Sometimes help comes from an unexpected source (a thing or person you get something from). Sometimes it’s free, and sometimes it changes you forever. This story is adapted (changed to make it easier to read) and shortened from a true story by Justin Horner. You can read the complete, unadapted story in the New York Times Magazine. [Note: Since many of the sentences below are taken directly from the original article, we've put quotes around the entire selection so you know they are (mostly) from Horner's story.]

Here is Justin’s story:

“During this past year, I’ve had car trouble three times, and they all happened while I was driving other people’s cars, which for some reason makes it worse.

“Each time, when these things happened, I was disgusted (very upset) with the way people didn’t stop to help. People at the gas stations where I asked for a gas can told me that they couldn’t loan them to me “for safety reasons,” but that I could buy a one-gallon can for $15. It was enough to make me say stuff like ‘this country is going to hell in a handbasket (getting worse).’

“But you know who came to my rescue all three times? Immigrants (someone who has moved from another country), Mexican immigrants, and none of them spoke any English.

“One of those guys (men) stopped to help me with a blow-out (when a tire suddenly bursts, like a balloon) even though he had his whole family with him. I was on the side of the road for almost three hours with my friend’s big Jeep (a kind of car for traveling over rough ground). I put signs in the windows, big signs that said, ‘NEED A JACK (tool to lift something heavy),’ and offered money. Nothing. Just as I was about to give up (stop trying to do something), a van pulled over, and a man jumped out.

“He sized up (looked at) the situation and called for his daughter who spoke English. He conveyed (communicated) through her that he had a jack but that it was too small for the Jeep, so we would need to put something under it. Then he got a saw (tool for cutting wood) from his van and cut a section (piece) out of a big log (large piece of wood from a tree) on the side of the road. We put his jack on top of it and we were in business (ready to begin).

“I started taking the wheel off, and then, if you can believe it, I broke his tire iron (tool used to remove a tire or wheel). Damn!

“No worries: he ran to the van and handed (gave) it to his wife. She was gone in a flash (immediately) down the road to buy a new tire iron. She was back in 15 minutes. We finished the job, and I was a very happy man.

“The two of us were filthy (very dirty) and sweaty (wet from working hard). His wife brought out a large water jug (container with small opening) for us to wash our hands. I tried to put a 20-dollar bill in the man’s hand, but he wouldn’t take it, so instead I went to the van and gave it to his wife as quietly as I could. I thanked them up one side and down the other (many times). I asked the little girl where they lived, thinking maybe I’d send them a gift for being so awesome (very good, impressive). She said they lived in Mexico. They were in Oregon so Mommy and Daddy could pick cherries for the next few weeks. Then they were going to pick peaches and, after that, go back home.

“After I said goodbye and started walking back to the Jeep, the girl called out and asked if I’d had lunch. When I told her no, she ran over and handed me a tamale (a traditional Mexican food; see the picture).

“This family, probably poorer than just about everyone else on that stretch (area) of highway, took a couple of hours out of their day to help a strange guy on the side of the road while people in tow trucks just drove by.

“But we weren’t done yet. I thanked them again, walked back to my car, and opened the foil (thin metal sheet for wrapping food) on the tamale. What did I find inside? My $20 bill! I whirled (turned quickly) around, ran to the van, and the guy rolled down his window. He saw the $20 in my hand and started shaking his head no. All I could think to say was, ‘Por favor (‘please’ in Spanish), por favor, por favor,‘ with my hands out. The guy just smiled and, with great difficulty, said in English: ‘Today you, tomorrow me.’ Then he rolled up his window and drove away with his daughter waving to me from the back.

“I sat in my car eating the best tamale I’ve ever had, and I just started to cry. It had been a rough (very difficult) year; nothing had seemed to go right for me. This was so out of left field (unexpected) I didn’t know what to do.

“In the several months since then, I’ve changed a couple of tires, given a few rides to gas stations, and once drove 50 miles out of my way to get a girl to an airport. I won’t accept money. But every time I’m able to help, I feel as if I’m putting something in the bank (collecting or saving something for the future).”

Have you ever had an experience like Justin’s? How did it affect you?

~ Warren Ediger – creator of Successful English where you can find clear explanations and practical suggestions for better English.

Photo of a tamale by Anita Sarkeesian used under Creative Commons license.

 

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…………

ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 672 – Asking for More Time

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “slight” and “snag.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Time Zones in the U.S.”
“Excluding “territories” (areas of land that are parts of the United States, but are not states), the United States has six “time zones” (vertical geographic areas that experience the same time)…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 287
Topics:  Famous Authors – Edgar Allen Poe; women’s colleges; business versus commerce versus trade; thank goodness; to be keen on (something or something)

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about the mysterious “Poe Toaster.”
“Every year on January 19, Edgar Allen Poe’s birthday, a “mysterious” (being secret or strange) person visits his “grave” (place in the ground where a dead person is buried).  This person is dressed in black with a “wide-brimmed hat”…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 673 – Walking or Running as Exercise

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “to break (something) in” and “to stretch.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Walkathons.”
“A “walkathon” is a “fundraiser” (an event designed to collect money for a particular organization or purpose) where many people walk along a certain “route” (path)…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

To be clueless means to be lost or confused, or to not realize something that everyone else around you can clearly see. Many people (okay, many men), are romantically clueless.  They aren’t very good at attracting a potential (possible) romantic partner.

Now there is hope for these poor folks (unfortunate people): A company called eFlirt will, for a price (if you pay them), give you advice on what to say and do with the man or woman you are interested in dating.  (To flirt is to talk and act in certain way in order to let someone else know that you are romantically interested in them.)  These “dating coaches” give you personal advice on what to wear, where to go, and what to say to that beautiful girl or handsome boy sitting at the cafe.

For $49 per month, you get unlimited (as much as you want) advice by email.  My favorite part of this service, however, is the ability to hire (employ) a wing woman ($149 for two hours).  A wing woman is a female “friend” (in this case, the woman you pay) who goes with you (a man) to a bar.  She doesn’t flirt with you, however, and she’s not your date (your romantic partner for the evening).  Instead, she talks to the beautiful women you are interested in for you, telling them what a nice guy you are and how you want to meet them. She helps you connect to the women you want to meet.  There is similar term, wingman, but this is typically used to describe a man who goes with his male friend to a bar.  The wingman and you walk up to two women, and he (the wingman) starts talking and flirting with the girl you are not interested in, leaving you free to focus on the woman you are attracted to.

I guess eFlirt is the logical extension (expected result or consequence) of Internet dating.  If it helps some people find the love of their life (the person they want to marry and live with until they die), then perhaps it is a good idea.

~Jeff

Credits: “Père Lathuille” by Edouard Manet, Wikipedia CC

A New York Times article recently pointed out that three of the top (most popular) songs right now have an expletive (an offensive word; a bad word) in the chorus (the group of lines that are repeated in the song) and can’t be played on the radio uncensored (with the offensive material covered over) or modified (changed to different lyrics or the word(s) removed).

Pushing the envelop (trying to move beyond the limit or what is considered acceptable) has always been a part of pop music.  Remember Madonna’s “Like a Virgin“?  Although “virgin” (a person who has never had sex) is not an expletive, it was not a word you’d expect to hear bandied about (used casually), at least in the mid-1980′s.  Madonna wanted to shock listeners and that’s what these current singers — Cee Lo Green, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias — want to do.

All three of them use the f-word in their songs; you know which word I mean.  That word is used in many, many ways.  I’ll just mention one example here.  Cee Lo uses it as an exclamation.  The story in the song is that he loves a girl but she leaves him for someone richer (with more money), and Cee Lo tells the girl and the new guy: “F*** you!”  In the cleaned up or modified version that plays on the radio, the lyric is changed to “Forget you!,” which means the same thing — “Go away. I hate you!,” but just milder (not as harsh or strong).

The other two singers use the word in different ways, but only Enrique Iglesias’ song I find truly shocking (very surprising and disturbing).  He uses the word in its original meaning, which refers to people having a physical sexual relationship.  I have to say that when I heard the song after reading this New York Times article, I was floored (informal term for extremely shocked).  I don’t think I’m a prude (someone who is easily shocked by sexual matters), but to hear the chorus of that song was really something else (something completely different; unusual) and I think the average (typical) American would have that same reaction.  That’s the point, of course.  He wanted to be really shocking.  Of course, when the song is played on the radio, the lyrics or words are changed, or else it couldn’t be played.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is a federal (national) agency that enforces indecency laws, or laws that are related to what is and is not appropriate for broadcast (transmission on radio, TV, etc.).  The FCC does not keep a list of words that are not allowed, but it has standards.  According to their website: “The FCC has defined profanity (obscene language) as “including language so grossly (clearly; entirely) offensive to members of the public who actually hear it as to amount to (be the same as) a nuisance (annoyance; something that bothers others).””

The f-word clearly fits this description and that’s why it is not allowed on TV or radio.  When speaking, people often replace the expletive (also called “bad word” or “curse word”) with the word “bleep” to represent the high-pitched sound made over an expletive when something is shown on TV or heard on the radio.  For example:
- “Where the bleep have you been?  You’re an hour late!”
- “Every time I get into your little bleeping car, I hit my head!”

We often talk of whether something will be “bleeped out,” meaning removed or recorded over with the high-pitched sound. For example:
- “The TV station bleeped out the basketball player’s comments after his team lost the game.”
- “Don’t worry about what you say during the interview.  We’ll bleep out anything that can’t be aired later.”

Are there indecency laws where you live and is there a list of words that are not allowed to be broadcasted?

~ Lucy

Photo Credit:  Warning Sign from Wikipedia

ESL Podcast is made possible through the support of our listeners. Get the Learning Guide and support ESL Podcast by becoming a Basic or Premium Member today!
…………

ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 670 – To Forgive and Forget

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “much less” and “spat.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Flowers With Special Meanings.”
“Some flowers have unusual names that “evoke” (make an image or idea come to one’s mind) certain images when people hear them. For example, there is a plant with “clusters” (groups) of small blue or “indigo” (dark blue) flowers called…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 286
Topics: Ask an American – Louisville Slugger; globe versus sphere versus orb; on/by horseback; to hit one’s funny bone; to stub one’s toe

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about the movie Field of Dreams.
“The 1989 movie Field of Dreams is about a farmer in Iowa who walks through his corn “fields” (areas of land where something is grown) and hears a voice “whispering” (talking very softly and quietly)…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 671 – Vacationing on an Island

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “island” and “to be cut off from (someone/something)”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Island Vacation Locations in the Southern U.S.”
“…[T]here are also many island vacation spots in the southern United States, too, although they are less well known. Some are romantic, others are historical, and still others are simply fun to visit…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

Some are very well known. In the U.S., the Statue of Liberty. In Rio de Janeiro, Christ the Redeemer. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower. In Kamakura, Japan, the Daibutsu, or Great Buddha.

Others are not so well known. For instance, the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen. Or Mannekin Pis in Brussels.

All of these statues or structures have one thing in common: they are icons. They are identified, or connected in our minds, with each of the cities or countries; when you see one of them, you think of the city, the country, or an idea, like freedom.

Today, the best-known icons are probably the ones you find on your computer screen – the small picture or sign that you click on to start a program – like the blue “W” for Microsoft Word.

When people who come from a Greek or Russian Orthodox or Catholic religious background hear the word “icon,” they may be reminded of a piece of religious art, often a painting of the Virgin Mary, Jesus’s mother.

Someone who is famous and admired by many people, someone who represents an important idea or art form may be called an icon. For me, B.B. King, and Buddy Guy are “blues icons”; they are famous blues musicians and represent an important part of the history and development of the blues. The blues are similar to jazz; the music is often slow and sad.

In general, you can see that an icon is something that is identified with something else: a statue with a city, a picture with a computer program, a painting with a kind of worship (religious practice or ceremony), a famous performer with a particular kind of music.

In the past two months, there’s been a lively (with a lot of energy) discussion about a new icon for the city of Detroit, Michigan, here in the U.S. Detroit is known as the home of (where it started) the American automobile industry and Motown Records, a popular music recording company famous for its black singers and groups, especially in the 1960′s.

A growing number of Detroit residents (people who live there) want RoboCop to become the new Detroit icon. Are you familiar with RoboCop? He was the star of RoboCop, the 1987 science-fiction movie, and became a pop culture icon. Pop, or popular, culture, is made up of music, movies, television programs, books, magazines, and other things in the culture that are popular with many people.

In the movie, futuristic (in the future) Detroit is filled with crime. A Detroit police officer who was killed by criminals is recreated (made again) as a super-human (more than human) cyborg (part human and part machine) called RoboCop. His life and work was guided by three principles, or values: serve (work for) the public trust (what people hired you to do), protect the innocent (people who can’t protect themselves), and uphold (defend or support) the law. In the movie, he helped clean up (restore law) the city and rid it (make it free of) of crime.

One supporter of the RoboCop statue says these are good values for Detroit to promote (encourage). And he adds, “A city needs to be fun, too. It can’t be all serious…. Showing people that we can have a sense of humor and encourage our citizens to have motivation and ideas is an important message….”

Question for discussion: If you were to choose an icon for the town or city you live in today, what would you choose? Why?

~ Warren Ediger – English tutor and creator of Successful English where you will find clear explanations and practical suggestions for better English.

Photo of the Eiffel Tower taken by W. Ediger

 

Like many people across the world, we at ESL Podcast were saddened to hear of the terrible earthquake (violent shaking of the ground) and tsunami (very high sea waves) in Japan last week. Our thoughts today are with the victims (those who are hurt by something) of this tragedy (terrible event).  There are many, many listeners of ESL Podcast in Japan, and we stand by them (support them) in their time of need.

As a rule (generally), we don’t comment or discuss events outside of the United States on our podcasts or on this blog.  However, we are making a one-time exception in this case due to the scale (size) of this disaster.

The situation is very dire (very serious and urgent) in parts of Japan.  If you would like to contribute (give) something to the Red Cross to help those in need there, please consider this or this website.

~ Jeff, Lucy, and the ESL Podcast Team

Our ESL Podcast members make it possible for us to continue producing podcasts.

If you enjoy our podcasts, please consider supporting ESL Podcast by becoming a Basic or Premium Member!
…………

ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 668 – Having Cash Flow Problems

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “to hedge” and “to hold off.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Federal Government Grants.”
“Many Americans “mistakenly” (incorrectly) believe that the U.S. government “awards” (gives to the winner of a competition) “grants” (money that is given to a person or organization for a particular purpose)…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 285
Topics: American Presidents: Thomas Jefferson; celebrity roasts; to splash versus to spray versus to sprinkle; hearing; to be of

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about Thomas Jefferson’s slave “Sarah (Sally) Hemings.”
“Sarah Hemings was a mixed race slave owned by President Thomas Jefferson. While Jefferson was “in office” (serving as President) and for the years following, “journalists” (reporters) claimed that President Jefferson “fathered” (was the father of) seven children with Sally Hemings…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 669 – Making Controversial Comments

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “offensive” and “to blow over.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Sunday Morning News Programs.”
“Most Americans watch TV news programs on weekday mornings or evenings, but some prefer to watch Sunday morning news shows. Here are three of the most popular Sunday morning news shows…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

Have you ever gotten angry when the person in front of you is walking too slowly?  Have you ever thought, “You idiot! Get off your stupid phone and walk faster!”?  Congratulations!  You may have PAS -  Pedestrian Aggressiveness Syndrome. (Pedestrian is someone who is walking, aggressiveness is when you are very forceful in a mean or unkind way, and a syndrome is like a disease.)

PAS, also called “sidewalk rage” (anger), is when people get really mad at other people because of the way they are walking down the street (similar to road rage for those in cars).  This happens to me all the time, but maybe I’m the one with the problem.  Maybe I’m walking too fast.

The City of New York actually measured how fast different types of people walked down the streets of Manhattan (the main business district of the city), and found the following average walking speeds (from fastest to slowest):

• Headphone listeners – 4.64 feet per second (fps)
• Men – 4.42 fps
• People going to work – 4.41 fps
• People with bags – 4.27 fps
• Average person – 4.27 fps
• Cellphone users – 4.20 fps
• Smokers – 4.17
• Women – 4.10 fps
• Tourists – 3.79 fps
• “Large” people (tall; fat) – 3.74 fps
• Over 65 years old – 3.63 fps

The city found that people tend to walk more slowly than average when smoking (2.3% slower) and talking on a cellphone (1.6% slower), while people with headphones (for example, listening to music) walk 9% faster than average.  Tourists – no surprise – walk 11% slower.

Do you ever get sidewalk rage walking down the streets of your city?  Are there “rules” for how and where someone should walk in your city (for example, slow people keep to the right)?

~ Jeff

Photo credit: New York City’s Times Square, Wikipedia CC

 

QUESTION:
One of our listeners, Alexandr, wants to know the difference is between “theatre” and “theater“?

ANSWER:
How can English speakers best confuse English learners?  One way is to spell the same word in different ways.

One example is “theater” and “theatre.”  In the U.S., most of the time, we use the word “theater” to mean the place where we go to see movies, plays, and other performances.  In British English, they use “theatre.”

However, just to make it more complicated, sometimes Americans use “theatre” as well.  According to this Wikipedia chart, in the U.S., “theater” refers to the building where a play or performance is held, and “theatre” refers to the play or show itself.

My experience is that it’s not so clear-cut (definite; easy to define).  British English has a high level of status (level of respect) in the U.S.  When many Americans hear British English, they think “educated,” “high class,” “formal,” etc.  (There are negative stereotypes (beliefs about an entire group that are often false), too, but we won’t go into (discuss) that right now.)  And because the British spellings of words are a large part of this country’s early beginnings, we sometimes use the British English spellings to associate with those British roots (beginnings; origins) and/or to sound old-fashioned or stately (having a respectable or dignified appearance).  So when we write about going to see a play, we’ll almost always use “theater,” but some playhouses will use the spelling of “theatre” for their building or group, perhaps to make us think of those positive associations (connections). For example, in Los Angeles alone, you can see performances at The El Rey Theatre, the Nokia Theatre, the Pantages Theatre, and the Orpheum Theatre, among others.

I would follow this rule of thumb (general rule):  If you are in the U.S. or communicating with Americans, assume that the spelling is “theater.”  You’ll be right most all of the time.

I also suggest taking a look at the Wikipedia page I mentioned above for other ways the British, the Americans, and other English speakers have conspired (secretly planned) to make learning the English language as difficult as possible for you.

~ Lucy