Every year, thousands of new words and expressions are added to the English language. In this episode, Andrew and Harp chat about some very recent additions. Join them as they quiz each other on the meaning of some cutting-edge expressions!

Andrew:

All right. So, the next expression that I’m gonna quiz you on, Harp, is life tracking.

Harp:

Life tracking.

Andrew:

Mmhmm. Life tracking. You know both of these words, life and tracking, but what does it mean when they’re put together?

Harp:

I am drawing a complete blank right now. I actually have no idea. I’m thinking of the game. Like, the game of Life. You know that board game? Or some sort of plan that people make for their life? But I have no idea.

Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:

With a twist

A raptivist

To take off

Cinderella surgery

To shake your head

Life tracking

To draw a blank

To burn through a traffic light

Spim

To fall for something

Normcore

A couplie

Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image FluentU

Hey party people! Today’s episode is all about socializing at events and parties. From making small talk to making business connections, we’ve got it all covered. Join Harp and Maura as they describe and discuss three expressions that can be used to talk about making social connections.

Harp:

When I think of schmoozing, I think of being in a gala or some sort of work event where you’re talking to people, maybe to sell them something or to make some sort of connection.

Maura:

Yup. I picture a room full of a lot of different people. Everyone has a drink in their hand and there are lots of different conversations happening. And we could say that these people are schmoozing with each other.

Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:

To schmooze

A mentor

To keep something in mind

In the long run

To put on an event

To strike up a conversation

To keep an eye out for someone/something

To network

A buzzword

Sole

To mingle

To work the room

Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image Everett Collection

Are you trendy? Do you like to keep up to date with all the latest fads? Today’s episode is all about what’s cool. Join Harp and Andrew as they chat about some memorable fads from the past and some of the hot new trends that are popular today!

Harp:

The one thing I remember when I was younger was big hair.

Andrew:

Big hair?

Harp:

Yup. In the ’80s, girls and even guys really wanted big hair. Like, the higher you could get it to go, the more hairspray you had in it, the more you back-combed it, the cooler you were.

Andrew:

I know what you’re talking about. I think of hair metal bands. You know these guys? This was a genre of music that was popular in the ’80s. And they were characterized by their huge hairstyles

Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:

Dorky

A fads and a trend

Hair metal

Pigtails

Pogs

Club Monaco

To spike

Snap bracelets

A beard

A lumberjack

A look

A gluten-free diet

YOLO

Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image Pinterest

This episode features an interview with our friend Ross. Ross is a student of applied linguistics and is very knowledgeable about learning and teaching foreign languages. Join Andrew and Ross as they chat about using music to study languages, walking in Europe, and brunch!

Andrew:

All right. So question number one: Do you consider yourself an old-fashioned kinda guy?

Ross:

Ah. This is a tough question right off the bat. Why didn’t you save this for last? Let’s see. I guess in some ways I would say yes and in some ways I would say no. And I don’t really know why, but there’s… I think that there’s a lot that I still enjoy from tradition.

Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:

McGill University and Concordia University

A slogan

You know

The West Coast Trail

To be rough on something/someone

A dangling so

To get sidetracked

To pay off

To have the guts to do something

Shadowing

A something kind of person

Right off the bat

Sunny side up

To brainstorm

Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image ©Culips

Today’s episode features a very special interview with Andrew’s colleague Suzanne. Tune in to hear all about Suzanne’s fascinating life and stories. She tells us about what it’s like to be an American and describes some of the differences between life in Canada and the USA. Suzanne also talks with Andrew about her work as a voice actor and tells us about how audio books are produced.

Suzanne:

And because also I edit a lot of the books on tape that I’m doing, I get to mess around with the timing so that if I recorded it, maybe not the best way, it wasn’t as funny, I can maybe shorten the distance between the lines and make it funnier, so…

Andrew:

So you wear a lot of hats in the process.

Suzanne:

Yes.

Andrew:

You do the editing. You do the reading. You do the acting. The whole kit and caboodle.

Suzanne:

It’s a lot of work!

Andrew:

No, I bet. That sounds like a really big job.

Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:

Concordia University

To think on the spot

The Marriott Marquis

The Naked Cowboy

The Founding Fathers of the United States of America

A melting pot

A retrievers

The first person

The whole kit and caboodle

A night owl

The Tilt-A-Whirl

To name-drop

Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image Culips ESL Podcast

We all make mistakes, but some mistakes are bigger than others. In this episode, Andrew and Harp talk about serious mistakes and failures. Join them as they explain and discuss three expressions that are used to describe errors and mistakes.

Andrew:

And something that is cringeworthy is, in your opinion, so bad that it makes you feel embarrassed or awkward just to watch it.

Harp:

Yes. So something is cringeworthy when you’re watching someone do something and you just feel embarrassed for them or embarrassed for yourself. It’s just embarrassing. Like, they’re making a big mistake.

Andrew:

Exactly. Maybe you are watching a presentation or a performance and it’s just not going very well. And because of that, you feel embarrassed, even though you’re not involved with the production or the presentation. But you still feel embarrassed. This is a cringeworthy moment.

Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:

Different shades of something

A train wreck

Compound nouns

Quick

Sloppy

Cringeworthy

To sing your heart out

Not to have the heart to do something

To eat it

A tweet

To be in hot water

Fail/a fail

Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image Culips

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a superpower? Would you use it to make the world a better place or just to have some fun? Today’s Chatterbox episode is all about superheroes and the powers they possess. Join Harp and Andrew as they talk about the kinds of comics they read as kids, blockbuster superhero movies, and the superpowers they’d like to have.

Harp:

All right. Let’s move on to our next topic, which is all about the popularity of superhero movies right now.

Andrew:

Superhero movies, yeah. It seems to me like every summer there’re three or four new superhero movies that come out.

Harp:

Yeah. And these are usually live-action. They’re not cartoons. And their special effects have gotten out of control.

Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:

Live-action

The Batcave

Catchy

To have someone’s best interests at heart

Rad

A Lasso

Robin

To be out of control

To watch something religiously

Hardcore

Iconic

An ultralight

The butterfly effect

A blockbuster

Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image Marvel

Everybody likes to have fun and sometimes we just can’t resist goofing off. Today’s program is all about irresponsibility. Join Maura and Andrew for their chat about wasting time, being unproductive, and taking it easy.

Andrew:

What about you when you have something to do Maura? Do you procrastinate? Do you goof off or are you a very focused person?

Maura:

Hmm. I think that I used to goof off more in the past and now when I get down to work I just want to get it out of the way because I think that just thinking about having to do the work is actually more stressful than actually doing it. And when you do it you feel good that the work is done.

Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:

Saint Joseph’s

To put someone on the spot

To goof off

Off the top of my head

Crunch time

To screw around

To scrap

To monkey around

Kids will be kids

At the end of the day

Sweet

Youth is wasted on the young

Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image Shutterstock

Here it is, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the exciting conclusion to Andrew’s epic band trip story. In this episode, Andrew and Harp chat about Andrew’s road trip across Canada. During their conversation, they talk about the dangers of driving in Canada, wildlife, and camping!

Andrew:

It’s a lot of responsibility. You have to protect everyone. You have to get them from point A to B on time, and not get in an accident, not kill them. And it’s stressful driving. So, yeah, it seems unfair when you have to do all the driving and the other people don’t.

Harp:

I agree with you 100%. They definitely need to get their licences.

Andrew:

Yeah. So we’re going to whip them into shape and make them drive next time.

Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:

A cliff-hanger

Independent music

A bummer

The Lower Mainland

A pal

A totem pole

First Nations

A weasel

Vice versa

Game over

A ferry

From point A to B

Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image Culips

Have you ever wanted to play in a band? Or maybe you’ve wondered what life is like for a touring musician? In this episode, you can learn all about it! Join Harp as she interviews Andrew about his experience playing in a band and touring across Canada.

Harp:

OK. So you had it all set up, each of the places you were gonna stop and play before you left Montreal.

Andrew:

That’s right. I think we had about 20 stops total, all the way across the country.

Harp:

Wow! Twenty stops! That’s a lot!

Andrew:

Yeah. So we were on the road for just over a month.

Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials:

I was like

Kind of

To pool things together

You know?

A cold call

To hound someone

A gig

Handy

A roadie

If I remember correctly

The Canadian Shield

A cover song

To chill out

A know-it-all

Swag

Second-hand embarrassment

To be blown away by something

To give a shout-out to someone

Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image Culips