Sounds that mean yes and no
15 days ago
by Culips
in Catch Word
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
In every language, there are funny little sounds that we make that are very important! In English, we have lots of noises we make while speaking. In this episode, we’re looking at sounds that mean yes and no. Listen closely as Harp and Maura give their best examples of mmhmm, uh-huh, and uh-uh using different tones. Are you going to learn from this episode? Mmhmm.
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 What is a Member? |
| Harp: | Mmhmm. Uh-huh. |
| Maura: | So, these can be used just like the word yes. They can be used to answer someone, so when you use these sounds in response to a question, it’s like you’re saying yes. |
| Harp: | Or these sounds can be used to agree with someone; to show that you agree with what they’ve said. |
| Maura: | Right. Just like yes. Now, here’s where it’s a little bit different. You can also use these sounds to show someone that you’re listening to what they’re saying. So, in English, when you’re listening to someone talk and maybe they’re talking for 30 seconds or they’re telling a bit of a longer story or something with more detail, the listener has to show that they’re listening. |
| Harp: | Yes. And if you’re in person you can just nod, but oftentimes you add a little bit of noise. |
Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:
| Mmhmm | We could go on |
| Un-huh | A fishing rod and bait |
| Guess what | What’d you do? |
| To end up | To call it a day |
| To make a sound/noise | At the last minute |
| Uh-uh | Would rather |
| A board game | Anyway and anyways |
Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast; Image: The giving heart™
Explaining English idioms – To sell like hot cakes; They can’t make them fast enough.
01 week ago
by Culips
in Catch Word
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Here’s an episode all about popular items. The expressions we talk about are used when something is in demand, which means that people are buying a lot of it. You can use these expressions to talk about the trendiest items of the moment. For example, new Apple products always sell like hot cakes. They can’t seem to make them fast enough! Listen to this episode and learn more about these expressions and others.
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What is a Member? |
| Maura: | So, if we imagine that in the past, at a special event like a fair or some kind of community gathering, there would be a person who was making hotcakes and selling them and they were very popular. So lots of people would buy them, they were in high demand. Well, that’s where the origin of this expression is supposed to have come from. |
| Harp: | OK. That makes sense. |
| Maura: | Right. So now we can use this expression, selling like hotcakes, to talk about a whole variety of items. And usually this expression is not used to talk about food. |
| Harp: | Yeah. It’s usually an object, not food. |
| Maura: | Right. So this expression originated from the popularity of hotcakes, or pancakes, and now we use this expression to talk about some kind of item that people love and they buy a lot of. |
Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:
| Drop someone a line | To sell like hotcakes |
| To line up around the block | To fly off the shelves |
| Tickle Me Elmo | The Hunger Games |
| They can’t make them fast enough | To keep up |
| To crave | You betcha |
| What | What can you do? |
Podcast/ Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Photo: Cartoonstock.com
To toot your own horn – Culips English Podcast
22 weeks ago
by Culips
in Catch Word
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Have you done something extra special lately? In that case, you may want to toot your own horn! This episode is all about speaking well of yourself. It’s all about how to do it while staying humble. For example, we don’t want to want to toot our own horn, but we think our podcasts are pretty fun and informative!
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What is a Member? |
| Maura: | Right, and that means that you talk about that experience. So if you did really well on a project at work, you toot your own horn when you tell other people about what a great job you did. Or if you did really well on a test, you toot your own horn when you tell other people about how well you did. |
| Harp: | Exactly. And if we think about this, to toot your own horn, if someone blows a horn, it’s a celebration. It makes a noise and it gets people’s attention. If you talk about your own accomplishments, you’re celebrating your own success. |
| Maura: | Right. You’re drawing attention to yourself. And if you toot a horn, you definitely draw attention to yourself. |
| Harp: | Definitely |
| Maura: | Now, one possible origin for this expression is a connection to royalty. |
Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:
| To toot your own horn | To draw attention to yourself |
| The job hunt | Lemme |
| Report cards | Who didn’t? |
| Straight A’s | To rub it in someone’s face |
| To pat yourself on the back | To pat someone on the back |
| On your own | Parallel parking |
| Spelling bee |
Podcast/ Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Photo: Zazzle
The dentist – Culips English Podcast
04 weeks ago
by Culips
in Chatterbox
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Here’s an episode about going to the dentist in Canada and some related vocabulary. Not many people like going to the dentist, but we hope you like this episode anyway! Harp and Maura also tell some of their own stories about appointments they’ve had, both good and bad. They also discuss some expressions with teeth: to have a sweet tooth and like pulling teeth. You’ll probably want to brush your teeth after listening to this episode!
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What is a Member? |
| Harp: | Maura, how often do you go to the dentist? |
| Maura: | I was hoping you weren’t gonna ask, Harp. When I was younger, I used to go often. But I don’t have insurance, and so I don’t go very often. |
| Harp: | When was the last time you went to the dentist, Maura? |
| Maura: | The last time I went to the dentist, I think, was about a year and a half ago. |
| Harp: | OK. Not too bad then. |
| Maura: | No, it’s not so bad. But I think there was a period where I didn’t go for about 5 years. |
| Harp: | Yeah, because if you don’t have insurance, it’s very expensive to go to the dentist in Canada. |
Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:
| A checkup | A cavity |
| A baby tooth | To get kicked out |
| To get fed up | When it comes to |
| A drugstore | To grind your teeth |
| To have a sweet tooth | To quit cold turkey |
| To rub off on someone | Like pulling teeth |
| The gum line |
Podcast/ Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Photo: InfoBarrel
To get dolled up–Culips English Podcast
01 month ago
by Culips
in Catch Word
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Here’s an episode about getting fancy! From time to time we all have to dress up for a special occasion, and so we may need to use these expressions. There are a few expressions we can use to talk about someone who is dressing more formally than they normally do. How do you feel about getting all gussied up? Or would you rather dress down?
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What is a Member? |
| Harp: | You don’t have to be wearing a ball gown to use this expression. |
| Maura: | Right. Especially for women, they do their hair and they do their makeup, but for guys too, they might get a haircut or do their hair a special way. They might also pay extra attention to shave their face. |
| Harp: | Yes, definitely. |
| Maura: | When I think of this expression, to get dolled up, I always think of dolls. |
| Harp: | Yes, exactly. Because for a doll, you can dress them up and put new, fancy clothes on them. |
| Maura: | Right. And dolls normally look pretty and cute, so I make that connection when I think of this expression. |
Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:
| To dress/to dress up/to dress down | To get dolled up |
| Fancier/more fancy | The final touch(es) |
| To get all gussied up | A girls’ night out |
| To head out | It’s a plan |
| You going for work? | To take someone up on something |
| To get decked out | Back in the day |
Podcast/ Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Photo: Hot Beauty Spot
Fat Chance—Culips English Podcast
01 month ago
by Culips
in Catch Word
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Sometimes there are things that are not likely to happen, and we’ve got a few expressions to talk about them! Have you ever dreamed of flying to the moon? Or maybe you hope that your boss will give you the day off tomorrow. Fat chance. Listen to this episode to learn a bunch of new expressions, including slim chance.
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What is a Member? |
| Maura: | So, there is an example where we use the expression fat chance. And this means that there is not a good chance of that happening. |
| Harp: | Exactly. There’s very little chance that I’m ever gonna marry Brad Pitt. |
| Maura: | Sorry to break it to you, Harp, but it’s true. There’s probably a very small chance and it’s almost impossible that you’ll marry Brad Pitt. |
| Harp: | I would say it’s impossible. |
| Maura: | So, that is how we can use fat chance. And like we said, we didn’t use fat chance in a sentence, we just responded to the idea of marrying Brad Pitt by saying fat chance. |
| Harp: | Yeah, ’cause this is the student that always answers the question, always puts his hand up, or her hand. |
Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:
| Fat chance | To break something to someone |
| Nah | A slim chance |
| Wish me luck | A long shot |
| What’s going on? | To cross your fingers |
Podcast/ Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Photo: Culips
School—Culips ESL Podcast
01 month ago
by Culips
in Chatterbox
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Here’s an episode idea we got from Daniel on Facebook. Thanks again for the suggestion! In this episode, Harp and Maura talk about elementary and high school in Canada, including sharing their own experiences. They also tell you about different names for types of students and use some natural expressions, as always. What’s school like where you’re from?
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| Maura: | So the first one is teacher’s pet. |
| Harp: | Yes, a teacher’s pet. |
| Maura: | And this is the kind of student who’s always interested in learning and always wants to get really, really good marks at school, which is a good thing. Right, Harp? |
| Harp: | Definitely. |
| Maura: | But other students can find it kind of annoying. |
| Harp: | Yeah, ’cause this is the student that always answers the question, always puts his hand up, or her hand. |
| Maura: | Right. And this kind of student is always trying to be really nice to the teacher because this student wants good marks. |
| Harp: | Yes, definitely. This is the kind of student that brings in an apple for his teacher. |
Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:
| A teacher’s pet | To bring in an apple for the teacher |
| A class clown | To get kicked out |
| A slacker | To hand something in |
| To doodle | To stare off into space |
| To come out of your shell | The dog ate my homework |
| To skip school/to play hooky | Wannu |
| A slumber party | Let me tell you |
Podcast/ Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Photo: cliff1066™
Viral Videos—Culips English Podcast
21 month ago
by Culips
in Chatterbox
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
With the Internet and social media, people are on computers and cell phones more than ever! This means that there are all kinds of new terms that have been created to describe all the new trends and innovations online, one of which you already know: podcast! Listen to this episode to learn some of English’s cutting-edge vocabulary.
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| Maura: | Those are some viral videos, and check out our Facebook page because we’ll post some of these videos this week so you can check them out. Now, another expression that has become popular recently is to say that something is trending. |
| Harp: | Yes. If something is trending. |
| Maura: | Yeah. So if something is trending, it means that it’s very popular online at the moment. |
| Harp: | Yes. Something that is popular online, you could say something is trending. |
| Maura: | And you know something is trending when a lot of people are talking about it on Twitter or people are making comments or posting about it on Facebook. Another way that we know something is trending is when a lot of people do searches for it. So it’s become a really, really popular topic to be searched. |
Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:
| To swear | To go viral |
| A viral video | In a matter of… |
| To catch on | A flash mob |
| To trend | |
| A podcast | This American Life |
| A blog/a blogger | Brand recognition |
| Julie and Julia | Religiously |
| Cyberspace |
Here’s one of the videos that we talk about in our latest episode about viral videos. It’s one of my all time favourites! And look, it has more than 27 million views. Wow. ~ Maura
Here’s an example of a flash mob, like we talked about in the Viral Videos episode. This one is well organized and one of my favourites!
Podcast/ Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast
Sports In Canada—Culips English Podcast
02 months ago
by Culips
in Chatterbox
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Here’s another episode requested by some of our listeners. The athletes out there were curious about sports in Canada. What sports do people play? Which sports are popular to watch? Is hockey really as popular as people think? In this episode, Harp and Maura answer these questions and tell you about their own experiences playing on sports teams growing up! If you’re not sure what lacrosse is, listen to find out.
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| Maura: | Another sporting event that’s very popular in Canada is the Winter Olympics, and that would be because we’re not so bad at them. We have a long winter, we have a lot of places to practice outdoor sports, and so the Winter Olympics are quite popular here. |
| Harp: | Very popular. The Summer Olympics are popular, but we just don’t do very well in them. |
| Maura: | You know, I have another theory as to why the Winter Olympics are more popular. |
| Harp: | Because people are at home and cold and watching TV? |
Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:
| Like | Soccer vs. football |
| The playoffs | Hockey Night in Canada |
| Custom-made | Lacrosse |
| To chow down & to pig out | A jersey |
| A bookworm | To push someone |
| To try out & to make the team | Much to someone’s disappointment |
| To be benched | Phys. Ed. |
Podcast/ Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Photo: s.yume
Send us a postcard from wherever you are in the world, and we’ll send you one back from beautiful Montreal, Canada, with a hand-written message from one of the Culips hosts. Just mail your postcard to the following address:
Culips
4663 Christoph-Colomb Ave
Montreal, QC H2J3G7
Canada
To go out on a limb—Culips English Podcast
02 months ago
by Culips
in Catch Word
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Here’s an episode about taking risks. Sooner or later, we all take a risk at work or in our personal lives. To go out on a limb and to stick your neck out can be used to talk about taking a risk. You can also put yourself in jeopardy when you take a risk. Take a risk by listening to this episode and start using these natural English expressions today.
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| Maura: | Now, this is an interesting expression, to go out on a limb, but there is a possible origin or a connection to trees. |
| Harp: | Yes, because on a tree, a limb is an open, exposed branch, so it’s like one of the arms of the tree. |
| Maura: | Exactly. And if you’re an animal who lives in trees and goes out on a limb, I mean actually goes on a limb, it’s a dangerous place to be because you’re exposed and maybe a hunter or a predator or someone who wants to get you could get you because they can see you. |
| Harp: | Yes, definitely. Or the limb could break because it’s too weak. |
| Maura: | Right. So that’s another danger when an animal goes out on a limb; the limb could break and the animal could fall to the ground. So going out on a limb actually is dangerous. |
Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:
| To go out on a limb | To take something into consideration |
| To stick your neck out | Back to the drawing board |
| Listen up | To put yourself in jeopardy |
| It’s been around forever | Good old |
| To make it | Asap |
| What’s wrong? | A backup |
Podcast/ Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Photo: photogramma1
Hello! My name is Julio, I'm from Mexico and I've been studying english for about 3 years....I want you to know that this is a great site.. and Culips podcasts are so fun... you are doing an amazing job for people who don't speak English as native language... thanks to you I've improved my listening comprehension and learnt new phrases...I always download the podcast and carry them along in my cellphone....
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