Words in the News: Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova is a professional tennis player. She is from Russia. Today she held a press conference and announced that she had failed a drug test.
The press conference was short, but there are some great English expressions you can learn from her short speech.
Some background information: In January 2016 she played in the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia. (The Australian Open is a tennis tournament.) When Sharapova was at the Australian Open, she had to take a drug test. This is to make sure that athletes are not using substances to improve their performance. Two months later, the the International Tennis Federation (ITF) told her that she failed that drug test.
take a test / fail a test
“I received a letter from the ITF that I had failed a drug test at the Australian Open.”
We take a lot of tests in life. For example, we take tests in school to pass a course. We take a test to get a driver’s license.
Professional athletes take drug tests to make sure that they are not using substances to improve their abilities.
You can pass a test (get the required score or be successful) or you can fail a test (not get the required score, not be successful).
These are collocations. They are words that go together in a way that sounds natural and correct to a native speaker.
take responsibility for (something)
“I did fail the test and I take full responsibility for it.”
“I have to take full responsibility for it, …”
Politicians say this a lot, too!
If you take responsibility for something, you say that it is your fault that it happened, that you are responsible for what happened.
In her press conference, Maria Sharapova did not blame anyone for or accuse anyone of causing this problem.
make a mistake
“I made a huge mistake, …”
A mistake is something incorrect by accident. It could be something someone said or did or wrote. It is not something that someone intended to do or tried to do.
Sharapova did not know that the medicine she was taking was banned by the ITF. She did not take the medicine on purpose. She made a mistake.
let someone down
“I let my fans down. I let the sport down that I’ve been playing since the age of 4, that I love so deeply.”
To let someone down means to disappoint someone because you didn’t do what someone expected you to do.
Sharapova felt that her fans expected her not to take banned drugs to improve her performance. (She didn’t know that the medicine she was taken had been banned by the ITF. She had been taking it for 10 years. The ITF only banned in on January 1, 2016.)
face consequences
“I know that with this I face consequences …”
Yes, face is a verb, too! I know, English is confusing.
A consequence is a result of something you have done. Usually, a consequence is a negative result. In Sharapova’s situation, she will probably not be allowed to play tennis for a few months or a year as a consequence of taking banned medicine. She may have to pay a fine (an amount of money).
As a verb, face means to accept and deal with a problem or situation directly. Sharapova knows that her mistake has consequences. She will do what she has to do.
give someone a chance (to do something)
“I don’t want to end my career this way, and I really hope that I will be given another chance to play this game.”
A chance is an opportunity (to do something). Sharapova wants another opportunity to play tennis. She doesn’t want this mistake to end her career.
In this context, when you give someone a chance, you give them an opportunity.
Here is a video of her press conference (she walks to the podium at 43:17):
16 NEW Words Added to the Dictionary!
Last week, the American dictionary company Merriam-Webster announced that it had added 100 new words & definitions to its Collegiate Dictionary [= dictionary for people in college/university]!
These words are slang words and words that have been created to describe new events or products. They have been in use for a few years, but this is the first time they will be in a Merriam-Webster dictionary. You may see or hear these words when you watch American TV shows & movies, or read American magazines & newspapers.
The company did not publish the entire list of words, but here are some words I was able to find. I also provide some examples of the words used in headlines, so you can better understand the context:
1. Aha moment
(noun, countable)
This expression was made famous by daytime talk show host Oprah Winfrey. “Aha!” is a common English interjection. It’s a sound that English speakers make when they finally see, find, or understand something. Oprah used the expression ‘aha moment’ to describe something similar: a moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension. It’s that moment when you suddenly understand something: an idea, your path in life, a situation, anything.
Watch a video of Oprah herself talking about the word.
2. bromance
(noun, countable)
A bromance is a close, nonsexual friendship between two men.
Bromance = brother + romance (even though a bromance is non-romantic!)
Rolling Stone (magazine): Fatboy Slim, Russell Brand share ‘bromance’ at Olympic Ceremony
Newser.com: Hollywood’s Hottest Bromances
3. bucket list
(noun, countable)
This was actually the title of a 2007 Hollywood movie with Jack Nicholson & Morgan Freeman. The two characters in the film had terminal cancer [=cancer that will lead to death], and decided to go on a trip to do all the things they had never done before but wanted to do before they died. We used to use the expression ‘things to do before I die,’ but it is now more common to talk about things on one’s bucket list.
It comes from the idiom ‘to kick the bucket,’ which is a very informal way to say ‘die.’
Yahoo!: Terminally Ill Alice Pyne, 16, Completes Inspirational Bucket List
5. craft beer
(noun, countable)
Most brands of beer in the world are made by large breweries [ =companies that make beer]: Budweiser, Heineken, Molsons, etc. ‘Microbreweries’ are smaller companies that make beer, and microbreweries often make ‘craft beer’: a special beer that is produced in small amounts.
You cannot walk to your local store and buy a craft beer. Craft beers are not widely available like Molsons, Heineken, etc.
An example of a craft beer is the beer that U.S. President Obama makes at the White House: White House Honey Ale
6. energy drink
(noun, countable)
The best example of an energy drink is Red Bull. It’s a drink that helps you feel more awake. This kind of drink is carbonated [ =fizzy, with lots of small bubbles at the top]. It contains ingredients like caffeine (usually found in coffee), taurine, or ginseng, that increase your energy.
7. e-reader
(noun, countable)
The best example of an e-reader is a Kindle. An e-reader is an an electronic reading device [electronic + reader = e-reader]. It is used to read an e-book [=a digital book; electronic + book = e-book]. It is also portable, meaning you can carry it with you wherever you go.
8. f-bomb
(noun, countable)
This is a way to describe the ‘f-word’ (fuck) in English. The f-word is a swear word, so instead of using it, people use a euphemism. ‘F-bomb’ is not the actual word, it’s a way to describe the word.
Chicago Tribune: Joe Biden drops f-bomb during news conference
(U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said the f-bomb during a news conference. He said to Obama, “It’s a big fucking deal.”)
Yahoo!: Melissa Leo apologizes for Oscar f-bomb
(Actress Melissa Leo used the f-word during her acceptance speech at the Oscars)
*This is the word that got the most attention when the announcement was made. Many people were angry that this word was included in a dictionary!
9. game changer
(noun, countable)
Something (or someone) introduced into a situation or activity that changes things significantly (usually positively).
Yahoo! Sports: Van Persie signing ‘an absolute game changer’, claims Peter Schmeichel
(Soccer/football team Manchester United signed Robin van Persie to the team. Peter Schmeichel believes this is a good thing for the team. It will make ManU a better team & it will help them win more games.)
Examiner.com: Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 is a game changer
(Samsung has introduced its new tablet. The company believes it is better than other tablets (like the iPad) and will change the tablet market.)
10. life coach
(noun, countable)
A life coach is exactly that: a coach who helps you with your life. A life coach helps you set goals in your life and reach them. He/She gives you advice and guidance, and helps you solve problems in your life.
Metro: Katie Holmes ‘hires life coach’ to work on self-esteem issues post Tom Cruise
11. man cave
(noun, countable)
A man cave is a space or room in a house that is just for a man and his friends. The decor is very masculine, and it’s a place where men can drink beer & watch football, boxing, … or whatever it is men do.
It’s better to look at photos of a man cave than to read about it:
Houzz.com
HGTV.com: 8 Dude-tastic Man Caves
12. mash-up
(noun, countable)
A mash-up is something (a piece of music, for example) created by combining two or more existing things. For example, the song ‘Numb/Encore‘ is a mash-up of the songs ‘Numb’ by Linkin Park, and ‘Encore’ by Jay-Z.
The word ‘mash-up’ became popular in 2004 when Danger Mouse released The Grey Album. He combined Jay-Z’s voice from his The Black Album with music from the Beatles The White Album.
Others kinds of mash-ups:
– movies & videos
– web services & applications
13. sexting
(noun, uncountable)
To ‘text’ someone = to send someone a short message on a cellphone. A text is usually just words, but can also include photos. ‘Texting’ is the gerund form of ‘text.’
sex + texting = sexting
‘Sexting’ is the act of sending sexual messages or naked pictures of yourself to someone’s cellphone. It is possible to use ‘sext’ as a verb.
14. shovel-ready
(adjective)
This word was used a lot in the U.S. in early 2009. The U.S. government wanted to spend money on shovel-ready projects to improve the economy & help it recover from a recession.
A shovel is a tool used to dig holes in the ground, and lift & remove dirt. Shovels are used on construction projects, like making new roads or buildings.
If a project is shovel-ready, it is ready to begin. The shovels are ready to dig into the ground and get started on the project. The project just needs money to begin.
15. tipping point
(noun, countable)
This expression was made popular by the book The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell.
If something tips, it leans to one side or falls over. The tipping point in a situation, project, or process, is the point when things past that point will never be the same. The effect or change cannot be stopped or undone.
Wall Street Journal: Augusta National Reaches Its Tipping Point
(The 79-year-old Augusta National golf club admitted women for the first time in its history.)
Globe & Mail: Women’s soccer at a tipping point in Canada after Olympic odyssey
(The Canadian women’s soccer team won a bronze medal at the Olympics. People hope this will encourage young women to join a soccer team.)
16. underwater
(adjective)
This new definition is a result of something that happened in the American economy. Starting around 2006, the housing market collapsed and house values decreased. Many homeowners found themselves underwater.
When people buy a house, they go to the bank and ask for a loan. A loan for a house is called a mortgage. To be ‘underwater’ is to owe more money to the bank than the home is worth. For example, if you have $100,000 mortgage with a bank, but your home is only worth $75,000, your home is underwater. If you sell the house, you will not be able to pay the bank $100,000.
Celebrity-gossip.net: Olympian Ryan Lochte’s Parents Underwater on Home Mortgage
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Not everyone is happy about these words being added to the dictionary! Some people believe that a dictionary should be a formal educational book that teaches people what words to use. They believe slang words should NOT be in a dictionary. Other people believe that a dictionary include all words used in a culture.
New English Word: Mockumentary
/mɑ:kjəˈmɛntri/
Sacha Baron Cohen’s new movie The Dictator comes out this weekend! This style of film is called a mockumentary. This word has been around since at least the 1980s, when director Rob Reiner described his film This is Spinal Tap as a mockumentary!
mockumentary = mock + documentary
mock = (adj.) fake / artificial / pretend, but made to seem real!
a documentary = A fact-based movie about real people and real events; not a fictional story with actors and actress
(Mock is also a verb. To mock someone/something means to make fun of someone/something although not always in a friendly way. People mock someone/something to make other people laugh, but sometimes it can be considered insulting.)
A mockumentary is a film in the style of a serious documentary, but it’s a comedy film about fictional (not real) people and events. A mockumentary makes fun of someone or something. For example, The Dictator is about Admiral General Aladeen (not a real person!), a dictator from the Republic of Wadiya (not a real country!). It is believed to be loosely based on Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The movie makes fun of the way Gaddafi’s lived and ruled his country.
Synonyms: parody, satire, spoof
Other mockumentaries:
Best in Show
Tropic Thunder
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Borat
Brüno
Do you enjoy watching mockumentaries?
New English Word: Glamping
/ˈglæm.pɪŋ/

Every time I turn around, I notice a new English word! In October it was flightmare, and now it’s glamping! I first saw this word when I was reading an article about how central Asian-style tents called ‘yurts’ are becoming more popular.
glamourous = something that is exciting and attractive, (usually associated with wealth)
camping = sleeping outside (on the ground, in a tent, and in a sleeping bag)
Add the two words together and you get glamping!
glamping = glamourous camping; camping in luxury, as comfortably as possible!
Usually camping involves ‘roughing it’: sleeping outside with only a few necessities to cook with and keep yourself clean, and without the things that make our daily life comfortable.
What happens if you enjoy nature and being outside, but you don’t like roughing it? That’s OK! Now you can go glamping!
Idyllic Indonesia: Glamping heaven on Bali and Moyo Island (just watch out for the ants) (Daily Mail Online)
Stay warm under the stars this autumn with a woodland glamping holiday (The Mirror)
Manhattan Hotels Get in on Glamping Trend (ABC News)
Which do you prefer – camping or glamping?
New English Word: A Flightmare!

New words are always being added to the English language. Recently there’s been a trend of making a new word by combining two existing words.
This morning I heard the word flightmare for the first time! I was watching the news on TV, and a reporter used the word to describe a JetBlue (an American airline) flight from Florida to New Jersey. The plane had been forced to land in Connecticut because of bad weather. The passengers were stuck on the plane for 7 hours! They had no food or water, they couldn’t use the toilets on the plane AND they weren’t allowed to get off the plane! What a flightmare!
A flight – an airplane trip
A nightmare – it usually means a bad dream, but in this context it is a scary, upsetting, or unpleasant experience
‘Flight’ rhymes with ‘night’, so add the two words together and you get flightmare!
A flightmare – a nightmare flight; a horrible experience on a plane trip
Example Sentences:
A 16-hour Flightmare! (New York Post)
Travellers Face Flightmare Thanks to Hurricane Irene (Fox News)
That was such a flightmare! I had to sit next to a crying baby for 7 hours!
Have you ever had a ‘flightmare‘?
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