ESL Podcast 755 - Rejecting Newer Technology
to act up - to behave badly; to behave or operate in an unexpected way that does not meet one's needs
Lately, the toaster has been acting up, burning the bread because it doesn't pop up automatically.
ice age - a very cold period of time approximately 20,000 years ago when most of Earth was covered with ice and snow
The walls of this cave have some interesting drawings from the ice age.
dated - out-of-date; not modern; relating to the past and no longer fashionable
Their kitchen is really dated, with bright orange countertops and green appliances.
holdout - a person who is very stubborn and one of the last people to do something, agree to something, or accept what another person is offering
The power company can't build its new line until the last few holdouts agree to sell their property.
to switch - to exchange or replace; to buy or get something new to replace something older
When are you going to switch from your old camera that uses film to a new digital camera?
model - one design of a machine, often updated each year
The new model of this car has more comfortable seats.
to spring for - to pay for something; to cover the cost of something
Let's spring for dessert. After all, we're supposed to be celebrating!
compatible - able to be used with something else, especially referring to hardware and software that can communicate with each other
Is this program compatible with the Windows operating system?
attached to - liking something very much, not wanting to get rid of it or not have it, often for no reason; feeling an emotional connection to something
That chair is more than 15 years old and has a few holes, but Derek is attached to it and won't let his wife get rid of it.
to overtake - to go past something; to become better or more successful than someone or something else
Farms that use genetically modified seeds have overtaken more traditional farms in terms of the amount of food they can produce.
obsolete - no longer used or useful because something else can now do something better or faster
Some people don't agree that records are obsolete and prefer them to CDs and MP3 files.
version - a copy of a document, software program, or design that has been changed slightly to make it different but similar to the previous one
Here's the second version of the annual report. Please review it and let us know if you find any typos.
to give up - to decide to no longer have or do something that one likes
When Ashley decided to lose weight, it was really hard for her to give up cookies and ice cream.
live by the sword, die by the sword - an expression originally in the Bible, used to mean that the way one chooses to live affects what happens to one in the future
Xavier has never donated money to any nonprofit groups, so why did he think they'd suddenly rush to help him when he needed it? As they say, live by the sword, die by the sword.
lost cause - something that cannot succeed, no matter how much effort one puts into it
Trying to get that old car to run again is a lost cause.