2007-11-18 Water: She Is In Hot Water
Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. (MUSIC) Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself. But many of the expressions using water have unpleasant…
2007-11-11 Losing It: It’s Hard When You Lose Control
I’m Susan Clark with the Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. Tom Smith is the best hitter on his company’s baseball team. For weeks during the playing season, Tom…
2007-11-04 Monkey: No Monkey Business Here
Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. (MUSIC) Monkeys are very similar to us in many ways. Most have ten fingers and ten toes, and brains much…
2007-10-28 Kick: This Is an Idea Worth Kicking Around
Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. (MUSIC) From birth to death, the word kick has been given an important part in expressing human experience. The proud…
2007-10-21 Rocket Scientist: You Do Not Have to Be Extremely Intelligent to Understand This
Hello. I’m Phil Murray with Words and Their Stories, a program in Special English. (MUSIC) “You do not need to be a rocket scientist. . . ” Americans hear these…
2007-10-14 Wild Cat: Is It a Fast Car or False Money?
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. Today, we tell about the word wildcat. (MUSIC) Humans have always depended on animals. From the beginning of human history,…
2007-10-07 Great Scott: What a Surprise!
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. (MUSIC) Every language has its ways of expressing strong emotions — surprise, shock, anger. The expressions range from mild to…
2007-09-16 Hang: Don’t Get Excited, Just Hang Loose
Now, the Special English program, Words and Their Stories. (MUSIC) Hang is a simple word. But there are many meanings for hang. Especially when it is used with other words.…
2007-09-23 Belittle: Thomas Jefferson First Used This Word
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. Today’s word is belittle. It was first used by Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. (MUSIC) Many…
2007-09-09 Couch Potato: Life as a Full-Time Television Watcher
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. (MUSIC) Some unusual words describe how a person spends his or her time. For example, someone who likes to spend…
2007-09-02 Baseball Terms: This Is a Whole New Ballgame
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. Baseball is America’s national sport. So it is not unusual that many popular expressions come from baseball. But first, let…
2007-08-19 Heart to Heart: Let’s Get to the Heart of the Matter
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. Each week, this program explains the many meanings of English expressions. Today’s expressions include a very important word – “heart.”…
2007-08-05 All About Names: He Was a True Jack of All Trades
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. (MUSIC) A person’s name is very important. Some names also have special meanings in popular American expressions. To better understand…
2007-07-29 Let’s Do Business: I Made a Sweetheart Deal Last Month
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. There are many special terms in the world of business. The following story is about a sweetheart deal which I…
2007-07-22 Mouth Expressions: The Experience Left a Bad Taste in My Mouth
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. (MUSIC) People use their mouths for many things. They eat, talk, shout and sing. They smile and they kiss. In…