my American friend

MARTA : This episode is about WORK ! CINDY : …really? Why don’t we talk about high-heeled shoes? or food? or music? Let’s have some fun! Are we really going to talk about work?? M: well, I know some people who are currently looking for a job abroad, they might need our help! Let me say “Hi” to Letizia, Laura and Elda! C : Ciao Letizia! Ciao Laura! Ciao Elda! Good luck ladies! All right, let’s talk about work. Why don’t we start with a job interview, then? M : a JOB INTERVIEW. Ok, let’s imagine that I’ve applied for a job in a company that you own. C: OK, so, you’re looking for a job, you are the APPLICANT. M: Yes, I’m the applicant. I applied for the job because I’m UNEMPLOYED, I’m OUT OF WORK now. C: and I run a small business, I’m the EMPLOYER, I’m looking for someone to EMPLOY, to HIRE. I called you for a job interview because I received your RESUME or I could also say your CV. M : yes, CV, from the Latin “Curriculum Vitae”. C : All right, are you ready Marta? M : Yes, I’m a little nervous ? C : (Sound of a door opening) Ms. Innocenti? M : Yes, that’s me. Good morning! C : Good morning, I’m The Boss Lady, the owner of this company. It’s nice to meet you. M : Nice to meet you too. C : Please come this way (footsteps). Have a seat please. M : Thank you. C : According to your resume, you’ve worked in the Sales Department of a large company for quite a long time. M : Yes, I have many years of experience. C : Good. Our company’s goal is to expand our sales in the European and American markets, the new employee will have to help our Sales Manager take care of our customers in Europe and in the US. The position requires you to travel once a month. Would that be an issue for you? M : No, of course not. So, is this a full-time job? C : Absolutely. You will be required to work OVERTIME as well, for example, when we take part in international exhibitions. M : I realize exhibitions are a very important part of this job. That’s when you get to meet many potential customers. It’s worth working overtime. C : Good. I can see that you speak English quite fluently, can you speak any other languages? M : I’ve studied Spanish, French and some German too. C : Excellent. I’ll get in contact with you again next week and we’ll set up a second interview. If you’re chosen for this job, you’ll be paid the going rate plus benefits. M : May I ask which BENEFITS you provide? C : You will be granted full health insurance and a pension plan. M : That’s good. C : I’ll get in contact with you next week. Thank you for coming, Ms Innocenti. M : Thank you very much. I look forward to hearing from you. C : Have a nice day! C : well, Marta, I might have decided to hire you…too bad you’re so busy doing music right now! M : yeah, I’m sorry, I don’t think I can take care of your customers now, I’m working on my new record and planning my next trip to Nashville, Tennessee! C : I know, it’s a pity you’re busy, I will have to find another person to hire, to PROMOTE, to give a BONUS to, to shower in money… M : hey, hang on a sec… you’re talking about giving a PROMOTION, giving a BONUS? Well…maybe I could consider working for you in the end… C : ? even if you have to work overtime? Work DOUBLE SHIFTS? Work the GRAVEYARD SHIFT? M : the graveyard shift??! C : yes, that’s an informal way to say the “night shift” M : graveyard shift… mmm… no, sorry, I’m going back to writing songs and playing concerts in Nashville, I’m afraid. ? C : I haven’t even hired you yet and you’re already complaining because you want some TIME OFF ? you’re not a WORKAHOLIC, are you? M : ugh! Com’on, you haven’t even hired me yet and you’re already asking me to work double shifts! You’re a demanding boss! C : so, what else? Do you expect me to grant you MATERNITY LEAVE because you’re about to give birth to a new album? M : a maternity leave not for a child but for a record, that’s a good idea! ? C : I was kidding, Marta. No maternity leave. M : I’ll have to RESIGN then. Ok, here’s my TWO WEEK NOTICE. C : no way, I’m not letting you HAND IN YOUR NOTICE. I’m FIRING you. M : this is great, I was SACKED by someone who didn’t even hire me. ? C : that might be a good subject for one of your new songs! M : Yeah! Well, everybody thank you for listening to this episode! Hey, don’t forget to visit our website at www.myamericanfriendblog.com where you can read the transcript and the work-related expressions we’ve used, like: C : to APPLY for a job, to HIRE, to FIRE, RESUME, to be OUT OF WORK, BENEFITS, BONUS, PROMOTION, to work OVERTIME, the GOING RATE, to work DOUBLE SHIFTS, the GRAVEYARD SHIFT, WORKAHOLIC, MATERNITY LEAVE, to RESIGN, to HAND IN ONE’S NOTICE, to be SACKED, etc. Thank you again for your support. Keep listening to our podcast on iTunes or on Podomatic. M : Also stop by our Facebook page and say “hi”! Follow us on Twitter and browse our videos on Youtube. Thank you! Bye! ************************************************************** VOCABULARY about WORK: 1.) To "apply for a job"- to ask, to interview for, to sign up for employment EXAMPLE: I would like to apply for the job of salesperson. I have 10 years sales experience. 2.) To hire- to employ, give a job to. EXAMPLE: My supervisor hired 3 new employees for our sales department last week. This will help ease the workload for rest of the department. 3.) to fire- to terminate employment. EXAMPLE: My sister was fired from her job for making too many personal phonecalls during company time. Now she's looking for a new job. 4.) Resume or CV- a printed list of your education & work experience given to potential employers. EXAMPLE: My mother has a very impressive & long resume (cv). She has many years of managerial experience, there are many firms that would be happy to hire her. 5.) to be out of work- unemployed EXAMPLE: My brother has been out of work for 6 months. It's been difficult for him to find a new job in our town. Many firms have closed and moved overseas. 6.) Work benefits- non-wage compensation provided to employees in addition to their normal wages or salaries for example: health insurance, paid vacation, life insurance, pensions..etc.. 7.) Bonus- extra money, in addition to normal salary, usually given at the end of the year. EXAMPLE: Every year, each employee in my department is given a $200 Christmas bonus. 8.) Promotion- a higher position, usually involving more money and more responsibility. EXAMPLE: My father was given a job promotion last week. I'm happy for him. He is now supervisor of his entire department and he will receive a $5000 pay raise and 2 weeks paid vacation every year. 9.) to work "overtime"- to work extra hours EXAMPLE: The entire department has been working overtime for the last month. We're working hard to finish several projects before the end of this month. 10.) the "going rate"- the average wage paid to employees for a job. EXAMPLE: The going rate for a housekeeper is 10 dollars per hour. 11.) to work double-shifts: to work two shifts in one day, to work double the hours you would normally work. My husband and I have been working double shifts all year. We're exhausted, but we're trying very hard to save money because we want to buy a house next year. 12.) to work the graveyard shift- to work the night shift. I enjoy working the graveyard shift at my job. It's quiet and the company pays me an extra 5 dollars per hour in addition to my normal wage. 13.) a workaholic- someone who works a lot and rarely takes a vacation. EXAMPLE: My husband is a workaholic. He works 7 days a week & never takes a day off to rest. 14.) Maternity leave- time off (usually paid) from work to give birth to a baby. EXAMPLE: Unfortunately, my sister's job does not offer paid maternity leave. This means she will not receive a paycheck during the time she is at home with her new baby. She & her husband will use money from their savings to help pay the bills while she's at home. 15.) to resign from your job- to quit your job 16.) to "hand in one's notice": to give written confirmation of your resignation. EXAMPLE: I've been offered a new job overseas, so I've decided to hand in my notice and begin an exciting new life in another country. 17.) to be "sacked" from your job- to be fired from your job. Termination of employment. EXAMPLE: Our department manager sacked 15 employees for stealing money from the company.

Marta: Today we’re talking about to catch. Marta: Cindy, hurry up! Get in here! We haven’t recorded in a long time and we’ve got a lot to catch up on! Cindy: True. It’s been a while. We have a lot to catch up on. That means we have a lot to talk about, to become up-to-date on current events. Marta: or for example: to catch up on work projects… Cindy: …and to catch up on gossip! (laughs) Marta: Exactly! (laughs) Cindy: BUT there will be no catching up without a cup of coffee first! Marta: Good idea. Cindy: I’ll get the coffee and I’ll be right back…(footsteps) Marta: (humming a song) Cindy: Here’s your coffee. Hey, what’s that song you’re humming? Is that from your new album? I love it! It’s really catchy! Marta: Yeah, it’s called “Back in the Saddle” and yes, it will be on the new album. What do you mean by ‘’really catchy’’? Cindy: That means it’s instantly likeable! It makes me want to sing along with you! It’s a catchy tune. Marta: Well, thank you. I’m very excited about this album. Just please don’t start singing Cindy, because you’ll break the microphone & we still have an entire podcast to record! Cindy: It’s absolutely true. So, let’s catch up. What’s new in your life? Marta: Well, I’ve been to “Music City” USA… Nashville, Tennessee baby!! Cindy: That must have been amazing! Did you catch some great performances? That means ‘’did you see some great performances?’’ Marta: Actually, we didn’t catch anyone because we were so busy PLAYING (music)! Cindy: I’m glad you had the chance to play Nashville. You deserve it. I bet you can’t wait to catch the next plane back to Tennessee? Marta: And I’m happy to say that this April I will be on the next plane back to Tennessee! Cindy: That’s wonderful! Oh, and that reminds me I want to catch the 5 o’clock train back to Bologna tonight. Marta: Are you going to catch up with your husband after work? Cindy: First, I want to do a little Christmas shopping. I’ll catch up with my husband for dinner later on. Marta: It’s very cold & rainy tonight. Dress warmly or you’ll catch a terrible cold! Cindy: Oh I know! I caught a cold last week. It was awful! Marta: Uh Cindy, take your microphone and go stand over there. I don’t want to catch your germs. (sound of disinfectant spraying) Cindy: Wait! What are you doing? I’m not sick anymore! Stop spraying me with disinfectant! Marta: Keep your germs on that side of the room! Cindy: Don’t worry, it’s not catchy. My cold is long gone and I’m no longer contagious. You’re safe! (laughs) Marta: Ok, but one single cough and you can catch the early train back to Bologna! (sprays disinfectant) Cindy: Stop it! Oh, look outside! The weather is getting worse! (sound of rain) I may have to catch the early train if I want to get some shopping done tonight. (thunder & lightning) Marta: Why do you need to go shopping tonight? (thunder) Go tomorrow, maybe it will be sunny? Cindy: No, I REALLY need to catch that 5 o’clock tonight. Marta: Are you buying more shoes? Cindy: (silence) Marta: I knew it. Cindy: Ok, Ok, listen to me! Huge clearance sale. Leather boots. Name brands. Everything in the store- 75% off the original price. Marta: We need to catch that early train! Cindy: Thanks for listening everybody! Catch up with us later on our Facebook Page or come visit our blog at www.myamericanfriendblog.com. Previous episodes of ‘’my American friend Podcast’’ are available for download on Podomatic & iTunes. Marta: Come follow us on Twitter and browse our videos on Youtube. Cindy: Marta & I want to wish all of you a happy & healthy holiday season. Thank you for all your support & kind words. Best wishes from our families to yours. Thank you for listening everyone. Marta & Cindy: bye bye _____________________________________________________________ VOCABULARY: 1. To have a lot to catch up on- to have a lot to talk about, to have many work projects to finish. EXAMPLE: The company meeting will be longer than usual because we have a lot to catch up on today. EXAMPLE: I haven't spoken with my friend Susan in three months. We have a lot of gossip to catch up on. Susan has a new boyfriend and a new job. We're planning to have dinner next week so she can tell me everything! 2. A catchy song, a catchy melody- a song that is instantly likeable. A song that makes you want to dance or sing along the first time you hear it. EXAMPLE: That new One Direction song is so catchy! I can't get it out of my head. I found myself singing it in the shower and again while driving to work. 3. Let's catch up- let's talk about what's new in our lives. EXAMPLE: I haven't seen you in 3 months! Let's catch up, tell me everything that's going on in your life. I heard that you've broken up with your boyfriend?? Tell me what happened! 4. Did you catch a show/a movie?- Did you see a show/a movie? EXAMPLE: Did you catch the new Jennifer Lawrence movie yet? Is it good? We're going to see it next week. 5. To catch the next train- to get on the next train. EXAMPLE: Today is my mother's birthday. We're taking her out for dinner at 7:30pm. I must catch the next train home or I'll miss her birthday dinner. 6. Catch up with you later- See you or talk to you later. EXAMPLE: I'm driving right now so I can't talk to you. I'll catch up with you later, okay? I'll call you when I get home, around 6 o'clock? 7. To catch a cold- to contract a cold. EXAMPLE: It's cold & rainy outside. Dress warmly tonight or you'll catch a terrible cold! 8. To catch germs- to contract germs, to become infected with. EXAMPLE: I don't want to catch your germs! Cover your mouth when you cough! 9. It's not catchy- it's not contagious. EXAMPLE: My head cold is over, I was sick two weeks ago. Don't worry, it's not catchy. You won't get sick from me. I've recovered completely. 10. Catch up with us later- come see us later, talk to us later EXAMPLE: We're meeting up for a pizza at 7pm. I know that you're working late tonight, but try to catch up with us later at the pub. A bunch of us are going & everyone would love to see you! It will be a lot of fun!

M : This episode is about MONEY ! M : First of all : Money is UNCOUNTABLE. C : Exactly- because I have none. I can’t count what I don’t have! M: That’s not what I meant! C: Alright, MONEY is UNCOUNTABLE. We can’t say one money, two moneys…, we can count Dollars, one Dollar, two Dollars…or Euros: one Euro, two Euros… but money is an abstract notion and it’s an uncountable noun. That’s why we say: money IS, not money are. M : Now let’s talk about CASH money, for example, here’s my wallet. C: You have money in your wallet?? M: A bit. C: I have spider webs in mine. Ok, Marta, that’s paper money. BILLS. We call them bills. For example: a 10 dollar bill or a 20 Euro bill. Ok. That’s metal currency instead. We call those small metal pieces COINS. M : Ok, bills and coins. The one dollar bill can be called a BUCK, right? C : yes, that’s why we can say “bucks” whenever we mean dollars. It’s informal but for example.. “Marta, I’m running out of cash, could you lend me 10 bucks please?” M : Sure! 10 bucks for you Cindy, here you are. C : Can you lend me a BENJAMIN ? M : …a Benjamin? C : that’s a nickname for the $100 bill, because Benjamin Franklin is pictured on the bill. M : ok, so if you mention “Benjamins” you are referring to hundred dollar bills. And the answer to your question is: no, I’m not giving you a Benjamin, sorry. C : alright, I was just kidding. Now let’s talk about coins. They have nicknames too. A 1 cent coin is a PENNY. A 5 cent coin is a NICKEL, a 10 cent coin is a DIME and a 25 cent coin is a QUARTER. M : Right. 1 cent Penny, 5 cent Nickel, 10 cent Dime, 25 cent Quarter. C : For example, imagine I’m a poor person approaching you at the station. I would say: “Madam, can you spare a dime please?” M : ….a dime… 10 cents. Yes, sure! C : Madam can you spare a Benjamin please? ? M : yes,…hmmm…wait a minute….a Benjamin is a hundred dollar bill… I’m afraid that’s a little too much ! Nice try, though! ? C : I tried! Talking about coins, sometimes we toss a coin to make a decision in a neutral way. That’s what happens in sports, for example, the referee tosses a coin at the beginning of a match to see which team is going to start first. M : Ok, let’s toss a coin to decide who is going to talk about idioms regarding money. C : Heads or tails, Marta? That means the face, the head, of the coin or the other side of the coin? Heads or tails? M : hmmm…heads. C : Ok, tails for me. Let’s see. Tails. M : Ok, you won. So go ahead, give us an idiom about money. C : All right. I know 3 idioms about money mentioning body parts. TO COST AN ARM AND A LEG. That means to cost a lot! For example: My new laptop computer cost me an arm & a leg. M : To cost an arm and a leg. Ok. C : Another one is: TO HAVE AN ITCHY PALM. That means to ask for tips. For example: That valet has an itchy palm. His hand is always out, asking for money. M : To have an itchy palm, got it. C : Third one: TO HAVE STICKY FINGERS, to be a thief. For example: The new shop assistant has sticky fingers and many items in the store have disappeared. They’ve stolen many items from the shop. The shop assistant has “sticky fingers”. M : to have sticky fingers… hmmm… C : Marta? … hey… a penny for your thoughts. M : …oh, yes, the Rolling Stones, that’s where I heard Sticky Fingers before. Now I remember. C : yes, you’re right. M : by the way, what did you mean when you told me “A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS” ? C : that’s another idiom. It’s a nice way of asking someone what they are thinking. Penny for your thoughts, what are you thinking about? M : a penny for your thoughts. Nice one. I like it. C : ok, Marta, let’s move on, we have to hurry up. C’mon, TIME IS MONEY. M : yeah, that’s another idiom I’ve heard many times, time is money. C : Time is valuable, so don’t waste it. Time is money. M : Another idiom I’ve heard is MONEY DOESN’T GROW ON TREES. C : yeah, it doesn’t, so be careful, do not spend your money like there’s no tomorrow, because you only have a limited amount of money. Money doesn’t grow on trees. If you’re not careful, you can end up BROKE. You can GO BROKE. M : That means to lose all of your money. To become bankrupt. To go broke. C : Exactly. When you have no money left you are DOWN-AND-OUT. M : that reminds me of a song… “Nobody knows you when you’re down-and-out”. Eric Clapton’s acoustic version is just wonderful. C : it’s sad but true, when you’re down-and-out -when you have no money left- only a few good friends stick around to help you, the other people kind of disappear. On the contrary, if you have a lot of money you have the power and the influence to get things done. That’s what we mean when we say MONEY TALKS. Wealth helps to get one’s own way. M : Money talks. C : Marta, how do you feel about money? M : well, as long as I earn enough money to live I’m ok. C: you mean: TO MAKE A LIVING. We all have to work hard to make a living nowadays, because the cost of living is getting higher and higher. Sometimes it’s hard to MAKE ENDS MEET. M : to MAKE ENDS MEET ? C : yeah, to pay for your monthly expenses, the rent, the telephone bill, pet food and so on. Well, I hope our listeners are not struggling to make ends meet, I hope they have enough money to make a living and make their dreams come true. M : Yeah, everybody thank you for listening to this episode! Hey, don’t forget to visit our website at www.myamericanfriendblog.com where you can read the transcript and the money-related expressions we’ve used, like: C : BILLS, COINS, BUCKS, BENJAMINS, PENNY, NICKEL, DIME, QUARTER, HEADS OR TAILS, TO COST AN ARM AND A LEG, TO HAVE AN ITCHY PALM, TO HAVE STICKY FINGERS, A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, TIME IS MONEY, MONEY DOESN’T GROW ON TREES, TO GO BROKE, TO BE DOWN-AND-OUT, MONEY TALKS, TO MAKE A LIVING, TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE. M : Thank you again for your support. Keep listening to our podcast on iTunes or on Podomatic. C : Also stop by our Facebook page and say “hi”! Or follow us on Twitter, or browse our videos on Youtube. Thanks for listening everyone! Now, Marta, let’s go and have lunch. M : Ok, let’s go, I’m buying. C : No, you don’t need to. Let’s go Dutch. Let’s share the cost of the meal. Let’s go Dutch. M : No, really, I’m buying. I have a Benjamin. C : you have $100 ? Did you break your piggy bank or something?? Ok, “Miss Moneybags” then you can pay for dinner too! M : uh! C’mon, let’s go. Bye everybody, see you soon! ************************************************************** VOCABULARY: 1. BILLS- paper money EXAMPLE: He kept a stack of $100 bills in his bank vault. 2. COINS- metal money. EXAMPLE: Do you have any coins for the parking meter? It doesn’t take paper money, only coins. 3. BUCKS- informal word for dollars. EXAMPLE: John is making big bucks in his new job! He’s bought himself a new car and a whole new wardrobe with his new salary. 4. BENJAMINS- slang word meaning hundred dollar bills. EXAMPLE: He walked into the club with a stack of benjamins and paid for everyone’s drinks. 5. PENNY- 1 Cent coin. 6. NICKEL- 5 Cent coin 7. DIME- 10 Cent coin 8. QUARTER- 25 Cent coin 9. HEADS OR TAILS?- a neutral way to make a decision, leaving the decision to be decided by the toss of a coin. 10. TO COST AN ARM AND LEG- expensive. EXAMPLE: My high credit card bills are costing me an arm and a leg every month. 11. TO HAVE AN ITCHY PALM- to always have a hand out, asking for money/tips. EXAMPLE: That valet is annoying, he has an itchy palm. He’s always looking for a tip. 12. TO HAVE STICKY FINGERS- to steal, to be a thief EXAMPLE: The new shop assistant was fired for having sticky fingers. She stole nearly $500 bucks worth of merchandise during her first week of work. When the owner realized this she was immediately fired. 13. A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS- what are you thinking right now? EXAMPLE: You look worried. A penny for your thoughts? What’s the problem? 14. TIME IS MONEY- Don’t waste time because it is valuable. EXAMPLE: Let’s go! Time is money! We must finish this job as soon as possible because we have another job waiting for us. If we are late, we may lose our next client. 15. MONEY DOESN’T GROW ON TREES- money is not plentiful, not easy to earn. We must work hard to earn money. EXAMPLE: No, I can’t buy you BOTH a new computer AND an iPhone. Money doesn’t grow on trees. I will have to save 2 months’ salary just to afford a new laptop. I’m sorry, but the iPhone is not possible right now. 16. TO GO BROKE- to lose all your money EXAMPLE: If you keep gambling every night at the casino you’re going to go broke by the end of the month. 17. TO BE DOWN-AND-OUT- to be out of money, depressed, broke, in a desperate financial situation. EXAMPLE: John has been down & out ever since he lost all his money in the stock market 5 years ago. 18. MONEY TALKS- money can influence, persuade people. EXAMPLE: After 10 years, the building project was accepted because huge money bribes were paid to local politicians and officials. Unfortunately, money talks in this day and age. 19. TO MAKE A LIVING- to earn enough money to pay bills and sustain yourself on your wage. EXAMPLE: With a Law degree, Susan will make enough money after university to make a good living for her and her family. 20. TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE- to make your dreams a reality, to achieve your goals. EXAMPLE: With a good job, John will make his mother’s dreams come true. His mother has always dreamed of owning a house. If he earns a good wage, he can one day buy his mother a small house.

Marta: This episode is about THANKSGIVING. Marta: Hey everybody, I’m so sorry but I have a cold! So, I have no voice- at all today. I think I’d better leave you with Cindy this time, right? Cindy: Hey everyone! I’m here today with my friend Christine who’s an American artist living & working in Bologna, Italy. Hey Christine, thanks for being with us here today to talk about THANKSGIVING. Christine: Hi Cindy, thanks for having me. Cindy: Christine, what is THANKSGIVING? Christine: American Thanksgiving, it’s a national holiday celebrated in November to commemorate the arrival of the Pilgrims to North America. They celebrated, with the Native Americans, the harvest. Cindy: And when did it become a national holiday? Christine: It first became a national holiday under Abraham Lincoln. Cindy: Ok, let’s get to the good stuff- what was on that first menu? Christine: That first Thanksgiving was celebrated in Plymouth Colony, which is now Massachusetts, and they had wild turkey, venison… Cindy: …now, ‘’venison’’ is deer? Christine: deer, yes….Indian corn, fowl… Cindy: …and by ‘’fowl’’ you mean wild birds? Christine: Wild birds. Cindy: So, a pretty simple menu? Christine: Yes, what they had at the time. Cindy: Does any of that remain today, on the American menu? Christine: Well, the most important part of the menu remains the turkey. So today we have the turkey and then the side dishes which are sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy and for dessert: pumpkin pie. Cindy: Alright, let’s explain ‘’stuffing’’ a little bit better. What is stuffing? Christine: Stuffing, it’s seasoned, cubed bread and some people put it in the turkey, others leave it on the side. Cindy: Is it mixed with any vegetables? Christine: Yes, carrots, onions, celery. Cindy: And I know in some parts of America they even put oysters into the stuffing. Christine: Yes, let’s say depending on your family the recipe changes from family to family. Cindy: Now, I know that Thanksgiving is very important to you and your family. How did you celebrate Thanksgiving when you were growing up? Christine: It was very important, and it still is, to my family. But I would say that all Americans celebrate and that’s what makes it important because it’s not religious, it’s centered around food and being thankful. It has a set menu and whether you’re with family or friends- everyone celebrates. Cindy: It’s not religious. It’s not a religious holiday. Christine: No. Cindy: I’ve spent a lot of beautiful Thanksgivings with my neighbors and friends. Now, how will you be celebrating Thanksgiving here in Italy this year? Christine: This year, I’m going to have Thanksgiving dinner with Italian friends. So now I’m trying to gather all the authentic ingredients so I can make the meal. Cindy: Is it easy? Have you been able to find everything you need? Christine: Well, in fact, the turkey is a problem because they’re quite large birds and I’m afraid it might not fit in the Italian ovens. Cindy: You may have to cut it up! (laughs) Christine: I think so! (laughs) Cindy: (laughs) That’s good. And what other things will you have besides the turkey? Christine: Sweet potatoes, I’ve found sweet potatoes. I’m looking now for cranberry sauce but I think I might have to use a substitute. Cindy: There are some good substitutes out there. And what else? Are…will you have stuffing? Christine: I’ll have stuffing. That’s easy to make. Also, pumpkin pie. I can find pumpkins here and I’ll roast it and make my own pie. Cindy: Yum! Will you invite me? (laughs) Christine: (laughs) Sure! Everyone’s invited, it’s Thanksgiving! Cindy: Happy Thanksgiving, Christine. Christine: Thank you, Happy Thanksgiving to you too. Cindy: Thanks for being with us here today. *** Cindy: Ok listeners, that’s all for now. You can read the transcript of this episode on our website: www.myamericanfriendblog.com. Thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, watching our videos on YouTube and listening to our podcast on iTunes and Podomatic. Marta: Thank you everybody and Happy Thanksgiving! Cindy: Bye bye! *** You can visit our special guest, American artist Christine Boya, on her website at: www.tinyartpress.com. Christine is an accomplished artist living & working in Bologna, Italy. On her site you can read her bio and view her extensive collection of lovely handmade prints and greeting cards. VOCABULARY: Thanksgiving- American holiday celebrated on the 4th Thursday in November. The first Thanksgiving took place in 1621 when the Pilgrims, together with Native Americans, celebrated their first harvest in the New World. Modern day Thanksgiving celebrations are centered on family, friends, food and being grateful for what you have in life. A non-religious holiday, everyone celebrates Thanksgiving regardless of religious affiliation. A traditional Thanksgiving Day menu includes: Roast Turkey: traditionally, turkeys are roasted in the oven but in some parts of America turkeys are marinated and deep fried in hot oil. Deep frying the bird reduces cooking time and produces moist, succulent meat. Stuffing (also called ‘’Dressing): cubed, seasoned bread mixed with various ingredients and cooked either inside the bird or in a separate dish. Common ingredients added to Stuffing are carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, broth and butter. Recipes differ from family to family. Sweet Potatoes: nutritious, sweet orange-fleshed potatoes served boiled, roasted, fried or baked whole. White Potatoes: white fleshed potatoes served mashed with butter, roasted or baked whole. Green Beans or String Beans: long, thin green beans served in their pods. The entire bean and pod is edible. Gravy: a thickened sauce made from vegetables and pan juices left over from roasting the turkey. A bit of flour & butter are usually added to thicken the sauce. Cranberry Sauce: a sweet & tart relish or jelly made from cooked cranberries & sugar

Marta: Today we’re talking about DEATH: The HALLOWEEN Episode! Marta: Hi Cindy! Happy Halloween! Cindy: Happy Halloween Everyone! (muffled) Marta: What? Cindy: (muffled) Happy Halloween Everyone! (spits out fake Dracula teeth) I said, Happy Halloween Everyone! Marta: What in the world are you wearing on your teeth?! Cindy: These are my Dracula teeth! (Cindy puts teeth back in) For Halloween! Marta: Take those out! I WOULDN’T BE CAUGHT DEAD WITH YOU looking like that! They’re horrible! Cindy: All right, all right! I’ll take them out. Marta: Where did you buy those, at the 99 Cent Store? Do not wear those outside of this studio because… Cindy: I know, I know “…because you wouldn’t be caught dead with me wearing them.” That means she’s embarrassed to be seen with me. Marta: Yes! Cindy: Ok, but hang on a second. Now I need to go brush my teeth. My mouth tastes like plastic. Watch my pet Scorpion while I’m gone. (sound of scorpion falling on desk) Marta: (screams) Cindy: Come on! just watch my pet Scorpion while I’m gone. Marta : Are you trying to SCARE ME TO DEATH!? You know that bugs scare me to death! Cindy: Happy Halloween! I need to go brush my teeth. Relax, it’s not a real Scorpion…look!...he’s only rubber! Touch it! Touch it! Marta: Is there anything left at the 99 Cent Store? Or did you buy every last disgusting thing in there? Cindy: Happy Halloween (sound of footsteps walking away) Marta: That girl is going to scare me to death! Yuck! Scorpions! Cindy: (footsteps return) Ok, I’m back. Are you okay? Marta: Empty your pockets! Do you have any other disgusting things with you? Cindy: No, nothing. My pockets are empty. I swear. Marta: You promise? Cindy: Promise. Marta: Good! Cindy: Y’know, I just didn’t want you to be BORED TO DEATH! Marta: BORED to death? Cindy: Yeah, you’re here in the recording studio, day in and day out. I was worried you might be tired of it, bored to death? Mr. Giant Scorpion is here to keep you company! Marta: Boredom is not the problem! Cindy: Check out our Facebook page later everyone and I’ll post a picture of Mr. Giant Scorpion. Marta: ….and then Mr. Scorpion is going to disappear for a very long time. Cindy: You’re a bug hater. Hey Marta! I do have one more thing in my bag and it’s not disgusting! Marta: Oh, thank goodness! Cindy: In fact, it’s pretty awesome! I have in my hands your new album 12n (Twelve Notes) “Country Made in Italy”. It’s a fantastic album! Congratulations you did a great job! I love it. Marta: Well, thank you! I’m so excited about this new album. We’re shooting the videoclip right now. It’ll be out in a month. I think everybody’s going to enjoy it. Cindy: And how can we view the video when it’s ready? Marta: on our youtube channel. It’s 12ntv. 1 2 n t v. go check it out, there’s the making of of the CD, we had such a great time in the recording studio. Cindy: And I love the cover photo and the mini-poster inside. You look hot! Marta: Thanks, we had a lot of fun doing that photo shoot. Cindy: The photo is beautiful. YOU LOOK DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS! Marta: Drop-dead gorgeous. Cindy: We say ‘’drop-dead gorgeous’’ to say that somebody is really beautiful, stunning, drop-dead gorgeous! Marta: For example? Cindy: For example…Marta looks drop-dead gorgeous on her new album cover! (laughs) Marta: And what about my husband? I think he looks so handsome in his cowboy hat & boots. Cindy: Bellissimo! Very handsome! It’s amazing because when he wears that cowboy hat, he is a DEAD RINGER for Tim McGraw the American country singer. Marta: A dead ringer for Tim McGraw. That’s good right? Cindy: Yes it is! That means he looks just like Tim McGraw. He could be Tim’s stunt double! He’s a dead ringer! Marta: He’ll be happy to hear that! Cindy: And when he does his impression of Johnny Cash singing the country western song “Ring of Fire” he is DEAD ON! Marta: So if we say ‘’His impression of Johnny Cash is dead on.” That means he does an exact impression of Johnny Cash, he sounds just like the real Johnny Cash. Cindy: Exactly! His impression of Johnny is dead on! Marta: He’ll be happy to hear that as well! He’s a big fan of Johnny Cash. Cindy: Marta, tell everyone how they can purchase this awesome new album of yours: Twelve Notes “Country Made in Italy” Marta: it’s on iTunes. Just search for “Country made in Italy” by 12n (twelve notes), that’s 12n, 1 2 n. Cindy: Perfect. Check it out everyone. It’s a great album. Marta & FedeRock have put every bit of their heart & soul into this album and it’s pretty amazing. My compliments to you on a job well done. Marta: Thank you so much…you’re not going to pull another giant scorpion out of your pocket now, are you? Cindy: No! You’re safe! But, I think the show has COME TO A DEAD END here. Marta: It has come to a dead end, right. It’s time to wrap it up. Cindy: It’s time to wrap it up and end this episode. It’s Halloween and I need to get home so I can hand out candy to all the little trick-or-treaters. Marta: Happy Halloween and thanks for listening everyone! Cindy: Happy Halloween and come visit us on our blog at www.myamericanfriendblog.com. You can also listen to previous episodes of “my American friend” on Podomatic & iTunes. And don’t forget to stop by and say hi on our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter! (sound of doorbell ringing) Cindy: What was that? Marta: It sounded like the doorbell. Cindy: (doorbell rings again) Who could it be? Nobody knows we’re here. Did you order a pizza? Marta: (sound of loud knocking) No, I didn’t order anything. No one even knows that we’re in the studio. (louder knocking) Cindy: Don’t answer it! Maybe they have the wrong door. Marta: Cindy! Look! (sound of paper sliding under the door) Cindy: Oh my gosh! It’s an envelope! Marta: It’s got your name on it! Cindy: And it’s written in red! Oh my gosh! Who’s doing this? Don’t open it!!!! Marta: (sound of Marta tearing open the envelope) Oh no! Cindy: What? Marta: Oh NO! Cindy: WHAT? What is it? Marta: It’s from your credit card company. Cindy: Oh (bleep)! Marta: It says: “Dear Cindy, we regret to inform you that your credit card account has now been closed. Please destroy all your remaining credit cards. You can’t buy any more shoes. Sincere regards, Your Credit Card Company” Cindy: NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! Marta: Happy Halloween! ************** Let’s sum up: I WOULDN’T BE CAUGHT DEAD WITH YOU looking like that bugs SCARE ME TO DEATH to be BORED TO DEATH you look DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS he is a DEAD RINGER for Tim McGraw His impression of Johnny is DEAD ON the show has COME TO A DEAD END

M: Today’s episode is about “TO WISH” ! (music : “when you wish upon a star….your dream comes true” … ) C : “when you wish upon a star your dream comes true”, well, it’s August and there are a lot of shooting stars right now, we should all give it a try and WISH upon a star, MAKE A WISH listeners! M : I think the best thing in making a wish is that you take a moment to think about what it is that you really want. C : Yes, that’s important! Be careful what you wish for when you see a shooting star! M : Ok, let’s take a look at this verb, to wish. C : first off, we can use it to WISH SOMEONE WELL. Like in: “I wish you all the best in your new job!” or “I wish you well with your career”. M : or “I wish you a speedy recovery”, “I wish you a safe journey!” C : right, or : “wish me well on my exam!” M : oh, and there’s the famous : “I wish you a Merry Christmas!” C : yeah, Marta, thank you, but… it’s August though. M : Ok, it’s not the right time of the year, right. So, to wish someone something. C : uh-huh, but we can also use the verb to wish TO EXPRESS REGRETS both for the present situation and about the past. Marta, try and give us an example. M : …how about: “I wish I lived in Nashville” ? C : ok. Where do you live? M : In Italy. C : So when you say “I wish I lived in Nashville” you refer to the present situation. M : Yes, but I have to use the simple past of the verb, I wish I lived in Nashville. C : Exactly. Let me think of another example…you’re allergic to grass pollen, aren’t you? M : Yes, I am, unluckily. So… I wish I could enjoy springtime in the open air, but I can’t. C : I wish I could, right. M : now listen to this song: “how I wish, how I wish you were here” C : Pink Floyd, great song. “how I wish you were here”, again, we use the simple past to talk about the present situation. I wish you were here right now. Can you think of another example? M : I wish I was taller! C: com’on, you’re not that short! M : but I’m not tall either. I wish I was taller. C : You can also say: I wish I were taller. I WISH I WAS, I WISH I WERE, both forms are correct. I wish I were is more formal. So… for example… it’s overcast today. I wish it was sunny, or I wish it were sunny. M : Got it. C : Now let’s talk about past regrets. Like in: I wish my team had won the championship. That means: my team didn’t win. I wish it had. M : we use the past perfect here. C : past perfect, good. For example: I wish I had chosen another school when I was in my teens”. Or: I wish you had told me about it before”. M : we can also use “IF ONLY” instead of wish, correct? C : Yes. Using the past perfect when talking about past regrets : If only I had chosen another school when I was in my teens! Or : if only you had told me about it before! And using the simple past when talking about the present situation: if only I was taller! If only I lived in Nashville ! M : or : If only I had more time to study English! That is: I wish I had more time to study English! C : perfect! C: Well, friends, that’s all for now. We wish you the best of luck in your English journey and we hope that you can find enough time to listen to our podcast and practise the language! Previous episodes are available for download on Podomatic and iTunes. M : Also, stop by our Facebook page and say “hi”! C : Or log onto our blog at www.myamericanfriendblog.com . Follow us on Twitter, or browse our videos on Youtube. Thanks for listening everyone! M . wishing you all the best. See you soon! C : Bye!

M : this episode is about AGE ! M : Hi everybody, we know it’s been a while since we uploaded our last episode, but we’re back now. C : Well, listeners, it was all Marta’s fault, she spent a whole month in the States, lucky girl- so she’s the one to blame. Just kidding, hey Marta, welcome back! How was your trip to Nashville, Tennessee and Austin, Texas? M : Amazing! I think I’ve seen more concerts in that month alone than in the rest of my life. C : And you also played a couple of times, didn’t you? M : Yeah, when I played one of my songs in Nashville, the home of songwriting…well, I was on cloud nine! I was as happy as a child! C : “As happy as a child”, right, and that takes us back to our episode about AGE. Let’s start with CHILDHOOD, the first period of life. M : Ok, what’s the difference between a NEWBORN, an INFANT and a TODDLER ? C : A newborn child is a baby boy or baby girl who is just a few weeks old, they are newly born. A newborn. And when they are a few months old, instead they are usually referred to as infants. Toddlers are babies who are learning to walk & talk, they’re between the ages of one and three years old, more or less. M : ok, any other words about kids? C : A child under school age is called a PRESCHOOLER. M : oh, I wish I had more memories of those carefree years before SCHOOL AGE! Those sweet days spent in the open air, trying to feed as much wildlife as possible… C : were you already fond of animals back then? M : Oh, yeah, my childhood was all about cats, dogs, birds, lizards, frogs, hedgehogs, even mice, any little creature was lovely to my eyes and worth feeding. C : Well, you’re excused: you were a preschooler and you couldn’t read the signs saying “do not feed the wildlife”. M : You’re right! C : Let’s move on to that period of time after childhood and before ADULTHOOD: ADOLESCENCE and YOUTH. When you attend high school or college you are an ADOLESCENT, a YOUNGSTER. In particular, if your age ranges between 13 to 19 (that is: you’re in your teens) you’re a TEENAGER. M : What’s next? C : Then you are an adult, in your twenties, in your thirties… For example, Marta, you are in your thirties, right? M : yes. C : are you in your EARLY 30s, in your MID 30s or in your LATE 30s ? M : I am not going to reveal that, not even under torture. C : ok! Fair enough… Anyway: to be in one’s early 30s means to be 31, 32,33, to be in one’s mid 30s means 34, 35,36, to be in one’s late 30s means 37 38 39. M : Ok, for the record: I’m not old, just older, like Bon Jovi would say. C : Marta I had no clue you were afraid of GETTING OLD, of AGEING. M : No, really, I was just kidding, GROWING OLD implies being wiser and I like that. Plus “youth is a state of mind”, ain’t that what they say? C : Yeah, youth is a state of mind, that’s what I keep telling my back. It’s too early to give up now! ? M : That’s the same for me! ?)) ok, let’s go on. C : People from 40 to 60 are usually referred to as MIDDLE-AGED PEOPLE. While people over 60/65 are called: SENIORS or ELDERLY. For example: Bono Vox from U2 is a middle-aged person, he’s in his early 50s I think. Clint Eastwood is an elderly person, he’s in his 80s. M : ok…for example…Sting is ….oh my, it’s hard to believe it, but he’s in his 60s now...should I call that super handsome man a senior?? C : Yeah, I know, some people do not LOOK THEIR AGE, they look younger. M : Sting doesn’t look his age, absolutely not. He’s like….ageless. Hey, speaking of age, I have to call Ashley! It’s her birthday! She has finally turned 18 ! C : Turning 18 is an important step in a teenager’s life. That’s when you COME OF AGE. M : to come of age? C : that means to reach the age at which you have your adult’s rights. M : oh, I see. Ok, wait a second, it’s getting late & I really have to call her. (dialing). ASHLEY: Hello? Hello? (loud music in the background) M : Hi Ashley! It’s Marta calling! ASHLEY: Marta, is that you? I can’t hear a thing! Hello? Hang on…I have to update my status… M : Yeah, turn the music down for a second, please! Ashley: I can’t, we’re all dancing here, it’s my birthday party! M : yeah, that’s why I’m calling, happy birthday sweetheart! Ashley: thank you! Oh, Marta, you know who’s here? Do you remember Christopher the quarterback? And his cousin Spencer, oh, and Jennifer has come with her sister, she’s wearing pink and silver… why don’t you come and join us? It’s the best party ever! And make sure to wear those silver heels, I want to show them to Debbie, she’s gonna be so jealous! M : Ashley, I’m sure it’s a great party, thank you for inviting me, I’m sorry, I have to work. But, tell me, are you excited to be 18? You’re not UNDERAGE anymore! Ashley: Yeah! I’m an adult now! Isn’t it cool? Oh, and you wouldn’t believe what my mother told me this morning!! M : what is that? Ashley: oh, this is going to blow you away! My mother told me that now I have the right to vote! M : (laughs) actually…I kind of …knew that. Ashley: oh, that is sooooo cool. You know what? I already know who to vote for at the next elections. M : you do? Ashley: Uh huh, I do! Now that I’m 18 I know all about politics and politicians and political…stuff…. My mother always rumbles on having a female President, like it’s time for a woman to be in charge and gender equality –or…quality?-…whatever. M : so who is your candidate? Ashley: ok, are you ready? Rihanna…I know, I know. It’s a good idea, right? Because she like always looks good, no matter what she wears. And that’s like soooo important for a First Lady. She can like be a blonde, she can be a redhead….I need to put that on my status. M : Ashley? I’m sorry it’s a very bad line, I can’t hear you anymore… Cindy: well….that’s Ashley! She doesn’t seem to have grown up a lot, does she? Marta: oh my, I’m afraid she’s 18 but she still behaves as if she were 14 or so. Cindy : She’ll figure it out eventually…hopefully. Hey, that reminds me of another expression: TO ACT ONE’S AGE, to behave according to one’s age. Marta: like in that song by Prince, “Kiss”. It goes: “ACT YOUR AGE, not your shoe size”. Cindy: yeah, what is your shoe size Marta? Marta: 9 Cindy: so act your age (thirty something), don’t act like a 9 year old! Marta: act your age, got it. Cindy: it’s a good rule! C : Ok, listeners, that’s all for now. You can read the transcript of this episode on our website: www.myamericanfriendblog.com , Thanks for liking us on facebook, following us on Twitter, watching our videos on youtube, and listening to our podcast on iTunes and Podomatic. M: See you soon! C: Bye bye!

Marta: Today we’re talking about MAKING MISTAKES. Marta: Ugh! It’s 3 o’clock. Cindy was supposed to be here at noon! Where is she?! Cindy: Hey girl! How are ya? Ok, here’s your coffee and here’s your copy of the script. Can I borrow your headphones? Is this mic on? Marta: Where have you been? Cindy: What do you mean? I was at the coffee shop. What’s wrong with you? Why are you using the finger- tapping sound effect? Marta: You SCREWED UP, you’re late! You said you’d be here at noon! Cindy: No I didn’t. Marta: You are late! Cindy: It’s 3. I’m always here at 3 o’clock. Look, I’m even a minute early- it’s only 2:59…oh wait, now it’s three. Marta: (Marta searching through text messages) Look! Look! Here’s your text… ‘’see you at noon! lol. smiley face!’’ Cindy: Oh, I forgot!…I MESSED UP BIG TIME, didn’t I? Marta: Yes, you messed up BIG time! That means you made a big mistake. We had a lot of material to discuss…. Cindy: ….and I was supposed to be here 3 hours ago. I’m sorry. Marta: We’re talking today about making mistakes. Cindy: Oh good! …Here’s your coffee…. I’m an expert! (laughs) Marta: Aside from today’s BLUNDER…. Cindy: a blunder is a careless mistake…. Marta: Can you think of any other huge ERRORS you’ve made? Cindy: Oh, you want to know about like EPIC FAILS? Really huge failures? Marta: uh huh. Cindy: Well, dying my hair red was a MAJOR FAIL! I won’t be doing that again anytime soon! Marta: No Cindy, I’m talking about a situation where you just fell flat on your face. Cindy: Ok, TO FALL FLAT ON YOUR FACE means to fail in an embarrassing way. Well, I’ve never been good at Math. I had to take high school Algebra twice. Marta: Twice? Cindy: Twice! And I remember having this big Algebra exam. It was like a sink or swim moment. I had to pass the exam or I would have to repeat the class the following year. SINK OR SWIM Marta: What happened? Cindy: Total BRAIN FREEZE! Marta: No! Cindy: Yes! Five minutes into the exam, my brain just froze and I forgot everything. I BOMBED. I failed the exam and the following year, when all of my classmates had moved onto the next level, I was still stuck in Level 1 Algebra. It was embarrassing! Marta: So you FLUNKED? You failed your Algebra exam? Cindy: Oh, I CHOKED! I BIT THE DUST HARD! I couldn’t remember the first thing about Algebra! In fact, that’s why I was late this afternoon, I’m still trying to pass my high school Algebra exam! (laughs) How about you Marta? Can you think of any GAFFES, screw-ups or a faux pas that you’ve made recently? Marta: Well, no. Not since this morning anyways! (laughs) Hey Cindy, what was that last expression you used? Did you say FAUX PAS? That’s French. It literally translates to false step. Cindy: Yes, a faux pas. That’s a commonly used expression. It means a social blunder, an error, an inappropriate remark. Someone had committed a major faux pas against a friend of mine recently. Marta: What happened? Cindy: Well, a woman asked my friend if she was pregnant. She’s not pregnant! Marta: That’s a serious faux pas! Cindy: Don’t ever ask a woman if she is pregnant unless you are 100% sure…. Marta: …that she is in fact pregnant! Cindy: Ugh, people can be so cruel nowadays! I love the expression: ‘’If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!’’ Marta: That’s good advice! Cindy: Hey Marta, why don’t we take a break for now and go out and grab a pizza? My treat, I’ll pay. I want TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU for being 3 hours late today. Marta: Oh…that’s okay Cindy…really, it’s no problem…I forgive you…. Cindy: No, really. I feel terrible. I want to make it up to you. Let me buy you dinner tonight….I insist. Marta: No…let’s just stay inside and finish working. I’ll fix sandwiches and… Cindy: Come on! Let’s go outside! We have all night to work. I’ll get our coats. Marta: Cindy, have you even looked in the mirror today?! Look at your outfit! Cindy: What?? It’s a red blouse! Marta: …with a violet skirt… Cindy: …and green shoes! What’s the problem? I thought it would be fun and colorful! Was that a mistake? Marta: A mistake? Your outfit is not a mistake, it’s a crime against fashion! Cindy: Oh…you’re right! I should have worn the yellow blouse instead! Marta: Did you get dressed in a dark closet today? Cindy: Hey, whatever happened to ‘’if you don’t have anything nice to say- then don’t say anything at all’’?? Marta: I’m sorry, but your outfit defies all logic! Marta: Thanks for listening everyone! Cindy: Thanks everyone! And be sure to read the bonus Vocabulary section at the end of this transcript. Marta: Stop by our Facebook page today and say hi! Cindy: Follow us on Twitter and watch our videos on Youtube! Download additional episodes of ‘’my American friend’’ on Podomatic and iTunes and be sure to check out our blog at www.myamericanfriendblog.com Marta: Take care, everyone! Bye! Cindy: bye! ********************** *Vocabulary* 1. To “screw up”- to make a mistake. EXAMPLE: You screwed up! Football practice started at 1 o’clock and you’re 2 hours late. You’re never going to be ready for Saturday’s game! 2. to “mess up’’ or to “mess up big time”- to make a huge mistake. EXAMPLE: I messed up big time with Barbara! I went to the movies with another girl last Friday. Barbara’s friend saw us together. She immediately called and told her what I did. I really liked Barbara but now she never wants to see me again. 3. A “blunder” – to make a stupid or careless mistake. EXAMPLE: I made a huge blunder at my sister’s wedding when I mistakenly thought her father-in-law was a waiter. 4. An “error”- a mistake. EXAMPLE: It is very important to make a habit of proof-reading your work and utilizing spell check to avoid unnecessary errors that could cause you to earn a lower grade. 5. An epic fail- a term used by young people meaning to make a very big mistake. EXAMPLE: Don’t even try to skateboard off that hill! It’s too steep. You’re going to lose control and crash. Don’t do it, it would be an epic fail! 6. Major fail- big failure, big mistake EXAMPLE: How was your job interview today? ANSWER: It was a major fail on my part! I dressed too casually in jeans & a t-shirt. Everyone was wearing neatly ironed shirts & ties. I called the boss by his first name instead of Mr. Jones and I forgot to bring my portfolio. I was completely unprepared. I’ll never get the job now! 7. to “fall flat on one’s face”- to fail in an embarrassing way. EXAMPLE: Susan was not prepared for her big presentation at the conference. She had failed to memorize the material and did not write a very professional or convincing speech to accompany her presentation. This was her first big conference and she fell flat on her face by being badly prepared & unprofessional. 8. “Sink or swim”- Fail or succeed. EXAMPLE: Your 1 month probation period has ended here at the company. It’s “sink or swim” time now! You’ll have to do your best to succeed and not make any more mistakes otherwise you will be fired. 9. Brain freeze- to forget, unable to remember something. EXAMPLE: I had a total brain freeze when I met Susan. She was so beautiful that I couldn’t even speak. I could barely remember my own name to introduce myself! ? 10. to “bomb” at something- to perform badly EXAMPLE: Last year I tried playing basketball but I bombed miserably! I lost the ball, lost my balance, fell flat on my face and spent the rest of the basketball season on the bench. I’m much better at football. Next year I will try out for the school football team. 11. to flunk- to fail, as in to fail an exam EXAMPLE: Did you pass your driver’s exam? ANSWER: No, I flunked the written part of the exam. I need to study the driver’s manual better and take the exam again next month. I’m determined to NEVER flunk again! 12. I “choked”- I failed, forgot the words, performed badly EXAMPLE: I choked at my music recital! I forgot the words to the songs! 13. To bite the dust- to break, fail, give out, die EXAMPLE: John’s old car bit the dust last week. The engine finally died. He has decided to buy a new car instead of installing a new engine. 14. a ‘’gaffe’’- a social blunder or a noticeable mistake. EXAMPLE: Susan committed a major gaffe during the diner party when she called John’s date by his ex-girlfriend’s name! We tried to stop her but it was too late. 15. to make a “faux pas”- (French) a social blunder, an inappropriate remark. EXAMPLE: It is considered a great faux pas to ask a woman if she is pregnant if you are not first 100% sure that she is in fact pregnant! 16. To “make it up to someone”- to make amends EXAMPLE: I’m sorry that you had to do my job yesterday. I want to make it up to you and show you how much I appreciate your help. I want to take you out for dinner and it’s my treat, I’m paying for it. 17. A “crime against fashion”- (joke) a very ugly outfit, an offense against fashion. EXAMPLE: Did you see what that famous actress wore to the Oscars? That was a crime against fashion! That dress was so ugly! I can’t believe her stylist allowed her to wear it. 18. To ‘’go belly up’’- to fail, to go out of business EXAMPLE: That pizza restaurant in town was very poorly managed. The owner spent all his money on fancy clothes and cars instead of improving the business. In one year the business went belly up and the restaurant closed its doors forever. 19. to ‘’Put my foot in my mouth’’ – to say something regretful EXAMPLE: I put my foot in my mouth when I told my boss how great my ski trip was last week! I lied and said I wasn’t feeling well last week. Now she knows it was all a huge lie. I’ve made a big mistake and it will take a long time to earn her trust again. 20. To eat one’s words- to admit defeat, admit you were wrong. EXAMPLE: John said Mark would be a terrible addition to the football team. John said he was too young and inexperienced. John had to eat his words when Mark became the team’s most valuable player by scoring the most goals during the season. 21. Politically incorrect- an offensive statement based on race, religion, sex, etc.. EXAMPLE: Politically incorrect and offensive statements will not be tolerated in this office. We work in a culturally diverse environment where we welcome people of all backgrounds. 22. To get carried away- to become overexcited, to overdue something, to be excessive EXAMPLE: John got a little carried away when painting his bedroom. Now the entire room is blue! He even painted the floor and the doorknobs blue! 23. Frame of mind- mental state EXAMPLE: I did very poorly on my final exam. I was sick with the flu, very tired and not in a good frame of mind. My professor knew I had been sick. He was very kind and allowed me to take the exam over. I got a much better score the second time and I am grateful for the second chance!

M : today’s episode is about how to use the words: SOME ANY and NO ! C : hey, Marta, why did you choose this topic? M : uh..well, I teach English in a private school here in Italy, my course is called “English Amplifier” C : yes, and all of your students are so nice and so smart! M : you’re right, they are wonderful, all of them. And they’ve been amazing this last year, they have improved so much. Let me send them a big hello: hey guys, you’re the best! C : Hey guys! M : Back to your question, some of my students at English Amplifier asked me about the difference between “some” and “any”. And I thought that maybe it could be interesting to our listeners as well. C : Ok, let’s start by saying that ‘SOME’ is used in positive statements and ‘ANY’ in questions and negative statements. M : Right. C : for example : Marta, do you have any friends in Michigan ? M : Yes, I do. I have some dear friends in Michigan. C : And do you have any friends in New Zealand ? M : uhm… no, I don’t have any friends there. I don’t know anybody from New Zealand. Not yet. C : Do you know anybody living in Australia? M : I do know somebody living in Down Under, yes, our beautiful friend Laura. C : Hi Laura! Find a cute Koala bear and give him some nice big kisses from me and Marta. ? M : Ok, the main rule is clear. SOME in positive statements and ANY in questions and negative sentences. C : But whenever there’s a rule, there is also…. M : ….the exception to the rule? C : Exactly. SOME is used in questions -instead of any- when we’re dealing with REQUESTS for example: “Excuse me, could you give me some information about this museum?” or : “Can I have some water please?” M : and OFFERS, like in : Would you like some bread? Can I get you something to drink? C : Right, again: we use SOME in questions only for OFFERS and REQUESTS. M : Ok, got it. C : now let’s take a better look at negative sentences. Let’s imagine …an empty fridge. M : how sad! Ok, the fridge is empty…and I’m hungry. C : I’m sorry Marta, There isn’t any food in the fridge. M : There isn’t any food in the fridge. Not Any. That’s “any” used in a negative sentence. C : Right, but I can also say: There is no food in the fridge. M : “no” stands for “not any”. C : when “no” is used the verb is positive. For example:. there isn’t anything to eat. There is nothing to eat. Or: There aren’t any kangaroos in Italy. There are no kangaroos in Italy. M : Laura, please, next time you visit Italy bring us some kangaroos! ? C : Kangaroos, koalas, wombats…we’ll be happy with petting any cute animals from Australia. M : oh, wait a second. You’ve just used “any” in a positive sentence. C : yes, when “any” is used in a positive statement it means : “it doesn’t matter which”. For example: “you can call me any time in the afternoon”. or: “A mother can do anything for her children”. Or : Where do you want to go on vacation this summer? We can go anywhere as long as there are beaches and sunshine.” M : Sunshine! We definitely could use some sunshine here in northern Italy. C : oh yeah, we’ve had a most unusual and terrible winter, with a lot of snow, never-ending rain and even hailstorms lately. Anyway, it’s May now and the weather will improve for sure. M : Quoting the film “The Crow” : it can’t rain all the time! ? C : We hope so! C : Ok, listeners, that’s all for now. You can find the transcript of this episode on our blog: www.myamericanfriendblog.com , Thank you everyone for liking us on facebook, following us on Twitter, watching our videos on youtube. We have received a lot of comments lately, we’re always very happy to hear from you. Special thanks to : M : Olivier, Bairma, Gabor, Sergio, Afshin, Gertraud, Manfred, Angela, Hoa Tran, Alessandro, Igor, Letizia. Thanks everybody! Bye bye! C : Bye!

Marta: Today we’re talking about “ANIMALS” ! Cindy: Hi Marta! Hey Marta, I love your hair & make-up today! You look beautiful! Marta: Thank you, Cindy! Cindy: You’re a STONE-COLD FOX! Marta: Uh?...that’s a compliment, right?? Cindy: Yes! To call someone a ‘’stone cold fox’’ is a great compliment! It means they’re very good looking! Marta: ok, then. You’re right then, I AM a stone cold fox! ? Cindy: Y’know, Marta, I was thinking that you love animals so much and I love animals, and I’m sure that we have a lot of listeners out there who love animals too. Wouldn’t it be fun to do an episode about animal-related idioms and expressions? Marta: Sounds great! Cindy: Alright get the sound effects button ready. Let’s begin with your home: you’ve got a BIRD’S EYE VIEW through your living room window! It’s incredible! I can see all the surrounding hills. Marta: A bird’s eye view. Cindy: A bird’s eye view means you’re high up and you have a good view of everything below you. A bird’s eye view. Marta: I like that! How about another? Cindy: Ok, what if I say ‘’John has EYES LIKE A HAWK!’’ Marta: Then he must have very good vision? Cindy: Exactly, if someone has ‘’eyes like a hawk’’ they have very good vision and are attentive to everything. Marta: What if we refer to someone as being ‘’LIKE A PARROT’’? Cindy: Oh, here we must be very careful! ? Little children are like parrots- they’ll repeat everything you say! So be sure to only use polite language around them! Marta: Useful advice! Cindy, I once heard the expression ‘’TO EAT CROW’’, what does it mean? Cindy: To ‘’eat crow’’ means admitting that you were wrong and then suffering humiliation from it! We don’t actually eat a bird, a crow, it’s just an expression. Marta: Can you give us a sentence? Cindy: Sure! Steve had been bragging all year long about how his favorite football team was so awesome and they would surely beat out everyone to win the Super Bowl…. Marta: I remember! Cindy: But when his team failed to even make the play-offs, he had to eat crow and finally admit they were a terrible team! Marta: Got it. Cindy: Better luck next time loser! Marta: Ok, we’ve got it! There’s no reason to be mean to Steve! Cindy: But seriously, Steve, you’re team is made up of a bunch of like DINOSAURS!! Marta: Why? Because they’re old? Cindy: …and nearly extinct! Seriously, they’re like slow…like a bunch of TURTLES. My grandmother moves faster than his team. Marta: (sigh) ….moving on. Cindy: Let’s talk about bugs. Marta: You know I HATE bugs! Cindy: I know, but unfortunately the word ‘’bug’’ is used everywhere. We can use ‘’BUG’’ to describe a problem with our computer. Marta: Right. Cindy: We also use ‘’bug’’ to refer to a minor illness, like a head cold or the stomach flu. If I say: I’m feeling really tired today and I’ve got a headache and a sore throat.’’ Marta: Hmm…then you must have CAUGHT A ‘’BUG’’. Ok, Cindy…let’s change the subject! Talking about bugs is starting to bug me! Cindy: (whispering) That means she’s annoyed! Marta: If you want to talk about bugs- then I will talk about snakes! Cindy: No!! Not snakes! I hate snakes! Marta: If I call someone a ‘’SNAKE’’. Cindy: Then it’s not a compliment. It means they are sneaky, crafty, untrustworthy. Ok, ok, that’s enough creepy stuff. I’m starting to get GOOSE BUMPS Ick! Snakes! Marta: When talking about snakes, Cindy is a big CHICKEN! Cindy: It’s true! If someone is a chicken, that means they’re afraid, or not very brave. For example: I never watch horror movies- I’m too chicken! Marta: It’s just acting! It’s not real! Cindy: You wanna know the last time I watched a horror movie? Marta: You’re a chicken! Cindy: That’s right I am. 1999. That’s the last time I saw a horror movie in a theater. 1999. I saw ‘’The Sixth Sense’’ with Bruce Willis. Marta: I would have loved to have been a ‘’FLY ON THE WALL’’ in that movie theater! Cindy: Great expression! ‘’A fly on the wall’’ that means you want to quietly watch & hear what happens in a room- without anyone actually knowing that you are there. ‘’A fly on the wall’’. It’s a good one. Oh, how about ‘’THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM’’? Marta: That’s an obvious problem or situation that nobody wants to discuss. Cindy: ‘’The elephant in the room’’ Marta: And if you can’t see the elephant in the room? Cindy: That would be me! I have terrible vision! (laughs) If someone has very poor vision then we say ‘’they are BLIND AS A BAT!’’ Marta: Someone with poor vision is ‘’blind as a bat’’. Got it. Cindy: And speaking of vision, it’s nice to see the sunshine again isn’t it? I think we’re finally at the tail end of winter. It’s nearly over. Marta: I hope so. Cindy: Before you know it, it will be warm & sunny… Marta: …and we’ll all be back at the beach! Cindy: PACKED IN LIKE SARDINES! ? If we say ‘’we’re packed in like sardines’’ that means there are a lot of people packed into a small area, like sardines (small fish) in a can. Marta: …or like an Italian beach during mid-August! Cindy: Oh my, if any of you have ever experienced an Italian beach during mid-August- you will surely understand the meaning of ‘’packed in like sardines’’ ? And we invite you to take a look at the vocabulary at the end of this transcript. It’s PACKED with lots of fun animal-related expressions and idioms! Marta: Cindy, are you trying to WORM YOUR WAY OUT OF this episode? Cindy: Am I trying to avoid the responsibility of doing my job? Uh, yeah!!! The sun is shining for like the first time in a month! Let’s go out and enjoy it! Marta: Good idea! Thank you for listening everyone! Cindy: Thanks everyone…and a special thanks to my husband Gio who gave us the idea for this episode! Have a great day everybody! And be sure to come visit us on our blog at www.myamericanfriendblog.com. You can also catch us on Facebook, iTunes, Podomatic, Twitter and Youtube! ******************** VOCABULARY: 1. A ‘’stone cold fox’’- Slang term for someone very good looking, attractive, hot, beautiful, handsome. EXAMPLE: Susan is a stone cold fox! She’s so beautiful. All the guys in the office are crazy about her! 2. To have a ‘’bird’s-eye view’’- An excellent view from high above the ground. EXAMPLE: I love airplane travel because I can have a bird’s eye view of the Earth. From my window, I can see mountains, rivers, fields and clouds. It’s fascinating for me! 3. to have ‘’eyes like a hawk’’- to have excellent vision, like that of a hawk. To be very attentive to your surroundings. To watch everything. To pay close attention. EXAMPLE: My mother has eyes like a hawk! She always knew when my brothers & I were about to get into some mischief! She always caught us before we did anything wrong. 4. To be ‘’like a parrot’’- to repeat everything one hears, like a parrot. EXAMPLE: We are always very careful not to use any bad language in front of my 3 year old niece. She’s like a little parrot, she repeats everything she hears from the adults! 5. To eat crow- to admit you were wrong after making a strong argument and suffer humiliation afterwards. 6. To refer to something as a ‘’dinosaur’’- to imply that something is old, outdated, antique, slow. EXAMPLE: My laptop computer is a dinosaur! It’s old, functions slowly and crashes quite often. I must save my money and purchase a new one this year. 7. Computer bug- an error, flaw, failure or fault in a computer program or system EXAMPLE: Tomorrow I’ll take my laptop to be repaired. I must have a bug. It keeps crashing, causing me to lose all my unsaved data. 8. To catch a bug- to contract a minor ailment like a head cold or the stomach flu. EXAMPLE: I’m feeling very tired today. My throat is sore and I have a headache too. I must have caught a bug. Tonight I will go to bed early and get a good night’s sleep. 9.To ‘’bug’’ someone- to annoy someone EXAMPLE: It’s easy to bug my sister. She hates my preference in music. I love listening to rap. She always becomes annoyed whenever I turn my stereo on! 10. To call someone ‘’a snake’’- to call them untrustworthy, dishonest, sneaky, crafty. EXAMPLE: My sister’s ex-boyfriend is nothing but a snake. He lied to her and cheated on her with her best friend. Our parents were so happy when she finally broke up with him because he was a terrible person. 11. To get ‘’goose bumps’’ from something- a roughness of the skin produced by erection of its papillae especially from cold, fear, or a sudden feeling of excitement (Merriam-Webster definition) You can get goose bumps from either good or bad sensations. EXAMPLE of a bad sensation: My uncle is terrified of spiders. Every time we talk about spiders he gets goose bumps and his face turns pale. We never mention spiders any more when he is around us! ? EXAMPLE of a good sensation: I got goose bumps when I heard Whitney Houston sing The Star Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl back in 1991. She had the most incredible singing voice I had ever heard. 12. To be a ‘’chicken’’- to be easily scared, not brave, without courage. EXAMPLE: I’m such a chicken when I watch horror movies! I am so easily scared that I spend the entire movie with my hands covering my eyes! 13. To be a ‘’a fly on the wall’’- to go unnoticed, to quietly observe without speaking or calling attention to yourself. EXAMPLE: I would like to be a fly on the wall during the board meeting this afternoon. I would like to see how the decisions are being made about our company’s future. 14. An elephant in the room- an obvious subject, problem, situation that no one wants to talk about. EXAMPLE: Everyone was smiling & friendly during the office meeting, but nobody wanted to discuss the elephant in the room- which is the future of the company and our job security. For months, the company has been falling deeper into debt and rumors of layoffs & bankruptcy are flying around the office. 15. To be as ‘’blind as a bat’’- to have poor vision, a joke term meaning someone’s vision is so poor they must use sonar instead of their eyes to ‘’see’’ what is around them. EXAMPLE: I’m blind as a bat without my glasses! I must wear them all the time in order to see clearly. 16. To be ‘’at the tail end’’ of something- to be at the end of something EXAMPLE: I purchased my airline ticket at the last moment and therefore my seat was located at the tail end of the aircraft. 17. To be ‘’packed in like sardines’’- many people packed into a small area. EXAMPLE: The heat was oppressive in the disco. We were packed in like sardines with no open windows. It was very hot and unpleasant. We left early and went for a walk on the beach instead of dancing. 18. To worm your way out of something- To avoid responsibility, to make excuses and leave before the job is finished EXAMPLE: My brother was supposed to clean his room today but he wormed his way out of it by saying he had to study for a big exam on Monday. 19. Crocodile tears- fake tears, insincere emotions Although they worked together for many years, Susan always hated Barbara. She was petty & jealous of everything Barbara had accomplished and spoke unkindly about her. When Barbara was fired from her job because of budget cuts, everyone in the office was sad. Susan cried crocodile tears. Everybody knew it was a false display of emotion because Susan had been so mean to Barbara. 20. Something ‘’smells fishy’’- Something sounds dishonest, to suspect someone of lying EXAMPLE: Although John had a good excuse for arriving home at 3am, Barbara thought something ‘’smelled fishy’’. John had been spending a lot of time away from home lately and she suspected he may be having an affair with another woman. 21. To be ‘’sly as a fox’’- to be crafty, sneaky. EXAMPLE: I never take my car to that mechanic! He’s as sly as a fox. If you go in for an oil change, you’ll leave with a new engine! He’s very good at finding ways to charge you extra money for simple jobs. 22. To be as ‘’slow as a snail’’- to move very slowly EXAMPLE: I really need to purchase a new computer, the one I have is 10 years old and slow as a snail! 23. Snail mail- letters, cards and packages stamped & sent the traditional way using the postal service, instead of electronically through email. EXAMPLE: My aunt Barbara prefers to send letters through snail mail. She’s never learned to use a computer. She laughs and says she’s too old to learn now. 24. To be a ‘’bull in a china shop’’- by using the word ‘’china’’ we refer to fine, delicate dishware (not the country of China). Expression to describe a person who is clumsy, rough, awkward, unsophisticated, destructive. EXAMPLE: My brother is like a bull in a china shop! He’s so clumsy. My mother is always buying new dishes and glasses because my brother has a tendency to break everything he touches. 25. To be as ‘’strong as an ox’’- to be very strong, to have the strength of an ox. My brother is an excellent athlete. He’s as strong as an ox! He’s very good in wrestling and weight lifting. 26. To be as ‘’stubborn as a mule’’- to be very stubborn, hard headed, unwilling to change opinion or listen to advice. My sister’s car is a piece of junk. It’s always breaking down and costing her lots of money in repairs. I keep telling her to buy a new car but she’s as stubborn as a mule and refuses to listen to me. She thinks her old car is just fine.

M: This episode is about WORKING OUT ! C: Hello everybody! It’s very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. We all need to have regular check-ups, we need to eat a healthful diet and to exercise. M: DOING PHYSICAL EXERCISE not only helps us to STAY FIT, it also improves our emotional well-being. C : It’s true, it helps us burn off stress. In this episode you’ll learn a lot of vocabulary about EXERCISING and STAYING FIT. But don’t worry, Marta and I have no intention of turning you into FITNESS FREAKS. M: …into…what? C: a “fitness freak” is someone obsessed with fitness, almost addicted to going to the gym. ? M: ok, I understand. Now, back to our episode, where do we start from? C: from the word “SHAPE”. TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE or BAD SHAPE. For example: James goes running three times a week, he’s in good shape. Meaning: He’s healthy and fit. M: He’s in good shape. Ok. C: Or TO STAY / TO KEEP / TO GET IN SHAPE. For example: Susan is a little overweight, she has just started going to the gym, I’m sure she will get in shape very soon. Or: Mary goes hiking every weekend, that’s how she keeps in shape. M : Ok, got it. What kind of activities can we do to stay in shape? C : Watch out, because to describe those activities in English we use three different verbs: TO DO, TO GO and TO PLAY. M : Let’s start with to do. C : For example: to do yoga, to do karate, to do aerobics… M : To play? C : to play sports, like in : to play volleyball, to play baseball, to play soccer, to play tennis, to play golf… M : to go? C : to go hiking, to go swimming, to go jogging, to go bike riding or to go cycling, to go skiing, to go for a walk and to go to the gym. M : How about the word “WORKOUT” ? C : to WORK OUT means to do physical exercise, so what you do is a workout. M : to work out. Ok. C : For example: Ted is in really bad shape. He needs to go to the gym and work out. M : Ok, what could this Ted do in the gym TO GET HIMSELF BACK INTO SHAPE? C : well, first of all, he could lay off the cheeseburgers… M: …after that C: Well, Ted could start with some WARM UP exercises. M : warm up exercises? C : when you do warm up exercises…or we could just call it a “warm up” you get your body ready for exercise, for example by stretching, by doing a light workout on an EXERCISE BIKE, by walking on a TREADMILL… M : wait, wait, the exercise bike is the stationary bike we use indoors, like the exercise bike you gave me and now I have in my apartment and use quite often, but what is a treadmill? C : the treadmill is that piece of equipment we use to walk or run while staying in place, because we run on a moving belt. I have one in my office, I love it! M : ok, back to our Ted who’s trying to get fit, what could he do after his warm-up session? C : Eat lettuce…. M: Hmm, good idea, but maybe he could do something more? C: He could DO SIT-UPS and PUSH-UPS. M : can you explain that please? C : Sure, ok, Marta, lay on the floor. M : what? C : Lay down on the floor, on your back, with your legs bent. M : Cindy, are you my personal trainer or what?? C : come on, Marta. (sound of whistle blowing) On the floor. Sacrifice yourself for our podcast and our listeners. Do it for the sake of your art! M : all right. There, ok, give me a second, there, I’m lying flat on my back. C : now lift up almost to a sitting position then lie back down again, over and over again, ok, good. You’re DOING SIT-UPS. You’re actually strengthening your abdominals, or your “stomach muscles”. M : (shortness of breath) ok, what’s next, boss? C : now lie face down on the floor, put your hands on the floor under your shoulders. Ok, now push your body up and let it down slowly. Great, you’re DOING PUSH-UPS. Keep going, Marta, keep your back straight, come on, 18, 19, 20, 21…. M : (shortness of breath) hey hey, wait a second, don’t you think our listeners have already understood what push-ups are??! C : yes, but I’m beginning to like being a personal trainer… Now, Marta, let’s move on to WEIGHT LIFTING. Ok. Here are your weights. M : do I really have to do this? C : Yes, weren’t you the one talking about how physical exercise is important for our well-being at the beginning of this episode? M : ok, but you said that too. C : right, aren’t you happy that I’m this concerned about your well-being??!? M : ok, ok, I’ll lift weights, but you have to go on with the episode and tell our listeners other useful vocabulary and idioms. C : No problem, all right. Here’s another way of saying to lift weights : to PUMP IRON. M : to pump iron. (desperately out of breath) like …what I’m doing…right now? C : lifting weights over and over again -combined with a healthful diet- until you look like the female version of The Rock, Dwayne Johnson. That’s to pump iron. M : oh, my! I surrender, I just can’t keep going… C : ok, Marta, do some stretching now while I explain the verb TO WORK OFF. That means to work out in order to lose weight. For example: Jennifer is on a diet but she had a rich dessert at lunch. Tonight she is going swimming to work off that dessert. Or: with the workout done during this episode Marta has worked off a few pounds. M : I hope so! And talking about losing weight, can you explain the idiom: TO HAVE A SPARE TIRE? C : If you have a spare tire you have fat accumulated around your waist, a sort of roll of flesh. To have a spare tire, this idiom gives quite a visual, doesn’t it? M : it does. ? C : so, for example, Kate is getting a spare tire, she decided to go on a diet and work out in order to get rid of it as quickly as possible. M : Well, listeners, that’s all for now. We hope you are all in good shape. C : if not, we wish you to get yourself back into shape soon. C: Thank you for listening our podcast on iTunes and on podomatic! Thank you for liking our Facebook page, for following us on twitter, for watching our videos on youtube and for visiting our website: www.myamericanfriendblog.com M : We’ve had an incredible number of downloads from Vietnam lately and also from China, Japan, South Korea. C : We’d like to send out a special thank you to our new listeners from Asia, we welcome you into the “my American friend” family! We’ll be waiting for your comments and suggestions for future episodes. M : And a heartfelt thank you to all our old friends as well! See you soon, bye bye!

M – to HEAR vs to LISTEN. We’re dealing with PERCEPTION VS INTENTION. (sound of phone ringing)…. Uh… Have you heard that sound, Cindy? Is that your phone ringing? C – Yes, it is. Sorry, Marta, I need to take this call. M - No problem. C - Hello? Hello? Honey, can you hear me? Honey? I’m afraid it’s a very bad line, I can hardly hear your voice, can you repeat that? Wait a second… ok, now I can hear you very well. Uh uh… you took the car to the garage… is it ok now? Ok. Go ahead, I’m listening. I’m all ears. Oh, I see, you need my credit card for the bill… mmmm… how much is it? (gasping)… Honey? I’m afraid I can’t hear you anymore….hello? (hanging up). M – How come that you couldn’t hear the voice exactly when they told you the total amount you’re supposed to pay? C - Cell phones! ? Com’on, let’s move on with this episode. Here’s a good example to understand the difference between to hear and to listen: I was listening to my favorite song at full volume when I heard my neighbors knocking on the door. Marta, can you comment? M – well, you’d better use earphones. ? Your neighbors shouldn’t complain, though, you have good taste in music, I’m sure it was a great song. C – It was! Anyway, about to listen vs to hear? M - You were listening to your favorite song, intentionally, actively, when you heard your neighbors knocking, you heard a sound unintentionally, you just heard it, without wanting to. C – Exactly. Another example: imagine there’s a football game on TV, let’s say….Miami Dolphins VS San Francisco 49ers. M - Wow, my husband would be excited about that! C - Now try and tell him something important while he’s watching his favorite football team playing. M - Hey, darling, I have great news! (game commentary on the TV….) Babe… did you hear what I’ve just said? I have great news!! F - …what? Oh, sorry, Marta, I wasn’t listening. M - are you listening now? F – Sure, baby, I’m all ears. (TV : touch down Miami…) touch down!! Touch down Miami !! C - Yeah, that’s just the way it goes! “Did you hear what I said? I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening.” It’s not your fault, Marta, it’s the power of American football. M - It’s ok. Now how about using a few songs? C - Sure, let’s start with Adele “I heard that you settled down….” M - In this sentence “I heard” means: I got to know, I found out, I was told that… C - For example: “Have you heard that Jane got married last month?” Or “I heard that you got promoted, congratulations!” M - ok, here’s another song: “I heard it through the grapevine” C - “I heard it through the grapevine”, it means: I heard a rumor, people are talking about it, so that’s how I got to know about it. M - And now Beyoncé : “Listen!!” C – Beyoncé must be angry with someone there. If you say: Listen to me! you’re demanding attention. (phone ringing) hang on just a minute Marta, oh, it’s the mechanic calling, the car must be finished. Just a moment, I need to take this call. …Hello? Yes…how much? Are you f***ing kidding me? How much? That’s a $100 job and you want how much? No, you LISTEN to me! I’ll be there in one hour and we’ll talk about it when I get there. M - Cindy, you scare me ? C – Did you hear that? M - Yes, I was listening! C – Well, I’m gonna give the garage something to listen to when we’re done here. M – And actually, we’re done here. Ok, everybody, we hope we helped you understand the difference between to HEAR and to LISTEN, perception vs intention. C – Now LISTEN UP, I’m about to tell you our website address: www.myamericanfriendblog.com We’ve uploaded more than 40 episodes so far… M – And if you haven’t heard our previous episodes, HAVE A LISTEN! C - You can hear us on youtube, podomatic and iTunes. We’re also on Twitter and be sure to like us on Facebook. M- Bye bye!

M- Today we’re talking about being SICK. M- Hi Cindy! C- Hi Marta! How are you today? M- I’m great, thanks! And you? C- Feeling great! And I’m so thankful too, because it seems as if everyone has a cold right now! Everywhere I go people are coughing, sneezing and blowing their noses! M- It’s this crazy weather- it’s sunny on Monday… C- ….and snowing on Tuesday! You’re right. I always seem to CATCH A COLD when the weather changes from one season to another. My nose acts as a sort of barometer! M- So let’s talk a bit today about being sick. C- That will be useful because a lot of people are feeling ‘’UNDER THE WEATHER’’ right now. M- They’re feeling ‘’under the weather’’ . C- That means they’re feeling a little bad, not well, a bit sick. First, let’s organize our discussion by parts of the body. We’ll start with the head. If your head hurts, that’s called a ‘’HEADACHE’’. M- But what if your headache is really strong? C- A strong headache is called a ‘’MIGRAINE’’ and it’s terrible. Migraine headaches can cause dizziness, blurred vision (that means your eyes don’t see well), nausea & sensitivity to light. M- A migraine. Got it. What about ear problems? C- Well, if your ear hurts- that’s an EARACHE …which can develop into an ear infection. Pay careful attention to ear pain and see a doctor if it worsens. M- What about when something irritates your nose, and you need to keep ‘’blowing your nose’’? C- Then you have a ‘’RUNNY NOSE’’. That can be caused by all kinds of irritants like dust & pollen. Or maybe you’ve caught a ‘’HEAD COLD’’. A head cold is when your whole head just feels bad. You may have a headache, sore throat, sneezing and a cough. M- Good times! C- I caught a head cold a few months ago and I blew my nose through the entire month of September! Let’s see, what else can we talk about? If you feel a little dizzy, you can also say ‘’I FEEL LIGHT HEADED’’. M- I feel light headed. That means ‘’I feel dizzy’’. Alright. C- If your neck hurts, maybe because you have slept the night before in a bad position, then you can say ‘’I HAVE A STIFF NECK’’. M- I have a stiff neck. C- Ok, let’s move a little lower down the body. If you feel a little nauseous, if your stomach feels bad, you can say ‘’I feel a little QUEASY’’. That means you feel nauseous. M- And if your back hurts? C- Like mine does right now? Then you have a BACKACHE. Or maybe it’s just a STIFF BACK and when you move around and get some exercise then your back will loosen up and feel better. M- How about an expression related to mood? C- Sure. If you’re feeling a little depressed, you can say ‘’I’m feeling BLUE’’, we’ve talked about that in a previous episode. You can also say ‘’I’M NOT MYSELF TODAY’’. M- I’m not myself today. Got it. C- ‘’I’m not myself today’’ can refer to your mood or your physical self. It can either mean you are a little depressed, or you’re not feeling well. M- Ok, give us an example. Cindy, how are you today? C- Oh, I’m not myself today. I guess I’m a little tired. Tonight, I’ll be sure to go to bed early. M- Let’s move on to the rest of the body. C- Okay, muscle contractions in the legs are pretty common. They’re very painful and usually (thankfully) don’t last long. When a muscle painfully contracts, for example from sitting in an uncomfortable position for too long, we call that a ‘’CRAMP’’. M- When a muscle contracts and causes pain- that’s called a ‘’cramp’’. C- Right, muscle contractions can cause cramps, but when we overextend a muscle that’s called a ‘’PULLED’’ MUSCLE. M- Can you give us an example? C- Sure. I tried to lift the sofa by myself, and I pulled a muscle in my back. The next time I move that heavy sofa, I will surely ask another person for help. M- What if we injure a joint, but it’s not broken? C- If we overextend, or twist a joint, that’s called a ‘’SPRAIN’’. It’s very painful and you may have swelling, but nothing is broken. M- Sprained ankles are very common. C- You can sprain your ankle playing basketball. You can sprain your knee while dancing. You can sprain your wrist while playing tennis. There are lots of ways to sprain your joints. Marta, have you ever sprained a joint? M - No, I haven’t. C – Lucky you! C- Thanks for listening everyone! Marta & I want to wish everyone a HAPPY & HEALTHY day! Take good care of each other, be good to each other and we hope to hear from you real soon. M- Stop by today and say hello on our Facebook page! C- Or on our blog at www.myamericanfriendblog.com. We’re also on iTunes, Podomatic, Twitter and YouTube. Take care everyone and thanks for listening! M- Thanks everyone! Bye bye! VOCABULARY: 1. ''....feeling under the weather.''- to feel a bit sick, not quite well, tired, the feeling you have just before you catch a cold, to feel run down. EXAMPLE: Everyone in my office is sick with the flu. Today I am feeling a little under the weather. I feel very tired and I have a sore throat. 2. Headache- head pain as a result of many causes like stress, illness, loud noise, bright light, eye strain, injury...etc... Headaches can have many origins. EXAMPLE: Please turn the volume down on your stereo! That loud music is giving me a headache! 3. Migraine- a very strong, painful headache. 4. Blurred vision/Blurry vision- out of focus, not clear, fuzzy EXAMPLE: A migraine headache can be accompanied by nausea, blurred vision and sensitivity to light. 5. Earache/Ear infection- ear pain/infection in the ear canal EXAMPLE: An ear infection should be taken seriously. If you have ear pain you should visit a doctor for treatment. 6. Runny nose- irritation of the nose causing it ''to run'' . Many things can cause a ''runny nose'' like dust, pollen, pet fur or illness EXAMPLE: I love cats but unfortunately I'm allergic to cat fur. Every time I visit my sister's house, I always leave with a runny nose. Her cat is adorable but it makes me sneeze! 7. Head cold- common cold causing you to have a runny nose, sore throat, cough, headache and fatigue EXAMPLE: I always catch a head cold in October when the weather begins to change from warm & sunny to cold & rainy. 8. To feel ''light headed''- to feel dizzy EXAMPLE: I'm afraid of heights. I always feel light headed when I'm up too high. 9. To have a stiff neck- pain in your neck, usually as a result of strained muscles, for example, from keeping your head turned to one side for too long, sleeping in a bad position, or cold temperatures EXAMPLE: Last night, I fell asleep on my couch and awoke the next morning with a stiff neck. I took a hot shower and now the pain has subsided and I feel much better. 10. to feel a little ''queasy''- to feel a bit nauseous EXAMPLE: I can't stand horror movies! The sight of all that blood makes me feel queasy! I prefer funny movies instead. 11. to have a ''stiff'' back- to have a sore back, mild back pain EXAMPLE: I must purchase a new mattress for my bed. My old mattress is old and worn out. It's too soft and it sags in the middle. Every morning I wake up with a stiff back. 12. Feeling blue- feeling a little down, depressed, in a sad mood EXAMPLE: My brother has been feeling blue all day- it's because his favorite football team lost the Super Bowl Championship! And I'm happy because my favorite team WON! :-) 13. I'm not myself today- I'm in a bad mood today, I'm not feeling well today, I have a lot of stress/problems and I'm unfocused (this expression can be used for many things) EXAMPLE: I'm sorry, I'm not myself today. I'm a bit tired and I think I'm catching a cold. I have a headache today. Tonight I will be sure to go to bed early and get a good night's rest. 14. Muscle cramp- a strong contraction of a muscle, causing pain. The marathon runner suffered a muscle cramp in his leg at the end of the race. Unfortunately, he could not finish and had to drop out. 15. Pulled muscle- to over extend a muscle, causing pain Yesterday, I pulled a muscle in my back. I was at the gym and I tried to lift a weight that was too heavy for my body. 16. Sprain- to twist or bend a joint beyond its normal range of motion, causing pain or injury. My brother tripped on the basketball court and sprained his ankle. The doctor said it was not a serious injury. He's in a lot of pain, but nothing is broken. He's keeping it elevated. The doctor said he must put ice on it to keep the swelling down.

M – Today we’re talking about HURRYING UP and SLOWING DOWN ! M- Hi, Cindy! How are you today? C- I’m IN A BIG RUSH today. I’m IN A HURRY. We have to MOVE QUICKLY. M- oh, really? WHAT’S THE RUSH? C- Yeah, sorry but we’re going to have to MOVE IT ALONG today. I’ve got to pack my suitcase for my trip back to America. M- Cindy, CHILL OUT, RELAX. SLOW DOWN. You still have an entire week before you fly back to America. C- I like to be prepared. M- ok, TAKE IT EASY…you’ll be out of here IN NO TIME. Don’t worry. C- Thank you, I’m IN A MAD RUSH today. I’m really PRESSED FOR TIME. There’s so much to do before leaving and the days are just FLYING BY. M- Hmm…I’m sure you have a lot to do. C- Oh, you have no idea! M- Alright, just SIMMER DOWN. Don’t get nervous. C- Ok, so LET’S GET CRACKING. Let’s get started with the podcast. CHOP CHOP! M- (silence) C- Come on…. SHAKE A LEG! LET’S GET MOVING. How do you turn this mic on? M- Why are you trying to skip out on me? Why are you so anxious to leave? C- I’M UNDER THE GUN today…I’ve got a lot of pressure on me. M- You’re under the gun? C- Yes…and I need to be out of here IN JIFFY. I need to leave soon. M- Okay, SETTLE DOWN, CALM DOWN…go put your feet up and chill for a second. Relax, while I get everything readyC- Ok. M- It’s a beautiful day today. Go look outside the window and enjoy the clouds or something. . (Ok, let me fix this thing here…ok, the wire, here, ok… the volume…) C- Are you ready? M- No! Go sit down! What’s your problem today? C- I’m sorry, but I have a train to catch! M- You’ve been trying to dash out of the studio AT BREAKNECK SPEED since you got here…. C- YES! BREAKNECK speed- that means I have to go very quickly! And you just keep on talking…. M- Wait…wait a second… you have to catch a train??? C- Yes. M- Before, you said that you had to pack your suitcase for America! C- Oh did I? I do…have to pack my suitcase…for the train…to America. M- There is no train from Italy to America. C- Oh…a bus? M- Nope. C- Taxi? M- Too expensive! Nice try. You’re BUSTED! C- I’m busted! Damn! She figured out that I was lying! M- What’s going on? You’re lying, and I want to know why. C- …Ok, the shoe store at the mall is having a half-price sale. M- What? C- The shoe store is having a half-price sale…only for today. You can buy two pairs of shoes for the price of one pair. M- No!? Shut up! C- Yeah, it’s true. They even have those cool black shoes that you wanted…half-price. M- Cindy, so why are you STANDING AROUND? C- What? M- Stop WASTING TIME! CHOP CHOP! HURRY! GET IT IN GEAR! C- huh? M- That means: Let’s go! We’ve got shoes to buy! C- Half-price shoes! M- Thanks for listening everyone! C- Thanks everyone, and be sure to take a little time and say hello to us on our blog at www.myamericanfriendblog.com! Or drop us an email at ‘’myamericanfriendpodcast@gmail.com’’- and be sure to ‘’like’’ us on Facebook. We’re also on Twitter, Youtube, Podomatic and iTunes. M- Cindy, are you still talking?? We need to get to the mall ON THE DOUBLE! C- ok, ok…I’m coming. Just let me get my purse! ************************** VOCABULARY 1. I’m in a big rush today- I’m in a hurry. I have a lot to do. I have a busy schedule. I don’t have much time. 2.What’s the rush?- why are you in a hurry? 3.we’re going to have to move it along today- we have to move fast/do things/work quickly today 3. chill out-relax 4. take it easy- to relax, to calm down 5. you’ll be out of here in no time- You will be able to leave quickly, in a short period of time. 6. I’m in a mad rush- I’m in a big hurry, I must do things very quickly today, I don’t have much time. 7. I’m really pressed for time- I have little time today. 8. the days are flying by- days appear to pass very quickly, as if they are ‘’flying’’’ by 9.simmer down- calm down, don’t get excited, don’t lose your temper, relax 10. get cracking- get started quickly. EXAMPLE: We have a lot of work to finish by the end of today, so let’s get cracking! 11. We must move quickly. EXAMPLE: We have a 24 hour deadine to finish this project, we must move quickly. EXAMPLE: Registration for summer classes ends January 1st. You must move quickly and sign up now, otherwise you will lose the opportunity to enroll in the summer program. 12. Chop Chop!- Hurry up! EXAMPLE: You're waking too slowly! Come on...chop chop! Walk faster or else we will miss the train! 13. Shake a leg- move quickly, hurry up EXAMPLE- The movie starts at 8pm and it's 7:30 now. Shake a leg and let's go,otherwise we won't be able to find a good seat. 14. To skip out- to avoid responsibility EXAMPLE: We all agreed to share the cost of the meal, but John skipped out before the end. Barbara & Susan had to pay for his dinner. 15. to be ''under the gun''- to be under a lot of pressure We're all under the gun to finish this project early. Our original deadline was February 1st, but now the client has moved the deadline to January 1st! Everyone in the office is working as hard as they can to finish. 16. In a jiffy- very quickly EXAMPLE: I'm very close to your house, I'll be there in a jiffy. See you in 5 minutes. 17. Settle down- calm down, be quiet, relax EXAMPLE: The students would not settle down on the last day of school. They were too excited before summer vacation. 18. to dash out- to leave quickly EXAMPLE: I'm sorry, I must dash out of the office early today. My daughter has a dentist appointment at 2 o'clock this afternoon. 19. at breakneck speed- at a very fast speed EXAMPLE- That car raced through the parking lot at breakneck speed! I hope the police arrest him for reckless driving. EXAMPLE: John ran out of the office at breakneck speed today. His wife is having a baby. 20. standing around- wasting time, non-productive, doing nothing EXAMPLE: Will you all please get back to work, instead of standing around at the water cooler? 21. wasting time- not using time productively EXAMPLE: You are wasting your time with John. He's not interested in a relationship. 22. Get it in gear/ Get in gear- get organized and move quickly. EXAMPLE: Your school grades are terrible. You're going to have to get it in gear and study hard for the remainder of the year if you want to enroll in a good university after high school. 23. On the double- to leave quickly, immediately EXAMPLE: We'll have to leave on the double if we want to be at the movie theater by 7pm.

M - today we are going to talk about HAIR M - …(singing) then peace will guide the planet…. C - …Marta? Are you ok? M - ….(singing) age of Aquarius…!! C – Marta we’re not talking about the musical, we’re talking about HAIR in general. M – uh, ok…. hey, speaking of hair, you’re a redhead now, Cindy! C - yes, I’ve been blonde forever and I decided to shake things up a bit. M - well, you look great and you also provided us with a topic for a new episode: Hair! First of all ‘’hair’’ is UNCOUNTABLE in English. This is a special reminder for Italian listeners in particular. For example: ‘’My hair IS dark brown.’’ C - actually, Marta, your hair is dark brown and blue. M - You’re right. I have blue HIGHLIGHTS, my fringe is blue. Anyway, what I was trying to say was: my hair IS. C - You’re right, I noticed Italians tend to say “my hair are”, but that’s not correct in English. For instance my hair is curly. Or: my hair was blonde and now my hair is red. I had my hair colored. M - and that’s another important point to remember: CAUSATIVE VERBS! For example: I HAD MY HAIR CUT. C - Yes, that means: I went to the hairdresser and they took care of my hair. I did not cut my hair myself. So : I had my hair cut. M - Right. C - Other examples could be : I had my hair styled, I had my hair curled, I had my hair straightened, I had my hair trimmed. M – Clear. C - Marta, have you ever had your hair cut in The States? M - No, I haven’t. C - Ok, let’s pretend I’m a super-trendy American hairstylist. Good Morning Madam! How are you today? M- I’m fine, thank you. C- How can I help you? M - I need to have my hair cut, you know, to remove the split ends. C - Would you like to try a new style? M – Not really, just trim the ends and fix the BANGS please. C - Just a TRIM? C’mon I’m a super-trendy hairstylist. People wait months for an appointment with me! Ugh, all right. I can see your hair has a natural wave, how about a ‘’BLOW OUT’’ (that means straightened) then arranged into a nice PONYTAIL? That would bring out your beautiful blue FRINGE even more. M – Ok. That sounds nice. Thank you. C - That will be $259. M - Are you kidding me? C - Plus taxes. I’m a great hairstylist, not to mention a podcast superstar. M - ok, now I get it, not only you’re a redhead now, you’re big-headed! C - no, I was just horsing around. Now, back to hair: I know a few good hair-related idioms. M – go ahead. C - TO SPLIT HAIRS. For example: it was a pointless debate, both candidates kept splitting hairs instead of going straight to the core of the matter. M – to split hairs. That means : overcomplicating things. Ok. Got it. C – and what if I say: Marta, LET YOUR HAIR DOWN! M - does it refer to the ponytail you wanted to charge me $259 for? C - 259 USD. no, to ‘’let your hair down’’ means to relax, to let yourself go. M - to ‘’let your hair down.’’ C - another idiom is: IT MADE MY HAIR STAND ON END ! it could have both a positive and a negative meaning. For example: the earthquake made my hair stand on end, it was really frightening! But also: that singer is amazing, when she strikes those high notes she makes my hair stand on end. M - Ok, that’s all for now. Everybody check out the transcript of this episode on our website: you’ll find a list of useful hair-related vocabulary with relevant definitions. C - such as: CONDITIONER, HAIR-SPRAY, FLAT IRON, HAIR DRYER, SALT AND PEPPER HAIR…etc.. M - love that! C - salt and pepper hair? M - I find men with salt and pepper hair to be very hot. C- George Clooney is a perfect example of a man with Salt & Pepper hair. His hair is gray & black. It’s Salt & Pepper-colored. M- George Clooney is a perfect example. Period. C - How about you, listeners? Let us know your favorite hair styles! We want to hear all about it. Get in contact with us on www.myamericanfriendblog.com, on Podomatic.com, Twitter, iTunes, Youtube and on our Facebook page where I will go ahead and post a picture of my new red hair! Now, Marta, come with me to the sink… we need to start on your hair. M - what? Just a trim for $259? You must be nuts. C - c’mon…you don’t trust me? I’ll have you out of here in no time! M- No way! C- Alright, I’ll do it for $200 M - I’m not going anywhere! Wait! What is that?!?! (sound of chainsaw starting) C - C’mon! Let’s go…but I’m warning you…for $200 I’m going to have to cut some corners… VOCABULARY: * “HAIR” is uncountable in English. EXAMPLE: My hair IS brown, My hair IS curly, My hair is long, My hair is black. * Causative verbs! Example: I had my hair cut, I had my hair styled, I had my hair permed, I had my hair straightened. BANGS or FRINGE: The shorter hair that is cut to hang over the forehead. Not everyone wears a hairstyle with fringe or bangs. PONYTAIL: to gather all your hair at the back of your head and tie it with elastic, so that it hangs like the ‘’tail of a pony (small horse)’’. TRIM: To cut a small amount off your hair. EXAMPLE: I’m going to the salon to have my hair trimmed. I don’t want a drastic haircut. I want the same style I always have. The stylist will trim just a bit off the ends to keep my hair neat and healthy looking. CONDITIONER: Product applied to hair AFTER shampoo to keep it soft, manageable and easy to brush. EXAMPLE: My hair is very dry & curly. It is very important for me to use a good conditioner every time I shampoo my hair. Without conditioner, it is impossible for me to comb my hair after washing it. Using conditioner keeps my hair soft. HAIR-SPRAY: Spray lacquer used to keep styled hair looking perfect. EXAMPLE: Every morning, before I leave the house for work, I use extra strong hairspray to keep my hair looking nicely styled throughout the day. If I don’t use hairspray, my hair will become very flat and straight. FLAT IRON: A heated, electric styling tool used to make hair flat, shiny & smooth. HAIR DRYER: Styling device that blows hot or cool air, allowing you to dry your hair very quickly. SALT AND PEPPER HAIR: Hair that is both black & gray. SPLIT ENDS: Damaged hair causing the ends to ‘’split in two’’. To have a ‘’blow out’’: time consuming process in which the hair is straightened using a hair dryer, brush, styling products & heated tools like a flat iron. The end result is shiny, silky, straight hair. If the hair becomes wet it will revert back to its natural texture (wavy, curly, frizzy…etc..). *IDIOMS* TO SPLIT HAIRS: To overcomplicate an argument, discussion, debate. EXAMPLE: The two presidential candidates kept splitting hairs & wasting time by discussing unimportant topics instead of talking about the real problems facing our country. LET YOUR HAIR DOWN: To relax. EXAMPLE: On Friday nights, after work, I always stop by the pub to have a beer with friends and let my hair down. Seeing good friends on Friday night is my favorite way to relax and start the weekend. EXAMPLE: My sister is always busy with work commitments. She never relaxes or does anything special for herself. On Saturday, I’m taking her out to lunch & shopping afterwards. At night we’ll have a nice dinner together. For once, my sister can relax and let her hair down! She deserves it. IT MADE MY HAIR STAND ON END: it gave me chills, strong emotional response (either good or bad). EXAMPLE (bad response): That horror movie was terrifying! Why did you take me to it???? When that scary music started to play and the killer entered the room- my hair stood on end! I was so scared! I’m never going to the movies with you again! EXAMPLE (good): Every time I see the old footage of Whitney Houston singing The Star Spangled Banner, my hair stands on end. She was an amazing talent. To shake things up a bit- To change the normal course of things, life. EXAMPLE: I was bored of my normal every day routine, so I decided to shake things up a bit and enroll myself in Salsa Dancing classes! It’s so much fun! I’ve met some very interesting people and Salsa Dancing is great exercise. I’m going to have to cut some corners- to do things quickly, take a shortcut, and possibly sacrifice quality in the process. EXAMPLE: My dinner party has ballooned from 4 guests to 10 guests! I don’t have time to cook enough food for 10 people. I’m going to have to cut some corners and buy a prepared roast, some vegetables and a prepared dessert at the grocery store. I’ll have you out of here in no time- I’ll do it quickly, in a short period of time. EXAMPLE: The garage is empty today, we have no customers in the waiting room. We’ll change your oil & put new tires on the car quickly. Don’t worry, we’ll have you out of here in no time. You’ll be back to work before lunch. You must be nuts!- You must be crazy! You must be mad! EXAMPLE: You must be nuts if you think I’m getting on that roller coaster ride with you! No way! EXAMPLE: You must be nuts if you think I’m going to another horror movie with you again! That last movie you took me to was terrifying! EXAMPLE: I can’t believe you’re eating those hot peppers! You must be nuts! Those are the hottest peppers in the world! Horsing around- joking around, not being serious, play fighting EXAMPLE: Stop horsing around with video games and chatting with your friends Facebook… and start studying for your History exam! This grade is very important. EXAMPLE: Stop horsing around and be quiet, your father is trying to sleep and the noise is going wake him! Big-headed: Arrogant, to have an overly high, inflated opinion of oneself. EXAMPLE: My supervisor is the most arrogant, big headed, selfish person I have ever met. She is concerned with no one but herself. If an employee has a good idea, she immediately steals the credit for it. My coworkers and I are very happy because next month she’ll transfer to another department & we’ll be free of her! EXAMPLE: I can’t stand my sister’s boyfriend. He’s just a big headed jerk. All he does is talk about himself and his car. What an idiot! The whole family will have a party when she finally decides to get rid of him.

M- Today we’re talking about being ANNOYED. M- Cindy, it’s been an exciting time in America recently because the American Presidential Elections have just ended. C- …and thank goodness for that! I was so sick and tired of hearing about politics, I couldn’t take another minute of it! By November 6th I think we’d all had enough. M- Well, that’s not exactly the response I had anticipated…but ok. C- By the time Election Day rolls around, that means by the time Election Day has arrived, we’re all annoyed and completely tired of it. It’s a circus of political ads & negativity. M- So you… C- …me, and probably most of my fellow Americans… M- You were all ‘’sick & tired’’ of politics? Does that mean you were physically ill? C- No, that’s means we were exhausted, annoyed, ready for it to stop. I’ll give you another example: I’m so sick & tired of listening to my colleagues argue. I really wish they would learn to cooperate with each other. M- And when you say ‘’I couldn’t take another minute of it’’? C- That means I could not tolerate another minute. Here’s another example: Please turn the music down, lower the volume! That’s it! I’ve had it! I can’t stand it anymore! I can’t take another minute of thrash metal! M- Ok! Ok! You’ve made your point! C- Thank you! Oh! ‘’You’ve made your point’’ that’s another great expression! It means: You’ve expressed your opinion clearly, I understand what you’re saying. ‘’You’ve made your point’’. That’s a very useful expression! M- Well, at least something good has come from all your bitching and complaining this afternoon! You’ve got a major bug up your ass today! C- I do not! M- Yes, you do! C- Do not!...oh wait a minute, let’s elaborate on that more, otherwise everyone will think I’m suffering an infestation of insects! ? M- Good idea! Let me repeat: You’ve got a MAJOR BUG UP YOUR ASS TODAY! C- Thank you, Marta …and by the way everyone- don’t use that language in front of your grandmother, ok? Alright, my dear friend…what was that again? ? You’ve got a bug…? M- …a MAJOR bug! C- …A MAJOR BUG! Sorry…’’You’ve got a major bug up your ass today’’ okay, that means you’re annoyed today, not in a good mood, you’ve got a problem, something is bothering you and you’re being unpleasant to the people around you. M- Can you use that in a sentence? C- Ugh…you’re killing me! Alright, here’s an EXAMPLE: John’s got a major bug up his ass today. He’s been in a bad mood ever since he found out his wife was cheating on him with the mailman. M- Got it. But, Cindy, I know there’s another bug-related expression out there: ‘’You’re bugging me’’. C- We usually combine it with ‘’Quit it!’’ So, we would say: ‘’Quit it! You’re bugging me’’…or …’’Quit it! You’re starting to bug me!’’ M-that means ‘’Stop it! You’re annoying me!’’ C- uh huh, ‘’Quit it! You’re bugging me!’’ I always say that to my neighbor’s dog, but he never listens! ? M- Do you have another one for us? C- Here’s one for all of you moms & dads out there. You can use this, for example, when your kids are fighting in the backseat and you need to concentrate on driving. M- Ok, let’s hear it. C- Knock it off!! Right now!! C- Marta? Are you still here? M- That depends, are you going to bite my head off? C- No, I’m not going to bite your head off ? M- You’re starting to grate on my nerves. Now you’re starting to annoy ME! Why don’t you go sign up for a yoga class or something? C- Oh! I’ve done it now! I’ve annoyed the woman of steel! M- I think it’s time to call it a day and finish up here. Thanks for listening everyone! C- Thanks everyone! Come and catch up with us later on our Facebook page, iTunes, Podomatic, Twitter, YouTube and on our blog at www.myAmericanfriendblog.com . We’re looking forward to hearing from you. Have a great day! M- Bye bye! C- Who are you calling? M- I’m signing you up for yoga lessons. C- I do not need yoga! RECEPTIONIST- Good afternoon, Sleepy Acres Mental Institution…How can I help you today? MARTA- Yes, I have a patient…when can I bring her over? CINDY- WHAT?? RECEPTIONIST- We have an opening today. See you at 3? MARTA- We’ll be right over CINDY- Hang up the phone!

M – Let’s talk again about SONGS! C - Hi everyone! as we mentioned in episode #35, songs are precious tools to help you improve your English. We’ve asked you to let us know which idioms and new words you learnt thanks to songs. Well, we’ve heard back from you and we’ve collected your ideas and suggestions. M - Let’s start with our dear friend Sergio Leon from Mexico. C - Sergio wrote us that music and songs really helped him go beyond the English he studied in grammar books … M- …that’s true… C- …and listen to the real everyday English you speak when you travel the world. He knows a lot of country songs, so he’s familiar with the accent of the American South. M – Sergio also mentioned how he noticed the difference in accent between Sting (British) and Paul Simon (American). C - And Sergio’s favorite band is…take a guess? Bon Jovi! M – Good choice! C – Sergio told us that he learnt that the contraction of “I WOULD” is “I’d” by listening to the song “I’ll be there for you” by Bon Jovi M - “I’d live and I’d die for you” . Oh, I think I had listened to that song at least a million times when I was in high school, it brings back tons of memories!! Thanks Sergio! C - And now: Igor from Moscow! Another dear friend of ours. While driving his daughters Ann and Nastya to school, the three of them listen to songs in English together. Igor has an interesting method to suggest in order to better understand the words of a song. He has found the file of a song by Linkin Park with separate vocal tracks, so that you can listen to the voice only. M - That’s very smart! C - Isn’t it? Igor also told us that he learnt the expression “poker face” thanks to Lady Gaga. M - Yes, and who didn’t? She made that expression incredibly popular all over the world with her song. C - To keep a poker face means not to show your thoughts and emotions. C - Ok, now our Facebook friend Manfred, from northern Germany. He mentioned a song by The Kinks entitled “Dandy”. This is the sentence he talks about: 'Hubby’s gone away and while the cat’s away the mice are gonna play'. The word ‘’Hubby’’ means husband, plus there is the idiom: "when the cat's away the mice will play". It gives a great visual. Just be sure you are not the cat! M – Thank you Manfred for sharing this with us. Who else do we have? C - Laura, our Italian friend now living in Australia. She learnt the expression “to feel blue” thanks to a song by Dolores O’Riordan titled “Fly through”. “You’re older now and you’re feeling blue”. M - To feel blue. C - It simply means to feel sad. M - Laura also mentioned the song "Paid my dues" by Anastacia C - Oh, LOVE Anastacia!! She actually learnt quite a strong expression thanks to that song ? “I don't give a damn about who's around” I don’t give a damn means I don’t care. M – Thank you Laura for sending us your comments too. C - Laura used to study English with you at your course English Amplifier before moving to Australia, right? M - Right. C – Wow. Laura, learned English sooo fast! She’s amazing. Can you think of any other students of English Amplifier who could add their comments to this episode? M - Sure! I remember Letizia once wrote on Facebook that “Payphone” by Maroon 5 helped her revise the Second Conditional. C - Which line is she referring to? M – If happy ever after did exist I would still be holding you like this. It is a second conditional, she’s right. C- And Adam Levine is a very good-looking grammar teacher! M - And another of my students, Ilaria, learnt the expression “out of the blue” thanks to Adele. C - Oh, I know that song, “someone like you”. “I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited…” ‘’Out of the blue’’ means suddenly, without notice. M - Out of the blue. Easy. Songs make everything much easier! C – They do! Now Marta give us an interesting expression in English from one of your songs. M – mmmm, one of my songs….let me think, ok: to make blood promises. Everybody listen to this line : “They made blood promises they couldn’t keep, but they were innocent, wishing their time would never end”. C – I know this song very well! M – You bet! I wrote the music of this song together with Cindy’s husband. He’s a great guitar player. C - Your husband too. Two podcasters married to two guitar heroes! M - ….ok, back to the song: “They made blood promises they couldn’t keep”. To make blood promises. C - That’s a very solemn ritual typical of brotherhoods, making promises and adding a few drops of your blood to show you truly mean what you say. Generally speaking “making blood promises” means to be very serious about those promises. M - Promises you should keep, you should not break. C - Right. To keep one’s promise, to break one’s promise. Everybody, promise you’ll go check out this song on iTunes: it’s called “TWO DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS” and it’s included in Marta’s acoustic duo EP 2012. Marta, can you give us the name of your acoustic duo again? And in as many languages as possible? ? M - ? Sure… it’s called…twelveNotes…dodiciNote…douzeNotes…doceNotas…12N… C- available now on iTunes…Thank you! M- Thank you! And thanks again to our wonderful listeners for helping us out with this episode: Sergio Leon, Igor, Manfred, Laura, Letizia & Ilaria. C - Everyone, come visit us at our webpages and drop us a note! “my American friend” is on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, iTunes, Podomatic.com and of course there is also our website : www.myamericanfriendblog.com M – See you soon! And keep listening to songs in English! C - And to our podcast! Bye bye! ************* Marta's acoustic duo : 12N (twelveNotes) www.12n.biz "2012 EP" available on iTunes !

Marta- Today we’re talking about ‘CHEATING ‘’ C- We’re talking about Cheating and being dishonest on all levels, from cheating someone in business to cheating on your partner. M- Sadly, cheating is a common thread throughout our daily lives! C- You really need to be ON YOUR GUARD! You need to be cautious and KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED for unsavory and dishonest characters! M- What got you thinking about cheating? C- Well, I don’t want to DRAG ANYONE’S NAME THROUGH THE MUD- that means I don’t want to say bad things about someone and destroy their reputation. I don’t want to drag anyone’s name through the mud. M- Wow, what happened? C- Okay, I’M NOT GOING TO NAME NAMES but we were in a popular resort town in Italy last week. It was a hot day so we stopped off for an ice cream and some cold water. Our server returned with 2 two filthy water glasses marred in greasy fingerprints…. M- Ewww! C- …and my ice cream was covered in brown, rotten sliced strawberries. M- That’s gross! Maybe they were raisins? C- Nope, they were strawberries…and it cost us 16 Euros! ? M- What a RIP-OFF! They really took advantage of you two tourists. C- But it immediately made me think of a wonderful idiom: SHOOTING FISH IN A BARREL! M- Shooting fish in a barrel. C- That means something is really easy, there’s no challenge to it. This ice cream shop has customers all day long, simply because of where they are located. The customers just FALL INTO THEIR LAP and they probably couldn’t care less about providing good service or decent food- they’ll make money no matter what. M- That’s terrible! C- No, it’s not terrible because we’re going to turn a negative situation into a positive and do a whole podcast about it! ? M- I like the way you think! ? C- Believe me, by the time I had picked off my last decrepit strawberry I had a whole episode in my head! M- So where should we begin? C- Let’s begin with the dreaded TOURIST TRAP! M- A tourist trap. C- Tourist traps are located all around the world and they’re designed to take your hard earned vacation money and give you bad service in return. M- Restaurants can be awful tourist traps! C- Uh huh… Tourist trap-type restaurants are eating establishments, located in major tourist destinations, which target travelers. They’re a total rip-off. They offer bad food, lousy service & high prices because they know that chances are they will never see your face again. This is why I always check online for restaurant suggestions and reviews before I waste my money on vacation. M- Be careful because some vacation destinations can be filled with CON-ARTISTS looking to SWINDLE you out of your hard earned money! C- A con-artist is a dishonest person who intentionally tricks or deceives people in order to take their money. M- A con-artist cons people out of their money. C- …and con-artists are everywhere, they can be found in every type of business! I’m immediately reminded of two SHADY car dealerships I had purchased vehicles from. If we call someone ‘’shady’’ that means they are untrustworthy.. M- Yes, and everyone if you are buying a car please be sure to purchase from a reputable, reliable car dealer. C- That’s very important. Do some research, check online reviews and talk to friends who have purchased cars. Don’t do business with shady, disreputable, dishonest car dealers… like I did!! ? M- Cindy, what happened with your car? Was it a DODGY DEAL? C- I experienced two dodgy deals! They were both bad deals! One car died at the end of the street when I drove it away and the other cost me thousands of dollars in repairs just in the first year. M- They were dodgy deals! C- They were! ? But, thankfully, THEIR REPUTATIONS CAUGHT UP WITH THEM and neither one is in business today! We’re safe! ? M- We all need to be aware and make careful business decisions with our money. C- Be cautious of ‘’GET RICH QUICK’’ SCHEMES and deals that ‘’SOUND TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE’’. M – If something sounds too good to be true… it is ! C - If a business offer promises to make you a millionaire overnight then I would say ‘’IT SOUNDS FISHY’’- that means it doesn’t sound right. It sounds suspicious. M- It sounds fishy. Got it. C- We can also say: ‘’I SMELL A RAT!’’ M- I smell a rat. C- Just one rat…I smell a rat. You would never say ‘’I smell rats’’ , plural, that means you can actually smell rodents. Which is pretty bad, but we’re making references to cheating today… M- Not rodents. C- When something sounds wrong, when you suspect someone may be lying to you and the story doesn’t seem quite right… M- I smell a rat! C- Exactly! Often times we can decide whether someone is dishonest or not just by looking them in the eye. If sometime fails to maintain eye contact, if they keep looking over their shoulder nervously- be careful. We call them ‘’SHIFTY-EYED’’ and it means exactly that- their eyes ‘’shift’’ or move from place to place. The eyes are the window to the soul! So pay attention to them! M- So Cindy, if someone looks mean, shifty-eyed and nervous they may be lying or generally untrustworthy. C- Uh huh, and this brings us to our final subject- CHEATING ON YOUR PARTNER! M- Cindy, what do you call a man who cheats on his girlfriend or wife? C- Low down dirty good for nothing low life sleaze ball loser rat bastard !!!! M- Uhm?? That’s a bit complicated. You need to simplify that…and then go to anger therapy. C- ? I’m just joking. And by the way- girls cheat too. Both sides can be guilty in love. I know. I’ve been reading those Hollywood gossip sites. There was that super famous Kristin what’s-her-face who cheated on her boyfriend Robert something-or-other? M- You have no idea what you’re talking about, do you? C- No. Actually, I don’t. Hey, do you remember Shaggy, he’s a Jamaican-American performer? He had a huge hit song in The States all about cheating! It was sort of a catchy hip hop- reggae fusion style song. M- That’s right, it was called “It wasn’t me” and it came out in 2000. C- Great song! Y’know Marta, we’re making light of the subject of Cheating by playing Shaggy. M- You’re right. C- Cheating on your partner really isn’t funny. People get hurt and families are destroyed by it, so everybody think twice about the consequences before you stray from your relationships. M- An extra-marital affair could have a very serious ripple effect. C- An EXTRA-MARITAL AFFAIR is a relationship outside of marriage. A RIPPLE EFFECT refers to the waves in the ocean. When a large object, like a boat, passes though the water the waves generated by that boat can be felt all the way to the shore. That’s a ripple effect. Our actions affect not only ourselves but those around us as well. M- Well said. C- Thank you! C - Well everyone, that’s it for today. Thank you for listening and we hope you’ve found this episode useful. M- …and remember- stay away from tourist traps! C- …and shifty-eyed characters! M- Thanks everyone! C- Stop by today and say hello on our Facebook page or on our blog at www.myamericanfriendblog.com. You can also download this episode and past episodes of ‘’my American friend’’ on Podomatic.com and iTunes. We’re also on Twitter and we are now available for private lessons via Skype. Just email us at myamericanfriendpodcast@gmail.com and we’ll respond with all the details. *************************************************************************************** VOCABULARY: 1. CHEATING- As defined by Merriam Webster: a : to practice fraud or trickery b : to violate rules dishonestly c : to be sexually unfaithful —usually used with on d : to position oneself defensively near a particular area in anticipation of a play in that area 2. To be ‘’on your guard’’-to be cautious, to watch out carefully, to be aware of your surroundings and ready to deal with a situation. EXAMPLE: It’s important to pay attention and be on your guard when walking through certain neighborhoods in Los Angeles at night. There are some parts of the city that are quite dangerous after dark. 3. To ‘’keep your eyes peeled’’- to keep your eyes open, to be cautious, alert, aware, attentive. EXAMPLE: Keep your eyes peeled for a gas (petrol) station! The car is almost out of gas. We must find some fuel soon- otherwise we’ll have to walk home! 4. To ‘’drag someone’s name through the mud’’- To publically speak ill of someone, to say impolite, bad things about someone and destroy their reputation professionally or personally. EXAMPLE: We ate dinner at a terrible restaurant last week! ANSWER: Really? Which restaurant was it? ANSWER: I’m not going to drag anyone’s name through the mud by mentioning the name of the restaurant. It wouldn’t be fair. The staff was very nice and maybe the food will be better the next time we visit. 5. ‘’I’m not going to name names’’- I’m not going to identify anyone by mentioning their name. EXAMPLE: You arrived home very late last night. Were you on a date? Who were you with? ANSWER: Sorry, but I’m not going to name names. I’m going to keep that private. I never talk about my personal life and who I am dating. 6. Shooting fish in a barrel- something is very easy to do, no challenge. EXAMPLE: There is a new ice cream shop in town. It opened across the street from the high school! The ice cream is delicious and the shop earns a lot of money. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel, every day after school the students, teachers and parents all line up to buy ice cream! It was a very good business decision to open a shop where everyone enjoys ice cream! The shop has been a great success. 7. Fall into your lap- if something just ‘’falls into your lap’’ it means you didn’t have to work hard or long to earn it. It came easily to you. EXAMPLE: How did you get this excellent job? ANSWER: Honestly, my supervisor, John, is a friend of my family. When I graduated from university, my mother told him I needed a job. John hired me 2 weeks after I graduated. So, I guess you could say this job just fell into my lap. I am very grateful to John for giving me the chance to prove myself worthy of this opportunity. 8. Tourist trap- a business designed to attract tourists while giving them little value for their money. Some restaurants in popular tourist destinations are famous for being tourist traps. EXAMPLE: On our first night in Paris, we ate dinner in a total tourist trap! It was a restaurant located near the Eiffel Tower and it was filled only with tourists. The prices were high, the food was terrible and the service was even worse. On the second night, we dined in a corner bistro near our hotel. It was filled with local French people, the food was excellent and the prices were very reasonable. 9. A ‘’rip-off’’- a bad deal, when the money you have paid for a purchase does not match its value. EXAMPLE: That hotel charges an extra $35.00 per person, per day for a buffet breakfast. It’s a complete rip-off! The food is awful and it’s very expensive. You’re better off going to the coffee shop for a nice pastry and a fresh cup of coffee for $3.00. Save your vacation money and spend it on entertainment instead. 10. Con-artists/con man- People who try to cheat you out of your money. EXAMPLE: Don’t ever buy a car from that car dealership! The owner is nothing but a con-artist. His cars are in terrible condition and you will be very sorry if you purchase a car from him. 11. To be conned- to be taken advantage of, lied to, deceived, tricked into giving up your money. EXAMPLE: My grandmother was conned out of her entire life savings by an unscrupulous, deceitful lying business man who promised to invest her money wisely. In the end, she lost all of her money because of his bad investments. Now my grandmother lives with us and the business man is in jail. 12. Shady- untrustworthy, suspicious. EXAMPLE: What do you think of your sister’s new boyfriend? ANSWER: I don’t know, he seems kind of shady to me. He has no job, yet he wears a big gold chain, drives a nice car and his clothes are very expensive. I think he’s involved in some kind of shady business dealings. I don’t trust him. 13. Disreputable- to have a reputation for bad business, poor customer satisfaction, low quality merchandise. 14. A dodgy deal- a bad or deceptive business deal. EXAMPLE: The mayor was eventually convicted and went to jail for his many dodgy deals and unscrupulous business practices in the city. He & his associates were taking bribes from everyone and stealing money from city funds since the first day they took office! 15. Their reputations caught up with them- EXAMPLE: After years of deceiving customers and selling poor quality automobiles, their reputation finally caught up with them! That awful car dealership finally went out of business because everybody knew they were crooks! Eventually, no one would a car from them! They had a terrible business reputation in this town! 16. A ‘’get rich quick scheme’’- a suspicious business deal that promises to make a lot of money in a short period of time. 17. It sounds too good to be true- EXAMPLE: Yesterday, I got an email announcing that I had just won a new laptop. I knew it was ‘’too good to be true’’ so I quickly deleted it for fear that the email contained a virus! 18. ‘’ sounds fishy’’- it sounds suspicious. EXAMPLE: I’m sorry, but your explanation sounds fishy. I just don’t believe you. Your excuse sounds highly unlikely and I think you are lying to me. 19. ‘’I smell a rat!’’- something sounds suspicious, I think someone is lying/deceiving/stealing etc.. EXAMPLE: I smelled a rat when I noticed that some of my jewelry went missing. Our babysitter was stealing from our family! 20. shifty-eyed- when a person has ‘’shifty-eyes’’ they look untrustworthy because their eyes are always looking about the room, they look nervous, mean, deceptive and will not keep eye contact with you. EXAMPLE: I don’t think you should buy jewelry from that store. The owner looks shifty-eyed and untrustworthy. His diamonds are probably fake! 21. To cheat on your partner- to have a physical relationship with someone other than your husband, wife, partner. 22. Extra-marital affair- a relationship outside of marriage 23. A ripple effect- a large effect generating from a single point (refers to waves in the water) EXAMPLE: When one student became disobedient there was a ripple effect throughout the classroom. As a result, all the students became noisy, unruly and disobedient. The teacher threatened to give them 10 extra pages of homework if they didn’t behave. The students quickly calmed down and order was restored in the classroom. 24. Making light of the subject/ to make light of something- to make jokes in the face of a more serious situation. EXAMPLE: Sorry, I know I’m making light of this situation by making jokes about your girlfriend leaving you- but hey, you’ve been depressed for DAYS! I’m just trying to cheer you up!

M- Today we’re talking about ‘’Making Excuses’’ C- Hi Marta! How are you? M- I’m great thanks! C- You’ve had a really busy week, haven’t you? Congratulations on your new EP! It’s a fantastic CD! M- Thank you! I'm very attached to this album. Everyone of these songs means a lot to me. C- Hey, let’s go out for a nice lunch tomorrow. My treat, I’ll pay for it. We’ll celebrate the release of your new album! M- Oh thank you, Cindy, I would really love to go out for lunch but I have a lot on my plate right now. September is a very busy month for me. Can I get a rain check? C- Sure, no problem. I understand. To ‘’HAVE A LOT ON YOUR PLATE’’ means to have a full schedule, to have many commitments or problems at one time. M- To have a lot on your plate…that’s my life! ? C- You need to start buying smaller plates! ? So, we’ll take a RAIN CHECK on lunch- that means we’ll postpone lunch for another time when you are less busy. M- A rain check- to postpone to a later date. Got it. C- and… M- AND, IT’S YOUR TREAT- that means you’re going to pay for it! I have witnesses! ? C- ? yes, you do have witnesses- all over the world! I’m happy to pay for lunch, you’ve worked really hard and this is an excellent album. M- Thank you and I'm happy to share it with the world finally! C - So, how can we find it? M – It's available on iTunes! Just search for “12n” that's the name of my acoustic duo, it stands for TWELVE NOTES (dodici note, doce notas, douze notes). 12n. 1 2 n (website: www.12n.biz ) ** So we’re talking about how to make excuses to people today. C- Right, sometimes we have to say ‘’no’’ to people or ‘’TURN SOMEONE DOWN’’ (that means to reject or refuse) and we need to say ‘’no’’ politely without being rude. M- …without hurting someone’s feelings and making them feel bad. C- Right, so today we’ll give you a few examples on how to pardon yourself, make an excuse or say ‘’no’’ M- Politely and without lying! C- Right, because we don’t want to encourage anyone to lie! ? Where should we begin? M- How about the phone? C- Good idea since we all live on our phones nowadays. Let’s give an example of how to excuse yourself and interrupt a phone conversation. Have you got a telephone? M- Sure, one moment… C- I’ll pretend to phone you and you’ll politely make an excuse and offer to call me back later. M- Do I have to call you back? C- Yes. M-Hello? C- (talking very fast) Hi Marta, it’s Cindy…listen, you’re totally not going to believe the day I’ve had…it was AWFUL!…First, I got stuck in traffic and I was like 20 minutes late to work and I totally had a good excuse for being late but my boss didn’t want to believe me and my coworkers are like whatever you’re like always late so like we totally do not believe a word you’re saying and I’m all “it’s true!” M- Wow. C- Yeah, but listen that’s not the worst of it because like at lunch they totally messed up my food order and I had to go back twice and I’m all…. M- Cindy, I’m sorry, excuse me… C- What? Was I talking too fast? Do you want me to start over, from the beginning? M- NO!!... I mean…no, that’s okay. Listen, dear, I’m sorry you’ve had a tough day. C- Awful day! M- Right, awful day…I’m sorry, I’ve got a lot to get done today. I’VE GOT MY HANDS FULL at the moment. Can I call you back a little later? C- Oh sure, any time. M- Thanks…I’ll give you a ring later… C- Good, ‘cause you’re totally gonna want to hear what happened to me this afternoon.... M- I’m sure…talk to you later, dear…. C- Don’t forget! You won’t believe it! M- I promise…I’ll call you later….Bye! C- You’re not going to call me back. Just admit it. M- No. I’m not going to call you back. Now let’s give everyone another example of an excuse. C- Alright, how about an excuse that you girls can use at the disco? Sometimes we’re asked to dance by a guy we don’t want to dance with. Perfect. Now we’re going to need a little help here from our friend Freddie. Freddie- Hello! C- Hi Freddie. So, Freddie is a nice guy. Freddie- I’m a nice guy. C- And it takes some balls to approach a girl in a disco and ask her to dance, so let’s be polite and let him down easy. To ‘’LET SOMEONE DOWN EASY’’ is to say no, reject, disappoint or give bad news to someone gently to ‘’let them down easy’’. Freddie- Would you like to dance? C- I’m sorry, thank you, but I’m hanging out with my girlfriends tonight. Freddie- Ok, bye C- Thanks, for helping out Freddie Freddie- No problem. Any time. C- I’m hanging out with my girlfriends tonight. That’s it. M- To let them down easy. Cindy, how about when you’re having a conversation in person? How can we excuse ourselves and end the conversation? C- First of all, be sincere and let people know that you really do enjoy talking with them, but you have to go. Then, you can use phrases like: ‘’I’M SORRY, I NEED TO RUN. CAN WE TALK LATER?’’ or ‘’I’M RUNNING LATE, CAN I CATCH UP WITH YOU/EMAIL /TEXT YOU LATER?’’ or ‘’I SHOULD REALLY GET GOING NOW’’ or ‘’I’M GOING TO HAVE TO CUT THIS SHORT, CAN I GIVE YOU A RING LATER?’’ M- Well, Cindy, I think we should really get going now. C- Thanks for listening everyone! Come and catch up with us later on our Facebook page, iTunes, Podomatic, Twitter, YouTube and on our blog at www.myAmericanfriendblog.com . We are also available for private lessons via Skype, just email us at myamericanfriendpodcast at gmail.com and we’ll respond with all the details. M- Thanks everyone! C- Are you going to call me later? M- No! I am not going to call you later. C- Come on! Just call me. M- No! Oh look…there’s someone more interesting at my door right now… C- That’s a fake doorbell! You’ve got an app for it! M- Sorry, gotta run! VOCABULARY 1. It’s my treat/I’m treating- I’m paying for it. EXAMPLE: Let’s go out for a nice lunch tomorrow. ANSWER: Sorry, I can’t go anywhere. I’m broke and my paycheck won’t arrive for another week. ANSWER: Don’t worry! It’s my treat. Lunch is on me. I’ll pay for it. 2. I have a lot on my plate right now- I have a lot of commitments or problems right now. EXAMPLE: Hey, let’s go to the movies this weekend! ANSWER: Sorry, I can’t go out this weekend. I have a lot on my plate right now. I’m studying for final exams and babysitting my little sister while my parents are out of town. Maybe we could go out next week instead? 3. to take a ‘’rain check’’- to reschedule for a later date. EXAMPLE: Don’t forget we’re all getting together at the pub Friday night. ANSWER: Sorry, I’ll have to take a rain check. My car is at the mechanic. I’ll catch up with you at the pub next time. 4. to ‘’turn someone down’’/ to get ‘’turned down’’- to be rejected, refused EXAMPLE: John asked me out on a date last week, but I turned him down because I’m not attracted to him. EXAMPLE: I turned down the new job offer. The salary is good, but it would take me away from my family and I would really miss my wife & kids. I’ll stay with my present job until something better comes along. 5. to hurt someone’s feelings- to insult or hurt someone emotionally. EXAMPLE: Susan & I had a big argument at work. I said a lot of things that were nasty & hurtful to her. I’m afraid I have hurt her feelings and our friendship is broken beyond repair. I don’t think she will ever forgive me. 6. I’ve got my hands full-to have a lot of commitments or problems at one time. EXAMPLE: I’ve got my hands full at work. Three employees are out sick, so I’m doing their jobs in addition to my own! 7. I’ll give you a ring- I’ll call you. EXAMPLE: Would you like to go out this weekend? Give me your phone number and I’ll give you a ring sometime tomorrow. 8. let them down easy- to reject, disappoint or give bad news gently without trying to hurt someone’s feelings. EXAMPLE: We gave the promotion to Susan instead of Barbara. It was a big disappointment to Barbara, so I had to let her down easy and carefully explain why we had chosen Susan over Barbara. 9. Phrases to end a conversation: ‘’I’m sorry, I need to run. Can we talk later?’’ or ‘’I’m running late, can I catch up with you/email /text you later?’’ or ‘’I should really get going now’’ or ‘’I’m going to have to cut this short, can I give you a ring later?’’

M – Let's talk about how to improve the language using … SONGS ! C – Hi everybody! Do you know how Marta and I met? It was at a New Year's Eve party where Marta was performing. M – Yeah, I remember it very well. I started singing the first song and after a couple of lines this blonde woman in the audience turned around and stared at me right in the eye. C – I turned around and looked at you because you were singing in English, I mean, real English! M – Of course, I was! C – We'd better explain. Marta and I live in Italy and live performers here in Italy don't usually pay much attention to their English pronunciation. I mean, I don't mean to offend anyone, but I have to admit Italian singers singing in English aren't generally that careful about enunciating. Sometimes they sneak in a bit of gibberish with some real English words at the beginning or end of a sentence. That's why Marta totally caught my attention at that party. I said to my husband ‘’She speaks English- and she speaks it well.’’ M – And when the party was over we ended up chatting. C - Yes, you mentioned that you were also a songwriter and you needed someone to double check your lyrics in English. M – That's how it all began. Our friendship was born thanks to music and languages. C - Marta, tell our listeners how important songs have been for you to learn English. M – Oh, so important! Songs are precious tools in order to learn new vocabulary. The melody helps you with memorizing and remembering sentences. In addition to this, if you sing along with the singer you get the right pronunciation and accent even without noticing it. C – You're right, it's kind of effortless, natural. But we're not all singers on a stage like you, Marta. M - It doesn't matter, the goal is to improve your language while having fun. You don't need to sing well, just sing along with the radio while driving or when taking a shower, you can be completely out of tune, that's fine... C - well, everybody, if your neighbors complain about your singing out of tune just remind them that they're getting English lessons for free. :) So, everybody, with this episode we want to give you some hints about how to use songs to improve your English. M – Ok, first off : pick a song in English that you really like. C - Ok, have you chosen your song? Good. The first step is: try and write down the lyrics only by listening to the song. Just pretend that the internet doesn’t exist. Listen to the song over and over, one bit at a time, and try to understand the lyrics, write them down. M - This is what I did every day as a teenager. Back then internet really didn't exist and I had no choice. C – Ah, the Dark Ages before internet! :) M – Second step? C - Now Google the lyrics and compare them to what you had written. Find out what you had missed and what you’ve misunderstood. Third step: check the lyrics again and look for slang, idioms, interesting expressions, strange accents, whatever catches your eye - and ear. Everybody loves music! It’s much easier, and a lot more fun to learn the details of a language while enjoying music! Marta can you give us some examples? M – At school no one taught me the use of AIN'T. C - Ain't - spelling: A I N ' T . According to the context , ain't is slang meaning : isn't , aren't , or hasn't, haven't. It's very common in everyday conversation, but it is not proper English. Your English teacher never taught you about ‘’ain’t’’? It’s not taught in school? M – no, but I’ve heard “ain't” in a lot of songs. “ain't no sunshine when he's gone...” * “baby it ain't over till it's over” * “no, no, no, it ain't me babe, it ain't me you're looking for, babe...” * “this ain't a love song...” * “but everything means nothing if I ain't got you, yeah...” C – So that's how you learned it. M – Yes. C – Songs also help us to learn how different accents can sound. M - You're right. Pick a word. C - hmmm... 'again'. M – Ok, for example check the difference between Annie Lennox: “here comes the rain again” and Britney Spears: “oops I did it again”. C - Again (British) vs. again (American). M - Pick another word. C – hmmm... 'half' . M - Ok, the Beatles: “I'm not half the man I used to be” and Bon Jovi : “we're half way there” C - Ok. M - Even learning grammar is easier using songs. C - For example, listen carefully to this grammar rule about the Second Conditional. Are you ready? M – Sure, go ahead! C - The verb of the 'if clause' is at the simple past, please note that the subjunctive form of the verb 'to be' is often used for the first and third person. M – uhm... C - Great. Now, let’s review. Marta, what did we learn? M - mmm...that you were rambling on about the Second Conditional. Then I lost you, I'm afraid. C - Wasn't it boring?? :) To make a long story short, I said: instead of saying “If I was...” we usually say “If I were...”. M - All right, now I get it. Let's listen to Beyoncé’s: “If I were a boy” . Now I'm sure I will remember this grammar rule forever. C – It’s much easier with music isn’t it? C – Ok, listeners, now it's up to you. Choose a song and follow the tips we gave you. Then let us know what you've learned by doing so. We'll be waiting for your feedback, we'll collect your comments and include them into a follow-up episode about songs and lyrics. M – I'm sure this method works, I've used it for 20 years now. C - You even became a songwriter. Hey Marta, why don't we use some of the songs you wrote in that follow-up episode? M - Good idea. C - Ok, everybody, get in contact with us on our blog www.myamericanfriendblog.com or on our Facebook page, Podomatic, Youtube, Twitter, we're everywhere on the web. M – see you soon! C – bye bye