Improve Your English: English in Everyday Life

e Y
our Englis
h: Englis
h in Ev
er
yda
y Life
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cool:
A slang expression that means “to be desired 
or desirable,” “to be with it,” “to be in vogue,” or “to be 
happening.”
customer service:
In business, addressing and meeting 
the needs of the customers or clients.
eastern seaboard:
Th
e eastern portion of the United 
States along the Atlantic Ocean.
for sure:
With certainty.
gonna:
Going to.
Guyanese Creole:
A Creole language spoken by the peo-
ple of Guyana.
hell of a lot:
A slang expression that means “a large 
quantity.”
Mennonite:
A Christian religious sect devoted to peace 
from which the Amish are derived.
no kidding:
An expression that means “Really? Is that 
true?”
Pidgin Creole:
A layperson’s term for a dialect spoken in 
Guyana. 
Pidgins
are defi ned as languages that arise out 
of contact and that are no one’s native language; 
creoles
typically refer to pidgins that have native speakers—that 
is, the children of the speakers who originated the pid-
gin. Pidgins and creoles diff er in linguistic structure.
pretty intimidating:
Very intimidating.
rap:
A kind of music in which the lyrics are spoken in a 
rhythmic fashion.
torch:
In British English, a fl ashlight or some other kind 
of handheld light.

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The Us
e of L
anguage
: Par
t II
119
wipe the slate off completely (
usually