ESL Podcast 545 - Getting Around Without a Car

to have got (something) covered - to have something under control; to be in control of a situation; to know how to handle or deal with a situation

Yes, there's a lot of work to do by Friday, but don't worry. Insley says he's got it covered.

skateboard - a flat, rectangular board with rounded ends connected to four small wheels, so that a person can move quickly by standing on it, pushing one's foot against the ground to increase speed and change direction

Vinny's mother won't let him ride his skateboard unless he wears a helmet.

dirt road - an unpaved road; a road that is covered with rocks or dirt instead of asphalt or concrete

It's almost impossible to drive down that dirt road during the rainy season because it gets too muddy.

no big thing - no big deal; not important; not something that one is worried about

Hideako lost $30,000 in the stock market, but it's no big thing. He has millions.

bike - bicycle; a type of transportation with two wheels and a seat, where one moves by pedaling (moving one's feet in a circle to turn the wheels)

If you ride your bike to the grocery store, how will you carry home your groceries?

rollerblades - special shoes with a single line of wheels on the bottom, much like roller skates

On the weekends, Caitlin likes to wear her rollerblades to the park.

Segway - an electric machine with two wheels and a small flat area to stand on, used for transporting one person, with the person standing on it and controlling the speed and direction with the movement of one's body

We were surprised to see security guards riding Segways at the mall, but I guess they can move around more quickly and easily on a Segway than by walking.

in the meantime - while something else is happening; until something else happens

I ordered a new jacket online, but it won't arrive until next week. In the meantime, I'll just have to keep wearing this old one.

worst case scenario - the worst possible situation; a phrase used to describe the most negative, unpleasant thing that might happen

Go ahead and buy the new car. Worst case scenario, if you can't make the payments, you can always sell it to someone else.

to commute - to travel between one's home and workplace

Bouvier has a one-hour commute, but because he takes the train, he can spend that time reading and making phone calls.

to fess up - to confess; to tell the truth; to say something that one would rather keep a secret

Fess up! You went into my room and looked through my things, didn't you?

well-being - one's physical, mental, and emotional health

My wife keeps telling me: If want to improve your well-being, start taking better care of yourself. Eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep.

ulterior motive - a secret reason for wanting to do something, especially when one is pretending to want to do it for another reason

Xavier is encouraging his older sister to get a tattoo, and he says he's doing it because he knows she wants one, but his ulterior motive is that he wants one too, and he thinks their parents will let him do it once she has already done it.

scooter - a small motorcycle that isn't very powerful, or a flat, rectangular board with rounded ends connected to four small wheels and with a tall handle for one to hold onto, so that a person can move quickly by standing on it, using one's foot against the ground to increase speed and change direction

On sunny days, all the little kids on our street ride scooters up and down the sidewalks.

next to nothing - almost nothing; almost free; for a very small amount of money

Eve bought a home for next to nothing, because it's right next to the airport and no one else wanted to live in such a noisy place.

to pawn off - to get rid of something by selling it, especially if that thing has very little value or worth

I can't believe you were able to pawn off that ugly old boat that doesn't even float. Who did you sell it to?

to look out for (someone's) best interest - to do what is best for another person; to help another person

Mitch has always looked out for my best interest, inviting me to professional conferences and letting me know about interesting job opportunities.

con artist - a person who makes money by tricking other people, making them think they are doing something to help themselves when it actually helps the con artist

The police are trying to find the con artist who's been calling elderly people, pretending to call from the bank and getting them to share their account information so he can steal their money.