ESL Podcast 804 - Dealing with Time Changes in Scheduling

don't bother - a phrase used to tell someone not to do something, because it will not be successful, it is not possible, or it will not be helpful

Don't bother asking Jenna for help with the calculations. She doesn't know how to do them either.

calendar - a record of times, days, weeks, and years, used for showing what will happen and what one must do at certain times in the future

I think I'm free for a meeting next Tuesday, but let me check my calendar.

to throw off - to confuse or mislead someone, making it difficult or impossible for him or her to do or understand something

The flight cancellation threw off their vacation plans.

to keep in mind - to remember; to be aware of something, often while doing something else

Keep in mind that most new restaurants fail within the first few years.

bylaws - official rules created by an organization that describes how it will function and be governed

According to the bylaws, we should have at least eight people on the board of directors.

leap year - a year that has 366 days and comes once every four years; a year that includes February 29th

Keith was born on February 29th , so he celebrates his birthday only during leap years and he likes to joke that he's only seven years old, even though he's really 28.

to take (something) into account - to include or consider something in one's decision or opinion

New cell phones seem really cheap, but once you take into account the monthly service fees, they can be quite expensive.

daylight saving time - a system of time that moves clocks ahead or back one hour twice a year to give people more hours of light in the evening

Some people say that daylight saving time improves health, because it encourages people to spend more time outdoors after work.

to set ahead - to move one's clock forward a certain amount of time, so that the time displayed on the clock becomes later

I hate setting clocks ahead at night, because it means waking up an hour earlier the next morning.

to set back - to move one's clock backward a certain amount of time, so that the time displayed on the clock becomes earlier

Larion forgot to set back his watch, so he ended up arriving at the 3:00 meeting an hour early, when it was actually 2:00.

fall back and spring ahead - a phrase used to help people remember to set their clocks back one hour in the fall (autumn) and to set their clocks forward one hour in the spring, which is easier to remember because "to fall back" means to begin to walk more slowly behind a group of people, and "to spring ahead" means to jump or hurry and be in front of a group of people

I know the phrase is "fall back and spring ahead," but that doesn't help me remember on which day I'm supposed to change the clocks.

to factor in - to include or consider something in one's decision or opinion

Oops, I forgot to factor in sales tax, so I don't have enough cash to pay for this purchase.

time zone - a geographic area where people use the same time, or where all the clocks show the same time

The continental United States covers four time zones, from Pacific Time in Washington to Eastern Time in Maine.

tall order - something difficult and challenging that one is expected to do or has been asked to do

Heading up the effort to open a new office on the other side of the country is a tall order, but I'm sure you can do it.

to reinvent the wheel - to waste time doing something that another person has already done

Why are you reinventing the wheel by typing up the U.S. Constitution? I'm sure you can find typed copies online.

to fudge - to fake one's answer or result, altering an amount in some way, presenting one's guess as a real answer, or telling a small lie

What will you do if the auditors find out you've fudged your numbers?