PE 12/8 Anderson Cooper – Tulane University Commencement Speech

* one must admit: the truth is inescapable

ex> You must admit that the performance was much better than you were expecting.

* odd: unusual; unexpected

ex> Don’t you think it’s kind of odd that certain stores aren’t allowed to be open on certain days?

* set out to be: plan to become

ex> Trent originally set out to be a painter, but he became an art historian instead.

* fake: attempting to appear real

ex> Jewelry appraisers have accurate ways of determining whether a piece is real or fake.

* I feel your pain: I experience or empathize with your emotion

ex> I feel your pain, but there’s nothing I can do to help you finish that assignment.

Note> Sometimes native speakers just simply use the phrase, I feel you which basically means the same thing.

* screwed: in a difficult or hopeless situation

ex> As soon as our competitor announced their new product, we knew we were screwed.

Note> This is an informal word so please be advised that you use this word around people you’re familiar or are close to.

* a blow: (불의의) 충격, (정신적인) 타격

A blow can be a physical impact, like something being struck by a hammer, or a person being struck with a fist. It can also be a non-physical impact, like a lawsuit being a blow to a company’s reputation.

ex> Have you talked to your sister lately? How is she dealing with the blow?

PE 12/7 A Forgotten Assignment

* slip one’s mind: to be forgotten

ex> It slipped his mind that we needed light bulbs, so I made him go back and get some.

* not have a leg to stand on: to have no chance of proving that something is true

ex> The defendant pleaded guilty because there were no witnesses, so he didn’t have a leg to stand on.

* face the music: to accept the unpleasant results of one’s actions

ex> You’re the one who suggested we take her car, so you have to face the music.

Note> As for the origin of this phrase, a popular theory is that it was actors who “faced the music,” that is, faced the orchestra pit, when they went on stage.

* cut one some slack: to give one some additional freedom; allow something that is not normally allowed

ex> I’ll cut you some slack this week, but from now on please practice all the exercises I assign to you.

* head case: a person with mental problems

ex> Candice was dating this really cute guy who turned out to be a total head case.

Note> This literally means medical cases that are related to the head. Other similar expressions are mental case and nut case.

* far-fetched: unlikely; difficult to believe

ex> Rudy has a far-fetched theory that the universe was created just a few thousand years ago.

* cock and bull story: 터무니없는 이야기, 엉터리 해명

This expression is sometimes written with hyphens, but the hyphens are becoming less common, as in other compound adjectives. Either way, don’t be afraid to use this expression: it’s not obscene (even though it might seem so)

ex> Every time he’s late, he tells me a cock and bull story about his car breaking down. 

PE 12/4 The Art of Furniture Arranging

* busy as a beaver: very busy

ex> Jake was busy as a beaver in his room, making a model bridge out of balsa wood.

* appreciative: grateful; showing pleasure

ex> Last night’s audience was both appreciative and generous: our donation box was full.

* lie through one’s teeth: to boldly say something that is completely false

ex> I lied through my teeth and told him I was twenty-nine.

Note> When I think of this expression, I imagine a person who is completely lying and smiling at the same time. Very deceitful.

* put one’s heart into something: to do something with passion; have an emotional investment in an outcome

ex> Because Nicole had put her heart into the audition, I couldn’t tell her that she’d prepared the wrong piece.

* rationale: a set of reasons for believing or doing something

ex> Detectives are unsure of the thief’s rationale for stealing such an odd collection of paintings.

* here and there: in a few separate places

ex> Snowdrops appear here and there in the yard by the end of February each year.

* bust one’s butt: 매우 열심히 일하다

This expression is derived from one that is more vulgar, but this version should still only be used between peers in a casual setting. A more polite equivalent expression would be knocking oneself out or breaking one’s back.

ex> Why should I bust my butt to put these posters up while you’re just sitting in the truck?

PE 12/3 Warm Enough in Moscow’s Red Square

* nuts: insane

ex> We really enjoyed our time in Italy, but the drivers there are nuts.

* ahead of time: earlier than the specified time; beforehand

ex> The recipe suggests preparing the dry ingredients ahead of time.

* pinch pennies: to spend as little money as possible; be frugal

ex> My wife and I pinched pennies for several months so we could afford this trip.

Note> Based on this definition, a penny-pincher is a person who is very careful with money. In many cases, you’re so careful with money that you actually look cheap. Basically it has a negative connotation.

* for one’s own good: for one’s benefit, even it is unwanted

ex> Trish might not like the taste of this cough syrup, but it’s for her own good.

* make one’s way: to go towards a destination or goal; achieve success in life

ex> It was already 3 o’clock when she left the house, so Kathy made her way to the gallery as quickly as she could.

* get it over with: to eliminate a duty by performing it soon

ex> He performed his military service as soon as he could to get it over with.

Note> Usually this is said because you have to complete an unpleasant or tedious task. You have to do it so you do it quickly and don’t have to deal with it later.

* afterward: 나중에

As with forward, backward, and toward, this word is sometimes spelled with an “s” at the end, especially in non-North American forms of English. The meaning is not affected by adding the “s.” Note that afterward has a homonym. An afterword is an additional section at the end of a book, usually written by a different author ..

ex> Can we do that afterward? I’d like to finish putting these things away first.

PE 12/2 Money Does Not Buy Happiness

* bounce something off one: to get another person’s opinion of an idea

ex> We shouldn’t change the schedule until we’ve bounced it off the other employees.

* long overdue for: to have been entitled for a long time to something that has not happened yet

ex> The weather forecast doesn’t surprise me because we are long overdue for some cold weather.

* sooner or later: at some future time; eventually

ex> Sooner or later we’re going to have to get gas, so let’s stop at the next station.

* something’s got to give: one force must yield to another; something has to yield or it will break under force or pressure.

ex> If we tie a rope to the door handle and if we all pull it, something’s got to give.

Note> This also means that emotions and tempers have escalated and there is going to be an outburst.

ex> Something’s got to give because they have been fighting every day for a month.

* at loggerheads: in a stubborn dispute or disagreement

ex> Students and school administrators are at loggerheads over the school’s new uniform policy.

Note> In the 17^th century, a loggerhead was recorded as “an iron instrument with a long handle used for melting pitch and for heating liquids.” It is likely that the use of these tools as weapons was what was being referred to when rivals were first said to be  at loggerheads.

* rehash: to put old ideas or material into a new form without much improvement

ex> For many years, carmakers presented consumers with little more than rehashed designs.

ex> Kate and I kept rehashing the same arguments, so we decided to see a counselor.

* turnover: 이직률

This word has two other meanings. It can refer to the amount of money in sales that a store or a company receives. It also describes a pastry snack usually containing a fruit filling, where the pastry is folded over the filling.

ex> What did you company do to correct the high turnover it used to have?

PE 12/1 Katie Couric – Williams College Commencement Speech

 

* humility: a modest opinion of one’s own significance

ex> Heather displayed so much humility that it was difficult to see how capable she was.

* assertive: confident and forceful

ex> A customer once told me that I was being too assertive, so I changed my style.

Note> People often confuse the words, assertive and aggressive. Assertive people state their opinions, while still being respectful of others. Aggressive people attack or ignore others’ in favor of their own.

* in other words: differently said

ex> This isn’t Palmerston Avenue. In other words, we’re lost.

* self-esteem: pride in oneself

ex> His father used to criticize everything he did, so he had very low self-esteem.

* sense of entitlement: an exaggerated belief that one deserves everything one wants

ex> Trisha’s sense of entitlement makes her a very difficult person to be around.

Note> Kids who are usually spoiled by their doting parents usually develop a strong sense of entitlement. They think that the world revolves around them and that everyone should cater to their needs. So watch out parents!

* soar: to fly without physical effort; rise rapidly above a normal level

ex> Watching birds soar in the wind made me realize that creatures besides humans definitely experience pleasure.

* set one up for: ~을 특정한 상황에 처하게 하다

The expression set one up has several meanings, often depending on the preposition that follows it. For example, to set one up with someone means to try to involve them in a relationship. To set one up in a location means to leave someone alone in a public seating area.

ex> Brenda’s friends are only setting her up for disappointment by suggesting she enter that race.

PE 11/30 Afraid of the Dentist

* procrastinate: to delay doing something that should be done

ex> I want to get my project finished, but I procrastinate by chatting with friends on facebook.

Note> The Latin roots of procrastinate literally mean “put forward to.” The question is, does tomorrow really ever come.

* deep-seated: in place for a long time and difficult to change

ex> It’s healthy to have no beliefs that are so deep-seated that they can’t be changed by a well-supported argument.

* pull oneself together: to regain control over one’s emotions

ex> Erica goes a little crazy when she does computer work, but she always manages to pull herself together.

* fed up: angry about something that has happened for a long time

ex> she was so fed up with her daughter’s messy room that she put everything that was on the floor into bags.

* so be it: that’s the way it is (expression of acceptance or resignation)

ex> If Jackie doesn’t want to answer my emails, so be it.

ex> If you genuinely think it’s best to leave your job, then so be it, I guess.

* face one’s demons: to confront one’s fears

ex> Coleen is determined to face her demons and take a public speaking course.

ex> It takes a lot of courage to take your demons, so I admire you for making another attempt at learning to swim.

Note> The word demon hasn’t always referred to an evil spirit. The Latin word daemon meant “guiding spirit” or “lesser god.”

* smart: 따끔따끔 쓰리다, 얼얼하다, 쑤시다

This word has two meanings that seem unconnected. As an adjective, it means “intelligent.” As a verb, it means “to hurt.” A good word to remember that connects these two meanings is sharp: one can have a sharp pain, and a smart person can be described as sharp.

ex> I’m so sorry! I meant to warn you about that open cupboard door above your head. Are you okay? – It smarts, but I’ll be fine. I should’ve looked before I stood up.