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Introduction
Hi! Lori here, welcoming you to another episode of Real English Conversations from betteratenglish.com.

In today’s conversation, which is part four of four, my British friend Michael and I wrap up our lengthy conversation about the pros and cons of dogs, dog ownership, and dog owners. Warning: some of the vocabulary we deal with in this episode is a bit vulgar, so if you are sensitive or easily offended I suggest you stop listening now.

As always, you can find the vocabulary notes and full transcript of this podcast on our website, www.betteratenglish.com.

OK, here we go!

Conversation Transcript

Lori:   And some people… I swear, you know, dogs I think are great. It’s dog owners that can be just really lame sometimes.
Michael: Mmm. Mmm..
L:   There’s a forest outside where I live here, where I like to go running and walking and…people, it’s a great place. I don’t see many people, but there are a lot of dog walkers who like to go there as well.
M:   Yes.
L:   And they don’t want to keep their dogs on a leash a lot of times. They let their dogs kind of run wild, and a lot of them don’t really have control over their dogs.
M:   Right, right.
L:   And the dogs can be quite aggressive sometimes. But then, dog owners are really weird. Sometimes they are so protective of their dogs and they think their dogs can do no harm.
M:   Oh dear.
L:   So they actually get angry at you, walking along telling you that, “Oh, it’s because you’re afraid, that’s why he [the dog] is acting like that.” And it’s like…
M:   “Of course I’m afraid. He’s a giant dog with slavering fangs.” Yeah.
L:   Running up barking at me, not looking friendly. Of course I’m going to be afraid, you know? And I don’t think it’s my responsibility as, you know, a person wanting to use the jogging trail — that it’s my responsibility to tailor my behavior to the comfort of dog owners, because it actually is their responsibility to keep their dogs on a leash, unless they have, you know, total control.
M:   I completely agree. I was going to say, do your remember the time I was over in Sweden, and we were having a picnic in the park. And there were the young teenagers that were there, and they had a dog with them. And the dog was running loose, and the dog was coming over and sticking its nose in our picnic bag. And you had to tell these folks, “Excuse me…your dog…?” They where oblivious to the whole thing.
L:   The dog was just doing what dogs do.
M:   He was looking for food.
L: Yeah, of course, he is going to be interested in food. So it is up to owners to make sure they keep their dogs under control when they’re, you know, in the public space.
M:   Exactly.
L:   It is not up to, you know, the other people there to deal with the dog. I think.
M:   You know, we shooed the dog away, more then once.
L:   But he kept coming back.
M:   Well we had some good chow!
L:   Oh we did. Oh man, those pies that Sabina had made! Oh, my god! That is really annoying when dog owners are inconsiderate and don’t understand that it’s really their responsibility to make sure their dog is under control.
M:   Right, yeah, it is part of the responsibility of being a dog owner, I think.
L:   Exactly. And I’m sure…most are fine. Most people do a good job, but it’s the few people who are idiots who kind of spoil it for everybody else.
M:   Sure. It gives the dog a bad name as well. I mean, if you have a few bad encounters with a dog that’s having trouble it can put you off.
L:   Exactly. And that can also…if, you know…there’s some people who are deathly afraid of dogs, who don’t, you know, who have a hard time with obviously friendly dogs.
M: Oh goodness! I was terrified of dogs when I was a little boy. Absolutely terrified. And that was just through a couple of dogs that lived locally. There was a house that I had to walk past on the way to school, and there were these two dogs that would, they would bark and they would run at you. They weren’t tied up either.
L:   Yeah. I think every kid has a house like that, or memory of a house like that, from when they were walking to school. I know I do.
M:   Right! It’s something that sticks with you for a long time.
L:   Yeah, because when you’re little, you know, I was walking to school on my own…I think from the time I was in first grade. So I would have only been five or six years old! Because it wasn’t far, it was only a few blocks and it was quiet, residential streets, so I walked to school by myself or with the little neighbor kids. But when you’re that little, a big dog is really big and really scary. And you haven’t…you’re not aware enough to tell the difference between a dog that’s just running up to inspect you and check you out and a dog that is really, actually aggressive.
M:   Right.
L:   So it’s really scary.
M:   Oh yeah. Oh yeah. And I think it can stay with you for a long time as well.
L:   Yeah.
M:   And I guess some people never… in fact, my sister is still very, very scared of dogs, you know? And she’s nearly 40. She was like that when she was a child and she just never got over it.
L:   I have to say I’m wary of dogs. Little dogs, it’s no problem because even if they were horribly aggressive you could always just kick them like a football. And you’d be OK.
[laughter]
L:   But it’s the big dogs, you know, dogs that weigh as much as I do. Those, those can be quite scary.
M:   That would be hard to tackle, a dog like that.
L:   Yeah. And just…its going to be much more serious being attacked by a dog like that than by some little yappy terrier trying to bite your heels, you know?

M: Ankle biters. [laughs]
L:   [laughs] Yeah, ankle biters. Isn’t that a slang word for kids? Ankle biters…
M: I don’t know. I guess, maybe.
L:   Or like an informal colloquial word, for… Like the word “rug rats“, we have the word rug rats in American English for kids, which I think is a horrible word. But yeah, ankle biters, I think I’ve heard that before as sort of a disparaging term for little children.
M:   Well, maybe that’s not something you should use for a little dog then, I don’t think.
L:   No, it’s very descriptive though, little ankle biters! Ankle nippers!
M:   Well you could go further, “crotch sniffers.”
[laughter]
L:   Crotch sniffing dogs are the worst! Oh my God, oh I hate crotch sniffing dogs!
[laughter]
M: There is some film I remember seeing with some kid complaining about some dog. His parents say, “What’s wrong with the dog?” This poor little kid balefully cries out, “He is a crotch sniffer!”
[laughter]
L:   I know. I have seen the same film, but I don’t remember which one it is. But it’s funny…Crotch sniffers are…it’s so embarrassing. I know it is just what dogs do. They sniff each other’s, you know, nether regions.
M: They clean each other’s nether regions.
L:   Oh no, let’s not go there! I want to keep this one clean!
M:   OK.
L:   That is just what dogs do. That and the ones that hump your leg. That is so embarrassing especially when you’re over at someone’s house.
M: Especially when they won’t let go.
[laughter]
L: They latch on and won’t let go.
M:  Shaking, shaking your leg. And then… [laughter]
L: Yeah and oh, that’s so embarrassing because you know everyone is thinking about sex at that point. I mean you can’t have a dog humping your leg without people at least momentarily, you know, everyone is thinking about doing it. That just makes it so embarrassing.
M:  Right.
L:   It’s such a delicate situation.
[laughter]
M: Oh dear. Right. Yeah. Yes. It’s difficult to remain cool.
L: When a dog is humping your leg!
M: Trying to look cool and dangerous when there’s a dog humping away at your leg. Yeah.
[laughter]
L:   Yeah. Oh my god, that’s such an embarrassing situation… Anyway I think we’ve reached the point where, again, it can only go downhill from here.
M:   OK. Let’s quit where we are!

Final Words
Thanks for listening. This concludes our four-part series on the good, the bad and the ugly of dogs, dog ownership, and dog owners. We’ll be back again with a new episode as soon as we’ve had time to record some juicy new topics. We welcome requests from our listeners, so if you’d like to request a topic just visit our website, www.betteratenglish.com, where you’ll find everything you need to get in touch with us. This is Lori from BetterAtEnglish signing off until next time. Bye for now!

Download vocabulary list for this podcast

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

Real English Conversations: Don’t step in the dog doo (4 of 4)

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Introduction: Hi! Lori here, welcoming you to another episode of Real English conversations from Better at English dot com. In today’s conversation, my English friend Michael and I talk about superstitions. You’ll learn about the idiom “to have an itchy palm” as well as what superstition tells us that it means when you really do have an itchy palm. Are you superstitious? We are curious about how many of our listeners believe in superstitions, so we’ve put a poll up on the website where you can tell us. You can find it at www.betteratenglish.com.

Thanks to everyone who voted in last week’s poll about naked cats. I’ve just looked at the results. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of you think that hairless cats are ugly. But 45 per cent of you do say that I should still get one. Only 12 per cent of you think that they’re cute. Oh well, to be honest, my mind was made up before the poll; it’s only Michael who needs to be convinced!

Right then, here comes this week’s conversation!

Conversation transcript

Lori: Oh, I’ve got this itchy palm. It’s totally itching. Doesn’t that mean something when your palm itches?
Michael: It means you have to wash your hands.
Lori: No, really! Isn’t it some superstition, something to do with money?
Michael: Like some sort of old wives’ tale or something about…?
Lori: Yeah, that you’re going to get money or something like that?
Michael: Well, off the top of my head I don’t know, but the only thing for it is to see what Google has to say.
Lori: Yeah, consult the Oracle.
Michael: Consult Google.
Lori: The Oracle of Google. What does it mean?
Michael: Give me a second…Itchy palm…Ah, OK! It’s a desire for money, or greed, or wanting a bribe, apparently. Like a hotel porter, you know, “The porter has an itchy palm,” he’s expecting you to give a big tip. Or, you know, someone could be known for having an itchy palm; I guess that means they’re known for being greedy.
Lori: Oh, OK. But isn’t that the idiom? Like if someone says “So-and-so has itchy palms”? What does it mean if your palm actually itches?
Michael: Oh, OK, let me see. Let me move down the list and see what Google has to say.
Lori: I hope it’s getting money…
Michael: Yeah, well actually, yeah, you’re right…it says…apparently having an itchy palm is an indicator of fortune coming your way…
Lori: Yes!
Michael: Or something like that. Umm, OK, Oh, hang on a minute.
Lori: Does it say anything about money? I could really use some…
Michael: Well, yes…Oh, wait a minute! Which, which one of your hands is it, the left or the right hand?
Lori: What, does it make a difference?
Michael: Ah, yes, it makes a big difference actually.
Lori: It’s the left one.
[long pause]
Michael: Ah.
Lori: Oh, that didn’t sound good.
Michael: No, you’re not going to like this. If you have an itchy right palm, apparently that means that you will receive money.
Lori: OK.
Michael: Do you want to hear this?
Lori: Oh no.
Michael: If you have an itchy left palm, it means you have to give money.
Lori: Oh no.
Michael: But wait a minute, isn’t it? It’s the time of year when you have to do your taxes! That’s what it must mean, it’s because you have to pay your taxes.
Lori: Yeah, I was just doing my taxes, just…in fact, I just finished them today.
Michael: OK.
Lori: Maybe that’s what it is.
Michael: Maybe you’ll be OK and you won’t get some big bill in the post just for taxes.
Lori: Well, plus I’m expecting a bill because when I leave for my vacation in a couple of days, I’m going to take my computer in and finally get it fixed so it will stop acting up. And I can imagine that that’s going to cost some money, so maybe that is is. Darn! I thought that I’d be getting some…winning the lottery or getting some unexpected windfall.
Michael: Yeah, well, we don’t believe in any of that stuff anyway.
Lori: No, actually, yeah, that’s true. But man, it really itches! It’s driving me crazy!
Michael: OK, well, you go wash your hands, young lady!
Lori: OK.

Final words
We hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Real English Conversations. Michael and I will be interested to see how many of our listeners are superstitious, so hurry over to betteratenglish.com and cast your vote.

Before signing off, I have to say thanks so much to everyone who has donated to support Better At English this week and who has recorded messages for Michael and me on the website. We really appreciate your support, and getting messages from you totally makes our day. If you get value from our podcasts, please consider making a donation. It’s not mandatory, and we don’t expect it, but every little bit helps! That’s all for now, see you next time!

Vocabulary list

superstition
A superstition is an unscientific belief about the nature of the world, usually related to ideas about magic or the supernatural. People who believe in superstitions are superstitious.

old wives’ tale
An old wives’ tale is a piece of advice or information, usually about health, that people used to believe a long time ago but nowadays is known to be false.

off the top of my head
If you say something off the top of your head, it means that you are using the knowledge you have in your memory. People usually say this when they are not sure they are correct.

Oracle
An oracle is someone who knows a lot about a subject and can give good advice.

porter
A porter is someone who helps you carry your bags in a hotel.

tip
A tip (n.) is a small amount of money that you give to someone for performing a service for you. You might tip (v.) a server in a restaurant or a porter in a hotel.

hang on
Informal for wait (a short time)

do your taxes
Doing your taxes means calculating your taxes and preparing the forms to submit to the tax agency.

bill
A bill is a formal request for payment or money owed, often printed on paper.

acting up
To act up means to behave badly or not work properly. Both people and objects can act up.

windfall
A windfall is an unexpected amount of money that you win or receive.

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

Real English Conversations: Itchy palms (superstitions)

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Hello and welcome to Better at English, the podcast that focuses on real English for real people. My name is Lori, and today I’m going to give you a quick and easy way to find the meaning of idioms that aren’t in your dictionary.

Idioms are notoriously difficult for non-native speakers, because they usually don’t make sense if you translate them word for word. For example, the idiom “to kick the bucket” has nothing to do with buckets and everything to do with dying. Most learners are eager to learn about idioms because native speakers use them so frequently. So understanding idioms is important for understanding native speakers, and for sounding more native-like yourself!

If you are reading or listening to B@E, you are probably already and independent learner of English who is used to looking up idioms in your dictionary. If you’re really keen, you might even have a special dictionary of idioms. Dictionaries are indispensable tools for learning the meaning of idiomatic words and phrases. But they are not perfect: we’ve all experienced the frustration of discovering that the idiom we’re looking just isn’t in our dictionary. Luckily, there is a simple trick for finding idioms on the Internet. Here is how you do it:

Go to Google and search for the word idiom plus the key words from your idiom. The search results are almost guaranteed to lead you to a helpful definition. Here is an example:

Imagine you heard this conversation:

Michael: Would you mind if I tried your new guitar?
Lori: Sure, knock yourself out!

The idiom is “knock yourself out,” or “to knock oneself out,” in the dictionary form.

To find the meaning of this idiom, do a Google search for the word
idiom
and add the phrase “knock yourself out” in quotation marks.
Like this:
idiom “knock yourself out”

All you need to do is scroll through the results, which, with luck, will be a combination of online dictionary definitions and online forum discussions. Make sure to check out any forum discussions that you find; they often contain interesting and useful discussions about meaning and usage and give you far more insight than you will get from a dictionary definition.

If you don’t get useful results on your first search, try adjusting your search query. For example, for “knock yourself out” you can try
idiom “knock oneself out”
or
idiom knock oneself out

Google is not a perfect corpus by a long shot, but it is a fantastic tool for doing quick’n'dirty research into meaning and usage. I highly recommend that you spend a few minutes reading the Google search help file so that you can take full advantage of this wonderful tool.

I use the trick I’ve shown you today all the time; in fact, Google is my number one reference tool for double-checking my native-speaker intuition. This is just one of several tips that I’ll be sharing with you over the coming weeks. I hope you find it useful.

That’s all for now; thanks so much for listening. As always, you can find the full transcript at our website, www.betteratenglish.com. Bye for now!

Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms (Online, free!)

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

How to find English idioms that aren’t in the dictionary

Hi everyone! Lori here with a quick announcement.

Even though many of you have told me that you don’t mind the occasional swear word or bit of off-color language, I’ve decided that it’s best to keep B@E a relatively clean site, and put all the naughty stuff on a different one. Today I’ve launched the evil twin of Better At English:
UncensoredEnglish.com. On Uncensored English, Michael and I will be teaching you all kinds of colorful idioms and slang — even swear words — because we think that learners benefit from knowing about ALL sides of the English language, not just the clean, polite side. So if you are curious about learning more of the edgy, gritty side of the English language, and if you’re not easily offended by vulgar language, then head on over to UncensoredEnglish.com and give our first shows a listen.

And for those of you who are not interested in off-color language, don’t worry. We’ll continue with the clean stuff here at B@E.

Thanks for listening!

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

Uncensored English – New English learning podcast

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Hi! Lori here, welcoming you to another episode of 2-minute English from BetterAtEnglish.com. This episode is in response to a question from Seref, a teacher of English in Turkey, who sent in a question about the sentence I feel like kicking myself. Seref is curious about the level of formality of this idiom and wonders if there are any synonyms.

Idiom
According to my trusty Oxford Dictionary of Idioms, if you kick yourself you feel “annoyed with yourself because you did something foolish or missed an opportunity.” You can also see the definition of to kick oneself in the Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms.

Lori is kicking herself for not buying Google stock back in 2004

Michael bought Google stock when it was at 300 dollars a share, but he still kicks himself every day for not doing it sooner.

Formality
The phrase to kick oneself is neutral, informal and conversational. So it’s perfectly OK to use it in all but the most formal situations.

Synonyms
The core meaning of the idiom to kick oneself is the idea of regret: regret for something you did or for an opportunity that you missed. So Seref, if you need a synonym that would suit formal situations, you can use the verb regret.

to (deeply) regret (v +ing) something

In general, many people consider idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs to be less formal than lexical verbs. So in formal situations of a grave or somber nature, you should definitely go with regret, or you may end up kicking yourself.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of 2-minute English, and special thanks to Seref for the question. By the way, if I’ve been horribly mispronouncing your name I will totally kick myself! You can find some additional links and the full transcript of this show on the website, www.betteratenglish.com. And remember, your continued donations make this show possible, and we really appreciate them. Bye for now!

Research authentic English Usage

Google provides the worlds biggest corpus for doing quick’n'dirty research into language usage. Follow the link below to see examples of how to kick oneself is used “out in the wild.”
See usage examples of to kick oneself on Google.

English Writing Software with Text Enrichment – Synonyms and Idioms WhiteSmoke is the most comprehensive English Writing Tool available with advanced grammar correction and a patented text enrichment engine.

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

Idioms: to kick oneself

Transcript

Hi, Lori here, welcoming you to another episode of Real English Conversations from Better At English dot com. Today, my English friend Michael and I talk about the irresistible attraction power of dogs and puppies, and how
you can exploit this if you’re in the market for a romantic partner.

As always, you’ll find a full transcript and vocabulary list on the website, www.betteratenglish.com. And remember, your continued donations keep Better at English going – thanks very much to Kristof and Taz from the Netherlands, and Peter from Switzerland for your generous donations since the last episode. And thanks to Paul from France, who donated three awesome books about English from my B@E Amazon wishlist!

OK, enough of my yakkin’ – let’s get on with the show!

Conversation Transcript

Lori: Do you ever go to the gym?

Michael: I don’t go anymore; I used to go many years ago, but…

L: What…why don’t you go anymore?

M: Well, it’s very expensive, for one thing. And also it’s a long way to travel from where I’m living at the moment; it’s a long way to get to the gym, so I go walking with the dog and that’s my exercise.

L: Ooooooooh, doggie! Doggie! What kind of dog is it?

M: It’s a border terrier.

L: Ooooh, is he cute?

M: Which is…Oh he is very, very cute, and he’s very friendly. And also gets me lots of attention while I’m out, because everybody wants to say hello to my dog, so…

L: I know, isn’t that funny about dogs, they’re total conversation starters…

M: They’re a great way to get chicks as well!

L: Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard!

M: If you, if you have a very cute dog, then, yeah, then girls want to come over and pet your dog, and then of course you can start talking to them, so yeah, it’s a great way to meet friends.

L: Don’t you call that “chatting them up” in British English?

M: Yes, chatting somebody up is, I suppose, flirting with somebody, and um…

L: Trying to get their phone number?

M: Yes! That’s the kind of thing, yes.

L: Well I think that the ultimate weapon, you know, the ultimate chick magnet would probably be a cute little puppy.

M: Oh, oh, most definitely. For sure.

L: Because I can tell you from experience – and being a girl – that, oh, it takes all my power to resist going up to total strangers with cute little puppies and asking if I can pet the puppy. Seriously, it’s…oh my god!

M: Okay, I’m going to get rid of the … [line drops out] …then.

L: Sorry?

M: I’m gonna get rid of the dog and get a puppy instead; he’s too old now.

L: Oh yeah, total…total chick magnet. But you’ll also be attracting a lot of little old ladies as well.

M: Pardon?

L: You’ll also be attracting a lot of little old ladies as well.

M: Oh okay, so there is a downside to it.

L: Yeah, there is a downside…unless you like little old ladies.

M: It’s not really my thing, no, no…

Vocabulary List

I’m living at the moment
Grammar: this is a good example of the present continuous for temporary situations.

Doggie (or doggy – both spellings are very common)
Adding an ie or y to the end of a word is a diminutive in English. Diminutive forms make the object sound familiar, lovable (or pitiable), or just small.

Total conversation starters
Using the word total in front of a noun has an intensifying effect, typical in informal, conversational American English. Compare “He’s an idiot” with “He’s a total idiot.” A conversation starter is any object or tactic that helps get conversations started (usually with people whom you don’t know).

Chicks
In this context, chick is an informal word for girl or woman. Women often consider this word offensive. When men talk about “getting chicks,” they usually mean establishing romantic relationships (even the one-night variant) with attractive, desirable women. In the literal sense, a chick is a baby chicken (baby birds of many species are referred to as chicks).

Chatting them up
To chat someone up (BrE) means to talk to someone in a way that shows that you are sexually or romantically attracted to them.

Flirting
To flirt with someone means that you behave as if you were sexually/romantically attracted to them (but you are not necessarily serious about it).

Ultimate
To describe something as the ultimate X means that it is the best or worst possible example of something. This is often used rather loosely in conversation just to make a point that X is very good (or bad).

Chick magnet
A chick magnet is an informal word for any person, object, or quality that attracts women (romantically or sexually).

To get rid of
To get rid of something means to throw it away, to dispose of it.

Sorry?
When you haven’t heard what someone has said, you can say “Sorry”? (rising intonation) to alert them of this and get them to repeat. Sorry? is one of many phrases that have this function. Others include Pardon? (see below), Excuse me? And (I) beg your pardon?

Little old ladies
If you describe a woman as a little old lady, people tend to think of a stereotypical gray-haired, good-natured, somewhat fragile, elderly woman. It is usually used in a playful or affectionate sense, but sometimes is used disparagingly. Even though Michael certainly likes sweet little old ladies, he’s not interested in “chatting them up!”

Pardon?
Saying pardon? with rising intonation at the end signals that you have not heard what someone just said, and want them to repeat it.

Downside
The downside something is its bad or undesirable aspects, its disadvantage(s).

My thing
If someone says X is not my thing, it means that they are not interested in X. It can also be a diplomatic way of saying that you don’t like something. For example, saying “Getting up early is not my thing” sounds much softer than “I hate getting up early.”

Final words

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Real English Conversations at Better at English dot com. Before signing off, I have a small request: I’m trying to find out more about what type of people listen to B@E, so I’ve put a little poll up in the sidebar of the website. It’ll take less than a minute for you to visit the website, www.betteratenglish.com, and complete the poll. Knowing more about our listeners will help us make better podcasts for you. And remember, your continued donations make Better at English possible. Bye for now!

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

Real English Conversations: Chick Magnet (idiom)

A longish podcast today, where I do a bit more talking than usual. Just trying it out to see how you like it!

Transcript

Hi and welcome to another edition of Real English Conversations here at Better at English dot com. My name is Lori, and it’s a grey October day here at the Better at English studios in southern Sweden. Now, I’m really sticking my neck out with today’s podcast, because this informal conversation between me and Michael reveals some of my bad speaking habits. The worst offender: when I’m telling a story, I use the word “like” to introduce reported speech, a mannerism that “careful users of English” really don’t approve of. I also use some expressions that could be considered slang, such as score, gig, office-supply porn, and honking, yet more reason for the watchful guardians of all things good and proper in English to wrinkle their brows, harrumphing in disapproval.

But I’ll stick my neck out even farther and say that the vast majority of first-language speakers are probably not “careful users of English.” At least not in their informal conversations with their friends. And the whole point of Real English Conversations is to provide you with examples of informal, everyday conversations between first language speakers of English — the kind of language you don’t usually get in mass-market English teaching materials, but that you are very likely to get out in the real world, when you’re using English with real people.

I’ve not conducted a scientific study on this, but in my experience, the way I use “like” to introduce reported speech is a very common feature of informal conversation between American English speakers from my generation, the so-called Generation X. Your listening skills benefit from understanding this common feature. But I don’t suggest that you use “like” the way I do here, simply because it is frowned upon by careful users of English.

You’ll notice that I also repeat words and pause to search for words, just like most native speakers do when they are speaking about a topic they haven’t prepared in advance. Remember, this is an informal CONVERSATION between two good friends, not a formal speech that was prepared in advance and practiced to be given in front of an audience!

As always, you will find the full transcript of this podcast and a vocabulary list on our website, www dot betteratenglish dot com.

Conversation transcript

Lori: Yeah, something kind of funny happened to me when I was shopping for office supplies today.

Michael: OK, what happened?

L: Well, my boss had, had given me a list of office supplies to buy on my way home from a teaching gig, because I drive right past the office supply shop.

And I’m always happy to do it, ’cause, as you know, I LOVE office supplies — it’s almost like my, my “office-supply porn” — I can go in and get my daily fix of all the nice things for, you know, keeping organized, and folders and notebooks, and…I had a whole list of things to buy.

And when I got up to the register and the clerk was ringing me up, the total came to over a thousand Swedish crowns. Which is not a problem, I mean, they just just send us an invoice; it wasn’t like I had to worry about money. But then he said, “Because you spent so much money here today, you can go pick one of those rolls of toilet paper over there.”

M: Toilet paper!

L: Yeah, toilet paper! And, I mean, we’re always happy to get free toilet paper; you know, it’s one of those useful things that, that, you know, a business has to buy…

M: You can never have too much.

L: Yeah, exactly. But the thing is, I looked at where he was pointing, and it was these HUGE, GIGANTIC, industrial-sized packages, all shrink-wrapped in plastic, of toilet paper…I mean, it was HUGE, I could NOT BELIEVE that I was getting one for free.

M: OK, like a year’s supply of toilet paper.

L: At least.

M: [laughs]

L: I’m serious! When…standing on end, the thing comes up almost to my chest.

M: OK.

L: I mean, it’s huge. I, I forgot to count the rolls, but it was…it had to be…maybe… At least 20 packs of six rolls each.

M: Wow.

L: Seriously, it was one big, honking supply of toilet paper. And it was GOOD toilet paper as well!

M: And this is free?

L: Yeah, free just because I’d spent, you know, in one, you know, one purchase, we had spent over a thousand crowns. And I, but I could not believe they were giving away for free, and so I had to ask the guy, “Really? Are you kidding? You mean I get to take one of these?”
And he was like, “Yeah, yeah.”
I’m like, “No!”
He was like, “Yeah!”
“No!”
And he says that, “You know, you can look, see the sign up above…it says…I can show you.”
I’m like, “No no, it’s not that I don’t believe you, I just can’t believe you are giving away such a huge supply of toilet paper!”

I was REALLY happy. And of course there was a line of Swedes standing waiting to pay for their things, and they were raising their eyebrows at me, you know, someone getting SO excited about getting a huge supply of toilet paper. But you know, I thought that was just a really really cool thing…

M: Mmm, definitely.

L: …for or the company to do.

M: Yeah.

L: ‘Cause say they had just given away one little pack, or two little packs. Like, oh, wow, 12 rolls of toilet paper. [rolls eyes]

M: Right, right

L: For spending a thousand crowns…

M: Yeah. No, free stuff is good!

L: Yeah, and the good news is, you know here at home we’re on our last roll…

M: [Laughs}

L: And because I scored this huge supply of toilet paper for my boss, she’s like, “Take some, take some!” And…

M: NOW I see why you’re so happy.

L: That’s why today I came home with that, you know, with…

M: Your arms full of toilet paper.

L: Exactly, exactly.

Vocabulary

funny

Something is funny if it makes you laugh, or if it is strange or unusual.

boss

Your boss is the person you work for, your manager, the person you report to. It’s an informal way to refer to this person.

gig

Here, Lori means a teaching assignment out at a company.

office supplies

Goods and materials that you need in an office, e.g, paper, paper clips, folders, binders, printer ink, coffee. In the USA there are huge stores that specialize in office supplies, such as Staples or Office Depot.

office supply porn

Porn is short for “pornography.” Here, Lori doesn’t mean real pornography, of course. She is using the word “porn” in a playful way to describe the unusual (perhaps even unhealthy!) pleasure she gets from shopping for office supplies.

my daily fix

Lori talks about her “daily fix” of “office supply porn.” Again, this is a playful use of language. A fix is ” a supply or dose of something strongly desired or craved” usually said about addictive drugs. But people often use it in a humorous or playful way, e.g. “my daily fix of coffee” or “my chocolate fix for the day.”

register

a cash register. The machine that records the transaction when you buy something, and where the cashier or clerk keeps the money

ringing me up

To ring someone/something up means when the cashier pushes buttons on the cash register to record the items you are buying.

invoice

When you buy something from a company but don’t pay right away, they send you an invoice, like a bill, that tells you how much money you must pay and when you must pay it.

huge, gigantic

Synonyms for “extremely large”

industrial-sized

large packages of goods for businesses and industries

honking

Informal slang for “very large,” often used in combination with big: I can’t believe I ate that entire big, honking piece of chocolate cake!

Are you kidding?

This is an informal way to ask “Are you serious?” or “Is this really true?” We usually say this when we’ve heard something that we find hard to believe.

raising their eyebrows

If you talk about someone raising their eyebrows at someone or something, it means that their facial expression is showing disapproval of that person or thing. The stereotypical Swede is known for being quiet and reserved, so Lori’s open (and somewhat loud) enthusiasm about getting the huge packet of toilet paper for free was probably breaking a Swedish social taboo

on our last roll

To be “on one’s last X” means that you are using the last item in your supply of something. For example, “We’re on our last carton of milk; could you buy a carton when you go to the shop later?”

scored

To score something in the sense Lori uses here means that you manage to buy or receive something that you find very attractive.

Thanks very much for tuning in to this edition of Better at English. Before I sign off, I’d like to mention two things. Firstly, we have a new feature on our website that lets you use your computer and a mic to record your questions in a 2-minute voice mail message. Just click the “record a question” button at the top of the sidebar on the website. This will open a window to the Mychingo online recorder. You may need to click “OK” to allow the Mychingo recorder to access your mic, but don’t worry, they aren’t doing anything evil to your computer. Please don’t be shy about asking questions: maybe your question will be a “guest star” of a future podcast!

Secondly, if you are one of our many iTunes listeners and enjoy our podcast, I would be absolutely thrilled if you could write a review on the iTunes site. Better at English isn’t a job; it’s something I do in my free time, and it would really make my day to have some reviews come in.

That’s all for now! Here’s hoping that soon, very soon, something will happen to make you as happy as that big honking package of free toilet paper made me. See you next time here at Better at English dot com.

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

Real English conversations: Lori scores a year’s supply of toilet paper

Transcript

Hi and welcome to 2-minute English, brought to you by Better At English dot com. Today’s phrase is

to wing it

"I didn’t have time to prepare this speech, so I’ll have to wing it."

" She didn’t spend much time getting ready for the meeting; she just kind of winged it"

"I don’t have time to study for the test tomorrow, so I’ll be winging it"

to wing it

Meaning

To wing it is an idiom that means to improvise, to do something without proper preparation or time to rehearse. People often talk about winging it when they have to do something difficult that they didn’t have time to prepare — like a make speech or give a presentation. They might say something like "Sorry if I seem a bit disorganized, I’m totally winging it." You tell people that you’re winging it, that you’re improvising, so that they won’t expect too much from you, or so that they will be more forgiving if you make a mistake.

I have a little note about pronunciation for you. In rapid native-speaker speech, the final g on the i-n-g tends to disappear. So it sounds like

I’m wingin’ it
I’m wingin’ it
I’m wingin’ it here

Rather than I’m wingING it. Do you hear the difference?

WingING
Wingin’

Authentic example

In today’s authentic example we’ll hear a bit of Seth Godin’s presentation at the GEL 2006 conference.

And I want to…talk about what I think seven of those reasons might be. But first I gotta take a minute…I gotta explain…I’ve never given this presentation before, not one word of it, not one picture, and I may never give it again. But I’m wingin’ it so we’ll see what happens…But…what does it mean to be broken?

If you are an upper-intermediate or advanced learner, I highly recommend you watch the full presentation on Google video. It’s really funny, entertaining and full of useful vocabulary.

Thanks for tuning in to 2-minute English. We’ll see you next time!

Look up to wing it in the dictionary.

See examples of how to wing it is used.

Link to further listening resource

You can find the full video of Mr. Godin’s presentation, “It’s Broken,” at Google Video. If there are words or phrases you’re curious about, let us know: we may feature them on an upcoming podcast!

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

English idioms: to wing it (to improvise)

Transcript

Welcome to 2-minute English, brought to you by Better at English dot com.
Today’s phrase is to deal with.

The government proposed a treaty designed to deal with the problem of global warming.

There is far more information available today than people can deal with

To deal with.

Meaning

To deal with something means to do something, to take action to achieve something. We often talk about dealing with problems, issues, or concerns. For example, many business people need to learn to deal with stress. They need to learn to do something to help them manage their stress so it isn’t a problem for them anymore.

To deal with something can also mean to be about something. For example, this website deals with English. It’s about English.

You can also say “to deal with someone.” To deal with someone means to talk to a person about something. It’s usually something unpleasant or difficult. For example, public relations specialists deal with dissatisfied customers. Or, a manager may need to deal with an employee who is unpleasant or who’s doing a very bad job.

Authentic example

Today’s authentic example is from the BBC Online:

[Bill Thompson says:]

Speaking at the RSA Security conference last week, [Bill] Gates admitted that Microsoft has ‘an overly complex system today’, and promised a simpler, easier and safer model for future Windows users.

It’s a compelling vision, and since I’ve argued repeatedly that we need to deal with the problem of how we tie our real-world identities to our online activities, I have to support Microsoft’s new-found interest in the issue.

That wraps up this edition of two-minute English. We’ll see you next time here at Better at English dot com.

Look up to deal with in the dictionary.

See how to deal with is used.

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Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

idioms: to deal with (something)

Transcript

2-minute English is brought to you by Better at English dot com.

Today’s phrase is to keep track (of something).

Most business people use a calendar to keep track of their appointments.

If you travel on business, you need to keep track of your expenses so the company can reimburse you when you come home.

To keep track of something.

Meaning

If you keep track of something, you make sure to know about what is happening (or has happened) to it. You can keep track of things or people. The opposite is to “lose track of something.”

Usage

Keep is an irregular verb: keep kept kept.

Authentic example

Today’s authentic example comes from The Boston Globe Online:

Ask Wendy Bellissimo, who designs nurseries for celebrities, what an organized day for her looks like — it’s filled with equally urgent priorities and huge chunks of unstructured time.

Each night, she makes a to-do list and checks her calendar for the next day. She keeps a pen and paper next to her bed to jot down thoughts that wake her up at night.

She keeps track of all tasks and appointments on her PDA, which beeps throughout the day with reminders.

And that’s all for this edition of 2-minute English. We’ll see you next time here at Better at English dot com.

Look up to keep track of something in the dictionary.

See how to keep track of something is used.

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Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

idioms: to keep track (of something)

Today we give you a two-for-one deal: the phrase to screw something up and the noun screw-up.

"I forgot what I was going to say and completely screwed up my presentation. It was so embarrassing!"

To screw something up.

Meaning

If you screw something up, it means you you make a mistake, damage something, or spoil something.

"What kind of punishment do you give to employees who screw up important projects?"

So, can you guess what it means if you call a person a screw-up?

"Bill is the only screw-up in a family of successes; it seems he can’t do anything right."

If you call someone a screw-up, it means that they are someone who makes a lot of mistakes or very bad decisions.

"Screw up" is also a synonym for a mistake, a blunder, or badly handled situation.

"Bill lost his job because his constant screw-ups were costing the company a fortune."

So Bill is a screw up, and he’s always screwing up!

Authentic Example

Today’s authentic example comes from the BBC Online:

Internet giant AOL has apologised for releasing the search queries of more than 650,000 of its US subscribers.

The company admitted the release to researchers was ‘a screw up’ and had breached the privacy of its users.

See how to screw something up is used.

See how the noun screw up is used.

Dictionary link for "screw up"

That’s all from 2-minute English for today; we’ll see you next time!

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

English idioms: screw up

Transcript

This is Better at English dot com. Welcome to 2-minute English!

Today’s phrase is “to make a killing.”

“Her new business was a fantastic success; she made a killing in its first two months.”

To make a killing.

Meaning

To make a killing on something means that you make a LOT of money, usually on some kind of investment or business venture, and usually in a short period of time and without too much effort.

Usage

When you talk about making a killing, it’s always singular, always “a killing.” Never “the killing” or “the killings.” You can use an adjective to strengthen the effect. For example “they made an absolute killing!” or “we made a freaking killing!” Note that an adjective like “freaking” is very informal slang. You probably should only use words like that if the group of people that you’re with is comfortable with that type of language.

Authentic example

Today’s authentic example is from CNN:

The fossil remains of now-extinct businesses … litter the Internet. Their founders once thought they would make a killing with their clever Web-based plans. Instead, they folded, either because nobody ever found their site or because those that did never pumped any money back in.

Thanks for tuning in to 2-minute English!

See how to make a killing is used.

Look up to make a killing in the dictionary.

Copyright 2008 L. Linstruth - www.betteratenglish.com.

English idioms – to make a killing