ESL之人际交往 15 An Old Love

15 An Old Love

GLOSSARY 1

an item – a romantic couple; a romantic pair* When Paul and Emily became an item, all of the other high school students knew about it immediately.

old flame – someone with whom one used to have a romantic relationship; anex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend* Carol is one of Miguel’s old flames, but now they’re just good friends.

ancient history – something that happened long ago and is no longer relevantor important* Renee used to work as a financial analyst 2, but now she’s a professional actress and her old job is ancient history.

to lose touch – to no longer communicate with someone; to not talk or write tosomeone whom one used to be close to* Veronica lost touch with many of her friends when she moved from Ohio toAlaska.

out of the blue – unexpectedly; suddenly; without being expected or planned* We had planned to go to Maine for the holidays, but out of the blue, Greg saidthat he wanted to go to Paris instead.

to be dying of curiosity – to be very anxious to know something; to be filledwith curiosity; to be impatient to learn something* Yolanda is dying of curiosity to know what her husband bought her for herbirthday.

to have feelings for (someone) – to be romantically interested in someone; towant to start a romantic relationship with someone* If you have feelings for Terry, then ask him out on a date!

to catch up on old times – to talk about the past with someone whom youhaven’t seen or spoken with in a long time* Yesterday I met an old friend for lunch and we had fun catching 3 up on oldtimes, since we hadn’t talked in six years.

(one) might as well – there’s no reason not to do something; there’s no reasonnot to; one has no objection to doing something* Even though you don’t have very much experience, you might as well apply forthe job. The worst that can happen is that you won’t get it.

to make an excuse – to state a reason for doing (or not doing) something,especially when that reason isn’t true* I need to make an excuse so that I don’t have to go to that party tonight.

to avoid (someone) – to try not to be near someone; to try to ignore someone;to try to stay away from someone* I think Gerald is avoiding me.  I know he saw me at the store, but he didn’tsmile or say “hi.”

afterwards – later; then; after something else has happened* First, they’re going to eat dinner together, and afterwards, they’re going to see amovie.

social life – participation 5 in activities that let one interact 6 with other people;spending time with other people for friendship* Susan has a busy social life.  This weekend, for example, she’s going to twoparties and a wedding, and then she’s taking her nieces to the park!

to live vicariously through (someone) – to listen to someone talk about his orher life and imagine that those things are happening to oneself, because one has an uninteresting life* Sometimes parents try to live vicariously though their children, but the childrenusually don’t like that very much.

to make things up – to imagine something; to pretend that something is happening* When Becky was a child, she was always making things up, telling her friends that she was a princess, for example.

to pester 7 (someone) – to bother someone; to annoy someone; to do things thatmake another person feel frustrated 8 or angry* Does your little brother pester you a lot?

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  Who is Diana Shultz?

a)  A person from a period in ancient history.

b)  Juan’s ex-girlfriend from high school.

c)  Someone who is moving to town.

2.  According to Naomi, why did Diana send the email?

a)  Because she’s feeling blue and depressed 9.

b)  Because she’s dying of curiosity.

c)  Because she’s romantically interested in Juan.

______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

flameThe phrase “old flame,” in this podcast, means an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend:

“Have you ever tried to contact your old flames to learn about their lives?” Normally a “flame” is one line of the bright yellow or orange light and heat thatcomes from a fire: “Can you please lower the flame under that pot on the stove?” Or, “Charlie called the fire department when he saw flames coming from his neighbor’s house.”  As a verb, “to flame” means to burn brightly: “The wood was flaming in the fireplace 10.”  The verb “to flame” can also mean to write an insultingor offensive 11 message about another person in an email or an electronic forum,such as a chat room or an online discussion group:  “Dana posted a message onher blog saying how much she liked the new movie, but someone flamed her by posting a comment that she was stupid if she liked it.”

out of the blueIn this podcast, the phrase “out of the blue” means unexpectedly or suddenly:

“His decision to run in a marathon came out of the blue.”  The phrase “to feelblue” means to feel depressed, or to feel very sad, sometimes without any reason: “Nancy felt blue for months after her divorce.”  The phrase “once in ablue moon” means very rarely: “I love to eat ice cream, but I eat it only once in ablue moon.”  Finally, the phrase “to do something until (one) is blue in the face”

means to try to do something for a very long time, but not be successful: “Youcan try to fly until you’re blue in the face, but it’s impossible and it’s never goingto happen.”

CULTURE NOTE“Public records” are types of information that have been “recorded” (officially written down) , by government agencies.  Most public records are available to thepublic.  “Access” (the ability to get something) to some public records is free, butto see other public records, you might need to pay a “fee” (an amount of money).

“Common” (typical) public records include “vital records,” such as certificates ofbirth and death, and “marriage records” about when people were married, and towhom.  There are also “criminal records,” which are histories about people’s “crimes,” or the things that they have done that are against the law. “Driving records” tell us how many times people have received “tickets” (had topay money for breaking driving laws).  “Real estate records” contain informationabout who buys a house or a piece of land, and how much it costs.

Today, we can use the Internet to access public records more easily than everbefore.  Many websites help people find public records and then print out copies.

However, many people are worried about “privacy” (the right to not have personalinformation shared with other people).  In general, public records that containprivate information are not available online.  To access these public records, youwill need to call the public agency that is responsible for “maintaining” (keeping)the specific type of public record that you are interested in.

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers:  1 – b; 2 – c

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 299: An Old Love.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 12 299.  I'm your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Visit our website at eslpod.com.  You can download a Learning Guide for this episode; you can also take a look at our special premium 13 courses for business and personal English on our ESL Podcast Store.

This episode is called “An Old Love,” someone who was your boyfriend orgirlfriend many years ago.  It's a dialogue between Juan and Naomi about an oldlove.  Let's get started.

[start of story]

Juan:  You’ll never guess who I got an email from yesterday.

Naomi:  Who?

Juan:  Diana Shultz.

Naomi:  Weren’t you two an item back in high school?  So, you got an email froman old flame.  Very interesting. Juan:  Well, that’s ancient history.  We lost touch after we went off to college.

Naomi:  What did she say in her email?

Juan:  She said she was going to be in town next month and wanted to know if Iwanted to get together for dinner.

Naomi:  Are you going to go?

Juan:  I don’t know.  Her email came out of the blue. Naomi:  Aren’t you dying of curiosity?  I know I would be.  Maybe she still has feelings for you.  

Juan:  Stop it!  It’s just dinner, and I’m sure she just wants to catch up on oldtimes, nothing more. Naomi:  I wouldn’t be so sure.  You’ll go, right? Juan:  I might as well.  If I make an excuse, she might think I’m trying to avoidher. Naomi:  Good.  Go and then tell me all about it afterwards.  You know I have nosocial life, so I live vicariously through you. Juan:  Stop making things up.  You date more than anyone I know.  Okay, I’mgoing, so stop pestering 14 me. Naomi:  All right, but I can’t wait to hear all about it!

[end of story]

Our dialogue begins with Juan saying to Naomi, “You’ll never guess who I got anemail from yesterday.”  “You'll never guess” means it's very difficult for you tothink of the answer.

Naomi says, “Who?”  And Juan says, “Diana Shultz.”  Naomi says, “Weren’t youtwo an item back in high school?”  The expression “an item” has a couple ofdifferent meanings.  Here, it means a romantic couple – a romantic pair.  Youcould say that “These two people are an item,” it means they are dating eachother – they are romantically involved with each other.  For example: “Did youhear that Jeff McQuillan and Jennifer Aniston are now an item?”  Just anexample, of course, Jennifer and I are no longer dating!

Naomi continues, “So, you got an email from an old flame.”  An “old flame” is someone that you used to have a romantic relationship with, an ex-boyfriend oran ex-girlfriend.  Jennifer Aniston is, for me, an “old flame,” for example.

Juan responds by saying, “that’s ancient history.”  “Ancient history,” in this informal context 15, means something that happened very long ago and is no longerimportant – is no longer relevant.  “Ancient history” usually refers to the history,for example, of the Greeks or the Romans in the western world, but here, whenwe use it in this way, we're just saying, “That's old news" – that is no longer true;it was a long time ago.  

Juan says that he and his old flame, Diana Shultz, lost touch after they went offto college.  To “lose touch” is when you no longer communicate with someone;someone you used to talk to, but then after several months or years you stoppedtalking to each other.  That is to “lose touch.”  Notice that Juan says that he andhis girlfriend “went off to college.”  They went to college, but “went off” meansthey were just starting.  They were in high school, they graduated high school,and then they “went off to college” – they began going to college.

Naomi says, “What did she say in her email?”  And Juan says that Diana is “going to be in town (in that city where Juan lives) next month,” and wants toknow if he (Juan) wants to get together for dinner (to have dinner).

Naomi says, “Are you going to go?”  And Juan says, “I don’t know.  Her emailcame out of the blue.”  Something that is “out of the blue” means it was unexpected.  You didn't realize or think it would happen, and it happens very quickly, very suddenly; it was “out of the blue.”  For some additional definitions ofthis expression take a look at the Learning Guide for this episode.

Naomi says, “Aren’t you dying of curiosity?”  To be “dying of curiosity” means youare very anxious to know something; you are very impatient to know something;you really want to know.  Some people are “dying of curiosity” about whathappened to Harry 16 Potter at the end of the last novel.  I won't tell you, of course,because I don't know!

Naomi says are “you dying of curiosity,” meaning "Aren't you very curious, Juan,about what Naomi wants to talk about?"  Naomi says, “Maybe she still has feelings for you.”  To “have feelings” for someone is to still be romantically interested in that person, to want to start a romantic relationship with them.

Juan then interrupts her and says, “Stop it!  It’s just dinner,” meaning they areonly going out for dinner, it is nothing more serious than that.  He says, “I’m sureshe just wants to catch up on old times.”  To “catch up on old times” means totalk to someone about things that happened in the past, someone that youhaven't talked with for a very long time.  So, you see a friend you haven't seen in10 years, and then you “catch up on old times” – you talk about things that havehappened in the last 10 years and so forth 4. Naomi says, “I wouldn’t be so sure.  You’ll go, right?” meaning I'm not sure if it's just to catch up on old times, Diana might have other interests.  Juan says, “Imight as well,” meaning I might as well go.  When someone says you “might as well,” they mean there's no reason not to do something – there's no objectionthat you have to doing it.  For example: “Even though you don't have a lot of experience, you might as well apply for the job” – there's no reason not to, eventhough you may not get the job.  It won't hurt, “you might as well.”

Juan continues, “If I make an excuse, she might think I’m trying to avoid her.”  To“make an excuse” means to give someone a reason for doing something or notdoing something.  Usually the idea is that what you are saying isn't actually true. “He's just making excuses” would mean he's not telling the truth – he's lying, he's giving reasons that aren't really true.  That's how it is often used.

Juan says that Diana might think that he's trying to avoid her.  To “avoid”

someone means to try to not be near someone – to try to stay away fromsomeone.  Naomi says, “Good.  Go and then tell me all about it afterwards,”

meaning later – after the date is over.  “You know I have no social life, so I livevicariously through you.”  A “social life” would be participating in activities withother people – spending time with other people who are your friends.  To “livevicariously (vicariously) through someone” means to listen to someone talk abouthis or her life and imagine that those things are happening to you because youdon't have an interesting life.  Perhaps this is one reason why news aboutfamous people is so interesting to so many people.  They “live vicariously through them,” meaning they don't have an interesting life perhaps, so they imagine that the things happening to someone else are also happening to them.

Juan finally says, “Stop making things up,” meaning stop inventing things – stopimagining things.  “You date more than anyone I know” – you date more peoplethan anyone I know.  “Okay,” Juan says, “I’m going, so stop pestering me.”  To“pester” (pester) someone means to bother someone – to annoy someone.  Todo things that make the other person feel very frustrated or that makes themangry; that's to “pester.”  Parents may say that sometimes about their children:

“Stop pestering me” – stop bothering me about wanting a new toy or wanting togo to Disneyland.

I'll stop pestering you now, and have us listen to the dialogue at a normal speed.

[start of story]

Juan:  You’ll never guess who I got an email from yesterday.

Naomi:  Who?

Juan:  Diana Shultz.

Naomi:  Weren’t you two an item back in high school?  So, you got an email froman old flame.  Very interesting. Juan:  Well, that’s ancient history.  We lost touch after we went off to college.

Naomi:  What did she say in her email?

Juan:  She said she was going to be in town next month and wanted to know if Iwanted to get together for dinner.

Naomi:  Are you going to go?

Juan:  I don’t know.  Her email came out of the blue. Naomi:  Aren’t you dying of curiosity?  I know I would be.  Maybe she still has feelings for you. Juan:  Stop it!  It’s just dinner, and I’m sure she just wants to catch up on oldtimes, nothing more. Naomi:  I wouldn’t be so sure.  You’ll go, right? Juan:  I might as well.  If I make an excuse, she might think I’m trying to avoidher. Naomi:  Good.  Go and then tell me all about it afterwards.  You know I have nosocial life, so I live vicariously through you. Juan:  Stop making things up.  You date more than anyone I know.  Okay, I’mgoing, so stop pestering me. Naomi:  All right, but I can’t wait to hear all about it!

[end of story]

The script for this podcast was written by Dr. Lucy Tse. From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.  Thanks for listening.  We'll seeyou next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan.  This podcast is copyright 2007.