ESL Podcast 819 - Athletes Behaving Badly
agent - representative; a person whose job is to represent an athlete, musician, model, or actor, helping that person find new jobs and take care of his or her reputation
Perry's agent told him about a great audition that's happening next week.
in hot water - in trouble; in a problematic situation; with a lot of difficulties; having done something bad or wrong
We'll be in hot water if the professor finds out we cheated on the exam.
to get up to - to become involved in something, especially something bad that one should not be doing
Keep these teenagers busy so they don't have time to get up to anything during summer vacation!
in police custody - being held or detained by police, so that one is not allowed to leave the police station or jail for a period of time; under the care and observation of the police
The drunken men were kept in police custody overnight until they became sober.
to cool (one's) heels - to spend time calming down and becoming less angry, especially before making a decision based on one's emotions
Meghan has decided to spend the weekend thinking about the situation and cooling her heels before firing Jordan.
off-season - when something is not active or is not happening, especially related to sports; between seasons; between busy or active periods
Baseball players work hard during the spring, summer, and fall, but winter is their off-season.
to blow off some steam - to release negative emotions and extra energy or stress in some way; to do something that makes one feel less stressed or less angry
Exercise can be a great way to blow off some steam after a stressful day at the office.
image - the way one is perceived or understood by other people; appearance
Many corporations are trying to create an environmentally-friendly image to increase sales.
reputation - how one is perceived or understood by other people, especially a judgment about whether one is good, honest, and trustworthy
If dentists don't treat their patients well, it can really hurt their professional reputation.
they don't call (someone) (something) for nothing - a phrase used to emphasize that someone has earned the title he or she has, or that someone deserves the reputation he or she has
Oscar has broken up with six girls already this year. They don't call him a heartbreaker for nothing!
the bad boy of (something) - a boy or man whose actions are extreme, who is independent, who doesn't care what other people think or how they feel, and who often breaks rules or laws
Lyle has always been the bad boy of our band, but this time he went too far.
damage control - efforts to fix or correct a problem or a negative situation, especially to control how it is perceived by other people and make it seem less serious or less important
The senator has a team of people responsible for damage control whenever a journalist writes a negative article about his personal life.
press - media; journalists; the people and organizations who distribute the news
It seems unfair for the press to report such a biased story. Why didn't they interview the other side?
to get a hold of - to obtain information or some other thing that is very desirable, but difficult to get
If anyone gets a hold of these emails, we'll all lose our job.
to have a field day - to have a lot of fun doing something without limitations or restrictions
If we ever win the lottery, we'll have a field day at this expensive store!
to serve (one) right - for someone to receive what he or she deserves, especially as a negative consequence that results from bad behavior
Wynona is complaining about losing her driver's license, but it serves her right! She should never have driven while she was drunk.