ESL Podcast 729 - Being Blunt and Stubborn
direct - sharing one's opinion openly, without softening it or hiding some aspect of it
It's okay to share criticism, but did you have to be so direct when telling her the report was poorly written?
forthright - direct; bold; outspoken, very open, not hiding anything
If you aren't forthright about your opinion, how will anyone ever know what you're really thinking?
to speak (one's) mind - to share one's opinion, especially if other people have a different opinion
Very few people have the courage to speak their mind around the CEO.
to straddle the fence - to be indecisive; to not be able to decide what one wants to do or what one believes, because one is able to see the advantages and disadvantages of more than one option
Jose Antonio is still straddling the fence, trying to choose between the two job offers.
namby-pamby - indecisive, not able to make a clear decision; changing one's mind
He's too namby-pamby to be a successful politician.
there's (something) and there's (something) - a phrase used to emphasize how extreme something is, where the first word is a broader concept and the second word is more specific and extreme, usually in a negative way
There's dieting and there's anorexia. I don't think she eats anything at all!
pigheadedness - stubbornness, an unwillingness to change one's opinion
His pigheadedness is going to cause his business to fail. He has to learn to listen to his business advisors and accept their ideas, even if he doesn't like them.
to budge - to move slightly when pushed, or to change one's opinion in response to new information
A compromise is possible only if both parties are willing to budge.
to sway - to change someone's opinion; to persuade or convince someone to consider another idea or opinion; to make someone move in some way
The earthquake damage swayed lawmakers toward passing tougher building laws.
admirable - something that one likes and respects because one thinks it is good, especially when talking about characteristics of other people
Her concern for her husband's parents is admirable.
trait - characteristic; feature; some aspect of one's personality or appearance
I think his best traits are his generosity and self-confidence.
blunt - direct and straightforward, without softening one's words to avoid hurting other people's feelings
Doctors have to learn to deliver bad news to their patients without being too blunt.
stubborn as a mule - very stubborn; highly unwilling to change one's opinion or belief
Jacques refuses to ask for help because he's as stubborn as a mule and doesn't want to admit his family doesn't have enough money to buy food.
to pull (one's) punches - to not be as forceful or damaging as one could be; to soften one's actions and minimize the consequences of those actions
Politicians rarely choose to pull their punches when campaigning.
to speak up - to volunteer to share one's opinion, even when it is unpopular and/or nobody has asked to hear it
If you feel that strongly about the plan, you should speak up during our next meeting.
to stand by - to be committed to something; to continue to believe in something even when it is unpopular or creates problems
No matter what happens in court tomorrow, we'll always stand by our son.
to be on the wrong side of an argument - to disagree with another person; to be involved in an argument or disagreement with another person
Nobody wants to be on the wrong side of an argument with Liesel. She's an excellent debater who always wins.