ESL Podcast 933 - Letting Go of the Past

it's time - a phrase used to mean that something must be done now or immediately, not delayed

Put your shoes on and let's go. It's time.

to beg to differ - a formal, old-fashioned phrase used to show that one disagrees with another person

A: This is the worst movie I've ever seen! B: I beg to differ. Do you remember the one we saw last year that was so bad we walked out of the theater before it had ended?

to live in the past - to spend most or all of one's time thinking about what has happened before, almost ignoring or not caring about what is happening now or what might happen in the future

I bet Francine would be a great historian, because she always seems to be living in the past.

to relive - to experience something again, or to think about something so much that it seems as if one were experiencing it again

How can a married couple relive the days when they were just falling in love?

glory days - the best days of one's life; a time in the past when thing were very good, commonly thought to have been better than things are now

Everyone wishes they could return to the glory days before the economic downturn, when everyone had a job and everyone could afford to buy a house.

to move on - to stop thinking about something that happened in the past and begin living one's life normally again

Lauralee and Gerald broke up more than six months ago. Don't you think it's time for her to move on instead of crying about him all the time?

to let go of the past - to stop thinking about something that happened in the past and begin living one's life normally again, being interested in what is happening now and in what might happen in the future, and no longer feeling resentment or guilt about what happened in the past

Jake was a champion skier before the car accident, so he's having a hard time letting go of the past and accepting the fact that he might never be able to ski again.

to cling - to hold tightly to something and not let go

The little girl was clinging to her doll and appeared very frightened.

the best days are still to come - a phrase used to show that life will get better and one has things to look forward to

They've been married for 50 years, but they believe that the best days are still to come.

to hark back to - to refer to something that happened in the past

Wow, this music really harks back to the 1930s, doesn't it?

days gone by - the past; a time or time period that has already passed

In days gone by, most children walked to school instead of taking a bus.

to live in the moment - to live in the present; to fully think about and focus on what is happening now, not paying attention to what has happened in the past or what might happen in the future

Fiona lives in the moment and always seems to have a lot of fun, but I worry that she isn't planning for her retirement.

memory - something that one remembers from one's past

One of my favorite memories is making cookies with Aunt Teresa.

to comfort - to make someone feel calmer, more relaxed, and content, especially when that person was upset or sad

Julianna seems so upset about the death of her cat. What can we do to comfort her?

trophy - an object given to the winner of an event or competition, usually made of wood or metal with a tall stand and a cup or a decorative figure on top

Ana received a trophy for winning second prize in the science fair competition.

jersey - a shirt worn by a member of a sports team, with colors and words that identify which team the player is on, and with a number that identifies which player wears that shirt

Which player is wearing jersey 17?

highlight - the best or most important part of something

The keynote speaker was one of the highlights of the conference.

single-handedly - alone, without help from anyone else

When Trenton was hired as the new CFO, he single-handedly turned the company around and helped us start making a profit again.