ESL Podcast 931 - Solving a Mystery
mystery - something that is difficult to understand or determine, especially when trying to determine who committed a crime
Even now, 20 years after the murder, the identity of the murderer is still a mystery.
whodunit - a story or movie about a murder that keeps the readers or audience wondering who the murderer is until the very end
This is such a great whodunit! I was so surprised to find out which character was the murderer at the end of the book.
clue - a small piece of information that can be used with other pieces of information to determine how or why something happened or who did it
This trail of cookie crumbs is a good clue for finding out who ate all the cookies I baked!
detective - a person whose job is to investigate crimes and determine who committed them, often as part of a police force
Detectives today use science to help them identify criminals.
hunch - a guess; a strong feeling that something is a certain way, even though one does not have evidence and does not know for sure
I have a hunch that they'll offer the job to you.
lead - clue; information that seems likely to help one find out what happened in a crime, especially if that information is provided by someone else
Hundreds of people have been calling the police station to provide leads for the investigation.
red herring - distraction; something that diverts attention from what it should be focused on, especially something that causes readers or viewers to incorrectly believe that a certain person committed the crime
The fact that Cynthia had stolen Erika's boyfriend years ago was just a red herring, not really a motivation for murder, but the reader doesn't realize that until the end of the film.
alibi - a person or thing that can prove that one was somewhere else, not where the crime happened, at the time that the crime happened
Shane says he was having dinner with his aunt at the time of the murder, so he's using her as his alibi.
witness - a person who saw a crime happen and can talk about it during the investigation and/or in a courtroom
How many people were witnesses to the shooting?
victim - the person who is hurt or killed by an action; the person against whom a crime is performed
Yolanda was the victim of a hit-and-run accident, but fortunately, she didn't have any major injuries.
suspect - a person whom investigators believe may have committed a crime, but without any proof
For now, the police are treating everyone in the building as a suspect.
to have skeletons in (one's) closet - to have secrets about what one has done in the past, especially when those secrets are shameful, embarrassing, or bad, and one is doing everything possible to prevent other people from finding out
People who apply to work for the FBI or the CIA have to go through an extensive interview process that tries to find out whether they have skeletons in their closet.
to get to the bottom of (something) - to fully understand something and identify the true cause or reason for it
Nobody is sure why sales are falling, but we're going to get to the bottom of it.
the rug gets pulled out from under (one) - for one's support to be removed suddenly and unexpectedly so that one no longer has anything to hold onto or any idea to follow
Paulina was a skiing champion preparing for the Winter Olympics, but the rug got pulled out from under her when she broke her ankle.
to keep (someone) guessing - to make someone feel anticipation and suspense, making them continue to wonder about something and not telling him or her the answer
Viktor says he has an exciting announcement to make, but he won't do it until the whole family it together, so he's keeping us guessing.
sensory overload - the feeling of being a little bit overwhelmed and/or anxious because one is receiving too much stimulation at one time, especially a combination of loud noises, bright lights, and bright colors
Going to an amusement park can be a lot of fun for older children, but it can cause sensory overload for very young children.