50 Questions

A teacher, Robert, just sent me a link to something called 50 Questions, which is a website where you are asked to answer 50 questions about yourself and what you are doing (or have done recently).  I’m not sure what the purpose of these questions really is (most of them are a bit silly or stupid), but for some reason they have become very popular on YouTube, with people recording their answers to the 50 questions for others to see.  If you go to YouTube, you can listen to different people respond to these exact same questions.  There are dozens of videos with these answers.

I went on this website and answered the 50 questions.  My responses are below, along with some explanation of the questions themselves, where needed.  I’m not sure if you really know more about me after seeing my answers, however.

~Jeff

1. Where were you 3 hours ago?
Sleeping in my bed.
2. Who are you in love with?
My wife, who is the true love of my life.
3. Have you ever eaten a crayon? (Crayon = coloring stick made of wax that children use for drawing)
No – why would I?
4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?
No.
5. When is the last time you went to the mall? (Shopping center)
About 2 weeks ago, to buy a book.
6. Are you wearing socks right now?
Yes, since it is sometimes a little cold in the morning in my office.
7. Do you have a car worth over $2,000?
Yes, but it is about five years old.
8. When was the last time you drove out of town?
If by “out of town” you mean staying overnight somewhere else, probably last Thanksgiving visiting relatives (family members).  However, I drive to places near Los Angeles all the time.
9. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?
No, I rarely (very infrequently) go to movies at a theater anymore.  I rent a DVD or watch it on television.
10. Are you hot? (Hot is slang for attractive in a romantic or sexual way.  However, “Are you hot?” can also mean “Do you have a high temperature or are you feeling warm?”)
My body temperature is normal, I think.
11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
A cup of tea (English Breakfast tea), with milk and sugar (I drink one every morning and whenever I go to Starbucks).
12. What are you wearing right now?
My green shirt and black pants.
13. Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it? (A place you take your car for other people to wash it)
Car wash.  My first job at the age of 15 was at a car wash, so I believe in supporting them.  Plus, I’m too lazy to wash my own car.
14. Last food that you ate?
Breakfast cereal (Cheerios with about a cup or so of milk).
15. Where were you last week at this time?
Right where I am now – at my computer working.
16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?
No, I hate buying clothes.
17. When is the last time you ran?
Yesterday on the treadmill (a machine that you can walk or run in place on).
18. What’s the last sporting event you watched?
World Series game last night (the New York Yankees won, beating the Philadelphia Phillies). (The World Series is the baseball championship in the US.)
19. What is your favorite animal?
Cats!
20. Your dream vacation? (ideal, fantasy)
Sitting on a beach in Hawaii.
21. Last person’s house you were in?
My friend’s.
22. Worst injury you’ve ever had? (harm to your body)
Cut my thumb and needed to go to the hospital.
23. Have you been in love?
Yes (see #2).
24. Do you miss anyone right now?
My father.
25. Last play you saw?
I don’t remember.  I used to go see plays more frequently, but have not in the past few years.  I’ve seen a few “experimental” plays but I don’t remember their names.
26. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? (to attract)
Be funny.  This is, in fact, my only weapon, since I am not very hot.  Nowadays I don’t lure in anyone – even if I wanted to (which I don’t – see #2).
27. What are your plans for tonight?
Read, watch television, read some more.
28. Who is the last person you sent a MySpace message or comment?
No one – I’ve never had a MySpace page.
29. Next trip you are going to take?
Going to Arizona for a few days.
30. Ever go camping?  (Sleep outside in a tent)
I last went camping in 1989, and have no plans to do so again…ever.  The next time I want to be horizontal outdoors is when they bury me in my grave (put my dead body in a hole in the ground).
31. Were you an honor roll student in school? (Students with the best grades)
Yes, but I went to a very small school, so it wasn’t very difficult to get on the honor roll.
32. What do you want to know about the future?
Will the Dodgers ever win a World Series again? (The Dodgers are Los Angeles’s professional baseball team, and last won the World Series in 1988.)
33. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? (Another name for perfume, used to describe the scented liquid that some men wear to make them smell nice)
No, I never do.
34. Are you due sometime this year for a doctor’s visit? (Need to do something, are expected to or have to do something)
Yes, in about a month.
35. Where is your best friend?
At work (my wife).
36. How is your best friend?
You’ll have to ask her.
37. Do you have a tan? (Brown skin due to being in the sun)
No, I don’t tan. I’m Irish!  We don’t tan; we get sunburn (red skin after being in the sun) instead.
38. What are you listening to right now?
Nothing. I sometimes listen to classical music or popular music in the car.  At home, I typically (usually) listen to music when the children are screaming outside and I need to block out the noise.
39. Do you collect anything? (Save or buy certain objects, such as stamps or toys for fun)
No.  I do sometimes save the front page of the newspaper if it is an important historical event, however.
40. Who is the biggest gossiper you know? (Someone who gossips likes to talk about other people, usually things that are none of their business.)
I don’t know anyone I’d classify as a gossiper.
41. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over? (Had a police officer require that you stop your car because you broke or violated some law, usually a traffic law)
About two years ago, I was pulled over for speeding (going to fast).  In my defense, I was trying to get home because I left the oven on accidentally and didn’t want my house to burn down.  I told that to the officer, but he still gave me a ticket (a fine I had to pay – $150!).
42. Have you ever drank your soda from a straw? (Long tube of plastic people use sometimes to drink things from a cup)
Of course.
43. What does your last text message say?
“See you tomorrow.”  I don’t text very often, however.  I don’t know that many (very many) people.
44. Do you like hot sauce? (Liquid you put on your food to make it spicy or “hot”)
No.  I don’t normally like spicy food.
45. Last time you took a shower?
Yesterday after exercising.
46. Do you need to do laundry? (To wash your clothing because it is dirty)
Not right now.
47. What is your heritage? (Where your ancestors are from originally; the country where they lived before coming to this country)
Irish and German.  They arrived back in the middle of the 19th century to the US.
48. Are you someone’s best friend?
I’d like to think so. (I hope so!)
49. Are you rich?
Not really.
50. What were you doing at 12AM last night?
In bed.  I’m usually asleep by 10:30 – 11:00 PM, and wake up around 6:00 AM.
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38 Responses to 50 Questions

  1. emiliano says:

    Nice Jeff, it´s my pleasure to know you better now.

    It could be interesting to know each other friends here, but it´s quite difficult to answer so many questions and how?
    Nothing you said is odd as we know you a little by listening the english cafes…how much? four, five times each one along the years?.

    Yes, to me that´s right?

    I would like to have some others ESL staff replies, may be Lucy´s? or someone else?. Please, go ahead some of you.

    Thank you Jeff, quite nice from your part to let we know your personality better, fascinating indeed.
    I like tea the same way you have it, and now is time of having some cup.

    emiliano

  2. Peter says:

    Jeff,

    you are right . long and silly is the list . What is the point of it ,anyway. Seems like it is totally pointless. maybe, it is a kind of silly prank or so. the list has no purpouse.

    Jeff ,

    with due all respect , please coorect me if I am wrong,it is arrive in U.S. .since we are talking a big place for small places we use arrive at .You have me totally confused ,is it really arrive to ??????

  3. Peter says:

    Jeff,

    Please don’t get me wrong It is not my place to find fault with you or anything. I mean, I am not saying you are wrong . You are definitely right , I am just asking for the grammatical point

  4. emiliano says:

    In my opinion the list isn´t so silly because if anybody is willing to reply some questions, any of them have to be very simple, easy or silly. Otherwise if all the questions are serious or all have some other personal feelings no body is in good disposition of replying them.

    Among the silly ones there are some not so silly and doing all you may have an informal clue to know something about the person who is replying the questions and how he/she takes or acts about some of them.

    All investigators, in novels at least, ask for some silly or apparently stupid matters, and when the person is relaxed makes another kind of questions without giving them any importance, that´s the point of having the truth or knowing the person who is investigated or asked about the crime.
    In my personal relationship I am an expert to conect with people, I know that, and sometimes they tall me lot of things about their lifes or relatives just because I have the “quid pro quo” way of touching them. We need to be confort to say something about our feelings and need to know anything of our interlocutor to tell him/her some about us.

    Sometimes the gist isn´t the question or what you reply but the react untill some of the asking for. Being a good observator give you a good photo of the person you have in front of you. Also in the video you can have a good image of the people who replies the questions.

    Do you think Peter that anybody would reply the way that Jeff does?. So plaintly ? and with such good memory relative to silly things that usually we don´t remember?, even with so much sincerity about his feelings?.

    No, I don´t think so.
    Jeff is something very special who has the gift of comunication and he does such a kind of podcast and cafes that noboy can do, just because he is clear, personal, and put always something of his own personality. Just the same kind of replies that he did here, with humor and ingenuity until
    silly or not so silly questions.

    Regards.

    P.D. Sorry Jeff, too many soap, but it is true and just what I think.

  5. Peter says:

    You are absolutly right Emiliano.

    Jeff is very Witty yet tactful. He has a flair for it.he is very diplomatic.he is gifted that way. It is not something you earn ; it is sth you were born with

    Some people like Jeff are good at it . Some like me suck at it.goes by instinct, totally intutive

  6. Peter says:

    Emiliano.

    I believe ,We knew that much about Jeff already . The thing is,I wish Lucy Answered the questioneer ,so we would get to know her better.

    It is the general consensus ,I think, among people in Eslpod community.

  7. Frank Chan says:

    Dear Jeff and every friends, who could tell me what is the meaning of “Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?”? Thanks.

  8. emiliano says:

    Frank what I understand about the question is that “if there is a thing like a piece of clothing, armchair, box, or whatever other thing in a circle of 10 feet of diameter around him, colored in pink”.
    Yes it´s a very silly question, but it seems that has some relevance in the way that he could like this color and have something colored that way near him. Why?…..that´s the point.
    When I was young that color was forbidden for a man, not any man would wear a pink sweeter or pink shirt, now of course it does’t
    matter, or does?

    We have Jeff to reply you as our best teacher, but I don´t mind to risk some replies every now and then.

    Peter, yes I agree with you too, but I think it should be difficult as she is our mysterious ESL´s Good Fairy.

  9. Andrew says:

    hello, it looks like the same list of questions from my school youth ))) the same stupid questions and the same not very clever answers (sorry Jeff it is not about you )))
    thanks for your beautiful job

  10. Peter says:

    In figurative use,pink means a supream
    But , generally pink is the name of a plant

    In the pink comes from that figurative concept

    As Shakespear says:

    I am the very pink of curtesy

    Now , go figure my friend that it is the furthest I go.let’s our dear mentors break down the matter in the best way possible , as it is their wont.

  11. emiliano says:

    Sorry Frank, as Peter said above I have the feeling that my explanation about what pink means has been a disaster. Even more as you I don´t
    get the meaning of that question at all.

    Sorry again Frank, Jeff…where are you?, please we need a good explanation from our teacher.

  12. Jeff says:

    Emiliano’s explanation is perfectly correct – it just means something that is the color pink (an object). It has no other meaning here.

  13. Peter says:

    Emiliano ,it is not disaster at all.We re all here to learn my friend . Please when you think of something share it with us

    Thanks for the comment my friend

    I just said the whole thing reminded me of the slang:
    “in the pink” which is the most popular expression extracted from the word pink. It is originally extracted from a the playwright of Romeo and Juliet By Shakespeare.The saying goes I am the very pink of curtesy

    In the pink means in healthy ,sound condition of mind or a situation.That is all there is to it my friend.

    Thanks Jeff for clearing that out . My friend Fank totally got me. I was about to ask you this very question.

  14. Peter says:

    What is to embarress,
    I make mistake all the time

    In face it is the whole purpose to make mistakes , learn from them and move on.it is the key for makeing the language of shakespear right up our alley.

  15. Peter says:

    You know what guys,

    We should thank Jeff and Lucy that make it possible for us to educate us and enable us to learn from our Slip-ups.

    In fact , truth to be told , regarding me, Jeff and Lucy are making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear

  16. Peter says:

    My cousin lives down under .

    I got off the phone with him just know. he said they got jeff and Lucy down there too. you are totally international.

  17. Peter says:

    Dear Jeff ,

    with due all respect,

    I just listened to the psychological pricing part . I don’t know who has come up with the idea. The idea is absurd. Believe me or not ,we had a group discussion about that back in college,and there was a consensus that it is totally the opposite. In fact ,we had a group project about that, and we surveyed the matter among people in different age groups and as it turned out most of them see 1.99 cent as 2 dollars .I mean most people tend to go to the higher one. It might be through if the price is 150.Even for 150, people think of it as 2 dollars not 1 dollar . And their logic behind the whole thing was they were paying money and who overlooks 99 cents instead of 1 cent. I ,for one ,never think even in the very back of my mind that I am paying 1 dollar while I am out 1.99 cents . Honest ,most of the time I don’t demand the 1 cent remaining back because what would I do with the penny? of course ,It is just me.
    I believe ,you feel me Jeff

    Yours
    Peter

  18. Magda says:

    I liked Jeff´s answers, but the questions are so silly and I cannot understand why they have become popular in You Tube…….lol

  19. Daniele says:

    hi!
    I wonder if Mr. Jeff has been sincere or sarcastic in his reply

    Take for example the n.19 What is your favorite animal?

    30 and 37 made me laugh. Good reply! 🙂

  20. Daniele says:

    Well, taking the aswer at n. 37, at n.4 you could have answered yes, my Irish back. 🙂

  21. Tania says:

    Hi ! This questionnaire seems interesting . And anyway with a lot of new phrases for us .
    At middle age nobody is very hot and nobody shows his six -packs and guns .
    A person too lean seems to be ill .

    All the best for you all . There , there don’t worry !

    Tania

  22. Tanita says:

    stupid questions, but very nice answers by Jeff 🙂

  23. Peter says:

    Yes, It was all twisted till Jeff came out to rescue.

    I am experiencing a very still,and dull sunday’s afternoon with pretty much nothing to do just lying around and chewing the fat with you guys.

    How is your day like. Hope you are not heading for a fall that is the story of my life.sometimes I feel hallow.thanks God ,I have English,an oasis away from all this uncertainty,and somehow measery.

  24. Peter says:

    I know I am texting at unGodly hours. But,I just finished listening to Muscled ,tuned body episod. it is very funny.Not all the girl out there dig a washing board flat stomach. some vote for flobby tommy ,and some go crazy over a bouncing body.(LoL)

    Muscled or not muscled ,eventually we ,men,get all emasculated by women,so why bother. Am I right palls(LoL)

    I am not married yet ,and to be honest I am not really worried about emsculate pare what woriies me most is the get-whipped oart. never get whipped guys(LOL0

    Just joking around guys,it is funny, as hell

  25. Tania says:

    Hi ! You make me smile , Peter . Indeed , funny as hell .

    It is a nice , long and warm autumn / fall here in Romania this year . I often go to the park to admire the silence , the yellow-brown leaves , the trees ,
    the last summer flowers … the first fall flowers , the sky … peace and quiet .

    Tania

  26. Tania says:

    Hi ! I like stories and songs for kids and I should like to be a little child again . I like to listen to your stories like Janis Joplin ‘life again and again.
    Once I slept listening . Unfortunately … ones have an unhappy end from different reasons .
    Maybe if someone can help you when you need help …
    “Worked hard all my life time , no help for my friends ,
    So Lord , won’t’cha buy me a Mercedes Benz ?”
    I don’t know if someone can help you . A strong person can manage himself .

    All the best for you all ,

    Tania

  27. Tania says:

    Hi ! My first English teacher believed strongly in learning English singing nice songs especially songs for children . You smile without reason , you are happy
    like a kid … so , your lessons which include songs are very , very nice for me . And you have such a beautiful voice …

    Tania

  28. Peter says:

    So Tania you agree on the bouncy figure part . (LOL)

  29. Peter says:

    Dear Tania,

    trust me on this.
    Your teacher may be right ,but I personally believe, The worst way of learning a new language is listening and repeating songs. the best way of picking up a language that you are not familiar with is through short sentences . if you look closely it is the exact metod jeff and Lucy have applied. one of the reasons is when you learn new words and expressions withing a short sentences they stick to your mind longer and chances are you never forget them.But, If you learn them by themselves; I mean go look them up in phrasal books or dictionaries you are most likely to forget almost all of them the day after. English language is very elusive my friend.

    Tania, Trust me ,I know what I am talking about,every single step taken by Lucy and Jeff towards creating EslPod has been percisely calculated to give the higest optimal outcomes humanly possible. The reason why songs are not a good way of learning is that most songs are made not based on grammatical facts ,but based on sort of rhyming orders, AND ,TO make RHYMES COMPOSERS OR SINGERWRITERS GO WAY OUT OF LINE.

    Take it from me ,If you see What Jeff and Lucy have come up with rocks and is a huge success because it is built based on sicentific ,psycological facts blended in with their intimate knowledge, high set of skills ,and experience. Excuse my french , dont think I am sucking up. I am just addressing what you have right in front of your eyes Which is ESLPOD. Never ever think even for a fraction of one second that they got lucky that it has nothing to do with luck but Great knowledge backed up with years of experience

    Long stroy short, take my advice , stop memorising songs and start commiting to Lucy’s Transcripts. Believe you me , memorise Lucy’s canon from A to Z , and you will be fluent before you can say Jack Robinson( LOL)

  30. peter says:

    Another day and another trauma. Againg , working long hours. No doubt, This economy slow-down scared me for life.

  31. peter says:

    Jeff , I m wondering if in that little strech of paradise there are some people working through the night? If not I will bag my ration and move down there.

  32. Tania says:

    Hi ! Thank you , Peter . I think you are perfectly right . And I think you are a good friend for all us .

    All the best for you all ,

    Tania

  33. emiliano says:

    My replies:

    1 at home doing chores
    2 my wife of course
    3 no really
    4 no
    5 las week
    6 yes, I always wear
    7 no, I haven´t any just now
    8 I don´t drive for the last 14 years
    9 no, I see movies at home
    10 no now
    11 water
    12 an old shirt and even an older trouser
    13 no, I haven´t any
    14 breakfast, toast and cofee with milk
    15 at home
    16 no, I hate buying new clother too, I like the old one I have
    17 more than 15 years in Prague as I was missing the bus and my friends and wife
    were in already.
    I do not ever run if I can avoid it
    18 I don´t remember, could be some tenis with Rafael Nadal playing it
    19 cats and dogs, also horses but I have no money to have a horse
    20 going to New York and other cities in usa
    21 my friends camila and alicia, yesteday, they were here for lunch but camila
    cooked the meal, as always
    22 some brokens when I was young
    23 yes, still I am
    24 my mother, too much
    25 I don´t remember, a long time withoug going to any of them
    26 talking too much, I think (just the same I´m doing now)
    27 reading and listening some music till 2 a.m. more or less
    also listening ESL that is the best
    28 Nobody, I´ve never had a MySpace page like Jeff
    29 No any trip at all
    30 Yes, several times. I liked it very much
    31 I don´t remember, may be once or two. I was younger that the other fellows
    and it was difficult to be same level
    32 I would like an imposible dream that I have everyday
    33 No, I don´t like. Only when I wanted Cuca to fall in love with me or before her
    the same will with other girls…….?
    34 I do hope No, but no body knows
    35 now having a nap next room
    36 to me? the best person I have ever meet
    37 Yes in summer, I do tan easyly, I am spaniard and for us living in the sunny
    land is usual
    38 Alisson Kraus, Vivaldi and all other baroc musicians, and ESL podcast the
    most frecuently
    39 Not now, but before cd classical music or not so classical and too many books. In fact thousand of the two items
    40 She was in the house we have lived before, now I don´t know any
    41 May be 30 years or more, my daughter were very yound and we were going
    to the beach
    42 No, I don´t think so
    43 Un abrazo
    44 No, absolutely no
    45 yesterday evening
    46 every three times a week more or less
    47 from Burgos, spain and Galicia one of my grand fathers
    48 Yes, I think so. For one Yes, the others you have to ask for
    49 No, but now I have to look carefully what I spend …..i am old and I need to
    have some euros at the bank if I need some care in future
    50 Reading the Blog, that´s for sure.

    It has been very funny.
    Go ahead some of you…… emiliano

  34. ljudmila says:

    Hello,Jeff
    My name is Luda. I came to US from Estonia in 2002 without speaking and understanding English at all, so I started to learn from many different courses but your site is the BEST)))))
    A friend of mine recommended to learn English by your website, what I’m doing and it’s very helps me to learn and understand more and more.
    Thank You very mach

  35. Maria Cristina Hirsch says:

    Hello, Jeff
    I am starting ESL podcast now and I hope that it will be vary nice for me. I can say that I understuand all that I heard in my iPod, but only now have I entered in the site.
    Thank you.

    Maria Cristina Hirsch

  36. Maria Cristina Hirsch says:

    Jeff,

    I am sore but I don’t understand your use of “moderation”. Please explain.
    Thank you

  37. Tania says:

    Hi ! Our best student and the most conscientious , our dear Emiliano .

    Tania

  38. emiliano says:

    Tania, go ahead, do the 50 questions it´s funny and I have a good time doing it.
    To see all the questions as you are replying open two windows and have them simustaneously
    in the screen, you have to reduce the two windows, so you can see the questions and write the
    answers without going up and down. Is very easy.

    I would like to see yours and other friend replies.
    In fact I did it to cheer up other Blogers that way and letting us knew each one
    a little better.

    emiliano

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