ESL Podcast 622 - Having Well- and Badly-Behaved Children
well-behaved - acting in ways that are socially appropriate and pleasing to other people; following all the rules and meeting people's expectations
Why can't you be well-behaved like Janet's children? They never argue or fight with each other.
impeccable manners - acting in ways that are perfect, with nothing to criticize; following all the rules for socially acceptable behavior
Jeremiah has impeccable manners, always saying "excuse me," "please," and "thank you."
little angel - a young child who behaves very well and is a joy to spend time with
As long as Noah gets enough sleep, he's a little angel. But when he gets tired, watch out!
handful - a lot of work; or something that is challenging to deal with and manage
It's quite a handful to go grocery shopping with three little kids under the age of five!
thank goodness - an expression used to show one's relief, gratitude, and appreciation for something
Thank goodness that tree didn't hit our house when it fell down!
girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice - part of a poem meaning that little girls are very nice to spend time with, much nicer than little boys
We're hoping to have a girl, because you know what they say: Girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice...
to feel sorry for (someone) - to feel sympathy for a person; to feel sad or bad about the situation another person is in
I feel sorry for Burt. It isn't his fault he lost his job, but his wife seems to blame him.
children should be seen but not heard - an old-fashioned belief and expression meaning that children should be silent, not making any noise when adults are nearby
Their parents encourage them to talk and play, but their grandparents believe that children should be seen but not heard, so that creates problems when they go to stay with their grandparents.
rude awakening - an unpleasant surprise; a negative experience that shows how much reality differs from what one had believed or hoped for
Sherri thought her new job would be easy, but she was in for a rude awakening.
unruly - uncontrollable; difficult to manage or keep calm
The teacher walked into the unruly classroom and told the students to be quiet and to do their work. (#) year(s) apart - with a certain number of years of difference between two people's ages; with a certain period of time between two events
My brother and I are 13 years apart, so we weren't really friends when we were growing up.
to yell at (someone) - to shout at a person; to speak to someone in a very loud voice, saying negative things, often when one is angry and wants to criticize the other person
Jayden never cleans his room, no matter how much his father yells at him.
naughty - behaving poorly; doing bad things that are against the rules, used primarily with children
Why did you take that toy away from the other little girl? That was a very naughty thing to do.
sweet - nice, kind, gentle, pleasant, and calm
Ling is a sweet girl, but I just don't feel attracted to her romantically.
even-tempered - without rapidly changing emotions; calm; without moments of extreme happiness, sadness, or anger
How does Eugene stay so even-tempered? Even when everyone else is upset, he always seems calm.
ruckus - a noisy, completely confusing situation often involving an argument
The falling stock prices caused a ruckus on Wall Street.
tooth and nail - with a lot of strength and effort; very strongly, perhaps violently
They're fighting tooth and nail to increase the budget for next year.
so much for (something) - a phrase used sarcastically to show that something does not apply, or that there is not very much of something
City taxes have increased 15% since he was elected mayor. So much for his campaign promise to lower taxes!