The English Breakfast ☕
Hi there,
Welcome back to The English Breakfast — the newsletter for Italian professionals who want to feel more confident in English at work.
I’m in Barcelona for a weekend away at the moment. But between one lot of tapas and the next, let’s give your English a quick boost. 💃
🥇 The One-Word Challenge
Can you think of one word that makes sense to complete all three of these sentences? Go on, I believe in you.
Between the mortgage, the car repairs, and the kids, we’re barely keeping our heads above __________ at the moment!
That excuse about missing the deadline because of a "laptop glitch" just doesn't hold __________ with the boss. It’s not believable.
HR had to __________ down the new office dress code after half the team complained. They were demanding to wear shorts in the office.
(Check your answer after this week’s Quick Fix)
🔧 Quick Fix
It’s time for a pronunciation challenge 🏆
Can you pronounce the verbs live and leave properly? Are you sure? 😉 Check out this week’s Quick Fix to find out.
🥇 Answer & Breakdown
Did you guess it? The missing word is water!
Keep your head above water = Barely surviving financially, emotionally, or with your workload.
Hold water = To be believable, logical, or able to stand up to scrutiny. (Usually used in the negative: "That idea doesn't hold water.")
Water down = To make something weaker, less offensive, or less extreme.
📝 Mini-Dialogue Practice
Fill in the blanks with the three phrases you’ve just learned. You can find the answers at the end of the newsletter 👀 :
A: "Did Tom explain why the budget report was two days late?"
B: "Yeah, but honestly, his story about losing internet access for 48 hours doesn't __________________________."
A: "How are things going with the new startup launch?"
B: "Exhausting! We’ve been working 14-hour days just to __________________________."
A: "Is the management team sticking with that strict remote-work policy?"
B: "No, they had to __________________________ the rules after so many people threatened to quit."
📖 In other news
If you think office disagreements over email tone or the temperature of the air conditioning are tense, wait until you hear about the culinary workplace dispute currently making headlines in Australia!
This week, we’re looking at a hilarious yet real BBC article about an Italian chef in Brisbane who was sacked after refusing to put pineapple on a pizza—claiming the request was a direct "insult to his culture." (I know some people who would completely agree with him. 😄 )
Before you read the full story, check out these 5 useful B2-level vocabulary items from the text:
💡 Vocabulary Focus
Sack (Verb)
Meaning: To fire someone from their job.
From the text: "An Italian chef sacked from a Brisbane restaurant had refused to put pineapple on a pizza..."
String of (Noun phrase)
Meaning: A series of similar events, complaints, or items happening one after another.
From the text: "...a fortnight after a meeting with management who had a string of complaints about the chef's behaviour."
Come to light (Idiom)
Meaning: To become known or be revealed publicly after being secret or unknown.
From the text: "The details came to light after the chef went to Australia's Fair Work Commission..."
Dismissal (Noun)
Meaning: The act of removing someone from their job (unfair dismissal = unlawful firing).
From the text: "He lost his unfair dismissal claim on the grounds that the application had been filed too late..."
On the grounds that (Conjunctional phrase)
Meaning: For the reason that; based on a specific justification.
From the text: "...on the grounds that the application had been filed too late, according to the ruling."
🍕 Your Quick Reading Challenge
Read the article below to answer these two quick questions:
Why was Queensland a particularly awkward place for the chef to refuse pineapples?
Did the Fair Work Commission rule in favour of the chef or the restaurant management?
💬 What do you think?
Is Hawaiian pizza (a.k.a. ham and pineapple) a harmless menu option, or is refusing pineapple on pizza a cultural duty? Hit reply and let me know your take—it’s great writing practice, and I'll reply with personalised feedback!
🎧 Don’t forget to practise your listening skills too. Watch the video in the article to see how many words from the vocabulary focus section you can hear.
Want to finally speak English fluently?
If you want to speak more naturally without fear of making mistakes, The English Fluency Club is for you. In small online group sessions, we practice real-life topics, learn vocabulary in context, and work on pronunciation and grammar with structured feedback.
Not sure if your level is right for the Club? Don't worry—I have groups for different levels so you'll always feel comfortable!
Simply take this quick English level test. I'll look at your result and send you an email with details on the best group and schedule options for you. No pressure, no obligation—just a quick check to see if it's a good fit!
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👀 Answers to the Mini-Dialogues
hold water
keep our heads above water
water down
OK, that’s all for this week’s edition.
Let me know if you enjoyed it, and I’ll see you next time.
Have a great week. 😎
All the best,
Dan
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