Monthly Archives: January 2010

The More (Money), the Merrier

There’s an old expression in English, “The more, the merrier.” Merry is an old-fashioned word that means to be happy, as in “Merry Christmas.”  “The more, the merrier” means the more people you have, say, at a party, the happier … Continue reading

Posted in Life in the United States | 30 Comments

“Mind Over Matter,” “Relationship Chicken,” & “Not Even Close”

QUESTION: Yana from Russia wants to know the meaning of the phrase “mind over matter.” ANSWER: Mind over matter refers to the ability to use the power of our thinking, or of our brain, to overcome (succeed in dealing with) … Continue reading

Posted in Language & Terms | 16 Comments

Undergraduates Under Water

Most universities require their students to pass (complete successfully) certain courses (classes) in order to graduate. Usually, these are what we call general education classes, classes on topics that the university thinks everyone should know about to be considered an … Continue reading

Posted in Life in the United States | 21 Comments

Street Dance and Dance Crews

In last week’s English Cafe, we talked about hip-hop culture. A big part of hip-hop culture is hip-hop dancing, or street dancing. Hip-hop dancing has been around for a long time, since the early 1970s, and it has continued and … Continue reading

Posted in Life in the United States | 15 Comments

Guest Blogger Warren Ediger

Today we have a guest blogger, Warren Ediger. You can read his explanation of 2009 buzzwords in the next post.  (What’s a buzzword, you ask?  Read Warren’s post to find out!) Warren will be writing posts every now and then … Continue reading

Posted in About ESL Podcast | 24 Comments

What’s the Buzz? Buzzwords of 2009

In Jesus Christ Superstar, a rock opera and movie from the 1970s, there’s a song called What’s the Buzz? In the song, the apostles (disciples, Jesus’ followers) ask Jesus the same question again and again: What’s the buzz? Tell me … Continue reading

Posted in Language & Terms | 10 Comments

Dog as a Second Language

Yesterday, I offered a little ditty to help us all get through Monday. Today, I have a little joke for you.  If we get past Monday and Tuesday, then we should be able to get past hump day, right?  Hump … Continue reading

Posted in Jokes and Humor | 19 Comments

“Living in a Tree” by Priscilla Ahn

Here’s a little ditty (a short, simple song) to help ease (make something unpleasant easier) your way into a new work week.  When we’re not looking forward to going to work, we sometimes say, “Another day, another dollar,” expressing a … Continue reading

Posted in Karaoke English | 13 Comments

The Case of the Missing Criminals

When I moved to Los Angeles back in the early 1990s, it was one of the most dangerous cities in the United States.  One year, there were more than 1,000 homicides (murders) in the city of Los Angeles itself.  Even … Continue reading

Posted in Life in the United States, News and Current Events | 28 Comments

You Give Me the Creeps!

QUESTION: Benjamin in Thailand wants to know what this sentence means: “You give me the creeps!” ANSWER: To give (someone) the creeps means to make someone feel frightened or uncomfortable. For example, if you ride the subway every morning and … Continue reading

Posted in Language & Terms | 11 Comments