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What is in a name? Posted by Gabriele on Jan 31, 2012
Yesterday I wrote a blog post about “the average Joe” and in that post I mentioned* how often the name ‘Joe’ is used in America to refer to an average or normal person or sometimes it is used to generically to refer to a person whose name you don’t know. I also mentioned that Joe…
An Average Joe Posted by Gabriele on Jan 30, 2012
“Average Joe” is an expression used in English to describe an average, typical, or normal American male. The expression “Average Jane” is sometimes used to describe the hypothetically average or normal American woman. We have other terms used to describe someone as average, normal, and like everybody else as well, for example: “Ordinary Joe”, “Joe…
Air Travel in the United States Posted by Gabriele on Jan 29, 2012
I recently left for a trip overseas, which means I spent some time in a few airports this past week. This of course had me thinking about airplane travel and how much of a hassle* this can be at times. Here is some good information to know about flying out of airports in the United…
An All-American Salad Posted by Gabriele on Jan 27, 2012
Have you ever had Waldorf Salad? This is type of salad made from apples, grapes, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise, that was invented at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City in the 1890’s. It is not every day that you can pinpoint* exactly where and when a food was invented, but Waldorf Salad is one…
Yellowstone National Park Posted by Gabriele on Jan 24, 2012
Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872. It is America’s oldest national park, and even though it is very large it is not America’s largest national park. The park is located in the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, but most of the park is in Wyoming. It is 3,468 square miles (8,983 km2) in size. …
America’s National Parks Posted by Gabriele on Jan 23, 2012
The national parks system in the United States is both extensive* and impressive. In my opinion America’s national parks are one of my country’s best features. I love being out doors, hiking and camping and these parks are some of the best places to do these activities in the United States. I would like to…
Some Common American Hand Gestures Posted by Gabriele on Jan 22, 2012
Today I’m going to share with you some hand gestures that are often used by English speakers. I am sure if you think about it you will remember times you have seen Americans use these hand gestures either in movies, TV shows, or in person. These are all pretty commonly used. First though, I thought…