Rough and ready?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="rough">rough</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ready">ready</span>”, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: <span word="She">She</span> <span word="learned">learned</span> <span word="rough">rough</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="customers">customers</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="foreign">foreign</span> <span word="tourists">tourists</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Though">Though</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="isn">isn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="polished">polished</span>, <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="fluent">fluent</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="adequate">adequate</span>.</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="were">were</span>, <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="vendor">vendor</span> <span word="selling">selling</span> <span word="pins">pins</span>, <span word="badges">badges</span>, <span word="handkerchiefs">handkerchiefs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="souvenirs">souvenirs</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="tourists">tourists</span>, <span word="then">then</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="lots">lots</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="chances">chances</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="talk">talk</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="speakers">speakers</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="learned">learned</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="practiced">practiced</span> <span word="English">English</span>.</p><p><span word="Though">Though</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="rough">rough</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="rough">rough</span> <span word="diamonds">diamonds</span>, <span word="her">her</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="phrases">phrases</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="chosen">chosen</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="sense">sense</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="fluent">fluent</span>, <span word="unlike">unlike</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="learners">learners</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="speak">speak</span>.</p><p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="learner">learner</span> <span word="myself">myself</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="remember">remember</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="early">early</span> <span word="years">years</span>, <span word="I">I</span>, <span word="like">like</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="fellow">fellow</span> <span word="students">students</span>, <span word="spoke">spoke</span> <span word="haltingly">haltingly</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="hesitantly">hesitantly</span>, <span word="making">making</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="sorts">sorts</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="grammatical">grammatical</span> <span word="errors">errors</span> <span word="along">along</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="rough">rough</span>, <span word="and">and</span> – <span word="decidedly">decidedly</span> – <span word="not">not</span> <span word="ready">ready</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="rough">rough</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="rough">rough</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="unpolished">unpolished</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="unrefined">unrefined</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="ready">ready</span>, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="useful">useful</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="serviceable">serviceable</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="reminds">reminds</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Mr">Mr</span>. <span word="Peggotty">Peggotty</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rough">rough</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="fisherman">fisherman</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="David">David</span> <span word="Copperfield">Copperfield</span> <span word="written">written</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="Charles">Charles</span> <span word="Dickens">Dickens</span>. “<span word="Glad">Glad</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="you">you</span>, <span word="sir">sir</span>,” <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Mr">Mr</span>. <span word="Peggotty">Peggotty</span>. “<span word="You">You</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="rough">rough</span>, <span word="sir">sir</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="ready">ready</span>.”</p><p><span word="By">By</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="Mr">Mr</span>. <span word="Peggotty">Peggotty</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="unrefined">unrefined</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="uneducated">uneducated</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="hospitable">hospitable</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="help">help</span>.</p>
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