Culips Everyday English Podcast

Everybody eats! That’s probably why we have so many expressions related to cooking and food. This episode is about filling our bellies with square meals and going back for seconds. Harp and Maura love to eat, but before you can eat, someone has to prepare the food! In this episode, the hosts share their own styles of cooking and talk about some of their best recipes. Listening to this one will make you hungry! Harp: Sometimes I'm just kind of lazy or sometimes I just don't have enough time to cook a good square meal. Maura: Right. A square meal. Sounds really funny, like the meal should be in the shape of a square, but that's not what it means. Harp: No. A good square meal is a good, healthy, filling meal. Maura: Right. A kind of meal, like you said, that is healthy and makes you feel really full and satisfied after you eat it. Harp: Exactly. I think of some home cooking, either some chilli maybe or a nice chicken dish, something filling and healthy. Maura: And I think a square meal would also include food from the four food groups. So you maybe would have a little bit of meat and then you would have some fruit and vegetable, and dairy. Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials: To cook up a storm To be filling A square meal The four food groups A happy camper To have seconds Leftovers Home ec To break something up A cooking machine You’re making me blush To make something from scratch To grab a bite Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image: Double Translate Culips English learning podcast is for people who want to have fun while learning natural, everyday English, focusing on idioms, expressions, and slang. Every week we have a new, free audio episode available on our site and through our website, iTunes and Stitcher. In all our episodes, we always speak English as it’s actually used in day-to-day life, and we give you plenty of explanations of new or interesting terms along the way. Learn to speak English like a native speaker by listening to natural conversation.

If you’re single, then this episode is for you! This time, Maura and Harp look at slang and expressions related to going out, meeting people, and finding someone you’re attracted to. More and more, people are staying single into their 20s and even into their 30s, so there are lots of names for people onRead More

If you’re single, then this episode is for you! This time, Maura and Harp look at slang and expressions related to going out, meeting people, and finding someone you’re attracted to. More and more, people are staying single into their 20s and even into their 30s, so there are lots of names for people on the dating scene. Listen to learn about the meanings of cougar and metrosexual. Maura: Now, when someone's on the prowl, they might actually pick up someone. Harp: And to pick up someone doesn't mean that they lift them up, it means that they start talking to them, get their attention. They pick up someone. Maura: Right. So, at a bar, if a person was there and they saw another person that they were interested in, and they went over to that person and tried to make a conversation with them, that would be picking them up. Harp: Yeah. And they often use a pick-up line, which is a one-line statement that's supposed to be kinda smart or witty, sometimes it's funny, to try to get the person's attention. Maura: Right. Harp, let's think of some pick-up lines that we know. Harp: Oh, one I remember is when a guy comes up to a girl and he says, “Did it hurt?” And then she'll say, “Did what hurt?” “When you fell from heaven.” Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials: To be on the prowl To pick up A pick-up line To hook up A meat market To check out Do tell To feel out of place Happy hour A metrosexual To get all dolled up A cougar Desperate Cheesy Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image: Go Local Prov

Here’s another friend of Culips—Georgina! She speaks English, French, Cantonese, and Japanese, all fluently! In this episode, we talk to her about her experiences learning these languages, and we find out what she recommends for learning to speak another language. This episode is sure to motivate you. Georgina is proof that we can all learnRead More

Here’s another friend of Culips—Georgina! She speaks English, French, Cantonese, and Japanese, all fluently! In this episode, we talk to her about her experiences learning these languages, and we find out what she recommends for learning to speak another language. This episode is sure to motivate you. Georgina is proof that we can all learn to speak other languages Maura: So we always try to choose someone to interview that has something a little bit interesting about them that we can talk about. And I have to say that out of all the people that we've interviewed on Culips, I think that Georgina speaks the most languages, which is pretty cool and I'm pretty jealous of, I have to say.. Georgina: Thanks. That’s very flattering of you.. Maura: So, first tell us a bit about yourself. You're from Montreal and what else do we need to know about you? Georgina: Uh, I'm from Montreal. I'll tell you how many languages I speak. Because I was born in Montreal, obviously I speak English and French. Um, I'm Chinese, so I also speak the Chinese dialect of Cantonese. And because I love Japan, I, uh, for the past five years, I have been learning how to speak Japanese. So I speak those four languages. Maura: Very impressive Georgina: Thank you. Maura: So, you grew up in Montreal and you grew up speaking three different languages then, right? Georgina: Basically, yes. Maura: And how did you learn and manage three different languages at the same time? Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials: To come in handy Um and uh Every know and then Like Might as well Canadian and Chinese food For starters CEGEP I would say To break into something To do something on the side An open door Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image: ©Song cast

Every once in a while people have unimportant, yet fun, conversations. Sometimes it’s nice to talk with a friend about nothing really important. We must do it often in English, because we’ve got a ton of expressions for it! Listen to Harp and Maura explain and give examples in this episode. They’re not just gabbing!Read More

Every once in a while people have unimportant, yet fun, conversations. Sometimes it’s nice to talk with a friend about nothing really important. We must do it often in English, because we’ve got a ton of expressions for it! Listen to Harp and Maura explain and give examples in this episode. They’re not just gabbing! Maura: Right. To shoot the breeze means to talk about stuff that isn't really important. Harp: Exactly. It's when you're talking to someone and it's not a substantial conversation. You're not talking about world politics, you're just talking about something kinda simple, fun, nothing important. Maura: So, Harp, what kinds of topics do you think are not that important? What kinda stuff? Harp: That's an interesting question because it depends on who the person is. But if I'm telling you about how I went shopping and I bought some new clothes and a little story about when I was shopping, it's nothing too important, it's... Maura: Right. Or maybe you're telling a friend about what you had for lunch today or a delicious cake that you made last night; just some little story about your life that doesn't affect anyone, really. Harp: Yeah. When you shoot the breeze, it means you're just having a simple conversation about something that's not very important. Maura: Right. And the origin of this expression is really interesting. Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials: To shoot the breeze To have to do with something Same old As chatty as ever To overhear something or someone To chitchat To depend on/to depend To chew the fat To gab & to yak To be in a rush Verbal diarrhea Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image: ©Glossy Icons

With some important elections coming up in Canada and the US, it’s the perfect time to talk politics on Culips. In the province of Quebec, where Culips is based, we’ve just had an important election, and there’s also an American election that is currently making news all around the world. In this episode, Harp andRead More

With some important elections coming up in Canada and the US, it’s the perfect time to talk politics on Culips. In the province of Quebec, where Culips is based, we’ve just had an important election, and there’s also an American election that is currently making news all around the world. In this episode, Harp and Maura talk about voting, how it works in Canada, and their own experiences voting over the years. So listen up if you’re interested in the political process in Canada. Harp: In the US, they have set election dates for the federal level, but not in Canada. Maura: I think it would be a good idea to do that, too. Harp: Yeah. You know something interesting that I learned while I was doing research for this episode? Maura: What's that? Harp: You know, I've noticed it but I didn't understand why, but in Canada, almost all of the time, elections happen in either the spring or the fall. Maura: Well, I would say that the winter isn't a good time because it's so cold and the weather can be really nasty. So, if by chance the election is on a day when there's a snow storm, people might not be able to come out to vote. Harp: Exactly. And because we have such a short summer, people are always on holidays in the summer, so that's why we have fall or spring elections. Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials: A political party A riding Catchy To follow an election To throw out promises An empty promise An attack ad A scrutineer Elections Canada To be none of someone’s business Strategic voting A candidate The Official Opposition Right wing and left wing Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Image: Business Review Canada

This past July, Culips podcast host Maura took a road trip west through the United States, into the Rocky Mountains, and then east back across Canada. Before she left, she shared her plans in the Culips episode Maura’s Road Trip, and now she’s back with a new episode to tell you what happened while sheRead More

This past July, Culips podcast host Maura took a road trip west through the United States, into the Rocky Mountains, and then east back across Canada. Before she left, she shared her plans in the Culips episode Maura’s Road Trip, and now she’s back with a new episode to tell you what happened while she was on the road. Maura’s been posting pictures on the Culips Facebook page and talking a bit about her trip there, but in this episode, she gives even more details about her adventure. So sit back, listen, and imagine taking your own road trip! Harp: Very cool. I saw that you ate some deep-dish Chicago-style pizza. Maura: I did. I was really excited to try the pizza. And I can tell you that it was very heavy on the stomach. There was tons of cheese on it. Harp: Yeah. It looked like there was a lot of cheese. I'm sure it was good. Maura: It was pretty good. I like cheese, so… Harp: That's cool. So where did you go after Chicago? Maura: After Chicago we drove a lot, trying to cross states. Now I don't know if I remember all of the states correctly but... Harp: I was just going to ask you. Maura: We drove through Wisconsin and Minnesota and Michigan. That's not the right order, just so you know. And eventually we got to North Dakota, which is when the landscape started to look really interesting and we saw the Badlands. Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials: Color Jam Heavy on the stomach You answered my question Sulphur Breathtaking I think glacier, I think cold. To go with the flow Cowtown Insane Mosquito city The Forks All in all Win-win Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Photo: Curbly

If you’ve ever bought a home, you know just how complicated it can be. And if you never have, here’s your chance to learn about the process… in English! Harp recently bought a condo, and in this episode, she tells us all about how she was looking for a place with character and what setRead More

If you’ve ever bought a home, you know just how complicated it can be. And if you never have, here’s your chance to learn about the process… in English! Harp recently bought a condo, and in this episode, she tells us all about how she was looking for a place with character and what set the place she eventually bought apart from the others. For vocabulary and expressions related to buying a home, listen to this one! Maura: One little thing I wanna point out is that, often, we call a place where someone lives a house. It might be a house, but it might be an apartment or a condo. I don’t know why we do this, but any place, any home that someone has, sometimes we just call it a house. So, if we start calling Harp’s condo a house, it’s not because it turned into a house, but it’s just because it’s the place where Harp lives and it’s just a habit to naturally call it a house. Harp: Good point. Maura: So, Harp, when you were looking around, what kind of things were you looking for in a home? Harp: Well, I had my basics. I wanted two bedrooms. I was really hoping for an open concept. I really, really wanted something that had the Montreal charm, you know, the stained glass windows, the old moldings, nice wood floors. But in end, I didn’t get it. Maura: So what kind of things, or how many things, did you have to compromise on when you finally found a place? Harp: The character was the big thing that I compromised on. I ended up buying a newer condo rather than an older place that had character. Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials: A house Open concept When it comes down to it To have character To luck out To never want to step foot somewhere again To put an offer in To set something apart To close the deal A piece of cake To cut costs On top of it A housewarming party Don't you worry Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Photo: marriageadvicenow

Do you know anyone else just like you? Sometimes we see two people who act or look or even think alike. It happens often enough that we’ve even got some expressions in English for it! The next time you see two people who look a lot alike, you can tell them they’re like two peasRead More

Do you know anyone else just like you? Sometimes we see two people who act or look or even think alike. It happens often enough that we’ve even got some expressions in English for it! The next time you see two people who look a lot alike, you can tell them they’re like two peas in a pod. Or if you find yourself with two people who both have a great idea at the same time, you can tell them that great minds think alike. Listen to this episode to get some more explanations and examples of these expressions and others! Harp: Yeah, exactly. When you think about it, your friends have very similar tastes to you or often at least one or two things that you both like. Maura: Right. So, this proverb does have some truth to it. Birds of a feather flock together, or, people who like the same things spend time with each other Harp: And when you think of this expression, birds of a feather flock together, and you think about different communities in Canada, you can really see this working. For example, in most of the larger cities, you have Little India or Chinatown or Little Italy. People who have similar backgrounds or culture or language live around each other. Maura: Right. And this is even true when you live abroad. I know that when I lived in Japan, I had a lot of friends who were also English-speaking people from other countries. So it's also true for expats. Harp: Definitely. If I think of my parents, they have a lot of Punjabi friends who live close by, because it's easier to speak in Punjabi for them than English. Expressions from this episode included in the Learning Materials: You don’t know what you’re missing Birds of a feather flock together To be drawn to something or someone To have some truth to it Chinatown and other communitiesAn expat A tearjerker To bawl To be like two peas in a pod To grow apart Great minds think alikeAnd fools never differ To get on the road To play out Podcast/Learning Materials: Culips English Podcast, Photo: National Geographic