ESL Podcast 961 - Learning to Dance
to take on - to agree to accept a challenge; to start to do something that is very difficult
Are you sure you can take on another part-time job in addition to everything else you're doing?
to sell (oneself) short - to underestimate one's abilities; to believe that one cannot do something when one actually can
Justin is trying to be humble during interviews, but he's really selling himself short and employers don't realize what a talented manager he is.
to have two left feet - to be a very bad dancer; to be unable to use one's body gracefully or elegantly
Bjorn has always had two left feet on land, but he's a natural swimmer.
uncoordinated - not able to control the movements of one's body in a graceful, purposeful way; not able to move one's arms and legs as one would like to, especially not at the same time
Lionel is a fast runner and has a strong arm, but he's too uncoordinated to be on the basketball team.
sense of rhythm - one's ability to feel the beats (regular strong points) of a song and move one's body or play an instrument in accordance with them
Even as a preschooler, Adele had a great sense of rhythm and would play with her toys as if they were drums whenever she heard music.
cut out for - prepared and qualified to do something; with the qualifications or characteristics needed to do something well
I like the idea of helping people, but I'm not cut out for being a doctor, because I feel sick whenever I see blood.
to get ahead of (oneself) - to make plans or worry about what will happen in the future before one has dealt with what needs to be done right now; to focus on the future more than the present, especially when completing a task
Wendy wants to pick out colors for new carpet and paint, but she's getting ahead of herself, because we still have to save enough money to buy a house.
to loosen up - to relax and become less tense or stiff, especially in one's muscles
A massage, a warm bath, and a glass of wine can help anyone loosen up at the end of a long week.
to sway - to gently and slowly move back and forth
I love the sound of the leaves when tree branches sway in the wind.
to swing (one's) hips - to purposefully move one's hips (the side of one's body above the leg and below one's waist), usually while dancing
When we were in Hawaii, we watched hula dancers who are very good at swinging their hips to make the grass skirts move.
dance step - individual movements with one's feet while dancing; how one is supposed to move one's feet and body while dancing
The dance teacher is teaching the dancers some exciting new dance steps.
dance routine - a memorized series of dance steps used to dance to a particular piece of music as part of a performance; choreography
The elementary school students are learning a dance routine for the holiday performance.
down the line - later; in the future; eventually
Down the line, I'd like to become fluent in Mandarin, but for now, I'd be happy just to be able to say "hello" and "good-bye"!
pipe dream - a plan or dream that is impossible and cannot be achieved
Owning her own salon seems like a pipe dream, but Hanan keeps saving her money.
nonsense - a word used to show that one does not believe what another person has said, and that it has no meaning or logic
Did he really say that? That's nonsense! Don't believe a word of it.
effortless - easy; without trying
Gustavo makes flying an airplane look effortless, but I know he's had a lot of hours of training.
hippo - hippopotamus; a large, hairless animal with a big belly, very short legs, and a big head that spends most of its time in the water, often used to describe people who are not graceful or elegant
Traci has always been slender, but she says she felt like a hippo while she was pregnant with twins.