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Lexical Gaps

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May 19, 2011, 05:26
BobHale
Lexical Gaps
Last night's Apprentice had the regular task where they all go running around London trying to buy the items on a shopping list provided by Lord Sugar. I found it strange in last nights episode that NOT ONE of the members of the either of two teams (so that's 14 people allegedly from Britain's best and brightest) knew what either "physalis" or "cloche" meant.
Granted they aren't the highest frequency words in the language and I've probably never had cause to teach either one to any of my students but surely one of them ought to have known them.


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
May 19, 2011, 08:13
<Proofreader>
I know what a cloche is but physalis was beyond my comprehension.
May 20, 2011, 02:38
arnie
I'd forgotten about "The Apprentice" this week. I must remember to watch it via BBC's iPlayer over the weekend.

I know what a cloche is, but had to Google Physalis. Although I guessed it was a plant, I had no idea what one looked like.


Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
May 21, 2011, 21:51
Kalleh
Same here. Knew cloche, not physalis.