Throughout the centuries, people have tended to be suspicious of the new art movements of their period.

At the end of the 19th century, for example, people were shocked by Impressionism, criticising its practitioners as careless daubers.

Later, when faced with Cubist paintings, the public were puzzled by those too.

The Surrealists were initially deemed crazy.

Op Art was criticised because its subject matter was said to consist of nothing of significance.

However, nowadays, liking Surrealism or Op Art is considered perfectly acceptable, and images from these schools of art appear everywhere, from posters to advertising campaigns.

Perhaps because of the ubiquity of advertising, people tend to be more visually literate than they used to be, and so are perhaps inured to surprises.

Perhaps new movements in art will meet with less hostility in future.

b. Words for Commenting on Art

Original. New in a special and interesting way.

Opposite. Predictable.

Highbrow. Intended for educated, intelligent people.

Often disapproving.

Opposite. Lowbrow.

Impenetrable. Extremely difficult to understand.

Opposite. Transparent.

Sophisticated. Showing advanced skills and understanding.

Opposite. Primitive.

Challenging. Demanding considerable effort to be understood.

Opposite. Undemanding.

Dazzling. Inspiring great admiration because it is brilliant in some way.

Opposite. Pedestrian.

Evocative. Calling up images and memories.

Opposite. Uninspiring.

Thought-provoking. Making people think.

Opposite. Unstimulating.

Exquisite. Having rare beauty or delicacy.

Opposite. Clumsy.

Intriguing. Interesting because it is strange or mysterious.

Opposite. Dreary.

Peerless. Better than any other.

Opposite. Run-of-the-mill.

Tongue-in-cheek. Not intended to be taken seriously, despite appearing serious.

Opposite. Earnest.

Priceless. Extremely valuable.

Opposite. Worthless.

Skillful. Clever.

Masterly. Done well.

Opposite. Poorly done.

C. Art and metaphor.

Notice how words connected with art can be used when talking about literature.

The writer paints his hero in a fascinating light.

Minor characters are more shadowy or sketchy, but they are also depicted quite powerfully, even though the focus is, inevitably, on the two central characters.

These are portrayed with great sensitivity.

The heroine is particularly colourful, and we see how her character is shaped and moulded by events.

Some say the author illustrates his motifs in a black-and-white fashion, but the image he creates to illuminate the evils of slavery will remain with me forever.

A. Blurbs.

A blurb is a short text, usually printed on the back cover of a book, describing what the book is about, and sometimes including quotes from critics.

Here are some examples.

Woman of Snow is a poignant chronicle of childhood in a small American town.

Nora Delay is the youngest child in a family of...

The third novel by this acclaimed writer.

This is a compelling tale of mystery, love and betrayal in a lugubrious setting reminiscent of...

A macabre and chilling account of an unsolved murder that tears a village apart.

A page-turner full of brilliant moments of insight and an unparalleled depth of feeling, this is a gripping and enigmatic tale that unfolds in...

A breathtaking achievement, a journey of self-discovery that enchants and saddens, with a combination of wry humour and evocative scenes of life...

Jim Lawless, the eponymous protagonist of R. Crowe's latest novel, is a confused young man seeking a meaning in life.

It is an engaging tale...

B. Some other types of books.

A journal is a written record of what you have done each day.

For example, a learning journal.

It is also a publication containing academic articles, published at regular intervals.

For example, every three months.

Memoirs are a written record of a person's own life, typically by a politician or military figure.

An encyclopedia is a book or set of books containing articles arranged in alphabetical order, dealing with the whole of human knowledge or part of it.

An anthology is a collection of, for example, poems or short stories by different authors.

A manual is usually a technical book with instructions, for example, a car manual.

A logbook is a book that records events, times and so on, for example, all the journeys made by a lorry or ship.

C. Other expressions for talking about books.

I'm reading a book about the history of Ireland.

It's compulsive reading.

It's one of those books you just can't put down.

It's very informative.

Nancy Riley's novel about mental breakdown, published in 1950, was ahead of its time.

Her 1955 book, Exciting Careers for Women, was a product of its time.

Though the ideas seem tame and old-fashioned, even gender-biased now.

Bertram's latest novel is not a difficult book.

In fact, it's rather lightweight.

It's good bedtime reading.

His last one was heavy-going and I just couldn't get into it.

Nonetheless, his books always attract a wide readership.

A. Describing food products.

Food production has become increasingly industrialised and globalised, and so knowing what our food contains has become more and more important.

Labels do not always help.

Adjectives such as wholesome, farm-fresh and homemade can be rather vague and meaningless, while the international numbering system for additives is often incomprehensible to people.

Some familiar descriptions, however, do have a clear official meaning.

For example, whole foods, free-range eggs, gluten-free bread, or contains no artificial colours or preservatives.

Clear and scientifically accurate descriptions can be vital for people who suffer from food allergies, and for vegetarians or vegans who want to know exactly what is in a product, as well as being important for consumers looking for natural or unprocessed foods, or those concerned about animal welfare, who may wish to avoid food produced by battery farming methods, and so on.

With the growth in popularity of convenience foods, alongside public health concerns over bad diet and obesity, simple and unambiguous nutrition labels are more important than ever.

An example of a simple system is traffic light labelling, which indicates high, red, medium, amber, or low, green, levels of such things as fat, sugar and salt.

Finally, good labelling tells us where the food was produced and under what conditions, for example, fair trade products.

b. Food metaphors.

Inviting Sophie and her ex-husband to the same party was a recipe for disaster.

When asked why he didn't turn up to the exam, he cooked up a story about his kitchen being flooded.

The film has all the ingredients of a box office hit.

I'm not going to call him. I'm going to let him stew for another few days at least.

It's kind of you to invite me, but ballet isn't really my cup of tea.

The police grilled the suspect for hours, but eventually let him go.

I'm sure this is going to be another of his half-baked schemes that will never come to anything.

Let's hire a karaoke machine. That'll spice up the office party.

Rick has started hanging around with some unsavoury characters.

They started their business with high hopes, but things soon turned sour.

Let's go for a coffee and you can tell me all the juicy gossip.

a. Paying the bill.

We'll split the bill, shall we?

Lunch is on me today.

Would you like to join us for dinner at the City Plaza Hotel?

We'd like you to be our guest.

Let me get this.

I was wined and dined every night by the New York office.

b. Describing service.

A new Italian restaurant called Bella Roma has just opened in the High Street, and we went there the other night to try it.

I couldn't help comparing it to the Casa Italia where we ate last week.

In the Bella Roma, the service was impeccable and quick.

At the Casa Italia, it's always a bit sluggish.

In the new place, the waiters are courteous and friendly without being overbearing.

In the other place, they tend to be sullen and the service is rather brusque, which I find very off-putting.

But at Bella Roma, they'll go out of their way to give you what you want.

c. Food preferences.

I have a sweet tooth and can never say no to cakes or biscuits.

I won't have dessert, thanks.

You're lucky being so slim, but I'm afraid I have to count the calories these days.

You're lucky being so slim, but I'm afraid I have to be a bit calorie-conscious these days.

I'll just have a small portion of dessert, please.

I like to end the meal with something savoury, like cheese.

Ben's a bit of a fussy eater.

No, thanks. I won't have wine. I'm teetotal.

Before I book the restaurant, do you have any particular dietary requirements?

I won't have any more wine, thanks. I don't want to overdo it.

d. Entertaining at home.

Why not come home and eat with us? You'll have to take potluck, though.

Thank you. Shall I bring a bottle?

Should I wear a suit on Friday?

No, no, it isn't a dinner party. It's just an informal get-together.

Does anyone want seconds?

Oh, yes, please. It was delicious.

Can I pour you some juice? Say when.

When.

Help yourself to some nibbles.

We have to leave at six. We can grab a bite to eat on the way.

Or we could get a takeaway when we get there.