ESL Podcast 788 - Being Conservative and Daring
conservative - not liking change; preferring older, more traditional, or more common ways of doing things
When conservative medical treatments don't work, some patients turn to alternative medicine.
risk taker - someone who is willing to do things that have not been tried before and that may or may not be successful
Vladimir is a risk taker, so he invested all his money in stocks for technology companies, even though he might lose everything.
staid - boring; old-fashioned; uninteresting; serious
Why would they publish such a staid article about fashion? It doesn't have any new information about today's trends.
to push the envelope - to try to extend the limits or go beyond the maximum point of something; to exceed expectations
They were pushing the envelope, trying to make the car go faster than ever before, but then it broke down.
loose cannon - someone who is unpredictable, possibly dangerous, and cannot be controlled
Orien is such a loose cannon. Nobody wants him in a client meeting because they don't know what he'll do or say.
to pan out - to be successful; to turn out as one had intended
Pierre is studying accounting. That way, if his dreams of becoming a musician don't pan out, he can always become an accountant.
to fall flat - to be unsuccessful; to not be well-received by an audience
The speaker's presentation fell flat, and many members of the audience left early.
bold - brave; courageous; not afraid to take risks or to do things differently from the way other people do things
Expanding into other countries was a bold decision, but it worked.
daring - willing to take risks; willing to do things differently from the way other people do things; willing to do something even if there is danger involved
Shania is really daring in her art, even when she knows other people might not like it.
genius - very clever, wise, or intelligent; something that was very impressive because it was creative, unusual, and successful
Letting the kids play with a roll of tape on the airplane was genius! It kept them busy for hours.
reckless - not careful or cautious; without paying attention to the negative results or consequences of one's actions; unsafe or dangerous
The teenagers thought reckless driving was fun - until they got in an accident.
sheer - complete or total, without anything to limit or make it less
The smile on her face was a sign of sheer joy.
conventional - traditional, commonplace, and standard; not creative, new, unusual, or exciting
College admission officers get tired of reading conventional essays, so it's important to write something creative that catches their attention.
low-key - calm; without attracting much attention
They're planning a low-key wedding with just a few guests.
tried-and-true - tested and proven successful, without any doubt that something will work and be successful
This book describes a tried-and-true method for starting a small business. (one's) call - a decision belonging to a particular person; with someone having the authority to make a decision
I prefer the first option because it's safer and less trouble, but it's your call.
to end up - to be in a particular situation or set of circumstances after performing certain actions or following a certain plan
If Ezekiel keeps eating so much unhealthy food, he'll end up with health problems.
egg on (one's) face - very embarrassed, especially when one has made a major mistake; appearing stupid or naive
If nobody attends the press conference, we'll all have egg on our face.