ESL Podcast 967 - Feeling Embarrassed
to embarrass (someone) - to make someone feel uncomfortable and self- conscious
Dad, please don't hug me in public. It embarrasses me!
the life of the party - a person who is very entertaining and fun to be around; the most exciting and interesting person at an event
Trenton always tries to be the life of the party, but most people just find him to be annoying.
humiliating - extremely embarrassing; making one feel ashamed in front of other people
Jaycee's boyfriend broke up with her in front of a big group of friends. It was humiliating for her!
to cringe - to have a negative feeling of embarrassment when someone does something unpleasant or difficult to watch
His dancing was so bad that everyone in the audience was cringing.
awkward silence - a period of time when nobody is speaking, because nobody can think of anything appropriate to say, but everyone would like someone else to say something because it is uncomfortable to be silent in the situation
Winston asked Bethany to marry him in front of a large group of family and friends, so when she said "no," there was a very awkward silence.
to laugh (one's) head off - to laugh very loudly and uncontrollably for a long period of time because something is very funny
The kids are laughing their heads off. What TV show are they watching?
sense of humor - the ability to perceive (understand) what makes things funny, laughing at other people's jokes and telling jokes to make other people laugh
Edgar has a great sense of humor and is always able to see the funny side of even the most serious situations.
to humor (someone) - to do or say something to make another person happy; to do what another person wants one to do so that he or she does not get upset; to pretend to agree with someone
I know you don't enjoy going having dinner with my friends, but please humor me and pretend you're having a good time.
to put a good face on - to pretend to be happy or satisfied with something; to focus on the positive side of something that is mostly or entirely negative
Kimi is trying to put a good face on her husband's job loss by saying that now he'll have more time to spend with the kids, but she's really very worried about their loss of income.
impromptu - spontaneous; without previous planning
The speaker is stuck in traffic. Could you please make an impromptu presentation while we wait for her to arrive?
wallflower - a person who is very shy and spends time on the edge of a group of people because he or she does not want to interact with others or does not know how to, especially at a dance
Josie was such a wildflower when we were in high school, but now, 10 years later, she's the center of attention!
to not be able to take a joke - to treat everything very seriously and not be able to recognize the humor in a situation, especially when one is being laughed at by others
Oh, don't be mad. It was supposed to be funny! We didn't realize you can't take a joke.
exuberant - with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement; without limits, restrictions, or hesitation
As soon as the presenter announced the award recipient, the audience became exuberant.
to disappoint - to make someone feel sad by not meeting his or her expectations; to perform or occur at a level that is lower than what people were expecting or hoping for
Were you disappointed when your daughter decided to become a teacher instead of a doctor?
not a chance - no way; a phrase used to show that there is no possibility of something happening
Do you really think a bank will give you a loan when you're unemployed? Not a chance!