ESL Podcast 929 - Trying to Locate Someone

from time to time - occasionally; sometimes, but not always

Benny stops by a bar after work from time to time to see some of his friends.

hit-and-miss - unpredictable; sometimes true or successful and other times false or unsuccessful

It's hit-and-miss whether the market will have fresh strawberries this time of year.

to pin (someone) down - to force someone to make a decision about something; to understand or describe someone clearly

Manuel tried to pin his boss down about when he will be allowed to take his next vacation.

to be hot on (someone's) trail - to be very close to finding or catching someone or something

The hunter was hot on the deer's trail, but the deer ran off.

to skip town - to leave town without telling anyone, usually leaving behind debts or responsibilities

Carlita's husband skipped town owing a lot of money to her brother.

to go underground - to hide oneself or one's activities; to do something in secret

When the city banned the sale of some animals for meat, most sellers went underground.

elusive - difficult to find or to catch; difficult to achieve

College students sometimes feel that a successful career is elusive when they can't get their first job.

a game of cat and mouse - a situation where a person is being sought and he or she is hiding or doing other things to avoid being found or captured

The thief played a game of cat and mouse with the police for months before she was caught.

to locate - to find where someone or something is; to discover the place where someone or something can be found

If I can't locate my car keys in the next 15 minutes, I'll have to call my work to let them know I'll be late.

to track (someone) down - to chase or pursue someone or something until that person or thing is captured

The reporter tracked down the person responsible for selling secret information.

sixth sense - an intuitive feeling; a feeling about something, even though the reason for having that feeling cannot be explained

Damon has a sixth sense about who is telling the truth and who is lying.

to vanish - to disappear suddenly and completely; to no longer be seen or heard

The magician held up a rabbit and then made it vanish.

to exist - to be real; to be alive

Do you think ghosts really exist?

figment of (one's) imagination - something invented or made up; something one created in one's mind and is not real

Elan thought he saw his dead father walking across the street, but it was just a figment of his imagination.

ultimate goal - the most important goal; the most significant or important thing that one is trying to achieve

My band and I are playing at small clubs and cafes right now, but our ultimate goal is to perform in huge theaters and stadiums.

invisible - cannot be seen; not able to be seen with one's eyes

The writing in the margins of the book is very difficult to see, almost invisible.

a face in the crowd - ordinary or normal, without any special features; difficult to distinguish from others of its kind; unnoticed

Lauren is shy and happy to be a face in the crowd, without getting any special attention.