2009-02-08 To Buffalo: To Win by Trick or Threat
Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. Today we tell about two words that are close in meaning. One is to buffalo. The other is to bulldoze.…
2009-02-01 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. Many years…
2008-12-28 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.…
2009-01-25 Holding the Bag
Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. (MUSIC) Different people have different ways of saying things – their own special expressions. Each week we tell about some…
2009-01-18 Touching All Bases: Baseball Rules
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. (MUSIC) American English is full of colorful expressions. One such expression is to touch all bases. It comes from the…
2009-01-11 Circus: Some Agree It Is the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’
Now, the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. (MUSIC) Circus is a word with a long, interesting history. It is a Latin word that means “ring” or “circle.” One…
2009-01-04 Baloney: It’s Just Not True
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. (MUSIC) Baloney is a kind of sausage that many Americans eat often. The word also has another meaning in English.…
2008-12-21 Proverbs: Famous Sayings About Love, War and Other Issues
Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. Today we talk about proverbs. A proverb is a short, well known saying that expresses a common truth or belief.…
2008-12-17 Easy Expressions: As Easy as Falling off a Log / A Piece of Cake /As Easy as Shooting Fish in a Barrel
Now, the VOA Special English program “Words and Their Stories”. Every people has its own way of saying things, its own special expressions. Some of these expressions are easy to…
2008-12-14 Hobson’s Choice: When There Is Really No Choice at All
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. (MUSIC) Making choices is necessary, but not always easy. Many of our expressions tell about this difficulty. One of these…
2008-12-07 Dog Talk: Every Dog Has His Day
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. Americans use many expressions with the word dog. People in the United States love their dogs and treat them well.…
2008-11-23 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…
2008-11-16 You Do Not Have to Be a Rocket Scientist 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 words often. People…
2008-11-09 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…
2008-11-02 Too Much Time Watching TV? You may be a Couch Potato
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories. Some unusual words describe how a person spends his or her time. For example, someone who likes to spend a…