WEBVTT 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:04.860 Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast 00:00:04.860 --> 00:00:18.460 number 23. Hello and welcome to English as a 00:00:18.460 --> 00:00:24.239 Second Language podcast number 23. My name is 00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:29.199 Dr. Jeff McQuillen with the Center for Educational 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:35.560 development, we are coming to you from Los Angeles, 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:39.700 California. If this is your first time listening 00:00:39.700 --> 00:00:49.420 please go to our website at www .eslpod .com 00:00:49.420 --> 00:00:53.299 to find out more information about this podcast. 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:59.530 Today's topic is going to be spring cleaning 00:00:59.530 --> 00:01:03.909 cleaning up the house making sure everything 00:01:03.909 --> 00:01:07.950 is clean we're going to talk about the vocabulary 00:01:07.950 --> 00:01:13.150 as always after we listen to our discussion let's 00:01:13.150 --> 00:01:22.170 get started spring cleaning is supposed to take 00:01:22.170 --> 00:01:28.159 place before summer not after it But as usual, 00:01:29.019 --> 00:01:34.060 I procrastinated and now I have to finally get 00:01:34.060 --> 00:01:38.280 rid of all of the junk I've accumulated over 00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:45.560 the year. But now there are no ifs, ands, or 00:01:45.560 --> 00:01:52.340 buts about it. The cleaning must be done. I start 00:01:52.340 --> 00:01:57.629 in my bedroom. I have a king bed with a sheet 00:01:57.629 --> 00:02:03.049 on the mattress and a top sheet with pillowcases 00:02:03.049 --> 00:02:09.949 on the pillows. Atop all of that, I have a down 00:02:09.949 --> 00:02:15.050 comforter. Well, they all need to be washed, 00:02:15.610 --> 00:02:21.689 so into the machine they go. Next, I start in 00:02:21.689 --> 00:02:28.560 on the closet. What a mess. I've got boxes and 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:34.000 bins full of stuff that needs sorting. Finally, 00:02:34.740 --> 00:02:40.919 I have to vacuum the carpet and dust. Phew, quite 00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:46.340 a job. Good thing I don't have any drapes, just 00:02:46.340 --> 00:02:52.080 shades on the windows. But I'm not done yet. 00:02:52.780 --> 00:02:57.280 It's time to move on to the kitchen. I have a 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:01.939 combination stove and oven, both of which I need 00:03:01.939 --> 00:03:07.659 to clean. I start with the fridge, though which 00:03:07.659 --> 00:03:12.819 needs the most work. I take out the shelves and 00:03:12.819 --> 00:03:17.800 rinse them all off. Then I dump anything that 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:23.280 has passed its expiration date. Then it's back 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:27.300 to the stove which I need to scrub clean of the 00:03:27.300 --> 00:03:33.080 grease and stains and the same for the oven. 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:38.979 Finally, I wash all the dirty dishes and put 00:03:38.979 --> 00:03:44.379 them in a dish rack next to the sink. Spring 00:03:44.379 --> 00:03:49.240 cleaning is always a mixed bag for me. It's a 00:03:49.240 --> 00:03:53.669 lot of work, but I also find things I've been 00:03:53.669 --> 00:03:58.150 missing for the past year. Maybe next time I'll 00:03:58.150 --> 00:04:02.169 manage to do my spring cleaning in the spring. 00:04:10.110 --> 00:04:13.750 Now let's talk about some of the vocabulary I 00:04:13.750 --> 00:04:19.189 used. The topic of today's podcast is spring 00:04:19.189 --> 00:04:23.740 cleaning. Spring, of course, is one of the four 00:04:23.740 --> 00:04:29.360 seasons, fall, winter, spring, and summer. In 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:32.939 the United States, we usually talk about spring 00:04:32.939 --> 00:04:37.060 cleaning, meaning cleaning up your house after 00:04:37.060 --> 00:04:41.879 the winter to get ready for the summer. I, of 00:04:41.879 --> 00:04:49.000 course, am a bit lazy, and so I procrastinated. 00:04:49.610 --> 00:04:54.589 in doing my cleaning to procrastinate that's 00:04:54.589 --> 00:05:02.990 a long word spelled p -r -o -c -r -a -s -t -i 00:05:02.990 --> 00:05:08.649 -n -a -t -e -d procrastinate is the verb I said 00:05:08.649 --> 00:05:12.850 I procrastinated meaning I waited for a very 00:05:12.850 --> 00:05:18.430 long time some people when they have to do their 00:05:18.430 --> 00:05:22.379 taxes their tax forms for the government they 00:05:22.379 --> 00:05:28.220 wait until the very last day that's called procrastinating 00:05:28.220 --> 00:05:34.000 waiting until the very last minute I procrastinated 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:39.740 I said and now I finally have to get rid of all 00:05:39.740 --> 00:05:44.660 the junk I have to get rid of means to throw 00:05:44.660 --> 00:05:48.399 away and we have several expressions today about 00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:53.620 throwing away, putting in the trash, things that 00:05:53.620 --> 00:05:58.300 we do not want. Junk, of course, is a common 00:05:58.300 --> 00:06:04.139 term meaning anything that you do not want. Trash 00:06:04.139 --> 00:06:10.459 and junk are basically the same idea. I used 00:06:10.459 --> 00:06:14.899 a common expression, there are no ifs, ands, 00:06:14.980 --> 00:06:20.399 or buts about it. This expression means that 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:27.879 there is no way to avoid the situation or That 00:06:27.879 --> 00:06:31.699 something you are about to say is absolutely 00:06:31.699 --> 00:06:38.639 true for example There are no ifs ands and buts 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:43.620 about it. I must do my homework today Meaning 00:06:43.620 --> 00:06:49.779 I cannot avoid doing my homework Another expression 00:06:49.779 --> 00:06:53.279 I used, several expressions, dealing with the 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:57.959 bedroom and things you find in a bedroom. First 00:06:57.959 --> 00:07:03.220 of all, we have a mattress. And a mattress is 00:07:03.220 --> 00:07:09.120 what you lie on in the bed. A bed is a mattress 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:14.399 on top of a frame, what we call the bed frame. 00:07:14.819 --> 00:07:17.459 So the mattress is what you actually lie down 00:07:17.459 --> 00:07:22.470 on. The sheet goes over the mattress. The sheet 00:07:22.470 --> 00:07:28.589 is a piece of cotton or linen that you stretch 00:07:28.589 --> 00:07:31.949 over the mattress so that you don't get the mattress 00:07:31.949 --> 00:07:38.290 dirty. A top sheet is a second sheet that goes 00:07:38.290 --> 00:07:45.230 on top of the mattress sheet in between your 00:07:45.230 --> 00:07:52.949 blanket and you. A blanket, of course, is a thick 00:07:52.949 --> 00:07:56.470 piece of material we put over us to keep us warm. 00:07:57.430 --> 00:08:01.009 A special kind of blanket is called a comforter. 00:08:01.889 --> 00:08:06.550 A comforter is a big blanket, a very big blanket. 00:08:07.370 --> 00:08:12.689 A down comforter is a comforter made out of feathers. 00:08:13.350 --> 00:08:16.389 When we say we have a down comforter we mean 00:08:16.389 --> 00:08:19.839 it's a comforter made out of some sort of birds 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:26.240 feathers. You can also have a down jacket. These 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:29.339 are very warm for those who live in very cold 00:08:29.339 --> 00:08:33.519 places. Also in the bedroom on top of the bed 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:37.220 is the pillow. The pillow is what we put our 00:08:37.220 --> 00:08:44.120 head on and the piece of linen that we put over 00:08:44.120 --> 00:08:47.860 the pillow to keep it from getting dirty is called 00:08:47.860 --> 00:08:54.360 the pillow case the pillowcase I said after I 00:08:54.360 --> 00:09:00.879 finished the bedroom I had to start in on the 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:07.639 closet to start in on means to begin with something 00:09:07.639 --> 00:09:12.840 I need to start in on my homework means I need 00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:18.250 to begin my homework This is one of those confusion 00:09:18.250 --> 00:09:24.110 confusing English expressions where we use propositions 00:09:24.110 --> 00:09:30.649 in addition to the verb start in on It all just 00:09:30.649 --> 00:09:35.330 means to begin usually to begin something that's 00:09:35.330 --> 00:09:39.129 somewhat difficult or Something you've been avoiding 00:09:39.129 --> 00:09:44.759 doing You've been procrastinating to do I said 00:09:44.759 --> 00:09:49.399 that in my closet I had boxes and bins full of 00:09:49.399 --> 00:09:54.720 stuff. Bins are usually containers like a box 00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:59.799 that doesn't, sometimes does not have a lid on 00:09:59.799 --> 00:10:05.740 it, LID. A lid is a cover for a box. So a bin 00:10:05.740 --> 00:10:11.620 is a type of box. I said things in my boxes needed 00:10:11.620 --> 00:10:16.970 sorting. to sort means to put things in order 00:10:16.970 --> 00:10:21.730 to separate things that need to be separated 00:10:21.730 --> 00:10:26.769 I need to sort my socks and my underwear so that 00:10:26.769 --> 00:10:29.730 all my socks are in one place and my underwear 00:10:29.730 --> 00:10:34.649 is somewhere else I said also that I need to 00:10:34.649 --> 00:10:39.139 vacuum the carpet To vacuum of course means to 00:10:39.139 --> 00:10:43.120 use a machine what we call a vacuum cleaner To 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:48.120 get the dirt off of the carpet. I also said that 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:53.539 I need to dust Now dust here is a verb meaning 00:10:53.539 --> 00:10:59.179 to take a piece of cloth to take a small rag 00:10:59.179 --> 00:11:04.940 and Wipe the dust off of the furniture off of 00:11:04.940 --> 00:11:09.950 the table off of the chairs and so forth. So 00:11:09.950 --> 00:11:14.009 dust is both a noun and a verb. It means the 00:11:14.009 --> 00:11:18.450 actual dirt that you find in your house on a 00:11:18.450 --> 00:11:21.909 table or a chair and it also is a verb meaning 00:11:21.909 --> 00:11:28.090 to get rid of that dirt. I said that I didn't 00:11:28.090 --> 00:11:35.429 have any drapes. Drapes are long pieces of fabric 00:11:35.429 --> 00:11:40.570 of material that you hang on your window. It's 00:11:40.570 --> 00:11:46.389 like a big blanket on your window. We call those 00:11:46.389 --> 00:11:52.429 drapes. You can have drapes and or you can have 00:11:52.429 --> 00:11:58.429 shades. Shades are usually on a roll and you 00:11:58.429 --> 00:12:01.889 pull the shade down or you can put the shade 00:12:01.889 --> 00:12:06.519 up depending if you want light or darkness in 00:12:06.519 --> 00:12:11.159 your room. After finishing my closet I went on 00:12:11.159 --> 00:12:17.019 to clean my kitchen. In my kitchen I have a combination 00:12:17.019 --> 00:12:24.639 stove and oven. A stove is the place where you 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:29.019 cook food in pans. Usually you can boil water 00:12:29.019 --> 00:12:33.820 on a stove. You can fry eggs on a stove. and 00:12:33.820 --> 00:12:38.740 so forth. An oven is like a box that is heated 00:12:38.740 --> 00:12:44.559 where you can bake a cake or put in a big turkey 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:50.519 or chicken to cook. That's the oven. The fridge 00:12:50.519 --> 00:12:57.039 is a slang term, a informal expression meaning 00:12:57.039 --> 00:13:01.279 the refrigerator. that's the fridge where we 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:07.220 keep cold foods I mentioned that I needed to 00:13:07.220 --> 00:13:13.159 rinse off the shelves to rinse off I actually 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:17.559 said to rinse them all off to rinse something 00:13:17.559 --> 00:13:22.460 off means to clean it usually with water and 00:13:22.460 --> 00:13:27.679 soap I said I was going to dump anything which 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:32.460 had passed its expiration date. To dump is another 00:13:32.460 --> 00:13:36.179 one of those words meaning to get rid of, to 00:13:36.179 --> 00:13:41.539 throw out, to put in the trash. The expiration 00:13:41.539 --> 00:13:47.159 date is the date usually on a package of food, 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:53.580 on a carton of milk, etc. that says the last 00:13:53.580 --> 00:13:57.970 day it is safe to eat that food. That's the expiration 00:13:57.970 --> 00:14:05.429 date. I said that I needed to scrub clean the 00:14:05.429 --> 00:14:10.450 grease and stains from the stove. To scrub means 00:14:10.450 --> 00:14:15.370 to clean very hard to use a lot of muscle to 00:14:15.370 --> 00:14:21.809 clean something. A stain is a spot caused by 00:14:21.809 --> 00:14:26.929 dirt that is very difficult to remove. You can 00:14:26.929 --> 00:14:32.970 have a stain on a piece of clothing You can have 00:14:32.970 --> 00:14:37.889 a stain on the carpet Stain is both a noun and 00:14:37.889 --> 00:14:42.389 a verb You can stain something meaning you can 00:14:42.389 --> 00:14:48.730 cause a stain on that thing a Dish rack is a 00:14:48.730 --> 00:14:54.190 place where you put Wet dishes to dry so after 00:14:54.190 --> 00:14:59.710 you wash your dishes you put the plates and the 00:14:59.710 --> 00:15:04.690 Bowls and the cups and the glasses into a dish 00:15:04.690 --> 00:15:09.570 rack Finally I said that spring cleaning is always 00:15:09.570 --> 00:15:15.370 a mixed bag for me a mixed bag is an expression 00:15:15.370 --> 00:15:19.370 that means Good there are good things and there 00:15:19.370 --> 00:15:22.570 are bad things There are positive things and 00:15:22.570 --> 00:15:26.909 there are negative things. For me, going to the 00:15:26.909 --> 00:15:32.590 park is a mixed bag. I like being outside with 00:15:32.590 --> 00:15:37.649 the trees, but I don't like the flies, the mosquitoes. 00:15:38.649 --> 00:15:44.740 It's a mixed bag. Well, that's going to Be the 00:15:44.740 --> 00:15:49.480 end of our ESL podcast today as usual we encourage 00:15:49.480 --> 00:16:00.480 you to email us at ESLPOD at ESLPOD .com ESLPOD 00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:04.759 at ESLPOD .com Thank you again for listening. 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:14.580 We'll see you next time on ESL podcast ESL Podcast 00:16:14.580 --> 00:16:17.399 is produced by the Center for Educational Development 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:21.059 in Los Angeles, California. This podcast is copyright 00:16:21.059 --> 00:16:22.460 2005.