ESL Podcast 927 - Being Tidy and Messy

beyond (someone) - impossible or someone to understand; too difficult, complex, or foreign for one to comprehend

It's beyond me how you can work two jobs, take care of three kids, and still get enough sleep each night.

roommates - people who live together, sharing a home, but are not related to each other and are not involved in a romantic relationship

Are you still in touch with your college roommate?

tidy - neat and organized, liking order and knowing where everything is because one always puts things back where they belong

Shelby's room is very tidy. Her bed is always made and her books are stacked on the shelf in alphabetical order.

slob - a person who is very messy and disorganized, and does not take the time to clean or put things back where they belong

Hank is such a slob that you can't even see the top of his desk or the floor, because everything is covered with papers and used coffee cups.

to make it work - to have something function well; to manage to make something succeed, especially if it is difficult

It's challenging to have my in-laws stay with us each summer, but somehow we make it work.

messy - disorganized, unordered, and dirty, with many objects out of place

Darci won't let her children go outside to play until they've cleaned up their messy rooms.

rumpled - wrinkled; crumpled; not smooth or polished

Make sure you take the clothes out of the dryer and hang them up right away, or they'll be rumpled.

unkempt - with an uncared-for appearance; looking as if one's appearance is unimportant; not polished or sophisticated in appearance

Why would anyone show up for a job interview looking so unkempt?

cluttered - with many unnecessary objects in a small space so that it appears disorganized and uncomfortable

The kids' small bedroom was very cluttered until they got some bins and baskets to organize the toys and clothing.

common area - an area in a home or another building that is shared by many people, such as a living room or family room, not a bedroom or bathroom

They want to buy a home with small bedrooms and large common areas, because they think that will encourage their teenagers to spend more time with the family.

passable - acceptable and satisfactory, but meeting only the minimal requirements and not very impressive

The students' performance was passable, but it's clear that they could do better if they studied more.

to straighten up - to tidy up; to organize a room by putting things away

I understand that you didn't have time to dust and vacuum, but could you at least straighten up the house before our friends come over?

to pick up after (someone) - to clean up another person's mess, especially putting away that person's things

Do you think a woman's job is to pick up after her husband and children, or should everyone be responsible for putting their own things away?

nitpicky - very picky and demanding, wanting to have things in a very specific way; difficult to please

Adele's piano teacher is nitpicky. Whenever she makes a mistake, he makes her start over from the very beginning of the song.

tolerant - accepting of unpleasant situations and/or things that other people do and say when one does not like them

Even if you don't agree with their beliefs, you need to learn to be more tolerant so that they feel welcome.

recourse - something that offers help or protection in a difficult situation

If the tenants' check bounces, we can charge a $25 fee as recourse.

to fine - to demand that someone pay an amount of money as a punishment for something bad that he or she has done

The library fines people $0.25 per day per book that is overdue.

drastic - extreme; dramatic; having far-reaching consequences

Selling your home just because you don't want to clean it anymore seems a bit drastic.