ESL Podcast 311 - A Mid-life Crisis
mid-life crisis - a period in a man's life when he becomes unhappy that he is growing older and does strange things to try to feel younger
When Brett went through his mid-life crisis, he bought a red Ferrari and tried to date women who were half his age.
to trade in - to exchange one thing (especially a car) for another thing
Mindy traded in her old car for a $3,500 credit against the more expensive one that she wanted to buy.
sports car - a small car with a powerful engine that moves very quickly
We went to the car show last weekend and saw some new sports cars to be released next year.
gym equipment - machines that one can use for exercise, either for aerobic/cardiovascular activities or for lifting weights
Jake's favorite piece of gym equipment is the treadmill because it lets him see how quickly he is running.
sign - something that shows what may happen in the future; an indication; a signal
There was a big storm during the wedding, and some of the people saw it as a sign that the marriage will have bad luck in the future.
to trigger - to start something; to make something happen; to instigate something
Many wars are triggered by small misunderstandings.
to be passed over for (something) - to not receive something (especially a promotion) that one expected, because it was given to someone who is less deserving
Walter became very angry when he was passed over for the president's position and it was given to someone who had worked at the company for only six months.
altogether - entirely; completely
Thalia became so worried about the bad news on TV everyday that she decided to stop watching the news altogether.
to reflect on (something) - to think about something in a lot of detail; to think about something very carefully
Gregory spends a lot of time reflecting on the meaning of his life.
to regret - to feel sad that one did or didn't do something in the past; to feel sad about something that one did or didn't do earlier in one's life
I regret that I didn't tell my grandfather I loved him more often before he died.
washed up - used; no longer useful or strong; no longer successful; without potential for future success
Many professional models feel that they are washed up by the time they're 30 years old, and they have to start another career.
fed up - tired, frustrated, unhappy, and bored with a situation
Vance is fed up with everyone asking him when he's going to finish writing his book.
to beat around the bush - to be indirect; to delay or hesitate; to not say something directly
Zoila felt uncomfortable asking Ulysses to pay back the money, so she started beating around the bush by first asking him about his family and his health.
if you must know - if you insist; a phrase used to show that one does not really want to say something, but will do so because the other person really wants to hear it
I don't normally talk about this, but if you must know, Theo and I are having problems in our marriage.
divorce - the legal end of a marriage
Do you know what percentage of U.S. marriages end in divorce?
you never know - a phrase used to mean that anything is possible, or anything can happen
Jessie always buys a lottery ticket because even though it's unlikely that he'll win, you never know.