ESL Podcast 600 - Talking About Sight

medication - medicine; a substance swallowed or injected to treat an illness or make one feel better

The doctor gave her a new medication for her high blood pressure.

to mess with - to interfere with something; to change the way something works, making it less effective or more difficult

Do you think the government has the right to mess with how banks lend money?

vision - eyesight; how well or poorly someone is able to focus the eyes and see things

Harold had perfect vision until he was a teenager, but then he had to start wearing glasses

blurry - unclear; not in focus

All of our photos are blurry because there was not enough light.

to flake out - to not do something that one is supposed to do, especially if it makes things difficult or awkward for another person

I missed our first appointment, so it's really important that I don't flake out and forget about the one that has been rescheduled for tomorrow.

blind as a bat - blind or almost blind; unable to see, or unable to see very well

It's so dark in here. I'm blind as a bat!

crystal clear - very clear; very easy to see and/or understand; without any difficulty seeing something

With text that large, the billboard is crystal clear for people to read as they drive by.

to put in an appearance - to be seen in a particular place, even if one doesn't stay there very long or do anything important while there

The mayor has three meetings at the same time, but he promised to put in an appearance at our conference, even if it's only for a few minutes.

sharp - clearly defined; easily seen and understood

Do you like the sharp lines in this painting?

to make out - to be able to see something when it is very difficult to see, usually because it is too far away

The detective used a magnifying glass to make out the words on the sign in the photograph.

to blindside - to surprise someone in a bad or negative way; to do something unexpected that has negative consequences

We were all blindsided when Jenna shared the company's secrets with reporters.

to do more harm than good - for one's actions or words to create more problems than they solve; to have a negative impact by doing or saying something

I know you want to help Shawn, but offering him money might hurt his pride and end up doing more harm than good.

to see double - to see two images of everything, often because one is drunk or has taken medicine

Luke saw double for a few minutes after he got hit in the head with a baseball.

X-ray vision - the ability to see through objects, either seeing what is inside them or what is on the other side of them

If airport security guards had X-ray vision, they'd be able to see whether passengers were carrying any weapons.

to impair - to hinder; to make something worse; to make something not as good as it normally is or should be

Drunk driving is illegal because alcohol consumption impairs a driver's decision- making and reaction time. (one's) better judgment - one's ability to know what is right and wrong, or what one should do or say in a particular situation

Against my better judgment, I agreed to let Tara drive my car even though I knew she had been in several car accidents.