Culips Everyday English Podcast

This is another special episode with a returning guest, Andrew’s brother John. Andrew and John discuss the struggles of finding an apartment to rent in the increasingly expensive Kelowna area of British Columbia. Fun facts As of 2017, the average cost of a home in Kelowna was $725,000, and up to $10 million in the area of West Kelowna. The prices have been steadily increasing due to a lack of house listings compared to the number of buyers—a prime example of supply and demand. Expressions included in the study guide * Right in the middle of [something] * In the thick of [something] * Freaky * Mobile * In between places * To have money to burn * A long shot * Party animal Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Are you a YouTube addict? What’s your favourite channel to watch these days? In this interesting episode, Andrew and Morag talk about YouTube, what they love about it, and some unique content one can’t find anywhere else. Fun facts The first YouTube video was uploaded on April 23rd, 2005. Now, in 2018, every minute of the day and around the globe, more than 100 hours of video content are uploaded to YouTube. Expressions included in the study guide * Right off the top * Trending * Not [one’s] cup of tea * The beauty of [something] * To let it go to pasture * Subculture Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Navigating public transportation in a new area is stressful enough without a language barrier. But have no fear! In this much-requested episode, Andrew and Suzanne introduce natural expressions used when buying a ticket at the bus terminal. Fun facts The word bus comes from the Latin word omnibus, meaning “for all.” This is fitting, because it is a vehicle that can be shared by many people at one time. The first bus system, which used horse-drawn carriages, was created in France in 1823. Expressions included in the study guide * When’s the next bus for [place]? * Stuffy * Ma’am * Carry-on * To tear off * To weigh [something] * To leave extra time Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

What do you know about the beautiful game? The beautiful game, otherwise known as soccer or football, is probably the most popular sport in the world. This year marks the 21st World Cup season and, as such, Andrew and Jeremy thought it would be a perfect topic to discuss in this Chatterbox episode. Enjoy! Fun facts Did you know that this year, 2018, is the first time that Russia hosted the World Cup? However, Russia has yet to win a World Cup title. Starting in 1930, the World Cup has occurred 21 times in 17 different countries. The country with the most World Cup titles is Brazil, with five wins. Expressions included in the study guide * Vibe * To fizzle out * Superstar * Tearing [one’s] hair out * To take on [something/someone] * To take the place of [something] Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Feeling tense? Yoga can help! Our yoga instructor Jeremy speaks with Andrew about the practice and benefits of the ancient art of yoga. Come loosen up and have a listen to this episode of Simplified Speech. Fun facts Yoga is a part-time activity for some. But if you want beat the world record for the longest yoga marathon, you would have to try for over 160 hours! Expressions included in the study guide * To loosen up * Yogi * Made-up term * Analogy * Fascinating * Multilingual Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Knowing which words to stress in a sentence (and which words not to stress) is an extremely important part of English pronunciation. In this episode, Suzanne and Andrew teach you all you need to know about sentence stress. Take a listen and make your English pronunciation sound more natural. Fun facts English is a stressed-timed language, which means that stressed syllables occur in a systematic pattern in a sentence. Shorter, unstressed syllables fill in the gaps between stressed syllables and a regular, rhythmic pattern is created. Material included in the study guide * Transcript * Practice exercises * Bonus audio downloads Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

In this special episode, Andrew interviews his brother, John. This is the first episode of a two-part interview. In this first episode, John talks about his unique job as a forklift operator with a mining company in remote northern Canada. Fun facts Thanks to its mineral-rich soil, Canada is one of the largest mining nations in the world, producing more than 60 types of minerals and metals. The mining industry employs more than 400,000 workers across the country, significantly benefiting Canada’s economy. Expressions included in the study guide * To wear two hats * To go off the rails * Epic * To work like a dog * Middle of nowhere * To pile up Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

What does it mean to be in a pickle or in a jam? It sounds strange, but these are helpful expressions to use when you’re in trouble. In this Catch Word episode, Andrew and Jeremy show you how and when to best use these idioms. Fun facts Pickling food has been done for almost 4500 years. It is great way of preserving food for long periods of time, especially over a cold winter or for sailors on long trips who don’t have access to fresh food. Expressions included in the study guide * In a pickle * In a jam * Chunk * To touch upon [something] * To ace [something] * Yuck Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Have you ever wished you were rich and could buy anything you ever wanted? In this episode of Chatterbox, Andrew and Morag discuss different types of luxury goods and why people buy them. Fun facts The Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse is made of 18 karat gold and encrusted with 4,500 diamonds. It sold for $3.8 million in 2010, making it the most expensive handbag in the world. Now that’s a luxury good! Expressions included in the study guide * Life changer * Top of the line * Flashy * Old money/new money * What strikes me as [something] * Conspicuous consumption Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

“Thanks so much for your effort!” “It’s all thanks to you!” The art of giving a compliment is sometimes difficult in a second language. In this episode, Andrew and Suzanne explore the best ways to give and receive compliments. Fun facts Early in this episode, Andrew talks about his coffee plant. Coffee has a long and fascinating history. For example, one legend has it that an Ethiopian farmer noticed his goats getting really excited after eating from a coffee plant, and so coffee culture was born! Expressions included in the study guide * To cross [one’s] fingers * Little guy * Tricky * Thanks to you * Group effort * Moment to shine Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Do the planets influence our lives? In this episode of Chatterbox, we find out what Andrew and Morag think about the subject of horoscopes and astrology. Fun facts Cultures have long been trying to understand the stars. The oldest known system of astrology comes from ancient Mesopotamia and dates back to more than 4000 years ago! Expressions included in the study guide * To come out * For a kick * Rorschach test * Side gig * Meme * Enthusiast Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Don’t believe everything you hear! But you can trust our hosts Andrew and Jeremy when they talk about key expressions regarding skepticism. Believe me! Fun facts Skepticism is very important in Western philosophy. In fact, since 1992, there’s been a popular US magazine called Skeptic. Expressions included in the study guide * Grain of salt * Seeing is believing * To be homesick * Mindset * Deep question * Face value * Volatile * First-hand experience Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Everyone needs to eat, but not everyone is a good cook! Join Andrew and Jeremy in this episode of Simplified Speech and find out how well our hosts cook. You might get hungry! Fun facts Kimchi is a popular fermented food from Korea. You can find restaurants that serve the spicy cabbage that has been fermenting for over 5 years! Expressions included in the study guide * By any means * Tipping culture * To be homesick * Properly * To ruin a dish * On one’s radar * Tricks of the trade Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

It’s not always a fun thing to do, but sometimes we need to cancel plans we have already made. Doing it tactfully is very important. In this episode of Real Talk, Andrew and Suzanne give you the best expressions for cancelling plans. Fun facts Early in this episode, Suzanne mentions she recently switched from drinking coffee to drinking tea. Which of the two drinks do you think is more popular worldwide? If you guessed coffee, you’re right! In only a few countries is tea more popular than coffee, notably the United Kingdom and Ireland. Expressions included in the study guide * Cheap * Something’s come up * Space cadet * To double-book * To take a close look * On one’s radar * To take the blame Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

If you ask five people for the best remedy for a sore stomach, you might get six different answers! It seems everyone has their own ideas when it comes to medicine. Join Andrew and Suzanne for this episode as they talk about their favourite home remedies! Fun facts Did you know that the cocktail gin and tonic started off as a kind of home remedy? Since the drink was served with a slice of lime, it was served to British sailors in part to prevent scurvy, which is a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C. Drink up! Expressions included in the study guide * On my end * You guys * Cozy * Tummy * Flat * The country Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free