ESL Podcast 823 - Dealing With a Bothersome Person

to get in (one's) face - to bother or annoy someone; to challenge someone and make him or her feel upset or angry

Teenagers don't like it when their parents get in their face and question their actions and decisions.

to sense - to perceive; to feel and understand; to use one's vision, hearing, taste, touch, and/or smell to reach some conclusion

We could sense everyone's excitement as soon as we walked into the room.

serious - significant; not minor or unimportant; major

He ate four sandwiches, three oranges, a large bag of chips, and a package of cookies. That's a serious lunch!

sexual tension - the slightly uncomfortable feelings when two people are attracted to each other romantically

You can't build a long-term relationship on sexual tension alone. Do you guys have any common interests?

out of (one's) mind - crazy; irrational; not thinking clearly; saying and doing things that do not make sense

Why did you drive into that car? Are you out of your mind?

to give (someone) a hard time - to make things difficult for someone; to tease, bother, or annoy someone

Stop giving your sister a hard time about those photos. You did some stupid things when you were young, too.

to show off - to try to get attention from other people, especially by demonstrating how well one can do something

Adam is very smart, but it's annoying when he shows off by speaking in other languages and trying to make himself seem better than everyone else.

to stand out - to be very noticeable and get others' attention, especially among a group of similar people or things

Cheryl is trying to make her application stand out among all the other applications the medical school will review.

admirer - someone who likes and respects something or someone

A secret admirer sent Crystal flowers and a box of chocolates, but she doesn't know who it is.

miserable - very unhappy and unpleasant, with many negative emotions (feelings)

If you're miserable in your job, why don't you quit and find something else to do?

to throw (someone) a bone - to give someone a little bit of help or encouragement; to give someone a small reward

When management increased the hourly rate by $0.25, they were just throwing a bone to make people stop complaining about wanting a raise.

antics - silly, strange, and unusual behavior, usually to get attention from others

Parents have to learn to ignore their children's antics.

certifiable - crazy; insane

Did you see how that woman was talking to the trees? She's certifiable!

to pester - to annoy or bother someone repeatedly

We'll keep pestering the insurance company until we receive the check.

repulsive - very disgusting and unattractive, making one want to be as far away as possible

How can you eat that when it smells so bad? It's repulsive!

laughingstock - someone who is ridiculed and laughed at by many people, usually for having done something foolish or for having been tricked

If I wear those clothes, I'll be the laughingstock of the entire school!

to backfire - for some action or plan to have the opposite results or outcome of what one had intended and hoped for

They thought that praising their son would increase his self-confidence, but their plan backfired and he just became arrogant.

deep down - related to one's secret, inner feelings; how one truly thinks or feels about something, but does not share with other people and may not even be aware of

They've been dating for years, but deep down she isn't even sure if she loves him.