Language Focus
| Word / Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Mighty warm | An ironic, understated way of describing very hot weather. | "Mighty warm today, isn't it?" she said, fanning herself with a folded newspaper. |
| Cooking | Very hot, especially in an enclosed or crowded space. | "The kitchen was cooking by the time the dinner rush started, even with the fan on full blast." |
| You'd be destroyed with the heat | You would feel completely overwhelmed or worn out by the heat. | "You'd be destroyed with the heat standing out there for the parade." |
| Lethal heat | Extremely intense heat (an informal intensifier, not literally dangerous). | "That's lethal heat altogether — we'll need extra water breaks on the site today." |
| Savage heat | Extremely intense heat (another informal Irish intensifier). | "There's savage heat in that greenhouse, be careful not to overdo it." |
| I'm dying with the heat | I feel extremely uncomfortable because of the heat (exaggerated, informal). | "I'm dying with the heat in this office, honestly." |
| I'm banjaxed with the heat | I'm completely exhausted because of the heat. | "I'm banjaxed with the heat after cutting the grass this morning." |
| Belting down sun | The sun is shining very strongly and continuously. | "There was belting down sun all afternoon, not a cloud in sight." |
| Would ya look at that heat | An exclamation drawing attention to how hot it is. | "Would ya look at that heat — sure it's like a different country altogether." |
| Jaysis, the state of the heat | An exclamation commenting on how extreme or unpleasant the heat is. | "Jaysis, the state of the heat below in Cork today — it was unbearable." |
| Sure we don't know what to do with ourselves in this heat | A self-deprecating remark about being unprepared for unusual heat. | "Sure we don't know what to do with ourselves in this heat, we're not used to it at all." |
| We're not built for this heat | A remark suggesting the country or its people aren't adapted to cope with such heat. | "We're not built for this heat, that's for certain — the whole country grinds to a halt." |
Reading
Ah Sure, We're Just Not Built For It
There's a moment every Irish summer when the temperature creeps past the mid-twenties and the whole country seems to collectively lose its mind. It happened again last week, and the reaction was, as always, magnificent to watch.
At the shop, the woman ahead of me in the queue turned around, fanned herself with a magazine, and said, "Mighty warm today, isn't it?" — as if remarking on nothing more than a light breeze, despite looking two shades past melted.
Out on the building site nearby, one lad shouted over to his mate that it was lethal heat altogether, while another swore there was savage heat coming off the tarmac. By lunchtime, someone else was heard declaring he was dying with the heat and would need to sit in the shade for the rest of the shift.
My neighbour, meanwhile, spent the entire afternoon in her garden insisting there was belting down sun since ten that morning, despite having complained about rain just three days earlier.
And then, of course, there's the classic response — the shrug, the sigh, the admission that sure, we don't know what to do with ourselves in this heat. We're not built for this heat, someone always says, usually while standing in direct sunlight without a hat, sunscreen, or a single bottle of water in sight. Honestly, would ya look at that heat. Jaysis, the state of it.
1. Odd One Out
In each set, three sentences make sense. One doesn't fit — the heat word is used illogically. Click the sentence that is the odd one out.
2. Multiple Choice
Context: A radio phone-in about the heatwave
Choose the best word or phrase to complete each message.
3. Matching
Match each word or phrase to its meaning using the dropdowns.
4. Gap Fill
Context: A postcard to a friend abroad
5. Error Correction
Context: A reader's letter to the local newspaper
Each sentence below originally used the wrong heat word. Choose the word that correctly fits the meaning.
6. Register Rewrite
Context: A tour guide's script, translated into casual local commentary
Each formal sentence below needs to be rewritten in everyday spoken English. Choose the option that captures the same meaning — the others use a heat word that doesn't quite fit.
7. Complete the Conversation
Context: A phone call between two neighbours
Your Scores
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