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ESL Podcast 164 – Seeing a Specialist

GLOSSARY
nagging pain – a pain that continues to hurt and that won’t go away
* I can’t sleep at night because of the nagging pain in my back.
routine tests – regular tests, not special ones
* The doctor ordered some routine tests for my daughter.
specialist – a doctor who specializes in an area of medicine
* My doctor said that a specialist would be able to tell me what is wrong with my
eye.
GP (general practitioner) – a doctor trained to give general health care; not a
specialist
* If anyone in the family is sick, they go see our family GP.
to refer – to be given a recommendation to see someone
* My friend referred me to a good car mechanic.
to diagnose – to find the problem
* The gardener diagnosed the problem with my plant and now it’s healthy.
to order some tests – to have medical tests done to a patient
* My eye doctor ordered some tests to find out why I’m having difficulty seeing.
surgery – when the doctor cuts open or performs some procedure on or in your
body
* The surgery on her hand went well and she should recover soon.
procedure – a series of activities or steps
* Does anyone know the procedure for installing this program?
to relieve – to reduce or stop pain
* I took the pills and it relieved my shoulder pain.
high risk operation – dangerous surgery
* She decided to have the high risk operation against her doctor’s advice.

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ESL Podcast 164 – Seeing a Specialist

not at all – definitely not
* I asked him if changing seats would cause a problem and he said, “Not at all.”
treatment options – choices for medical care
* After thinking about all of the treatment options, I decided to take the
medication.
not that… – short for “not something that” or “not anyone that”
* I have nothing to wear in my closet, at least, not that I would wear to the party.
course of treatment – a series of things the doctor does to cure you or make
your better
* We decided on this course of treatment for my father.
second opinion – another opinion or diagnosis
* It’s a good idea to get a second opinion just to be sure.
going under the knife – to have surgery
* I have a good surgeon so I’m not worried about going under the knife.
______________
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1.
a)
b)
c)


Simon went to see the specialist because:
he didn’t trust his GP
he was referred to the specialist by his doctor
he wanted to get a second opinion.

2.
a)
b)
c)

After seeing the specialist, Simon plans to:
talk to another specialist
get surgery
never see another doctor

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ESL Podcast 164 – Seeing a Specialist

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
relieve
The verb “relieve,” in this podcast, means to stop the pain: “I took the medicine
and it relieved my headache.” You can also use “relieve” to mean to make

someone feel less worried or anxious: “She was relieved to hear that she would
not be fired from her job.” The verb “relieve” can also mean to free someone
from an unwanted responsibility: “He relieved me of the cooking when he tasted
the first meal I cooked.”
routine
The adjective “routine” means to do what is regularly done, not something
special: “My car needs routine maintenance to run well.” It can also be used as
a noun to mean a sequence of actions: “My daily routine includes a workout at
the gym.”
______________
CULTURE NOTE
Most Americans have private health insurance; that is, they or their employers
pay for a private company to take care of their doctor and hospital expenses.
Unlike many other countries, the United States does not have a national, free
health system. The national or “federal” government does pay for the medical
care of certain people who are very poor or who are old, but there are many
people in the U.S. with no health insurance at all. Most people are part of a
“group health” plan called a Health Maintenance Organization, or HMO. These
HMOs are private companies that organize and administer clinics and hospitals
for their members. You become a member of an HMO by paying a certain
amount of money, or by having your company pay for you.
When you first get sick, you usually have to see a GP before being able to talk to
a medical specialist. The GP will examine you and, if he or she thinks you need
to see someone who is an expert, you will get a “referral” – permission to talk to
another doctor who specializes in the problem you have. If you don’t agree with
your doctor, you can also get a second opinion, usually without having to pay any
extra money.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – a
3

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ESL Podcast 164 – Seeing a Specialist

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast Number 164, “Seeing a
Specialist.”
You are listening to English as a Second Language Podcast Episode 164. I'm
your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational
Development in the beautiful city of Los Angeles in the beautiful state of
California here in the United States.
On today's podcast, we are going to the doctor to see a specialist. Let's go!
<start of story>
I went to see my doctor because I had a nagging pain in my leg. After he
examined me and did some routine tests, he suggested that I go see a specialist.
I made an appointment with Dr. Slope.
Dr. Slope: Good morning! How are you today?
Simon: I'm fine, Dr. Slope. My GP, Dr. Harding, referred me to you. He thought
that you might be able to diagnose the problem with my leg.
Dr. Slope: Well, let's take a look. Hmm, I want to order some tests, but I think
you may need surgery. It's a simple procedure and it will relieve your pain.
Simon: So, it's not a high risk operation?
Dr. Slope: No, not at all. It's quite routine.
Simon: Are there any other treatment options?
Dr. Slope: Not that I'd recommend. This is the best course of treatment, in my

opinion.
I was really surprised by what Dr. Slope said. I really didn't want to have surgery.
I think I'd better get a second opinion before going under the knife.
<end of story>
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ESL Podcast 164 – Seeing a Specialist

This podcast is called “Seeing a Specialist.” A “specialist” is usually a doctor that
is an expert in one particular area of medicine. So, it could be a cardiologist,
someone who's an expert with the heart. It could be a pediatrician, someone
who works especially with young children. Well, [there are] many different types
of specialties and specialists in medicine. And, in today's podcast, the story
begins by me saying that I went to my doctor because I had a nagging pain in my
leg. A “nagging pain” or a “nagging paint”—in my dialect in Minnesota here in the
United States, I say “nagging,” [a long “a” sound] but the more common
pronunciation, the more standard pronunciation is probably “nagging.” “Nagging,
nagging”—see, it’s hard for me to say it!—is “nagging.” And we say that we have
a nagging pain, we mean that it is a pain that is bothering us for a long time, that
isn't serious in the sense that you have to go to the hospital, but it bothers you, it
hurts you enough so that you may want to go to the doctor. The word “nagging”
comes from a verb, “to nag,” which means to bother. We usually use the verb,
however, as something that someone does to someone else. “His wife is always
nagging him about something,” means she's always telling him to do something,

always asking him to do something, over and over again, so much that it begins
to bother him. So, that is the word “nagging.”
So, after the doctor examined me - and the verb “to examine” is the verb we use
to…what doctors do to you, they examine you. When you go to a hospital or to
the doctor's office, there's usually an “exam room” or an “examination room.”
This is not “exam,” like a test, but it's exam, here, means to look at, to examine.
You go into the examination room and the doctor examines you. In this case, my
doctor ran some routine tests. A “test” could be a “blood test,” where they take
some of your blood and they send it to a laboratory to check for certain things.
The verb we use for medical tests is usually to “run.” “I'm going to run some test
on you” or “he ran some tests on me.” It means he performed or he did some of
these tests. When we say something is a “routine test,” we mean it's a normal,
regular test that the doctor runs many, many different times with different
patients, not a special test. Routine tests may be…a blood test, that sort of thing.
Well, the doctor suggested that I go see a specialist, and we already know what
a specialist is, someone who is an expert in a particular area of medicine.
Usually in the United States, to become a doctor, first you have to go through
four years of a regular bachelor's degree. In some countries, you can start
training to become a doctor as soon as you graduate from high school, but that's
not true in the US. In the United States, you have to have a bachelor's degree, a
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ESL Podcast 164 – Seeing a Specialist


four-year bachelor's degree usually in some science area, but it's not required.
Then, you have to go to a separate school, to graduate school, to medical
school, and that can last anywhere between four and six years. If you want to
become a specialist, you have to study even more and work even more, so it
could be two or three more years before you become a specialist. So, from the
time you leave high school until you can become a specialist, it could be as much
as ten years. You could be in your late 20's if you started right away. (No, you'd
be older than that, wouldn't you?) No, you'd be in your late 20's if you started
college when you were 18.
Anyway, in this case, going back to the story, I said I made an appointment with
Dr. Slope. “I made an appointment.” Of course, we use the verb to “make” an
appointment when we are trying to schedule or arrange a time to see our doctor.
Again, here in the United States, the medical system, it depends on how much
money you have, honestly. We have a private medical system and we have a
public medical system. The better private medical systems, of course, offer a
much better range of services, more things that you can see..rather, uh, get from
the hospital and the doctor.
Well, the examination with the doctor begins by the doctor coming in and saying,
“Good morning! How are you today? How are you feeling?” A doctor could say
a lot of things here, like, “What seems to be the problem?” or “Why have you
come to see us today?” But here, he begins with just “How are you today?”
Simon, that's me in the story, Simon says “I'm fine, Dr. Slope. My GP, Dr.
Harding, referred me to you.” My GP—the letter G and the letter P, capital letter
GP—means my “general practitioner.” And “practitioner” is “practitioner.” And a
general practitioner is a doctor who is not a specialist. He is or she is what you
could call a generalist, somebody who knows a little bit about lots of different
things and a general practitioner is usually the first and main doctor that you
have, the one that you go see for all of your problems. If he doesn't know the
answer or can't help you, he will send you to a specialist. So, a general
practitioner is sometimes called also, a “primary physician;” that is, the person

who you see the most, your main doctor.
Well, in the story, the GP, Dr. Harding, refers Simon to the specialist. To “refer”
means to tell someone that they should go see someone else. In the medical
system in the United States, you can't just call up the specialist because you
think you should go see a specialist. Usually, you have to talk to your general
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ESL Podcast 164 – Seeing a Specialist

practitioner and if then he or she thinks you should see a specialist, they refer
you to the specialist. They give you a piece of paper or they tell you to call back
at the doctor's office and ask for the particular specialist. That is the use of the
verb here, to “refer.” We can use that verb in other senses, too: “I refer you to
today's newspaper.” It means I am recommending or I am telling you you should
look at today's newspaper. You could use “refer” in other areas, too: “I was
referred to you by your friend, John,” means your friend John said I should talk to
you.
Dr. Slope looks at Simon. Simon says that he was hoping that Dr. Slope would
be able to diagnose the problem. To “diagnose,” the verb, is to figure out what's
wrong with you. It's a verb we usually use for medicine, for doctors. The doctor
diagnoses the patient. The doctor figures out what's wrong with the person. The
“patient,” of course, is the person who is sick, the person who is seeing the
doctor. The noun for diagnose is “diagnosis,” with an –sis at the end, and that is
what the doctor tells you that you have, what problem you have. So, someone

may say, “What's the diagnosis?” they mean, “What is the problem?” That would
be the noun. You can use that verb “diagnose” outside of medicine. It is
sometimes used, for example, if you have a problem with your computer, and the
IT, the technical people may come in and “diagnose” the problem on your
computer, figure out or find out what is wrong with your computer.
Dr. Slope says, “Well, let's take a look,” and that is a common expression, “Let's
take a look,” “Let's examine you.” He says that he wants to order some tests, but
he thinks that Simon may need surgery. To “order some tests” is very similar to
“to run some tests.” To order a test means that the doctor gives you a piece of
paper that you take to the laboratory. He's telling you, he's ordering, if you will,
these tests from the laboratory. But here, it usually means to run the test. The
laboratory actually does the test; they actually run the test, but we usually use
those verbs pretty much in the same way: “to order a test,” “to run a test.”
The doctor says he's going order some tests, but he thinks that Simon may need
surgery. “Surgery,” a noun, is when the doctor has to cut you, open you,
somehow. Usually, it's something that you do in a hospital, usually it’s something
you do in an operating room. To “operate” means the same as “to do surgery” on
someone. You may need surgery to fix your heart, you may need surgery to fix
your knee. The doctor has to actually, we would say, “cut you open” and fix you
or go inside your body to fix whatever is the problem. “Surgery” is the noun,
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ESL Podcast 164 – Seeing a Specialist


again, the verb is “to do surgery” or “to operate.” There's also the adjective
“surgical,” which is related to things that are, uh, related to surgery.
Dr. Slope says, “It's a simple procedure and it will relieve your pain.” A
“procedure” is another word really for surgery or operation. It's what the doctor
has to do to you. It's not always the same as a surgery. A procedure may be, for
example, that they need to examine your stomach, so they may need to put
something in your mouth and down your throat into your stomach. That would be
a procedure. The procedure can also mean, however, an operation or a surgery.
The doctor says the procedure will relieve your pain. To “relieve” pain means to
lessen pain, to lower your pain, to give you, uh, to make you feel better so you
have less pain. The noun is “relief,” the verb is to “relieve.” Simon says to the
doctor, “So, it's not a high risk operation?” A “high risk” (two words) means that it
could be dangerous. When we say that something is “high risk,” that means that
the surgery or the operation could cause more problems. Of course, an
operation is the noun that means the same as surgery.
Dr. Slope says, “Not at all,” meaning not even a little bit; it's not high risk. We
say, “not at all” means “no,” “not in any way.” Dr. Slope says, “It's quite routine.”
And again, “routine” we know means it's common, it's quite normal. Notice that
the use of the word “quite;” it's basically the same as it's “very” routine, very
common. It's a little more formal, when someone says, “It's quite routine,” but
they're used similarly—very and quite—in this case.
Simon says, “Are there any other treatment options?” “Treatment” is another
word for what the doctor gives you or does to you to help you. That's called the
treatment. So you go to the doctor, and the doctor diagnoses you, and then, he
or she gives you a treatment, maybe some pills or drugs to take. It may be
surgery, it may be changing your exercise or your diet, what you eat. (“Stop
smoking,” for example; that's good advice.) So, Simon asks what the other
treatment options or choices are. Dr. Slope says that there are no other good
treatment options. He says, “Not that I'd recommend,” meaning there are no
other ones that I'd recommend.

He says, “This is the best course of treatment, in my opinion.” The expression
“course of treatment” really means the same as “This is the best treatment.” A
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ESL Podcast 164 – Seeing a Specialist

course of treatment usually means that there is more than one thing that you
have to do, several things that you may have to do.
At the end of the story, Simons says he’s really surprised, that he doesn't want to
have surgery. And, of course, who wants to have surgery? He says, “I'd better
get a second opinion before going under the knife.” A “second opinion” is when
you go to the doctor and the doctor says, “Well, I think you need this” or “I think
the problem is that.” You say, “Okay, thanks, doctor. I want to talk to someone
else, I want a second opinion.” And in most medical insurance plans in the
United States, you can ask for a second opinion from a different doctor to make
sure that it really is the correct diagnosis. The expression “to go under the knife”
means to have an operation, to have a surgery, to be operated on, where the
doctor actually has to take a knife and cut you open. The expression is “to go
under the knife,” to have surgery.
Now let's listen to the dialogue this time at a native rate of speech.
<start of story>
I went to see my doctor because I had a nagging pain in my leg. After he
examined me and did some routine tests, he suggested that I go see a specialist.
I made an appointment with Dr. Slope.

Dr. Slope: Good morning! How are you today?
Simon: I'm fine, Dr. Slope. My GP, Dr. Harding, referred me to you. He thought
that you might be able to diagnose the problem with my leg.
Dr. Slope: Well, let's take a look. Hmm, I want to order some tests, but I think
you may need surgery. It's a simple procedure and it will relieve your pain.
Simon: So, it's not a high risk operation?
Dr. Slope: No, not at all. It's quite routine.
Simon: Are there any other treatment options?
Dr. Slope: Not that I'd recommend. This is the best course of treatment, in my
opinion.
9
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ESL Podcast 164 – Seeing a Specialist

I was really surprised by what Dr. Slope said. I really didn't want to have surgery.
I think I'd better get a second opinion before going under the knife.
<end of story>
The script for our podcast was written by Dr. Lucy Tse. For more information
about the script of this podcast, you should go to our website at eslpod.com and
find out more about getting the transcript.
From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thanks for listening. We'll see
you 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 2006.


10
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ESL Podcast 165 – A Practical Joke at Work

GLOSSARY
I’ve had it! – to be tired of a situation, to be unwilling to tolerate something
* I’ve had it with the poor service at this restaurant and I don’t plan to come back.
take it – tolerate, to put up with
* I can’t take it when the weather is so hot.
What’s the matter? – What is the problem?, What is wrong with…
* What’s the matter with Doug? He is normally so happy.
being the butt of – to be the person or thing that people are making fun of or
laughing at
* Her bad singing is the butt of a lot of jokes among her friends.
practical jokes – playing a trick on someone that usually involves some physical
action
* I am planning to play a practical joke on my friend when comes for a visit.
What has he done now? – what mistake has this person done, what problem
have they created; usually said of someone who has had problems in the past
* Those kids are always getting into trouble. What have they done now?
giggling – to laugh, but not too loudly
* The movie was so funny, I couldn’t stop giggling the whole time.
sticker – a piece of paper that has glue on one side to make it stick or adhere to

something else
* Some students like to decorate their school folders with stickers.
stuck – difficult to remove; past tense of to stick
* I got gum stuck to the bottom of my shoe and I couldn’t get it off.
red hot mama – a sexually attractive woman; an expression common in the
1960s, but not as popular today
* She must think she’s a red hot mama to dress like that.

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ESL Podcast 165 – A Practical Joke at Work

papa - informal for father; a word sometimes used by children instead of “dad”
* She said, “Papa, when will you be home from work?”
he’s going to get it - to get into trouble, to be punished
* If he borrowed her car without asking, he’s going to get it when he comes
home.
revenge - to do something wrong to someone who has done something wrong to
you
* After her best friend stole her boyfriend, she wanted to get revenge.
______________

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1.
a)

b)
c)

Joey thought the practical joke was:
very funny and plans to play one on Chandler.
the best practical joke in the world.
not funny and plans to play one on Chandler.

2.
a)
b)
c)

When Phoebe saw Joey walk out of his office, she:
told him he had a sticker on his pants.
laughed.
told him she wanted a sticker, too.

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ESL Podcast 165 – A Practical Joke at Work

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
stuck
The word “stuck,” in this podcast, means to have something that’s difficult to

remove. It can be something physical, like a sticker or a body part: “My foot got
stuck in the hole and I couldn’t get it out.” We can also use stuck to mean having
difficulty getting out of a situation: “Because I don’t have enough training, I’m
stuck in a low-paying job,” or “I promised to help my friend and I got stuck helping
move all weekend.”
take it
In this podcast, the phrase “take it” means to tolerate something: “My neighbor’s
TV is on all day and I can’t take it anymore.” We can also use “take it” when we
want to make clear something that’s uncertain: “I take it that we need to arrive by
7:45 if we want to see the 8:00 movie,” or “I take it you’ll read the instructions
before trying put together the new desk, right?” It is similar to “I understand
that…”
______________
CULTURE NOTE
People often play practical jokes at work. They sometimes play jokes because
they are bored or want to make fun of other people. In some companies, there is
a “culture” of playing jokes on the other employees. Many people expect it and
aren’t bothered by it. In other companies, playing these kind of practical jokes is
considered inappropriate or wrong.
Some common practical jokes in a business office include hiding something from
someone, putting signs on someone’s back without the person knowing, taking
off a part of someone's clothing, or using a squirt gun to shoot water at someone.
(A squirt gun is a small plastic toy in the shape of a gun that shoots water.)
Practical jokes can also include telling someone a false story in order to get them
to do something. Perhaps the most famous type of practical joke is using a
“whoopee cushion.” A whoopee cushion is a small pillow that makes a funny
noise when you sit on it.
One of the most common days to play a practical joke on someone is April Fools'
Day. April Fools' Day is April 1, a day traditionally that people play practical jokes
on each other.

______________
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ESL Podcast 165 – A Practical Joke at Work

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – b

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ESL Podcast 165 – A Practical Joke at Work

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English As A Second Language Podcast Number 165, “Practical
Jokes.”
This is English as a Second Language Podcast Episode 165. I'm your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, CA.
Today's podcast is called “Practical Jokes.” Let's get started!
<start of story>
Joey: I've had it. I'm not going to take it anymore.

Rachel: What's the matter?
Joey: I'm sick and tired of being the butt of Chandler's practical jokes. One of
these days, he's really going to get someone hurt.
Rachel: Oh no! What has he done now?
Joey: I went back to my office after lunch and sat down at my desk. After about a
half hour, I got up to get some coffee. I walked out of my office and I hear
Phoebe giggling behind me.
Rachel: What was so funny?
Joey: Chandler had put a sticker on my chair that stuck to my pants when I got
up.
Rachel: What did it say?
Joey: It said, “I'm a Red Hot Mama.”
Rachel: That's terrible. I can see why you're mad. You may be a “Red Hot
Papa,” but definitely not a “Red Hot Mama.”
Joey: Very funny. One of these days, he's going to get it. I'm planning my
revenge.
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ESL Podcast 165 – A Practical Joke at Work

<end of story>
Today's podcast is called “Practical Jokes.” A 'practical joke' is when you do
something to someone, usually it's something that is not very nice, and it involves
doing something physical. So, for example, you may take out the coffee in the
coffeemaker and put in tea. Or you may take someone's pen and put glue on it

so they can't open it. That would be a practical joke; nothing too serious, but
something that other people might laugh at. Well, the word “practical,” of course,
usually means something that is very possible to do, but a practical joke means
something that is supposed to be funny. But it’s usually funny because someone
has something negative or bad happened to them. It's very common on April
Fool's Day, on the first of April, to play practical jokes. That's the verb we use, to
“play” a practical joke.
Our dialogue begins with Joey saying, “I've had it. I'm not going to take it
anymore.” “I've had it” means I have had enough, I will not tolerate it anymore.
“I’ve had it” - I want no more of this. It's something you say when you are angry
about something or some situation, perhaps, that have been going on for a long
time, and then you say, “You know what, I've had it. I've had enough.” He says
that he's not going to take it anymore. “To take it” means the same as “to put up
with something.” “To put up with something” means that you tolerate it, that you
accept it, that you don't do anything about it. When something is wrong, when
there is a problem, sometimes you just have to put up with it, you just have to
take it. But when you say, “I'm not going to take it anymore,” that means you are
not going to accept the situation anymore.
Rachel asks Joey, “What's the matter?” And “what’s the matter” is the same as
“What's wrong?” “What's the matter?” is much more common, probably more
informal. “What's the matter?” “What's wrong?” Joey says, “I'm sick and tired of
being the butt of Chandler's practical jokes.” A couple of expressions there that
are common – “I’m sick” and “I’m tired.” The expression “I'm sick and tired” is
similar to I've had it or I've had enough. It's when you no longer want to accept a
negative situation. “I'm sick and tired of people who do not park their cars on the
street in the right way.” “I'm sick and tired of watching television every night with
the stupid shows on TV.” “I'm sick and tired of eating hamburger everyday.” That
means I’m not - I don't want to put up with that situation anymore.
Well, Joey is sick and tired of being the butt of Chandler's jokes. To be the “butt
of someone's joke” means you are the one who is made fun of, you are the one

that the joke is played on. Someone plays a practical joke on you, you are the
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ESL Podcast 165 – A Practical Joke at Work

butt of the joke, you are the person who gets hurt of the joke, if you will. Well,
Joey says that, “One of these days, he's really going to get someone hurt.” “One
of these days” means someday. “One of these days, I'm going to go to
Montreal.” “One of these days, I'm going to buy a new car;” someday, but
nothing specific.
Rachel says, “Oh no! What has he done now?,” means he's been doing things for
a long time that are probably bad and so, when we use the expression “What has
he done now?” – meaning, he's done other things bad in the past. Joey says
that he went to his office after lunch and he sat down at his desk. To “sit down at
your desk” means you sat down in a chair next to your desk, you don't actually sit
on your desk (well, you could!). He sat down at his desk and after about a half
hour, he got up (meaning he stood up) to get some coffee. He walked out of his
office, he left his office, and he heard Phoebe giggling behind him. To “giggle” as
a verb, means to laugh. Usually, it means to laugh, not “hahaha,” but sort of
“hm-hm-hm,” not very loudly, often so that other people don't hear you. We,
many times, use that term also for teenagers or young children who laugh at
things, they giggle, but it can also be used for an adult. So, Phoebe is giggling
at Joey, and that is the expression “to giggle at someone.”
Rachel says, “What was so funny?,” meaning “What is the joke?” Joey says,
“Chandler had put a sticker on my chair.” A “sticker” is something that sticks or

stays on something. For example, little children often have stickers that they put
in books, that are different colors and different shapes. To stick to something
means to adhere something that stays on something. You can use glue, for
example, to make something stick. Well, a sticker is a piece of paper that you
put on something. People also put stickers on their car. We call those bumper
stickers, because the “bumper” is the front and back part of the car that you have
in case someone hits you, they hit your bumper. To “bump” means to hit
something. Anyway, that's a bumper sticker.
Joey says that the sticker stuck to his pants. To “stick,” of course, we already
know. “Stuck” is the irregular past participle or a past tense, as well, “it stuck to
my pants.” Rachel says, “What did it say?” And Joey says, “It said, 'I'm a Red Hot
Mama.'“ Well, first of all, when we say something is “red hot,” it's the same as
saying they're very hot, but when we say someone, a person, is red hot, we
mean they're very good looking, they're very attractive. To be “hot” means to be
very sexually attractive. To be “red hot” means to be very attractive. This
expression is usually used with the word “mama.” “Mama” is one way of saying
“mother” or “mom,” and in some parts of the United States, especially in
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ESL Podcast 165 – A Practical Joke at Work

Southern United States, they may refer to their mothers as “mama.” In most
places, we just say “mom.” But, the use of “mama” here is very different. It
doesn't mean your mother, it means a very attractive girl or a very attractive
woman. So, we say, “she's a hot mama,” means she's very good looking girl or a

very attractive woman. However, I have to say that this is not an expression we
use anymore very commonly, and when someone does use it, like in the
dialogue, they're using it kind of as a joke, this old expression, probably from the
50's or the 60's and 70's. Of course, a man is not a red hot mama, and that's the
practical joke. Rachel says, “That's terrible. I can see why you're mad.” - I can
understand why you're mad. “You may be a red hot papa, but definitely not a red
hot mama.” Well, now Rachel is making a joke on Joey, making fun of Joey by
saying that he may be a red hot papa. Of course, “papa” is the word informally
for father, but again, it's not one that's used by most Americans. Some people
and certain parts of the country, we would just say “Dad.” So, red hot papa would
of course be the male part or the male equivalent of red hot mama. But that’s not
an expression…we don't use red hot papa. That's not an actual expression.
Rachel is just making a joke.
Joey says, “Very funny.” Of course, he doesn't mean “very funny” seriously.
Joey is kidding when he says, “Oh, very funny.” When someone says that, they
mean that what you just said is not very funny. So, Joey is saying to Rachel that
he doesn't like her joke. “Very funny. One of these days, “ Joey says again,
“he's going to get it.“ To “get it” actually has a couple of different meanings. It
can mean to understand something, so, “Do you get it?” “Yes, I get it. Yes, I
understand.” But here, it's used differently. When he says, “He's going to get it,”
that means, he is going to get a joke played on him or he is going to be in
trouble. The last sentence of the dialogue, Joey says, “I'm planning my revenge.”
“Revenge” is something that you do to someone who has done something bad to
you. So, if you hurt me, I'm going to get my revenge. I'm going to revenge what
you did. You can use it as a noun and as a verb. Normally, we use it as a noun:
“I'm going to get my revenge on you.” I'm going to do something bad to you
because you did something bad to me. So, that’s what Joey is saying here, “I'm
planning my revenge.”
Now let's listen to the dialogue this time at a native rate of speech.
<start of story>

Joey: I've had it. I'm not going to take it anymore.
Rachel: What's the matter?
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ESL Podcast 165 – A Practical Joke at Work

Joey: I'm sick and tired of being the butt of Chandler's practical jokes. One of
these days, he's really going to get someone hurt.
Rachel: Oh no! What has he done now?
Joey: I went back to my office after lunch and sat down at my desk. After about
a half hour, I got up to get some coffee. I walked out of my office and I hear
Phoebe giggling behind me.
Rachel: What was so funny?
Joey: Chandler had put a sticker on my chair that stuck to my pants when I got
up.
Rachel: What did it say?
Joey: It said, “I'm a Red Hot Mama.”
Rachel: That's terrible. I can see why you're mad. You may be a “Red Hot
Papa,” but definitely not a “Red Hot Mama.”
Joey: Very funny. One of these days, he's going to get it. I'm planning my
revenge.
<end of story>
Dr. Lucy Tse is the author of today's script. Remember to visit our website at
eslpod.com for more information about this podcast. From Los Angeles,
California, I am Jeff McQuillan. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time on

ESLPodcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,
hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. This podcast is copyright 2006.

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ESL Podcast 166 – A Marriage Proposal I

GLOSSARY
to get up the nerve – to have the courage to do something
* I can’t get up the nerve to fly in an airplane for the first time.
to marry – to make someone your husband or wife
* Dae and Maria decided to marry after dating for three years.
the one – the person you want to marry, or to have a serious relationship with
* She dated a lot of people before deciding that Ben was the one.
engagement ring – a ring, usually only for the woman, when two people get
engaged (promise to marry)
* He gave her the engagement ring and put it on her finger. How romantic!
saleswoman – a female worker in a store
* The saleswoman was helping someone else so I had to wait in line.
to find the right time – to choose the right moment or opportunity to do
something
* The key to getting a raise at work is finding the right time to ask your boss.
to pop the question – to ask someone to marry you
* Instead of waiting for her boyfriend to pop the question, she asked him to marry

her instead.
romantic – something that makes someone think of love
* The book had a lot of romantic parts that would never happen in real life.
to propose; proposal – to ask someone to marry you; the act of asking
someone to marry you
* Should I propose in a letter? No, I think proposals should be done in person.
out of the question – impossible
* Spending that much money for a car is out of the question for me right now.
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ESL Podcast 166 – A Marriage Proposal I

poem – a form of literature which often has a rhythm or beat, like music
* Walt Whitman wrote many poems about America.
to serenade – when a man sings romantically to a woman, usually standing
outside of her house
* I like the part in the movie when the men are serenading the women at sunset.
to call the police – to make a telephone call to the police department to report a
problem
* Our party was so noisy, the neighbors called the police!
______________
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1.
a)

b)
c)

In the story, the man:
doesn’t know how to propose to his girlfriend.
plans to take her to Paris to propose to her.
wants the police to help him propose to his girlfriend.

2.
a)
b)
c)

When the man shopped for the engagement ring:
he saw the ring he wanted to buy right away.
he couldn’t believe the prices.
he took a long time to decide.

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ESL Podcast 166 – A Marriage Proposal I

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
get up the nerve

To “get up the nerve” in this podcast means to have courage: “If he can get up
the nerve to ask her out on a date, I’m sure she’ll say ‘yes.’” We also use a
similar phrase—”to get on someone’s nerves”—to mean something very
different. To get on someone’s nerves means to bother or irritate them: “He
talks too much and gets on my nerves,” or “Doesn’t it get on your nerves when
she ignores you?”
romantic
The adjective “romantic” means to show love: “Giving me a love letter was very
romantic.” It is usually used in a positive way, but it can also be used in a
negative one to mean someone who is not practical: “She has too many
romantic ideas about life and has a hard time deciding on a career.”
______________
CULTURE NOTE
Fifty years ago in the United States, it was common for young people to marry
when they graduated from high school or soon after finishing college. In the past
20 years, however, both men and women have waited until they are older before
getting married. One of the reasons for this change is that more women are now
working in full-time jobs. These women are interested in waiting longer before
getting married and having children. Many men and women do not marry until
their late 20s and early 30s, especially those who go to college.
Traditionally, it is the man who proposes to or asks a woman to marry him. This
is still probably true for most people in United States. It was also common many
years ago for a man to ask “permission” to marry a woman from her father or
parents. This is not very common anymore, however.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – c
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ESL Podcast 166 – A Marriage Proposal I

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 166, “A Marriage
Proposal (Part I).”
This is English as a Second Language podcast episode 166. I'm your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
A Podcast Learning Guide for today's podcast, with a complete transcript,
vocabulary definitions, cultural information, tips on learning English, and much
more is available at our website. Go to eslpod.com and click on “Learning
Guides” for more information.
Today's podcast is called “A Marriage Proposal (Part I).” We're going to hear
about a man who wants to marry a woman and how he is going to ask her. Let's
get started!
<start of story>
I've been trying to get up the nerve to ask my girlfriend to marry me. We have
been dating for almost a year, and I think she's the one. I went shopping for
engagement rings and really hated the experience. I wasn't sure what kind of ring
she'd like and it took me a long time to decide. Finally, with the help of the
saleswoman, I picked one.
So, I've got the ring, now I've just got to find the right time to pop the question. I
needed to think for a romantic way to propose. I've watched enough romantic
movies with my girlfriend to know that the proposal has to be something special.
I thought about taking her on a trip to Paris and asking her in the “city of love,”
but I spent all of my money on the ring, so that's out of the question. I thought

about writing her a love poem and proposing in the poem, but I'm a terrible writer.
I thought about serenading her outside the window, but with my voice, I'm sure
the neighbors would call the police.
I don't know what to do. How do I ask her to marry me?
<end of story>
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ESL Podcast 166 – A Marriage Proposal I

Today's podcast is about a man who wants to propose to his girlfriend. The verb
to “propose” here means to ask someone to marry you. And the noun is a
“proposal.” We can also us the verb “propose” for other things, of course. To
“propose” something is to recommend or put something forward, or to give
someone an idea and ask if they will accept it or not. But here, it is to ask
someone to marry you. And, of course, traditionally, a man would ask the
woman if she would marry him.
Well, the man in this story says that he's been trying “to get up the nerve” to ask
my girlfriend – his girlfriend…not my girlfriend! Better be careful…to ask his
girlfriend to marry him. The expression, “to get up the nerve” means to get the
confidence, to be confident. If you are scared about something or you don't want
to do something, you may need to get up your nerve; that means you need to say
to yourself, “Okay, I'm ready” and not be afraid, not be scared, to have
confidence. Well, he's trying to get up the nerve to ask the girlfriend to marry
him, to be his wife.

He says that, “We've been dating for almost a year” - we have been dating, we
have been romantically involved with each other. Of course, to “date” means to
be romantically interested and involved in someone else. They've been dating
for a year and “I think,” he says, “she's the one.” When we say “she's the one” or
“he's the one” (like the number 1), we mean this is the one for me, this is my
perfect person, this is the person I should marry.
So, the man goes shopping for “engagement rings.” An “engagement” is a noun
and it means the promise that two people have to marry each other. So, when a
man proposes or asks a woman to marry him, they get engaged. The verb is “to
get engaged,” and to get engaged which means now they are planning on getting
married, but they're not married yet. They may get married in five months or in six
months or maybe even in a year. But, during that time, they are engaged and
that time is called their “engagement.” Well, an engagement ring then, is not the
same as a wedding ring; it's a ring that a woman would wear to indicate that they
are married, or they are going to get married, but they are not married yet. So, an
engagement ring… not everyone gets an engagement ring, but it's common.
So, this poor guy goes shopping for engagement rings, one for his, what we
would call (after he gets engaged), the woman is called the “fiancée.” My fiancée
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ESL Podcast 166 – A Marriage Proposal I

is the woman that I'm going to marry. My girlfriend would say, “my fiancé,” is the
man I'm going to marry. So, “fiancée” is the person that you are planning on

marrying. In this case, he has to buy a ring for his fiancée, and he says he
wasn't sure what kind of ring his girlfriend would like. And it took him a long time
to decide or a long time “to make up his mind.” “To make up your mind” means
to decide. Finally, with the help of the saleswoman - a “saleswoman,” all one
word, is, of course, the person who is selling the rings, the person who is helping
you at the jewelry store where you would go to buy a ring, a jewelry store. With
the help of the saleswoman, he picked one or he selected one.
“Now,” he says, “I've got the ring.” Now, I've just got to or just have “to find the
right time to pop the question.” “Find the right time” means to find the right
opportunity, the right moment. To “pop the question” means to ask someone to
marry you. Notice that we say to “pop the question,” we don't say what question,
because the question is always the same: “Will you marry me?” And we always
use that expression “to pop the question” when someone is asking someone else
to marry them. It's only used for marriage, you don't pop the question about
going on a trip. We only use that expression for two people who are going to be
married, usually the man, traditionally, will pop the question to the woman.
He says in the story that he needs to think of a romantic way to propose. A
“romantic” means, of course, well, it comes from the noun “romance” and the
idea is that it is something that is very loving towards…you do something very
loving towards the other person. You do something that, usually the woman, will
find to be very special, something that sends her a special message. These are
things that are romantic. He's trying to think of a romantic way to propose, to ask
his girlfriend to marry him. He says “he's watched enough romantic movies with
my girlfriend to know that the proposal has to be something special.” It means
he's watched many movies, so many movies, that he understands that the time
that he asks his girlfriend to marry him has to be a very special time. He has to
make it a special time. Well, he says he thought about taking his girlfriend to
Paris, France, and asking her to marry him in the “city of love.” Paris, of course,
at least in the United States, Paris is considered one of the most romantic cities
in the world, and many people consider that. Paris is a beautiful city. So, that's

considered very romantic, to go to Paris.
And the man in the story says that, unfortunately, he spent all of his money on
the ring. He doesn't have any money to go to Paris, so that's “out of the
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