ESL Podcast 587 - Feeling Disillusioned

idol - someone whom one loves, worships, or admires very much, possibly wanting to be that person

When you were a teenager, did you have any posters of your idols hanging on your bedroom walls?

book signing - an event where an author autographs (writes his or her name on) copies of his or her book for people who have bought the book

How many hours did you have to stand in line at the book signing to get the author's autograph?

disappointment - a feeling of sadness that one has when something is not as good, useful, or interesting as one had expected

It was a major disappointment for Margie when she found out she hadn't been accepted to study at the university.

can do no wrong - unable to make a mistake; perfect

Most kids grow up thinking their parents can do no wrong, at least until they become teenagers.

as far as (someone) is concerned - in someone's opinion; according to someone's beliefs

As far as the government is concerned, water quality isn't a high priority.

to have everything going for (someone) - to be in a very fortunate, strong position with many advantages

Michel was a great athlete who had everything going for him until he got in a car accident and became paralyzed.

to emulate - to copy the things another person says or does, trying to be like that person; to behave like someone else does

In our speech class, we're trying to emulate the style of Martin Luther King, Jr.

paragon of virtue - someone who is perfect in every way and has no flaws or faults; someone who has very high moral (beliefs about right and wrong) standards

Jung tries to pretend he's a paragon of virtue, but he lies all the time.

preconceived notion - an idea of how something is or should be, especially when that idea is not based on facts and one has not had an opportunity to observe that thing in detail

When Brenda traveled to Asia for the first time, she had a lot of preconceived notions about how people would act around her, but she soon learned that many of those ideas were wrong.

to shatter - to break something into many small pieces, often used when talking about glass; to destroy someone's dreams, beliefs, or hopes

The earthquake shattered all the glass vases that had been standing on the shelf.

image - vision; picture; the way something looks or appears

My image of the main character in the book is very different from what I saw in the movie adaptation.

to picture - to imagine how something is or appears

When you were a child, did you picture your adult life as it is now?

diva - a woman who has had a lot of success in a performance career, especially if she isn't very nice personally and treats others poorly

The actress is very popular and people love to see her movies, but she's such a diva that nobody wants to spend time with her in person.

to burst (one's) bubble - to destroy a person's beliefs, vision, or hope, showing him or her that something isn't as good, useful, or interesting as he or she thought it was

They had dreamed of becoming millionaires by investing in real estate, but the fall in the housing market burst their bubble.

to put (someone) on a pedestal - to believe that someone is perfect; to admire someone too much

He's so in love with his girlfriend that he always puts her on a pedestal, but someday he's going to realize that she's just human and that she makes mistakes just like all the rest of us

to idolize - to admire someone too much; to think that someone is perfect

The more I read about Gandhi, the more I idolize him and his work.

least of all - especially; a phrase used to give emphasis to the word(s) following the phrase

I would never hurt anyone on purpose, least of all my own mother.