ESL Podcast 742 - Admiring Someone from Afar

what I wouldn't give... - a phrase used to mean that one wants something very much, being willing to give a lot to have it

What I wouldn't give to have a few extra days of vacation from work!

date - a social meeting between two people who may be romantically interested in each other

Danielle went on a date with her coworker Evan, but they didn't have very much to talk about.

number - phone number; the set of numbers one uses to make a phone call to reach another person

I didn't know you were interested in surfing, too. Give me your number and I'll call you the next time I go surfing.

out of (one's) league - for something or someone to be so good or of such high quality that one feels they or it is beyond one's level

We need to hire entertainment for our community show, but most of the names on this list are out of our league. We don't have the money to hire them!

to have nothing on (one) - to be as good as one; to have no advantages over one

Dora has nothing on Maureen, who is just as good a mother as Dora believes herself to be.

confidence - feeling that one is able to do something because one has the ability or the right qualities to achieve it; self-assurance

Junko has confidence in her own ability to start a successful business.

to throw (something) away - to dispose of something in the trash; to waste an opportunity

All of the food in this refrigerator has gone bad. Throw it all away!

out of the blue - without warning; for something to happen without an indication beforehand that it would be happening

Christophe received an email message out of the blue from his old elementary school friend.

creep - jerk; a person who behaves in a bad or undesirable way

Ophelia's brother is a creep, always making fun of Ophelia and her friends and making their lives miserable.

bold - confident and courageous; showing an ability to take risks; not shy or meek

In a bold move, McQ Corp. announced that it would open 100 new stores next year.

to steal - to take something one doesn't own; to take another person's property

Watch those kids to make sure they don't steal any candy!

to admire (someone) from afar - to respect and like someone romantically without approaching or getting to know him or her, observing him or her from a distance

Wei has always admired Jason from afar, but has never tried to talk to him.

to come off as - to leave the impression that; to make others see you in a certain way, often without intending to

Bruno comes off as a tough guy, but he's really kind and soft-hearted when you get to know him.

mysterious - something or someone that is difficult to understand, identify, or to know

Benoit received a mysterious box in the mail.

to eat it up - to eagerly accept something, often because it is what one wants to have or to believe

Parents love to see their children singing and dancing. No matter how poorly they perform, the parents will eat it up.

no guts, no glory - a phrase meaning that if one does not take risks, one will not gain anything

Carl decided to invest money in the new plan even though it's risky, because he believes in no guts, no glory.