2010年ESL之就医和人际交往 11 Suggesting a Nightcap

11 Suggesting a Nightcap

GLOSSARY 1

to slur 2 – to speak slowly and unclearly, without pausing between one’s words,often because one is drunk or has taken too much medicine

* Whenever Randy takes sleeping pills, his speech becomes slurred 3 for a whilebefore he falls asleep.

to set (someone) up – to make arrangements for two people to meet, usuallybecause one thinks they will like each other and be able to start a romanticrelationship together

* I don’t know why Hugh set me up with Jackson. We have nothing in common.

soul mate – a person whom one has many things in common with, feels verycomfortable with, is in love with, and is meant to be with in a romanticrelationship for the rest of one’s life; one’s true love

* The day I met you, I knew I’d finally found my soul mate.

dreamy – very pleasant, desirable, or attractive, often used if the speaker isn’tthinking very clearly or is very idealistic

* Isn’t this dress dreamy? I have to have it!

nightcap – a drink with alcohol consumed right before going to bed

* If you can’t fall asleep without a nightcap, you may need to see your doctor.

to make (something) worth (one’s) while – to give someone something if he orshe does something for oneself; to compensate 4 a person for something that heor she is going to do for oneself

* She waved money in front of my face, saying that if I helped her study for theexam, she’d make it worth my while.

rain check – the ability to do something at a later date instead of right now, whenit is being offered

* I’d love to see your new paintings, but right now I’m running late for a meeting.

Can I take a rain check?

the night is young – a phrase meaning that it is still early in the evening andthere is plenty of time to do things before people need to go home to sleep

* Why are you going home so early? The night is young! Let’s go out and havesome fun!

to make (something) another time – to do something later; to do something onan unspecified day in the future, not now

* Callie had planned to go shopping with Ollie earlier today, but she said she hada headache and asked to make it another time.

spoilsport – a party pooper; someone who spoils another person’s fun;someone who isn’t interested in doing fun things with another person or group ofpeople, often because he or she wants to follow the rules and do everythingproperly

* Earle is a spoilsport who never drinks, smokes, listens to loud music, dances,swears, or eats junk food.

impression – the way that one feels or thinks about someone or something; theopinion one has of someone or something

* Becca made a great impression when we interviewed her for the job, but herperformance since then hasn’t been very good.

to not be able to get out of (somewhere) fast enough – to want to leave aplace very badly and not spend any time there at all

* Our realtor took us to see a horrible, ugly, old house. We couldn’t get out ofthere fast enough!

drop-dead gorgeous 5 – very beautiful, used to describe a woman

* Cherice is drop-dead gorgeous. I wonder why she didn’t try to become amodel.

intention – plan; what one wants and plans to do

* Pierre’s intention was to study all night, but he ended up falling asleep at hisdesk around 11:00.

to take advantage of (someone or something) – to get what one wants orneeds by treating someone unfairly or abusing a situation

* Why have you let Pinella live in your apartment for free for the past six months?

I think she’s taking advantage of you.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Why doesn’t Tri accept Brittany’s offer for a nightcap?

a) Because he doesn’t drink alcohol.

b) Because he doesn’t think she’s attractive.

c) Because he thinks she is too drunk.

2. What does Brittany mean when she says, “The night is young”?

a) It’s still early.

b) There is a full moon.

c) Tomorrow is her birthday.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to slur

The verb “to slur,” in this podcast, means to speak slowly and unclearly, withoutpausing between one’s words, often because one is drunk or has taken too muchmedicine: “Bartenders aren’t supposed to serve more alcohol to customerswhose speech is slurred.” In music, “to slur” means to play notes together verysmoothly, without breaks between them: “This part of the song would soundbetter if you slurred the notes of the melody 6.” As a noun, a “slur” is a negativecomment against someone or something, often used to make other peopledislike or hate that person or thing: “Terry made a horrible slur about poorpeople.” Finally, a “racist slur” is an unkind and unfair comment aboutsomeone’s race or skin color: “Irving was shocked when his parents made aracial slur about his best friend.”

impression

In this podcast, the word “impression” means the way that one feels or thinksabout someone or something, or the opinion one has of someone or something:

“I’ve never seen Lake Superior, but I have the impression that it’s a very beautifulplace to visit.” The phrase “first impression” refers to the way one is perceived atone’s first meeting: “Our first impression of you was that you were really quietand shy, but now we know that you just weren’t feeling well that day.” Thephrase “to be under the impression” means to believe something that wasn’tactually true: “I’m sorry I called you Mrs. Thompson, but I was under theimpression that you were married.” Finally, an “impression” is the mark madewhen something hard is pushed into something soft: “The folds in the pillowcaseleft an impression on her cheek.”

CULTURE NOTE

In this episode 7, a “nightcap” is an alcoholic 8 drink drunken right before going tobed, usually to help one fall asleep. However, a “nightcap” is also a warm hatthat used to be worn when people went to bed. Nightcaps were very commonduring the “Middle Ages” (the period of European history between the 5th and 15thcenturies), but are rarely used “these days” (in modern times).

Nightcaps were used to keep people’s head warm at night, but they also “servedanother purpose” (had another reason for existing): they helped prevent the“spread” (expansion; growth; movement into new areas) of “lice” (small insectsthat live in people’s and animals’ hair and bite the skin, causing it to itch). In theMiddle Ages, many people had little or no hair, instead choosing to wear “wigs 9”

(artificial hair). These wigs often had a lot of lice. So, when people worenightcaps to bed instead of wigs, they were able to keep the lice away from theirskin and stay warmer during cold nights.

Women’s nightcaps were normally just a long piece of “fabric” (cloth) that they“wrapped” (put around something else several times; rolled) around their head.

Men’s nightcaps were hats that had a very long, pointed 10 part on top. The longpart was wrapped around the neck for extra warmth.

Nightcaps are “out of fashion” (uncommon and not popular) now, but somepeople do still wear a hat to bed for warmth, especially if they are “bald” (withouthair on one’s head) and are in a cold place, such as when sleeping “outdoors”

(outside). However, they are unlikely to call these hats “nightcaps.”

______________

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – a

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT 11

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 598: Suggesting aNightcap.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 598. I’m your host, Dr.

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

Our website is eslpod.com. Go there to become a member of ESL Podcast andget all of our Learning Guides that will help you improve your English even faster.

This episode is called “Suggesting a Nightcap.” A “nightcap” is an alcoholicdrink, such as beer, that you would drink right before you go to bed. Let’s getstarted.

[start of dialogue]

Brittany: [slurring 12 her speech] I had a really nice time.

Tri: I’m glad to hear it. It was nice of Marie to set us up.

Brittany: Yeah, she told me that you would be my soul mate, and she was right!

You’re dreamy…Tri: Uh…well, thanks. It was really nice meeting you, but I’d better be going.

Brittany: What? Why are you leaving so soon? Don’t you want to come in for anightcap? Let’s have a drink, or two, or three. I’ll make it worth your while…Tri: I think we’ve both had enough to drink tonight, don’t you? I’ll just take a raincheck.

Brittany: Don’t go yet. The night is young. Don’t you want to see my apartment?

Tri: Sure I do, but let’s make it another time. I really do have to go.

Brittany: Spoilsport!

…

Brittany seemed nice when I first met her, but that impression didn’t last long. Itonly took 15 minutes for me to realize that she and I had nothing in common, andthen, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. You might think I’m crazy becauseshe really was drop-dead gorgeous, but I had no intention of taking advantage ofa drunk woman!

[end of dialogue]

The dialogue begins with Brittany slurring her speech. She’s saying somethingto Tri, but we can’t understand it very well because she is slurring her speech.

“To slur” (slur) means to speak very slowly but not clearly. You don’t stop inbetween your words. It’s often something that happens if you are drunk – if youhave had too much alcohol, or perhaps are taking some sort of medicine thatmay have that same effect.

Brittany, we believe, has been drinking a little too much alcohol; she says to Tri,“I had a really nice time.” Tri says, “I’m glad to hear it.” It appears that Tri andBrittany were on a date. He says, “It was nice of Marie to set us up.” “To set(someone) up” here means to make arrangements – to make a plan for twopeople to meet. Usually this involves a man and a woman who are perhapsgoing to be romantically interested in each other. So you have a friend, who hasanother friend who is single – who is not married, and you want to date thatperson, or that person may say, “You know, I know someone who would be reallygood for you,” and they set you up. They arrange for you to come together andgo on a date.

Brittany says, “Yeah, she (Marie) told me that you would be my soul mate, andshe was right! You’re dreamy.” A “soul (soul) mate (mate)” is a person that youhave many things in common with, you feel very comfortable with this person,perhaps you are in love with this person. Usually it’s something you would say tosomeone who you are very much in love with, someone that you would want tomarry; that might be your soul mate. Tri and Brittany, however, are on their firstdate. They’ve only known each other for a few hours. But because Brittany hasbeen drinking she thinks that Tri is somehow her soul mate, even though shedoesn’t know him very well. She says that Tri is dreamy. “Dreamy” often refersto a very attractive man, a very desirable man, someone who a woman would bevery interested in. Usually, it’s when somebody isn’t thinking very clearly, but it’spossible that Brittany really believes Tri is dreamy.

Tri says, “Uh…well, thanks.” He’s not quite sure what to say back to Brittanysince it’s only their first date. He says, “It was really nice meeting you, but I’d better be going,” meaning I need to leave now. Brittany says, “What? Why areyou leaving so soon? Don’t you want to come in for a nightcap?” A “nightcap”

(one word) is alcohol that you drink before going to bed; it would be like one lastdrink for the night. Remember, Brittany has been drinking. She’s inviting 13 Tri tocome to her apartment and have this drink. She says, “Let’s have a drink, or two,or three. I’ll make it worth your while.” “To make (something) worth (someone’s)while (while)” means to give someone something if they do something for you.

So if someone says, “If you go and get me some milk at the store, I’ll make itworth your while.” I’ll give you 10 dollars or 20 dollars.

Brittany is saying that she will make it worth his while – Tri’s while – by coming infor a nightcap, remembering Brittany has been drinking. Tri says, “I think we’veboth had enough to drink tonight, don’t you?” Tri recognizes that Brittany hasdrunk too much alcohol; he’s trying to get away from the situation. He says, “I’lljust take a rain check.” A “rain (rain) check” (two words) is the ability to dosomething at a later time – at a later date, instead of right now when it is beingoffered to you. Usually this term is used in a store, where you go in to buysomething that the store has on sale but the store doesn’t have any more, it’ssold out. Sometimes – I’m not sure how often this happens anymore, but it usedto be that the store would give you a rain check. It would give you a piece ofpaper that you could bring back for example a week later or two weeks later and,when the store has more of that product you could still get the sale’s price. Inthis case, what Tri is saying is that he doesn’t want to have a nightcap withBrittany, maybe later – maybe at some other time. That’s why he says, “I’ll justtake a rain check.”

Brittany says, “Don’t go yet. The night is young.” This is a common expression;“the night is young” means that it is still early, there are still plenty of things wecan do before we have to go to bed. “The night is young” means there is a lot oftime for us to still enjoy ourselves. Brittany says, “Don’t you want to see myapartment?” Tri says, “Sure I do, but let’s make it another time.” When someonesays they “want to make (something) another time” they mean they want to do itlater. It’s similar to “taking a rain check.” You want to do something at a latertime, but you’re not going to set a particular or a specific day right now, just in thefuture.

Once again, Tri is trying to leave here. He says, “I really do have to go.” Brittanythen says, “Spoilsport!” “Spoilsport” (spoilsport – one word) is someone whospoils another person’s fun. That is, someone who ruins or wrecks 14 or somehowprevents another person from having fun. Someone who isn’t interested in doingfun things, especially someone who wants to do everything properly, that doesn’t want to break any of the rules, that’s what a spoilsport is. We have anotherexpression, a “party pooper” (pooper). This is basically the same idea, someonewho doesn’t want to go along with the rest of the group who wants to have fun.

Tri says, “Brittany seemed nice when I first met her, but that impression didn’tlast long.” “Impression” is, here, the way that you think about someone, youropinion of someone. It has other meanings, this word “impression,” and thosecan be found in our Learning Guide. Tri continues by saying, “It only took 15minutes for me to realize that she and I had nothing in common,” meaning theygot together on their date, but after 15 minutes Tri knew that he wasn’t reallygoing to like this woman. He didn’t have anything in common, they didn’t shareany interests. Tri says, “then, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.” “To not beable to get out of (somewhere) fast enough” means that you want to leave aplace right away, very badly we might say. You want to go immediately. Hesays, “You might think I’m crazy because she really was drop-dead gorgeous.”

“Drop-dead gorgeous” is someone, usually a woman, who is very beautiful, verysexually attractive. “Gorgeous” means beautiful. “Drop-dead” means that she’sso beautiful if you see her you would die. I don’t know why, but that’s theexpression. Tri says, however, that he had no intention (he didn’t have any plan;he didn’t want to) of taking advantage of a drunk woman. “To take advantage of(someone)” is to do something to someone in a situation where they may not beable to help themselves, to treat someone unfairly. We might even say “to abusea situation,” to take the situation and use it for your advantage, hurting someoneelse. That’s taken advantage of someone. Tri doesn’t want to take advantage ofBrittany. She has been drinking, and so he decides that he will not have anotherdrink with her or go to her apartment, but he will go home. Which is probably agood idea!

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Brittany: [slurring her speech] I had a really nice time.

Tri: I’m glad to hear it. It was nice of Marie to set us up.

Brittany: Yeah, she told me that you would be my soul mate, and she was right!

You’re dreamy…Tri: Uh…well, thanks. It was really nice meeting you, but I’d better be going.

Brittany: What? Why are you leaving so soon? Don’t you want to come in for anightcap? Let’s have a drink, or two, or three. I’ll make it worth your while…Tri: I think we’ve both had enough to drink tonight, don’t you? I’ll just take a raincheck.

Brittany: Don’t go yet. The night is young. Don’t you want to see my apartment?

Tri: Sure I do, but let’s make it another time. I really do have to go.

Brittany: Spoilsport!

…Brittany seemed nice when I first met her, but that impression didn’t last long. Itonly took 15 minutes for me to realize that she and I had nothing in common, andthen, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. You might think I’m crazy becauseshe really was drop-dead gorgeous, but I had no intention of taking advantage ofa drunk woman!

[end of dialogue]

We hope we’ve made it worth your while to listen to this episode. Thanks to Dr.

Lucy Tse for writing it.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thanks for listening. Comeback and listen to us next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan, copyright 2010 by the Center for EducationalDevelopment.