WORDY WEDNESDAY: FLAKE

Good morning everyone.

For today's Wordy Wednesday, we are looking at the slang word FLAKE.

In English slang, especially in North America, the noun FLAKE refers to an unreliable person or someone who agrees to do something, but never follows through.

The verb is FLAKE and the adjective is FLAKY. There is also a phrasal verb to FLAKE ON SOMEONE.

Example 1(noun): She cancelled on me again. What a flake.

Example 2 (verb): My friend was supposed to pick me up at 8:00, but she flaked on me; she says it's because her car broke down, but I don't know if I believe her.

Example 3 (adjective): I love my friend Sara, but she is so flaky. I haven't seen her in months.

There is a well-known song by Jack Johnson titled FLAKE. It talks about a girl who cannot make a decision. Because she has trouble making plans, she is a FLAKE. Johnson never uses the word FLAKE in the song, but the lyrics show that the girl is FLAKY.

Click on the link below to listen to Jack Johnson's song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fa_MLOQyMI

Below we have included the lyrics to the song. As you will see there are many phrasal verbs in this song: how many do you see?

FLAKE by Jack Johnson
I know she said it's alright
But you can make it up next time
I know she knows it's not right
There ain't no use in lying
Maybe she thinks I know something
Maybe maybe she thinks its fine
Maybe she knows something I don't
I'm so, I'm so tired, I'm so tired of trying

It seems to me that maybe,
It pretty much always means no
So don't tell me you might just let it go
And often times we're lazy
It seems to stand in my way
Cause no one no not no one
Likes to be let down

I know she loves the sunrise
No longer sees it with her sleeping eyes
And I know that when she said she's gonna try
Well it might not work because of other ties and
I know she usually has some other ties
And I wouldn't want to break 'em, nah, I wouldn't want to break 'em
Maybe she'll help me to untie this but
Until then well, I'm gonna have to lie too

It seems to me that maybe
It pretty much always means no
So don't tell me you might just let it go
And often times we're lazy
It seems to stand in my way
Cause no one no not no one
Likes to be let down
It seems to me that maybe
It pretty much always means no
So don't tell me you might just let it go

The harder that you try baby, the further you'll fall
Even with all the money in the whole wide world
Please please please don't pass me
Please please please don't pass me
Please please please don't pass me by

Everything you know about me now baby you gonna have to change
You gonna have to call it by a brand new name
Please please please don't drag me
Please please please don't drag me
Please please please don't drag me down

Just like a tree down by the water baby I shall not move
Even after all the silly things you do
Please please please don't drag me
Please please please don't drag me
Please please please don't drag me down

Tomorrow we will continue our Theme Thursday with our last lesson on Formal vs. Informal Business English.

Until then, have a great day! And thanks for reading.