Thread for learning English

Hi !
I have left this thread for a long time, now I come back
Only one thing I always threated is that even myself don't know how to ask what I want to know.
This time, would you give me a words to describe a country or a person who always be jingoistic at first then turn to cowhearted at the moment of truth.

Hi Emile

One word to use would be 'turncoat' that is used for someone who says something and then backsdown at the last minute.

See if anyone else comes up with a different word though.


JM

I really tried to come up with a word that fits, but I just can't.

I can come up with words very close in meaning, such as braggadocio, bluster or hubristic, but I don't feel that any of these adequately express what you are trying to get across.

To me, turncoat implies a traitor or backstabber.

I would just stick with using the phrase 'jingoistic coward'. I don't think it can be expressed better than that.

Thanks so much!
I believe what I want to express I have not said clearly because I have no ability to do.
In Chese I would say it using 外强中干, that means Showed jingostic outside but it factually is weak inside.
I suspect there are some words could be used to express this meaning because this kind of situation has never happened or showed in English nations.

Oh, we have people like that.

The most common description for people like this is the idiom, 'all bark and no bite'. Like those yappy little dogs.

www.goenglish.com...

I think you are able to express yourself quite well already, so just keep practicing.

I'm back
These days I learn English from a song, a wonderful song with music, but I can't understand what's this song sung untill I read lyric.
Here is the full lyric of this song
www.lyricsdepot.com...
In which there are two words I have no ability to understand
The one is that title called Raputin that sounds concern with Russia but couldn't be find out of dictionary.
The 2nd is kasachok that looks as a kind of dance I've never seen also not sure it is a knid of dance in the song.
If you like music, would u tell me what's the background of this song, is this song of story true? Why such sad story was written so bright music? Does this song are popular in Europ and America?
If you have not heard this song, give me your email, I will send it to u. Do I infract copyright?

Hi Emile

Thats an old song !

Rasputin was known as the mad monk - he was a religious monk who lived in Russia at the time of the Czars and he had alot of influence on the government
see this webste for more information:

www.eurohistory.com...


The other word you mention is the name of a Russian Dance.

Hope this helps.

JM

This time for two common words: STATE and NATION.
I noticed that occident use Rogue State not Rogue Nation. Who can tell me why? Are there any different between these two using way?

You can use both words together ie ' nation state'

the reason is that a nation is a mass of people of common descent, ie the English nation, or the Sioux nation. A state however is a political community, ie look at the map of the USA, all the states are square, so a nation is a natural evolution while a state is an artificially imposed one. A nation state is an evolved collection of people that is ALSO unified politically, ie France, or Switzerland but not the UK or USA.

"State" can also be used to refer specifically to the government, or the bureaucracy of a nation, while "nation" encompasses the people, the government, and everything else in between. For example:

"In China. all land is owned by the state."

"The US government is concerned about the rise of state-sponsored terrorism in the Middle East."

I know that Be Endeavoured means do one's best.
Be Endeavoured generally used in English. Who can tell me how can I use single verb to express do my best?

well there's r0x

as in

I r0x

or

there l33t


as in

I'm totally l33t

:p

heh just kidding, ignore all that.



Now onto your question;

I'd say Damnedest

damned·est (dăm'dĭst)
adj.

Superlative of damned.
n.

All that is possible; the utmost: did my damnedest to deliver the term paper on time.

[edit on 20-6-2006 by Lysergic]

Originally posted by emile
I know that Be Endeavoured means do one's best.
Be Endeavoured generally used in English. Who can tell me how can I use single verb to express do my best?

"Be endeavoured" is incorrect. The correct usage is "endeavour", which is your single verb.

E.g. "I will endeavour to get there on time."

Thank you two
Come on my friend! This time I wish to get a single word to describe a country that area is really small as Isreal or Singapore. I remember that could but shouldn't use small because small can means area or population or something else. I need help.

[edit on 22-6-2006 by emile]

In English, when we say "have to do sth." that means I must do what I really don't want to do. Then I hope to know are there another words which also means "have to"?

Try Compact for a small country: lots of uses
A compact country...

Really physically small countries: miniscule here
This miniscule land/country..

small by ammount of people: sparsely populated, few in numbers...
a sparsely populated country
A country, few in numbers, blah, blah blah...

Thanks jlc163:

Here is one more question:
What is different between company and firm? I reading some books looks using these two words in mess? I think they are both denoting enterprise, but don't know the difference.
The other question is what does this mean? what means Way AboveTopSecret?



[edit on 8-8-2006 by emile]