P r o n u n c i a t i o n T i p s

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164GLOSSARY nagging pain – a pain that continues to hurt and that won’t go away * I can’t sleep at night because of the nagging pain in my back. routine tests – regular tests, not special ones * The doctor ordered some routine tests for my daughter. specialist – a doctor who specializes in an area of medicine * My doctor said that a specialist would be able to tell me what is wrong with my eye. GP (general practitioner) – a doctor trained to give general health care; not a specialist * If anyone in the family is sick, they go see our family GP. to refer – to be given a recommendation to see someone * My friend referred me to a good car mechanic. to diagnose – to find the problem * The gardener diagnosed the problem with my plant and now it’s healthy. to order some tests – to have medical tests done to a patient * My eye doctor ordered some tests to find out why I’m having difficulty seeing. surgery – when the doctor cuts open or performs some procedure on or in your body * The surgery on her hand went well and she should recover soon. procedure – a series of activities or steps * Does anyone know the procedure for installing this program? to relieve – to reduce or stop pain * I took the pills and it relieved my shoulder pain. high risk operation – dangerous surgery * She decided to have the high risk operation against her doctor’s advice. not at all – definitely not * I asked him if changing seats would cause a problem and he said, “Not at all.” treatment options – choices for medical care * After thinking about all of the treatment options, I decided to take the medication. not that… – short for “not something that” or “not anyone that” * I have nothing to wear in my closet, at least, not that I would wear to the party. course of treatment – a series of things the doctor does to cure you or make your better * We decided on this course of treatment for my father. second opinion – another opinion or diagnosis * It’s a good idea to get a second opinion just to be sure. going under the knife – to have surgery * I have a good surgeon so I’m not worried about going under the knife. 165GLOSSARY I’ve had it! – to be tired of a situation, to be unwilling to tolerate something * I’ve had it with the poor service at this restaurant and I don’t plan to come back. take it – tolerate, to put up with * I can’t take it when the weather is so hot. What’s the matter? – What is the problem?, What is wrong with… * What’s the matter with Doug? He is normally so happy. being the butt of – to be the person or thing that people are making fun of or laughing at * Her bad singing is the butt of a lot of jokes among her friends. practical jokes – playing a trick on someone that usually involves some physical action * I am planning to play a practical joke on my friend when comes for a visit. What has he done now? – what mistake has this person done, what problem have they created; usually said of someone who has had problems in the past * Those kids are always getting into trouble. What have they done now? giggling – to laugh, but not too loudly * The movie was so funny, I couldn’t stop giggling the whole time. sticker – a piece of paper that has glue on one side to make it stick or adhere to something else * Some students like to decorate their school folders with stickers. stuck – difficult to remove; past tense of to stick * I got gum stuck to the bottom of my shoe and I couldn’t get it off. red hot mama – a sexually attractive woman; an expression common in the 1960s, but not as popular today * She must think she’s a red hot mama to dress like that. papa - informal for father; a word sometimes used by children instead of “dad” * She said, “Papa, when will you be home from work?” he’s going to get it - to get into trouble, to be punished * If he borrowed her car without asking, he’s going to get it when he comes home. revenge - to do something wrong to someone who has done something wrong to you * After her best friend stole her boyfriend, she wanted to get revenge 166GLOSSARY to get up the nerve – to have the courage to do something * I can’t get up the nerve to fly in an airplane for the first time. to marry – to make someone your husband or wife * Dae and Maria decided to marry after dating for three years. the one – the person you want to marry, or to have a serious relationship with * She dated a lot of people before deciding that Ben was the one. engagement ring – a ring, usually only for the woman, when two people get engaged (promise to marry) * He gave her the engagement ring and put it on her finger. How romantic! saleswoman – a female worker in a store * The saleswoman was helping someone else so I had to wait in line. to find the right time – to choose the right moment or opportunity to do something * The key to getting a raise at work is finding the right time to ask your boss. to pop the question – to ask someone to marry you * Instead of waiting for her boyfriend to pop the question, she asked him to marry her instead. romantic – something that makes someone think of love * The book had a lot of romantic parts that would never happen in real life. to propose; proposal – to ask someone to marry you; the act of asking someone to marry you * Should I propose in a letter? No, I think proposals should be done in person. out of the question – impossible * Spending that much money for a car is out of the question for me right now. poem – a form of literature which often has a rhythm or beat, like music * Walt Whitman wrote many poems about America. to serenade – when a man sings romantically to a woman, usually standing outside of her house * I like the part in the movie when the men are serenading the women at sunset. to call the police – to make a telephone call to the police department to report a problem * Our party was so noisy, the neighbors called the police! ______________ 167GLOSSARY to stress out – to be worried or concerned about something * Stop stressing out about your driving test or you won’t pass. fast food restaurant – a place that gives you your food in a very short amount of time * He eats at a fast food restaurant for lunch everyday. Tell me the truth – “Be honest with me;” usually used when you think the other person may try to hide something because it will hurt your feelings * Tell me the truth. Do you think I have a good chance of getting the job? What’s up with you lately? – used to ask about what change has taken place in someone’s behavior; usually indicates the person has a problem * You seem tired all the time. What’s up with you lately? haven’t been yourself – have not been acting the same as you normally do *I’ve noticed that you haven’t been yourself the past month. You seem nervous all the time. distant – not very friendly * We have been good friends for years but she’s been distant ever since she got promoted. to see someone else – to date someone else * I’m convinced that he’s seeing someone else when I’m out of town. to cheat on – to date someone else secretly while you are already married or have a boy/girlfriend * He loves you too much to cheat on you with another woman. to break up with – to end a romantic relationship; to stop being boyfriend and girlfriend * I intend to break up with him before he breaks up with me. No way! – absolutely not * No way would I visit Minnesota again in the wintertime! . You’ve got it all wrong – you have misunderstood the situation * I’m sure you’ll find out that you’ve got it all wrong and that they intended to give you the prize all along. on your mind – worried about something, thinking about something * I can see that you have something important on your mind. can’t stand it – am not able to tolerate or put up with something * My dogs can’t stand it when I don’t take them for a walk everyday. silly – to be foolish, like a child * People look very silly when they try to play children’s games. 168GLOSSARY to need work – has to be improved or made better * This house is big, but it is old and really needs work. to put off – to delay, to wait * I’ve been putting off washing the car and I think it’s time to do it. garage – where you park or keep a car. * Please move the boxes out of the garage so I can park the car in it. home improvement store – a store for buying things to fix or improve a home * The home improvement store is very crowded on Saturday morning. supplies – necessary materials; things that you use to do something * I’m ready to go on the road trip as soon as I buy our food supplies. huge – large, very big * Last year’s tomatoes were big but this year’s are huge! paint department – a place in a store where paint is sold * The clerk in the paint department recommended a lighter color paint. garden center – a place in a store where plants, trees, and flowers are sold * Go over to the garden center and get me some more plant food. lumber department – a place in a store where wood is sold * Most of the lumber in the United States comes from the Pacific Northwest. no one in sight – no one around, no one there * I was so late for my class that by the time I got to the classroom, there was no one in sight. plumbing – the pipes that bring water to and from a house or building * For us to get hot water in this building, we’ll need to replace the plumbing. aisle – the space you walk in between two other sections; a path between seats in an airplane, theater, or church * I walked up and down the aisle at the grocery store but I couldn’t find the bread I normally buy. swatches – a small color sample, usually for paint or fabric * The paint swatch I brought home matched my furniture perfectly. to take/call a number – used at places where there are many people waiting for help. You are given a small piece of paper with a number, and you wait until your number is announced or “called.” * I took a number in the meat department and my number was called after a few minutes. in the meantime – meanwhile; the time when you are waiting for something * I’m waiting for my mother to come home. In the meantime, I’ll watch some TV. brush – something you use to put paint on a house or picture * We need some new brushes to paint the house. rags – small pieces of cloth that are used to clean * Get me a rag so I can clean up the coffee I spilled on the table. checkout line – the line you wait in at a store to purchase something, such as at a grocery store * The checkout lines at these big food stores are always so long. after all that – used when someone takes a long time to say or do something, but very little is actually said or done; after waiting for a long time with no real results * You've been talking for 10 minutes. After all that, I thought you would have something important to say. to be exhausted – to be very tired * I’m exhausted after working two weeks without a day off. 169GLOSSARY back home – to return to your home after being away from it; to return to the home of your parents or family when you live in another state or city * It’s nice to be back home after such a long trip. Let’s have a look – Let’s inspect or examine what you have * What’s in that package we received in the mail today? Let’s have a look. cousin – the children of your aunt or uncle are your cousins * My aunt and my cousins have lived in Memphis for over 10 years. to look nothing like/to look more like – Not to resemble or look like a certain person/to resemble or look a lot like a certain person * Everyone tells him that he looks nothing like his father and more like his mother. fair – to have light colored skin and/or blond hair * Are you sure you two are really brothers? One of you is so dark and the other is so fair. heart-shaped face – a face that is in the shape of a heart, that comes to a point at the chin * When she went to get her haircut, the stylist looked at her heart-shaped face and recommended a new style. thin lips – lips that are not very thick; small lips, the opposite of full lips * I wear lipstick to make my thin lips look fuller. fat cheeks – cheeks that are large or big (cheeks are the part of your face that are below your eyes and between your nose and your ears) * That little girl had the cutest fat cheeks I had ever seen. bushy eyebrows – eyebrows that are very large or big (eyebrows are above your eyes and below your forehead * Do you think he looks manly with those bushy eyebrows? to not give yourself enough credit – to be too humble, to not think that you are very good * You never give yourself enough credit for the great job you do. guy friends – male (a boy or a man) friend of a girl or a woman, but who is not a boyfriend * Why don’t you bring some of your guy friends to my party on Saturday? pretty – good-looking * This dress is pretty but the other one fits me better. wavy/curly (hair) – hair that goes up and down like a wave; hair that grows in small circles * He has wavy hair now, but it was very curly when he was a kid. cute – adorable, good-looking, attractive * Oh, that little dog is so cute! pudgy – fat, overweight * Eating all of this good cooking is starting to make me a little pudgy. adorable – attractive, cute, good-looking * This is the most adorable baby I have ever seen. to compliment – to say something nice about someone * Men love it when you compliment them on how smart they are. to go straight to your head – to become arrogant, to start to think that you are better than everyone else * I hope that all of this success doesn’t go straight to your head. 170outside firm – a company that is not part of your company or organization * I don’t think we have the knowledge and experience to do this project ourselves. Let’s hire an outside firm. to set up – to arrange or prepare; to make ready to use * Could you come over a little early to help set up for the luncheon? to keep track of – to follow; to be able to see the progress of something over time * There are so many kids in this class that it’s hard to keep track of their progress. afterwards – the time after an event or action * We went to the football game, and then, to dinner afterwards. in a nutshell – a summary; the most important point or idea * He talked a lot but, in a nutshell, he didn’t like the proposal and wants us to start again. From your description, it sounds like… – From what you say, it appears that… * From your description, it sounds like the two of them got along very well on the trip. Can you speak to that? – Can you talk about that?; usually used when asking a question of someone who is giving a presentation * Some people think that the plan is too expensive. Can you speak to that? I understand your concern, but actually... – I hear what you are saying, but the real situation is different; a polite way of telling someone that you understand their ideas, but that they are wrong * Doctor, I understand your concern, but actually, I feel fine and I want to go back to work next week. on a daily basis – every day * I check my email on a daily basis and can respond quickly to any questions. My biggest concern is – what concerns or worries me the most is * My biggest concern is whether the new suppliers can meet the deadline. to access – to get into; to enter * The front door is locked. Can I get access to this building any other way? How does this affect…? – What change, difference, or influence will this have on…? * My girlfriend is moving to Dallas for her work. I asked her, “How does this affect our relationship?” That’s a good question. – You are asking something important or interesting * My girlfriend said, “That’s a good question. I’m not sure how my move to Dallas will affect our relationship.” key – very important or the most important * The key reason my application was rejected is that I didn’t include all of the information they asked for. his or her – used when you don’t know if the person being referred to is a man or a woman; sometimes also “they” or “their” is used * Each musician has his or her own talents. if there are no other questions… – a way to end a presentation at which you have been answering questions; it tells your audience that you are now going to end your presentation * If there are no other questions, we can move on to the next part of our tour. 171GLOSSARY used car – an automobile that is not new, usually one being sold to another person * She’s worried about buying a used car from someone she doesn’t know. reliable – dependable; someone or something that you can have confidence in or rely upon * I need someone reliable for this important job. just the thing – useful or well-suited * My sister made me some soup when I was sick, which was just the thing to make me feel better. low miles – a car that has not been driven very much; a car that has been driven very few miles * I don’t drive this car very often so it has low miles. good condition – something without any serious problems * We were surprised to find the house in good condition after the bad storm. fell off the back of a truck – used to describe something that has been stolen or taken illegally and then is sold to someone else * The price on that watch is great, but suspect that it fell off the back of a truck. interior – the inside of something, such as a car, house, or airplane * It’s a nice house, but the interior needs a lot of work. power windows/doors – windows that you can open and close in a car by pushing a button instead of rolling it up and down with your hand; doors that can be locked by pressing a button that locks all of the doors in the car * The power windows and doors are standard features on this car. gas mileage – the number of miles you can drive for each gallon of gasoline in your car; usually described as “miles per gallon” * With these high gas prices, cars with poor gas mileage cost drivers a lot of money. English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 171 – Buying a Used Car These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2006). Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited. 2 a steal – to pay a very low price for something * I got this sofa on sale. It was a steal! a lemon – something that has serious problems, often problems you don’t discover until after you have bought it * He promised me that it wasn’t a lemon and said that if it doesn’t work, I can return it. to steer (someone) wrong – to give someone bad advice about something * My best friend really steered me wrong when he told me that his sister was interested in me. it won’t hurt to – to do something that you aren’t very interested in, but that does not require very much time or effort * We’re not really interested in their product, but it won’t hurt to meet with the sales team to hear what they have to say. test drive – to drive a car before you buy it to see if you like it * This is a very expensive car. I want to test drive it a few times before making a decision. You won’t be sorry. – you will be happy with your decision; used when you are trying to convince someone that the decision you want them to make is a good one * I want you to meet Danielle. You won’t be sorry. She’s beautiful and smart. We’ll see about that. – I have my doubts, so I will wait to see what happens in the future; also can mean that you do not like what someone is doing and are going to try to change or influence what happens next * He called and said that he was too tired to come to work today. We’ll see about that! 172GLOSSARY to be arrested – to be taken to jail, usually by the police, for breaking the law * The police arrested two women for robbing a bank. to be charged – to be blamed or held responsible for committing a crime * He wasn’t charged for the crime and the police let him go. burglary – the act of entering a building or property without permission in order to steal * There was a burglary in the store over the weekend and all of the money was taken. assault – to attack someone in order to hurt them * Those two men were fighting and one was arrested for assault. security guard – a person hired to make sure everything and everyone stays safe and in order * The president has security guards with him wherever he goes. to break into – to enter a place or get access to a thing illegally * The thieves broke into the house after everyone was asleep. to steal – to take without permission something that belongs to someone else * Are those children trying to steal some candy? to be arraigned – to go to court and tell the judge if you are guilty or innocent * She was arraigned in front of a very strict judge. court – a government building with rooms (courtrooms) where a judge and, most of the time, a jury listen to lawyers during a trial * The lawyers arrived in court late and the judge was very angry. prosecutor – a lawyer for the person who is accusing another person of doing something wrong or illegal * The prosecutor made a strong case and convinced everyone in court. English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 172 - Legal Problems These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2006). Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited. 2 felony – a major illegal action usually punished by time in jail * You will have to go to jail if you are convicted of a felony in this state. misdemeanor – a minor illegal action usually punished by a fine, not time in jail * It’s only a misdemeanor so she shouldn’t need to go to jail. flight risk – a person who the court thinks would try to leave, without permission, the area where he/she was arrested and is on trial in order to avoid being charged and sentenced * The court took away his passport because he is a flight risk. bail – a sum of money left with the court to make sure that a person released from jail comes back for the trial * If you don’t make bail, you’ll have to stay in jail until the trial. to be found guilty – to be held responsible for committing a crime or doing something wrong * Did you hear that he was found guilty of burglary for stealing those paintings? to be sentenced – to be given punishment by a court or judge for having committed a crime * I afraid that they will be sentenced to ten years in jail by the judge. up to – not more than * I don’t have a lot of money, but I can lend you up to $100. 173GLOSSARY souvenir store – a store that sells objects to help you remember where you have traveled * There is a good souvenir store across the street from the hotel. T-shirt – a shirt with short sleeves and no collar * If I wear a t-shirt with no jacket, I’ll be cold all night. Can I help you find something? – something that a clerk in a store asks when you first enter meaning, do you know what you are looking for? * Hi, welcome to Lucy’s Shoe Store. Can I help you find something? about (someone’s) size – to have the same height or body shape as someone else; to wear the same size clothing as someone else * I thought his son was about my size, but he’s actually a lot taller. small, medium, large – three standard sizes of clothing; from smallest to largest * I tried on a small and it didn’t fit. I think I need a medium or a large. style – a pattern or design * What style do you think would look good on me? Could you recommend… – Can you give me a suggestion about…? * Could you recommend a good restaurant near the airport? locally-made – made in the same city or area you are visiting * We have a lot of items to choose from, including these locally-made music boxes. mug – a tall, round cup with a flat bottom and a handle; often used for drinking coffee * Do you want your tea in a glass or in a mug? key chain – a ring that can hold keys; usually attached to another object * My house key fell off my key chain and I can’t find it anywhere! English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 173 - Buying Souvenirs These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2006). Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited. 2 snow globe – a round glass container filled with water and glitter, with a small building or statue inside; when you shake it, it looks like snow is falling on the building or statue * It’s strange to see snow globes of Los Angeles since it never snows here. jewelry – ornaments such as rings, necklaces, or bracelets * What kind of jewelry do you think I should wear with this dress? bracelet – jewelry that can be worn around the wrist * The bracelet is made of gold and is very heavy. How much is it? – What is the cost