Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[missdaredevil]

1
English *conversant* staff
Does that being able to have a conversation in English?

2
I will *crank-call* him.
To call him as a prank or call him like a crazy?


3
He talks the *street*.
He speaks a informal language.

4
How can I describe the feeling I get when I watch a really thriller, when I can't relaxed for a moment because of the intensity?

5
Some people tell you a part of an interesting story and then leave it there. You feel intrigued and really want to know the rest of the story.
Can I say that the person keeps or leaves me *hanging*?

6
Does being *competitive* mean *trying hard to beat others*? What about someone who has high skills and doesn't really like competitions?

[LucentShade]

1
English *conversant* staff
Does that being able to have a conversation in English?
It's a strange way to say it, but English-conversant does mean "able to have a conversation" or "speak fluently."

2
I will *crank-call* him.
To call him as a prank or call him like a crazy?
crank-call = another way to say prank-call, so yes, it means call him as a prank.

3
He talks the *street*.
He speaks a informal language.

Reading only this English, I'd say your answer is correct, though I'd say, "He uses informal language."

4
How can I describe the feeling I get when I watch a really thrilling movie, when I can't relax for a moment because of the intensity?
One expression for this feeling is, "That movie kept me on the edge of my seat." (this is something you'd say after the movie is over)

5
Some people tell you a part of an interesting story and then leave it there. You feel intrigued and really want to know the rest of the story.
Can I say that the person keeps or leaves me *hanging*?
Yes. Another expression you could use would be, "He left me high and dry" -- the meaning is similar to "leave [somebody] hanging."

6
Does being *competitive* mean *trying hard to beat others*? What about someone who has high skills and doesn't really like competitions?

It can have several meanings. For people, being competitive means always trying to win or beat others, even when the game/contest isn't very important. (I'm a competitive person because I always try to win any sports games, even when it's just a group of friends playing for fun.) For businesses/corporations, being competitive means having a good share of the market and sales revenue; being able to compete economically with other companies.

Someone with high skills who doesn't like competitions would probably just play for fun, instead of always "playing to win" like I stated in the first definition.

[missdaredevil]

[LucentShade]

You could say "English spoken here" or "English language service available" -- there are many possibilities.

"High and dry" is an idiomatic expression: