Glossary

#truth

# = hashtag; that is true

;)

wink = I'm joking

???

I’m confused or puzzled

@

at

2 a T

to a T = exactly; perfectly

4ever

forever

accurate

correct

acoustic

a musical instrument played without electrical amplification

acquaintance

a person you know but not as well as a friend

address

to use a special name or title when talking or writing to someone

adjust

to change; to shift; to switch

alien

someone who comes from an unfamliar place, maybe another planet

alienate

to make someone feel that he or she does not belong to a group

alienating

doing something that makes a person feel like he or she does not belong

anonymous

not identified by name

anonymously

doing something without telling who did it

apologize

to say “sorry”

apology

an expression of being sorry

appeal

attract

apprentice

a person who is learning a trade from his or her employer

approach

to come close to

appropriate

good or correct for a particular time or place

aroma

a scent

arranged

planned or organized; not by chance

assumption

something you think is true but you have no proof

assured

made certain or confident

awkward

hard to deal with; lacking skill or social grace

b4

before

background(s)

a person’s/people’s early education or family history

band

a group of musicians

barely

hardly; only just

baring

showing; uncovering

bass

an instrument with the lowest, or deepest, sound

be over it

to recover from an unhappy situation or incident

be up to

doing or planning to do something

bear hug

a friendly hug or embrace with arms completely around another person

bear-proof

able to keep bears out

beer garden

an enclosed outdoor space for drinking alcohol

beyond

more than usual

bin(s)

container(s)

biodegradable

able to decay naturally with no danger to the environment

black sheep of the family

a family member who doesn’t follow the family rules

blind

unable to see; without sight

blogger

a person who expresses opinions on Internet discussion sites called blogs (weblogs)

blunder

mistake; error

blunt

very direct; abrupt

bonus

something good or extra that is not expected

bottom

land below a hill; a valley

boundary/ boundaries

line(s) that mark a limit

brb

be right back = the texter must leave but will return

bro

brother; a male friend

buddy

a close friend

budge

to move; to change

bullet(s)

small circle(s) or other shape(s) on a document to mark item(s) in a list

bump

to lightly hit or crash into someone or something

burst

(an object) filled so full that it breaks

c’mon

Come on! Hurry! Get moving!

cabin

a vacation home often near a lake or in a forest

came up short

failed to reach a goal

campaign booth

a small space or table to promote someone who wants to be elected

censor

to cut out or delete unacceptable parts of a conversation or document

charge

to attack

choppy

separate; abrupt; not smooth

chorus

the repeated part of a song

cliff

a high point on a mountain above a vertical drop

close

very familiar; friendly; warm; intimate

cognates

words that share a common origin or root word; members of word families

coincidence

two or more events that happen by chance at the same time

colleague(s)

person/people who work together; co-worker(s)

comedian

a person who tells jokes or stories to make people laugh

commitments

promises

common

shared

communicate

to express and receive messages, including feelings and information

communication

the process of expressing and receiving feelings and information

compare

to find out how things, people, or events are the same

compliments

polite expressions of praise or congratulation

confirm

to establish that something is true

compose

to write

confirmation

an official answer that something is true

confirmation number

a number for a service that will definitely happen

confiscated

removed by someone with power

conflict

a disagreement or problem

considerate

thoughtful of other people

construction

the process of building something such as a highway

context

information before or after spoken or written words that clarify meaning

convenience

the quality of being easy to do, get, or use

convenient

easy to get, use, or do

cooler(s)

insulated container(s) for keeping food cold

county

an area or government district in the countryside

courteous

well-mannered; polite

courtesy

good manners; politeness

critic

a person who judges the quality of something, or offers negative opinions of it

critical

disapproving; fault-finding

critical thinking

reflecting deeply to consider how and why things happen

criticism(s)

expression(s) or judgement(s) of the fault(s), and sometimes quality, of something

crossing a line

behaving in a way that is not acceptable

curious

wanting to know; interested in something

darn

annoying

debt

something, such as money, owed to another person

decade(s)

a period of 10 years

deductible

an amount that is deducted, or subtracted, from a total amount

delicate

sensitive, difficult, or awkward

demanding

asking in a strong way

designated

chosen and identified

direct

straight; without formalities or ceremony

directly

done in a clear way that shows feelings exactly

directness

the condition of saying thoughts exactly without softening them

disappointment

the feeling when something hoped or planned for does not happen

distance

the social space between people; how close relationships are

distant

unfamiliar; unfriendly; cool; unsociable

distraction(s)

thing(s) that pull(s) attention away from what is important

diverse

different; having a lot of variety

diversity

variety

double bass

the largest instrument in the violin family

drop it

to stop doing something

dropped off

delivered

dropped out

quit attending

dropping in on

visiting someone without telling the person in advanced

droppings

stools or bodily waste left on the ground by animals

dude

man; guy

duet

two musicians performing together

easy on the eyes

good-looking; beautiful

elderly

old

elder(s)

older member(s) of a family or community

eldest

the oldest

electrocuted

shocked by an electric current

eligible

worthy to be chosen

embarrassment

feeling uncomfortable or awkward about someone’s behaviour

emerging

becoming known

emphasize

to say strongly

enforce

to require people to obey a rule

enlarge

to make bigger

environmentally friendly

not dangerous to the environment

equality

having similar status or power

etiquette

rules of polite behaviour

exceptional

unusual

excuse

to overlook; to accept bad behaviour

excuses

reasons or explanations for why something rude or inappropriate happened

eye candy

good-looking; beautiful

familiar

well known; easy to recognize

familiarity

knowing and feeling comfortable with someone or something

field

aboxorcellonaformtobefilledin

filter

to choose or carefully limit what is allowed out or in

financially

about money

fit in

to belong

flashback(s)

memory/memories

flexible

able to bend or change

fluent

flowing; smooth; not broken

folksy

friendly; informal

formal

paying careful attention to proper manners of doing something

formality

a polite or official way of acting or speaking

former

true before but not now

furious

very angry

gender

the social distinction of being female or male

generation(s)

people about the same age within a society or family such as grandparents, parents, children

genre

a category of artistic work in stories or music

gesture(s)

movement(s) of the body, especially hand(s) or the head, to express meaning

get a bee in my bonnet

become upset about something

gma

grandma

go overboard

be too extreme

grace period

a specific amount of time when penalties for being late are not charged

grateful

thankful

growing pain(s)

difficulty/difficulties when a new project begins

gtg

I’ve got to go

guide dog

a dog trained to help people who are blind

guilt

responsibility for a fault, mistake, or bad behaviour

handicap parking permit

a sign or special licence plate on a car that allows the car to be parked in wider, specially marked parking stalls closer to building entrances

handsome

good looking; attractive

hang on

to wait; to keep a telephone line open

hard of hearing

unable to hear well; hearing impaired

harm

hurt; damage; injury

has a good eye

has strong skills at something; notices small details

has a lot on his/ her plate

is very busy; has many responsibilities

have my word

have my promise

heartfelt

deep; honest; sincere

hesitant

not doing something immediately because you are unsure

honour

to respect; to celebrate

hot date

an exciting appointment with a romantic partner

hot topic

a subject many people are talking about

howz

how is

humiliation

feeling put down or publically shamed

hwy

highway

identify

to learn and say exactly what something is

ignore

to pay no attention to

impersonal

not about just one individual; public

in charge

responsible; leading

in Claire's shoes

in her role or situation

in-your-face

very direct; impossible to avoid

inbox

a physical or electronic place to receive messages

inclusion

the action of including someone or something in a group or action

inconvenience

a problem, nuisance, or bother

Indian

a person from India

indirect

roundabout; following formalities or ceremony

indirectly

done in a way that does not clearly show feelings

indirectness

the condition of not saying thoughts exactly, only hinting

inferring

figuring out; reasoning

informal

without ceremonial or formal manners; casual

instruction

information that tells someone how to do something

interact

to communicate

intermission

a planned break in a performance

intimate

very private; innermost; confidential

intonation

the way sounds become longer, shorter, higher or lower in speech

invisible

not able to be seen

jet lag

the condition of being very tired after flying in an airplane across time zones

just

only; only a short time ago; almost not able to do something

keep an eye out for

watch for

keep face

remain respectable

kill me now

I’d like to get out of this difficult situation.

l8r

later

leash

a long piece of leather or cloth attached to a dog collar

lending

letting someone borrow something

lengthen

to make longer

light bulb

a glass tube or bulb that uses electricity to produce light

line

an electronic, wired connection; e.g., telephone

listen in on

to hear something by accident or without the knowledge of others

litter

garbage left on the ground

lol

laughing out loud = very funny

losing face

become ashamed

lyrics

the words of a song

ma’am

madam; a polite greeting for an older woman

making excuses

giving reasons for inappropriate behaviour without taking responsibility for it

Maskwa

the fictional county named with the Cree word meaning “bear”

matter

subject; issue; problem

mend

to fix; to repair

mending fences

repairing a relationship after a conflict or misunderstanding

metaphor(s)

word(s) or phrase(s) that symbolize something else to explain something

minding my own beeswax

paying attention to my own duties, not other people’s

mithai

a South Asian sugary snack

moderator

a person who keeps order in a discussion

moody

given to unpredictable changes of mood

my bad

my mistake

my old lady

my wife or female partner

non-verbal

without speaking

nope

no

normal

usual; typical; ordinary

obligation(s)

thing(s) that must be done; duties

offence

a behaviour that upsets someone or breaks a custom, rule, or law

offended

to upset or insult someone

old soul

a wise, perhaps older, person

omg

oh my god

opinionated

having strong opinions

or else!

a warning or threat if a demand is not met

outer space

the area outside the Earth’s air (atmosphere), where other planets and the stars are

overly

too

padded envelope

an envelope with thick, soft sides to protect whatever is inside

partnership

a relationship between two people, groups, or organizations

patterns

ways or forms of talking or writing that repeat

perception(s)

the ability to see, smell, taste, hear, feel, and understand

performance

the act of presenting, or staging, a concert or play

permission

approval to do something

personal

private; individual; belonging to a particular person

perspective(s)

viewpoint(s); way(s) of seeing or understanding

pessimistic

negative

pick out

to choose

pistachio

a nut with a greenish kernel

pitch

how high or low a sound is

political party

a group organized around ideas of how to govern

politician

a person who is elected to government

poll

a set of questions or a survey to measure people’s opinions

post

to send a message by putting it in a public place

prefix(es)

letter(s) added to the beginning of a word, to make a new word

prob

problem

prohibiting

disallowing

prohibition(s)

rule(s) against some kind(s) of behaviour

prompt

quick

published

printed or produced for public sale

punctuation

writtenmarkssuchas, ?!.“”

quantity

an amount of something

quotes

words that were first said or written by someone else

r u w/

Are you with (someone)

reading
between the lines

understanding something more than what is written and isn’t directly stated

reception

the quality in receiving an electronic signal; e.g., on a radio, TV, or cellphone

recognize

to notice and identify; to be aware of

recyclable

able to be used again after being re-processed

reeve

the elected leader of a county; similar to a mayor in a town

regarding

concerning; about

regret

sadness; shame; guilt

regrets

expressions of being sorry

request

to ask

request

the act of asking for something

reviewer

a person who rates the quality of something and expresses an opinion about it

revival

a new production of an old work of art or music

rhythm(s)

strong, regular sound(s) or beat(s) in music

roots

origins

running

managing; controlling

rural

in the countryside, not in a city or town

saving face

protecting or restoring respect for someone

saxophone

a musical wind instrument

scaffolding

a supporting structure

scene

situation

scrambled

hurried

see eye to eye

to agree

series

a set or sequential group of things

service dog

a dog trained to help people

sesame seeds

small, oval seeds

settling in

becoming comfortable in a new place

shadowing

following closely

shame

dishonour; loss of respect from others

short list

a list of a few individuals being considered for a prize or honour

shout-out

a quick, public thank you

shut me out

stop listening or paying attention to me

sighing

breathing loudly because of fatigue, frustration, or boredom

signal

to show

significant other

a life partner; a spouse; a girlfriend or boyfriend

silver lining

the brighter or hopeful side to a problem; from the proverb “Every cloud has a silver lining”

sincere

honest; genuine; true

slashed

cut with a knife or sharp tool

smashing

excellent; wonderful

sober

clear-headed; not under the influence of alcohol

social media

online communication that connects large groups of people who share information; includes Facebook, Twitter, blogs

social conventions

patterns of polite behaviour in a society or culture

soften

to make softer, gentler, or less direct

softeners

expressions that make communication less direct

softer

less demanding; quieter

solo(s)

one musician performing alone

solution(s)

answer(s)

something’s up

something unusual is happening

SpaceBook

a fictional social media site

srsly

seriously

stage

a platform for performers, often higher than the floor

status

the social position, or rank, of one person compared to others

straggler(s)

latecomer(s)

struggle

to try very hard to do something difficult

suffix(es)

letter(s) added to the end of a word, to make a new word

suggest

to say what someone could or should do

suggestion

a message or statement that tells what someone could or should do

sugar-coating

making something sound better than it really is

suited

fit

sum

total amount

sundown

sunset

sux

sucks = something is terrible

sux 2 b u

sucks to be you = your situation is terrible

sweet

sugary; fantastic

sweetheart

a beloved person

sweets

candies or sugary snacks

switch

to exchange one thing for another

sympathy

feeling of pity or compassion for someone in pain or trouble

synonym(s)

word(s) with similar meaning(s)

take dictation

to write down exactly what someone says

talent

natural ability

teacher’s pet

a student favoured by a teacher

tell

to give information; to communicate something

texture

the feel of a substance

the big two-o

20 years old

the most eligible bachelor

the single man most qualified for marriage

theft

the crime of stealing; a robbery

thirsty

the feeling of needing to drink something

threatening

saying that someone will do something unpleasant if a demand isn’t met

throw up

to vomit

thx

thanks

tidy

neat and orderly

TMI

too much information

tone

the sound of a voice

tow truck

a powerful truck able to pull other vehicles

trade

some kind of skilled work done by hand or machine; e.g., electrician, carpenter

traditional

customary in a family or culture

trapped

unable to get away

trivial

small details; unimportant facts

Twitterverse

all the users and comments on the social networking site Twitter

u

you

ugh

an expression that shows dislike

unattended

alone without being watched or attended

uncomfortable

unpleasant; difficult; not relaxed

unfamiliar

not well known; not easy to recognize

unforeseen

unexpected; surprising

ungrateful

not thankful

unknown

not famous; anonymous

unoriginal

copied; not new or imaginative

upbeat

cheerful; optimistic

upset

disturbed; made unhappy

ur

your

value

worth; price

vehicle

a car, truck, van, bicycle, etc.

vocal

freely saying, or voicing, opinions

w/

with

walking on eggshells

being careful of what is said or done around another person because he or she might easily become upset

water under the bridge

events that happened in the past and cannot be changed

We regret to inform you

This is bad news

Well, I’ll be

an expression of surprise

What the heck

an expression of surprise or anger; a softer way of saying “What the hell?”

wisdom

the quality of knowing what is right and doing what is just

wonky

unreliable

zombie

a person who behaves without human emotion