Learn Colloquial English with The 5 Boyfriends

Learn and Enjoy English With The 5 Boyfriends!

Colloquial expressions….

Play-on-words….

Phrasal verbs….

These are always areas students want to know and learn more about….

So, today, I have something light and humorous to share with you.
My sister sent it to me.
I apologize I don’t know who the author or artist is. But I thank them for creating such an enjoyable day in the life of a mature woman with her “5 Boyfriends”!

Play-On-Words

But before you read about this woman’s day, here are some expressions that will help you understand the play-on-words, the colloquial expressions and phrasal verbs.

- “Will” is the shortened form for William, as well as part of the compound noun: will power.

- “John” is a name for a man; it is also an American colloquial, informal, but polite, expression for the toilet.

- “Charlie Horse” refers to the colloquial expression, charley horse, which is a painful and involuntary muscle contraction, (also called spasms or cramps), especially in the thigh or calf. (Do you know what parts of the body those words refer to?)

- “Arthur Ritis” is a play on the sound of the English pronunication for that painful disease that affects the joints, arthritis.

- “to go from joint to joint“: a joint is an American colloquial expression for a bar/pub/nightclub, they are usually smokey places, where there also could be dancing.

Phrasal Verbs

Your turn:
- did you get the play-on-words with the man’s name, Al Zymer? What is this name referring to?

- Look up the following phrasal verbs. What do they mean in their context?
– come along:
– show up:

Give up?
If you have any problems finding the words, click on the word – it is linked to the dictionary – but then you must choose which definition fits the context “he he he”