ESL Podcast 461 - Using a Guidebook
to buy out - to buy everything in a store so that nothing is left
If she had more money, she would have bought out the store. She really loves that clothing designer!
guidebook - a book that is written for tourists and contains information about a place
According to this guidebook, all the downtown hotels cost more than $150 per night.
to study up on (something) - to spend a lot of time learning about something, especially by reading
Did you study up on the company and its history before you interviewed for a job there?
must-see - something that is highly recommended and should be seen by everyone who goes to a particular place; something that should not be missed
The Statue of Liberty is a must-see if you visit New York City.
sight - an interesting or famous thing or place that people want to see when they visit a particular city or country
The Space Needle is a popular sight in Seattle, Washington.
self-guided - without the services of a professional guide, where one visits places alone, often with the help of information in a book
We didn't have enough money to pay for a tour guide, so we did a self-guided tour of the museum, reading a brochure to learn about what we were seeing.
conscientious - careful and paying attention to detail, doing everything that one is supposed to do
Javier is a very conscientious student, always completing all of his assignments on time.
to sketch out - to write down a rough idea of something, without very many details
Many professional artists sketch out their ideas before they start painting.
itinerary - schedule; a plan for a trip that shows where one will be on which days
Their itinerary shows that they'll be in Austin for three nights.
orientation - an overview that provides general information before one begins to learn about things in more detail
The conference began with an orientation where people could meet each other and learn about the schedule before deciding which sessions to attend.
to get a feel for (something) - to become familiar with something and understand what it is about without necessarily understanding the details
She stayed in Minneapolis for two weeks, which was enough time to get a feel for the city, but not enough time to get to know all the neighborhoods.
helpful hint - a useful suggestion or idea
The instructor gave us a lot of helpful hints to prepare for the exam.
accommodations - lodging; the hotels and other places where one will sleep during a trip
Do you want to have really nice accommodations, or would you prefer to save money and stay at a hotel that isn't very fancy?
the heart of the city - the center of a city; the most active part of the city
Most of the big office buildings are in the heart of the city.
nightlife - entertainment that happens in the evening, usually at bars, restaurants, dance clubs, and concert halls
Boston has some great nightlife, so we stayed out until 3:30 a.m.!
day trip - a trip to and from a place so that one returns to where one started on the same day
He didn't want to change hotels every night, so he decided to stay in just one hotel and take a lot of day trips from there.
to get (something) covered - to be able to do or handle something; to be in control of something or a situation; to know what to do; to be prepared
Did you remember to pack all our toiletries?
Yes, don't worry. I've got it covered.
survival phrase - an important phrase that one memorizes to use in a foreign country when one doesn't speak the language there
Whenever he travels, he always learns two survival phrases in the local language: "Where's the bathroom?" and "How much does it cost?"
local - a person who lives in a particular area and knows it well
It's always a good idea to ask a local for restaurant recommendations.