ESL Podcast 206 - A Generation Gap
to get - to understand someone or something
I don't get why you have to leave this week if your job in Jacksonville doesn't start for three weeks.
tattoo - permanent ink words or pictures made on the skin
She doesn't want to get a tattoo now because she's not sure if she will still like it when she's 60-years-old.
to freak out - to have extreme emotions, usually when someone is very angry or very sad, but can also be used when someone is very happy
Denny freaked out when he heard that he had won the drawing contest.
any better than - at the same level; used when comparing two people or things
I can't type any better than she can, but she always finishes her letters before I do.
behind the times - to be uninformed of recent trends or news
We want to buy a present for our grandchildren, but we're so behind the times, we don't know what they would like.
to keep up with - to know; to be informed about
It's hard to keep up with the changes in the tax laws in this country when they change so often.
what's in/what's out - what is fashionable (what's in) and what is unfashionable (what's out)
She never looks at fashion magazines and has no idea what's in and what's out.
to express (oneself) - to show your thoughts, ideas, personality, or style
He has trouble expressing himself in front of the other students in class.
hippie - young adults in the 1960's who were seen as rebels or people who rejected traditional culture
Aidan's parents were hippies, but he became a politician and is nothing like them.
hipster - someone who is very fashionable or well-informed about what is popular
The most popular students in school are usually the hipsters.
pop culture - the popular culture right now based on current trends
Reading fashion, gossip, and music magazines can help you learn more about American pop culture.
club - a place where people go to dance and socialize
We went to that new club on Saturday night and the music was great.
blog - short for web log; a place on the Internet where people post news about themselves or something that interests them
My sister kept a blog while she traveled around Asia last summer, and her friends and I could read about her travels.
to suck - to be bad; to be disappointing (very informal)
It sucks that everybody else gets to go to the concert and we have to work all night.
to make (one's) point - to prove an argument is correct by using examples or other evidence
You've made your point that taking this job would be a bad idea.
things could be a lot worse - the situation is not as bad as it could be
Even though our house burned down, at least my family is safe. Things could be a lot worse.