Lorraine is making dinner. She opens the pizza.

Marty Jr.: Hey, pizza!
Marty: Alright, just wait.
Marty Jr.: Grandma, can you just shove it in my mouth? (laughs)
Marty: Don’t you be a smart ass!
Marty Jr.: Oh, great, it’s the atrocity channel.

Lorraine puts the pizza in a Black and Decker Hydrator.

Lorraine: Hydrate level 4 please.

4 seconds later, she takes the pizza out, and it’s become full size.

Marty Jr.: Is it ready?

Lorraine puts the pizza on the table.

Lorraine: Here you go.

Marty, Marlene and Marty Jr. all take a slice. Marlene and Marty Jr. both have television/telephone goggles on.
Marty: Oh boy, oh boy Mom, you sure can hydrate a pizza. (Marty takes a bite.) Now I’m sorry I missed that whole thing.

Hallway

Lorraine: Now I’m just worried about Jennifer.

Kitchen

Lorraine: Why isn’t she home yet?
Marty: I’m not sure where Jennifer is Mom. (He pours himself and his son some juice. Marlene has a Pepsi.) Should have been home hours ago, and I’m having a hard time keeping track of her these days.
Marty Jr.: Hey fruit, fruit please! (The fruit thing comes down.) Thank you.
Lorraine: Aren’t you and Jennifer getting along?
Marty: Oh yeah, great Mom, we’re like a couple of teenagers, ya know.

The phone rings on the kids goggles.

Marty Jr.: Dad, telephone, its Needles.
Marlene: Dad, it’s for you.
Marty: All right, well, I’ll take it down in the den. Excuse me.
Marty Jr.: (re: fruit machine) Retract!

Did you know that at one time, the king of hearts represented Charlemagne, the king of Diamonds was Julius Caesar, the king of clubs was Alexander the Great and the king of spades was King David from the Bible? These fascinating identities, along with special designations for the other court cards, were bestowed by the French who were instrumental in bringing the pleasures of card play to people in Europe and the New World.

to represent – képviselni
fascinating – lenyűgöző
identity – azonosság, személyazonosság
along with – valamivel együtt
designation – megjelölés, kinevezés
to be bestowed – felruházva lenni, adományozva lenni
to be instrumental – közbenjárónak lenni valamiben
pleasure – öröm, élvezet

spades	hearts	clubs	diamonds
pikk	kőr (coeur)	treff	káró
Jack	Queen	King	Ace
Bubi	Dáma	Király	Ász
Joker	deck of cards	Royal Flush	to shuffle the cards
Joker	kártyapakli	Royal Flush	megkeverni a kártyát

TO CALL A SPADE A SPADE
meaning: call a person or thing a name that is true, speak in plain language
magyarul: megmondani őszintén
example: I decided to call a spade a spade and tell our supervisor what was wrong with our workplace.

HAVE A CARD UP ONE’S SLEEVE
meaning: have a reserve plan or a secret advantage
magyarul: van még titkos tartaléka
example: The man had a card up his sleeve when he went to the bank to ask for more money for his business.

Girl: Are you coming with me? I’m going to the library.
Boy: Are you kidding? Your house is full of books. Why do you want to go to the library?
Girl: Believe it or not I’ve run out of books. It’s true that we have hundreds of books at home, but we don’t have newly published ones and I like to be up-to-date with books.
Boy: But you have got an e-reader and you can buy or download numerous e-books from the Internet.
Girl: Well, yes, but it’s not the same. It’s very practical and I use it as an alternative way of reading when I’m on the go and I don’t want to take heavy books with me, but at home I only read ‘real’ books. I like the smell of them, I like to touch them. It’s a different
feeling.
Boy: What kind of books are you interested in?
Girl: I usually read novels. The longer they are the better read they make. I’m also interested in history. I often read in English. It’s good practice and in the library they have a good selection of English books. What about you?
Boy: I’m not so keen on reading, as you know. I always read the set readings for school and I like poems, but I mostly read on my computer. It’s a very convenient way of being well-informed. Everything is available on the Internet.
Girl: So, you’re a real mouse potato…
Boy: I guess, I am. But I’m not different from most of the boys in class.
Girl: I know. But it’s high time you spent an afternoon without your computer and came to the library with me. I’ll show you a different world. You won’t be bored, I promise.
Boy: OK, you’ve convinced me. Let’s give it a try.

IMPORTANT PHRASES

Are you kidding?– Viccelsz?
Believe it or not.– Akár hiszed, akár nem.
to run out of something– kifogyni valamiből
It’s not the same.– Az nem ugyanaz.
to be on the go– úton lenni
The longer they are the better read they make.– Minél hosszabbak, annál jobb olvasmányok.
It’s good practice.– Ez jó gyakorlás.
a good selection of English books– angol könyvek nagy választéka
What about you?  – És te?Veled mi a helyzet?
I guess, I am.  – Igen, szerintem az vagyok.
It’s high time…– Éppen ideje, hogy…
Let’s give it a try.– Próbáljuk meg!

IMPORTANT WORDS

full of sg– tele van valamivel
newly published– újonnan kiadott
up-to-date– naprakész
e-reader– e-könyv-olvasó
to download– letölteni
numerous– számos, sok
novel– regény
to be keen on– szívesen csinálni, szeretni valamit
set reading– kötelező olvasmány
poem– vers
convenient– kényelmes
available– elérhető
mouse potato– aki sok időt tölt számítógép előtt
to convince– meggyőzni

Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII’s secret love nest: The charming cottage where (legend has it) king romanced second wife… while married to his first

With its stained glass windows depicting Elizabeth I and Edward VI, you might think that The Thatched Cottage – in the village of Stoke Mandeville, just outside Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire – has some kind of link to the Tudors. Well, local folklore has it that this was where Henry VIII would have clandestine meetings with Anne Boleyn while he was still married to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

In 1529, Stoke Mandeville, and the whole of the Aylesbury area, was inherited by Sir Thomas Boleyn, Anne Boleyn’s father. Henry had started taking an interest in Anne in 1526 and pursued her throughout the tail end of his marriage to Catherine, which finished in 1533.

Although Anne never actually lived in the house, she is said to have used it to entertain the King.

Anne is known locally as the ‘Fair Maid of Aylesbury’, although her early days were spent at the family’s Hever Castle in Kent. She later moved into Hampton Court to be with Henry and soon after they married their daughter, Elizabeth I, was born. But she failed to give Henry a son – having three miscarriages – and in 1536 he had her executed.

The Grade II listed house is certainly old enough to have been in existence for trysts between Anne and the King, who, in the early 1520s, had Anne’s sister Mary as his mistress. The Thatched Cottage is believed to be the oldest house in Stoke Mandeville and was built in 1409. There is a stone slab under the dining room floor confirming the date.

The property’s small stained glass windows – Elizabeth I in the sitting room, Edward VI in the dining room – are believed to be Victorian, but many of the three-bedroom cottage’s features date back to its earliest days, such as its original oak beams and bread oven. It is currently for sale through Michael Graham estate agents in Aylesbury for £535,000.

‘It was always our dream to live in a thatched cottage and we loved the property from the moment we saw it,’ says Paul Aughton, 56, who bought the property in 2011 with his partner Pearl, 55. ‘The only reason we are moving is to retire overseas.’

According to Pearl, admirers of the cottage often stop to take photographs of it. ‘Whenever there’s a wedding or christening at the church opposite, some of the guests point their cameras at our cottage to take photos, which is always a compliment.’

The thatched roof lasts about 25-30 years before needing to be replaced, Paul says, and the current one has about 20 more years of life in it. The main door to The Thatched Cottage is at the side of the property, which leads to an open-plan sitting room and dining room. The two rooms are divided by a double-sided fireplace with a brick hearth housing a large wood-burning stove and the original bread oven. The kitchen has fitted units with wooden butcher’s-block style worktops and black iron furnishings. In it, there are also natural stone floors and a lead-lined window. There is understairs storage and a separate utility room with a butler sink.

On the first floor there are three bedrooms. The master bedroom has a vaulted ceiling and a window overlooking the front garden. The second room is dual aspect with two lower-level lead-lined windows and another vaulted ceiling. Bedroom three is accessed via a separate staircase. Also, there is a study on the landing with built-in office furniture.

Gardens surround the property. At the back, there is a lawn area along with a summerhouse, timber workshop, decked barbecue area, pergola, patio and raised vegetable beds created from railway sleepers. The front garden is mainly laid to lawn but has an ancient stone well in a corner. There is room on the gravel driveway for up to three cars, and a white wooden latch gate is in keeping with the colour and style of the property.

source: dailymail.co.uk

Cancelled California wedding becomes meal for homeless

After a wedding in California was called off, the bride‘s family decided to invite homeless people to the reception meal instead. The bride’s mother, Kari Duane, said her daughter told her on Monday she and her fiance had decided not to go ahead with the event. Rather than cancel, Ms Duane invited homeless people to the feast at Sacramento’s Citizen Hotel.

About 90 turned up to enjoy steak, salad, salmon and other delicacies. One of those who took up the invitation, Rashad Abdullah, arrived with his wife and five children. “When you’re going through a hard time and a struggle to get out to do something different and with your family, it was really a blessing,” Mr Abdullah told local television station KCRA.

The bride’s mother said she had mixed feelings about the day. “Even though my husband and I were feeling very sad for our daughter, it was heart-warming to see so many people be there and enjoy a meal,” Ms Duane said.

Part of the $35,000 (£22,631) non-refundable cost of the wedding was a trip to Belize. Ms Duane and her daughter left for Belize on Sunday.

source: BBC

Pedalling uphill on a slope is very hard work so choose a good mountain bike if you plan to ride it in hilly areas. A comfortable seat is also a must, especially if you want to travel long distances. Riding a bike is getting increasingly popular nowadays. More and more people cycle to work or cycle around in town. It’s a great way of getting to know a place and more economical than travelling by car. You don’t need parking space for a bike, it does not run on petrol and it does not pollute the air. You don’t need to buy a bike even if you want to use it regularly. Renting community bikes is a service that is available in several European cities and in Budapest also. 

Here are 10 things babies can teach us.

We look towards the elderly for life advice. Sure, they have a great deal of it, but babies can impart a lot of wisdom as well.

Here are 10 things babies can teach us.

Number 10. Live in the moment. Grownups have a terrible habit of living either in the past or the future. Babies, on the other hand, worry only about the present. Their commitment to the moment at hand, even if it’s just spent throwing squishy blocks around, serves as a reminder that now is when life is actually happening.

Number 9. Laugh a lot. There are certainly times to be serious, but chances are they’re not occurring 24-7. If you’re dealing with the adult equivalent of a dirty diaper, go ahead and frown. But, if life puts on a funny hat andpretends it’s a circus monkey, go with the good times. 

Number 8. Express yourself. If you’re mad, sad, or otherwise upset, let it out. Sure, sitting in the middle of the toy aisle at Walmart screaming at the top of your lungs won’t get you far, but careful communication may. If people don’t know how you’re feeling, they can’t help make it better.

Number 7. Get Active. Next time you’re in the middle of a Netflix binge and have to hit pause repeatedly because the baby won’t stay in one place, you may consider joining them. Baby bonding and exercise, what’s not to like.

Number 6. Stay curious. Licking frogs and sticking fingers in light sockets isn’t recommended for little or big people. However, making an effort to discover new things and learn more about the workings of the world around you is. Don’t even remember where to start? Local libraries are always a good place for such journeys to begin.

Number 5. Learn a language. This will benefit you both, particularly if you practice together. You can pick up a new and highly beneficial skill while the little one gets aboost in brain development. 

Number 4. Be more open. Babies make friends with just about everybody they meet. Adults, not so much. Next time someone asks if you’d like to grab a cup of coffee, don’tscramble for an excuse, just say yes. 

Number 3. Eat when you’re hungry. The clock on the wall doesn’t know a lot about you, so it shouldn’t be in charge of your diet. Pay attention to your body’s cues. They could help you discern the difference between a donut eaten because of actual starvation versus one downed out of boredom, frustration, or just because it’s there. 

Number 2. Sleep when you’re sleepy. Napping doesn’t make you weak or lazy, but it does make you less fatigued, more alert, and not as likely to mess something up. When the situation allows, treat yourself to the extra z’s. 

Number 1. Keep practicing. Babies eventually get the hang of walking because they try it over and over again, no matter how disastrous the results have been. Most skills worth having take time to develop, let alone master. Consider it an investment in your future.

What do you think we can learn from babies?

source: GeoBeats

a) keep calm
b) keep quiet
c) keep a diary
d) keep a secret
e) keep a promise

1) When someone writes about their life and thoughts in a private notebook.
2) When you do what you said you would do.
3) When you don’t tell anyone what someone has told you in private.
4) When you don’t speak.
5) When you stay relaxed and don’t get angry or excited.

Answers: 1) c, 2) e, 3) d, 4) b, 5) a

Fill in the gaps with the words to make the right collocations with ’keep’:

a) appointment
b) control
c) in mind
d) change
e) in touch

1) He must learn to keep his temper under ………. because soon he won’t have any friends left.
2) I was very surprised when he kept our ………. because sometimes he doesn’t even show up at all.
3) It was great running into you again after such a long time. Let’s keep ………. .
4) He should keep ………. that without her he would be nowhere.
5) If it costs less than what I gave you, you can keep the ………. and buy a treat for yourself.

Answers: 1) b, 2) a, 3) e, 4) c, 5) d

to keep calm – megőrizni a nyugalmát, nyugodt maradni
to keep quiet – csendben maradni, hallgatni
to keep a diary – naplót vezetni
to keep a secret – titkot tartani/megőrizni
to keep a promise – betartani az ígéretét
to keep an appointment –megbeszélt időponthoz tartani magát
to keep under control – kontrolálni, felügyelet alatt tartani
to keep one’s temper under control – nem elveszíteni a béketűrését
to keep (something) in mind – szem előtt/észben tartani valamit
to keep the change – megtartani az aprót
to keep in touch – tartani a kapcsolatot