ESL Podcast 710 - Doubting One's Language Use
to come up with - to think of; to have an idea about or for something
How did you come up with such a creative marketing campaign?
to give it a shot - to try to do something, especially when one doesn't think one will be successful, usually because it is too difficult
I'm not very good at fixing cars, but I'll give it a shot.
suitable - appropriate; acceptable; okay to use, have, or do in a particular situation
Shorts and a t-shirt aren't suitable for a wedding.
word choice - the selection of a particular word when there are several other that have similar meanings
Su asked the teacher to talk about selecting the correct word choice for this sentence among the words "angry," "furious," "mad," and "upset."
tricky - difficult; challenging, with a high probability of making a mistake
Some of the math questions on that test were really tricky.
appropriate - suitable; acceptable; okay to use, have, or do in a particular situation
Racist and sexist jokes are never appropriate in the workplace.
connotation - the additional meanings related to the core or main meaning of a word; the ideas that a particular word makes someone think of
The words "stubborn" and "strong-willed" have the same meaning, but "stubborn" has a more negative connotation.
to sound right - for a phrase to seem to be accurate or grammatically correct based only on how one reacts when hearing it, without understanding the underlying rules
It just doesn't sound right, but I can't explain why and I don't know how to fix it.
usage - the way a word or phrase is used grammatically
Kim wrote her report on how the usage of slang changes over time.
to doubt - to be unsure whether something is true or correct; to believe that something is possibly false or incorrect, but not know with certainty
This résumé seems too good to be true. I doubt the candidate really has an Olympic gold medal, a Nobel Peace Prize, and a Purple Heart.
form - one of many possible conjugations and tenses of a verb
Which form of the verb is correct here: "I will have eaten" or "I would have eaten"?
rusty - unpracticed; describing a skill that is not as strong as it once was, because one has not used it in a long time
Paulo hasn't taken a math class since high school, so his algebra skills are really rusty.
to look (something) up - to search for a word or concept in a reference book like a dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia to learn more about it
As a pharmacist, Busaraporn often looks medicines up in special books to learn more about them.
awkward - uncomfortable; difficult to do, use, or observe; inconvenient; problematic
Most teenagers are awkward while their bodies are changing during puberty.
native speaker - a person who is raised in an environment where a particular language is used and therefore learns to speak it perfectly
Make sure a native speaker reviews the translation before you publish it.
production - something that requires a lot of work and/or the involvement of many people because it is complex
Once you have kids, packing for a weekend trip becomes a production. There are so many things you have to bring! (one's) troubles will be over - a phrase used to talk about some unspecified time in the future when the problems one is currently facing will no longer exist
Stephen doesn't have enough money for food right now, but he dreams that once he finishes school and gets a job, all of his troubles will be over.
monkeys will fly out of my butt - a very informal phrase used to show one does not believe something will happen
Within 20 years, we will achieve world peace.
Sure, and monkeys will fly out of my butt!