African American Quilts essays

African American Quilts essays During my visit to the University Museum of Texas Southern, I encountered on many interesting quilts containing lots of history of our culture. It surprised me that the quality of the quilts was so good, it showed how durable the quilts have been after so many years. It was amazing in how the quilts were precisely designed with different color schemes and different color variations. In addition with the quilts having much variation, the quilts also had much variety and history. During the visit, the woman who guided us through the museum enlightened our heads with much interesting knowledge about the history of the quilts. She told us that back then, women (African American) made quilts for everyday use out of scraps, discarded clothing, and feed stacks. It was said that the African American woman made the quilts as a story of their life patterns or as a link to the African American roots. Quilt historians say that black women made their quilts in the same styles that were popular with the general population during any given period. It was also said that the economic status determined what kind of quilts the women made. If you were poor women, you had to deal with scraps and discarded clothing. It is now found that, overall, the African American quilters quilts range from African influence, to those based on traditional styles. I came upon a lot of beautiful, well-made quilts. I had a couple of favorites, but my overall favorite piece of art was the John Biggers mural, which was astonishing. It was said that John Biggers (the founder of the TSU school of art) spent well over a year on that piece. Some of my favorite quilts were, Lets take a Nap by Phillis Harris and Britches by Lettie North. Britches was a quilt that consisted of old scraps of pants, which some patches contained the original stone washed jeans. Lets take a Nap, my favorite, was a quilt with an African American bo...

Popular Cliches Explained for ESL Students

Popular Cliches Explained for ESL Students A cliche is a common phrase that has been overused. In general, cliches are to be avoided. In reality, they are not avoided - thats why they are cliches! Understanding popular cliches is especially important for English learners because they provide a deeper understanding of set phrases - or chunks of language. You might hear movie stars or politicians using cliches. Theyre phrases everybody understands.   10 Popular Cliches The writing on the wall   Something that is about to happen, something that is obviousCant you see the writing on the wall! You need to get out of that business.To pull an all-nighter   To study or work all nightWe had to pull an all-nighter to get the work finished on time.Pearls of wisdom   Wise words or adviceIm not really interested in his pearls of wisdom. He lived in a different period.Too much of a good thing   Generally used when saying thats impossible to be too happy, or luckyEnjoy it! You cant have too much of a good thing.Fit as a fiddle   To be ready and ableIm fit as a fiddle. Lets do this thing!Curiosity killed the cat   Dont be too inquisitive, it can be dangerous!Remember curiosity killed the cat. You should just forget about it.Dont do as I do, do as I say.   Used when someone points out that you are being hypocritical (doing one thing while insisting that others do that thing differently)Stop talking back! Dont do as I do, do as I say!Let sleeping dog s lie   Dont look into (investigate) something that was troublesome in the past, but in which people are not currently interestedId let sleeping dogs lie and not re-open the investigation into the crime. A cat has nine lives   Someone might be having problems now, but there are many chances to do well or succeedHis career reminds that a cat has nine lives!Moment of truth   The moment in which something important will be shown or decidedIts the moment of truth. Either well get the contract or we wont. Where Can I Find Cliches? These chunks of language known as cliches are found everywhere: in letters, in films, in articles, in conversation. However, cliches are most often used in conversation.   Should I Use Cliches? A good rule of thumb for English learners is to understand a variety of popular cliches, but not necessarily use them actively. Many times the use of a cliche signals fluency, but often cliches are considered inappropriate or unoriginal. On the other hand, if a native speaker  uses a cliche you will understand!  Ã‚   The Difference Between an Idiom and a Cliche An idiom is a phrase that means something else than the literal words. Idioms always have figurative, not literal meanings. Literal Meaning exactly what the words sayFigurative Having a different meaning than what the words say Two Idioms To get under someones skin To bother someoneShes getting under my skin these days!No spring chicken Not youngToms no spring chicken. Hes almost 70! Two Cliches A cliche is a phase which is considered overused (used too often) which can be literal or figurative in meaning. Here are some examples: The good old days / literal In the past when things were betterI remember my years at college. Yes, those were the good old days.Tip of the iceberg / figurative Only the beginning, or just a small percentageThe problems we are seeing are just the tip of the iceberg.