Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 293, Being Affectionate in Public.
This is English as a Second Language podcast episode 293.
I'm your host, Dr Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.
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You can also download a learning guide for this episode by going to our website.
This episode is called Being Affectionate in Public.
Affectionate means showing someone that you love them.
Let's get started.
Look at that couple over there.
What they're doing is indecent.
Where?
Oh, you mean those two people hugging and kissing?
That's not indecent.
They're not just hugging and kissing.
That girl is sitting on her boyfriend's lap and they're making out in the middle of a public place.
They need to get a room.
They're just passionate and there's nothing wrong with that.
Don't you remember when you were a teenager in love?
When I was a teenager, we behaved a lot more modestly.
We might hold hands or give each other a peck on the cheek in public.
That's it.
Anything else we did, we did in private.
You're not saying that you didn't get cozy with your boyfriend as a teenager.
You're just saying you did it in private.
Don't look now, but there's another PDA over there.
Oh, no.
Our dialogue between Nellie and Sadat begins by Nellie saying, look at that couple over there.
That couple is usually a word that refers to a romantic pair, two people involved in a romantic relationship.
Nellie says what they're doing is indecent.
To be indecent means to be inappropriate or immoral, offensive.
It's a negative description.
The opposite of indecent would be decent.
If you run outside without any clothes on, that would be considered in most places to be indecent, at least at my house.
Sadat says, That's not indecent.
To hug means to put your arms around another person, usually when you are facing them, so that your bodies are touching.
To kiss means to put your lips to another person's skin, usually their lips.
If you ever come to Los Angeles, I'll be happy to show you hugging and kissing, depending on who you are.
Nellie says they're not just hugging and kissing.
That girl is sitting on her boyfriend's lap.
To sit on someone's lap means to sit on their legs, the upper part of their legs, when they are sitting down.
That's to sit on someone's lap.
Nellie says that this couple is making out in the middle of a public place.
To make out, two words, is an informal verb that means to kiss and touch someone else.
Sometimes it has a slightly sexual meaning as well.
The expression make out also has some non-romantic meanings.
Take a look at the learning guide for some additional explanations.
Nellie says they're in the middle of a public place.
Public is where there are many people, open to anyone.
The opposite of public would be private.
She says they need to get a room.
This is an informal expression, which means they need to get away from the public view so that people can't see them.
Literally, it means to go into a room by themselves and close the door, such as a hotel room.
This is usually an expression we use when we see people who are being too affectionate, somewhat indecent, in public.
You may say oh, get a room, meaning you're doing something that's not appropriate for a public place, something romantically or possibly even sexually related.
Sadat says they're just passionate.
To be passionate is to have strong feelings, especially about love and romance.
You can use the word passionate, however, for anything.
You can be passionate about art or passionate about movies.
It means you love them.
You think they are great.
You are very excited about them.
Sadat says this couple is just passionate.
There's nothing wrong with that.
Don't you remember when you were a teenager in love, he asks Nellie?
A teenager is anyone between the ages of 13 and 19.
Nellie says, when I was a teenager, we behaved a lot more modestly.
Modestly means conservatively, not attracting attention.
To be modest means not to make yourself more important, to make yourself the center of attention.
In this case, modestly means more decent, more appropriate for the circumstance, the situation.
Nelly continues, we might hold hands or give each other a peck on the cheek in public.
That's it.
To hold hands means to put your hand in someone else's hand, usually to indicate that you love them or are affectionate toward them.
In the U.S., usually only couples in love hold hands.
A parent may hold the hand of his or her child, especially if they are very young.
A peck, P-E-C-K, is the same as a kiss, a very quick kiss.
A peck on the cheek would be to kiss someone on their cheek.
The cheek is the part of your face underneath your eyes, between your ears and your mouth and nose.
That's your cheek.
Nellie says, anything else we did, we did in private.
Again, private is the opposite of public, away from other people.
Sadat says, oh, you're not saying you didn't get cozy with your boyfriend as a teenager.
You're just saying you did it in private.
To get cozy, C-O-Z-Y, means to be physically close to another person.
Nellie says right, or that's correct.
What I object to, what I dislike, what I oppose, what I think is wrong is having to watch other people's public displays of affection.
To object to something has some other meanings.
Take a look at our learning guide for some additional explanations.
A public display of affection is when people kiss and hug in some romantic way where other people can see them.
It's sometimes abbreviated PDA.
Look over there.
It's a PDA, a public display of affection.
To display means to show something.
Nellie says that public displays of affection turn her stomach.
To turn your stomach means to make you feel sick, to make you feel like you have to vomit or throw up when the contents of your stomach come out through your mouth.
Not a very nice thing.
Sadat says to Nellie, don't look now, but there's another PDA over there.
The expression don't look now is used to point out or to indicate something to someone, something that they probably don't see yet.
Don't look now really means look now at what is happening.
Of course, in public sometimes we say don't look, to mean don't turn your head and look at something, because that person will know that you are looking at them.
And that might be considered rude or impolite.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
Look at that couple over there.
What they're doing is indecent.
Where, oh you mean those two people hugging and kissing?
That's not indecent.
They're not just hugging and kissing.
That girl is sitting on her boyfriend's lap and they're making out in the middle of a public place.
They need to get a room.
They're just passionate and there's nothing wrong with that.
Don't you remember when you were a teenager in love?
When I was a teenager, we behaved a lot more modestly.
We might hold hands or give each other a peck on the cheek in public.
That's it.
Anything else we did, we did in private.
Oh, you're not saying you didn't get cozy with your boyfriend as a teenager.
You're just saying you did it in private.
Right.
What I object to is having to watch other people's public displays of affection.
Turns my stomach.
Don't look now, but there's another PDA over there.
Oh, no.
The script for this podcast was written by Dr. Lucy Say.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.
Thanks for listening.
We'll see you next time on ESL Podcasts.
English as a Second Language podcast is written and produced by Dr Lucy Say, hosted by Dr Jeff McQuillan.
This podcast is copyright 2007.
