ESL Podcast 734 - Believing in Scary Things
Halloween - a holiday celebrated each October 31st when children wear special clothing and knock on doors to ask for candy, and when the spirits (ghosts) of dead people are thought to be present
Last year, Adele was an angel for Halloween, but this year she wants to be a doctor.
evil - very bad, wrong, and immoral, intended to hurt other people
Do you think people can be evil, or are only actions evil?
to lurk - to be present, but in a dark and hidden way, perhaps waiting to appear
They had the feeling someone was lurking around their home at night, so they turned on all of their outdoor lights.
to dress up - to put on special clothing, either very fancy clothing for formal occasions, or "costumes" (disguises or clothing meant to change one's appearance significantly)
In Pablo's classroom, most of the little boys want to dress up as superheroes and most of the little girls want to dress up as princesses.
creepy - scary and uncomfortable; making someone feel a little bit scared, fearful, or uneasy
Isn't it creepy to work alone in a convenience store late at night?
scared stiff - very frightened; terrified and unable to do anything because one feels too much fear
If I had to sleep outside knowing the bears and wolves were right outside my tent, I'd be scared stiff! (one's) own doing - one's own fault; resulting from one's own actions or decisions, without the ability to blame anyone else
If I fail the course, it's my own doing. I didn't study enough.
to kid (oneself) - to make oneself believe something that isn't true; to trick or fool oneself
Jay thinks he can become a millionaire overnight, but he's kidding himself.
ghost - the spirit of a dead person, especially when it can be seen as a floating object
Did you hear that sound? It must have been a ghost, because nobody else is here!
witch - a person, usually a woman, with magical powers used to do bad things, usually thought to wear a long, black dress and a tall, pointed black hat and be able to fly while sitting on a broom
Why do fairy tales usually show witches as ugly women with green faces and pointed noses?
zombie - the body of a person who has died but, in death, walks on Earth, but cannot speak
Shelley wants to dress up as a zombie for Halloween, so she painted her skin white and tore her clothes to make herself look dead.
vampire - an immortal (cannot die) person with long, sharp teeth who walks at night or in darkness to bite the necks of people and drink their blood
If sunlight kills vampires, then I guess we'll be safe during the daytime as long as we stay outdoors.
to have a field day - to have fun and do whatever one wants to do, as much as one wants to do it
The kids had a field day, playing in the swimming pool and eating ice cream.
goosebump - one of many small, raised areas on one's skin, usually caused by cold temperatures or fear
It's so cold in here, I have goosebumps! Could you please turn on the heater?
gullible - easily tricked or deceived; believing everything one is told
How could you be so gullible as to believe it was okay to give that man your credit card number?
graveyard - cemetery; a place where dead bodies are buried and stone or wooden markers are placed in the ground above them
I would never walk through a graveyard at night! It would be too scary.
cross - two straight pieces of wood that are connected together at a right (90º) angle, with the longer piece in a vertical position and the shorter piece in a horizontal position; the symbol representing the way in which Jesus Christ was killed; =; an object thought to provide protection against evil things
Bianca is a Christian and she always wears a cross on a necklace.
garlic - a strong-smelling, root with many small pieces that can be broken off and peeled, used in cooking; a vegetable thought to provide protection against evil things
This spaghetti sauce would be even better if it had more garlic.