Crosby's 9

If you are driven, you are ambitious and hard working. You are motivated to accomplish goals and to get things done. In essence, you are pushed. But what is it that pushes you? In other words, what are you driven by? Money? Success? Fame? Peer pressure? Fear? Failure?

A stream is a body of running water as well as a flow of digital data. “Running” refers to something that flows, as opposed to something that doesn’t; in other words, something that’s “still.” Streams, rivers and creeks are bodies of running water, whereas oceans, seas and lakes are bodies of still water.

This episode teaches common words and expressions that use the word “paper.” Others include “to be due,” the phrasal verb “to make up” and Drew gives pronunciation tips on the word “tear.”

In this episode, Drew explains the differences among three similar words: reward, prize and award. A reward is a payment offered for finding something or someone; a prize is something you get for winning a competition or a contest and an award is what you get for an admirable performance or for doing an excellent job.

The word “cast” has many meanings. As a verb it’s irregular: cast/cast/cast. Casting a movie is the task of assigning actors and actresses to play a particular role. And if you’re an angler, you definitely know how to cast.

The phrasal verbs “burn out” and “ fade away” are often used in the world of rock and roll. If you’re a celebrity musician who’s reached the peak of fame and fortune, is it better to finish your career by suddenly disappearing (burning out) or gradually dying out (fading away)? It’s a controversial question, as you’ll discover in this podcast.

If you are “in the know,” you have information that other people typically don’t have or understand. As listeners of Crosby’s 9, you are in know; you know the secrets and tips required for improving your English. Also in this podcast, an easy to understand explication of the structures “used to,” “usually” and “to be used to.”

Incorporate three or four new words this week into your English vocabulary. In this case, they’re words that -on the surface, look and sound similar- but are actually very different. And very useful.

If the Fab Four named their rock group after the insect the beetle, then why did they call themselves The Beatles? Listen and find out how John Lennon came up with the name.

Are dealers trustworthy or do they always try to take you to the bank? This episode looks at several uses of the words “deal” and “dealer.” Casino dealers, car dealers; doing deals and making deals.