ESL Podcast 727 - Home Architectural Styles
real estate agent - a person whose job is to help other people buy or sell homes, land, and/or other property
The real estate agent thinks we can sell our home for $270,000.
the bigger the better - a phrase used when comparing two or more things to show that the larger one is better or more valuable than smaller versions of the same thing
What size soda would you like?
I'm really thirsty, so the bigger the better!
Cape Cod - a type of home that was very popular in Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the late 1700s, usually with one or two floors, a pointed roof, and a chimney in the center of the home
They rented a really nice Cape Cod home for their week-long vacation in Boston.
Georgian - a large, rectangular home, usually with two or three floors, with the door in the center and with many identical, rectangular windows spaced evenly on each floor
A Georgian home would look strange from the outside if there were different curtains in each room.
modest - humble; without using a lot of money; without drawing attention to one's wealth, power, talent, or intelligence
They have learned to live comfortably on a modest teacher's salary.
bungalow - a small home, usually with one or one-and-a-half floors, with a pointed roof and a large covered porch (open area) in the front of the home
On hot summer afternoons, they love drinking iced tea while sitting outside on the porch of their bungalow.
cottage - a small home, usually with only one or two bedrooms and only one floor, often with many identical homes nearby, often built next to a lake or near the mountains and used as a vacation home or as a rental property
Pierre doesn't really like camping, so they're going to rent a cottage by the lake.
a step up from - an improvement over; one level better or higher than
His new job isn't great, but it's a step up from what he used to do.
mobile home - an inexpensive home that is built in a factory and has wheels so that it can be pulled to where the owners will live, with pieces of wood or plastic used to hide the wheels
Gracie grew up in a small mobile home, and she couldn't wait to buy a larger home as an adult.
to come into some money - to inherit; to receive money from someone when that person dies
When Ralph's grandfather died, he came into some money and he decided to use it to open a new business.
colonial - a home built in one of the styles that was popular in North America before the United States became a country, usually with one or two floors and with very steep (with a sharp angle) roofs
They're looking for a home that is colonial on the outside, but has a modern interior.
Greek revival - a home or other building that is similar to ancient Greek architecture, with pillars (columns; vertical structures) in the front or all around the building, like many U.S. government buildings
This Greek revival home reminds me of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
split-level - a type of home where the main floor where one walks into the home is halfway between an upper floor, usually where the bedrooms are, and a lower floor, usually where the family room or basement is
Split-level architecture is a good choice for building on a hill.
ranch - a long, rectangular home with only one floor and large windows, usually with little architectural decoration inside or outside
Lynette doesn't like stairs, so she's looking for a ranch home.
the sky's the limit - a phrase used to show that there are no limits or controls, so one can do whatever one wants, without paying attention to how much something costs
If we get this contract, the sky's the limit. Our business will definitely grow.
nouveau riche - people who became wealthy or rich very recently, often used when one disapproves of the way those people are spending their money
Many of the nouveau riche spent their money on expensive cars and big homes, but they quickly ran out of money.
ostentatious - doing or saying things to try to impress other people, especially spending a lot of money to draw attention to oneself
Wearing that much diamond jewelry all at once is just ostentatious!
deal with it - an informal, slightly rude phrase used to tell someone that he or she must accept something or learn to tolerate it because it is not going to change
I know you don't like cleaning up your room, but as long as you live in this house, you have to follow our rules. Deal with it!