The tools you need

This week's column is by Online Editor Mike Pilewski.

The two-page Vocabulary section in the November Spotlight will get you talking about common tools — the ones you need for doing small repairs around the house. In Britain, such repairs are called "DIY"; in North America, they're called "home improvement".

How many of the 19 words in this illustration do you know? If you want to talk about repairs, you will probably need most of them.

The toolbox (Spotlight 11/2011). Illustration: Bernhard Förth

You should like these words as well, because they're extremely versatile. For example, some are not only nouns, but also verbs. For example, to use a hammer is "to hammer"; to use a drill is "to drill".

But wait! There's more! With these tools, you get the added value of common (and fun) idioms.

hammer it home: to make a point convincingly
drill it in: to memorize something
hit the nail on the head (or: nail it): describe something exactly
have a few screws loose: be crazy
throw a spanner (US: monkey wrench) in the works: sabotage somebody's plans

Want more to put in your linguistic toolbox? Our exercises tell you how to put these words to use — in word pairs, in common expressions, and combining the nouns with the right verbs. We also explain what "DIY" means. So be sure to get the November Spotlight today!