ESL Podcast 192 - Winning the Lottery
lottery ticket - a small piece of paper that you buy for a game of luck where you pick numbers and you win if your numbers are the same numbers picked by a machine
Most people believe that the more lottery tickets you buy, the better your chances are of winning.
jackpot - the large cash prize
All of the newspapers wrote about the winner of the $200 million jackpot.
to imagine - to suppose; to see in your mind
It's hard to imagine how different my life would be if I had been born 150 years earlier.
drawing - the choosing of a winner in a game of luck
Her husband bought six tickets hoping to win the big-screen TV.
o be televised - to be shown on television
This year's World Cup games were televised in over 50 countries around the world.
what would you do if... - a phrase used to ask how someone would react in a situation
What would you do if your daughter had a big party for her entire school at your house while you were out of town?
the first thing I would do - a phrase used to tell someone what you would do before anything else in a situation
If my house caught fire, the first thing I would do is to get the kids out of the house.
to slave - to work very hard for little or no money
His computer job has him slaving away for 15 hours a day!
If I were...I would - a phrase used to tell someone what you would do in a situation
If I were rich, I would go on vacation whenever and wherever I wanted.
I've always wanted to... - a phrase used for something that you have been thinking about doing for a long time but have not yet done
She went mountain climbing in Fance? I've always wanted to do that!
It's never too late to... - a phrase used to say that there is still time to do something
It's never too late to learn how to ride a bicycle.
you can't teach on old dog new tricks - a phrase meaning you are not too old to change, to do something different, or to learn something new
He was teaching his father how to send email, but his father said, "You can't teach on old dog new tricks."
retire - to stop working and to live on money you have saved, usually after many years of work
Many people in the U.S. retire when they are 65 years old.
to suppose - to guess, usually about something you aren't sure about
I suppose we'd have to move if he gets a job in another city.
coming out of the woodwork - something coming from somewhere not obvious or easily seen
When that great job was advertised online, a lot of people came out of the woodwork to apply.
to pester - to bother or annoy
The neighbors keep pestering us to cut that big tree in our front yard, but I like it just the way it is.
curse - something that is believe to cause harm or bad luck
Sometimes I think that being tall is a curse because I am always hitting my head against things.
don't hold your breath - a phrase used for something that is unlikely to ever happen
Don't hold your breath if you think I'm going to do your work for you over the weekend.