ESL Podcast 998 - Meeting a New Neighbor

neighbor - a person who lives nearby, usually on the same street or within a few blocks

How often do you borrow tools from the neighbors?

to settle in - to begin to feel comfortable in a new place and familiar in a new area

We just have to unpack a few more boxes and hang a few paintings, and then we should be settled into the new home.

the scoop - inside information; information that is not available to everyone, but is available only to people who are involved in a particular group or activity

What's the scoop on Professor Maser's exams? Are they really difficult?

to take a rain check - to not accept an offer at this time, but make arrangements so that the offer will be available in the future when one might be more interested in it

A: Do you want to go to the movies tonight? B: Can I take a rain check? I'm really tired and have a ton of studying to do.

joiner - a person who likes to participate in group activities and be involved with other people

Mariah has always been a joiner. She must be involved in at least five clubs and be a member of several sports teams.

to keep to (oneself) - to be a private person who enjoys spending time alone, not participating in activities with others and not sharing personal information

Ed tends to keep to himself at work, so none of his coworkers know much about him or his family.

to appoint (oneself) - to accept a particular role or a set of responsibilities even though one has not been asked to do so

Those cookies smell delicious! I'm going to appoint myself the official taste- tester.

social secretary - a person whose job is to manage someone's social appointments and meetings in order to maintain important relationships and build a network

Nancy always remembers her friends' birthdays and anniversaries. It's almost as though she has a social secretary to help her.

resident - a person who lives in a particular building, community, or city

The mayor should represent the interests of all residents in the city.

to be inundated - to be flooded by; to have a lot of something, too much to manage or handle

After the news story profiling our business, we were inundated by requests for product samples.

to sort (something) out - to review and organize a large amount of something, categorizing them in some way and possibly deciding which ones must be dealt with and which ones can be discarded

How are we supposed to sort out thousands of job applications for just one position?

to fend off - to protect or defend oneself against someone or something, especially if it is very aggressive

Brett is such a handsome young man! In a few years, he'll have to fend off women.

to turn down - to reject; to say "no" to something; to not accept or have something that has been offered

Everyone was surprised when Jacques turned down the job offer.

reputation - how one is perceived by others, especially by those who do not know one directly

Hal has a reputation for being a wise, ethical leader.

recluse - hermit; a person who spends most of his or her time alone and does not want to be with other people

Has Ulysses always been such a recluse, or is his recent withdrawal a sign of depression?

busybody - a gossip; a person who is overly interested in other people's personal life and wants to have information that does not really affect him or her

Meghan is such a busybody! At work, she spends more time gossiping about other people than she does doing her job.

some people - a phrase used to show shock and possibly frustration due to another person's behavior, often used humorously

Did you see what he just did? Some people!