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Showing posts from February, 2012

Bookmart @ The Central, Clarke Quay

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If one were to go to Singapore to shop, then shopping for books back to Malaysia may not prove to be a cost effective idea unless one were to shop in Bookmart for their used books. The popular Japanese bookstore which buys back used book and sells them back out has set up shop in The Central located in Clarke Quay. Learners of the Japanese language will be thrilled to find shelves of book in Japanese as well as used English books still in good condition even though they are not new. A detailed sharing of the bookstore as well expected experiences within is available from I Walk the World . Book lovers should definitely drop by to browse through the treasure trove and see if one could find his love at a discounted price. With the book still in tip-top condition and price slashed to almost half of the original, it is definitely a much sought-after place for people looking for a bargain in book purchase.

Red Herrings & White Elephants - The Origins of the Phrases We Use Every Day

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by Albert Jack What does either a Red Herring (a false or misleading clue) or a White Elephant (something useless, usually pointing to public buildings, that becomes a burden, much like our country's facilities...) has anything to do with their respective meanings? Just as the foreword of the book implied, such sayings are part and parcel of the everyday English and most native speakers are familiar with them, seldom giving them a thought. Unfortunately non-native English learners will most probably be confused, even perplexed, by the choice of words. Although the usual response from teachers are to 'learn by heart', it does help to know the origins of such phrases and have a laugh at it while closing the distance between the learner and the phrases. Even native speakers who apply such phrases will almost certainly at a time or another have thought of why certain sayings sound so ridiculous and how did it get to become as such.  Red Herrings & White Elep