Hello and welcome to the English Like a Native podcast. My name is Anna and you're listening to week 25, day 4 of Your English Five -a -Day, the second season.
This is the series that is dedicated to helping you to expand your passive and active vocabulary in order to feel like yourself when communicating in English.
I do most of the work for you.
All you have to do is turn up and listen on a regular basis.
I release episodes every day of the working week from Monday to Friday with an occasional bonus episode at the weekend.
So sit back and relax and if you'd like a copy of today's vocabulary or any of the vocabulary from this series, then you can find it in the Vocabulary Vault.
This is free to access via the link in the show notes.
Let's start, as we always do, with a snapshot of what's to come.
Jake was a party animal who never missed a night out.
Always the loudest one on the dance floor.
One evening, he stood on a table and sang off -key, completely making a spectacle of himself, but he just laughed it off as if nothing happened.
After getting kicked out of the club, he realised it was time to start from scratch and maybe swap vodka for hand sanitiser.
OK, so let's start with our deep dive, looking at the noun party animal.
Party animal, two two words.
Party. P -A -R -T -Y. Animal.
A -N -I -M -A -L. A party animal.
A party animal is a person who loves going to parties and having fun.
I am not so much of a party animal.
I tend to head home a little while because I get too tired and I like my bed.
I like to get some rest. So I'm not a party animal, but I have been known on occasion to be a bit of a party animal.
How about you? Are you a party animal or do you know anyone that you could describe as being a party animal?
Here's an example sentence.
Don't expect him to stay home.
He's a party party animal.
I always wonder with my sons when they grow up, when they become teenagers and young adults, I wonder if they'll be party animals.
Next, we have the idiom make a spectacle of yourself.
To make a spectacle of yourself.
Make, M -A -K -E, a spectacle, S -P -E -C -T -A -C -L -E, E.
Spectacle of yourself.
Y -O -U -R -S -E -L -F. To make a spectacle of yourself is to behave in a way that attracts unwanted attention or in a way that looks embarrassing.
So you make a spectacle of yourself.
It's not something you want to do.
Although some people don't mind.
Some people people seem to enjoy making a spectacle of themselves.
I don't. I'm a conformist. I like to fit in and follow the rules.
I don't like to stand out in an embarrassing way.
I don't like to attract unwanted attention.
So have you ever experienced this?
Have you ever made a spectacle of yourself or known someone to make a spectacle of themselves.
I have, I remember once attending a wedding and I thought there would be food or at least some canapes initially and then food after the ceremony, but there weren't any canapes and I hadn't eaten much for breakfast, nor did I I have a lunch because it was an 11 o 'clock arrival.
So I thought, oh, there'll be some canapes or something and there wasn't.
So I was hungry. But what they did have was champagne and I'm not really much of a drinker, but of course this is a celebration.
So I got involved. I had some champagne and then someone was topping up my glass and I wasn't really fully aware of of how much I was drinking.
And I became quite tipsy quite quickly.
And well, let's just say it got a bit messy.
I was a bit loud. I was a little clumsy.
I dropped my phone into the toilet, which wasn't ideal at all.
And yes, I probably should have eaten and maybe asked for some water.
But we won't go into that right now.
Maybe I'll tell you the story in a few weeks time.
So, I made a spectacle of myself.
Here's another example.
He made a spectacle of himself by shouting in the restaurant.
Next, we have the phrasal verb laugh off.
To laugh off. Two words, laugh, L -A -U -G -H, off, O -double F.
To laugh something off is to treat something as being unimportant by laughing about it.
So if something happens that would normally embarrass the average person, but you just laugh about it or treat it like it's unimportant and amusing, then you are laughing it off.
For example, if I'm doing a live stream and lots of people are watching me, and then I say something very silly, I make a big mistake that inside might embarrass me deeply, what I tend to do is just laugh about it.
I don't hide it. I openly say, oh, I've made a mistake, silly me.
And I giggle and I laugh and I say, oh, it doesn't matter.
And I laugh it off publicly so so that people don't feel bad for me or question me to wonder whether or not I've realised I've made a mistake.
I just admit it and laugh it off.
I think that's the best way to deal with mistakes.
Here's another example.
When she fell, she just laughed it off and got back up.
Next, we have the idiom start from scratch. Start from scratch. Start, S -T -A -R -T, from, scratch. S -C -R -A -T -C -H.
To start from scratch is to begin something again from the beginning with nothing prepared.
For example, the cake didn't turn out well, so I decided to start start from scratch. In the past, as I am a perfectionist, when I would record a podcast episode, if I made a mistake, I would stop recording and go all the way back to the beginning and start again.
I would start from scratch. These days, because I'm making so many podcast episodes, if I make a mistake, I make a note of the time in which the mistake happened and I carry on.
I repeat the sentence which was messed up initially, so I repeat the sentence this time correctly and carry on.
And then later I cut out the sentences where the mistakes happened.
So I used to start from scratch and it would cost me a lot of time.
Now I just repeat Repeat the sentence and carry on.
Have you ever started something from scratch?
Next, we have the noun hand sanitiser.
Hand sanitiser. We spell this hand, H -A -N -D, sanitiser, S -A -N -I -T -I -S -E -R, sanitiser.
Hand sanitizer is a liquid or gel used to clean your hands and kill germs. You use this when you don't have soap and water.
So particularly during COVID times, many of us had hand sanitizer in our bags or pockets, and we would use them all the time.
I remember it being a bit tricky for us because my son and I both suffer with eczema on our hands.
And so our hands are often dry and cracked and sore.
And hand sanitiser has an alcohol base and it stings when we use it.
So it was difficult for us.
Here's another example sentence.
I carry a small bottle of hand sanitiser in my bag.
Okay, that's our five.
So let's do a quick recap.
We started with the noun party animal, which is a person who loves going to parties and having fun.
A party animal. Then we had the idiom make a spectacle of yourself, which means to behave in a way that attracts unwanted attention and looks embarrassing.
To make a spectacle of of yourself.
We had the phrasal verb laugh off, which is to treat something as unimportant by laughing about it.
This is usually an event that occurs or an incident that occurs that embarrasses you.
So you laugh it off and treat it like it's not important.
We had the idiom start from scratch, which is to begin something again from the beginning with nothing prepared.
You you start from scratch. We have the noun hand sanitizer which is a liquid or gel that cleans the hands and kills the germs. You use it when you don't have any soap and water.
Ok, so let's now do this for pronunciation purposes.
Please repeat after me.
Party animal. Party animal.
animal. Make a spectacle of yourself.
Make a spectacle of yourself.
Laugh off. Laugh off.
Start from scratch. Start Start from scratch. Hand sanitiser.
Hand sanitiser. Fantastic.
Now, if I am dining in a very fancy restaurant and I've had a few too many drinks and suddenly a song comes on that I quite like and I stand up onto the table knocking over glasses and I don't seem to even notice and I loudly sing this song and throw my arms around and embarrass myself and embarrass my friends who are with me.
What idiom would you use?
What am I doing? I'm making a spectacle of myself.
Yes. And this is not unusual for me because I'm a person who loves going to parties and having fun so I often make a spectacle of myself.
What noun would you use for me being someone who loves going to parties and having fun?
I am a party animal, yes, and I don't seem to get embarrassed.
Whenever anything embarrassing happens, I just treat it like it's unimportant.
I have a giggle about it instead.
dead. What phrasal verb would you use to describe what I'm doing?
I laugh it off. Yes, I laugh it off.
Now, if you need to begin something from the beginning with nothing prepared, what idiom could you use?
What are you doing?
You're starting from scratch. Starting from scratch. Good.
And finally, if I need to clean my hands but oh no, there's no soap and water, what could I use instead?
What's the liquid or gel that we often carry with us?
Hand sanitiser. Very good.
OK, let's now revisit our snapshot.
Jake was a party animal who never missed a night out, always the loudest one on the dance floor.
One evening, he stood on a table and sang off key, completely making a spectacle of himself, but he just laughed it off as if nothing happened.
After getting kicked out of the club, he realised it was time to start from scratch and maybe swap vodka for hand sanitiser.
OK, I want you to listen out for our target vocabulary once more as we head into story time.
All right, steak lovers, this one's for you.
You know that moment when you slice into a perfectly cooked, melt -in -your -mouth steak?
Pure magic. And that's exactly what Heartland Steak Company delivers.
Hand -cut, Midwest -raised, premium meat straight to your door because you deserve the best. Growing up in Kansas with a butcher for a stepfather, I learned what real quality beef looks like.
When Heartland Steak Company sent me their steaks for my honest opinion, opinion, let me tell you, they absolutely delivered.
They know their craft and it showed in every single bite.
Build your perfect steak box or grab a grill -ready bundle.
Either way, you're getting top tier flavor.
And here's the best part, $25 off any order of $175 or more.
Just use promo code WOMEN at checkout.
So go ahead, treat yourself.
Head to harlandsteakco .com, load up your cart and don't forget promo code women gets you that $25 off.
Dr. India Woods here.
As a veterinarian, I demand a lot of my scrubs on the job.
That's why whether I'm at the clinic or visiting a four -legged friend out in the field, I show up in figs.
Figs are made for the sometimes crazy situations I find myself in.
It doesn't matter if I have to squat, sit, bend, or even chase after one of my patients.
Figs moves with me and keeps me comfortable in the highest pressure situations.
Figs are designed specifically for healthcare professionals and have a lot of pockets and zip compartments that never snag so I can carry a ton of necessities like treats, gloves, instruments, and more.
Figs are also liquid repellent and never fade after the wash.
One of the best moments is taking a fresh pair out of the dryer before a long shift. As a vet, I spend a lot of my time worrying about my patients and the people who love them and it's not always easy.
Figs gives me one less thing to worry about and even help me feel a little more confident on the job.
If my patients could talk, they'd tell you to hurry up and get some figs.
Show up in figs, get 15 % off your first order by visiting wherefigs .com and use code FIGSRX at checkout.
That's wherefigs .com, code FIGSRX.
Everyone knew Zoe as a party animal.
If there was music, dancing, or a chance to dress up and and stay out all night, she was there, first on the dance floor and last to leave. Friday nights were her favourite and this one was no different.
Her gold heels sparkled, her make -up was perfect and her handbag held all the essentials, lipstick, breath mints and strangely, a large bottle of hand sanitiser.
By midnight, the club was packed.
Lights flashed, bass thumped, and the crowd pulsed with energy.
Zoe spun around with the drink in one hand and her phone in the other, filming herself for social media.
But things started to go wrong when someone bumped into her near the bar.
Her drink spilled, splashing down the front of her dress.
She turned quickly, annoyed, and saw a tall man laughing with his friends.
He hadn't even noticed.
Zoe, always dramatic, decided to take matters into her own hands.
She pulled out the hand sanitiser from her bag, opened the cap and squirted it at him.
him. Here, clean yourself up, she shouted.
The gel hit his shoulder and splashed onto his friend's shirt.
For a moment, the music seemed to pause.
People nearby turned to stare, a few laughed, others stepped back in surprise.
Zoe had made a spectacle of herself.
The man looked down at the the mess, confused and annoyed.
What's wrong with you?
He asked, wiping his shirt.
Zoe tried to laugh it off.
Just keeping things germ -free, she said with a grin, but her voice was shaky now.
The fun party animal energy she was known for had suddenly turned awkward. Her friends pulled pulled her away whispering things like, what were you thinking?
And, let's go outside.
Zoe followed, her smile fading.
Outside the club, the cold air hit her.
She sat on a bench and covered her face with her hands.
Oh, I can't believe I did that, she said.
You need to calm down, her friend Mia said gently.
Maybe take a break from all this.
Zoe nodded slowly. The truth was, she'd been partying every weekend for months, maybe longer.
It had been fun at first, but lately it felt like she was always chasing a good time that never lasted.
That night, Zoe went home early.
No late night kebabs, no selfies, just silence.
The next morning, she woke up with a headache, but not just from the music or drinks.
She felt embarrassed, regretful.
Maybe it was time to start from scratch. Maybe it was time to think about why she kept going out in the first place.
She opened her phone and deleted the videos from the night before.
Then she picked up a notebook and wrote on the first page, New plan.
A fresh start. No more hand sanitiser incidents.
And for the first time in a long while, Zoe smiled.
For real. And that brings us to the end of today's episode.
I do hope you enjoyed it.
Until next time, take very good care and goodbye.
