mod cons
modern conveniences (homes)
TRANSLATION
mod cons = Abk. für englische "modern conveniences" – moderne Errungenschaften, Komfort --- GOOGLE INDEX mod cons: approximately 1,400,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
"Baby boomers have higher expectations; they have grown up in a world with all the MOD CONS and been to hotel rooms with all the modern facilities."
(BBC News)
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Space station gets all MOD CONS
(The Guardian, article headline)
(BBC News)
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Space station gets all MOD CONS
(The Guardian, article headline)
Did you
know?
mod cons
noun phrase
- the amenities and appliances characteristic of a well-equipped modern house that contribute to an easier and more comfortable way of life
(Oxford Dictionaries Online)
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Modern conveniences – or mod cons for short - are labour-saving devices that make a task easier to perform than a traditional method. It is a relative term that depends on the evolution of technology and different standards of living around the world. People in Britain obviously have a different perspective of mod cons than those living in developing countries.
Some people or groups, like the Amish, deliberately forgo mod cons. Under the principle of Hochmut (German for pride, arrogance), they believe that many of the mod cons enjoyed by others promote vanity, pride and individualism, all characteristics that they discourage.
The Amish shy away from taking photographs because they feel it encourages vanity. The use of electricity and machinery is believed to create competition between members of the community, thus leading to rivalries. This is similar to the American concept of "keeping up with the Joneses," which refers to constantly buying the equivalent or better of what the neighbour buys, whether it’s a car or a flat-screen television.
(sources: Wikipedia, Wisegeek)
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creature comforts, amenities, conveniences, luxuries, niceties
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"I always check out the mod cons before booking a holiday home."
---
Thanks to Theodor for suggesting today's word!
noun phrase
- the amenities and appliances characteristic of a well-equipped modern house that contribute to an easier and more comfortable way of life
(Oxford Dictionaries Online)
---
Modern conveniences – or mod cons for short - are labour-saving devices that make a task easier to perform than a traditional method. It is a relative term that depends on the evolution of technology and different standards of living around the world. People in Britain obviously have a different perspective of mod cons than those living in developing countries.
Some people or groups, like the Amish, deliberately forgo mod cons. Under the principle of Hochmut (German for pride, arrogance), they believe that many of the mod cons enjoyed by others promote vanity, pride and individualism, all characteristics that they discourage.
The Amish shy away from taking photographs because they feel it encourages vanity. The use of electricity and machinery is believed to create competition between members of the community, thus leading to rivalries. This is similar to the American concept of "keeping up with the Joneses," which refers to constantly buying the equivalent or better of what the neighbour buys, whether it’s a car or a flat-screen television.
(sources: Wikipedia, Wisegeek)
---
creature comforts, amenities, conveniences, luxuries, niceties
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"I always check out the mod cons before booking a holiday home."
---
Thanks to Theodor for suggesting today's word!
