PE 1/6 A Sign of the Times

* time-honored: respected or valued because it has existed for a long time

ex> My family has this time-honored custom of making up food baskets for the poor each winter.

* hand something down: to give something to a later generation

ex> These recipes have been handed down in my family for generations.

* of one’s own accord: by one’s own choice; without being asked

ex> My parents were stunned when I cleaned up my room of my own accord.

* cutting edge: the latest or most advanced

ex> Nick insists on having a cutting edge computer, and he’s willing to pay for it.

Note> Literally, the cutting edge is the sharp edge of something that is used to cut things.

* zip: nothing; zero

ex> Our team beat the visiting team five to zip.

* make money hand over fist: to make lots of money quickly

ex> The company made money hand over fist until their product was illegally copied.

* out of pocket: 손해를 보아, (돈을) 잃은

ex> If we cancel the show, we’ll be out of pocket thousands of dollars.

PE 1/5 Tory Burch – Babson College Commencement Speech

* short-circuit: to bypass or impede

ex> Alan says he has a plan to help us short-circuit some of the steps in this boring project.

* tenacity: determination; persistence  a) tenacious 

ex> He may not be the smartest candidate, but he has the tenacity to be heard in debates.

* finishing touch: a final action or detail that completes a work

ex> Betty always let her nephew perform the finishing touches on her cakes.

* overnight success: a person, product or organization that achieves success quickly

ex> The group’s first album was an overnight success, propelling them to international stardom.

* gloss over: to ignore or avoid facts that are awkward, embarrassing, or unpleasant

ex> The company’s annual report glossed over its poor sales performance in Europe.

Note> The noun gloss is a shiny finish on an object so this phrase could also mean to make something more attractive or acceptable by deception or superficial treatment.

* timing: choosing or being able to choose the most effective moment to perform an action

ex> I’m certain that my idea was good but my timing was off, so I’m going to ask her again.

* decent: (수준이) 괜찮은, 적절한

ex> We’ll do that as soon as we get some decent weather. I don’t want to drive around in conditions like these.

PE 1/4 A Healthy Start to the New Year

* drop by: to make a short, informal visit

ex> Why don’t you drop by about 11 o’clock and we’ll take a look at some flooring samples together?

* all in all: everything considered; on the whole

ex> All in all, the movie was an interesting look at a possible future for humankind.

Note> All in all was a reference to the omnipresent and all-pervasive nature of the Christian God, that is, “all things in all places.”

* slot: a position in an arrangement or plan

ex> Good news: the community center said there are still a few slots available in their dog obedience class.

* in a bind: in a difficult situation

ex> Jason is in a bind because he left his wallet at home and I don’t have enough cash with me to cover his bill.

* run one ragged: to make one very tired through working too hard

ex> I ran myself ragged collecting all the materials, and now I don’t have the energy to build anything.

* encroach: to intrude gradually; cross a boundary

ex> The farmer took his neighbor to court for encroaching on his property.

ex> We took out the ivy last fall because it always encroached on the lilacs.

* get up to: (장난 등을) 벌이다(하느라 바쁘다)

ex> Those two have been very quiet since they went up to the attic. What do you suppose they’ve gotten up?

PE 1/1 New Year, New Friends

* make good on: to fulfill a promise or repay a debt

ex> Davina made good on her promise to put away the dishes if I made dinner

* at ease: relaxed and comfortable

ex> Hearing that our friends had made it home safely in the storm put us at ease.

* get along: to have a friendly relationship; make progress in situation

ex> It’s great that my brother and I get alone so well now, because we used to disagree a lot.

* standoffish: unfriendly; reserved

ex> Alan can seem standoffish at first, but he’s actually just very shy.

* at loose ends: restless due to not having enough to do

* My kids are always at loose ends during the last few days of a school break.

* flaky: eccentric; unreliable

ex> I used to think that all artists were slightly flaky until I met Randolph.

Note> A person who is flaky is known as a flake “You are such a flake!”

* ask (one) out: ~에게 데이트를 신청하다, ~을 초대하다

ex> I haven’t found the courage to ask her out yet, but I will.

PE 12/31 Two New Years in Russia

* jubilant: feeling or showing great joy or triumph

ex> This crowd will be jubilant if the other team fails to score before the clock runs out.

* get by: to have just enough of something to do what is necessary

ex> They’ll be able to get by on Alex’s salary if they’re very careful about their spending.

* legacy: something handed down from the past; inherited money or property

ex> We are still benefiting from the legacy of the Roman empire.

* sweep on off one’s feet: to cause someone to be admiring or infatuated

ex> My mom claims that my dad swept her off her feet when they first met in college.

Note> To be “swept off your feet” is to be surprised, enthralled, exhilarated. Critics can be swept off their feet by an epic film or operagoers can be swept off their feet by a beautiful aria.

* get a feel for[get the feel of] something: to become accustomed to something

ex> Staying in private homes while traveling helps you get a feel for what it’s like to live in that country.

* at the drop of a hat: without hesitation

ex> Mickey would get into a fight at the drop of a hat, so I had to watch him constantly.

Note> In the 19^th century it was occasionally the practice in the United States to signal the start of a fight or a race by dropping a hat or sweeping it downward while holding it in the hand.

* Talk about something(형용사): (강조) 아주~하다, ~가 말도 못한다.

The inflection of this expression is important in distinguishing it from other uses of these two words together. When spoken, the adjective always receives the greatest emphasis, and the word talk gets secondary emphasis.

ex> Talk about generous. Did you know that he has donated over $200 million to medical research?

PE 12/30 A Taxing Problem

* come to grips with: to accept or handle something difficult

ex> Knowing that she would still be able to visit them helped the kids come to grips with Ms. Bennett’s departure.

ex> The government eventually came to grip with the loss of revenues from natural resources.

Note> If a person comes to grips with a problem, he is facing reality and is ready to do battle. Maybe like two wrestlers grip each other.

* open a can of worms: to do something that unintentionally creates a problem

ex> We really opened a can of worms when we had that carpenter look inside our walls.

* course of action: a way of proceeding with something

ex> Tamara realized that the best course of action was to tell her father about the lama.

* cook the books: to intentionally record false financial information

ex> The movie is about the corrupt prison warden who had been cooking the books for years.

Note> What does cooking have to do with books? Well, the phrase is an allusion to changing the ingredients (figures or numbers) to make another meal (accounting book or records).

* jeopardize: to put something in danger or at risk

ex> I knew I was in an unhealthy relationship when it started to jeopardize my career.

* catch up: to reach the same position as something that was ahead

ex> Elizabeth has already sold fourteen units, but I’m determined to catch up to her.

* rash: 성급한, 조급한

As a noun, this word has two additional meanings. One is a reddish patch of skin caused by disease or abrasion. The other is a series of similar events happening in close succession, e.g. a rash of car thefts in the area.

ex> A: We should take away his computer and forbid him from going out with his friends for two weeks.

B: That’s much too rash, Sonya. We don’t even know if he actually did the things he’s been accused of.

PE 12/29 David Brooks – Wake Forest University Commencement Speech

* through the ages: over a long period of history

ex> Judging from what has been left behind, the personalities of humans have changed very little through the ages.

* feel (it) in one's bones: to be instinctively aware of something

ex> There's going to be a big storm tonight: I can feel it in my bones.

ex> You can feel it in your bones when a piece of music was written for a loved one.

Note> The origin of this saying comes from someone who has arthritis or rheumatism, and when cold and wet weather approaches, they will be able to feel pain in their bones.

* over the years: during the course of one's life

ex> My cousin became much easier to get along with over the years.

* pick up: to learn or acquire without great effort

ex> Cynthia picked up chess after watching just a few games being played.

* posse: a group of temporary law enforcement officers; a group of people who share a common characteristic

ex> The sheriff gathered a posse of men to help him find the escaped prisoner.

Note> The classic image of a posse is from the Old West, of a group of armed cowboys on horses, in pursuit of an outlaw. Originally the term was posse comitatus, Latin meaning the force of the country. Today, the word posse is used most often to refer to a group of friends or people with some common interest.

* entourage: a group of attendants or associates accompanying an important person

ex> The secret of my fame was that I assembled an entourage early in my career.

* think hard: 잘 생각하다, 골똘히 생각하다

An alternative version of this expression is think long and hard. The meaning is the same.

ex> I'm going to have to think hard about how to use mine.