Culips Everyday English Podcast

In this episode we are looking at the word guts and gut. They look similar but they have quite different meanings! Which one means a big, fat belly? There are also other related expressions like to follow your gut or to have a gut feeling. We can also describe someone as gutsy. Listen to thisRead More

Harp recently had a chat with Adam, a friend of Culips, when he was staying in Montreal. Adam currently lives in Japan and was back in Canada for a short time visiting before returning to Japan. While he was here we talked to him about his experience overseas and what he misses about Canada whenRead More

Have you ever found someone’s story a bit suspicious? Did you ever meet someone who didn’t seem like they were who they said they were? You could say that this was fishy! In this episode we talk about the meaning of fishy, funny (different from humorous), and to say that something isn’t right. Check outRead More

You might be checking out this Culips episode because you are brushing up on your English! In this episode we look at three expressions that mean exactly the same thing: to brush up on, to bone up on, to polish up on. These expressions are good to know if you are studying something you alreadyRead More

As Harp and Robin explain in this episode, to tear a strip off someone, is to get very upset at them and to express that emotion in a very harsh and angry way. This could involve yelling or screaming, or just very angry, mean words. As you can imagine, literally getting a strip torn offRead More

In this episode we talk about a person that you do not want to be friends with. We describe a person who is two-faced! We also give examples of how a person talks behind another’s back and how someone backstabs another. If you ever find yourself in these situations you will know how to talkRead More

Have you ever spent a lot of money on something and then felt that it was too much money? Then you may have felt ripped off! In this episode, we look at the differences between a rip off and to be ripped off. We also examine the expression highway robbery. We also look at theRead More

Do you like to go to parties? Are there usually any party poopers? A party pooper is someone who is not having fun and does not create more fun. Another expression that we talk about is a wet blanket. That doesn’t sound like very much fun does it? How about a stick in the mud?Read More

Wannabe is a slang word that comes from putting the words want to be together into one word. Do you know what this word means? It has been used in many pop songs, movies and television shows. If you wanna be a natural English speaker, check out this episode! Expressions included in the Study GuideRead More

Rita is back! We previously interviewed Rita at Culips but decided to do it again because it was a popular episode, and because Rita has started her own business helping out international students who are interested in coming to Montreal. In this episode Rita gives lots of advice for people moving to another country toRead More

Have you ever wanted to travel around the world? Well, that is just what Alethe is doing! We met with her while she was in Canada on her trip around the world. Originally from Australia, she tells us about the places she has visited, her impressions of Canada and where she is headed next. If youRead More

In this episode, Robin and Jessie discuss the expression to shrug something off. Check out the picture here to see an example of someone shrugging. In certain situations a person may want to shrug it off, or have to roll with the punches, and afterwards pick up the pieces. Listen to hear how all theseRead More

Many of you have probably heard of the word bug. Most people know it as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb, like to bug a person. Do you think that bugging a person would be good or bad? Do you think someone would like to be bugged? Check out thisRead More

Are you a chicken? In this episode we look at a familiar word but show you how it can be used in another way. Most of you probably know that a chicken is a kind of bird. And you can also probably imagine a chicken dinner. There is another funny way that we use chickenRead More

Dude! This word is very popular nowadays, especially with young people. You can often hear this word in movies and television shows, or with your Native English speaker friends. It has been around for awhile but young people are using the word dude, more and more. So…dude, what does it mean? Copyright: Audio/Study Guide: Culips