SPILL – do you know what this word means originally?
Example: He wanted to show off his ability to distinguish between expensive wines, and then he raised a glass carelessly and spilled the wine all over his shirt.
Can you guess what “spill” means? Click on the triangle to check yourself:
to spill = to open a bottle or tip a glass and let the liquid inside flow out, usually because of carelessness
Based on this meaning, guess what “spill” means in this scenario:
“His friend told her in strict confidence that he was dating his phychogist and asked her not to repeat it to anyone, but she ignored this request and spilled his secret to everyone around her.
What can “spill” mean when it’s applied to some information, usually confidential?
If you know that someone is keeping a secret, you can tell them : “spill“! (=reveal this secret information). For example, celebrities always spill embrarrassing stories about themselves or their friends. When someone reveals information that was supposed to be kept secret, you can also say that they blab. Example: “I trusted her with some very personal information, but she blabbed it to her friends.”
STRETCH – do you know this word from physical exercises or from fashion?
Example:
– It’s important to stretch the main muscles before and after a physical activity
– When you wear the same clothes for many years, you stretch them and they become too wide and tired-looking
Do you know if “stretch” means something positive or negative in this case:
-I’m enjoying my theater class, but I think I’m too talented compared to the other students, so I’d like to change levels and find a class that would stretch me more
“stretch” is positive here, because a job or a class that stretches you gives you the possibility to learn more and develop your talents
Is “stretch” positive here:
I don’t know if I can believe you because I have the impression that you are stretching the truth a little. What you are telling me is a stretch.
To “stretch the truth” is negative because it means to invent information and to add imagined false facts to a story
SET – it’s a very short word that can be an action or a characteristic (an adjective). What does it mean exactly? Do you know how to use it in a phrase?
Look at the examples:
Good parents set a good example for their children. They also set some rules to follow. In addition, they set limits that the children are not supposed to cross.
Can you say now see more clearly what “to set” means ?
It means to “create, define, specify, or establish”. Do you see how many ideas you can express with just one little word?
Do you know what it means : “We are all set now”? Can you see how it fits in with the main meaning of “set”, even if in this example it is an adjective, and not a verb?
“We are all set” means “we are ready and prepared”. It means “we have cleared everything up, and we have defined our strategy”.
What about “SETTLE”? It looks a little similar to “set”, but you cannot use it in the same way. Look at the example and answer the question:
If you “settle a conflict”, do you make this conflict better or worse?
You make it better; in fact, you make it go away! To “settle” means to “calm down, be quiet”, so it’s used to describe a problem that has been solved.
So, you can say “It’s all settled” when you have found a great way to make peace after a fight.
Do you want to share an example from your own life to illustrate one of the words above?
Are there any other words that you don’t know how to use and that you want explained?
Don’t hesitate to write comments or wishes it below…
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