ESL Podcast 889 - Taking Up a New Hobby
to commiserate - to sympathize or empathize; to feel pity for someone; to spend time talking with someone about his or her experience of sadness or problems
We all commiserated with Janet for a few weeks after her breakup, but now we're tired of hearing about it.
retirement - the period of time in one's life when one is older and no longer works, having saved enough money from working earlier in life
Gregorio dreams of traveling to all the national parks during his retirement.
to drive (someone) up the wall - to make someone feel crazy; to be very annoying to another person
This kids are making so much noise, they're driving me up the wall! I can't wait until they fall asleep tonight!
to putter around - to spend time doing unimportant things without a purpose, especially when one is bored and is looking for something interesting to do
When Edgar wants to have some time alone, he putters around in the barn.
to take up - to begin doing some activity for the first time
How old were you when you took up playing the violin?
hobby - an activity that one does for fun; an activity that one finds interesting and pleasurable
Hannah's hobbies include cooking, reading, swimming, and photography.
to occupy (one's) time - to keep one busy; to give someone something to do in his or her free time
Sheila's children occupy most of her time. gardening making plants grow in the area around one's home, especially vegetables or flowers
Wendy really enjoys gardening, so she has several varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers in her back yard.
woodworking - building things out of wood; carpentry
We're looking for someone who can build a custom table for our dining room. Do you know any experts in woodworking?
scrapbooking - creating informal books with many photos and memorabilia (small objects or papers that help one remember things) that are pleasant to look at and help one remember important events in life
Lauren enjoys scrapbooking and often makes beautiful books about her family's vacations.
sedentary - without much or any physical activity; not active; sitting still
Doctors warn that a sedentary lifestyle can lead to diabetes and heart problems.
bird watching - looking at wild birds and identifying what kind they are
They live in an area that is great for bird watching, because their home is next to a river with many trees.
golf - an outdoor game that involves hitting a small white ball with metal and wooden clubs (sticks) into small holes that are far away
Did you play a 9- or 18-hole round of golf?
chess - a board game played by two players on a black-and-white checkered surface where they are trying to trap the other player's most important piece, the king
Chess is a game of strategy and concentration, not luck.
genealogy - the study of one's family and ancestors; the study of who one's parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and older relatives were
Arleta became very interested in genealogy and was able to determine that her great-great-great-great grandfather came from a small village in Italy.
musical instrument - a tool or device that makes sound for music
Olivia never learned to play a musical instrument, but her brother plays the trombone and her sister plays the trumpet.
to find (one's) footing - to know what one wants and feel comfortable in one's situation or circumstances
After moving out of his parents' home, it took Greg a few months to find his footing in a new city.
newfound - recently obtained
What's the source of Christian's newfound confidence?