Culture corner
Musical terms are often used figuratively
in everyday speech to convey various
meanings. Here are some examples:
Hit the right note/Strike the right
note
If you hit the right note, you speak
or act in a way that has a positive
effect on people. It’s used to describe
something said or done appropriately
or effectively.
Blow your own trumpet/Blow your
own horn/Toot your own horn
This is used when someone boasts
about their own talents, abilities,
and achievements, akin to playing a
trumpet or horn to draw attention to
oneself.
Like a broken record
It is used to describe someone who
keeps talking about the same story
or topic repeatedly, just like a broken
record plays the same passage
endlessly.
Music to my ears
This phrase is used when you hear
exactly what you wanted to hear
or when you receive good news.
It conveys a sense of pleasure or
satisfaction.
These musical terms, when used in
everyday speech, add colour and
vividness to the conversation, making
it more expressive and engaging.
1. Pick two musical terms from the
passage and make sentences.
(1)
(2)
2. Do you know some other musical
terms? List at least two musical terms
and write the meanings.

1. (1) She keeps repeating the same story like a broken record, making everyone around her quite annoyed.
(2) Hearing that I had been accepted into my dream university was music to my ears.
2. (1) change the tune to alter one’s attitude or opinion about something
(2) jazz something up to make something more interesting, exciting or lively