Episode overview

It’s Friday, which means it’s time for our weekly review! In this recap of Phrasal Verb News, we revisit four big stories — from the US government buying into Intel, to new US tariffs, a tragic rescue mission on Victory Peak, and the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. Along the way, we’ll review more than a dozen phrasal verbs and idioms with Spanish translations and business-friendly examples.

What you will review

• bounce back = recuperarse
• back off = echarse para atrás
• cash in on = sacar provecho de
• get into = meterse en / involucrarse en
• boxed in = acorralado
• sort out = resolver
• press pause = poner en pausa
• take effect = entrar en vigor
• loophole = vacío legal / resquicio legal
• set out = emprender
• run into = toparse con
• drop off = dejar / entregar
• pull through = salir adelante / recuperarse
• subscribe to = adherirse a / estar de acuerdo con
• clear up = aclarar
• point out = señalar / destacar
• write off = descartar / dar por perdido
• live on = seguir vivo / perdurar

Stories covered

• US government buys 10% stake in Intel
• 📦 End of the de minimis tariff rule
• 🏔 Rescue attempts on Victory Peak
• 🌊 Science vs. conspiracy in the Bermuda Triangle

Practice prompts

• What’s a time your company had to bounce back?
• When did you run into an unexpected challenge?
• Have you ever had to write off a failed project?
• What tradition in your life or company still lives on?

Why listen?

This episode is perfect if you missed the daily shows or just want to reinforce your learning. You’ll practice expressions from the whole week, hear Spanish support, and get questions to apply the new vocabulary in your own context.

Connect

✉️ Email me at [email protected] if you’re interested in private or group classes.

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you don’t miss next week’s episodes of Phrasal Verb News.

In a rare move, the US government has acquired a 10% stake in Intel, converting over $11 billion in pledged funds into shares of the struggling chipmaker. Supporters say it’s a smart way for the US to cash in while boosting domestic chip production, but critics warn that Washington is getting into dangerous territory by mixing politics and business.

In this episode of Phrasal Verb News, we explain the story and break down four useful phrasal verbs with Spanish translations and business-friendly examples.

What you will learn

• bounce back – to recover after a setback
• En español: recuperarse
• back off – to retreat or stop pressuring someone
• En español: echarse para atrás
• cash in on – to benefit financially from something
• En español: sacar provecho de / beneficiarse de
• get into – to enter or involve oneself in a new area
• En español: meterse en / involucrarse en

Practice prompts

• Can you think of a time when you or your company had to bounce back from failure?
• Have you ever had to back off in a negotiation or discussion at work?
• Do you think it’s always ethical for companies to cash in on trends? Why or why not?
• What new industry or area would you like to get into if you had the chance?

Why listen?

This episode combines a major tech and politics story with phrasal verbs you can use in business English, explained clearly with Spanish support. It’s practical English learning through real-world news.

Connect

✉️ Email me at [email protected] if you’re interested in classes or corporate training.

🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you don’t miss the next episode of Phrasal Verb News.

Episode overview

Today’s story is a tragic one about Russian mountaineer Natalya Negovista, who became stranded on Victory Peak after breaking her leg during descent. Despite repeated rescue missions and climbers dropping off supplies, brutal weather and icy conditions forced authorities to eventually call off the search. The story highlights both the dangers of extreme mountaineering and the courage of those who set out to help.

What you will learn

Four essential English phrasal verbs with Spanish translations and business-friendly examples:

• set out – to begin a journey or major task
• En español: emprender / ponerse en camino
• run into – to encounter someone or something unexpectedly
• En español: toparse con / encontrarse con
• drop off – to deliver or leave something for someone
• En español: dejar / entregar
• pull through – to survive or recover from a very difficult situation
• En español: salir adelante / recuperarse

Practice prompts

• Have you ever set out on a big project or challenge at work?
• Can you remember a time you ran into an unexpected problem?
• What’s something you had to drop off for a colleague or client?
• When did you or your company have to pull through a tough situation?

Connect

Send me an email at [email protected] if you’re interested in classes or corporate training.

And don’t forget to subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you don’t miss the next episode of Phrasal Verb News.

Episode overview

Why is the Bermuda Triangle still so mysterious? In today’s episode of Phrasal Verb News, we clear up the myth with science, not superstition. Australian scientist Karl Kruszelnicki argues that statistics and weather explain what happens in the region between Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico.

What you will learn

Five useful English phrasal verbs with Spanish translations and business-friendly examples:

• subscribe to – to agree with an idea
• En español: adherirse a / estar de acuerdo con
• clear up – to explain or resolve (also when the sky clears after rain)
• En español: aclarar
• point out – to highlight or mention something important
• En español: señalar / destacar
• write off – to dismiss as unimportant or give up on something
• En español: descartar / dar por perdido
• live on – to continue or endure, to remain alive in memory or tradition
• En español: seguir vivo / perdurar

Practice prompts

• What is a theory you do not subscribe to?
• When did you have to clear up a misunderstanding at work?
• What did a colleague point out that you missed?
• Have you ever had to write off a project or investment?
• What tradition at your company still lives on?

Connect

Send me an email at [email protected] if you’re interested in classes or corporate training.

And don’t forget to subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you don’t miss the next episode.

In today’s episode of Phrasal Verb News, we dive into a story that affects global trade, online shopping, and your next package: the end of the U.S. de minimis tariff exception.

For years, packages under $800 could enter the U.S. duty-free, but starting August 29, President Trump’s executive order will remove that exemption. Shipping companies like DHL, La Poste, Correos, and Royal Mail say they feel boxed in by the sudden change and are pressing pause on some deliveries until they can sort out the logistics.

Supporters of the move say it closes a dangerous loophole that let unsafe products slip through. Critics warn it could backfire — raising costs for ordinary shoppers and creating chaos for shippers.

From this story, you’ll learn 5 key phrasal verbs and idioms, with Spanish translations and examples:

• Boxed in – acorralado / sin salida
• Sort out – resolver / arreglar
• Press pause – poner en pausa / suspender
• Take effect – entrar en vigor
• Loophole – vacío legal / resquicio legal

👉 Learn how to use these expressions in business and everyday life with practice questions included.

🎧 Listen daily on Spotify or YouTube: Phrasal Verb News

📧 Contact: [email protected]

In today’s episode of Phrasal Verb News, we look at a courtroom story from Australia, where a senior lawyer ended up in hot water after he slipped up and filed legal documents full of fake quotes — all generated by AI.

The judge accepted his apology, saying he wasn’t acting in bad faith — but the mistake still delayed a murder trial and could have easily backfired. Luckily for him, the judge bought it and the case continued.

We’ll break down 5 useful expressions from this story, with English examples, Spanish translations, and practice questions you can use to improve your business English:

• In hot water – estar en problemas / estar en aprietos
• Slip up – equivocarse / cometer un error
• In bad faith – de mala fe
• Backfire – salir mal / volverse en contra
• Buy it / Buy into it – creerlo / tragarse la historia

👉 Learn how to use these expressions in everyday and business contexts, plus practice questions to make the language stick.

📧 For private Business English lessons, contact Grant at [email protected]

In this episode of Phrasal Verb News, we dive into the recent flurry of diplomatic meetings — from Trump’s Alaska summit with Putin to his emergency talks with Zelenskyy and European leaders in Washington.

These events highlight the shifting dynamics in the search for peace in Ukraine — and give us the perfect context to learn 5 powerful expressions you can use in business, negotiations, and everyday life:

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• be sidelined – quedar al margen / ser dejado de lado
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• put something on the table – poner algo sobre la mesa
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• rule out – descartar
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• pivot – dar un giro / cambiar de rumbo
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• play into someone’s hand – jugar a favor de alguien / facilitarle las cosas
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👉 Each expression comes with real-world examples, Spanish translations, and practice questions to help you use them right away.

If you’re a busy professional, this 5-minute podcast helps you build a daily English habit while staying up to date on politics, business, and culture.

📩 Interested in taking your business English further? Contact me at [email protected].

🎧 New episodes every weekday on Spotify and YouTube.

Hello, I’m Grant and welcome back to Phrasal Verb News — the podcast where we use real news stories to teach you phrasal verbs and idioms in context.

In today’s episode, we cover the Air Canada strike that disrupted hundreds of flights before the airline, government, and union reached a last minute deal. Along the way, you will learn 5 useful expressions you can use in business and everyday life

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• Give a heads up → to warn in advance aviso, advertencia
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• Step in → to intervene intervenir
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• Pull an all nighter → to stay up working or studying all night pasar la noche en vela, trasnochar
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• Get back on track → to return to normal progress retomar el rumbo
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• Out of the woods → out of danger but not fully safe yet fuera de peligro, pero todavía no seguros
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For my Spanish speaking listeners incluyo las traducciones al español y ejemplos en cada parte para que quede aún más claro.

By the end of this episode you will understand the story and know how to apply these expressions in your own professional and personal conversations.

Listen now, practice out loud, and start using these phrases today.

Work with me

If you are a professional who wants to level up your English for meetings, presentations, and daily work, I offer 1 to 1 online classes and custom training for teams.

📧 Contact Grant at [email protected] to ask about availability, prices, and a free consultation.

In today’s episode of Phrasal Verb News, we look at the devastating wildfires sweeping across Spain — one of the worst summers on record, with entire villages evacuated and thousands forced from their homes.

As always, we’ll use this real news story to learn 5 powerful phrasal verbs you can start using right away:

• set aside – dejar de lado / reservar
• flare up – estallar / intensificarse
• bring about – provocar / ocasionar
• step up – intensificar / reforzar
• get out of hand – salirse de control

👉 Each verb comes with clear examples in English, Spanish translations, and a question for you to practice.

Whether you’re a busy professional or just want to make your English more natural, this 5-minute daily podcast will help you improve your vocabulary while staying up to date with the news.

🎧 Available every weekday at 6AM (Colombia time) on Spotify and YouTube.

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In this episode of Phrasal Verb News, we break down a headline-making deal between the U.S. government and chip giants AMD and Nvidia. For years, the U.S. has clamped down on AI chip sales to China over national security concerns. Now, it’s agreed to let the companies carry on selling to China — but only if they hand over 15% of the revenue from those sales.

From this story, you’ll learn five useful expressions you can use in both everyday and business conversations:

• Clamp down on – to take strong action to stop or control something.
• Back down – to change your position or admit defeat after pressure.
• Carry on – to continue doing something.
• Short-sighted – not considering the long-term effects of an action.
• End up – to finally be in a particular place or situation, often without planning it.

We’ll cover what each phrase means, give examples in real-world and business contexts, and ask you practice questions so you can start using them right away.

If you're interested in personalized classes to improve your English, send me an email at [email protected]