PE 11/12 A River Trip Through Madagascar

* what you see is what you get: the present situation or item will not change or be added to

ex> I’m sorry if you don’t like the looks of dinner, but what you see is what you get.

Note> This expression became a popular acronym during the early personal computing era. Spelled WYSIWYG and pronounced “wizzy-wig,” it referred to software that allowed the user to see exactly what something would look like when it was printed.

* at the risk of: without wanting to upset or offend

ex> At the risk of seeming ungrateful, this is more fruit than I could ever possibly eat.

ex> At the risk of upsetting the bride, I’m going to tell a little story about how we met.

* letdown: a disappointment

ex> As captain, she had to find a way to prevent her team’s loss from becoming a damaging letdown.

* chicken out: to change one’s mind about doing something because one is afraid

ex> Bernice convinced Gary to go skydiving with her, but he chickened out when they got there.

Note> Chickens are often regarded as fearful animals, but this expression may originate from an ancient Roman religious tradition of reading omens before going into battle. It was feared and considered to be an omen that the battle would not go well if a chicken refused to eat grain the evening before.

* hang on for dear life: to hold onto something as tightly as possible to avoid falling

Ex> The subway here is very smooth, but you have to hang on for dear life on some of the buses.

* glutton for punishment: one who willingly performs tasks that others find difficult or unpleasant

ex> You must be a glutton for punishment to want to work full time while trying to earn your degree.

* chill: 편안한, 여유있는

This usage of this word is a contemporary informal expression. In most other contexts, chill is a noun meaning “a sensation of coldness” and a verb meaning “to make something cold.”

ex> She’s very chill, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem as long as you let her know what’s happening. 

PE 11/11 A Quick Printer and a Happy Planet

* there is no need: it is not necessary

ex> There’s no need to worry about paying me back: consider it a gift.

* put into place: to install; incorporate; implement

ex> Once the new passenger turnstiles were put into place, transit revenues increased by almost thirty percent.

* tweak: (v) to adjust slightly; (n) a small adjustment

ex> After it was tweaked, the new stage could be raised and lowered in a few seconds.

Note> Tweak evolved from the Middle English word twick, which meant “to pull sharply.” It only obtained the meaning “to adjust slightly” in the mid-twentieth century.

* don’t spare the horses: to hurry up and do something as quickly as possible

ex> Driver, please take us to Mayfair Hospital, and don’t spare the horses.

Note> A longer version of this expression is, “Home, James, and don’t spare the horses.” It is request given to the driver of a horse-drawn carriage to use a whip on the horses to make them go faster.

* go like stink: to move very quickly

ex> Winnifred’s car is not very interesting to look at, but it goes like stink.

* dawdle: to move at a slow, lazy pace

ex> Please run down to the store to get me some fresh broccoli, and don’t dawdle.

* run off: 인쇄하다, 복사하다

This expression has numerous other meanings, including “to talk too much,” “to flow away from,” “to suddenly leave a place or situation,” and “to force to vacate,.” Also, the noun runoff means “the flow of liquid or material from one place to another.”

ex> We’d better call the publisher and have them run off another ten thousand copies.

PE 11/10 Jeff Koons Interview

* downtime: a period of inactivity or unavailability

ex> My surgeon recommended that I take some downtime to let everything heal.

Note> When downtime was first used in the mid-twentieth century, it referred to periods when large, stationary machinery – including early computers – were unavailable for use. The term was only later applied to people.

* caught up in: deeply involved with

ex> The researchers got caught up in trying to show that a small-scale fusion reaction was possible.

* recession: a period of economic decline

ex> Until the recession of the early 1980’s, it seemed that good jobs were always available.

* trust in oneself: to be confident in one’s feelings, perceptions, and abilities

ex> Terry says his success came from his mother teaching him to trust in himself.

* make connections: to show or perceive how things are related

ex> The detective had the remarkable ability to make connections between separate events.

* a vehicle for: a thing used to express or facilitate something

ex> The politician was accused of using his position as a vehicle for personal gain.

Note> Vehicle is also used to describe transportation machines, like cars or trucks. Its broad definition is “a means of conveying something,” and it came from the same Latin root as the word wagon, which is a wheeled cart for carrying things.

* relative: 상대적인, 비교상의

The noun form of this word is also used to describe a family member, as a synonym for “relation.” A synonym for the adjective form of relative is the phrase “in relation to.”

ex> Relative to how I was a few days ago, I’m doing great, thanks.

PE 11/9 The Benefits of a Monthly Pass

* spring for: to buy or pay for something, often for someone else

ex> If you’ll drive us to the concert, I’ll spring for dinner.

* dive in: to start doing something suddenly and energetically, without hesitating to think

ex> When we saw what they were doing, we all dove in and started pushing on the boulder as hard as we could.

* nothing to sneeze at: too significant to be ignored

ex> They offered me a salary that was nothing to sneeze at, but the commute was too long.

* obligated: compelled by a sense of duty

ex> Under the terms and conditions, you are obligated to buy ten more at the regular price.

* fleece: to get a large amount of money from someone by tricking or overcharging them

ex> Take a close look at the bill to make sure they aren’t trying to fleece us.

Note> The noun fleece refers to a sheep’s coat of wool, and the verb to fleece originally meant to remove that coat by shearing the sheep. It’s easy to see how this verb was later applied to the idea of taking one’s money.

* pattern (something) after: to make something by following an existing example

ex> Many of New York’s older buildings were patterned after European designs.

* mess with: ~을 방해하다, 망치다

This expression is fairly informal. When used in the negative in reference to a person, it can imply that the person is prone to anger or is dangerous, e.g. “Don’t mess with Victor: he has very little patience.”

ex> Let’s lock the classroom door when we go. We don’t want anyone to mess with our masterpiece. 

PE 11/6 Cleaning Up for Mother

* neat freak: one who is excessively concerned with tidiness or cleanliness

ex> My mom used to be such a neat freak, but now she lets her house get quite dirty.

* deceitful: dishonest; attempting to mislead others

ex> The prosecuting attorney tried to show that the defendant had engaged in deceitful behavior.

* flip out: to lose control of one’s emotions; become suddenly angry or upset

ex> My dad flipped out when he found out that I’d spent the money on a snowboard.

Note> Flip out is an abbreviated way to say to flip one’s wig, which has a couple of proposed origins. In one, the term wig was slang for one’s head or one’s state of mind.

* courteous: polite; considerate

ex> The courteous gesture of giving up one’s seat to an elderly person is common throughout the world.

* white glove test: a careful examination for cleanliness

ex> It’s a good idea to keep your work area clean because the supervisor has been known to perform a white glove test.

Note> Although this expression might seem from earlier times when people of both sexes commonly wore white gloves, it actually originated from an American TV ad in the 1950’s.

* at least: not less than; if nothing else

ex> There were at least three hundred people waiting outside, hoping to buy tickets for the concert.

* Is it too much to ask…?: ~이 무리한 요구야?

This expression is a “rhetorical” question – one that is intended to make the person think, and not to provide an answer. This particular expression is used to express frustration that someone or something hasn’t fulfilled a perceived duty.

ex> It might seem old-fashioned, but is it too much to ask for you to hold the door open for me?

PE 11/5 In the Home of the Lemur

* nocturnal: active or happening at night

ex> Your pet hamster might keep you awake at night because hamsters are naturally nocturnal.

Note> The word nocturnal is Latin in origin, and literally means “belonging to the night.” The opposite is diurnal, although this word is not used very often. There’s even an obscure word to describe animals that are active in twilight: crepuscular.

* nod off: to fall asleep briefly and/or at an inappropriate time

ex> Jake nodded off during the lecture and began to snore loudly.

* make an appearance: to attend a gathering or even briefly

ex> She didn’t really want to go to the party, but decided she would make an appearance.

* remain to be seen: to be uncertain; be not yet known

ex> It remains to be seen whether those shrubs can survive the winter.

* eerie: strange in a mysterious or frightening way

ex> Don’t you find it eerie that he always reaches for his phone just before it rings?

Note> The origin of this word is the Middle English word eri, which meant “fearful” or “cowardly.” Over time, the word’s meaning changed to become something that causes fear.

* let one be: to not bother or try to interact with one

ex> When Lauren is in one of her moods, I find it best to just let her be.

ex> When you’re scuba diving amongst marine creatures, it’s important to let them be.

* out and about: (병을 앓고 난 뒤에) 다시 나다니는, 돌아다니는

This expression is more commonly used in British and Canadian English than in American English. In fact, it’s one of the expressions Americans use to make fun of the Canadian accent!

ex> Renata! Is that you? It’s good to see you out and about again. How are you feeling?

PE 11/4 Smaller Portions for Modern Diners

* put someone or something on the map: to bring recognition, respect, or fame to someone or something

ex> Their mixed martial arts classes are what put them on the map, but now they tech traditional kung fu as well.

* pig out: to eat a large amount of food

ex> Exercise isn’t enough to lose weight if you’re still pigging out on fatty foods.

Note> It is actually a common and enduring myth that pigs are greedy. In fact, a pig will never eat more food than it needs – unlike some humans!

* red flag: an indicator of a potential or existing problem.

ex> If someone is spending more and more time alone, that could be a red flag.

* in the cards: likely or certain to happen

ex> She got the feeling that a promotion wasn’t in the cards for her.

Note> The “cards” referred to in this expression are tarot cards (pronounced ta-ro). These were European playing cards from the Middle Ages which were later used to “read” one’s future.

* joint: a place of business (slang)

ex> Can you believe how many burger joints there are around here?

* shift gears: to suddenly change one’s attitude, opinion, or actions

ex> I realize we haven’t finished discussing your salary, but I’d like to shift gears and talk about our company’s new logo.

* epic: 대단한, 인상적인, 영웅적인

The original and correct meaning of this word relates to a traditional long-form poetry genre that describes the deeds and adventures of historical heroes. It later came to be used to describe other large or long works, and has now become a popular slang term meaning “very impressive.”

ex> It was absolutely epic. I’ll notify you when I post all my pictures.