ESL Podcast 577 - Magic and Illusions

magic show - a type of entertainment where the performer (magician) appears to do things that are impossible or unbelievable

Have you ever been to a magic show where the magician actually pulled a rabbit out of his hat?

magic trick - a skillful action where the performer (magician) appears to do something that is impossible or unbelievable

He has a really cool magic trick where he seems to pull a coin out of a child's ear.

to blow (one's) mind - to make someone feel very surprised, impressed, and excited

The way you're able to work full-time running your own business, raise three young children, and compete in the Olympics blows my mind!

illusion - something that appears different than how it actually is

She seems to have everything under control, but it's really an illusion and her life is actually falling apart.

smoke and mirrors - something that distracts people so that they focus their attention on something else

The president's press conference on space exploration was really just smoke and mirrors to distract people from more important issues.

sleight of hand - quick hand movements that have been practiced many times, used in a magic trick so that people cannot see how something was done

Ahmed's quick sleight of hand makes it really easy for him to cheat while playing cards.

escape artist - a performer who is able to get out of very difficult situations, for example when tied up inside a locked box that is placed underwater

That escape artist must have held her breath for at least three minutes before she got out of the box and swam up to the surface of the pool.

misdirection - the act of distracting someone, making him or her focus on something else, usually so that one can do something secretly

The boy's cry for help was just misdirection so that his father, the thief, could steal money from the store without being seen.

trap door - a hidden door in the floor, usually underneath a rug, that allows someone to leave a room quickly without being seen

You left the room so quickly that we started to wonder whether there was a trap door we didn't know about!

mind reader - psychic; a person who has the power to know what other people are thinking even when they don't say anything

I wish I were a mind reader so I could know what you're really thinking.

supernatural power - an ability to do something that is normally impossible and cannot be explained by scientists

Which supernatural power would you rather have: the ability to see through walls, or the ability to fly?

to debunk - to prove that something is impossible or not true

So far, no one has been able to debunk the scientist's unusual theory.

power of suggestion - the ability to give someone a thought or idea and make him or her think that it was his or her own idea and then believe it

Watching commercials for food always makes me hungry. Those companies are really good at using the power of suggestion to sell more of their products!

jaded - no longer interested in something, usually because one has had too much of it; no longer able to become excited about something

When Troy first came to this company, he was really excited about the work we're doing. But now, more than 20 years later, he's jaded and can hardly make himself come to the office each morning.

gullible - believing everything other people say and do; easily tricked or fooled

Did you really think you could buy a real Rolex watch for just $15? How gullible are you?