PE 12/31 New Year’s Eve Party – Big Corporate Blowout

Oscar! I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t know anyone at this party yet, except for Theresa from accounting. But she’s such a social butterfly, I can only talk to her for five seconds before she flutters away again.

* a social butterfly: a person who is very friendly at parties or other social functions

ex> Jill was such a social butterfly that she rarely left a party with fewer than five new friends.

Last year’s party was nothing to write home about. I think bringing all the different offices and departments together for a big shindig like this is great for company morale.

* shindig: a party

ex> The bowling league hosted a shindig at the end of the season each year.

Let me refill my wine glass. I think I’m going to need a shot of courage to do this.

* a shot of courage: an extra drink to give someone confidence

ex> Rick needed a shot of courage before he could ask the beautiful woman to dance with him.

Just follow my lead and you’ll be fine. Anyway, they look like a friendly group.

* follow one’s lead: to imitate what someone does

= leave it to me; let me handle it; do what I tell you

ex> I can teach you the dance moves, just follow my lead.

ex> If you want to learn something well, just follow the lead of the best people in that area.

Oh boy! Here goes nothing.

* here goes nothing: a way of suggesting you don’t know what the outcome will be or what is about to happen, 밑져야 본전이지, 한번 해 보지 뭐

ex> “Here goes nothing,” Tom said when he stepped into the boxing ring for the first time.

PE 12/30 Jen Lee Speech – Part 5

You will still fail a lot. In fact, people to your face will say, “that is not good enough.” But just don’t make it about yourself. If you can learn to not take it personally, you will be able to listen to the constructive criticism and find it inspiring.

* take something personally: to be overly sensitive to comments or criticisms directed toward one

= offended by; insulted by; hurt by

ex> As a singer, Celine never took anything the critics said personally.

* constructive criticism: polite suggestions meant to help improve something

ex> Professor Williams gave me constructive criticism on my writing work so I could make it better.

And it might motivate you and show you that you are capable of far more than you ever imagined. I will say if we made the first draft of Frozen, if I’d been too insecure and defensive to listen to the criticism and notes, if I wasted my time trying to prove I was good enough instead of using that time to make Frozen what it needed to be it would have been a far different movie and I guarantee you, I wouldn’t be standing here.

* first draft: the initial written version of a project

ex> The English teacher expected our first draft to be turned in for evaluation on Monday.

ex> Although it was only the first draft, the publisher agreed to buy Stephen’s book.

And get this: they say that the number one thing driving bullies is insecurity, so we ban self-doubt and we kill two birds with one stone right here.

* get this: listen to the next thing I say because it is exciting or important

ex> Get this – the price of Dubli stock has tripled in two weeks!

* kill two birds with one stone: to accomplish two things at one time

ex> We killed two birds with one stone by buying gas and getting our car washed at the same place.

PE 12/29 I Took down My Decorations Already

Maybe not, but I believe in starting the year with a clean slate, so that means a clean apartment, top to bottom.

* a clean slate: to have no prior recorded history of doing something

ex> After seven years the credit agencies remove your past mistakes and let you start over with a clean slate.

Note> Writing tables used in schools, shops and offices were made from slate, so “a clean slate” was one with no leftover writing on it.

That’s interesting, Leila. So what would you suggest to help me start off 2015 with a bang?

* with a bang: with excitement and enthusiasm

ex> The celebration started off with a bang when balloons fell from the ceiling and the band began to play.

Okay. You know I’m a big believer in feng shui, right? Well, no offense, but your apartment is very cluttered. So I would suggest you throw out or get rid of about half of the stuff you own.

* no offense: to say something that could be interpreted as an insult, but to clarify that that was not your intention.

ex> No offense, but your music is very loud and is making my baby cry.

I really do! And at the very least, you won’t have as much junk to trip over and hurt yourself on.

* trip over something: to stumble or fall because of an obstacle

ex> Millie tripped over her son’s bicycle and fell down the stairs.

I suppose starting the New Year with a broken ankle would be pretty non-feng shui, huh? I’ll start clearing out the junk today.

* clear out: to remove things from a place

= cleaning out; getting rid of; disposing of

ex> Would you please clear out all of your dirty dishes so I can cook dinner?

PE 12/26 Boxing Day Madness – Why Not Wait a Week?

Well, do you really have that many things to return that you can’t wait a week? It just seems silly to wait in long lines to return things and then tussle for the scraps that other people didn't want. What a headache!

* tussle: 몸싸움하다

* a headache: an inconvenience; an unwelcome task

ex> Taking a Saturday class has turned out to be more of a headache than I thought it would be.

Note> The equivalent expression “a pain in the neck” can also refer to an obnoxious person or thing.

Well, like Black Friday, Boxing Day is kind of a tradition. It goes back to England in the 19^th century when laborers and servants would receive a box of gifts from their employers.

* go back to…: the history of this is…

ex> Bread goes back thousands of years to when wheat was first cultivated.

ex> The story of Santa Claus goes back to an old German legend of a generous saint.

Those are just random incidents that happen in the heat of the moment. You’re just talking about the stuff they show on the news.

* in the heat of the moment: during an emotional time; when tempers are rising

ex> In the heat of the moment, the two teams ran onto the field and began to fight.

You really know what buttons to push. Let me get my coat and hat.

* push someone’s buttons: to manipulate someone by using their weaknesses against them

ex> Tanya knew exactly how to push her boyfriend’s buttons in order to get what she wanted.

You’re so easy, Bernie. That’s why I love you.

* be easy: to be manipulated or convinced of something with little effort

ex> My mom was so easy, we could always get her to make us cookies and snacks when we were kids.

Note> Be careful when describing a woman as being “easy”: it can also mean “promiscuous”!

PE 12/25 Vermont – Christmas at a Cabin on the Ski Slopes

Isn't this the best Christmas you've ever imagined? I mean, who would have thought we would be this comfortable in such cold weather? And to think, we can ski right out the back door and down to the chair lifts.

* to think: a suggestion that something is very unusual

ex> To think, I almost married him before he was a millionaire!

ex> And to think, just 10 years ago wolves were on the verge of extinction.

Of course, honey. Even though we do have central heating, the fireplace really adds to the ambience.

* ambience: the atmosphere or feeling a place conveys

ex> Sometimes the ambience of a restaurant is more important than the actual food.

I’m so excited. But I don’t know if anything you could give me would top this amazing ski cabin.

* top something: to be better than something

= surpass; hold a candle to; measure up to

ex> It’s hard to top an undefeated season during which a team wins the championship.

ex> A monkey in a suit with a tiny dog on his shoulder? You’re not going to be able to top that act.

It has 10 diamonds – one for each year we've been together. Our anniversary is coming up, so I thought I would get you something that shows you how much you mean to me.

* come up: a date or even approaches

ex> We’re coming up on intermission. Would you like to step out for some food?

You have no idea how much it means to me to see your eyes light up like that!

* one’s eyes light up: when the feeling of joy shows on a person’s face

ex> Jane’s eyes light up every time she talks to Terry.

PE 12/24 Cuts in the Compensation Plan for Next Year

They’re cutting the matching contribution to the retirement fund by half and they’re doing away with daycare payments for those of us with toddlers.

* do away with: to eliminate or discard something

= getting rid of; throwing away; scrapping

ex> The school board is going to do away with free lunches for poor students.

ex> The local library has done away with the checkout desk and now everyone does it themselves.

What? That’s the last straw. They just voted at the last board meeting to give the senior executives 20 percent raises.

* the last straw: the final factor that makes something unacceptable

ex> The last straw for Jane was when her sister borrowed her new dress and got a stain on it.

Note> This expression relates to the old proverb, “It is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

I’m already at the breaking point financially and now this? When does it go into effect?

* the breaking point: the time when a situation becomes too difficult to handle anymore

ex> Simon had reached the breaking point after studying for 14 hours straight.

* go into effect: to become a rule or law

ex> The new grading system will go into effect next semester.

The first of the year! It seems pretty convenient how they wait until the day before vacation to spring this on us.

* spring something on someone: to surprise someone with something

ex> Ron’s boss likes to spring extra work on him right around 4 p.m. on Friday.

PE 12/23 Jen Lee Speech – Part 4

One side note: being good enough doesn't let you off the hook to be lazy. It’s not an excuse to spend your twenties on your parents’ couch admiring your enough-ness.

* let someone off the hook: to excuse someone from a duty or punishment

ex> Do you really think you deserve to be let off the hook after doing something so reckless?

Note> This expression originates from fishing, where letting a fish off the hook means setting it free.

It’s not like a free pass to get out of changing and growing and maturing. No, it’s just that when you are free from self-doubt, you fail better, because you don’t have your defenses up, you can accept the criticism.

* free pass: the right to break a rule or not follow the societal norm

ex> “Don’t think you get a free pass because you are a star athlete,” the teacher said to James.

* be free from: to no longer have something in one’s life

ex> Many people want to be free from money troubles and think the lottery is the answer.

You don’t become so preoccupied with that failure that you forget how to learn from it, you forget how to grow.

* be preoccupied with: to be engaged in something to the exclusion of everything else

ex> Most people are so preoccupied with themselves that they never notice the poverty in the world.

Note> “Preoccupied” means the same as “preabsorbed”: already completely focused on something.

When you believe in yourself, you succeed better. Hours spent questioning, doubting, fearing, can be given over to working, exploring, living.

* believe in someone: to think highly of a person’s abilities

= trust in yourself; have faith in yourself; have confidence in yourself

ex> I have always believed in you even when you didn't believe in yourself.

PE 12/22 Last Minute Shopping – Help!

Truth be told, time just got away from me in the last month. I've been as busy as a bee between night school and work. Please say you’ll help me!

* truth be told: a way of admitting that one either lied or was wrong

ex> Truth be told, I wasn't sure if we were going in the right direction until I saw the sign for Montreal.

* be as busy as bee: to be highly active

ex> My mother was always as busy as a bee raising four kids on her own.

Fine! But you’re buying me dinner at the Steak Shack for putting me through this!

* put someone through: to cause someone to experience something unpleasant

ex> We thought you were dead! You have a lot of nerve putting us through so much grief!

Jeol, there are 32 names here! This is a monumental task for one afternoon. Have you ever heard of online shopping?

* a monumental task: a difficult project or undertaking

ex> Getting the new labor laws passed was a monumental task.

I don’t trust the Internet, Lilly. Come on, it’ll be fun. We can bang it out in three or four hours.

* bang out: to complete something very quickly

= crank it out; whip it up; turn it out

ex> I don’t want to be here all night, so let’s try to bang this final part of the project out.

PE 12/19 Wrapping Christmas Presents – Old Newspapers or Fancy Paper?

I guess she figured you’d do a sloppy job and end up wasting a lot of nice gift wrap.

* sloppy: untidy

= messy; blowzy; slobbish

ex> the sergeant yelled at the new soldier for his sloppy way of dressing.

ex> The sloppy look of the restaurant didn't reflect the quality of their food.

Anyway, it usually takes me a few tries, so this is more of a work in progress than the finished product.

* a work in progress: an incomplete project of an artistic or literary nature

ex> The old house is a work in progress – we’re rebuilding it to be as close to the original as possible.

ex> Mozart’s final piece of music was still a work in progress when he died.

Well, I would love it if you would make an exception and use the nice paper when you wrap my gift. I think I’m worth the extra expense if you mess up a few times.

* make an exception: to suspend a rule for someone one time

ex> I don’t normally give out my phone number, but for you I’ll make an exception.

Really? In that case, I’d better cover my butt and get you a little something. Maybe it’ll come in a small square box and have a flip-top lid and black velvet inside.

* in that case: if that is the situation

ex> I see you didn't like the chicken. In that case, may I offer you some fish?

* cover one’s butt: to protect oneself from liability

ex> We did our best to cover our butts when the inspection revealed serious problems with the factory.

PE 12/18 Vermont – Skiing at Killington

As serious as a heart attack! Look, every time I go to a new ski resort I do my best to ski every trail.

* as serious as a heart attack: determined; not joking around

ex> The judge spoke to the convicted criminal with a tone as serious as a heart attack.

ex> Bill was as serious as a heart attack when he told me he saw a bear in his back yard.

Well, we've got a week to do it, so it should be a piece of cake.

* a piece of cake: something that is easy to do

ex> It may look easy, but climbing that mountain is not a piece of cake.

Cool! So let’s take the quad lift all the way to the top of Killington peak and get our bearings.

* get one’s bearings: to figure out in which direction one is traveling; understand a new task

ex> After we got our bearings, we estimated that we had been going the wrong way for five hours.

ex> When I finally got my bearings at my job, it was already 5:30 and everyone else was gone.

Sounds like a plan! We’ll knock out the first few miles of our quest right off the bat.

* right off the bat: from the beginning

= from the get-go; instantly; at once

ex> Laura began accusing Reggie of trying to steal his customers right off the bat.

That sounds like fun. But let’s play it safe today. Anyway, I don’t want to embarrass you on the first day here. Ha ha!

* play it safe: to not take any unnecessary risks

ex> We played it safe and took the main road during the blizzard instead of the narrow country road.

PE 12/17 Coworkers Discussing Christmas Vacation Plans

She needs to get her head examined! Why would anyone offer to work the last week of the year?

* need to get one’s head examined: a suggestion that someone is mentally unstable

ex> That decision by the jury was unbelievably stupid, and I think they need to get their heads examined.

One of the boys broke his ankle and the other one has the flu, so this year we’re having a staycation. We’ll just hang out and play video games and watch movies together.

* staycation: a vacation during which you don’t leave your home

ex> I’m planning a staycation this year – just reading and enjoying not having to work.

* hang out: to spend time with one or more people

= chill out; spend time together; lounge around

ex> Why don’t we hang out and watch a movie together?

That sounds really good. But not good enough to keep me off my flight to the Virgin Islands. There’s an umbrella drink down there with my name on it.

* umbrella drink: a beverage usually found in a tropical location and often adorned with a tiny umbrella and a piece of fruit

ex> Why don’t we go to the Cayman Islands, sit on the beach, and drink umbrella drinks?

* something has one’s name on it: a suggestion that there is something waiting for a person to come and claim

ex> That fine looking car with all the detailing has my name on it.

ex> That expensive ring you were eyeing in the window has your name on it.

PE 12/15 Taking First Aid and CPR Classes

Are you going to first aid and CPR class tonight, Renee? It starts at 7 o’clock sharp at the fire station on 16^th street.

* ~ o’clock sharp: precisely at a given time

ex> Our teacher told us that if we’re not in our seats by 9 o’clock sharp, she’d give us a test!

They’re never fast enough if someone has a heart attack or is chocking on something! Anyway, Mr. Saunders is footing the bill for the entire staff to get certified.

* foot the bill: to pay for something for another person

= taking care of the bill; picking up the tab; picking up the check

ex> My mom had to foot the bill for my new bike tires and they weren't cheap!

Note> To take responsibility for a debt, a person would write their name at the bottom, or “foot,” of a bill.

Don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s two nights of classes and a third night of testing.

* get ahead of oneself: to say or do something before the appropriate time

ex> After only one date, Nancy got ahead of herself by telling everyone that she and Scott were going to get married.

Oh wow. That’s quite a commitment. But once I've got CPR under my belt, it will look good on my resume.

* have/get something under one’s belt: to learn a valuable new skill

ex> Tim was very ambitious, so he couldn't wait to get the additional business certification under his belt.

Let’s just hope we never need it! I don’t know if I’m ready to play tonsil hockey with a stranger!

* play tonsil hockey: to kiss someone deeply

ex> As they said goodbye in the airport, the young couple stood there and played tonsil hockey until he had to get on the plane.

PE 12/16 Jen Lee Speech – Part 3

For two decadent years and only $60,000+, I was going to make movies. In film school, the first thing you study is character. And you learn that insecure characters, characters that don’t think much of themselves, are not very interesting, they aren't inspirational, or hopeful and no one wants to watch them.

* insecure: unsure of oneself

= uncertain; doubtful; unconfident

ex> Many adults are insecure about growing old.

ex> Don’t be insecure about your accent. Many people speak English like you.

They are lifeless, boring, generic, they never feel authentic.

* generic: having no brand name

ex> The doctor prescribed generic medicine because he knew I didn't have much money.

ex> Sometimes the generic products are identical to the name brand ones, they just don’t have the same label.

The best characters, the ones we love, who inspire us, who we want to remember forever, are flawed, and one-of-a-kind.

* one-of-a-kind: unique

ex> The police were able to find the stolen bicycle easily because of its one-of-a-kind paint job.

Note> Something that is “one-of-a-kind” can also be called a “one-off.”

The only characters not good enough are ones who aren't complex, or messy, or vulnerable, the ones who aren't real.

* vulnerable: susceptible to being hurt emotionally or physically

ex> Being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of being human.

Your looks, your hair, too thin, too straight, too curly; how much time do you spend being disgusted by yourself, cringing over the dumb thing you said, worrying you won’t get a date because while you’re hilarious in your head but when you speak it sounds like you’re explaining tax code.

* cringe: to physically react to something distasteful or uncomfortable to watch

ex> The audience cringed when the groom fell down on his way to the altar.

PE 12/12 Figure Skating versus Ice Hockey

Whoa! Hold your horses! The hockey game is on and I’m watching it.

* hold one’s horses: to stop what one is doing; patiently wait before doing something

ex> Hold your horses, I’m almost done and then we can leave for the party.

Note> To “hold one’s horses” means to prevent one’s team of horses from running out of control. The expression first appeared in Homer’s Iliad.

Hockey? That’s such a barbaric sport. Figure skating, now there’s a real sport. So graceful and controlled.

* barbaric: uncivilized; violent

= brutal; savage; ruthless

ex> The way we treat some animals is barbaric.

I’d better just button my lips at this point.

* button one’s lip: to be quiet; stop speaking

Ex> When my mom makes a bad dinner, sometimes I have to button my lip so I don’t upset her.

Note> Sometimes the expression “zip your lip” is used.

What were you going to say? Come one, spit it out. I can already guess what you’re going to say.

* spit it out: to say what one is hesitating to say

ex> It is hard to get a teenager to spit it out when he is keeping a secret.

I think you’re missing the point. Hockey is a high-adrenaline sport, so there are bound to be some frayed tempers. But these guys go backwards at speeds of up to 30 miles an hour and can stop on a dime!

* miss the point: to not understand the main intention of what was said

ex> When talking to my children, they tend to miss the point of my conversation or argument.

PE 12/11 Wermont – Winter Camping in Green Mountain National Forest

Why did I let you talk me into camping in the Green Mountains in December? I must have totally taken leave of my senses!

* take leave of one’s senses: to temporarily lack good judgment

ex> When I screamed at the tiny spider, my friends thought I had taken leave of my senses.

Note> To “take leave” means to take a break from one’s normal duties or surroundings.

You’re going to change your mind when we set up camp tonight. Trust me! After a few hours on the trail, we’ll get to spot that is so beautiful it will blow your mind!

* blow one’s mind: to be awestruck

ex> The magician made the elephant disappear and blew the audience’s mind.

ex> It blew my mind that the five-year-old girl could speak seven languages fluently.

Okay, it’s called Little Rock Pond and it has breathtaking views of the mountains, but it’s a really flat area.

* breathtaking: very beautiful or amazing

ex> Walking down the aisle on her wedding day, her beauty was breathtaking.

Bears? Okay. I draw the line at bears. I’m going back to the car and locking the doors.

* draw the line: to state one’s personal boundary on a certain topic

ex> You can eat as much fruit as you want, but I have to draw the line with candy.

Come on, Shea! Don’t be such a chicken! The bears are more scared of us than we are of them. And anyway, the chances are slim that we will be the only campers there even in December.

* chances are slim / slim chance: something is unlikely

ex> I want to be a professional singer. Slim chance since I can’t sing at all.

PE 12/10 Office Gossip

Matt, did you hear about Diane down in accounting? She’s got in a bun in the oven and she’s not even married!

* have/get a bun in the oven: to be pregnant

ex> Judy had a bun in the oven, but nobody noticed her pregnancy because she was already fat.

Roxy, it’s not really nice to take a jab at someone behind their back. Diane is a really nice lady. This must be a very hard thing for her.

* take a jab at someone: to criticize someone in a very negative way

ex> Benny took a jab at Tom in front of the whole audience, and embarrassed him.

I was just making conversation. No need to get bent out of shape.

* be/get bent out of shape: to get offended or angry

ex> Don’t get bent out of shape when someone pointed out a mistake you had made.

Have you noticed that Alice in sales is wearing the same outfit for a third day in a row? That’s a bit strange, don’t you think?

* in a row: consecutively

ex> We were told that this task was impossible, not once, but four times in a row.

Well, if dissing people all day is your idea of fun, you’re right – I’m no fun at all.

* diss someone/something: to purposely insult someone

ex> If you diss me again in a public place, I’ll never speak to you again.

Note> “Diss” originated from a Jamaican vernacular abbreviation of “disrespect.”

Did you hear he’s being audited by the tax service? I guess he hasn’t been paying his taxes.

* be audited: (회계) 감사를 받다

PE 12/9 Jen Lee Speech – Part 2

But I will say that, during those years, while I could admire Jason’s comfortable acceptance of himself, his motivating spirit, I was not quite ready to let go of doubt for myself.

* let go of: to stop focusing on something in your life

ex> It’s time you let go of the pain you experienced in the past and start living your life again.

And over the course of a decade I settled back into life, but I also unknowingly slipped back on those lenses of doubt.

* slip back on: to put something back onto one’s body or personality

ex> My daughter slipped back on her “angry teenager” persona when our guests arrived.

Because I wanted to go so badly; but feared I wasn't good enough.

* want something so badly: to desire something so greatly

ex> Jake wanted to go out with Mary so badly it kept him awake at night.

The only reason I sent in that application was because of Jason. He was reminder that if there was a chance to live the life I wanted, I owed it to him to go for it. And I got in.

* owe it to someone: to be obligated to do something for someone

ex> You owe it to yourself to take a day off from time to time.

ex> Don’t’ tell me I owe it all to you. I worked hard to get to where I am.

PE 12/8 Buying Snow Tires for the Car

But it was the middle of summer, go figure! Now that we need it, the prices are sky high.

* go figure: how strange

ex> By the time I got to the doctor I had stopped coughing. Go figure!

* sky high: very expensive

ex> Gas prices have gone sky high since last summer.

Well, we don’t have much choice. We’re between a rock and a hard place.

* be between a rock and a hard place: to be in a difficult situation with no easy solution

ex> When my boss told me to do something and my wife said not to, I was between a rock and a hard place.

Okay, I’m sold. Let’s order these and schedule a time to have them installed.

* sell someone on something: to convince about something

ex> His girlfriend sold him on the idea that they should get married.

We’d better step on it, look at the satellite map on the weather channel!

* step on it: increase one’s speed

= get a move on; pick up the speed; move fast

ex> When you are on the on-ramp of an interstate, you’d better step on it or you’ll be in trouble.

PE 12/5 You Brought Our Son Way Too Many Gifts!

That’s a nice sentiment, but did you have to go overboard?

* go overboard: to do something in an excessive or exaggerated way

ex> I think the decorator went overboard with her use of leather.

Either way, I think you should return at least half of what you bought. I don’t want Christ to turn into a spoiled brat!

* either way: to suggest that both possible choices are equally good or bad

= At any rate; One way or another; In any case

ex> It’s your choice, but either way, you’re going to have to drop one class this semester.

* spoiled brat: a child whose every whim or wish is provided for; a selfish child with poor manners

ex> Timmy was a spoiled brat because his rich grandparents indulged his every desire.

If I did, would you seriously hold a grudge against me for long?

* hold a grudge: to retain one’s anger for something someone else did in the past

ex> Unlike most young girls, Tabitha never held a grudge against her peers when they made mean comments.

Don’t try me! I might not talk to you for a whole hour if you do!

* don’t try me: do not test me; do not challenge my decision

ex> Don’t try me! I’m tired and not in the mood for jokes.

PE 12/4 Montpelier, Vermont – the Smallest State Capital in the U.S.

Oh! This is a really cute little town. It seems like every place we’ve been to in Vermont has been quaint like this.

* quaint: attractive because it is old-fashioned and charming

ex> Some people prefer quaint villages, but I like modern cities.

I wonder how it ended up being state capital. Look at that sign – it says the population of Montpelier is only 7,855! That’s smaller than our neighborhood in Brooklyn.

* end up: to become eventually

ex> Be careful on the rocks, or you’ll end up in the river!

We did drive through Orleans and Lamoille countries. But we’re also a hop, skip, and a jump from Quebec to the north, so that might be a factor.

* a hop, skip, and a jump: a short distance to something/somewhere

ex> Although Bob lived a hop, skip, and a jump away from Ellen, they never saw each other.

Note> Also called the “hop, step and jump” or the triple jump, this track and field event is one of the shortest in the Olympic games.

Ha, ha! That would be great. Hey, and if we aren’t pressed for time, let’s walk up to the top of Towne Hill over there and take some pictures of the Green Mountains after lunch.

* be pressed for time: to have little available time within one’s schedule

ex> Shauna was pressed for time, so she skipped dessert and left money on the table.

Great. But keep in mind, we have to get to Burlington in time to meet our friends for dinner.

* keep something in mind: to remember something important

ex> It’s important to keep in mind that this was painted using lead-based paint, which made the artist slowly sicker and sicker.

PE 12/3 Filling in for a Sick Co-worker

Food poisoning? I think she just might be hung over! I saw her last night with a group of girls downtown going into a bar.

* be hung over: to have a headache and possible stomach trouble related to the previous night’s drinking.

ex> She woke up hung over, but took a long, hot shower and went to work anyway.

Are you serious? That girl needs to clean up her act! I’m tired of her shenanigans.

* clean up one’s act: to make changes to one’s lifestyle or attitude

ex> If you don’t clean up your act, you’re going to be kicked out of the house!

* shenanigan: 사기, 속임수

Don’t jump the gun. There is a slight possibility that she really is sick and not hung over.

* jump the gun: to start too early; do something without thought

ex> Don’t jump the gun and buy the first car you see.

Note> An athlete starting a race before the starting pistol has been fired is said to be “jumping the gun.”

I hope she is for her sake. Anyway, I’ll start setting up the dining room. We have a group of 15 coming in right at noon.

* for one’s sake: for the benefit of someone

ex> For your sake, I hope you brought a sweater, because it’s going to be cold tonight.

I wouldn’t want to step on her toes and risk giving them better service than her.

If she isn’t sick she’s going to be missing out on more than just a big tip from some rich businessmen – she’s going to be relegated to the worst shifts in the smoking section for the next month!

* relegate: 좌천시키다

PE 12/2 Jen Lee Speech – Part 1

My sister and I grew up on a poor street in a rich town. It was bad enough that everyone in America was wearing Seventies clothes, but we were in hand-me-down Seventies clothes. And to make it worse, I had the energy of the Tasmanian devil and the grace of a pile of pick-up sticks.

* hand-me-down: used clothing given to a younger child when the older child has outgrown them

ex> The little girl’s hand-me-downs were worn out by her two older siblings and were hardly fit to wear in public.

* to make it worse: to suggest that something being described is more negative than one thought

= to make it even worse; to worsen things; to make matters worse

ex> It wasn't bad enough that he was blinded by a chemical accident, but to make it worse he was slowly going deaf, too.

And something happens to you, when everything you do is fuel for ridicule and mockery. Eventually you drink the bully Kool-aid and self-doubt takes over.

* something takes over: an internal factor gains control of a person

ex> Sometimes something takes over and a person finds a strength they never knew they had.

People talk about the dangers of rose-colored glasses, but let me tell you, the lenses of self-doubt are far worse. They are nasty. Thick and filthy…

* rose-colored glasses: a positive light

ex> Even after her divorce, Claire saw the world through rose-colored glasses and believed everything happens for a reason.

And they’re nearly impossible to see past.

* see past: to look beyond an obstruction

ex> sure, the house needs work, but if you can see past the sunken roof and the broken staircase, it really is a gem.

PE 12/1 Year-end Gathering of Friends

Well, it sounds like you’re making a lot of sacrifices to climb the corporate ladder.

* climb the corporate ladder: to rise in the ranks in a company

ex> My father spent his life trying to climb the corporate ladder, only to retire as a mid-level executive.

Yeah, but tonight, I’m going to let my hair down. I really need to re-learn how to relax.

* let one’s hair down: to allow oneself to have a good time

= let loose; enjoy myself; have a good time

ex> Don’t be so boring! Let your hair down a little and have fun!

ex> After a difficult three weeks, the project team let their hair down and celebrated their success.

Why don’t we get some food? I made some crab puffs that are just divine, if I do say so myself.

* if I do say so myself: a way of giving oneself credit or to make a mild boast

ex> It takes more than a good camera to take good pictures, if I do say so myself.

Crab puffs? Lead me to them! But I must warn you – there may not be any left in about 15 minutes. You've discovered my kryptonite!

* kryptonite: one’s greatest weakness in terms of vices or desires

ex> Although she had a strong will, chocolate was her kryptonite.

Whatever happened to “go into another room and call me to get me away from him”? You’re too funny.

* Whatever happened to…?: Why are you doing or saying the opposite of what you said earlier?

ex> Whatever happened to your favorite saying, “Live and let live”?

ex> Whatever happened to “I’m going to save one-third of my salary this year?”