Gossip girl or gossip in English

We all know that gossip (to gossip) is not good. It’s ugly and characterizes the person who does it, not the best hand c. Despite this, most people still interested in the changes of bone others (to dish the dirt on smb), and today we will discuss the expression on the subject.

You might be surprised, but the word gossip has not always been negative. At first, this word called godparents (godparents) or close family (familiar acquaintances), who were aware of the family’s affairs. In Shakespeare’s time, the term somewhat changed its meaning. So we began to call people more often than women, who liked to talk about something important. And so we are talking about women who spent time with women in childbirth. Typically, relative or neighbor who talked with the future mother, gave advice, reported the latest news.

As the theme of grace, it is no wonder that the words and phrases that describe the action, quite a lot. Let’s start with the fact that recall the most interesting!

1. To slander — to slander someone.

She accused her neighbours of slandering both her and her boyfriend. — She accused their neighbors that they slander her and her boyfriend.

2. To chew the fat (neform.) — Sharpen fritters.

We had not seen each other for ages and spent most of the evening just chewing the fat. — We have not seen and most of the time sharpening fritters.

3. To blather / blether (neform.) — Talking nonsense; pop; talking about something boring and unimportant.

I can not stand her ignorance and endless blathering! — I can not stand her ignorance and endless nonsense!

4. Hearsay — hearing; rumor.

Unless you have some solid evidence, it’s all just hearsay. — It’s all just rumors, if you have no real evidence.

5. To meddle — pry own business.

You are always meddling in other people’s affairs! Do not you understand that it is none of your business? — You’re always thrusting his nose own business. Do not you realize that you are not concerned?

6. To gab (neform.) — To talk; shoot the breeze; twaddle; twaddle.

My mom tried to fix me up with one young man. When we were on our first date, the only thing he was doing was gabbing about nothing. — My mom tried to set me up with a young man. When we were on our first date, the only thing he did — talk about anything.

7. To cause tongues to wag — set tongues wagging.

Bridget’s scanty dress that she wore yesterday to work caused her colleagues tongues to wag. — Too frank Brigitte dress that she wore to work yesterday, gave rise to rumors of her colleagues.

8. To chit-chat (neform.) — To talk; lyalyakat; pop.

— What did you talk about?
— Oh, nothing of interest. Just idle chit-chatting about this and that.
— What were you talking about?
— Yes, anything interesting. Shabby about that, about this.

9. To hear through the grapevine — forty tail brought.

I heard through the grapevine that they are going to divorce. — I’m here on the tail brought forty, they divorced.

10. To dirt the dish (on smb) — tarnish; slander; mixed with mud; throw mud at someone.

Monika agreed to dirt the dish on her boss for a large sum of money. — Monica agreed to blacken his boss for a tidy sum of money.

11. Straight from the horse’s mouth — from the source

Every piece of news I get is straight from the horse’s mouth. — Each news that I get from the source.

12. Rumor has it that — a rumor that.

Rumor has it that they are going to sell the company. — Rumor has it that they are going to sell the company.

13. To defame — to shame; reproach; to blacken; defame.

Prime minister claimed that he had been defamed. — The Prime Minister said that his name was blackened.

14. Scuttlebutt — gossip.

Who wants to hear some scuttlebutt about the new teacher? — Who wants to hear the gossip about the new teacher?

15. Juicy details — «delicious» Details.

Come on! Give me all the juicy details! — Come on, tell me all the details!

16. Rumour-monger — gossip / gossip.

You are newcomer and I just want to give you a small piece of advice. Never share a secret with Joanna, she is a famous rumour-monger in our office. — You’re new here, and I just want to give you a little friendly advice. Do not share any personal information with Joanna, she immediately gossip number one.

17. Blabbermouth — yap; chatterbox / talker.

I can not trust her anymore. She turned out to be such a blabbermouth! — I can not trust her more. It turned out that she still talker.

18. Tattletale / telltale — an informer; sneak.

Unfortunately, I do not have any positive memories about him. In school he was a tattletale. — Unfortunately, no positive memories I have of him left. At school he was a sneak.

19. Busybody — gossip; man popping his nose into other people’s business.

Some busybodies who did not know that I was supposed to come to Alice thought that I was a robber and called the police. -Some Gossips, not knowing that I had to come to Alice thought I was a burglar and called the police.

20. Meddlesome — annoying.

I hate my meddlesome neighbour. Whenever I go out, she stops me and starts asking all these stupid questions. — I hate my annoying neighbor. Wherever I went, she stops me and asks these stupid questions.

The concept of gossip and lying fairly closely intertwined, so if you also want to learn more than the vocabulary on the subject of lies, look for the article «Lie to me: how to lie in the English language.»

And now I propose to read some fixed expressions, which are often used when people talk about a curiosity of some events of his personal life to other people.

1. Curiosity killed the cat (lit.. «Curiosity killed the cat») — a curious Varvara’s nose torn off in the market.
   

   — How did you manage to pass all the exams with flying colours ?!
   — Curiosity killed the cat.
   — How do you do that brilliantly pass all the exams?
   — A curious Varvara’s nose torn off in the market.

2. Pique smb’s curiosity / interest — Kindle / arouse anyone’s curiosity / interest.
   

   They continued talking silently, piquing my curiosity. — They continued to talk quietly, raising my curiosity.

3. Die of curiosity — to die of curiosity.
   

   I am dying of curiosity to know the details! — Dying of curiosity, so would like to know the details!

4. Spill the beans — spill the beans; issue a secret.
   

   Who of you spilled the beans about her promotion? — How many of you spill the beans about her increasing?

5. On the sly — sly.
   

   He takes his father’s cigarettes on the sly, while his father is at work. — He is the father quietly takes a cigarette while he at work.

6. My lips are sealed — I will be silent.
   

   — Please, do not tell anybody that you have seen me today.
   — Sure. My lips are sealed.
   — Please do not tell anyone you saw me today.
   — Of course. I will be silent.

Not so long ago, scientists found that such a negative phenomenon as gossip can have a positive influence on people’s lives. For details, see the following video:

A list of words used in the form:

Word	Translation
Bulletin	Roundup
To expose	Flaunt
Threat	Threat; danger
Participant	Participant
To recall	Remember; remember
To measure	Measure; assess
To improve	Improve
To affect	Affect
Twofold	Dual; double
Shadenfreude	Malevolence
To flatter	Flatter
To signify	Mean; be a sign
No hard and fast guidelines	No definitive guidelines
To conduct	Carry
To trample over	Trodden down; to transgress; I do not take something or someone
To threaten	Threaten
Fearful	Frightened
To reflect	Meditate; reflect

At the end I suggest you download a list of words on the subject. I hope you do not often have to gossip, though this list is useful to all!

↓ Download the list of words, «How gossip in English» (* .pdf, 251 KB)

 

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