PE 3/21 Vandalism or Art?

* feel the heat: to experience discomfort from being observed or pressured

ex> My rival is only two points behind me, so I’m feeling the heat.

Note> Aside from meaning hot, “heat” also means intensity of feeling, especially of anger or excitement, and height or stress of an action or condition.

* show off: to annoy others through displaying one’s abilities or possessions

ex> Yvonne likes to show off by riding around on her new motorcycle.

* daredevil: conspicuously reckless or dangerous

ex> Bruce performs daredevil stunts, like jumping between rooftops.

ex> Driving in any French city can be a daredevil experience.

* open the door to: to make something possible; lead to

ex> This job will open the door to a new career for me.

Note> There is a saying, “When one door closes, another opens.” This means that when one opportunity is lost, another opportunity soon becomes available. So never despair!!

* in keeping with: conforming to; in harmony with

ex> Hopefully this gift is in keeping with our friendship.

ex> Can you help me choose a rug that’s in keeping with our living room?

* Mark my words: pay attention to my prediction

ex> Mark my words: swing dancing will be the next big trend in clubs.

* Today’s Expression> When you see it, you won’t want it covered up either.

= masked; obscured; hidden

PE 3/18 An Unboring Board Game

* rub it in: to make someone feel worse about something

ex> Scott always rubs it in when my team loses.

ex> I know I’m lousy at skating, so you don’t have to rub it in.

Note> The expression “rub it in” is a shortened version of the expression “rub salt in someone’s wounds,” meaning to increase a person’s suffering. Ouch!!

* kill it: to perform a task or activity extremely well

ex> It’s a difficult piece, but he’s killing it.

* accidentally on purpose: deliberately but intended to appear unintentional

ex> I think she dropped her umbrella accidentally on purpose.

* knock it off: stop doing that (emphatically)

ex> He started cracking his knuckles again, so I told him to knock it off.

* keep one’s eye on someone/something: to observe someone or something closely

ex> I like to keep my eye on the price of gold.

ex> Keep your eye on number 17, because I think he’s about to score a goal.

* on an even keel: in a steady, untroubled state

ex> It was hard keeping my business on an even keel during the recession.

Note> This comes from the nautical phrase, “keep the vessel on an even keel.” It means to keep a sailboat as upright as possible. So with the wind dead astern (behind), and thus minimizing the vessel’s roll and degree of heel.

* Today’s Expression> You should be doing a victory dance, not bickering.

= arguing; quarreling; squabbling

PE 3/17 Riding the Metro

* not hold a candle to: cannot compare to; to be inferior to

ex> That scarf is nice, but it can’t hold a candle to the one you’re wearing.

* come as no surprise: (of a piece of information) to be obvious; be expected

ex> It will come as no surprise that I agree to your terms.

ex> Our breakup shocked my mother, but it came as no surprise to anyone else.

* be modeled after: to resemble due to full or partial imitation; emulate

ex> The hotel was modeled after a famous one in New York.

ex> This house is modeled after traditional designs, but it contains many modern features.

* have (something) in common: to share interests or characteristics

ex> My sister and I have a love of nature in common.

* a piece of cake: easy; unchallenging

ex> Grant thought the game was a piece of cake until he tried the next level.

* smooth sailing: trouble-free progress; easily performed or achieved

ex> It will be smooth sailing once we escape this traffic jam.

* Today’s Expression> It shows you the name of the last station on this line depending on the direction.

= according to; in keeping with; based on

PE 3/16 The Trouble with Working at Home

* on hand: nearby and available for use

ex> Every household should have a fire extinguisher on hand.

* pleased as punch: very satisfied

ex> Hannah is pleased as punch that her brother is coming.

ex> If we can sell a hundred tickets, I’ll be pleased as punch.

* handyman: a person who performs general maintenance and repair duties

ex> Tammy hired a handyman to fix up her new apartment.

ex> My mom keeps a list of handyman chores for my dad to do.

* bear in mind: consider; remember

ex> Please bear in mind that we have to finish before 5 o’clock.

* day-to-day: happening daily or regularly

ex> Make exercise part of your day-to-day life.

ex> Some of my day-to-day duties include working, grocery shopping, and cleaning.

* dead quiet: extremely silent; devoid of activity

ex> I love the way everything is dead quiet on a snowy day.

* Today’s Expression> Things often come up around the house.

= occur; arise; crop up

PE 3/15 Will Ferrell – Harvard Commencement Speech

* get emotional: to become upset, sensitive, or sentimental

ex> My grandmother gets emotional when I talk to her now.

ex> One of the candidates got emotional during the interview.

* go/be through: to experience, especially with difficulty

ex> She knew she could do anything because she’s been through a lot.

* School of Hard Knocks: learning through difficult or negative experiences

ex> My father used to say he studied at the School of Hard Knocks.

* knuckle sandwich: a punch in the mouth; 주먹 한 방

ex> That taxi driver threatened to give me a knuckle sandwich.

* for real: truthfully; actually

ex> Benny says he hurt his leg for real this time.

ex> Are we going to go to Europe this summer for real?

* sugarcoat: to make something seem less harsh than it is

ex> He did his best to sugarcoat the situation for his kids.

* Today’s Expression> So my gift to you is to tell you about the real world through my eyes.

= as I see it; from my perspective; in my view

PE 3/14 Betting on Fashion

* wager: a bet

ex> I learned the hard way never to make a wager with my Uncle Brian.

ex> In the story devil makes a wager with the musician for his soul.

* case-by-case: according to each individual situation

ex> The insurance company quotes premiums on a case-by-case basis.

* ride on: to depend on the result of something else

ex> The game’s outcome is riding on our team’s confidence.

* all the more reason: what has just been said or done emphasizes one’s point

ex> These new cancellations are all the more reason we should lower our price.

* on the fence: neutral, undecided; noncommittal

ex> Angie is still on the fence about coming out tonight.

* cookie-cutter: lacking individuality; mass-produced

ex> Critics get tired of all the cookie-cutter pop music acts.

ex> Car designs have become so cookie-cutter that it’s hard to tell one from another.

* Today’s Expression> I have kind of an oddball request.

= unusual/peculiar/strange

PE 3/11 Today’s Show-and-Tell

* scare the bejeezus out of someone: to startle someone severely

ex> That fake can of peanut brittle scared the bejeezus out of me.

ex> The only way to cure hiccups is to have someone scare the bejeezus out of you.

* spill the beans: to expose a secret

ex> Someone must have spilled the beans about the party, because Gail knew about it.

* spread the word: to announce or share a piece of information

ex> We’ll use a combination of online and print advertising to spread the word.

* get the jump on someone: to gain an advantage over someone by doing something before they do.

ex> The artist got the jump on the other contestants by submitting her proposal first.

* scarce as hen’s teeth: very rare

ex> Good Greek restaurants are scarce as hen’s teeth in this city.

* a dime a dozen: very common and low in value

ex> Used romance novels are a dime a dozen, so the charity won’t accept any more.

* Today’s Expression> What’s the matter?

= What’s wrong?/What’s going on?/Is something wrong?

PE 3/10 Parisian Paintings in Person

* stump: to confuse or baffle someone; to ask a question of someone that they cannot answer

ex> I did pretty well on most of the math test, although the last problem stumped me.

ex> Investigators are stumped as to why only orange-colored objects were stolen.

* feel up to: to consider oneself to be mentally or physically capable of doing something

ex> Do you think you might feel up to going for a long walk this afternoon?

* budding: beginning to develop

ex> My nephew, who is a budding photographer, took these amazing pictures.

Note> We also use this word in the romance department. When you’ve met someone and are starting to fall in love, you could say that you have a “budding” romance.

* be drawn to something: to be attracted to something

ex> Perhaps because of my medical background, I’m drawn to the Latin language.

* well up: to have tears starting to form

ex> That must be a sentimental story, because you well up every time you read it.

* Today’s Expression> I’m eager to see the real McCoy.

= I can’t wait to/I’m dying to/I’m anxious to see the real McCoy.

PE 3/9 A Second Try

* ill-fated: destined to fail

ex> Nick sadly told us the story of his ill-fated trip to Hollywood.

* bittersweet: both pleasant and painful; both sweet and bitter

ex> Julie had many bittersweet memories of her high school years.

ex> Nothing is quite as bittersweet as beating your best friend in a competition.

* have a lot going for it/one: to have good qualities; have potential for success

ex> There isn’t my favorite kind of coffee, but it has a lot going for it.

ex> This house has a lot going for it: good location, good size, and not too expensive.

* Not on your life: no; never (emphatic)

ex> You want to borrow my new car? Not on your life.

* run oneself into the ground: to exhaust oneself through excessive work or activity

ex> Stu ran himself into the ground looking after his siblings when their parents were away.

* slim pickings: few choices; little to be had or gained

ex> The shoe sale has been going on for three days, so there’s only slim pickings left.

Note> A small amount left after others have taken a share. This expression alludes to animals devouring a carcass.

* Today’s Expression> Lots of those businesses are thriving.

= doing well; booming; succeeding

PE 3/8 Steve Carell – Princeton Commencement Speech

* look someone in the eyes: to make direct eye contact with someone

ex> She looked him in the eyes and told him she loved him.

* crave: to very strongly desire

ex> This time of night I always begin to crave pizza

* in person: while physically present

ex> The hiring team would like to meet you in person.

* self-loathing: hatred of oneself

ex> His mother mistakenly believed self-loathing was normal in teenagers.

ex> Making a big change in her life eventually put an end to her self-loathing.

Note> The word “loathe” suggests a strong feeling of disgust. The verb “loathe” descends from Middle English “lothen,” from Old English lathian.

* insulate: to use a substance to isolate someone or something

ex> He used role-playing games to insulate himself from the world when his parents died.

ex> We would like to insulate our roof before next winter.

* suck on that: by humbled by it (said vengefully), 약 오르지! 배 아프지!

ex> I got a better mark than you said I would, so suck on that.

Note> This phrase is an exclamation of triumph when you want to rub someone’s nose in it.

* Today’s Expression> What do we learn from this exercise?

= What do we learn from this undertaking/task/activity?

PE 3/7 Ingrid Dances Again

* rusty: slow or lacking in skill through lack of recent practice

ex> Trevor asked me to join his band even though I’m pretty rusty on the drums.

* get one’s hopes up: to cause one to believe that something will happen or go well

ex> Don’t tell the kids about Disneyland yet because I don’t want to get their hopes up.

ex> I stopped buying lottery tickets because I disliked getting my hopes up every week.

* second nature: something one can do easily because they have done it many times before.

ex> Driving a car is difficult at first, but it soon becomes second nature.

ex> My goal is to keep speaking English until it’s second nature to me.

* as the crow flies: (of a distance) measured in a straight line

ex> Nora lives five miles from here as the crow flies, but it’s an eight mile drive.

* be game: to be willing or enthusiastic to do something

ex> Let’s call up Ronnie and her friend to see if they’re game to see a movie tonight.

* give something a whirl: to try doing something, especially in a carefree way

ex> After years of hesitating, I finally decided to give snowboarding a whirl.

ex> I’ve never written a novel before, but I’d like to give it a whirl.

* Today’s Expression> Maybe it’s too much trouble.

= Maybe it’s too much of a hassle.

= Maybe it’s too out of the way. / far away.

PE 3/4 Caroline’s Difficult Decision

* what on earth: an emphatic form of “what”

ex> What on earth were you thinking when you told Cathy her jacket was ugly?

* since forever: for a very long time; since a long time ago

ex> Kyle has been collecting toy dinosaurs since forever.

Note> This informal expression is typically used only by kids or in imitation of the ways kids speak.

* put a lid on it: shut up; stop talking; be quiet

ex> After she told her boys to put a lid on it, they were silent for the rest of the journey.

ex> Put a lid on it, you two: your mother’s trying to sleep!

* fashionably late: to be intentionally late for an event that doesn’t require one to be on time

ex> Many hosts are grateful when their guests are fashionably late.

ex> You can be fashionably late for a cocktail party, but not for a business meeting.

* nanosecond: literally one billionth of a second; a very short time

ex> My new computer starts up in nanoseconds compared to my old one.

* make oneself clear: to be understood completely; strongly emphasize a point

ex> My teacher made herself clear from the beginning that this course was hard.

* Today’s Expression> I can’t pick an outfit.  옷을 고를 수가 없다

= I can’t decide what to wear.

= I don’t know what to wear.

PE 3/3 The Paris Bird Market

* racket: a loud, continuous noise

ex> I can tell that the boys are home from the racket coming from upstairs.

ex> There was so much racket from the road construction that we couldn’t concentrate.

* hit it on the nose: to be exactly correct

ex> I asked him to predict the score of the game, and he hit it on the nose.

* What gives?: What is the reason? (expresses surprise at an unexpected situation)

ex> What gives? You didn’t want to see this movie with me, and now you’re here with him!

* (get the) lowdown: (find or receive) the needed information or explanation

ex> I’ll use my phone to get the lowdown on which movies are showing tonight.

Note> The phrase is slang for the whole truth. When used as an adjective, it means mean, despicable, and unfair.

ex> That was a lowdown dirty trick.

* show up: to appear; arrive

ex> That magazine usually shows up on newsstands on the first week of the month.

* have a bird: to be very upset

ex> The manager will have a bird if he sees what you’re doing with the photocopier.

ex> My professor will have a bird if I ask for another extension on this assignment.

Today’s Expression> I’m guessing it’s some sort of live bird market.

= I’m assuming it’s some sort of live bird market.

= I think…

= I believe…

PE 3/2 A Special Taxi Service

* spick-and-span: very clean and tidy

ex> Darren always keeps his apartment spick-and-span.

ex> You can’t play at your friend’s house until your room is spick-and-span.

Note> The phrase “span-new” meant as new as a freshly cut wood chip, such as those once used to make spoons. In a metaphor dating from at least 1300, something span-new was neat and unstained.

* glut: an excessive supply

ex> A glut of similar products forced the maker to lower their price.

* Yes and no.: That is only partially true

ex> Yes and no. She said she likes me, but she already has a boyfriend.

* neck of the woods: a region or area

ex> Is there a movie theater in this neck of the woods?

ex> Sammy has lived in this neck of the woods since he was a kid.

Note> Several hundred years ago, early American settlers used the word, pasture, meadows, and so on.

* in no time: quickly

ex> We will have the dishes put away in no time.

* bail out: to exit a vehicle; quit an unwanted situation

ex> Six kids in soccer uniforms bailed out of the van and ran to the field.

ex> The pilot had no option but to bail out of the damaged aircraft.

* Today’s Expression: There are plenty of cabs that’ll take you into the city.

= There are a ton of cabs that’ll take you into the city.

= There are quite a few cabs that’ll take you into the city.

PE 3/1 Whoopi Goldberg – SCAD Commencement Speech

* compromise: to reach an agreement through all parties making concessions

ex> We came to an agreement after we both compromised.

ex> Do you think you two can compromise on when to use the bathroom?

* hot stuff: a person or thing that is currently very interesting or attractive

ex> Mark thinks he’s hot stuff now that he’s met a movie star.

Note> This also describes a man or woman who is considered sexually attractive.

* hold one’s own: to be competent; retain one’s position

ex> Honey can hold her own at tennis.

ex> The small nation has been holding its own among other exporters.

* rigid: inflexible; unwilling to accept alternatives

ex> My dad has a rigid sense of duty.

ex> A structure that is too rigid is more likely to break.

* stand up for: to defend; speak or act in support of something

ex> Your big brother will always stand up for you.

* cop to something: to admit to doing something wrong

ex> You won’t be punished for breaking the glass if you cop to it.

Note> The word “cop” is an informal word for police officer. If you use the phrase “cop it” (British English), it means to be punished or spoken to angrily because you’ve done something wrong.

* Today’s Expression> I’ve changed my mind.: 나 생각을 바꿨어

= I’ve altered my thinking.

= I’ve reversed my position.

= I’ve reconsidered the situation.

PE 2/29 The Youngest Mom?

* throw one a curve(ball): to confuse one by doing something tricky or unexpected

ex> Elaine threw me a curve by suggesting I come to your place to play computer games.

* dress the part: to wear clothes that are suitable to a specific role or position

ex> He might not be the most effective manager, but he sure knows how to dress the part.

* magnificent: grand; beautiful; impressive

ex> This space looks very simple when set up as a conference room, but is transformed into a magnificent ballroom when its decorations are in place.

* jacked up: physically or mentally stimulated; lifted off the ground

ex> I got so jacked up on espresso that I could feel my heart pound.

* bouncing off the walls: excited; nervously energetic

ex> The fifth grade students seem quiet now, but they’ll be bouncing off the walls by June.

* tossing and turning: unable to sleep

ex> Seth was so worried about his exam that he spent the night tossing and turning.

* man (verb): 일하기 위해 자리를 맡다

Since the 1970’s, there has been a shift away from what are seen as gender-biased terms in English. For example, mankind is now often replaced with humankind. Similarly, the words operate or occupy are sometimes used (although less accurately) to replace man as a verb.

ex> We’ll need someone to man the reception desk during lunch hour.

PE 2/26 Choosing a Home Away from Home

* (first) dibs: a statement of claim on something that has no prior claimant

ex> I’m going to offer Darby first dibs on the last piece of pie because she helped me bake it.

* to the tune of: amounting to a specified large amount of money

ex> By the end of the decade, the country was in debt to the tune of four trillion dollars.

* home away from home: a place where one is as comfortable as in one’s own home

ex> That cottage was our home away from home every summer during my childhood.

* skid row: a poor part of a city that is inhabited by vagrants; a state of poverty

ex> I need to find a better job and pay off my debts before I end up on skid row.

ex> That area was a typical skid row, with plenty of alcoholism and petty crime.

Note> The term “Skid Road” or “skid row” was an actual road in Seattle, Washington during the late 1800’s. It was the main street in which logs were transported. It became a sketchy stretch of street that loggers began to call “Skid Road.” It was the dividing line between the rich people of Seattle and the mill workers along with the poor population of the city.

* up to snuff: meeting the required standard

ex> The range that came with my sister’s house wasn’t up to snuff, so she bought a new one.

* meltdown: an emotional breakdown due to fatigue or stress; a disastrous decline or collapse

ex> I’d better get some food into my two-year-old before he has another meltdown.

ex> Some people claim that the regulatory organization is necessary to prevent economic meltdown.

* fortuitous: 우연한, 행운의

The adjective fortuitous is often confused with the adjective fortunate, which means “something good or unforeseen” or “having good luck.” Fortuitous events aren’t necessarily positive ones, although the word is usually used that way.

ex> That was fortuitous. You could have been stuck up there all afternoon.

PE 2/25 Honeymoon Camel Ride

* lose it: to become emotionally uncontrolled or insane

ex> Norm lost it when I told him that I’d spilled a milkshake in his car.

* no less: most importantly; impressively

ex> My daughter even received a congratulatory note from the president of her company, no less.

ex> On our first date, Kevin took me to the fanciest French restaurant in town, no less.

* mean the world to one: to be of the highest importance or emotional value to one

ex> It meant the world to Daryl to be asked to join the expedition to the meteor crash site.

Note> At this point in my career, My daughters means the world to me.

* naysayer: one who is skeptical or cynical

ex> Patty’s success at the music awards show silenced all the naysayers who doubted her.

* humdrum: boring; dull; lacking variety

ex> My first job was rather humdrum, so I kept myself amused by imagining that my coworkers were superheroes in disguise.

* make one’s head spin: to cause one to become dizzy or confused

ex> I’ve been trying to help my son with his math homework, and it’s making my head spin.

* take the cake: 압권이다

To say that something takes the cake can mean that it is either remarkably good or bad. The equivalent expression take the biscuit is used in Britain and Australia.

ex> You’ve done a lot of dumb things, but that takes the cake.

PE 2/24 New Yoga Studio, New Customers

* sandwich board: a pair of signs hinged together at the top to be worn on the body or placed on the ground

ex> That guy wearing the sandwich board over there just gave me a 20 percent discount coupon for a large pizza!

* be on the lookout for something: to be watchful and alert in case something specific is encountered

ex> Police have warned Smith Road residents to be on the lookout for the two escaped convicts.

* feel out of place: to be uncomfortable due to a sense of not belonging in a place or situation

ex> Eric felt out of place in that book club because the members were all women.

Note> Talk about feeling out of place on my first day of school in America when I was seven years old. I literally spent a whole day without saying a word and not understanding a word.

* give one the scoop: to tell one information or details about a situation

ex> Are you going to give me the scoop about Penny’s engagement, or do I have to ask her myself?

* whole kit and caboodle/caboodle: everything

ex> My friend was selling all his snowboarding gear, so I got the whole kit and caboodle for two hundred bucks.

* orientation: information or directions to allow one to become familiar with new surroundings

ex> All new employees are given a half-day orientation session so they’ll be more comfortable in the facility.

* nada: 무(無), 0

This is one of several equivalent informal terms that mean “zero” or “nothing,” including zip, zilch, nil, and goose egg. Use these only in casual situations.

PE 2/23 Dr. Yvonne Thornton – Tuskegee University Speech

* projects: government-subsidized housing developments

ex> The last of the Regent Park projects is currently being demolished in eastern Toronto.

Note> The projects is usually a group of dirty buildings made for really poor/homeless people to live in. Projects are dangerous, very dirty, filled with gangsters and drug dealers, and such.

* believe in one: to have confidence in one’s abilities and potential

ex> I am who I am today because you believed in me and helped my confidence grow.

* much less: so the following is even less likely

ex> He couldn’t even afford a bicycle back then, much less a car that would impress a doctor’s daughter.

* exceed: to go beyond a limit; be greater than or superior to

ex> Be sure not to exceed the recommended daily intake for selenium.

* single-minded: having one primary goal

ex> Mary’s single-minded nature sometimes made her ignore the feelings of others.

* determination: the desire to try to achieve; the act of making a decision

ex> With a look of determination, Jason got up again and took another run at the wall.

* welfare: 복지

Even though this word is frequently synonymous with health and well-being, it can have negative connotations in North American English, where there is culturally-induced shame associated with receiving government financial assistance.

ex> You were raised by a single mother under difficult financial circumstances. Was she ever on welfare?