ESL Podcast 228 - A Christmas Feast
the more, the merrier - the more people there are, the more fun something will be
Lydia asked if she could bring her cousins to the party, and I said, "Of course! The more, the merrier!"
thrilled - delighted; very happy
Magdalene was thrilled to learn that she had been accepted at Boondocks University.
fruitcake - a traditional Christmas cake that contains small pieces of dried fruit
Ashley doesn't like raisins, so he always picks them out of the fruitcake.
to sit down to (a meal) - to take a seat at the table and begin to eat a meal
We had just sat down to dinner when the telephone rang, but we didn't answer it because we didn't want the food to get cold.
feast - a very large meal, usually for many people
The wedding feast was delicious, with enough meat, breads, desserts, and drinks for 300 people.
to go overboard - to be too enthusiastic about something; to do something beyond what one should; to do too much
Alberto just started a new exercise program, but he's going overboard and exercising at least two hours a day.
roast - a large piece of uncut beef or pork cooked in an oven
Grandma Chin has a delicious recipe for a pork roast with an apple-butter sauce.
ham - pork; the meat from the top part of a pig's leg
He always has a ham-and-cheese sandwich for lunch.
stuffing - a mixture of chopped bread, herbs, vegetables, and fruits put inside of a turkey, duck, or chicken, and cooked in an oven
Their family makes a stuffing with apples and carrots. It sounds strange, but it's very tasty.
yam - a vegetable that is orange-colored that is a root of a plant, similar to a sweet potato
Do you think we should make some baked yams for dinner?
mashed potatoes - potatoes that have been cooked and then pressed until they are smooth, usually mixed with butter and milk, and served with gravy (a dark brown sauce)
If you eat too much of the mashed potatoes, you won't have room for turkey.
cranberry sauce - a dessert that looks like jelly made from cranberries (a type of sour, red berry) and sugar, usually served with turkey for holiday meals
Could you please pass the cranberry sauce to this end of the table?
eggnog - a holiday drink made from alcohol, eggs, milk, and spices
Would you like a glass of eggnog or do you prefer soda?
to save room for (something) - to stop eating before one is full, so that one will be able to eat something else later
I'm glad you like the salad, but please don't eat too much of it. Save room for the pasta!
pumpkin pie - a dessert baked in an oven, made with soft, sweet pumpkin in the middle and crust (harder edge) on the bottom and sides
Nancy served us huge slices of pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top.
gingerbread house - a dessert made of cookies flavored with ginger, put together in the shape of a house and decorated with candies
The girls tried to make a gingerbread house, but it kept falling down, so they decided to just eat the gingerbread by itself.
to carve the bird - to cut an oven-cooked turkey, chicken, or duck into small pieces for each person to eat
Their grandfather always lets the children help him carve the bird for the Thanksgiving dinner.
to do the honors - to perform a ceremony or ritual; to do an important thing
We need a close friend to give a speech at our wedding reception. Would you do the honors?