Rebecca
Good question! ‘Smooth sailing’ is an idiom which is indicating ‘easy progress’. The ‘smooth’ is referring to ‘calm ocean waters’ and ‘sailing’ is the action of traveling a boat by wind. It’s a common phrase used in English and it originated from sailors. Ex: I hope everything is smooth sailing. Ex: Once you’ve passed the exam, it’ll be all smooth sailing.
01/01
1
What's the main difference between "glow" and "shine"?
"Glow" means that the light is illuminating from something as if heated. Whereas "shine" is light that comes from something or is about the surface of an object. They can sometimes both mean to emit light. In this case, if something is "shining", it's usually more intense than a "glow". Ex: There was a warm glow around the fire that night, and the stars were shining. Ex: My phone screen was shining so bright in my face. Ex: Her eyes were glowing. Ex: Natalie's shoes were so shiny.
2
What does "straight away" mean?
"Straight away" means "immediately". A term that is similar to "straight away" that is more common and has the same meaning is "right away". Ex: We need to work on this project straight away. Ex: Straight away, she headed for the subway station.
3
Can I omit "for" and just say "over 5000 years" here?
When we are talking about time, we should include "for" (or "since," depending on the sentence) to specify the length of time. Omitting "for" would sound unnatural in this context. Ex: This cafe has been around for over 30 years. Ex: My parents have been married for 20 years. Ex: I have been playing hockey for almost nine years.
4
Why does he say "and everything" here? Does it mean something?
In English, we commonly use the phrase "and everything" to take the place a long list of things that may be involved in a situation. Ross is the saying that Janice is in labour; contracting and all the other things that happen when someone is in labour. Ex: I'm going on holiday so I have to pack and everything. Ex: A: Did you clean up? B: Yes. I did the dishes and everything.
5
Can I skip "that" here? Is it necessary?
You can skip "that" in this situation. However, you would have to replace "that" with an article instead, such as "the" or "a." This is because the sentence would be grammatically incorrect. The word Chinese needs an article before it because it is acting as an adjective; it is describing what kind of box it is. The sentence is incomplete without some kind of article before it. Ex: Funny thing about a Chinese takeout box, it's actually American. Ex: Funny thing about the Chinese takeout box, it's actually American.
Complete the expression with a quiz!
