ESL Podcast 865 - Believing in Predictions
astrologer - a person who studies the movements of the planets and stars to understand people and/or predict the future and provide advice
Heather's astrologer explained that 2014 would be a difficult year for her professionally, given the location of Mars and Saturn.
to consult - to speak with someone to ask for and receive advice or guidance
Let's consult with the engineering team before we continue working on these designs.
nonsense - something that does not make any sense; something that is illogical or irrational; something that is silly and cannot be taken seriously
Many self-help books are nonsense, but some have good advice.
prediction - a statement about what will happen in the future, or what one believes will happen in the future, when it is impossible to know for sure
A lot of people made predictions about who would win the presidential election, but many of them were wrong.
in the stars - fated; related to one's destiny; something that is meant to happen in the future and cannot be changed by one's actions or decisions
When Justin met Charlene, he knew that she would become his wife. To him, it felt like it was written in the stars.
charlatan - someone who pretends to be very intelligent or skillful and claims to be able to do something, but actually is not and cannot
That doctor is a charlatan! His diagnosis was completely wrong and I doubt he even went to medical school!
phony - fake; not real or true; false
Did Lyle really propose to his girlfriend with a phony diamond ring?
to make (something) all up - to say something as if it is true, when one really does not have any proof and has thought of it oneself, without any supporting facts
Do you think people have really seen aliens, or are they just making it all up?
horoscope - a written description of one's personality, what will happen to someone on a particular day, and how one should react, based on one's birthday and the position of the stars and planets
According to my horoscope, today is a good day to make major decisions.
sign - zodiac; one of 12 parts of the area where the stars and planets travel, each associated with a name and a symbol, and with certain characteristics
Richard was born on June 15, so his sign is Gemini.
reading - the act of having one person predict another person's future based on looking at that person's palm (the inside of one's hand), tea leaves, "tarot cards" (playing cards used to predict the future), and more
When Miriam was having trouble deciding whether she wanted to move to a new city, she decided to have a reading.
invaluable - extremely valuable; impossible to put a price on something because it is worth so much
A good letter of recommendation from a former professor is invaluable when you're applying to law school.
to be taken in - to be tricked or fooled; for someone to somehow lie to another person, usually in order to make money
Hundreds of people were taken in by the email fraud that provided their credit card information to thieves.
con artist - a person who tricks other people to get money from them
Edgar dated a woman who disappeared one day with his most valuable possessions and later he found out that she was a con artist.
to style (oneself) - to present oneself a certain way; to pretend that one is something one is not
Kristoff styles himself as an experienced businessman, but the truth is that he has very little professional experience.
mystic - a person who is very spiritual and seems to have a close relationship with God or supernatural powers and is closer to the truth than most other people
Dio is a mystic, and many people ask him for guidance on spiritual matters.
smoke and mirrors - a phrase used to describe a situation where what appears to happen is not what actually happens, and one has been deceived, tricked, or lied to, much like what happens when a magician performs
Our competitors used a lot of smoke and mirrors to convince Acme Company to work with them, but Acme will soon realize that they made the wrong decision.
to shake - to make another person doubt or question his or her beliefs; to make a person less certain about something
When your father died, did it shake your religious beliefs, or strengthen them?