ESL Podcast 811 - A Heckler at a Sports Game

boo - a word shouted loudly and slowly when one wants to show disapproval or distaste for someone or something, especially during a performance or a sports game

No matter how much you dislike the show, we should never yell "boo" at the actors.

to suck - a rude and informal word meaning to be very bad at something or to have no value or worth

Even though Lucy sucks at piano playing, she keeps practicing.

to heckle - to make rude comments to interrupt someone and make him or her angry or distracted

Why was that man heckling you from that second-story window?

visiting team - a sports team that has come from another location to play a game; not the home team

The visiting team had to come by bus last night.

to make a fool of (oneself) - to do something that receives a lot of negative attention and makes one seem foolish, silly, or stupid

Why did Heather dye her hair purple? She's making a fool of herself.

to taunt - to tease; to say mean or offensive things to someone, trying to get a negative or angry reaction

People were taunting the tennis players, but they didn't stop playing their game.

concentration - focus; one's ability to think about only one thing and ignore everything else

When Heinz wants to study in noisy places, he tries to improve his concentration by wearing headphones.

to gain an advantage - to do something that gives one a benefit or creates a superior position, increasing one's ability to do something

They're trying to help their kids gain an advantage in life by teaching them three languages.

to keep (something) up - to continue to do something, especially when it is difficult or challenging

Jaime is working three jobs, but he is exhausted and won't be able to keep it up for much longer.

kicked out - forced to leave a place when one wants to stay there

They were kicked out of the bar for fighting with other customers.

stadium - arena; a large building, usually without a roof, with many seats around the edges, used for watching sports games or concerts

This stadium can seat 20,000 people.

to get into the spirit - to share in other people's enthusiasm or excitement about something

Putting up holiday decorations helps us get into the spirit each December.

to yell - to shout; to speak in a very loud voice that can be heard across a large room, especially when one is angry

We can hear our neighbor yelling at his kids from down the street!

pathetic - deserving pity; not admirable; very sad or miserable

That was a pathetic presentation. She really needs to improve her skills in public speaking.

to score - to earn a point in a game

He kicked the soccer ball and scored the first point in the game.

security - one of several people whose job is to maintain order and keep people safe and secure

Shoppers don't realize it, but security is always watching them, making sure they don't steal anything.

to catch a glimpse - to see something only a brief moment or in passing, especially if is unusual or difficult to see it

Did you catch a glimpse of that bird? It was so beautiful!

guts - courage; bravery; willingness to do something that is frightening or difficult and that most other people are not willing to do

I'd never have the guts to jump out of an airplane with a parachute!

to stand up for - to defend or protect someone against some threat; to support someone in a difficult or challenging situation

Thanks for standing up for your little sister at school today.