ESL Podcast 359 - A Fist Fight

to deserve - to have earned something; to have done or said something so that one now has the right to have or do something

Many dieters think that they deserve to eat junk food on the weekends as a reward for eating healthily the rest of the week.

to insult (someone) - to offend someone; to do or say something that another person thinks is rude or mean

Frank was very insulted when his wife told him that he was getting fat.

to knock (one's) block off - to hit someone so that his or her head falls off (not literally); to physically hurt someone

Tristan wanted to knock his brother's block off when he borrowed Tristan's car without asking.

civilized - part of a modern society; polite and rational

Let's sit down and have a civilized meal together instead of eating in front of the TV.

free-for-all - a fight without any rules, where people can do whatever they want to do

Sometimes when two high school boys start to fight, it turns into a free-for-all.

to punch - to hit someone hard with a closed fist; to hit someone hard with one's hand when the fingers are folded down against the inside of one's hand

Blake's nose started bleeding when he was punched in the face.

offensive - insulting; rude; making one angry

In the United States, it is often offensive to talk about another person's skin color.

to clobber - to hit someone many times

When the hockey player started to clobber the referee, his teammates had to stop him.

to take another swing at (someone) - to hit (or try to hit) someone again

Even though the little boy was lying on the ground and bleeding, the older boy decided to take another swing at him.

assault - a physical attack on someone

The assault occurred on a dark street at 3:00 a.m.

to get a hold of (oneself) - to bring oneself under control; to calm down and be able to control one's actions and emotions

She needs to learn to get a hold of herself when she gets angry, before she starts yelling at other people.

to defend (someone's) honor - to do or say something to protect the reputation of someone who has been insulted or offended

In the past, men defended their wives' honor by challenging other men to duels.

to cool off - to calm down; to get control of one's actions and emotions

I think you should cool off for a few days before you decide how to react.

to get what's coming to (someone) - to get what one deserves, especially if it is a bad thing; to experience the consequences (usually negative) of one's earlier actions or words

My uncle told me: If you treat your parents badly, you'll get what's coming to you when you're a parent yourself.

nerve - lack of respect; willingness and ability to do or say something that is inappropriate

We couldn't believe the nerve of that man, asking us to sell him our house for only $85,000.

overprotective - taking care of someone too much

Parents are often overprotective of their children, but eventually they have to let them learn to live their own lives.

to mess with (someone) - to get involved with someone, creating problems, trouble, or danger

If you want to stay out of trouble, don't mess with her. She brings bad luck to everybody.