It’s hard to imagine that a song could have a better friend than Ella Fitzgerald! Ella – who died in 1996 – would have celebrated her 94^th birthday on Monday, April 25^th.

Ella, an American jazz singer, is known as the “First Lady (the leading woman in an art or profession) of Song.” She had a remarkable (impressive) career that “spanned (extended across a period of time) 59 years, garnered (collected) 15 Grammys (an important award for musicians) and forever changed the face of (sound or appearance of) jazz,” according to the Brain Pickings website.

Many believe that Ella had the best voice in the history of jazz or, perhaps, any kind of music. And they believe that her ability to interpret (perform in a way to show feeling and meaning) many different kinds of songs is without peer. In other words, no other singer has had the same ability she had. She’s certainly one of the foremost (best or most important) interpreters of the Great American Songbook – the best and most important American songs from the 20^th century, especially from the 1920s to 1960. These are songs that will probably remain (continue to be) popular and be performed by jazz musicians for many years. Sometimes these songs are called “jazz standards.” She received the National Medal of Art from President Ronald Reagan and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from the first President Bush.

Ella was born in 1917 and began her singing career in 1934, when she was 17 years old. She sang with Duke Ellington, Count Basie and most of the other important bands (groups of instrumental musicians), but she may be best known for her frequent performances with Louis Armstrong, one of the greatest male jazz singers and trumpet players and my childhood hero (someone you admire). There always seemed to be a little special magic in the air when they performed together.

Ella is also considered (thought) to be one of the greatest scat singers in jazz history. Scat singing is when the singer uses the sound of his or her voice like an instrument, without words. Scat singing is almost always improvised. Improvised music isn’t written; it’s created, or made up, while performing.

Ready to party with Ella? I’ve found several great examples of her music, some of them rare (not often seen or heard):

• One Note Samba – a great example of scat singing from 1969. When she introduces the song, she calls it impromptu, which means not practiced or planned.
• Dream a Little Dream of Me – Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. This recording, the best I could find online, includes a humorous animation (like a cartoon) in which a bird and a cat act out the lyrics (words) of the song. Great music! Funny animation!
• First Lady of Song is a series of short podcasts about Ella Fitzgerald. You’ll hear her sing and listen to modern jazz musicians talk about and perform some of her music.
• Sound to Grow On is a series of American music programs from the Smithsonian Institution on iTunes U. They are hosted (introduced) by Michael Ash. Ash’s father Moses recorded many popular musicians from 1948 until 1986. The program called Jazz is one hour long, and you’ll find a song by Ella – from 1939 – at 37:45 (37 minutes, 45 seconds) into (from the beginning of) the program. I hope you listen to the whole program. You’ll learn a lot about American jazz. It’s especially interesting to me to hear the musicians discuss how they plan to perform some of the songs you’ll hear.

I hope you enjoy Ella as much as I do. I celebrated her birthday on Monday by listening to her music all day while I worked; I loved every minute of it!

~ Warren Ediger – English coach/tutor and creator of Successful English where you can learn how to use audio books to improve your speaking.

Photo of young Ella from the Wikipedia Commons is in the public domain.

In his new book, Loyalty, journalist Eric Felten discusses the reasons why people have loyalty to (commitment to, usually with a willingness to help and defend) their country, their family, and their friends. Most of us would probably agree that we should be loyal to our family and our close friends, even though we may not be able to explain exactly why we should be loyal.  But when it comes to (when we begin to discuss) loyalty to one’s country, there is often disagreement about what that should consist of (include).

The word often associated with (connected to) loyalty to one’s country is patriotism.  Some people think that patriotism is the belief that one’s own country is superior to or better than any other country.  But, as Felten points out, this isn’t the only way to define “patriotism,” and certainly not the best one.  According to Felten, patriotism correctly understood (defined in the right way) is similar to the loyalty you have to a member of your family.  As British writer G.K. Chesterton once wrote, the idea behind someone saying, “my country, right or wrong” (that is, I will be loyal to my country regardless of what it does) is the same as saying, “my mother, drunk or sober.”  (To be drunk means to have drunk too much alcohol; to be sober is when your body has no alcohol or drugs in it.)

We love our mothers even though they may do things that are wrong, even though they are not perfect.  We love them because they are our mothers.  We are grateful to them for giving us life, for caring for us.  You do not need to believe that your mother is the best mother in the world to be loyal to her, to be willing to defend her and to help her.  Of course, if your mother drinks too much, you want to help her change her actions.  Being loyal, in other words, doesn’t mean you agree with everything your family (or country) does.  It means simply that you will continue to support them and be willing to take action to change them if they make mistakes.  You will not just abandon (leave) them when times get tough (the situation becomes difficult).

A mistaken (wrong) sense of patriotism has been used in many cases for bad ends (purposes), and for that reason it has sometimes been associated with an excessive, even dangerous loyalty and attachment (sense of closeness) to one’s country. But it doesn’t have to be that way, argues Felten.  We can celebrate what makes our countries different without saying that those differences make us better than everyone else.  We can love our country, in other words, simply because it is ours.

Do you agree?

~Jeff

Photo Credit: American flags by Lipton Sale, Wikipedia CC

Thank you for supporting us and helping us continue this podcast by being a Basic or Premium Member.

Not yet a member?  You can become a member today!
…………

ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 680 – Recognizing an Unsung Hero
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 fool” and “to be sunk.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Employee Recognition Programs.”
“Companies often try to improve employee “morale” (the way a group of people feel) and “motivate” (encourage someone to do something) them by having employee recognition programs for employees who are doing their job very well…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 291
Topics:  Ask an American: Artists as ambassadors; log versus timber versus lumber; tag questions; to bump into (someone/something)

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about “Shepard Fairey and the Hope Poster Controversy.”
“In 2008, an artist named Shepard Fairey created a “poster” (a large piece of paper with images and/or words hung on a wall) with an image of “then-presidential candidate” (a person who was running for election as president at that time) Barack Obama…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 681 – Disagreeing about Religion

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 bait (someone” and “faith.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Religions in the United States.”
“The United States was the first country to not have an official “state-sponsored” (supported by the state) religion. The First “Amendment” (official change) to the U.S. “Constitution” (the most powerful law in the country) is part of the…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

There is a well-known saying in English. If you want to have polite conversation, never talk about politics or religion. It’s true that if you want to have a friendly chat (informal talk) with acquaintances (people you know, but not very well) or business associates (people you work with or know through your work), avoid politics or religion.

Since we’re all good friends here on the blog, I’m going to violate (not follow; break) this rule.  I read an interesting article recently about the people who are entering seminaries now. A seminary is a college that trains people to be priests, ministers, rabbis, and other types of religious leaders.  (Different religions or denominations (division or branch of the Christian church) use different terms for its leaders: priest=Catholic (Christian), minister=Protestant (Christian), rabbi=Jewish, etc.)

The fastest-growing group of people entering seminaries are baby boomers.  Baby boomers are people born between 1946 and 1964 (see the “Culture Note” in the Learning Guide for ESL Podcast 206).  These baby boomers are now in their 50s and 60s and no longer have children to raise or mortgages (money owed on a home loan) to pay, and perhaps are looking to change their lives in significant ways.  As you might expect, students under the age of 30 is still the largest group of seminary students at about 30%, but those over 50 years of age now make up (account for; total) about 20%; it was 12% in 1995.

Many see this as a second career (a change of career).  Many who are entering seminaries have been active in their church for years and have felt a calling for the church. A calling is a strong feeling that one should do a certain job, a strong urge (desire) that one should pursue a certain career.  Although “a calling” is often used in relation to the church, we can also use it, though less commonly, for other professions, especially those that help or serve other people.  For example, medicine — being a doctor or nurse — might be your calling.  Teaching is my calling, so I could say, “I had a calling to become a teacher.”

Have you felt a calling for any profession other than your current one?  Would you consider a second career in another field?

~ Lucy

Photo of the Priestess of Isis; Roman statue of the 2nd century AD: Wikipedia CC

The game of Bingo has been around (existed) for more than 500 years in some form or another. In the American version, each player is given a card with five columns on it, with the letters B-I-N-G-O written on top, in the first row.  Below the first row, there are more five rows, each with a set of numbers from one to 75.  Each Bingo card is different, with different numbers in different positions.  The game consists of the leader or organizer picking a small ball or card with a letter-number combination and calling it out (saying it out loud; announcing it).  For example, the leader might say “B-71″ or “G-15.”  Players who have that combination (the number in the same column as the letter) can then “cover” the number (put something on it).  The first player who gets a single row of covered numbers yells (shouts) “Bingo!”  The game’s leader then checks the card to make sure it is correct, and, if it is correct, that person wins.  Many language teachers use a modified (changed) version of this game replacing the numbers with vocabulary words, and there are many variations (different versions) of the game as well.  (The word “Bingo!” can also be used in informal conversation to mean, “That’s right!,” “Exactly!” or “What you just said is correct!”)

Most Americans associate Bingo with either old people who play it to pass the time (spend time doing something interesting) or with charitable (helping others) organizations who use the game to raise (get) money for their group.  Churches, especially Catholic churches in the U.S., often use this game as a way of raising money.  When I was growing up, there would be regular Bingo games to help raise money for our local church at least once or twice a month.

But Bingo is no longer just for old people and churchgoers (people who attend or go to religious services).  The game has suddenly become popular on college campuses with the youngsters.  (Youngsters refers to young people, but it is an old-fashioned word now used jokingly, since only a very old person (like me) would use such an out-of-date word.)  Some U.S. colleges are using late-night (after 9:00 or 10:00 PM) Bingo as a way of keeping students on campus (on the physical grounds or location of the school) at night to prevent drinking and other problems.  The Bingo games are alcohol-free (no drinking), and in some places draw (have in attendance) more than 600 students a night.  Prizes can include iPads and Xbox games, but also things like bags of groceries (food), a great parking space for your car on campus, and one semester’s worth of textbooks (the amount of money for the cost of all of your books for one school term).

Is Bingo popular where you live? If not, what other games do you use to pass the time with your friends or family?

~Jeff

Photo Credit: Sample Bingo Card Wikipedia CC

We are able to continue producing ESL Podcast because of generous people like you.

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

ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 678 – Reporting Damaged Luggage

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 “handle” and “to blow off.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Damaged or Lost Luggage.”
“If your luggage or the “contents” (the things that were kept inside) are damaged by an airline, it is important to “notify” (officially let someone know) the airline right away…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 290
Topics:  Charles Manson and the Tate murders; air marshals; to reach versus to arrive; to go off; to be out of (one’s) league

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about “The Criminal Justice System.”
“Would you like to work as an air marshal or a police officer?  If you do, you could be working in important parts of the criminal justice system. The term “criminal justice” refers to all parts of the system that ‘ensures’”… – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 679 – Getting a Makeover

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 let (oneself) go” and “look.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Popular Makeover Shows.”
“Many people are “fascinated” (very interested in) by makeover TV shows where they can see before and after “shots” (photographs) or “footage”… – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

This month the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) added FYI, LOL, and OMG to their online edition. Previously (before now), OED had added IMHO, TMI, BFF, and others to the online dictionary.

These expressions are examples of initialisms, abbreviations that are made up of the first letters of a name or expression. For those of you who may not be familiar with them, here’s how the OED defines them:

• OMG – “Oh my God” (or sometimes “gosh,” “goodness,” etc.)
• LOL – “Laughing out loud”
• FYI – “For your information”
• IMHO – “In my humble opinion,” sometimes only IMO – “In my opinion”
• TMI – “Too much information”
• BFF – “Best friends forever”

When we pronounce (say) initialisms, we say the letters: for example, O-M-G or C-E-O (Chief Executive Officer, the top manager of a large company) or F-B-I (Federal Bureau of Investigation).

When we pronounce an initialism as a word, we call it an acronym. AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), and laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) are familiar acronyms.

In making the announcement, the OED noted (mentioned something interesting or important) that the intention (goal or purpose) of an initialism is usually to signal (show or express) a very casual (informal) mood or feeling. They have become popular because they are short and easy to type in an e-mail, tweet, or text message. The OED says that these initialisms are used sometimes to parody the way people act and write online. Parody means to copy (repeat) someone or something in a way that makes people laugh. A good example of parody on television is Saturday Night Live, where the actors parody politicians and popular entertainers to make the audience laugh. Sometimes we call this “making fun of” someone or something.

During the process of approving these initialisms, the OED discovered (found) that all three of them have been used for many years, long before the beginning of the Internet. OMG was first used in 1917, during World War I, in a personal letter. FYI originated (began) in 1941, during World War II. And LOL started in 1960, but then it stood for (meant) “little old lady,” an elderly (older) woman!

This brings up an interesting point, one that may surprise you. The editors (people who decide what goes into a book) of a dictionary don’t determine (decide) the meanings of words. Rather, they report (describe) how the speakers and writers of a language use words. The editors’ job is, first, to collect examples of different word uses or meanings and, then, to decide whether or not a word meaning is used often enough to be included in the dictionary. So we could say that a dictionary is a collection of descriptions of how the words of a language are used.

If you are a more advanced reader, you might enjoy the story of how the OED started. It’s in a book with the curious (strange or unusual) title The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary.

~ Warren Ediger – English tutor and coach and creator of Successful English, where English learners find clear explanations and practical suggestions for better English.

Photo by emdot used under Creative Commons license.

Today is the sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the first Battle of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, which marked (indicated) the beginning of the American Civil War.  From 1861 to 1865, approximately 612,000 men, women, and children died as a result of the bloody war between the North and the South (the northern U.S. states and the southern ones).

The Civil War helped end slavery (the use of human beings as property) in the U.S. and preserved (saved; kept) the country intact (as one unit; together).  The cost of the war was high, and its consequences (results) run deep (affect in a serious, profound way) in the history of the United States, even to the present day (today).

It is a sad fact that civil war often produces the worst kind of violence and bloodshed (killing), as many of you in other countries can attest (can give truthful evidence of) in your own histories.  Today, we honor (remember with respect) those who died so that, as President Abraham Lincoln famously said,  “government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish (disappear) from the earth.”

~Jeff

Photo Credit: 1861 photograph of Fort Sumter, Wikipedia Public Domain

Thank you to all of you who are Premium or Basic Members, or who have donated to ESL Podcast.  You help keep the podcast going!

If you enjoy our podcasts and want to support us, please consider becoming a Basic or Premium Member!
…………

ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 676 – Selecting a Health Insurance Plan

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 switch” and “network.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Types of Insurance Other than Basic Health Insurance.”
“Many health plans cover medical, dental, and vision care. But “disability insurance” and “long-term care plans” are other types of health plans that provide “financial assistance”… – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 289
Topics: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; Joshua Tree National Park; to the extent that versus in light of versus in the face of; I’m going versus I’m going to; adverb placement – accidentally

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about the popular Internet movie rating website “Rotten Tomatoes.”
“In the old days, if members of an audience were unhappy with a “live” (not recorded) performance, they would throw “rotten” (not fresh; food that is bad and cannot be eaten) fruit, vegetables, or eggs at the performers on stage…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 677 – Feeding a Picky Eater

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 “course” and “to whip up.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Ways that American Parents Get Children to Eat Health Foods.”
“Many “toddlers” (children ages 1-2) and “preschoolers” (children ages 3-4) are picky eaters. Some eat food only of a certain color, while others “refuse” (won’t do) to eat food that touches other types of food…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

We all know that the ability to control yourself and your appetites (desires) is an important part of growing up, of becoming an adult. But a new study by the University of Texas suggests that sometimes “self-control” can make people become resentful (angry because of something you cannot do or has been done to you) and more prone to (more likely to commit) aggression (angry behavior toward others).

The researchers found that people who chose a healthy snack (an apple) instead of something that was less good for them (chocolate) were later more likely to prefer movies that had violent themes than those who chose chocolate.  Another study found that people who controlled their spending or showed “financial restraint” preferred seeing angry faces instead of fearful ones.

It appears, then, that we have a finite (limited) supply of energy that can be used for self-control.  When people are asked to control themselves, they may also seek (look for the opportunity) to release whatever anger or frustration they have in other forms, such as watching violent movies.

I’m not sure what to make of (what to think of) this research.  I think many people today could do a better job at controlling their desires and wants (including me!).  Perhaps there is some middle ground (compromise position; neither complete self-control nor doing whatever you feel like) that is best.

~Jeff

*The title of the post is a play on (a funny change of words related to) a famous phrase by one of the American revolutionaries from the late 18th century, Patrick Henry, who said, “Give me liberty (freedom), or give me death!”  I also changed “death” to Death Wish, the name of a violent movie from the 1970s with Charles Bronson as the star.

Photo Credit: Promotional poster for movie, Death Wish, Fair Use Wikipedia