Today I am bringing you another of our popular lessons in the series English as Fourth, Fifth or Sixth Language; this one teaches you how to offer someone a drink in English.
Giving and receiving drinks is the supreme social custom in Britain – it has been said that the quickest way to an Englishman’s heart (or a Welshman’s, Scotsman’s or Irishman’s) is through his liver – so it is important to master as many as possible of the formulae that enable you to put a glass in his hand and say cheers. Here are more than three score of the best for you to learn.What’s yours?What’s your poison?Care to join me?Care for a drink?Care for a noggin?Care for a wee dram?Time for a quick one?Shall we get one in?Shall we line them up?Shall we set them up?I think the sun’s over the yardarm.Wet your whistle?Bend the elbow?Get one inside you?Get yourself outside one?I feel a thirst coming on.Can I twist your arm ….?Care for a gargle?…hair of the dog……other half……a quick grog……a small tincture……What your right arm’s for?Sherry, vicar?One for the road?The other half?A small mouthwash?Your glass is empty.Shall I freshen it for you?Another little sherbert?Another libation?One more can’t hurtIt’ll put hair on your chestWhat’s your tipple?Wouldst thou quaff some wine?Or sup some ale?What tickles your fancy?What is your pleasure?A quick nip?A tot?A swig?A snifter?A snorter?A stirrup-cup?A beaker full of the warm south, full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene?This is my shoutI’ll put my hand in my pocketI’m that dry…Whose round is it?I’ll get this…No, let me…No, let me do this…No, let me handle this one…No, I insist…Oh, very well…No, I insist…Same again?More of the same?Something stronger?Just the half..?Straight glass..?Handle ..?I’m sorry.Did I spill that?Did I spill that over you?I’m very sorry.I’m very sorry.Look, I’ve said I’m sorry.I’m sure it’ll dry out.Let me give you a wipe down…All right!Keep your hair on!Who’re you looking at, Jimmy?Put your fists down.It’s only a pint.Let me get you another.I’ll buy you another.No, I insist.No, let me do the honours…It would be a pleasure.What’s yours?What’s your poison?Now go back to the beginning and start again as often as you like…
More from Miles Kington. Global warming could give Britain more storms in winter, caused by increased activity of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a northern equivalent of the El Niño phenomenon that affects American weather. Global warming could give Britain more storms in winter, caused by increased activity of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a northern equivalent of the El Niño phenomenon that affects American weather.
New studies have led scientists to conclude that the NAO, which influences air pressure over huge areas of sea from the western Atlantic to Siberia, is being affected by greenhouse gases and other human-derived atmospheric changes, and that this could alter marine life and the life-cycles of land-based plants and animals.In a separate study, archaeologists have suggested that climate change could have been an important driver in the collapse of ancient societies, such as the change from the hunter-gatherer lifestyle to an agrarian existence and the collapse of early Egyptian civilisations.Both studies, published in Science, have come soon after a report by an international panel of scientists concluded that global warming was accel-erating and was already unstoppable, and that global temperatures might rise by as much as 6C by the end of this century, causing sea levels to rise when glaciers melt.Investigation of the weather system making up the NAO shows that it is far more complicated than its southern counterparts, El Niño and La Niña, which affect the surface temperature of the sea and thus the amount of rain that falls on surrounding land masses.In a “study of studies”, a team from the US National Center for Atmospheric Research noted that “changes in the NAO have a wide range of effects on marine and terrestrial ecosystems”, including fish spawning, the flowering dates of plants, and the populations of land animals.

They say it seems “increasingly less likely that natural variability is the cause of the recent NAO trend”.For almost all of the past 20 years the NAO has been “positive”, which means that the sea in the North Atlantic has been warm. That has led to increased evaporation from the sea, and so more rain on land – and also to fiercer storms.”New results link the recent NAO trend to a progressive warming of tropical sea surface temperatures”, particularly in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, noted James Hurrell, who led the work. “That warming is also predicted to occur as a result of increases of atmospheric greenhouse gases.”British researchers are wary of saying that NAO trends are definitely due to global warming. “We would question whether we can yet tease out the natural variability from human-caused effects,” said Rob Allan, a climate scientist at the Meteorological Office’s Hadley Centre.

“The trouble is that we only have about 100 years’ worth of observations, so it’s difficult to separate out the human effects from natural variation.” Latest research suggested that the NAO may vary over a period of 60 to 80 years, he said.Other work based on archaeological data suggests that the collapse of early civilisations in Egypt around 2300BC may have been driven by sudden droughts and cooling. Rainfall fell by up to one-third, making farming impossible across large parts of the Middle East, said researchers from Yale University and the University of Massachusetts. “These climatic changes were unrelated to human activities,” they noted.. Supermarket chain Asda today announced plans to ensure that its fresh chicken, pork and eggs will soon come from animals reared on GM-free diets. Supermarket chain Asda today announced plans to ensure that its fresh chicken, pork and eggs will soon come from animals reared on GM-free diets.
The chain said it will be asking suppliers to use soya meal that is free of all genetically modified ingredients.Asda, which removed all GM ingredients and derivatives from its own-label foods 15 months ago, said it was reacting to customer demand with the new products, which will hit shelves from the summer. It also plans to eventually introduce GM-free beef and lamb.Asda was the second major British retailer to announce new GM-free lines of fresh meat and eggs today.Earlier, ailing high street retailer Marks & Spencer announced a push on meat, fish and poultry from animals reared on GM-free diets.

It said that no food containing any genetically modified ingredients would have been fed to fresh beef, lamb, chicken, and salmon sold in its stores.Eggs would also be sourced from chickens fed only on natural products, said a Marks & Spencer spokesman.Asda said it would not be passing extra costs on to customers and claimed it had received hundreds of letters from customers calling for the removal of GM animal feed from the food chain.Lorenz Petersen, Genetic Engineering Campaigner for Greenpeace, said: “This is fantastic news, not only for UK consumers.”. A new record is in sight for the leaders of the Vendée Globe race but the man in front, Michel Desjoyeaux, can also see on his radar the shadow of Britain’s Ellen McArthur breathing down his neck. A new record is in sight for the leaders of the Vendée Globe race but the man in front, Michel Desjoyeaux, can also see on his radar the shadow of Britain’s Ellen McArthur breathing down his neck.
The race organiser and former competitor Philippe Jeantot, has revised his finish time prediction, bringing it forward to 10 February as the leading pair have less than 4,000 miles to go.The fleet of 24, which started from Les Sables d’Olonne on 9 November, is now down to 16 with the formal retirement yesterday of the Russian, Fedor Konyukhov. And if Jeantot’s prediction proves true it would mean a circumnavigation time of 93 days. That would smash the existing record, set by Christophe Augin in 1996-97, of 105 days and 18 hours.As McArthur tracks Desjoyeaux mile-for-mile, the gap between them is fluctuating between 95 and 100 miles. However, the distance between the top two and third-placed Marc Thiercelin has now increased to 400 miles.Both know they can now expect constant wind for the remainder of the race.

But they are also aware that, at a time when they would prefer to be nursing their Open 60s home, they will have to keep up the pressure and so increase the risk of breakage or gear failure.With a 341-mile run in 24 hours, Mike Golding, in ninth place, closed the gap on fellow Briton Josh Hall to 200 miles.In The Race, Grant Dalton in Club Med was stretching his lead and keeping up the pace between the Kerguelen Islands and a track well south of Australia. He put in a 566-mile run in 24 hours as adverse winds kept Cam Lewis and the repaired Team Adventure in Cape Town for a further 24 hours.. The last time Johnny Nelson met a Brazilian heavyweight champion was in 1995 when he was defending his World Boxing Federation heavyweight championship against Adilson Rodriquez in São Paulo Nelson lost a disputed decision that night. The last time Johnny Nelson met a Brazilian heavyweight champion was in 1995 when he was defending his World Boxing Federation heavyweight championship against Adilson Rodriquez in São Paulo.