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“DIY” means “do it yourself”. A “DIY job” is something like decorating a room, or installing a new shower. At one time, people generally employed a professional decorator, or a plumber, to do these things. Nowdays many people do these jobs for themselves. A “DIY” store is a store which sells paint, wallpaper, wood, tools, and everything else you need if you want to “do it yourself”.

“A day off work” – a day when you don’t go to work eg because you have a holiday, or because you are sick. You can ask your boss, “Please can I have a day off tomorrow”.

“A long weekend” is when you take a day off on Friday, or on Monday, or even on both Friday and Monday, in order to have three or four consecutive days when you do not have to work. We can say, for example, “I am going to take a long weekend and go and visit my brother in Scotland”.

“A break” means a short holiday. “A weekend break” is when you go away just for the weekend.

“It is [such] a pity that…” or “It is [such] a shame that …” These expressions mean “unfortunately”. Here are some examples:

“It is my birthday tomorrow. It is such a shame that my sister cannot come to my party.”

“I enjoyed my holiday in France. But it is a pity that I forgot to take my camera.”

“The football was great fun. It’s a pity our team lost!”

“It is a shame that we arrived too late to see the film.”