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ESL商务英语: ESL Podcast 256 – Looking for Ideas

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ESL Podcast 256 – Looking for Ideas

GLOSSARY

to jot down ᄄC to quickly write down something; to note something quickly* Let me jot down your phone number before you leave, so I can call you nextweek.

to draw a blank ᄄC to not be able to think of a good idea or the answer tosomething* Xiaofeng drew a blank on the test question about World War I, even though hehad studied all night.

block ᄄC an inability to think of something; not being able to think of something* Whenever this writer gets a block, she reads some new books to get ideas.

to step away from (something) ᄄC to stop what one is doing and to work onsomething else for a short period of time before returning to the first task* Evelyn got so frustrated with the project that she had to step away from it anddidnᄀᆵt work on it again until the next day.

fresh perspective ᄄC a new and creative way of looking at things* Everyone likes to work with Igor because he always brings a fresh perspectiveto the team.

empty-handed ᄄC without anything; unprepared* Normally Maude brings a dessert when she visits friends, but last night, shedidnᄀᆵt have enough time to cook, so she went to the party empty-handed.

to show (someone) up ᄄC to do something better than someone else; to makesomeone else look bad by doing something better* Jill was very happy that she got 95% on the test, but her roommate showed herup again by getting 100%.

to walk on water ᄄC to be perfect or excellent; to do everything well* Randolph makes delicious cookies, cakes, and breads.  It seems like he walks on water in the kitchen!

to work (oneself) up ᄄC to become agitated and worried about something; tothink about something so much that one becomes very nervous about it* Sam worked himself up for days before the presentation, and when it was timeto actually do the presentation, he was so nervous that he could hardly speak.

wound up ᄄC tense; nervous; anxious; stressed out* If you get wound up from work and school, it might help to talk about it with yourfriends.

in a fog ᄄC confused; unclear; blurry* The medicine will make you feel like youᄀᆵre in a fog for a few hours after takingit.

to do the trick ᄄC to do what something is supposed to do; to work; to besuccessful* If you canᄀᆵt fall asleep at night, sometimes drinking a glass of warm milk will dothe trick.

to be after (oneᄀᆵs) job ᄄC to want someone elseᄀᆵs job; to try to get anotherpersonᄀᆵs job* I think Bert is after my job.  Heᄀᆵs always telling my boss that he could do my work better and faster than I can.

(one) wouldnᄀᆵt touch (something) with a 10-foot pole ᄄC doesnᄀᆵt want to beinvolved with something at all; doesnᄀᆵt want to have anything to do withsomething; wants to stay as far away from something as possible* Lynn hates the taste of peas.  She wouldnᄀᆵt touch them with a 10-foot pole!

pressure ᄄC the stressful feeling of having to do something* Elliot is under a lot of pressure to pass his medical exams next week.

lowly ᄄC not very important; not to have a very high position in an organization* Many people think that secretaries are lowly employees, but without them, mostmanagers wouldnᄀᆵt be able to do their jobs.

to give (someone) a hard time ᄄC to make jokes and tease someone; to makethings difficult for someone; to make fun of someone* Her brother gave her a hard time about her driving skills when she accidentally hit a tree in the parking lot.

(oneᄀᆵs) days here are numbered ᄄC one will not be here for very much longer;one will lose his or her job soon* Josh has the feeling that his days here are numbered, because the new bossdoesnᄀᆵt seem to like him very much.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  What is Ling doing when Sam asks her what is the matter?

a)  She is drawing blanks on a piece of paper.

b)  She is trying to write down good ideas.

c)  She is taking a break.

2.  Why does Sam suggest going for a walk?

a)  Because it will help Ling think of new ideas.

b)  Because they need to walk to the meeting.

c)  Because Sam needs to learn to walk on water.

______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

blockThe word ᄀᄚblock,ᄀᄆ in this podcast, means an inability to think of something:

ᄀᄚSometimes exercise can help to clear your mental block.ᄀᄆ  A ᄀᄚblockᄀᄆ is also agroup of buildings that are in a square that is surrounded by streets on all foursides: ᄀᄚOur apartment building is on a block with a small grocery store and amovie theater.ᄀᄆ  A ᄀᄚblockᄀᄆ can also be a cube of any type of material: ᄀᄚThe childwas using plastic blocks to build a house.ᄀᄆ  Or, ᄀᄚThe small pieces of ice froze intoone large block.ᄀᄆ  As a verb, ᄀᄚto blockᄀᄆ means to stop something from movingthrough something else: ᄀᄚThe accident blocked traffic for miles.ᄀᄆ  Or, ᄀᄚPutting toomuch toilet paper down the toilet can sometimes block the pipes.ᄀᄆ

to show (someone) upIn this podcast, the phrase ᄀᄚto show (someone) upᄀᄆ means to do somethingbetter than someone else or to make someone else look bad by doing somethingbetter: ᄀᄚCourtney just bought a small apartment, but her brother showed her upby buying a very large four-bedroom house.ᄀᄆ  A similar phrase, ᄀᄚto show up,ᄀᄆ

means to attend or to come to an event: ᄀᄚWhat time did Francis finally show up atthe party?ᄀᄆ  The phrase ᄀᄚto show (someone) the doorᄀᄆ means to ask someone toleave a place: ᄀᄚThe restaurant owner had to show the couple to the door becausethey were fighting very loudly and disturbing the other customers.ᄀᄆ  Finally, thephrase ᄀᄚto show (something) offᄀᄆ means to show people something that one is proud of: ᄀᄚIvana likes to show off her wealth by wearing expensive clothes andlots of jewelry.ᄀᄆ

CULTURE NOTEᄀᄚWriterᄀᆵs blockᄀᄆ happens whenever someone needs to write something but has difficulty deciding what to write.  Many people stare at a ᄀᄚblank pageᄀᄆ or a pagewith nothing on it for hours, trying to decide how to begin.  In the United States,teachers and professional writers have many ᄀᄚsuggestionsᄀᄆ or recommendations for helping people ᄀᄚget overᄀᄆ writerᄀᆵs block, or to find a way around the problem. Here are a few of those suggestions.

Many teachers and professional writers suggest thinking about what needs to bewritten and organizing oneᄀᆵs ideas before beginning to write.  Another goodsuggestion is to avoid ᄀᄚperfectionismᄀᄆ or the need to write everything perfectly thefirst time. Good writing requires many ᄀᄚrevisions,ᄀᄆ meaning that the text that is written down first is almost always changed later.  Also, many people havedifficulty writing the first sentence, but it isnᄀᆵt necessary to begin at the beginning. Try starting somewhere in the middle and finish the ᄀᄚintroduction,ᄀᄆ or first part,last.

Changing the physical ᄀᄚsurroundingsᄀᄆ or environment might also help.  Try moving your desk to where there are fewer ᄀᄚdistractionsᄀᄆ or things that take youaway from your writing.  Turn off the phone and music, or turn on music if thathelps you write.  Also, going outside for a walk may help you concentrate better.

If you still have writerᄀᆵs block, try reading some of your favorite writings or books for ᄀᄚinspirationᄀᄆ (ideas) for your own writing.  Some people think itᄀᆵs easier tospeak than to write, so they might get over their writerᄀᆵs block by ᄀᄚrecordingᄀᄆ theirown voice while talking about the topic.  Later, they can listen to themselves andwrite down the main ideas.

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers:  1 ᄄC b; 2 ᄄC a COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 256: Looking forIdeas.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 256.  I'm your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California. Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com for more information about this podcast and for a Learning Guide to this episode.

Our topic today is called ᄀᄚLooking for Ideas.ᄀᄆ  It is a conversation between twopeople, Sam and Ling, who are talking about new ideas for their company.  Let's get started.

[start of story]

Ling:  Ugh!  Sam:  Whatᄀᆵs the matter?

Ling:  Iᄀᆵm trying to jot down some ideas for the meeting tomorrow but Iᄀᆵm drawinga blank. Sam:  When Iᄀᆵve got a block, I usually step away from it for a while and comeback to it later.  Then I can look at it with a fresh perspective. Ling:  I donᄀᆵt have time to take a break.  I need to come up with something quick or Iᄀᆵll have to go into that meeting empty-handed.  I canᄀᆵt let Danielle show me upagain.  At the last meeting, all of the department heads loved her ideas andtheyᄀᆵre starting to think she walks on water. Sam:  Well, I donᄀᆵt think it helps to sit around worrying about it.  Nothing willcome to you if you work yourself up too much. Ling:  Youᄀᆵre right.  Iᄀᆵm too wound up to think straight.  Itᄀᆵs like my brain is in afog. Sam:  Come on.  Weᄀᆵll go take a quick walk.  Iᄀᆵm sure thatᄀᆵll do the trick.  If itdoesnᄀᆵt, Iᄀᆵll help you work on your resume.

Ling:  Gee, thanks.  Iᄀᆵve known all along that youᄀᆵre after my job. Sam:  Me?  After your job?  I wouldnᄀᆵt touch your job with a 10-foot pole.  Icouldnᄀᆵt take the pressure.  I prefer being a lowly employee and giving you a hardtime everyday.

Ling:  Thanks a lot.  Between you and Danielle, my days here are numbered. Sam:  Come on.  Letᄀᆵs go before you get even more depressed!

[end of story]

Our dialogue begins with Ling making a sound that indicates that she is havingproblems.  Sam says, ᄀᄚWhatᄀᆵs the matter,ᄀᄆ meaning what is the problem.  Lingsays that she's ᄀᄚtrying to jot down some ideas for the meeting tomorrow butᄀᄆ

she's ᄀᄚdrawing a blank.ᄀᄆ  To jot, ᄀᄚjot,ᄀᄆ down something means to write somethingdown quickly.  Usually it is a note - a small message to yourself or to someoneelse.  So, to write something down quickly or to note something quickly is to jotsomething down.  Someone may call you and give you their telephone number;you would jot it down - you would write it down quickly as they were telling you.

To draw a blank, ᄀᄚblank,ᄀᄆ means not to be able to think of a good idea or ananswer to something.  Someone says, ᄀᄚWhat is the capital of the state of Texas,ᄀᄆ

and you can say, ᄀᄚOh, I'm drawing a blank; I can't think of it.ᄀᄆ  Ling is drawing ablank for the meeting that she has tomorrow; she needs to come up with - tocreate - some new ideas.

Sam says that when he has a block, he usually steps away from the project for awhile and comes back to it later.  A block, ᄀᄚblock,ᄀᄆ means that you are unable tothink of something - you're not able to think of something.  Someone may say, ᄀᄚIhave a block; I can't think of the name of that singer I heard on the radio.ᄀᄆ  Block has a couple of meanings in English; take a look at the Learning Guide for moreinformation.

The expression to step away from something means to stop what you are doingand to work on something else for a short period of time, and then go back againand work on it.  So, if you're having a problem with something, sometimes it is best to stop working on the problem, go away, and then return and try working onit again.  That's to step away from something.

So, Sam says when he has a block - when he can't think of some new ideas - hesteps away from project.  ᄀᄚThen,ᄀᄆ he says, ᄀᄚI can look at it with a fresh perspective.ᄀᄆ  A fresh, ᄀᄚfresh,ᄀᄆ perspective, ᄀᄚperspective,ᄀᄆ is a new or creativeway of looking at something.  The word fresh is one we use, for example, forvegetables.  You say, ᄀᄚThe vegetables are fresh,ᄀᄆ meaning they're not old - theopposite of being old, they're fresh - they're new.  So, a fresh perspective is like anew way of looking at something.

Ling says that she doesn't have time to take a break.  She needs to come up with- or create - something quickly, if she doesn't, she'll have to go to her meetingempty-handed.  The expression empty, ᄀᄚempty-,ᄀᄆ handed, ᄀᄚhanded,ᄀᄆ means unprepared - without having anything.  You may go to someone's party, and yourfriend says to you, ᄀᄚWell, don't go empty-handed,ᄀᄆ meaning you should bringsomething for other people to eat or drink at the party.

Ling says that she can't let - or allow - Danielle, a woman that she works with,show her up again, so she says, ᄀᄚI canᄀᆵt let Danielle show me up again.ᄀᄆ  Toshow someone up means to do something better than someone else, it usually means to make the other person look bad by doing something better than them. It's typically a negative thing to say about a person - ᄀᄚHe's trying to show me upᄀᄆ -he's trying to a better job so that I look bad.

Ling says, ᄀᄚAt the last meeting, all of the department heads lovedᄀᄆ Danielle's ᄀᄚideas and theyᄀᆵre starting to think she walks on water.ᄀᄆ  So at the last meeting,all the people who were the bosses of the department - we would call them thedepartment heads; a head of something can be the boss or leader of something -they loved Danielle's ideas and they think that she walks on water.  Theexpression to walk on water means to be perfect - to be very good - to doeverything perfectly. The expression actually comes from a story in the Christian Bible, where Jesus,the leader of the Christian religion, walks on water during a storm when he is outwith his fellow believers.  And so, the idea of walking on water means to dosomething that is a miracle, ᄀᄚmiracle.ᄀᄆ  A miracle is something that is extraordinary - that should not happen but does happen.  Usually, the idea is thatit is because God has created this miracle.  So, that is the expression to walk onwater; it's used in English to mean to be perfect.

Sam says that he doesn't think it will help Ling to sit around and worry about it. ᄀᄚNothing will come to you,ᄀᄆ meaning you won't think of anything, ᄀᄚif you work yourself up too much.ᄀᄆ  To work yourself up means to become very worried oranxious about something - to think about something so much that you becomevery nervous about it.  ᄀᄚDon't work yourself upᄀᄆ - don't think about it so much sothat you get nervous or anxious.

Ling says to Sam, ᄀᄚYouᄀᆵre right.  Iᄀᆵm too wound up to think straight.ᄀᄆ  Theexpression to be wound, ᄀᄚwound,ᄀᄆ up means to be nervous - to be anxious - to bestressed out, we would say.  To be very stressed about something, that is beingwound up. She says, ᄀᄚItᄀᆵs like my brain is in a fog.ᄀᄆ  Fog, ᄀᄚfog,ᄀᄆ is something we have here alot in Los Angeles, where the clouds come down to the ground and it's difficult tosee in front of you - that's a fog.  The expression to be in a fog means to beconfused - to be unclear - you can't think straight - you can't see the problemcorrectly.

Sam says, ᄀᄚCome on.  Weᄀᆵll go take a quick walk.  Iᄀᆵm sure thatᄀᆵll do the trick.ᄀᄆ To do the trick, ᄀᄚtrick,ᄀᄆ means to do what something is supposed to do - to work -to be successful.  ᄀᄚIf we go for a walk, that will do the trickᄀᄆ - that will help you inyour problem. ᄀᄚIf it doesnᄀᆵt,ᄀᄆ he says, ᄀᄚIᄀᆵll help you work on your resume.ᄀᄆ  This is a joke, ofcourse.  Your resume is a list of your experience that you use for an interviewwhen you need to get a new job.  So he's joking, saying that if Ling doesn't comeup with some good ideas, she will lose her job and will need to look for anotherone.

Ling says, ᄀᄚGee, thanks,ᄀᄆ but she's not serious, she's making a joke herself.  Shesays that she has ᄀᄚknown all along,ᄀᄆ meaning for a long time, that Sam was afterher job.  To be after someone's job means to want someone else's job - to try toget another person's job.

Sam says, ᄀᄚMe?  After your job?ᄀᄆ  He's surprised that Ling says this.  He's jokingtoo, of course.  He says, ᄀᄚI wouldnᄀᆵt touch your job with a 10-foot pole,ᄀᄆ ᄀᄚpole.ᄀᄆ This is a expression that means I don't want to be involved with that at all - I don'twant to have anything to do with that.  We use the expression ᄀᄚI wouldn't touchthis with a 10-foot pole.ᄀᄆ  A pole, ᄀᄚpole,ᄀᄆ is like a long, round piece of wood ormetal.  We are saying here that I don't want to be close to this problem - I don'twant to be close to this thing.

So, Sam doesn't want Ling's job.  He says that he could not ᄀᄚtake the pressure,ᄀᄆ

ᄀᄚpressure.ᄀᄆ  Pressure means the very stressful feeling of having to do something- you're anxious or nervous because you have to do all this work.  We often usethe expression to be under pressure; it's a similar idea where you feel like youhave lots of things you have to do and it is very stressful.

Sam says that he prefers ᄀᄚbeing a lowly employee and givingᄀᄆ Ling ᄀᄚa hard timeeveryday.ᄀᄆ  Lowly, ᄀᄚlowly,ᄀᄆ means not very important - not in a high position but ina low position in the company.

To give someone a hard time means to make jokes about someone - to makethings difficult for someone by making fun of them - by telling jokes about them. That's to give someone a hard time.

Ling says, ᄀᄚThanks a lot,ᄀᄆ again she's trying to be funny here.  ᄀᄚBetween you andDanielle,ᄀᄆ she says, ᄀᄚmy days here are numbered.ᄀᄆ  The expression to haveone's days numbered means that you will not be here very long - that you aregoing to lose your job soon.  ᄀᄚHis days are numberedᄀᄆ means he will probably befired - lose his job soon.  My days are numbered here at ESL Podcast, I think!

Now let's listen to the dialogue at a normal rate of speech.

[start of story]

Ling:  Ugh!  Sam:  Whatᄀᆵs the matter?

Ling:  Iᄀᆵm trying to jot down some ideas for the meeting tomorrow but Iᄀᆵm drawinga blank. Sam:  When Iᄀᆵve got a block, I usually step away from it for a while and comeback to it later.  Then I can look at it with a fresh perspective. Ling:  I donᄀᆵt have time to take a break.  I need to come up with something quick or Iᄀᆵll have to go into that meeting empty-handed.  I canᄀᆵt let Danielle show me upagain.  At the last meeting, all of the department heads loved her ideas andtheyᄀᆵre starting to think she walks on water. Sam:  Well, I donᄀᆵt think it helps to sit around worrying about it.  Nothing willcome to you if you work yourself up too much. Ling:  Youᄀᆵre right.  Iᄀᆵm too wound up to think straight.  Itᄀᆵs like my brain is in afog. Sam:  Come on.  Weᄀᆵll go take a quick walk.  Iᄀᆵm sure thatᄀᆵll do the trick.  If itdoesnᄀᆵt, Iᄀᆵll help you work on your resume.

Ling:  Gee, thanks.  Iᄀᆵve known all along that youᄀᆵre after my job. Sam:  Me?  After your job?  I wouldnᄀᆵt touch your job with a 10-foot pole.  Icouldnᄀᆵt take the pressure.  I prefer being a lowly employee and giving you a hardtime everyday.

Ling:  Thanks a lot.  Between you and Danielle, my days here are numbered. Sam:  Come on.  Letᄀᆵs go before you get even more depressed!

[end of story]

The script today podcast was written by Dr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.  Thanks for listening.  We'll seeyou next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan.  This podcast is copyright 2007.

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