“To ask why we fall in love is to ask why the leaves fall. And to ask how we stay in love is to ask how the trees stay.”
-Jinvirle

Fall is here! With this season comes fall traditions, such as Halloween, pumpkin carving, haunted houses, Thanksgiving, and the famous pumpkin spice latte that many Americans love. With all of these traditions and the beautiful fall weather, it’s a great time to be an international student in California!

The season American call “fall” is also known as “autumn.” Why is it called “fall?” Because the leaves fall during this time of year! To celebrate, we are looking at some English expressions with “leaf” and then providing our students with suggestions for things to do in San Diego and San Francisco this fall.

Leaf Expressions

To turn over a new leaf

Definition: to start over, to act in a different manner or change your attitude about something.

Example: We had a difficult beginning to our work relationship, but I’m willing to turn over a new leaf and work together on this new project.

Leaf through

Definition: phrasal verb with leaf; to quickly turn the pages of a book or a magazine, reading only a little of it.

Example: I leafed through the magazine and decided not to buy it.

Shaking like a leaf

Definition: shaking and trembling from fright.

Example: I was so nervous before my interview. I was shaking like a leaf!

Make like a tree and “leaf”

Definition: an English joke: “leaf” sounds like “leave,” so the expression should be “make like a tree and leave.” The expression “Make like a BLANK and BLANK” is common in English.

Example: This guy is annoying me. He needs to make like a tree and leaf!

 

Fall activities in SF

Take a wine tour

As the leaves on the vines turn beautiful colors, Napa becomes a beautiful place! Harvest is over and the vineyard workers are eager to talk about what they think the newest vintage will be like. Visit the tasting rooms, snap some photos of the colorful landscapes, and learn all about this world-famous wine region. Check out our Guide to Napa Valley for some suggestions for this road trip, and make sure to learn some wine tasting vocabulary before your visit!

Visit a haunted house

Haunted houses pop up throughout the city in October and yes, people are crazy enough to be paid to be scared! Haunted houses are like interactive theaters where people walk through the (very scary!) production. The costumes and the acting are incredible! Be sure to check out our article on the most haunted places in San Diego and San Francisco and our guide to the best haunted houses in San Diego, which includes the impressive Balboa Park Haunted Trail.

Take a trip to a pumpkin patch

Take part in this fun Halloween tradition of choosing your pumpkin from a pumpkin patch and then carving a face or design into it! Our Guide to Pumpkin Carving includes all of the tools and steps necessary to carve your own pumpkin, but check out the Activity Calendars for CISL San Diego and CISL San Francisco to see if CISL is also hosting its own pumpkin carving!

See a football game

Football season is synonymous with fall! Visit a high school, college, or professional game and take part in this American tradition. If you’re a CISL San Diego student, check out the Chargers: CISL San Francisco students have their choice of the San Francisco 49ers or the Oakland Raiders.

Check out the festivals

Wine festivals, film festivals, food festivals . . . you name it, and there’s a festival for it this fall! Check out the San Diego and SF Travel websites for a list of festivals.

 

Want to learn a little more about fall? Check out some of our fall-related articles!

• Halloween-related vocabulary for ESL students
• Expressions for “scared”
• CISL students celebrate Halloween!
• The best haunted houses in San Diego
• Synonyms for “scary” + the most haunted places in SD and SF!
• Celebrating Thanksgiving in the U.S.
• Fall is here: time for pumpkin everything!
• Fall flavors: cranberries!
• Idioms with “apple” and the best apple pie in SD and SF
• Five phrasal verbs with “fall” + Colbie Caillat’s “I’m Falling for You”
• Expressions with “fall”