Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 1054, Finding a Roommate.
This is English as a Second Language podcast episode 1054.
I'm your host, Dr Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Our website is eslpod.com.
Go there.
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This episode is a dialogue between Carlos and Inés about finding someone to be your roommate.
Let's get started.
Now that your boyfriend has moved out, you need a roommate.
I know, but I really don't want to live with a stranger.
I'd have to put up with all of their quirks.
I don't think you have a choice.
You need someone to split the rent and the cost of utilities, not to mention your cable bill.
I'd need someone who could keep the common areas neat and clean and who can keep their hands off my stuff.
I'm sure you'll manage to find someone with those qualities.
They'd have to help with chores around the apartment too and pitch in with general upkeep.
No doubt there's someone out there who wouldn't mind doing that.
Hey, aren't you looking for a place to live?
You could move in here.
Why not?
I'd just rather not.
I don't think we'd suit.
Why wouldn't we?
Do you really want me to spell it out for you?
Yes.
In fact, I insist.
All right.
Let's just say that you're a little bit grouchy in the mornings.
You know that monster in the alien movies?
Yes.
Ouch!
Ouch!
Stop hitting me!
Our dialogue begins with Carlos and Inés talking about getting a new roommate.
Carlos says that Inés' old roommate, her boyfriend apparently, has moved out.
To move out means to leave the place where you are living and go somewhere else.
Go somewhere else to live.
Inés is correcting her first mistake, which was to move in with her boyfriend, and Now she needs to find a roommate R-O-O-M-M-A-T-E.
A roommate is a person you live with, but someone with whom you don't have any romantic connection.
Usually a roommate is a friend or another person who helps you pay for the rent and the expenses of your house or apartment.
Carlos says there's no way you can afford this apartment on your own.
To afford A-F-F-O-R-D means to be able to pay for something, to have enough money to pay for something.
Inés says, I know, but I really don't want to live with a stranger.
A stranger, S-T-R-A-N-G-E-R, is anyone you don't know, anyone who is unknown to you.
A person you may see on the street or in a store.
If you don't know them, they are strangers.
Ines says, I'd have to put up with all of their quirks.
To put up with something is to tolerate something, especially something that is difficult or unpleasant.
To put up with a person or a situation is to have to get along with the person or to handle the situation, even though it isn't very pleasant, isn't very nice.
Ines doesn't want to put up with a stranger's quirks, Q-U-I-R-K-S.
A quirk is an unusual behavior or habit, something someone does that is uncommon and not usually done by most people.
All of us have quirks, things that we do that are different than most people.
Carlos says, I don't think you have a choice.
You need someone to split the rent and the cost of utilities, not to mention your cable bill.
To split S-P-L-I-T means to share your often to divide something into two equal parts.
If you are splitting the bill at a restaurant, each of you is going to pay 50% of the bill.
That's normally how it works, but you could have a split that was 70%, 30%.
Carlos says Inés needs a roommate to split the rent.
The rent R-E-N-T is the amount of money you pay to live in your home or in your apartment if you don't own it.
Utilities.
U-T-I-L-I-T-I-E-S is a general term referring to the electricity, the water, the gas and other services that are delivered to a home or business so that you can live or work there.
These things are referred to in general as utilities.
Carlos also mentions Ines' cable bill.
Your cable C-A-B-L-E bill is the amount of money you have to pay in order to get cable television into your home.
Some people have satellite television as well, or instead of cable television, usually.
In either case, it's an extra expense, more money you have to pay every month.
Anais says I'd need someone who could keep the common areas neat and clean and who can keep their hands off my stuff.
The common areas in an apartment or a building are the areas that are shared with other people, that other people use.
It's often the case that two people who are roommates in an apartment will have their own bedrooms.
However, the kitchen and the living room are shared or common areas, areas both of them use.
Ines is worried about getting a roommate who is neat and clean.
Neat means orderly, tidy, T-I-D-Y, we might also say.
Clean means the opposite of dirty.
Ines wants someone who can also keep his hands off her stuff.
To keep your hands off someone's things means to not touch it, especially something that is private, something that belongs to another person.
Keep your hands off of my wallet.
Don't touch my wallet.
It doesn't belong to you.
Unless you're my wife, in which case everything belongs to you.
Carlos says I'm sure you'll manage, you'll be able to find someone with those qualities, with those characteristics.
Inés says, they'd have to help with chores around the apartment too.
And pitch in with general upkeep.
Chores, C-H-O-R-E-S, are tasks, things you have to do, usually involving cleaning in a house.
There are lots of different chores, different things you have to do in your house in order to keep it clean.
You have to wash the dishes for example.
You have to take out the garbage take your trash and leave it somewhere so it can be picked up.
These are all chores.
The word chore is often used to describe an unpleasant task.
I guess since most people think that keeping their house clean isn't a lot of fun.
Ines wants someone to pitch in with general upkeep.
To pitch in is a two-word phrasal verb meaning to help with something, to contribute by doing something.
I want everyone to pitch in and help me clean my room.
You're asking other people to work with you, to help you.
You can also use pitch in in a financial sense.
We're all going to pitch in and buy our boss a birthday present.
We're all going to give money in order to buy the gift.
Ines wants someone to pitch in with the general upkeep.
Upkeep, U-P-K-E-E-P, one word, is another term for maintenance.
Upkeep involves keeping things clean and in good condition.
If they break, you fix them.
Usually, the word upkeep is applied to some sort of property such as a house or an apartment building.
Carlos says, no doubt there's someone out there who wouldn't mind doing that.
Carlos thinks that Inés can find a roommate like that. what she's looking for.
Inés says, hey, aren't you looking for a place to live?
You could move in here.
Inés is inviting Carlos to be her roommate.
Carlos says, you mean share an apartment with you?
No, thanks.
Carlos is not interested.
Inés says, why not?
Carlos says I'd just rather not.
When you don't want to give the reason why you don't want to do something usually because you think the other person will get mad at you or will be offended you can say something like I'd rather not.
I'd just rather not, Carlos says.
I don't think we'd suit.
To suit S-U-I-T in this case means to be appropriate for someone or something to meet the requirements or needs of someone.
Anais says, why wouldn't we?
Meaning, why wouldn't we be suited for each other, we could say.
Carlos says, do you really want me to spell it out for you?
To spell S-P-E-L-L normally means to give the letters of the words, like I do here on the podcast.
To spell it out however, means to say something explicitly and directly, to give a lot of detail, so there's no possibility of the person misunderstanding you.
Carlos doesn't want to give Inés a list of reasons why he should not be her roommate, right?
He doesn't want to offend her.
He doesn't want to make her upset.
That's why he says, do you really want me to spell it out for you?
Ines says, yes, in fact, I insist.
To insist, I-N-S-I-S-T, means to demand that something happen, to not accept any other alternatives.
Carlos then says, all right.
Let me just say that you're a little bit grouchy in the mornings.
To be grouchy G-R-O-U-C-H-Y means to be in a bad mood, to be unpleasant, often because you're tired or you've had a bad day, or perhaps you didn't sleep well.
If you're grouchy in the mornings, you know that monster in the alien movies.
Carlos is asking Inés if she remembers the series of movies about an outer space monster, an outer space creature.
Inés says yes.
And then Carlos says, ouch, ouch, stop hitting me.
What happens here, of course, is Inés Ines is hitting Carlos because she's angry at him.
She feels insulted.
But to be fair to Carlos, she did ask for him to spell it out, to give her the exact reasons why she would not be a good roommate for him.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
I know, but I really don't want to live with a stranger.
I'd have to put up with all of their quirks.
Not to mention your cable bill.
I'd need someone who could keep the common areas neat and clean and who can keep their hands off my stuff.
I'm sure you'll manage to find someone with those qualities.
They'd have to help with chores around the apartment, too, and pitch in with general upkeep.
No doubt there's someone out there who wouldn't mind doing that.
Hey, aren't you looking for a place to live?
You could move in here.
You mean share an apartment with you?
No thanks.
Why not?
I'd just rather not.
I don't think we'd suit.
Why wouldn't we?
Do you really want me to spell it out for you?
Yes.
In fact, I insist.
All right.
Let's just say that you're a little bit grouchy in the mornings.
You know that monster in the alien movies?
Yes.
Ouch!
Ouch!
Stop hitting me!
It's no chore to listen to the wonderful scripts by our wonderful script writer, Dr. Lucy Say.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.
Thank you for listening.
Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language podcast is written and produced by Dr Lucy Say, hosted by Dr Jeff McQuillan.
Copyright 2014 by the Center for Educational Development.
