Idiomatic Expression Of The Day

 Let's start using idioms or idiomatic expressions when we write. When idioms are used, it add color and texture to language by creating images that convey meanings beyond those of the individual words that make them up. An idiom can be very colorful and make a 'picture' in our minds. It also shows the writer's familiarity with English. When you want to make your writing sound more conversational, including idioms can give your writing a more relaxed tone.

Idioms allow us to say a lot with few words. Idioms amplify your messages in a way that draws your readers in and helps awaken their senses. It adds dynamism and character to otherwise stale writing. They make your writing less monotonous and your readers will think that you are smart and knowledgeable. All the while ... you only clothe your writing with elaborate idioms to create an impact... saying too much with less. 

To perfect your English, you really need to become confident in using idioms and knowing the difference between breaking a leg and pulling someone's leg. So the idiom of the day is:

IDIOM: Sins of Omission and Commission

MEANING: The idiom "Sins of Omission " means not doing what is right or failing to do as instructed. As a Catholic, if you refuse to love your neighbor ... or you failed as instructed to feed the hungry ... or give water to the thirsty ... or clothe the naked ... whatever you are deficient and seemed lacking in your love of your neighbor falls under this category.

On the other hand ... Sins of Commission are those sinful actions you proactively do. Lying to your teeth ... or stealing your parent's money falls under this genre because you commit these sins regularly and habitually.

To contrast the two ... in a sin of omission ... you choose to OMIT or not do what is right ... while in a sin of commission, you opt to COMMIT or do what is not right. While sins of commission are often ACTIVE, BLATANT, and DELIBERATE —transgressing a known law or command ... sins of omission can be PASSIVE and COMPLAISANT. A sin of commission is a WILLFUL act ... while sins of omission are just your relaxed WILL and your stubbornness to carry out what is instructed and was told of you.

ORIGIN: The theology behind a sin of omission derives from James 4:17, which teaches "Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits a sin." Its opposite is the sin of commission, i.e. a sin resulting from an action performed

USING IT IN A SENTENCE:  If I know that Johnathan will lie to his teeth to protect himself and I did not stop him ... or I keep mum about what I know ... it is a prototype example of sin of omission. If I helped him lie and even volunteered to be his witness ... it would be a paradigm and a classic example of sin of commission.

Idioms In Tagalog

 One of my friends asked:  "Are there idiom equivalents also  in the Tagalog language?" Of course, there are.  Katulad ng idioms sa English, ginagamit ito para tumingkad ang paglalarawan ng mga bagaybagay at para mapaigting  at matalinhaga ang takbo ng usapin o pagsusulat.

And just like in English ... ang kahulugan ng mga "sawikain or idioms" ay magkaiba sa literal meaning ng mga salita. Sa madaling salita ang mga sawikain don't mean exactly what the individual words in it say. Tandaan natin ... ang figurative meaning ng mga sawikain ... is different from its literal meaning

Huwag kang baliw!  Kung may nagsabi sa iyo na makapal ang mukha mo ... huwag ka nang magpaligoy-ligoy pa.  Tanggapin mo na ang katotohanan na "kapalmuks ka".

Huwag mo nang uto-in ang iyong sarili at kumbinsihin ang mga nakarinig na "siguro siabi niyang makapal ang mukha ko ... dahil makapal lang talaga ng make up ko"  ... or budolin ang mga madlang people na " what he meant sa sinabi niya na makapal ang mukha ko ... he is referring to my pimples at mga tagihawat ko.  Dumami kasi ang kanilang population ... pwede na gawing popcorn."

Ulol! Aminin mo na ... The figurative meaning was that you are SHAMELESS ... at huwag ka nang magtago pa sa literal meaning ng idiom ... na ibig sabihin ay ... THICK FACE.

Ikaw talaga ... pati ba baman make up at tagihawat ginamit mo nang palusot.

It Is Never Right To Shame

Bakit takaw -eskandalo ka? Everytime na may taong gustong mong ituwid  ... or ituwid ka ... o may taong kumokontra sa iyo ... bakit para kang bulkan na sumasambulat at defensive agad?

Sa mga kritiko ... ang tindi ng atake mo ... it is almost bordering on belittling or ridiculing. At sa mga taong pinupuna ... doble rin ang balik mo  ha... kung hindi mo nagustohan ang mga sinabi niya ... dobleng latay ang sakit ng mga sinasabi mo and more often than not ... dahil na-offend ka ... hinihiya mo siya to get even. Whether you are the nitpicker ... or the nitpickee ... plain and simple ... you can always pin down your enemy by attacking his vulnerable sides.

Sa mga critic ...  gusto mo ikaw ang masunod ... at gusto mo pinapakinggan ka. Sa mga pinipintasan ... ayaw mong tumanggap ng constructive criticism ... ayaw mo rin ng reaction at feedback sa kung anong  mga mali mong  desisyon na lantarang ginagawa mo for all your friends to see. Gusto mo malaya maisakatuparan mo ang iyong mga decisions ... you'd rather na ang mga friends mo ... walang nakikita ... walang naririnig ... walang pakialam ... at walang hahadlang.

Talking about giving constructive criticisms ... and getting offensive when criticized ... ito ang tip ko sa inyo mga tol.

Kung may nakita ka ng mali sa tao ... it is never right to SHAME the person just to prove your point. At kung na-offend ka sa sinabi ng critic mo ... it is also never right to give him the wrath of God ... something he has not experienced before.

Learning will not happen when you use EDUCATION SHAMING as your means. Ang pamamahiya sa iba ay hindi ikatatalino ninuman ... much more ikahusay ... or will make him change to better himself.

In the same vein ... shaming your critic to give him a dose of his own medicine ... will fan the embers of your disagreement and difference of opinion ... and nothing will be resolved.

One secret so you can meet halfway is for both parties to be respectful and patient. Talk about the problem and its solutions in private ... (not in public for all the world to see and hear) ... and you see your communication grow and smooth sailing.

Education Shaming

 

Assistant in Quora has this to say about education shaming.

"Education shaming refers to the act of belittling or stigmatizing individuals based on their level of education or academic achievements. This can take various forms, such as ridiculing someone for not pursuing higher education, mocking individuals for their choice of field of study, or devaluing someone's intelligence based on their educational background. Education shaming can have detrimental effects on individuals' self-esteem and can perpetuate inequality and discrimination. It's important to promote a culture of respect for diverse educational paths and to recognize that intelligence and worth are not solely determined by formal education."

Correct me if I am wrong ... but I think education shaming is more than that. I think it encompasses any education - where shaming is involved to make the person realize his sins of omission and commission. If you caught your nephew taking 1000 pesos from your wallet (he is a graduating high school student ... and is planning to enter the university soon) and you start lecturing him on these issues:

1. honesty and truthfulness

2. being contented with what his parents give

3. living within his means

4.  careful budgeting

5.  saving money

6. stealing as a crime

your pep talk and impromptu lecture are SHAMING the kid (letting the kid know what he did and telling him the repercussions of his behavior) to TEACH him.

Shame-based teaching ... and shame-based learning is a type of education that teaches what he should do and what he shouldn't do. It is a means to let the kid know his flawed behavior that deviates from the norms of social conduct. It is a means to educate the kid on what he ought to do and should not ... by humiliating him.

The main goal here is ... to shame the kid (not for anything else) and not because you want to ... but to teach him ... and learn important life lessons.

But frankly, education shaming is pointless and ineffectual really ... having a third person eavesdropping on what is going on ... the SHAMERS will surely leave a worse taste in the listener's mouth than it does about the PERSONS THEY ARE SHAMING. 

Education-shaming and shaming-learning have their own snag and downsides ... their success is few and far between. It really depends on how the process was executed ... and how the shamer and the person being shamed react to it.

Dyuk ... Dyuk ... Dyuk

Teacher: Class ... Ano ang mga lugar na may midnight sun ... di ba  Iceland, Norway, Finland, Greenland, etc. Eh sa Japan ... meron bang umaga at gabi?

Student: Naku Ma'am walang Umaga at Gabi ... pero HAPON ... marami!

Photo Story

No Man Is An Island was what the photo story is about. This line came from a poem by an English author John Donne which means ... Everyone is a piece of a continent ...  or to the part of the main ... even if the clod is washed away by the sea. 

Just like the Philippines ... its location is separated by the sea ... from mainland Asia. In moments of peace ... one thinks it can stand alone ... that it can survive its own domestic battles without the interference of any other Asian nation.

With China's incursion in the West Philippine Sea, we woke to this rude awakening that no matter how isolated we are ... even though we are separated by bodies of water far from the intrusion of our neighbors ... we realized the Philippines can't stand alone with this new geo-political challenge.

The message further branched out to this: "No one is self-sufficient ... everyone relies on others.  

The plane in the photo above can soar into the sky separated from all of us ... thinking he is Superman personified - and that it can fly free as a bird - alone with no limits and boundaries.

He never thought that one day, people that he ignored in the ground would carry him and give him a breath of life. 

The moral lesson of the day is for us not to burn bridges, whatever relationships we have we have to water them and let them grow. Invest in people and consider what little or big help they can do for us. Don't brush them off ... like we don't need them anymore. And don't drive them away all in the name of independence ... self-reliance ... autonomy ... or sovereign rights.

The Philippines ... after letting the Americans pack their bags and go ... have to lick their vomit and kowtow to Uncle Sam one more time. Dahil may kailangan?

Ano ba yan?  Pag hindi na kailangan paalisin ... kung may bagong kailangan ... babalik? Na parang wala lang nangyari?

No Man Is An Island - The Lettermen