English – Ringo Lingo https://ringolingo.com Free ESL English Dictations and Tools for English Learners Tue, 19 Oct 2021 10:11:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/ringolingo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/cropped-icon-r.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 English – Ringo Lingo https://ringolingo.com 32 32 200435589 Earworms? https://ringolingo.com/dictation/earworms/ Mon, 18 Oct 2021 09:14:16 +0000 https://ringolingo.com/?post_type=dictation&p=2305 Did you know the most watched video as of September 2021? was Baby Shark by Pinkfong with over 9.46 billion views?? This is a song for children about a baby shark and his family,? however it is a catchy song and when you hear it,? it is difficult to get out of your mind!? We call this an earworm because once it enters your ears,? it never leaves (well, not for quite a long time).? What songs do you know that become earworms?

]]> 2305 Puppy Dog Eyes https://ringolingo.com/dictation/puppy-dog-eyes/ Mon, 18 Oct 2021 08:58:25 +0000 https://ringolingo.com/?post_type=dictation&p=2300 Did you know that the fifth most popular emoji? in 2021 was the pleading face emoji?? This is the emoji with the big eyes? which are looking at you and you can imagine? they are asking you for something.? This emoji is also called puppy dog eyes.? Can you guess why we use this expression?? It’s very simple!? Think of a puppy and how it looks up at its? owner with his big eyes asking for attention? and as humans we often make a similar? expression when we really want something.? When someone makes a face like this,? we say they’ve got puppy dog eyes!

]]> 2300 The Big Cheese Is Bringing Home the Bacon? https://ringolingo.com/dictation/the-big-cheese-is-bringing-home-the-bacon/ Wed, 01 Sep 2021 16:24:36 +0000 https://ringolingo.com/?post_type=dictation&p=122 Have you noticed how many food? related idioms there are in English?? We talk about the big cheese bringing home? the bacon and describe something as being? ‘not my cup of tea’,? but what does it all mean??

The big cheese is a boss or someone who is influential.? If we say someone is bringing home the bacon? we mean that this person is earning money.? If the person who is bringing home the bacon is also? the bread winner, then we mean that this person is? not only earning money, but they are responsible for? earning money to support their entire household? (or at least they are responsible for earning the majority? of money needed to support their household).?

When we say something is selling like hot cakes,? it means it’s selling really quickly and it’s very popular.? If something isn’t your cup of tea, it means? it’s something you don’t like and if someone says? they have bigger fish to fry, it means they have? more important things to do or to attend to.?

So, what do you think about all these food idioms?? Do they add a little extra flavour to the? English language or aren’t they your cup of tea?

]]> 122 Long In the Tooth Gift Horse https://ringolingo.com/dictation/long-in-the-tooth/ Wed, 01 Sep 2021 15:40:07 +0000 https://ringolingo.com/?post_type=dictation&p=119 Have you heard the expression that someone is a bit? “long in the tooth” and wondered what it means?? Or perhaps you have heard someone say? “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”? and found that a puzzling phrase.?

These two expressions or idioms both relate to horses.? An old horse often looks like it has long teeth? because its gums recede as it gets older.? Therefore, we’ll say someone is getting “long in the tooth”? as a way to say they are getting past their best and getting old.?

The expression “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” is? a phrase that means that we shouldn’t be ungrateful for gifts.? In days gone by, if someone was given the gift of a horse,? they could tell the age of the horse by looking at its teeth.? As we know, if a horse had long teeth? it would likely be an old horse.?

Therefore if someone was to receive a horse as a gift? and wanted to know the value of the gift they would? rudely look the gift horse in its mouth to see its teeth.? A bit like opening a gift today and immediately? visiting eBay to see what it’s worth!

]]> 119 The Celebration https://ringolingo.com/dictation/the-celebration/ Wed, 01 Sep 2021 07:57:27 +0000 https://ringolingo.com/?post_type=dictation&p=17 Today we’re going London to celebrate? the 50 year reign of the Queen.? I really hope it doesn’t rain, but I will wear a raincoat? and we’ll stand where it is dry if it does rain.? However, whether the weather? is good or bad, we will have fun.? I know it will be a great time even if there is no sun.? The main thing I am looking forward to is seeing? the horses with their manes and tails nicely groomed.? That will give me a tale to tell when I? mail my male and female friends.

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