PE 6/19 The Perfect Cupcake

* endeavor: an attempt to achieve something

ex> The two private investigators were well paid to their endeavors.

* in lieu of: in place of; instead of

ex> The waiter brought us a cheese plate in lieu of the free dessert we didn’t want.

* margin of error: the degree to which a result or estimate is accurate

ex> Allowing for margin of error, we should be there in three minutes.

Note> For instance, in an experiment, a smaller margin of error indicates trustworthy results and a larger margin of error means the results are not considered as accurate.

* throw together: to assemble something quickly and carelessly

ex> I can’t give you a higher grade because it’s clear that your project was thrown together at the last minute.

ex> We threw together a lunch and tossed it into a bag, then ran out to the car.

* circumspect: cautious; unwilling to take risks

ex> Experienced scientists tend to be circumspect when making claims about their findings.

* not rocket science: something that is not as complicated as one might make it out to be

ex> The relationship between nutrition and mental health is not rocket science.

ex> This car’s engine might seem complex at first, but it’s not rocket science.

* measure up: “Measure up” has an alternate meaning, which is to measure a physical object for a specific purpose. For example, you could be measured up for a new tailor-made suit, or you could measure up a table to see if it will fit through a doorway.

ex> It was pretty nice, but it didn’t measure up to the ones I’d be racing against.
ex> The new assistant didn't measure up, so we had to replace him.

* improvise [^|ɪmprəvaɪz]: (꼭 필요한 것이 없어서) 뭐든 있는 것으로 만들다, (연주, 연설 등을) 즉흥적으로 하다
ex> We improvised some shelves out of planks of wood and bricks.
ex> "It'll be ready some time next week, I expect." she said improvising.

PE 6/18 Exploring the “Hungarian Sea”

* apropos: relevant; suitable; with reference to

ex> This outfit would be apropos to a murder mystery party, don’t you think?

* insatiable [ɪn^|seɪʃəbl]: (of an appetite or desire) unable to be satisfied

ex> He has an insatiable and unhealthy need to accumulate wealth.

* take something lying down: to endure something unpleasant without resisting

ex> Jake was rude to me in front of my friends, so I’m not going to take that lying down.

ex> If you pull a prank involving Rachel’s bike, she won’t take it lying down.

Note> As you can see from the example sentences, this phrase is most often used in the negative.

* serendipity: good luck; making positive discoveries without planning

ex> It was serendipity that we walked past a nice little bistro just as we were getting hungry.

ex> Libraries allow you to discover a new author or subject by pure serendipity.

* head for: to go towards an object, place, or situation

ex> We’ll head for the next lookout as soon as we finish our picnic.

ex> Dave will be heading for trouble if he doesn’t improve his eating habits.

* all of the above: every one of the stated choices

ex> Do I want chocolate chunk, pistachio, or French vanilla? All of the above!

Note> the phrase “all of the above” is a common answer option on multiple-choice question on tests.

* long story short: This expression is a shortened version of the phrase, “to make a long story short,…” which is followed by a quick summary of the situation the person is trying to relate. It’s sometimes used when a speaker notices that they’re losing their listener’s attention, so they finish their story hastily and with few details.

ex> Long story short, he caught his girlfriend with her arms around his best friend.

PE 6/17 Safety Training for Employees

* salient: noticeable, important; extending outwards or upwards from its surroundings

ex> Our meeting was short, but we covered all the salient points.

* attributable: something belonging to, associated with, or caused by something

ex> The fall of the Roman Empire may have been attributable to its final size.

ex> Our increased sales are attributable to the product improvements we’ve made.

* bright light: an outstandingly intelligent person

* As a student, Michelle was a real bright light.

Note> As a slang, “bright lights” is a term to describe police officers in police cars.

* do a world of good: to provide a great benefit

ex> A walk in the sunshine would do us both a world of good.

ex> Making their products more environmentally friendly has done a world of good for that company’s reputation.

* lead by example: to show good leadership by doing the things you want others to do

ex> She decided to lead by example and made her own painting for the class assignment.

* pass muster: to achieve the required level or standard

ex> The way my brother shined my dad’s shoes didn’t pass muster, so he gave the job to me.

Note> The term “muster” is the process or event of accounting for member in a military unit. This practice of inspections led to the coining of the English idiom “pass muster,” meaning being sufficient.

* follow up: This expression is sometimes used as an adjective (Let’s do a follow-up review next week.”) or a noun (“The dentist’s office wants me to come in for a follow-up.”). In both cases, the hyphen is usually inserted.

ex> I’ll follow up with him in a few days to see what he thinks of our proposal.

PE 6/16 Sherry Turkle – Connected, but alone?

 * sip: a small mouthful of a beverage; a small amount of something that is consumed

ex> She would buy one drink and take sips from it all night so she could hear live music without spending much money.

* add up to: to result in; form a whole

ex> We’re hoping that your contributions will add up to enough to renovate the school’s gym.

ex> There wasn’t enough evidence to add up to a convincing case for the prosecution.

* compromise: to impose an undesirable standard or outcome; force a concession

ex> The bridge’s structural integrity was compromised by improper concrete curing.

* self-reflection: serious thought about one’s own character, actions, or motives

ex> Mona went on a temple retreat every six months for self-reflection and physical health.

* shortchange: to cheat someone by giving them incorrect change; withhold something of value

ex> My grandfather was convinced that shopkeepers were always trying to shortchange him.

Note> In a figurative context, this means to treat someone unfairly or dishonestly by giving them less of something than they want or need.

* dispense with: to give up something that is not essential or needed

ex> Because we’ve had to start late, let’s dispense with the reading of our last meeting’s minutes.

ex> My dad’s job was to look for obsolete laws that the government could afford to dispense with

* discrete: It’s easy to confuse this word with “discreet” which is pronounced the same way but has a different meaning. “Discreet” means “subtle” or “cautious.” Here’s a good way to remember which is which: in the word that means “individually separate,” the two “e’s” are separated by the letter “t.”.

ex> Do you remember when people used to build their home audio systems from several discrete components?

PE 6/12 Ape Posture; Dinosaur Perspective

* livid: furious; extremely angry

ex> Marcus was livid when he saw what the puppy had done to his new jacket.

* take the edge off: to decrease the effect or intensity of something

ex> Let’s grab a bag of chips to take the edge off our hunger.

Note> This term alludes to blunting the edge of a cutting instrument.

* out of left field: unexpected; not prepared for

ex> This afternoon’s downpour came out of left field, so none of us had umbrellas with us.

* nonchalant: appearing to be very calm, relaxed, and unconcerned

ex> Ian might seem nonchalant, but I know he cares very much about what others think of him.

* bent out of shape: angry or agitated

ex> Nick gets bent out of shape when you use his car without asking him.

* come to one’s senses: to become reasonable; regain one’s perception or good judgment

ex> The collision knocked him unconscious, but he quickly came to his senses.

* overstep the boundaries: An alternative version of this expression that has the same meaning is, “overstep the bounds.” Just like when a ball goes out of bounds in a sports match, it means that something has gone beyond what is allowable or proper.

ex> I feel it oversteps the boundaries of what is fair and justifiable in a democratic society.

PE 6/15 A Big Tree for the Living Room

 * magnitude: size

ex> This evening’s speech will reveal the magnitude of the country’s trade deficit.

* significant other: a spouse; someone with whom one is in an established relationship

ex> Would you and your significant other like to join us for dinner this Friday?

Note> This could be your mate, spouse, husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, steady and/or lover. This is used when you don’t want to be too specific, or when the details are nobody’s business.

* oblivious: not aware, not knowing, not concerned

ex> I was oblivious to my mother-in-law’s presence until I turned on the bathroom light.

ex> Some young travelers get into trouble by being oblivious to the local laws.

* lesser of (the) two evils: the least unpleasant of two bad options

ex> I really didn’t like the candidate I voted for, but he was the lesser of two evils.

* have a lot going for: to have many good qualities and advantages

ex> Tina will do well in college because she has a lot going for her.

ex> The car I looked at today had a lot going for it, so I might decide to buy it.

* rule out: to eliminate or exclude

ex> Losing our next game would rule us out of the tournament.

* hell-bent: This expression has several variations, including “hell-bent for election,” “hell-bent for breakfast,” and “hell-bent for leather.” Despite containing the word “hell,” this expression is not considered rude or offensive.

ex> Those two are hell-bent on going bungee jumping when they’re in Mexico, and I wanted to warn them of the dangers.

PE 6/11 A Thermal Bath in Budapest

* humongous: extremely large

ex> Phil used the whole frying pan to make one humongous pancake.

ex> I was late because of a humongous traffic jam on the freeway

* on a whim: done without planning or concern for consequences

ex> The two girls decided to open a cookie wagon on a whim, and it’s been a huge success.

Note> A “whim” is an odd or fanciful idea, something kooky you suddenly decide to do. A whim can be a sudden impulse or a change of mind.

* demure: shy; modest; reserved (used especially in reference to a woman)

ex> Her demure outfit made her seem out of place in that heavy metal band.

ex> Helen was so demure at work that it was easy to forget she was there.

* get up the nerve: to find the necessary courage

ex> By the time I got up the nerve to ask her out, she already had a boyfriend.

* show signs of: to give an indication

ex> As soon as any of us showed signs of illness, our mother would rush us to the doctor.

* let off steam: to work or play to relieve excess energy or frustration

ex> Let’s take the kids to the swimming pool so they can let off steam.

Note> You can also say “blow off steam” to mean the same thing.

* here goes nothing: When someone says “Here goes nothing!,” it means they are about to do something that makes them nervous because it’s dangerous, important, etc. The person is giving themselves courage by pretending that what they’re going to do is really “nothing.”

ex> It looks like you’ve completed everything in this online application. Are you nervous?  Yes, but I’m going to click “send” now. Here goes nothing

PE 6/10 Counting Books

* drag on (and on): to take a very long time, with no end in sight

ex> The movie dragged on and on, so we eventually got up and left the theater.

* overkill: more than is needed

ex> Do you think it would be overkill to have a separate TV for each family member?

* panic mode: constantly reacting in a stressed and agitated way, unable to relax

ex> When workers are constantly in panic mode, they are not able to work effectively.

Note> You can replace “panic” with another word such as “work” or “shopping” which means you’re in that frame of mind. So your complete focus is on work or shopping.

* thank one’s lucky stars: to be grateful for one’s good fortune

ex> We can thank our lucky stars that it didn’t rain on our wedding day.

* lassitude: tiredness; a state of having little physical or mental energy

ex> A sense of lassitude is preventing the students from being enthusiastic about the festival.

* in one’s book: according to one’s opinion

ex> That’s not really a great way to motivate children, in my book.

ex> It’s okay in his book to fire the least productive salesperson each month.

* leave one to one’s thoughts: When you leave someone alone to their thoughts, you’re not abandoning them: they usually want to be left alone at that time. This expression is often said as a courtesy, letting the person know that you respect their desire for privacy.

ex> I’ll also close the door and leave you to your thoughts.

PE 6/9 Meryl Streep 2010 Barnard Commencement

* lifelong: lasting the duration of one’s life

ex> That childhood painting class was the beginning of a lifelong passion for me.

* goofy: foolish; harmlessly eccentric

ex> Kathy walked into the room with a goofy smile on her face.

Note> In addition to the definition above, it can also mean crazy, ridiculous, mildly ludicrous or just silly.

* aggressive: ready or appearing to be ready to confront or attack

ex> He said that even the most aggressive dog breeds can be trained to be good pets.

* become real: to go from an imaginary state to a tangible one

ex> Pinocchio is the story of a wooden puppet that becomes real through magic.

* stockpile: to gather together a large quantity of something

ex> The claim that the enemy was stockpiling weapons turned out to be false.

* breathe (new) life into: to bring something into existence; revive someone or something

ex> Working with experienced developers allowed me to breathe life into my invention.

ex> A coat of paint in a vibrant color would breathe new life into this room.

* working class: As a noun, “working class” refers to a group of people within society who have jobs in fields like manufacturing. The term “blue collar” is sometimes used to describe the same group.

ex> I came from a working class background, and my dad worked in a factory that made industrial machinery.

PE 6/8 The Kitchen Sink Exploded!

* fiasco: a complete failure, especially in a humorous way

ex> Because it rained every day, our camping trip turned out to be a fiasco.

* easier said than done: something easy to discuss but difficult to do

ex> You say we should just paint the house ourselves, but that’s easier said than done.

* shake a leg: to hurry

ex> Please call the pizza place again and get them to shake a leg – I’m starving!

* the show must go on: a planned even must continue despite problems

ex> The projector is broken again but the clients are here, so the show must go on.

Note> This is a phrase in show business and means that regardless of what happens, whatever show has been planned still has to be staged for the waiting patrons.

* refurbish: to renovate, update, or redecorate something

ex> Once the building is refurbished, we should be able to attract better tenants.

* That’ll be the day: the stated situation is very unlikely to happen

ex> Our teenage son says he’ll keep his room tidy? That’ll be the day!

* so much for something: this is one of many expressions found in English (and German) that reveal an interesting cultural habit of finding subtle humor in misfortune. When a plan fails and someone says, “So much for that idea,” it can allow the listener to accept the situation without becoming angry (hopefully!)

ex> So much for my career as a baker.

PE 6/5 A Little Privacy, Please

* barge in: to enter a room or join a conversation quickly without being invited

ex> The tourists barged in during the service and started taking pictures of the church.

ex> Timothy always barges in with his opinion before he’s heard the whole story.

* lithe: slim; supple; graceful

ex> The lithe young dances moved across the stage as if they were a single organism.

* six-pack (abs): developed, define d abdominal muscles

ex> He removed off his shirt to show us his six-pack, but all we could see was his weird tattoo.

Note> A “six-pack” is a pack of six cans of beer or soft drinks typically held together with a plastic fastener.

* magnanimous: generous; unselfish

ex> The magnanimous business owner provided the funds to renovate the public pool.

ex> Jill was a magnanimous hostess, and we were treated like royalty whenever we visited her.

* catch one’s drift: to understand what one is implying

ex> Brad might not be as innocent as he’d like you to believe, if you catch my drift.

* (something) to chew on: something to think about

ex> The math teacher left her students with a trigonometry problem to chew on.

* decent: The word “decent” by itself has a few usages in English, all related to its basic definition of “being appropriate.” If your son spent a decent amount of time studying, it was probably enough. Even the term “half decent” indicates that something is good enough.

ex> Yes! Tommy and his friend came into my room when I wasn’t decent. I’m so furious with him!

PE 6/4 The Hungarian Tongue

* hodgepodge: a disorganized mixture

ex> A good salad should be visually pleasing, not a hodgepodge of random ingredients.

Note> This phrase originally referred to a soup of all sorts of ill-suited ingredients jumbled together in a pot. That is, a soup that you just threw together with whatever you had on hand, whether the ingredients were harmonious or not.

* immaterial: not relevant; not important

ex> The judge decided that the defense lawyer’s point was immaterial to the case

* pain in the neck: someone or something that causes trouble; a nuisance

ex> I always hire someone to do my taxes because I find it’s a real pain in the neck.

* take shape: to become clear or tangible

ex> The workers have been busy, and our new kitchen is beginning to take shape.

ex> Our plans will take shape after a few discussions with all the other department heads.

* get the gist of something: to understand the main part or essence of something

ex> It’s possible to get the gist of chess in a few hours, but it can take years to master.

* roll up one’s sleeves: to prepare to work at something

ex> The garage was a mess, so we knew we’d have to roll up our sleeves.

Note> When we’re about to do any physical labor, we would probably roll up our sleeves (assuming that we are wearing long sleeves) before we start to work.

* in no time: The word “at all” are sometimes added to this expression, but the meaning is the same. Don’t confuse this expression with “at no time,” which means “never” – it’s not the same thing!

ex> I was on the phone with Jim. Don’t worry, Dad. It’ll be done in no time!

PE 6/3 Hiring from the Competition

* long shot: something that has only a small chance of success

ex> You can send that actor an email if you want, but it’s a long shot that she’ll respond.

* smackers: dollars (informal)

ex> I’m glad you like this suit, because it cost me eight hundred smackers.

* throw one a bone: to give someone with a modest reward in order to encourage them

ex> I wouldn’t mind working these long hours if the company would throw me a bone sometimes.

* set of wheels: a vehicle

ex> Trevor got himself a new set of wheels with the money his grandmother gave him.

* turn one’s crank: to arouse a person’s interest or passion

ex> Tammy loves these yellow candies, but they don’t really turn my crank.

Note> This phrase is possibly based on earlier usages describing mechanical toys operated by spring mechanisms.

* zenith: the highest point; when something reaches its maximum influence

ex> The Rome Empire is believed to have reached its zenith under the emperor Trajan.

* pull down: People usually use “pull down” when referring to significant salaries, especially in a competitive environment. This same expression can also refer to removing an item from a high shelf (as in, “She pull down the old trophy and dusted if off.”) or the partial removal of trousers (as in, “He was arrested for pulling down his pants in a busy shopping mall.”).

ex> I work just as hard as Jason does. Why is he pulling down a bigger salary than I am?

PE 6/2 Hillary Clinton: Beijing Women’s Rights are Human Rights

* a coming together: a gathering or meeting that results in greater collective understanding

ex> The conference was a coming together of scientists from multiple disciplines.

* take a break: to rest momentarily from doing work

ex> The railway workers took a break at 10 every day and drank coffee beside the tracks.

* aspirations: goals; strong desires or ambitions

ex> We want to ask our son what his aspirations are so we can help him choose the right college.

* far more: a much greater amount of

ex> There are a few divers on our aquatic team, but far more swimmers.

Note> By adding “likely,” another common expression is “far more likely” which means something is highly possible and probable.

ex> People who truly loved once are far more likely to love again.

* common ground: shared interests or beliefs

ex> We don’t agree on everything, but Mike and I share a lot of common ground.

ex> I suggest we have a meeting with the workers’ representatives to establish some common ground with them.

* dignity: respectability; worthiness; self-respect

ex> The women conducted the memorial service with great dignity

* time and (time) again: An equivalent expression in English is “over and over again.” both idioms are used to emphasize that something happens very many times – sometimes more times than is wanted!

ex> She’d asked him time and again to start wearing deodorant, but he never did.

PE 6/1 That's Not My Blouse

* look one’s best: to be very well dressed and groomed

ex> The students were asked to look their best on the day their class photographs were taken.

* peculiar: unusual; strange

ex> Sandra stood there for several moments with a peculiar expression on her face.

* on the ball: alert; quick to understand or react

ex> Because the people in my company’s engineering department were on the ball, they solved the problem almost instantly.

ex> I have a hard time waking up, but Erin in on the ball from the moment her alarm goes off.

* bomb zone: a messy, disorganized area

ex> I’ve told Ryan he can’t go out until his room no longer looks like a bomb zone.

* chaotic: being in a state of confusion or disorder

ex> Recent studies indicate that the universe was chaotic in its early stages.

* can’t hold a candle to: to be clearly inferior to someone or something

ex> My old golf clubs are okay, but they can’t hold a candle to the ones Linda has.

* hold it: Saying “hold it” is a direct way to get someone to stop what they’re saying or doing. It is usually followed by a request that they provide an explanation or do something different. A more polite expression to use (especially with strangers) is “excuse me.”

ex> Hold it ma’am. You can’t park here. Didn’t you see the fire hydrant?