ESL Podcast 636 - Being Lazy and Energetic

to wake up - to awaken; to stop sleeping

If I didn't use an alarm clock, I probably wouldn't wake up before noon.

out of it - unaware of what is happening around oneself, often because one is thinking about something else

You'll probably feel out of it for a few hours after the surgery until the anesthesia wears off.

to sleep on the job - to sleep at work; to sleep while one is being paid to work

We've caught Jorge sleeping on the job a few times since his son was born. Apparently the baby is keeping him awake at night.

literally - with the actual meaning of the words, not just a figurative (symbolic) meaning

Were you literally working on your essay all night, or is that just your way of saying that you spent a lot of time on it?

So what? - an informal phrase meaning "I don't care" or to show that one thinks whatever another person has said is very unimportant or irrelevant

• I can't believe Julius died his hair green. It looks horrible!

• So what? It's only hair, and it will grow back.

sluggish - slow and without energy, often because one is very tired

Lyndon is always sluggish in the morning until he drinks a cup of coffee.

to fall down on the job - to not meet expectations; to do poorly; to not do all the things one is supposed to do

Seboyeta used to be a good employee, but lately she has been falling down on the job, not meeting deadlines and forgetting to call her clients.

hyper - overly excited, with a lot of energy and enthusiasm

When kids eat too much sugar, they get hyper and start misbehaving.

hard-working - trying very hard to do something well; making one's best effort

Aziza doesn't have a lot of experience, but he's very hard-working, so he's one of our most valued employees.

as (something) as the next guy - a phrase used to compare people, showing that someone is normal and likes or has something at least as much as other people do

Dennis likes hot weather as much as the next guy, but after three weeks of 100- degree weather, he was ready for summer to end.

to jump through hoops - to work very hard to make a good impression and make someone else happy

Aledo is tired of jumping through hoops to make a fancy dinner for his family every evening, so from now on he's just going to make simple meals.

don't make me laugh - a rude, informal phrase used when one doesn't believe what another person has said and thinks it is ridiculous

You think you can win the beauty contest? Don't make me laugh! Have you seen a picture of yourself recently?

slacker - a person who is very lazy, doesn't do anything without being asked, and doesn't have clear goals

That boy is a slacker and will never have a good job! Why don't you date someone who knows what he wants to be when he grows up?

to learn by (one's) example - to learn how to do something by watching another person do it; to learn through observation

Our children will learn by our example, so we have to be careful about what we say and do in front of them.

energetic - with a lot of energy; without becoming tired

Dawson felt really energetic when he woke up on Saturday, so he spent the entire day cleaning the garage, mowing the lawn, and fixing the roof.

productive - getting a lot of work done in a short period of time; using one's time efficiently to produce desired results

Ripley is a very productive worker who can assemble our products twice as quickly as any of our other employees.

a pain in the neck - someone who is very annoying and irritating

Krissy's new boss is a pain in the neck who insists on everything being done perfectly.