This is not necessarily on the lenses or camera, but just a summation on what I have learnt so far. I am a noob as well, so all the pros in here, please indulge me as I share some noob knowledge with our friend, mostly general stuff:

All the talk about lenses, ISO, Aperture, Shutter speed, histograms, etc. got me so confused in the beginning. I mixed the terms up all the time, didn't remember whether a bigger or smaller aperture would give me background blur and of course had "lens envy" whenever I'd see a fellow photographer out somewhere.

My advice is go out and take photos. You need to get comfortable with the camera. Use the Auto mode for your first couple of shots, then get a little more into it by switching to A or S modes and messing with the dials. All the data (shutter speed, aperture, etc.) is saved with the photos, so you can go back and find out what works and what didn't later. Shooting in Auto-mode is not a total wimp out - you will start to learn the highly-prized art of composition.

Your concern about blurry pics might be due to the fact that you are not used to holding the heavier SLR + lens. If shooting in Auto mode, you might not be able to control the shutter speed and you move the camera (even slightly) and it will cause blurry pics.

As for focus problems, check to make sure that the camera is set to autofocus - there's a switch on the front of the camera, next to where you mount the lens, that has the letters A and M on it. If it's set on M, you have to focus manually. Switch it to A for autofocus if you are not confident about focusing manually.

About picking up the lingo/getting more skills: hang out with other photographers, browse photo forums and read camera magazines. You'll be talking like a pro in no time... the shooting like a pro will come in time.