ESL Podcast 821 - Eating Contaminated Food
funny - strange or unusual, often in a bad way
There's something funny about the way he told us to be careful, almost as if he knew something bad would happen.
tainted - contaminated; spoiled or unsafe because a food or drink contains something harmful or poisonous
The air was tainted by the fumes from the tire factory.
to detect - to be able to sense something; to identify the presence of something
Bacteria are too small to detect just by using our eyes, so we have to use a microscope.
metallic - tasting like a piece of metal, with a sharp, bitter taste
This medicine might leave a metallic taste in your mouth, but it should go away within a few hours.
off - wrong; incorrect; not quite right, but difficult to define or identify
When Tariq came home, the door was unlocked and even though nothing had been stolen, he felt that something was off.
adulterated - made impure or contaminated by adding something else, often to make something less expensive
The infant formula was adulterated, so people were actually giving their babies powdered formula mixed with chalk!
poison - a substance that can hurt or kill when eaten, drunken, or touched
If the mouse traps aren't working, it's time to buy some poison.
a terrible death - a horrible way to die; a very slow and painful death
Taisha suffered from the disease for months and died a terrible death.
toxic - poisonous; containing substances that can cause harm or death, especially chemical substances
What does the factory do with all that toxic waste?
sour - spoiled; a food or drink that was not eaten early enough and has an unpleasant taste
Pease finish the milk before it becomes sour.
ingredient - one of the foods or substances used to make another food or drink
This recipe calls for just four ingredients: oatmeal, raisins, milk, and brown sugar.
spoiled - damaged through decay; no longer good to eat
The food is spoiled because she forgot to put it in the refrigerator last night.
botulism - a type of food poisoning, often deadly, caused by bacteria in food, especially in damaged cans
Food safety experts warn that people should never buy dented cans of food, because they might cause botulism.
to pass - to forego; to decide not to have or do something
A: Are you going to go to the party tonight? B: No, I'll pass. I have to study.
to hand (something) over - to give something to another person
If you aren't going to finish that cake, hand it over!
hypochondriac - a person who believes he or she has many diseases, even though he or she is actually healthy
Nancy complains about her health all the time. Is she really sick, or is she just a hypochondriac?
paranoid - very worried and anxious, believing that other people are trying to hurt oneself in some way
Kyle is really paranoid. He thinks the FBI and the CIA are listening to his phone calls and reading his emails.