LESSON 1A VOCABULARY AND SPEAKING
- Spoken language is often quite vague or imprecise.
- We use vague language when:
- we are not sure or have forgotten the precise word, e.g., whatsername / whatsisname / stuff (for uncountable items) / thingy (for countable items).
- we are giving an example, e.g., and so on / and everything / and stuff / stuff like that.
- we are approximating, e.g., somewhere in the region of / give or take (amounts of numbers), -ish / sort of / kind of (qualities).
- … like, er, whatsisname, that famous footballer.
- I love those thingies on her shoes.
- … the earrings and so on. I don’t really like stuff like that.
- There are somewhere in the region of a hundred shows.
- Jackets look better when they’re biggish.