[Describing Different Smells: Vocabulary and Contextual Usage]-[0543 Describing Different Smells]

ESLPod 1000 items · A2 ·

📋 Summary

Introduction to Sensory Descriptions

In ESL Podcast episode 543, host Dr. Jeff McQuillan explores the nuances of the English language through a dialogue centered on the task of describing various odors. The conversation between characters Julia and Gilles takes place in a dilapidated building they are considering renovating into a restaurant. Through their interaction, the podcast highlights how specific adjectives can convey the intensity, origin, and quality of different smells.

Vocabulary for Unpleasant Odors

Stale and Musty: Julia initially attempts to downplay the building's condition by describing the air as "stale" and "musty." "Stale" refers to air that is not fresh or has been stagnant for a long time, while "musty" specifically describes an odor associated with dampness and a lack of air circulation, often found in basements.
Putrid and Foul: As the dialogue progresses, the descriptions become more severe. Gilles uses the word "putrid" to describe the kitchen, a term reserved for the most negative, decaying smells, such as that of organic matter or a dead body. Similarly, the term "foul" is introduced as a synonym for extreme unpleasantness, which Gilles argues cannot be hidden by simple remedies.
Nasty: This term is used to describe an unpleasant or disgusting odor. Julia notes a "faint" (very slight) smell of something "nasty," indicating that while the smell is present, it is not yet overwhelming.

Describing Intensity and Diffusion

Permeate: A key verb introduced in the discussion is "permeate," which refers to a smell spreading throughout every part of a space. Julia hopes the nasty smell in the kitchen does not "permeate" the rest of the building, suggesting a contained problem.
Burnt and Smoky: The characters also identify specific types of odors, such as "burnt" and "smoky" smells, which provide clues about the history of the location, specifically suggesting fire damage.

Practical Solutions and Idiomatic Expressions

Air it out: To address these issues, Julia suggests they need to "air it out," meaning to open windows and allow fresh air to circulate to remove trapped odors.
Masking Smells: Gilles expresses skepticism about fixing the building, arguing that even a "truckload of scented candles or bottles of perfume" would fail to "mask" (cover up) the underlying stench. This highlights the futility of using pleasant scents to hide deep-seated issues.
Stink: The dialogue concludes with the blunt assessment that the place "stinks from top to bottom." The verb "stink" is identified as a direct way to state that something has a very bad smell, though it can also be used idiomatically to describe poor performance or quality in other contexts.

Conclusion

By using the setting of a potential restaurant renovation, the podcast effectively demonstrates how native speakers categorize and communicate olfactory experiences. From the mild staleness of an unused room to the putrid decay of a neglected kitchen, the vocabulary provided serves as a guide for learners to express varying degrees of sensory discomfort in English.

🎯Key Sentences

It's not so bad.

all we need to do is air it out.

This place needs a lot more than an airing out.

I wonder what died in there.

Hold your breath.

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📝Key Phrases

air it out

make all the difference

within our budget

from top to bottom

hold your breath

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📖 Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 543, Describing Different Smells.

This is English as a Second Language podcast episode 543.

I'm your host, Dr Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in In beautiful Los Angeles, California.

Our website is eslpodcom.

Go there today to download the learning guide for this episode.

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