ESL Podcast 731 - Hints and Innuendo

coming up - happening in the near future; occurring soon

Coming up next, we'll talk to a man who has three pet bears.

to get at - to say indirectly; to communicate something to another person without saying it directly; to strongly suggest something without saying it

Why are all of you moving your chairs away from me and holding your noses? What are getting at?

to spit (something) out - to say something quickly and without delay that may be difficult, embarrassing, or hurtful to say or for another person to hear

I'm asking you children who broke Mom's favorite vase? Spit it out!

to drive at - to say indirectly; to communicate something to another person without saying it directly; to strongly suggest something without saying it

After 40 minutes, Carl finally found out what his sister was driving at. She wanted to borrow money from him.

to put a lot of thought into (something) - to think about something a lot before taking action; to consider many things before making a decision

Manuel put a lot of thought into the gift he bought his new girlfriend.

to imply - to strongly suggest something without saying it; to communicate that something exists or is the truth without stating it

Our boss implied that there would be less money for bonuses this year, but he wouldn't answer any direct questions about it.

to insinuate - to make a suggestion that something bad is true without stating it

Beth was tired of her relatives insinuating that she was too old to find a husband.

to rack (one's) brain - to use a lot of effort to think of or to remember something

Deng racked his brain for a half hour, but couldn't remember the combination to the lock on the safe.

to blurt (something) out - to say something without first thinking about what one will say, how one will say it, and/or how others will react

If I tell you a secret, don't blurt it out when you're with your friends, okay?

hint - a small or indirect suggestion about something; a clue

My parents won't tell me what I'm getting as a Christmas gift, but they gave me a hint that it was related to my computer.

to read (one's) mind - to be able to know what someone is thinking without that person telling you; for someone to know something about another person without having to be told

The architect must have read my mind because the plans for the new house are exactly what I wanted.

If I had a nickel for every time...(I'd be rich) - a phrase used to say that something happens a lot or that something is very common

If I had a nickel for every time Olah made an excuse when he was late, I'd be rich.

inkling - a slight idea; a little bit of knowledge that will give some information about something else; a hint

Do you have an inkling why James is wearing a thick coat on a hot summer day?

clue - a piece of information or idea that helps to solve a problem; information used to solve a crime or mystery

The footprint in the mud was an important clue to solving the crime.

crystal clear - easy to understand or see; having no doubt about something

None of the students had a crystal clear idea about the difficult concept their teacher talked about in class, but reading their textbook helped them better understand it.