ESL Podcast 498 - Joking and Making Fun of People
miffed - angry, annoyed, and offended; upset
Leanne was really miffed when her husband didn't notice her new haircut.
to tease - to make jokes about someone else, but in a friendly way; to laugh at another person or at what another person has done
Uncle Logan is always teasing his young nieces, asking them if they're dating anyone in their elementary school.
to poke fun at (someone) - to laugh at another person or at what another person has done, especially when it isn't very nice and hurts that person's feelings
Please don't poke fun at Grace's writing. She's trying as hard as she can.
to hit on (someone) - to say something to another person that shows that one is interested in having a romantic or sexual relationship, especially when one doesn't know that other person
How many men hit on you at the bar last night?
receptionist - a person whose job is to answer the phone and welcome people as they walk into an office
When you get to the office, please tell the receptionist that you have a 10:00 meeting with Ms. Lazonski.
tongue in cheek - in a joking way; as a joke; not seriously
She made a tongue-in-cheek comment about wanting to go skydiving, but I don't think she really meant it.
to not be able to take a joke - to not see the humor in something; to not think that something is funny, especially when talking about a joke that hurts a person's feelings; to be mad or offended by something that one said while trying to be funny
Ricky put a frog in his teacher's desk, but she can't take a joke, so she got really mad at him.
the butt of the joke - the person whom a joke makes fun of; the person who is being laughed at
Walton is always making jokes about other people, but he hates being the butt of the joke himself.
class clown - a person who is always making jokes and is doing silly or funny things; the funniest person in a group of people
Howard was the fifth child in a very large family, and he became the class clown as a way to get attention.
wisecrack - a joke; a funny comment; something that is clever and funny
If you make a wisecrack about bombs at the airport, you might be arrested.
thin-skinned - very easily offended or upset; without the ability to laugh at oneself
Please don't make jokes about Marlo's cooking. She's very thin-skinned about it.
to watch (one's) back - to be cautious or careful; to try to protect oneself from something that might happen unexpectedly
If you walk alone in the streets at night, watch your back and try to be aware of the people around you.
a joke may be on (someone) - a phrase used to show that one was trying to make a joke about someone else, but something changed and suddenly the joke was about oneself instead
Sandra is always making jokes and tricking us, but yesterday we were finally able to trick her. We said, "Ha ha, this time the joke's on you!"
payback - revenge; something that one does to get even with another person; something bad or mean that one does to another person because that person did something bad or mean to oneself earlier
When Sallie shared Rebecca's secret with the other students, Rebecca told everyone about Sallie's own secret as payback.
big time - in a big, important, or significant way
He got into a lot of trouble - big time - and had to go to jail for eight years.