ESL Podcast 848 - An Unscrupulous Partner
the benefit of - the advantage of; something that can be helpful in some way
Sure, anyone can become successful, but it helps to have the benefit of highly educated parents who make a lot of money.
hindsight - the ability to think about something that has happened in the past and truly understand it, including the advantage and disadvantages and the real reasons why something happened the way it did
In hindsight, Jacques realizes he should never have dropped out of school, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.
trusting - willing to believe what another person says without demanding proof or anything in writing; naive
Raquel is too trusting. She invested $10,000 in her sister's business without even asking to see the business plan or financial statements.
downfall - the reason why something fails; the source of a problem that leads to the end of something
His generosity was his downfall and he died without even $100 in the bank, because he had given away all his money.
to work (one's) butt off - to work very hard, to the point of exhaustion (being very tired)
Evelyn worked her butt off in school and never imagined she would have so much trouble finding a job once she had earned her degree.
to get a business off the ground - to start a business and make it become successful so that it has customers and makes money
How long did it take to get your bakery off the ground?
to turn on (someone) - to suddenly change one's relationship or attitude toward another person so that one becomes aggressive and mean and begins to attack in some way
The dog seemed friendly at first, but then he turned on Heather and bit her on the arm.
to deceive - to lie to someone; to trick someone; to not be honest or truthful
Samuel deceived Shayla into believing that he was madly in love with her, but really he just wanted her money.
partnership agreement - a legal contract describing how two people share the ownership of a business or venture
This partnership agreement shows that Hariyuki has 20% ownership of the business.
verbal agreement - an agreement that was spoken, but was not put into writing and does not have the same legal meaning or importance
We had a verbal agreement that Xanthe would edit the novel, but not present it to publishers.
50-50 - half and half; with one person having 50% of something and another person having the other 50%
Liam believes that a marriage won't work if the husband and wife divide the work 50-50. It has to be more flexible than that.
out of the blue - unexpectedly and very suddenly; without knowing that something was going to happen
It was a warm, sunny day when out of the blue a windstorm blew in.
co- - a prefix used to show that two things are working together or two people are sharing something, usually equally
Do you socialize with your co-workers outside of the office?
sole - single; alone; without anyone else; the only
Are you the sole author of this essay, or did someone help you write it?
to get cheated out of (something) - to be tricked so that one does not get what one deserves or should have
Zach felt that he got cheated out of his inheritance when his father remarried.
unscrupulous - unethical and dishonest, without demonstrating good values; not doing what is right or moral
Clarke isn't very truthful and is the most unscrupulous person I know!
to watch (someone's) back - to protect another person; to look out for hidden dangers that another person might not be aware of
The soldiers quickly learned to watch each other's back.
to look out for (one's) own interests - to do what will have the most benefit for oneself, without caring about how it will affect others
I'm sorry if this decision will create problems for you, but I have to start looking out for my own interests.
to stab (one) in the back - to do something that tricks, deceives, and harms or hurts another person, especially in a surprising, unexpected way
When Pierre starting dating his brother's ex-girlfriend, his brother accused him of having stabbed him in the back.