ESL Podcast 519 - Describing Family Relations
family reunion - an event where relatives meet, usually for a few days, to reconnect and strengthen their relationships with one another
Last summer, we went to our family reunion and met a lot of cousins for the first time.
extended family - relatives who are not in one's immediate family; relatives who are not one's parents, children, brothers, or sisters
Her extended family includes six uncles and more than 20 cousins.
feud - a very serious, long argument between two people or groups of people; an argument that lasts for a very long time
The two sisters have had a five-year feud over who should get their great- grandmother's paintings.
to hold a grudge - to continue to be angry about something that happened a long time ago, especially if the other person has already apologized or if there is no real reason to still be angry
Siegen is still holding a grudge against me for hitting his car, even though it happened more than 10 years ago.
to make up - to end an argument and become friendly again
You and your brother haven't spoken to each other in days. It's time to tell him you're sorry and make up.
no love lost - without feelings of love, affection, respect, or friendship
There's no love lost between Maude and Gretchen. They try to stay as far away from each other as possible.
hard feelings - resentment and anger, especially because of an argument or something that happened in the past
I hope you don't have hard feelings about me getting the job that we both applied for.
to look down on - to disapprove of; to not like, especially because one thinks one is better, more important, or more valuable
Ophelia looks down on her neighbor because he's a garbage collector and she thinks it's an unimportant job.
old money - a rich family that has always had a lot of money and power, that is passed down from one generation to the next
How many U.S. presidents have come from old money?
to approve of - to think that something is a good idea and support it
What percentage of the population approves of the president's plan for national health care?
to look up to - to admire and respect; to think that someone is a very good person and try to be like him or her
I've always looked up to Galina. She's such a smart, strong woman.
close - with an intimate relationship; with a lot of affection or love
Marlene has been a close friend since we were in the third grade.
ancient history - something that happened so long ago that most people have forgotten about it and it doesn't seem very important anymore
Most people think it's ancient history, but Kimberly is still really angry that her first-grade teacher didn't think she had a good singing voice.
to turn out - to happen or end in an unexpected way, especially after a long period of time
Everyone thought the business would fail, but it turned out to be the most successful store in the city!
to hold it against (someone) - to blame someone for something; to think that something bad that happened is the fault of a particular person
Jose Antonio holds it against his parents that he wasn't able to go to college. If they had saved more money, they could have helped him pay for school.
to forgive and forget - the idea that one should not blame people for bad things that they have done in the past, and that one should even forget the bad things that were done, because they are no longer important
Everyone told us we should forgive and forget, but we're still really angry that our neighbors stole our lawnmower.