Today's Study Material

Phrasal Verb of the Day: Back * up

1. to provide support for a person or idea transitive verb 2. to supply proof that a statement is true transitive verb 3. to make a copy of computer data to keep in case anything goes wrong with the original transitive 4. to go or move something backward transitive and intransitive
5. accumulate: to build up, or cause something to build up, especially because normal flow is obstructed transitive and intransitive

Examples: 1. "I'm sure you'll back me up on this statement: the Republicans are morons". 2. "Evidence of growth is backed up by recent economic statistics". 3. "I need to back up all my files in case of a new computer virus". 4. "He backed up into another car in the parking lot". 5. "Traffic was backed up three miles from the accident"& "The sewer was backed up from all of the rain".

Back up can also be used as a noun, and is related to the third definition. "He is the back-up first baseman for the New York Yankees".

Idiom of the Day: A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush

Meaning: Possessing something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything.

Origin: This refers back to mediaeval falconry (using hawks, falcons, and eagles to hunt) where a bird in the hand (the falcon) was certainly worth more than two in the bush (the prey).

Example: "I have been given the job at the bank. Although there is probably a better job still available somewhere else, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush".

Song of the Day: Fire and Rain, James Taylor. 1970

Moody, introspective, and laying bare deep emotional sensitivity, Taylor wrote this in 1968 at 3 different times. He started it in London, where he successfully auditioned for The Beatles' Apple Records. He later worked on it in a Manhattan Hospital, and finished it while in drug rehab. This is about the high and low points of Taylor's life. He was only 20 when he wrote this, but was battling depression and heroin addiction.

The first verse is Taylor's reaction to the death of a friend. The second verse is about arriving in America and struggling with depression, the third is about his stay at the rehab center.

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Lyrics