ESL Podcast 623 - A Hit-and-Run Accident

hit-and-run - a type of car accident where a driver hits a person or object but leaves without stopping to see the damage or apologize, because he or she does not want to get in trouble

Mona was injured in a hit-and-run accident last year. The police never found out who the driver was.

to take off - to leave a place, especially very quickly and without saying goodbye

You should have thanked the hostess for her hospitality before you took off in the middle of the party.

a bat out of hell - very quickly, almost as if running away from some danger

Tracy thought she saw a ghost and ran out of the house like a bat out of hell.

damage - harm that makes something broken or injured; an action that puts something in worse condition than it was in before

The earthquake caused a lot of damage to office buildings and apartment buildings.

totaled - destroyed; ruined; no longer usable because something has been broken and cannot be fixed

His bicycle was totaled when the car ran over it.

to revoke a license - for the government to take away someone's driver's license because he or she has been a very bad driver

If you drink alcohol and then drive, the state will revoke your license.

to throw the book at (someone) - to punish someone very badly, possibly accusing them of many crimes and putting them in jail

This city really throws the book at people who hurt children.

to do jail time - to spend time in prison as a punishment for one's crimes

How much jail time did he do for stealing all those cars?

scene of the crime - where a crime is committed; the place where a law is broken

The detective searched the scene of the crime for clues regarding who the murderer was.

first offense - the first time someone breaks the law; the first time someone commits a crime

If this were your first offense, we wouldn't put you in jail, but you've stolen things from stores at least three other times.

to defend - to do or say something to protect another person; to insist that another person is innocent and shouldn't be punished

Shelby tried to defend herself from her boss's criticism by making a list of all the projects she had finished in the past few months.

innocent bystander - a person who saw something happen but was not involved in it and didn't do anything wrong

The police want to talk to any innocent bystanders to find out what the criminal looked like.

to talk (someone) out of (something) - to convince or persuade someone to not do something; to try to make another person change his or her mind about doing something

Maya's parents tried to talk her out of dying her hair purple, but she did it anyway.

fender bender - a minor accident when two cars hit each other, causing only a little damage

The cars hit each other at a very slow speed, causing only a fender bender.

as good as new - like new; as if damage or another problem had never happened

The doctor says your broken arm will heal and be as good as new in a few months.

to pull a fast one on (someone) - to trick or fool someone; to make someone believe something that isn't true

The car salesman pulled a fast one on us, changing the dollar amount on the paperwork when we weren't looking, so we ended up spending more than we had planned.

to wring (someone's) neck - to choke or strangle someone by putting one's hands around that person's neck and squeezing or pressing very hard so that he or she cannot breathe and might die, often used to emphasize one's anger, but without really meaning it

If you ever spend your entire paycheck at the casino again, I'll wring your neck!