LAST

Último, pasado. "Last week", la semana pasada. "The last page of the book", la última página del libro. "He is the last person I would ask for money", es la última persona a quien pediría dinero. No confundir con "latest", que es el último, con la idea del más reciente: "His latest book is a mystery novel", su libro más reciente es una novela de misterio. "His last book was a mystery novel", su último libro (ya no va a haber más) fue una novela de misterio.
"Last but not least" es un cliché estúpido que todos aprenden, aun cuando ignoran cosas fundamentales de la gramática inglesa, y que debemos rechazar por cursi, bobo. “Last but not least, Keith is an historian who has frequently visited Mexico and it doesn’t faze him that I, as a Mexican, should come to his country to write about its artists.” So very English. (London: Serpent’s Tail, 1990).
Terry and David Fredman nos comentan: “The final person or item mentioned is certainly not the least important just because of their place in the list. Research in the twentieth century seems to hint that there may be a real need to stress this point, as there is evidence that, for example, children whose names are towards the end of class registers receive less attention and do less well.”
"The last straw" es el colmo, la gota que colma el vaso: "When she said she didn’t love me, that was the last straw." La frase completa es "The last straw that broke the camel’s back."
“The sermon that evening was the last straw.” George Carey, I believe. (London: SPCK, 1991).
Por cierto que el verbo "to last", como sabemos, significa durar: "How long will it last?" ¿Cuánto durará? "A lasting friendship" es una amistad duradera.
"The day before last" es anteayer. ¿Fácil, eh?
¿Y cómo diríamos zapatero a tus zapatos? Pues, "shoemaker, stick to your last." ¿Por qué? Porque "last" es horma, horma de zapato.

PALABRAS COMPUESTAS

La lengua inglesa, como la castellana, forma muchas palabras nuevas juntando varias ya conocidas: coliflor, agridulce, bajamar, contradecir, por ejemplo. Veamos algunas de las miles que existen:
Pigpen -- cochiquera
Flowerpot -- maceta
Ladybug -- mariquita
Eyelid -- párpado
Handbag -- bolso
Afternoon -- tarde
Newstand -- quiosco
Armpit -- sobaco
Armchair -- sillón
Horseman -- jinete
Eggplant -- berenjena
Farmhouse -- casa de labranza
Graveyard -- cementerio
Cowboy -- vaquero

ADVERBIOS NEGATIVOS

Negative adverbs: never, seldom ever, hardly, rarely, not only, nor, nowhere.

Estos adverbios pueden abrir una frase para dar énfasis, y en ese caso se invierte el orden como si fuese pregunta:

I seldom work on Sundays - Seldom do I work on Sundays
She will never do that again - Never will she do that again
You will find this nowhere else - Nowhere else will you find this
I seldom visited her in those days - Seldom did I visit her in those days
We rarely drink after six - Rarely do we drink after six.
He insulted me and also took my car - Not only did he insult he also took my car.

PREFIJOS EN LENGUA INGLESA

A-

Este prefijo se encuentra en palabras como:

Abed, en la cama. He is still abed
Afire, en llamas. The man set the house afire
Afresh, de nuevo. We will start afresh
Aloud, en voz alta. I could not speak aloud because everyone was sleeping
Alike, igual, similar. They are alike in character
Adrift, a la deriva. Adrift in the waters
Afloat, a flote. Banks are trying to stay afloat
Anew, de nuevo, otra vez. She sang the song anew
Aside, Al lado. Put this aside.
Atop, Sobre, encima. Superman was seen atop the building
Apiece, a cada uno. This cost us ten dollars apiece.