yuk-man for thuggish behaviour towards him in the Legislative Council. Tsang lectured that Legco was not a place for triad societies. To lose your cool, as I've explained before, means to lose your temper. To rebuke means to scold or criticize angrily. Similar words include berate and chide. For example, you can rebuke berate or chide your wife for buying expensive Armani clothes after you've lost your job. A lecture is an educational talk, usually given by professors or teachers. But to lecture someone also means to talk in a critical way. For example, you can lecture your jobless husband for sleeping all day instead of looking for a job. I think Tsang had every right to lose his cool. It wasn't the first time Wong Yuk-man had stepped over the line. I too have said in the past that he often behaves like a thug in Legco. I have worked as a journalist in Washington and London, where both the US Congress and British Parliament would not tolerate legislators behaving as if they were triad members. To step over the line means to go beyond what is acceptable. For example, Donald Tsang would step over the line if he ordered all Hong Kong people to bow whenever they saw him. The adjective thuggish comes from the noun thug, which means a violent person or gangster. The word thug originated in India where it means a member of a group of robbers or killers. Similar words include

hoodlum and ruffian. A triad means a group or set of three similar things. For example, a triangle has a triad of angles. But triads are also secret criminal organizations which originated in China. British colonial officials in Hong Kong adopted the word to describe secret criminal groups because when triads were first formed in China they used a triangular symbol. * * * rebuked thuggishlost his cool lectured triadlose your cool Rebuke berate chide rebuke Lecture lecture

stepped over the line thug triadStep over the line Thuggish thugThug hoodlum ruffian Triad triad triads Hong Kong is a bilingual society 2011-10-25 It is the usual practice for Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen to hold a press conference after every annual policy speech. He had his last such press conference after his policy speech on October 12. A reporter, who asked a question in English, joked it would be Tsang's last occasion to answer questions at a post-policy speech press conference since it was

his last policy speech. But Tsang misunderstood the joke. He thought the reporter said Tsang would have no more opportunities to answer questions in English. The chief executive reminded the reporter that Hong Kong was a bilingual society. He told the press conference that he would, of course, continue to answer questions in English in his remaining eight months as chief executive. The word post has many meanings but post-policy speech means after the policy speech. For example, the standard of English has dropped in post-colonial Hong Kong. This means the standard of English in Hong Kong has dropped following the end of colonial rule. The word bi means two. A bisexual is a person with both male and female sex partners. The word lingual is related to language and speech. A multilingual person is a person who speaks many languages. When Tsang said Hong Kong was a bilingual society he meant Hong Kong had two official languages - Chinese and English. I hope senior government officials took notice of what their boss said Many senior officials ignore the fact that Hong Kong is a bilingual society. They often refuse to answer questions in English, even when pressed by reporters. Pressed means pressured. Some don't even dare come on my TV show because they are afraid of answering questions in English. It is ludicrous that highly-paid officials lack the confidence to speak in one of Hong Kong's official languages. Ludicrous means so ridiculous or unreasonable that it is laughable. For example, it would be ludicrous for Longhair Leung Kwok- hung to complain if Donald Tsang threw bananas at him. * * *

post bilingual

Post post-policy speech post-colonial Bi Bisexual Lingual Multilingual person bilingual society

bilingual pressed Pressed ludicrous Ludicrous ludicrous 2011-10-27 After I wrote recently about bureaucrat-speak, some readers asked for more examples. I am glad to oblige. The word oblige has several meanings but when used this way it means to do something to make others happy. If your wife is a lousy cook but wants you to eat everything she cooks, you can please her by saying: "Sure, honey, I'll be happy to oblige." Bureaucrat-speak, as I have explained before, means a complicated or long-winded way of talking by government officials. Bureaucrats (government officials) often talk like this to avoid talking honestly about sensitive issues. A

s I pointed out recently, Security Secretary Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong used bureaucrat-speak when he talked about the sensitive issue of permanent residency for foreign domestic helpers. Last week Police Commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung also used bureaucrat-speak to give excuses on why the police delayed releasing information about indecent assaults in Kwun Tong and knife attacks in Tseung Kwan O. This is what he said: "The consideration that our officers have

to take into consideration obviously, first of all, is public safety, after which they have to consider the privacy of the subject of the particular case, and also about the investigation of the particular case. Now, the police will examine the current mechanism for tackling the incidents and we'll try to explore if there is any means to improve the mechanism. Now, I need to emphasize that because of the various considerations, there may be times we may be seen as not responding quickly enough. I hope members of the public will appreciate that there are other factors which are equally important in the safeguarding public interest." The grammatical errors he made are not important. What is important is that he used 113 words to say almost nothing! All he said was the police must consider privacy and public safety when releasing crime information and will now review this practice but there will be times when crime information cannot be revealed quickly. So why didn't he just say that?

bureaucrat-speak oblige Oblige bureaucrat-speak Bureaucrats

bureaucrat-speak bureaucrat-speak

s different as night and day 2011-11-01 I was struck last week by two news stories from the US. Both involved restaurants but the stories were as different as night and day. The word struck is the past tense and past participle of the verb strike, which has numerous meanings. You strike a match to light a fire. Boxers try to strike their opponents in the face. This means they try to hit their opponents in the face. If a litterbug (lap sap chung) throws rubbish from a window, which hits you on the head, you can say: "I was struck on the head with rubbish thrown by a litterbug from his home." When workers stop work to fight for better pay, they go on strike. Unlike workers in the west, Hong Kong's workers seldom strike. But when I say I was struck by two news stories, it means the two stories were so unusual that they made me pay extra attention. If a flower pot thrown by a child from a window strikes you on the head and a beautiful girl rushes to help you, you can tell her: "I am struck by both your kindness and your beauty." It means both her kindness and beauty caught your attention. One of the news stories that struck me was about a restaurant in the US state of New Jersey called Soul Kitchen. The menu has no prices. Those who can afford it will pay US$20. This buys their meal and a meal for someone who cannot afford it. Those who have no money can eat free but must do work in the restaurant or in the community. The idea came from the lead singer of the rock band Bon Jovi. The other restaurant is called Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas. It serves food that is bad for you, including a hamburger meal with two pounds of meat, fries and a milk shake containing a total of 8,000 calories. That one meal has enough calories for five days! People who weigh over 350 pounds can eat free. As I said, the two restaurants are as different as night and day, which means very different. ***

struck) as different as night and day)Struck strike strike) strike) litterbug) litterbug) strike) strike) I was struck by two news stories strikes) struck) struck) Soul Kitchen Bon Jovi Heart Attack Grill as different as night and day) Court of public opinion 2011-11-03 People who give evidence in criminal court are asked to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." This means these people who are called witnesses - must not lie at all. Was The University of Hong Kong's vice-chancellor Tsui Lap-chee telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth when he said politics had nothing to do with his decision to resign? Since Tsui is not a witness in a criminal court he is not required to tell the whole truth. But the court of public opinion believes he is bending the truth. Did he jump or was he pushed? The court of public opinion is an expression that means in the eyes of the people or in the opinion of the public.The court of public opinion believes Tsui was pushed because of the controversy over police

handling of students who protested during Vice-premier Li Kechiang's visit. Most people did not fall for Tsui's explanation that he had thought about leaving for a long time. To fall for used this way means to believe something that is hard to believe. ??

tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. witnesses telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.witness court of public opinionbending the truth jump or was he pushed Court of public opinion court of public opinion fall for Fall for ROFL 2011-11-08 I am sure many of you are familiar with the acronym BTW, which means "by the way". But did you know people, especially young people, who use emails, SMS, twitter and so on have created numerous new acronyms? By the way BTW, an acronym means a shortened word made up from the first letters of other words. For example, SMS comes from short message service. USA comes from the United States of America. HKSAR means Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. But these are old acronyms. Some of the new acronyms are now widely used, such as OMG, which means "Oh my God". But many of the new ones are familiar only to younger people. And they don't just use them in emails or SMS. They use these new acronyms when they speak too. For example, do you know what the acronym ROFL means? It means "rolling on the floor laughing". In Cantonese slang it means "siu toh luk dei" or "siu bau tsui". But people don't just write ROFL, they also say it when they talk. For example, you can say: "I was ROFL when I saw a bald man's wig being blown off by a sudden strong wind."

Another new acronym is MYOB. It means "mind your own business". If your mother-in-law is always interfering in the quarrels between you and your wife, you can say to her: "Please stop interfering and MYOB." The new acronym IMO means "in my opinion". If your wife believes her mother has every right to interfere in the quarrels between you and your wife, you can say to her: "I don't think your mother has a right to interfere in our business. IMO she should move out of our flat and live in an old people's home." I have already explained to you the meaning of bureaucrat-speak. The use of these modern acronyms is called tech-speak. Tech comes from the word technology.

BTW by the way twitter acronyms BTW acronym SMS short message serviceUSA the United States of AmericaHKSAR Hong Kong Special Administrative Region oh my God OMG ROFL rolling on the floor laughing ROFL ROFL MYOB mind your own business MYOB IMO in my opinion IMO bureaucrat-speak tech-speak tech technology Follow your dream 2011-11-10 It is sometimes hard to explain why something catches on. For example,

I found it inexplicable that the Bollywood movie "Three Idiots" is such a big hit in Hong Kong and mainland China. A friend told me I had to watch the movie to understand why it has caught on. I resisted at first but was astonished when a shop assistant at a DVD store told me the movie was very good. Curious, I decided to watch it. I now understand why the movie is such a hit. It is funny but it also has a serious message that most people, especially Asians, can identify with. To catch on means to become popular. Whenever Apple releases a new iPhone,it catches on quickly. Inexplicable means hard to explain or understand. I find it inexplicable why some women wear shoes with such high heels that they can hardly walk. Bollywood is the nickname for India's movie industry. It is a combination of the word Hollywood, which is the historical centre of America's movie industry, and Bombay, which is the centre of India's movie industry. The word hit has many meanings, but when a movie, song, or anything else, becomes a hit it means it is very successful. The iPad is a big hit. Resist means to oppose or refuse to agree. I have resisted buying an iPhone even though it is a big hit. This means I have opposed or refused to follow everyone in buying an iPhone. Asians can identify with the "Three Idiots" because its message is that you should follow your dreams. It also has the message that learning in school doesn't simply mean memorizing things. You should understand and enjoy what you learn. In the movie, the heroes try to follow their dreams but must fulfill the wishes of their parents. It is a message that Asians can identify with. To identify with means to understand and share the same feelings with others.

catches on Bollywood 3 Three Idiots hit caught on resisted hit identify with Catch on iPhone

catches on Inexplicable Bollywood Hollywood BombayHit becomes a hit iPad hitResist resisted iPhonehit 3 identify with identify withIdentify with Critical thinking and Rote learning 2011-11-15 I wasn't even a bit surprised when exam officials issued a report which said secondary school students didn't know how to think critically. The report on the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination said students were narrow-minded, immature and bad in grammar. We should not only blame the students for this. Our education system does not encourage critical thinking by students. Critical thinking means to think with a questioning mind. To think critically you must question assumptions. But the education system in Asia, including Hong Kong, focuses too much on rote learning. Rote learning means to learn by memorizing instead of understanding the things you learn. Rote learning usually results in students being narrow-minded, which means not opening the mind to new ideas or other people's opinions. Our students will, of course, be immature if they rely on rote learning. Immature means childish or not fully developed. It comes from the word mature, which means fully-grown, or behaving like an adult. The report said secondary students had bad grammar. I have always argued that Hong Kong's rote learning puts too much importance on grammar. Hong Kong's teachers care more about grammar than critical thinking. Our teachers must get real. Hong Kong students will never be perfect in grammar because English is not their first language. To get real is a slang expression that means to be realistic. You don't need perfect grammar to

think critically or to be broad-minded, which is the opposite of narrow-minded. Too much focus on grammar could result in students paying less attention to critical thinking. I am sure bosses prefer hiring people who can think critically than those who have good grammar.

think critically narrow-minded immature critical thinking) Critical thinking think critically) rote learning) Rote learning rote learningnarrow-minded rote learning immature Immature mature rote learning get real Get real broad-minded Broad-minded narrow-minded good grammar Political gamble backfired 2011-11-17 Some politicians who were trounced in the District Council elections tried to play the blame game. They pointed fingers at each other instead of owning up to their mistakes. When the public did not buy their excuses they had to eat their words. To trounce someone means to defeat someone heavily. The blame game means when everyone blames each other instead of accepting responsibility for mistakes. The Civic Party played the blame

game after doing badly in the elections. It blamed the Liberal Party for telling lies about the Civic Party. People Power also played the blame game by pointing fingers at the media for causing it to lose the elections. To point fingers is an expression that means to accuse people. To own up means to admit or to accept responsibility for a mistake. To eat your words means to admit that something you said was wrong. Civic Party leader Alan Leong Kah-kit had to eat his words after blaming others for his party's trouncing in the elections. It took guts for Leong to finally own up that his party had only itself to blame for the defeat. Wong Yuk-man and Albert Chan Wai-yip of People Power also owned up that their political gamble had failed. Political gamble means taking a political risk. People Power took a big political gamble by using the elections to punish the Democratic Party for supporting the government's political reform package. The political gamble backfired. The word backfire has several meanings but when used this way it means having a bad and opposite outcome to what was expected. People Power had expected voters to support its political gamble to punish the Democratic Party. But the voters did not. That means the plan backfired. * * * trouncedblame game owning uppointed fingers eat their words Trounce Blame game blame game blame game Point fingers Own up Eat your words trouncing eat his words own up owned up political gamblePolitical gamble

political gamble political gamble backfired Backfire political gamble backfired Do not be fooled by the hype 2011-11-22 It baffles me that so many people are willing to line up even for days just to buy an Apple product. The frenzy over the iPhone 4S is an example. More than 1,500 consumers lined up, some for three days, just to buy the latest iPhone. I think our consumer society has gone overboard. People are easily fooled by all the hype when a new iPhone model comes on the market. They fall into a herd mentality. I would never line up for three days just to buy a phone. Some lined up to buy as many iPhones as they were allowed just to re-sell them at a higher price. I think people who pay a higher price are stupid. Why can't they just wait until the frenzy dies down so they can buy it at the normal price? Then something baffles you it means you're confused by or unable to understand it. Frenzy means wild or uncontrolled excitement. Consumers always get into a frenzy whenever a new iPhone model is about to be released. A consumer society is a society in which people like to own many things and buy things even when they don't need them. To go overboard means to fall off a ship or boat. But it also means to overdo something or to do something too much. Some women go overboard in buying expensive creams they think will make them look young. Hype used this way means intense publicity. There was a lot of hype when the first Apple store opened in Hong Kong. Herd mentality, as I've explained before, means a large number of people all following each other in doing the same thing. My advice is that you do not go overboard with new iPhone products. Do not be fooled by the hype and do not be part of a herd mentality.

baffles) iPhone 4S (frenzy) iPhone consumer society)gone overboard) iPhone hype)herd mentality) iPhone frenzy) iPhone Something baffles you Frenzy iPhone frenzy) Consumer society Go overboard go overboard) Hype hype) herd mentality go overboard) iPhone hype)herd mentality) Death knellNail in the coffin 2011-11-24 As I have pointed out before, even fluent English-speakers sometimes make mistakes. I sometimes make grammatical mistakes on my TV show. Such mistakes don't bother me. We shouldn't become slaves of grammar. But some mistakes, including the incorrect use of idioms or common expressions, should be avoided. Ronny Tong Ka-wah is a fluent English-speaker. But he made several serious mistakes on RTHK's English channel recently on the big losses by the democrats in the district council elections. I'll point out the three most serious mistakes. Tong said the turnout rate of voters on election morning was "climbing through the roof." He meant that the turnout rate was going higher and higher. But he didn't get the expression right. The correct expression is "shooting through the roof." For example, property prices in Hong Kong were "shooting through the roof" rising very quickly until the government took control measures. Tong said many democracy candidates were defeated, some by "handsome margins", including him. It is not right to say candidates were defeated by "handsome margins". The expression

"handsome margin" means by a big margin or by a lot. But it is normally used for those who win in a big way, not for those who lose by a lot. For example, you can say: "My fat boyfriend wins by a handsome margin whenever we compete to see who can eat the most at a buffet." If you lose, you should say: "I lost by a wide margin." Tong said the Civic Party failed to properly explain its position on residency rights for foreign domestic helpers. He said these mistakes were the "death nails" for his party. He meant the mistakes destroyed, or caused the death of, the party in the elections. Again, the expression was incorrect. He may have confused two different expressions. One is death knell. The other is nail in the coffin. Death knell means something that announces death, such as the sad sounding of a bell. A nail in the coffin means another step towards certain failure or death. * * *

climbing through the roof shooting through the roof shooting through the roof handsome margins handsome margins handsome margin

handsome margin I lost by a wide margin. death nails death knell nail in the coffinDeath knell nail in the

coffin I am shocked and disheartened. 2011-11-29 It is disheartening to always hear people say the standard of English in Hong Kong has dropped. But the truth is that it has. This truth hit home again when I tried to get some participants of the Occupy Central movement to come on my TV show. The movement is an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has produced offshoots all over the world. When I asked several participants of the Occupy Central movement if any would be willing to come on my show, they baulked. They said none of them could speak good enough English to be interviewed on English-language TV. I was shocked to hear this. The Occupy Central movement is made up mostly of young people, including university students. It disheartened me that this younger generation of people, who represent Hong Kong's future, could not speak English. Hong Kong needs to decide whether it wants to remain a bilingual society. If it wants to remain bilingual it must have new thinking on how English is taught in schools and promoted in the community. To be disheartened means to lose confidence or hope. To hit home is an idiom that means to become very clear. Many aging women buy expensive creams to make them look young again. The truth has not hit home that this is a waste of money.An offshoot is something that grows or develops from something else, such as a side branch from a plant. To baulk means to hesitate or be unwilling to do something. I baulked when my friend asked me to try dog meat. English is not absolutely necessary for societies to succeed. For example, English is not widely spoken in wealthy societies such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. But if Hong Kong wants to think of itself as a bilingual society it must work harder. Right now it is a bilingual society only in name. It is cheating itself.

disheartening hit home offshoot baulked

disheartening Disheartened Hit home hit homeoffshoot Baulk baulked

Tip of the iceberg


2

Last week I pointed out the mistakes legislator Ronny Tong Ka-wah made in the way he used English idioms and expressions. We are friends, so I hope he isn't mad at me! Today I'll point out more mistakes in the use of expressions made by two other people. They are Under-Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok and executive director of the Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women Linda Wong Sau-yung. Lai Tung-kwok was being interviewed in English about the new register for sex offenders when he made the mistake.

Right now the register works only on a voluntary basis. The reporter asked Lai how long the government will take to review the current policy to make it compulsory for job applicants to reveal their past sexual offences. Lai replied: "At this point of moment we cannot say categorically how long the review will take." The expression is wrong. The correct expression is "at this point in time" which simply means "for now". For example, you can say: "At this point in time we don't know who will be Hong Kong's next Chief Executive." But I think the expression is long and unnecessary. It's simpler just to say: "For now we don't know who will be Hong Kong's next Chief Executive." Categorically means clearly or absolutely. Linda Wong Sau-yung was being interviewed about sexual assaults against

women on MTR trains when she made the mistake. Police have received 160 reports of such assaults in the first eight months of this year. But Wong said: "This is only the iceberg of the problem." The correct expression is tip of the iceberg. An iceberg is a huge piece of ice floating in the sea. The ship Titanic sank after it hit an iceberg. Usually, you can only see the tip, or the top part, of the iceberg. Most of the iceberg is under the water. The expression tip of the iceberg means you can only see a small part of a much bigger problem, which is mostly hidden.

at this point of moment categorically at this point in time for now at this point in time For nowCategorically

This is only the iceberg of the problem tip of the icebergIceberg iceberg tipTip of the iceberg  Tip of the iceberg 2011-12-01 Last week I pointed out the mistakes legislator Ronny Tong Ka-wah made in the way he used English idioms and expressions. We are friends, so I hope he isn't mad at me! Today I'll point out more mistakes in the use of expressions made by two other people. They are Under-Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok and executive director of the Association

Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women Linda Wong Sau-yung. Lai Tung-kwok was being interviewed in English about the new register for sex offenders when he made the mistake. Right now the register works only on a voluntary basis. The reporter asked Lai how long the government will take to review the current policy to make it compulsory for job applicants to reveal their past sexual offences. Lai replied: "At this point of moment we cannot say categorically how long the review will take." The expression is wrong. The correct expression is "at this point in time" which simply means "for now". For example, you can say: "At this point in time we don't know who will be Hong Kong's next Chief Executive." But I think the expression is long and unnecessary. It's simpler just to say: "For now we don't know who will be Hong Kong's next Chief Executive." Categorically means clearly or absolutely. Linda Wong Sau-yung was being interviewed about sexual assaults against women on MTR trains when she made the mistake. Police have received 160 reports of such assaults in the first eight months of this year. But Wong said: "This is only the iceberg of the problem." The correct expression is tip of the iceberg. An iceberg is a huge piece of ice floating in the sea. The ship Titanic sank after it hit an iceberg. Usually, you can only see the tip, or the top part, of the iceberg. Most of the iceberg is under the water. The expression tip of the iceberg means you can only see a small part of a much bigger problem, which is mostly hidden.

at this point of moment categorically at this point in timefor now at this point in time For now Categorically

This is only the iceberg of the problem tip of the iceberg Iceberg iceberg tipTip of the iceberg  He sounded like a machine 2011-12-06 I was tickled to hear Kowloon Hospital chief executive Dr Hobby Cheung Kwong-yu speak English recently. His English went beyond bureaucrat-speak. It sounded more like robot-speak Dr Cheung was talking about his hospital's medical blunder, which caused the death of a throat cancer patient. The patient suffocated after hospital staff improperly bandaged the tracheotomy hole in his neck. Even though the death was tragic, Dr Cheung spoke in an unfeeling way, using formal words and sentences. He sounded like a machine. Mother-tongue English speakers do not normally speak that way. That's why I call it robot-speak. I don't have space to repeat everything he said but here's one sentence: "At this juncture, we don't have evidence to support or to dis-support the cause of death as related to this method of care of the tracheotomy hole." There is no such word as dis-support. He could have said "to prove or to disprove." Also, people seldom use the word "juncture" nowadays when they talk. I only hear Hong Kong government officials use it. But the sentence itself doesn't treat the dead patient as a human being. It sounds more like a lawyer talking about evidence than a doctor talking about the tragic death from a medical blunder. To tickle means to touch a person's body in a way that causes laughter. But to be tickled is also an expression that means to be amused by something. I am always tickled by young women who put on make-up in crowded MTR trains. A robot is a machine resembling a person that can do certain things that human beings do. The Japanese are good at making robots. A blunder is a careless or stupid mistake. To suffocate means to die from not being able to breathe. Dr Cheung could have sounded more like a caring

doctor than a robot by saying: "At this point we don't know the exact cause of the patient's tragic death."

tickled robot-speak tracheotomy suffocated robot-speak

At this juncture dis-support dis-support to prove to disprove juncture Tickle To be tickled tickled Robot Blunder Suffocate At this point An accident waiting to happen 2011-12-08 Even before the tragic suspected arson attack in Fa Yuen Street I had often wondered about the safety of Hong Kong's many street bazaars, such as those in Apliu Street, Li Yuen Street, and Jardine's Bazaar. To me they look very much like fire traps. That is why the speed with which the Fa Yuen Street fire spread and the high number of deaths did not surprise me. The Fa Yuen Street bazaar was an accident waiting to happen. Government officials have now promised to improve fire safety at the street bazaars, but that is like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

The word arson means the criminal act of purposely setting fire to property. For example, if you buy a luxury flat for your mistress but your wife finds out and sets fire to it, the police would classify it as arson. In the Middle East a street market is called a bazaar. But nowadays a street with many stalls and shops, such as Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei, can also be called a bazaar. A fire trap is a place, such as a building, which can easily catch fire, or where escape is difficult if there is a fire. Many buildings in Hong Kong have fire escapes which are blocked by residents. These buildings are fire traps. An accident waiting to happen is an expression that means a very dangerous situation in which an accident is very likely. To close the stable door after the horse has bolted is an expression that means to stop something bad from happening after it has already happened. For example, it would be closing the stable door after the horse has bolted if you put on a condom after you've already had sex with your girlfriend. The word stable has several meanings but in this case it means a building for keeping horses. The word bolt also has several meanings but in this case it means a horse running away suddenly. ? ? arson bazaars fire traps bazaar an accident waiting to happen closing the stable door after the horse has bolted Arson bazaar bazaarFire trap fire traps An accident waiting to happen Close the stable door after the horse has bolted

Close the stable door after the horse has bolted Stable Bolt  at long last at length 2011-12-13 Legislative councillor Cyd Ho Sau-lan spoke at length recently about the chief executive election on RTHK's English channel. She made numerous grammatical mistakes. But as I have pointed out before, it is quite natural for people who speak English as a second language to make grammatical errors. We shouldn't worry too much about this unless the mistakes are very serious. As I have said before, we should be more concerned about mistakes when using common expressions. Ho Sau-lan made several such mistakes. She said that Henry Tang Ying-yen and Leung Chun-ying had"at the long last"officially declared they would run for chief executive. The correct expression is"at long last", not"at the long last." At long last simply means finally or after a long time. You can say: "At long last my boyfriend took my warning seriously that I would break up with him if he didn't stop his habit of picking his nose." Do not confuse "at long last" with my use of spoke "at length", which means spoke for a long time. Ho Sau-lan also said Beijing makes decisions on Hong Kong matters "behind closed door." It should be "doors", not "door." The expression means in secret. The chief executive meets behind closed doors with the Executive Council every Tuesday morning. Ho Sau-lan mentioned a number of issues which she said both Tang and Leung had avoided, including freedom of the media, Article 23 legislation, democracy and abuse of police power. Since the list of issues is so long, she used the expression"the list could run on". But the correct expression is the list goes on". This expression is used when you mention only several things on a long list and then say"the list goes on."For example, you can say:"Hong Kong has many social problems, including poverty, high property prices, pollutionthe list goes on."She said Hong Kong people should be"duty-bounded"to protect our freedom. But

the word is duty-bound, which means having a duty to do something.

at length at the long lastat the long last at long last At long last at long last at long last spoke at length behind closed door behind closed doors

the list could run on list goes on the list goes on duty-bounded duty-bound ully ulpit 2011-12-15 This week I am going to use this column as a bully pulpit. I hope you don't mind. First, let me explain what a bully pulpit means. It means a position of power or influence, which a person can use to express his views and be listened to. For example, the American presidency is a very powerful bully pulpit. The US president can use his position to express his views or attack his political opponents. When he does that, all the media, including the international media, will report it. The word bully means a person who uses strength or influence to harm weaker people. For example, most schools usually have bullies who hurt younger or smaller-sized students. A pulpit is a raised platform in a church from where priests speak. But when the two words are combined they form an expression with a different meaning.

I am, of course, not saying this column is a powerful bully pulpit. But since many people read this column, I can use it to express my views. I want to use this column today as a bully pulpit to criticize housing secretary Eva Cheng Yu-wah. The Society of Community Organization's Sze Lai-shan told me on my TV show last week that she had invited Cheng Yu-wah many times to see for herself the living conditions in sub-divided flats. But Cheng repeatedly refused even though she is in charge of the government's housing policy. How can she understand how terrible it is to live in sub-divided flats when she refuses even to see them? I have invited Cheng Yu-wah several times to be a guest on my show but she refused. I think she does not dare face tough questions and to appear on English-language programmes. Many senior government officials do not have the guts to come on my TV show to answer questions in English. It is disgraceful, which means shameful or totally unacceptable. * * *

bully pulpit bully pulpit Bully bullies)Pulpit

bully pulpit) bully pulpit)

disgraceful disgraceful Hong Kong people are so vain.

2011-12-20 Often, when I am riding the MTR, I spend time people-watching. Many people do that. People-watching is an expression that means watching people. You can people-watch almost anywhere. You can do it on the MTR, at the beach, or looking out your window. Many Paris cafes have outdoor seating where Parisians like to sit with a drink and watch people go by. I have done that too. It's enjoyable and relaxing. Parisians are people from Paris. People from New York are called New Yorkers. Those from London are Londoners. English-language papers here sometimes call Hong Kong people Hongkongers. But not all cities have such names for their residents. When I people-watch on the MTR the most common thing I see is people playing with their mobile phones. Some are so lost in this (which means paying so much attention) that they are blind to everything around them (which means they don't notice anything around them). Hong Kong people are so vain. The word vain used this way means paying too much attention to the way you dress or look. When I people-watch I sometimes see young women putting on their make-up. I find it quite comical(which means funny or amusing) to see their faces gradually change from no make-up to full make-up. But what I find most disgusting when I people-watch is nose-picking. Quite a lot of people, mostly men, do it in the MTR. Some use their index finger(the finger next to the thumb) while others use their small finger (the last finger) to pick out the dirt from inside their noses. I often wonder why nose-pickers always look at what they have picked out before flicking it away. To flick something away means to make a quick movement with your fingers to get rid of something. Nose-pickers often have difficulty flicking away nose dirt because it is so sticky. ***

people-watching People-watching people-watch Parisians Parisians

New Yorkers Londoners Hongkongers people-watch so lost (so lost ) blind to vain Vain people-watch nose-picking index finger nose-pickers flicking Flick Nose-pickers flicking  The new idling engine law is DOA. 2011-12-22 think the new idling engine law is a joke. The ban on idling engines will do little to clear Hong Kong's polluted air because it has too many exemptions. Buses and school buses are exempted. So are taxis at taxi stands. And the first two minibuses waiting in line are also exempted. What makes the law even more of a joke is that all vehicles are exempted from the ban on very hot days and during rainstorms. The Legislative Council has passed the law but to me it is dead on arrival because it is a toothless tiger. The word idle has several meanings but an idling engine means an engine that is unnecessarily turned on, such as the turned-on engine of a parked car. The word ban can be used as a noun and a verb. It means to disallow something, such as smoking in restaurants. I think there should be a ban on women wearing shoes with very high heels because I am not very tall and high-heel shoes often make women taller than me. To be exempted means to be freed from a duty that others have to fulfill. For example, low-income workers in Hong Kong are exempted from having to pay tax.

A toothless tiger is something, such as a law, that looks powerful but is actually very weak. Another similar expression is paper tiger. When a sick or injured person is rushed to hospital but is already dead when treated by a doctor, the person will be described as dead on arrival or DOA. But the expression is also used to describe a new plan, idea or anything that is certain to fail. My hope that Tang Wei will be my girlfriend is dead on arrival because it will never happen. I should, therefore, stop idlingmy time away day-dreaming about her and look for someone else who is shorter so even if she wears high-heel shoes I'll still be taller.

ban idling engines exempted toothless tiger dead on arrival Idle idling engine Ban Exempted Toothless tiger paper tiger dead on arrival dead on arrival idling my time  Tao Kits Cantonese foul language is much better than mine 2011-12-29

Every time my Chinese friends introduce me to other people they always tell them my Cantonese is very good but that my Cantonese foul language is even better. This always embarrasses me but I have now accepted this notoriety. My good friend Tao Kit first started this rumour about my Cantonese foul language. He meant it as a joke but the rumour has hounded me ever since. In fact, Tao Kits Cantonese foul language is much better than mine. Foul language means bad language. The word foul has many meanings, including dirty, offensive, or bad. Some English words that were considered swear words before are now acceptable because most people use them, such as bullshit. But other common expletives are still considered unacceptable, such as fxxk. The word notoriety comes from notorious, which means being well-known for something bad. For example,you can say: Hong Kong is notorious for its polluted air. When I say the rumour has hounded me it means the rumour has continued to follow me. Leung Chun-ying is hounded by rumours that he is a Communist Party member. A hound is a dog used for hunting. Reporters who chase after news stories are called news hounds. The Cantonese slang for this is kow chai dui. I often hear people using swear words on the MTR. It is common now to combine English swear words to create even worse expletives.We should all avoid expletives but I sometimes find it hard to do that !

foul language notoriety foul language hounded Foul language foul swear words bullshit fxxk Notoriety notorious notorious notorious

rumour has hounded me Hound news hounds swear words expletives 

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