ESL Podcast 372 - A Bully at Work
to put up with - to take without complaining; to endure; to tolerate
Why do you put up with the child's bad behavior?
bully - a person who uses verbal (spoken) or physical violence to prove his/her strength, power, or position over others; a person who is mean to others
He was considered a bully in high school because he would make the weaker students give him their lunch money.
to stand up to - to not allow another person to continue to be mean to oneself anymore; to not be afraid to tell someone when he/she is acting inappropriately
They stood up to the gang by forming a neighborhood watch program.
the last straw - the last in a series of bad events where a person decides that he or she will not let the bad events happen anymore; to not be able to stand a certain situation any longer
When she came home drunk for the third time in four nights, it was the last straw for her boyfriend and he broke up with her.
to put (someone) down - to insult someone; to make someone feel unimportant or of less value
The husband put his wife down when he told her in front of their friends that she wasn't very smart.
to jump down (someone's/one's) throat - to verbally attack someone; to yell at someone
The boss jumped down my throat when I arrived late to work today.
stunned - surprised; shocked; scared
The actress was stunned when she found out she had won an award.
arrogant - believing that one is more important than all other people; thinking that one is more talented than other people.
The soccer player is so arrogant that he will not talk to or take pictures with any fans.
biting - hurtful; cruel
The teacher's biting comment to her students about their lack of intelligence made them cry.
contempt - strong dislike; disrespect; scorn
John felt contempt for his father, who abandoned his family when John was only a child.
insecure - not confident; disliking a part of your oneself
Do you believe that most women feel insecure about their bodies?
to belittle - to make someone feel unimportant; to tell someone that he or she is less important
The older child belittled her younger brother because she was jealous of him.
social skills - everyday communication skills with other people; one's ability to communicate and work effectively with other people in a friendly manner
This school is very good at teaching academic subjects, but the students graduate without good social skills.
to call (someone's) bluff - to make someone prove that what they are saying is true; to force someone else prove that he/she will really do what he/she says he/she will do
She called her son's bluff when she asked him to prove that he had done his homework.
to back it up - to prove it; to provide evidence to support something
He backed up his claim that he was the best boxer in the world by defeating the current champion.
to keep (one's) cool - to stay calm; to remain relaxed and unconcerned
The girl kept her cool even though the other students called her names.
to back down - to give in; to walk away from a challenge
The driver backed down from the argument he was having with the police officer.
to act (one's) age, and not (one's) shoe size - to act one's level of maturity; to act like an adult instead of a child
When will you act your age and not your shoe size and stop fighting with the neighborhood children?