ESL Podcast 491 - Having a Temper Tantrum

ear-splitting - very loud, high-pitched, and hurting one's ears

Their teenage son calls it music, but they just hear ear-splitting noise.

temper tantrum - a short period of time when a child loses control of his or her emotions and actions, usually screaming, crying, and kicking

The little girl had a temper tantrum when her mother took away her favorite toy.

to act up - to do and say inappropriate things; to engage in inappropriate behavior

The new employee is already acting up, asking for more money and thinking he's the most important person in the office.

miserable - very unhappy, sad, and uncomfortable

I would be miserable if I had to listen to people complain all day long.

to distract (someone) - to do something to change what another person is thinking about; to capture one's attention with something else

The teacher closed the curtains so that the students wouldn't be distracted by what was happening outside.

to look for attention - to do something, especially a bad thing, to try to get other people to look at oneself and interact with oneself

Why do teenagers color their hair purple and pink? Are they just looking for attention?

frustrated - upset and angry because one cannot do what one wants to do, or because something is not happening the way that one would like, and one feels helpless to change it

They felt very frustrated when their stove, refrigerator, and washing machine all broke in the same week and they didn't have enough money to fix them.

to give in - to suddenly decide to do what one is being asked to do, even though one does not think it is a good idea and was trying not to do it

Have you ever given in and done something you didn't really want to do, just because all your friends were doing it?

kicking and screaming - moving one's legs to hurt other people or things, and yelling; a phrase use to describe one's out-of-control behavior when one does not want to do something

The little boy began kicking and screaming when it was time to go home, shouting, "I don't want to leave yet!"

to quiet (someone) down - to do or say something to make another person feel calmer and stop yelling

Sometimes the best way to quiet a baby down is to take him or her outside for a few minutes.

to reward - to do something nice or give someone something as a way to thank him or her for something good that he or she has done

Jacek's boss rewarded him for finishing the project early by letting him take the day off.

misbehavior - bad behavior; a way of acting that is not appropriate

Chen is well known for her misbehavior at school, because she is always hitting other students and lying to the teachers.

to set limits - to make rules and clearly say what one can or cannot do

Did your parents set limits on how much TV you could watch while you were growing up?

to spank - to hit someone (usually a child) lightly when he or she has done something wrong, usually hitting one's bottom (the part of the body one sits on) with one's hand

When Tara saw her daughter hit the dog, she spanked her and told her to never do it again.

consequence - result; something that happens as a result of something else

Air pollution is a consequence of driving our cars too much.