Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 620, Making Quick and Slow Decisions.
This is English as a Second Language podcast number 620.
Transcription by CastingWords that contains all of the vocabulary definitions, sample sentences, additional definitions, comprehension questions, culture notes and a complete transcript of this episode.
This episode is called Making Quick and Slow Decisions.
It's a dialogue between Courtney and Dante.
They're going to be talking about some business decisions that they need to make.
Let's get started.
Which of these vendors do you think we should go with?
We've sat on this for long enough, don't you think?
I know you're of two minds about whether we should be switching vendors in the middle of the year, but I think it's the right move.
We had sound reasons for doing this, remember?
Yes, yes.
I know that it wasn't a split-second decision, but whether it'll really save us money is debatable.
I have to disagree with you there.
We've both seen the reports and I don't think there are any ifs, ands or buts about it.
We're going to save money.
Okay, I'm willing to make a tentative decision to go with Great Deal Corp. as our new vendor.
As long as that decision isn't set in stone.
We'll revisit this decision in six months to see if they're working out.
I can live with that.
Now, can we discuss my raise?
Raise?
That's definitely something I'll need to ponder a lot more.
Our dialogue begins with Courtney asking Dante A vendor.
V-E-N-D-O-R is a company that sells things to other companies instead of directly to you, the consumer.
So if you are a business and you need to buy paper, you would buy paper from another company that makes paper.
So that's what a vendor is.
At the end of Courtney's question, she says, which of these vendors do you think we should go with?
This is an interesting two word phrasal expression.
To go with means to choose a particular product or a particular service.
To choose to have or to use this thing.
You can use this for almost any case where there is a choice between two or more things.
Someone says, do you like the chicken or the beef?
And you say, oh, I'll go with the beef.
That is what I am selecting.
So Courtney wants to know which vendor they are selecting.
Dante says I'm really hesitant to make a decision until we've pondered the options a little longer.
I'm really hesitant means that I...
Hesitant comes from the verb to hesitate H-E-S-I-T-A-T-E, which means the same thing not to do something.
There's an expression he who hesitates is lost meaning.
If you hesitate often, you will lose the opportunity to do something.
This is especially true when it comes to romance and trying to find a romantic partner.
If you see a beautiful woman across the room and you hesitate well, someone else may get to her first.
Unless, of course, she's married.
In that case, you should find another room.
Dante is hesitant to make a decision until we've pondered the options.
To ponder P-O-N-D-E-R is another way of saying to think about something very seriously, to consider something.
He wants to ponder the options a little longer, a little more time.
He says we don't want to make any rash decisions.
Something that is rash.
R-A-S-H is something that is done or decided very quickly, so quickly that you may easily make a mistake.
That's rash as an adjective.
Rash has some other meanings in English, and those you can find in this episode's learning guide.
Well, Dante is hesitant, but Courtney is not.
She says, we've sat on this for long enough, don't you think?
To sit on something here means to spend a lot of time thinking about something before you make your decision.
It can also be used sometimes to mean to purposely not take any action to prevent something from happening.
So your friend asks his mother if the two of you can go to a movie.
And your friend's mother says, well, I need to think about it.
I'll tell you tomorrow.
We could say she's sitting on that decision.
She's not making the decision because she really doesn't want you two to be going to the movies together.
Well, Courtney thinks they have sat on the decision about the new vendor long enough.
I know you're of two minds about whether we should be switching vendors in the middle of the year.
To be of two minds means to be undecided.
To be able to see the positive things, the advantages of one option, but also the advantages of another option.
And you can't decide.
That's to be of two minds.
To switch. means to change from one thing to another, to stop using this and start using that.
I used to jog outside and then I switched to a treadmill, which is a machine that goes around that allows you to run or walk inside.
That's to switch.
Courtney says Dante is of two minds about whether they should be switching vendors, changing vendors in the middle of the year.
But she says, I think it's the right move, the right decision, the correct decision.
We had sound reasons for doing this, she says.
When you say as an adjective something is sound, you mean it's logical.
It's rational.
It is something that you have thought about for a long time and it makes sense.
It's correct.
Dante says, yes, yes, I know that it wasn't a split-second decision.
Dante is saying that this decision was not a split-second decision.
But, he says...
He's not sure if it will really save them money.
He says whether it'll really save us money is debatable.
Something that is debatable is something that you can have more than one opinion about.
There isn't a definite answer.
Different opinions could be correct.
It is something that you need to discuss more.
Debatable comes from the verb to debate, which is to argue or talk about something, with two people having different opinions.
Courtney says, The there here means with what you just said.
I have to disagree with you there.
We've both seen the reports, the information, and i don't think there are any ifs, ands or buts about it.
This is an interesting expression.
There are no ifs, ands or buts about it.
This means that there are no reasons for not doing something.
There aren't any reasons for not doing something.
There are no excuses.
You may be going to the store with your friends and your husband says i want you home by 10 o'clock tonight.
No ifs, ands or buts about it.
Of course, who listens to husbands right?
Courtney says that they are going to save money and there are no ifs, ands or buts about it.
Dante says, okay, I'm willing to make a tentative decision.
Something that is tentative is something that isn't yet final.
It's still something you could change later.
It's almost like a temporary decision.
You'll make a final decision later.
Dante says that they are going to go with.
They are going to select Great Deal Corporation as our new vendor, as long as that decision isn't set in stone.
The expression to be set S-E-T in stone means to be final, to be clearly determined, clearly agreed upon.
You can't change it anymore.
To be set in stone.
He says we'll revisit this decision in six months.
To revisit, in this case, means we will think about this decision again.
We will analyze, discuss, and consider our decision again in six months.
Dante wants to see if this new vendor is going to work out.
To work out is a two-word phrasal verb.
That means to be successful, to do what they say they are going to do.
This actually is an expression that has different meanings in English, and those are, of course, in the learning guide.
Courtney says, I can live with that.
To live with something.
In this case means to be able to accept a situation, even though it's difficult or it's not exactly what you want.
To be able to handle a situation.
We might also say to be able to tolerate a situation.
Courtney says, I can live with that.
I can live with that decision.
Now, can we discuss my raise?
A raise...
R-A-I-S-E as a noun in this case means an increase in the amount of money that you make, that a company pays you to do a particular job.
Courtney wants a raise.
Dante says raise.
That's definitely something I'll need to ponder a lot more, meaning he is not going to make a decision about giving her more money until he has more time to think about it.
Sounds like my boss.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
Which of these vendors do you think we should go with?
I'm really hesitant to make a decision until we've pondered the options a little longer.
We don't want to make any rash decisions.
We've sat on this long enough, don't you think?
I know you have two minds about whether we should be switching vendors in the middle of the year, but I think it's the right move.
We had sound reasons for doing this, remember?
Yes, yes.
I know that it wasn't a split second decision, but whether it'll really save us money is debatable.
I have to disagree with you there.
We've both seen the reports, and I don't think there's any ifs, ands, or buts about it.
We're going to save money.
Okay, I'm willing to make a tentative decision to go with Great Deal Corp as our new vendor, as long as that decision isn't set in stone.
We'll revisit this decision in six months to see if they're working out.
I can live with that.
Now, can we discuss my raise?
Rays?
That's definitely something I'll need to ponder a lot more.
Who's the best podcast script writer in the world?
There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
It's Dr. Lucy Say.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.
Thank you for listening.
Come back and listen to us next time on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr Lucy Say, hosted by Dr Jeff McQuillan.
Copyright 2010 by the Center for Educational Development.
