ESL Podcast 472 - Feeling Nervous About Public Speaking

you're on - a phrase used to let someone know that it is his or her turn to do something

Gabe will go first, followed by Declan and Kimberly. Then, you're on!

palm - the inside part of one's hand, not including one's fingers

She couldn't find a piece of paper, so she wrote down the phone number on her palm.

clammy - damp or a little bit wet, cold, and unpleasant

His hands were cold and clammy after he finished cutting the fish.

to break out into a cold sweat - to suddenly have one's skin begin to get wet, usually because one is very nervous or scared

Even though it was a cold day, he broke out into a cold sweat when he asked his girlfriend to marry him.

jelly - jam; a sweet food made from berries or fruit and sugar, also used to talk about the way one's muscles feel when one is very weak and/or unable to control one's movements

After the doctor gave him anesthesia, his arms felt like jelly and he couldn't control his hands.

a bad case of (something) - a serious, severe, or important instance or situation

He thought he was having a heart attack, but the doctors said it was just a bad case of indigestion.

stage fright - the fear of speaking, acting, or performing in front of a large group of people

How do professional actors avoid getting stage fright?

to take a deep breath - to breathe in a lot of air very slowly and then breathe it out again, usually to make oneself feel calmer

When Dale gets angry, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten before he says anything.

butterflies in (one's) stomach - a feeling of nervousness and possibly a sick feeling in one's stomach because one is very scared or worried about something

I wonder if reporters get butterflies in their stomach when they speak to world leaders.

to freeze up - to be unable to move or do something, usually because one is too scared or surprised

Harvey really likes that actress, but when he saw her in a restaurant one day, he froze up and wasn't able to do or say anything.

tongue-tied - unable to speak clearly or make a complete sentence

As a teenager, he was always tongue-tied around girls.

to get a hold of (oneself) - to calm down and be able to control one's words and actions

Yes, we're in a crisis situation, but it doesn't do any good to panic. Get a hold of yourself and find a way to help!

well prepared - ready; having done all the necessary research, thinking, and other preparation so that one is ready to do something

Their favorite professors are always well prepared for their lectures.

to pull (oneself) together - to calm down and be able to do something

I can't believe you've been crying over him for a whole month. Pull yourself together and start dating other people!

here goes nothing - a phrase used to show that one will try to do something, but that one doesn't think it will be very successful

This will never work, but if you insist, I'll give it a try. Here goes nothing!