"

Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who played Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and other characters on television's ""Sesame Street"" died at age 85. For almost half a century, Spinney played the over-sized, six-year-old yellow canary that enchanted generations of children. He maneuvered the eight-foot-tall costume from inside, with the help of cables and a monitor strapped to his chest. Plus, learn what it means to ""cut back on"" something.

Read the full transcript of this episode at https://www.plainenglish.com/221      Transcripts are always free and available now!

¿Hablas español? Você fala português? Parles-tu français? 你会说中文吗？日本語を話せますか？ The episode transcripts include instant translations from English to Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, Italian and Japanese. Hover over or tap a highlighted word for the translation.

Connect with Jeff on Twitter (@PlainEnglishPod) and Facebook (PlainEnglishPod). Or e-mail [email protected]

**NEW** Connect with us on WhatsApp! Send a message to +1 312 967-8757 and add us to your contacts to receive messages from Jeff and JR!

If you like the program, please leave a review or rating wherever you listen. It will help others discover the program.

Never miss an episode! Sign up to receive updates from Plain English at http://www.plainenglish.com/mail  Subscribers get exclusive links for further reading and additional practice with common English words and phrases.

Learn English the fun way: with a podcast in English! Listen to an American English podcast that you enjoy and understand -- all at a slower speed than normal. | Aprende inglés gratis en línea con nuestro curso. Se habla a una velocidad lenta para que todos entiendan. ¡Aprende ingles con nosotros ahora! | Aprenda Inglês online grátis com o Plain English, a uma velocidade menor, para que todos possam entender.

"

Mentioned in this episode:

Ready to improve your listening?

Ready to listen fast? Improve your listening with the fast version of this and every episode. The full-speed version is a fresh recording and it sounds just like someone speaking to a native speaker (with no AI or computer manipulation!) You can even listen on a podcast app

Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com