ESL Podcast 580 - Retiring From a Job

retirement party - an office celebration before an employee retires, meant to thank that person for his or her work and wish him or her a happy retirement

Some people actually cried at Takeru's retirement party, because they were so sad to see him leave.

glimpse - a brief glance; a rapid, unfocused look at something

I thought I caught a glimpse of a falling star, but I'm not sure.

to retire - to stop working so that one can relax and enjoy life, usually when one is 65 years old

Jerry wants to retire so that he can play golf every morning.

golden handshake - money paid by a company to an employee to encourage him or her to retire or otherwise leave the company

Investors would be outraged if they knew all the details about the golden handshake Owen was getting for retiring this year.

early retirement - retirement before one hits the normal retirement age (typically 65 years)

Bea created a popular website when she was just a teenager and was able to sell it for millions of dollars. Now she's enjoying her early retirement.

package - a set; a collection of things that are offered or used together

Does this vacation package include airfare?

generous - unselfish; willing to share many things; more than expected, especially when referring to money

The Williamsons made a generous donation to their church.

to saved up - to save money for a particular future purpose or purchase

By the time Felipe was 14 years old, he had already saved up $2,000 to buy a car.

nest egg - the money that one has saved for retirement, to be used when one no longer has income from working

We're going to need a really large nest egg if we're serious about traveling all over the world once we retire.

in (one's) shoes - in another person's position or situation; experiencing life from another person's perspective

If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't open a business without doing a lot more research first.

to hem and haw - to hesitate; to spend a lot of time deciding whether or not one should do something; to spend a lot of time evaluating all of one's options and trying to decide which option is best

How long do you think your parents will hem and haw before they decide whether you can get your ears pierced?

worked up - agitated; very worried or anxious about something; not able to stop thinking about something

The employees got worked up when the head of the company talked about reducing their paid vacation days.

after - in pursuit of; wanting to get or have something; trying to do something

Does Lena really love Juan, or is she just after his money?

to trade places - to exchange situations with another person so that Person A lives the life of Person B, and Person B lives the life of Person A

How can you complain about having to travel overseas for work? I love to travel, and I'd trade places with you without a second thought.

card-carrying member - an official member of an organization, usually strongly committed to its mission or purpose

How long have you been a card-carrying member of the National Rifle Association?

AARP - American Association of Retired Persons; a U.S. nonprofit organization that represents the interests of people who are age 50 and older, and especially of those who are retired

How has AARP affected the development of health care policies in the United States?

all the time - always; without pausing or stopping

Melissa talks about Dave all the time. I think she's in love with him!