ESL Podcast 1013 - Living With a Hoarder

to get rid of - to give away or throw away; to make it so that one no longer has something

When are you going to get rid of all those baby clothes? Your kids are already teenagers!

inaccessible - not able to be accessed; impossible to reach

The earthquake caused rocks to fall, making the back of the cave inaccessible.

stack - a vertical pile; a large number of items placed on top of each other

Her desk has three stacks: bills, correspondence, and outgoing mail.

pack rat - a person who collects many things and does not like to get rid of anything; a person who keeps almost everything

Dmitry is a pack rat who has all the artwork and school papers he has ever done, dating back to preschool.

to get out of hand - to become uncontrollable; to become too big, challenging, or extreme to handle

We were pleased when Bradley first started exercising, but now he's at the gym up to six hours each day and it's getting out of hand.

surface - the outer, usually flat side of something, such as a tabletop or a shelf

The top surface of the desk has been painted green, but you can still see the original wood on the other side.

to put (one's) hands on - to find and touch something; to grab something

I know my keys are somewhere in my purse, but I can't quite put my hands on them.

to collect - to bring together many of the same or similar items, especially when those items have some value and can be sold

Carmine collects perfume bottles, and her brother collects matchbooks.

perfectly - entirely; completely; a word used for emphasis

That was a perfectly good orange! Why did you throw it away?

hoarding - the practice of keeping too many things so that they begin to fill one's home and create an uncomfortable and/or dangerous environment

The police were shocked by the woman's hoarding, which had filled the entire home with worthless junk.

compulsive - unable to stop doing something, especially as a result of a mental illness

Cleo is a compulsive housekeeper who vacuums and mops at least four times per day.

sterile - very bare, clean, and empty, without any impurities (things that make a thing not pure) or unnecessary objects

At the beginning of the school year, the classroom felt sterile, so the teacher brought in a lot of plants and hung her students' artwork on the walls.

clutter - objects that take up a lot of space and are not stored in an organized way; disorder

The kids' bedroom is filled with clutter. There's toys, books, games, and clothes everywhere.

junk mail - mail that is not requested or wanted, especially advertisements

Usually we recycle the junk mail without even reading it first.

to come in handy - to be useful or helpful

These flashlights and candles will come in handy during a power outage.

to store - to keep something in a place until it is needed in the future

Where do you store flour, sugar, and other ingredients needed for baking cookies, breads, and cakes?