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English as a Second Language Podcast

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 99

TOPICS

Ask an American: Losing weight in America

“99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall,” to be someone’s man through and through,

doggone, to see one’s share of something, to say something 10 times fast

_____________

GLOSSARY

to pass (something) around – to share a bottle, plate, or something else with

many other people, so that everyone drinks, eats, or uses something from the

same dish or container

* They sat in a circle around the fire, telling stories and passing around snacks.

scale – a balance; a plastic and metal thing that one stands on to see how much

one weighs; a device that tells one how heavy a person or thing is

* Trey was surprised when he stepped on the scale and saw that he weighed

more than 200 pounds.

to last – to endure; to continue for a period of time; to continue in time

* The party lasted until 4:00 a.m.

recipe – written instructions for cooking or baking something

* This recipe for chocolate cake calls for four eggs.

a little bit – some; not very much; a few

* Dan said he wanted only a little bit of the dessert, but then he ate three pieces!

calorie – a unit that measures the energy in food; a measurement of the amount

of energy in food

* A large apple has about 130 calories.

let’s say – for example; for instance; a phrase used to show that whatever

follows is an example of what one is talking about

* Let’s say that you get a job that pays $45,000 per year. In that case, you can

easily save $500 per month for the house you want to buy.

shortening – a fat that is used in baking, especially for cakes and cookies

* How much shortening did you use to make these cookies?

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 99

applesauce – a type of food made by cooking apples without the skin or seeds

until the pieces become very small, usually mixed with cinnamon and/or sugar

* Many Americans like to eat applesauce with pork chops.

to check in with (someone) – to speak with someone to let him or her know

where one is or how one is doing

* Whenever we travel for business, we’re supposed to check in with our boss

when we arrive in the other city.

to keep track of (something or someone) – to monitor something or someone;

to know the status of something or someone; to know where and how something

or someone is

* Kenzie makes lists to keep track of all the things she needs to do each day.

to be (someone’s) man – to be someone’s very good friend; to be someone

whom another person can trust and rely on; to be someone who always supports

and helps another person

* When Randy spent all day helping Michael move to his new house, Michael

said, “Thanks, Randy. You’re my man!”

through and through – completely; entirely; without any exception; 100%

* Melinda is a hard worker, through and through. She never complains when she

has to stay late at the office.

doggone – darn; damn; a word used to show that one is frustrated with

something or angry at something

* I’ve been trying for almost 10 minutes, but I can’t get this doggone lock to open!

to see one’s share of (something) – to have a lot of experience with something

in one’s own life

* Grandpa always says that he saw his share of death during the war, and he

feels bad for today’s soldiers.

to hit rock bottom – to be in the worst situation possible; to be at the lowest

point in one’s life

* Christopher realized that he had hit rock bottom when he found himself stealing

money from his mother’s purse to buy liquor.

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of

these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 99

WHAT INSIDERS KNOW

Drinking Songs

A “drinking song” is a song that people sing when they are drinking alcohol or are

already “drunk” (have had too much alcohol to drink and can’t think clearly).

Drinking songs are usually sung very loudly, and the “lyrics” (the words to a

song) are usually “crude” and “vulgar” (rude and impolite). Many people don’t

like drinking songs because the lyrics are sexual and sometimes “demeaning to

women,” meaning that they say bad things about women. Nevertheless, here

are some of the lyrics to some American drinking songs.

“Drunk Last Night” is often sung by sports teams and “fraternity brothers” (groups

of young men who live together during college). The lyrics begin like this:

Drunk last night. Drunk the night before,

“Gonna” (going to) get drunk tonight like I never been drunk before,

For when I'm drunk I'm as happy as can be,

For I am a member of the Souse family.

[“Souse” refers to “Dr. Seuss,” the writer of children’s books, which are full

of poems that rhyme, like this drinking song.]

Another famous drinking song is “Seven Drunken Nights”, which is based on an

old Irish song. There is one “verse” (group of lines in the lyrics) for each of seven

nights. The lyrics for the first night begin like this:

As I went home on Monday night as drunk as drunk could be,

I saw a horse outside the door where my old horse should be.

Well, I called me (my) wife and I said to her: "Will you kindly tell to me,

Who owns that horse outside the door where my old horse should be?"

In the drinking song, on each of the seven nights, the man comes home drunk

and sees something in front of the house, so he asks his wife whose it is.

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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 99

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

You're listening to ESL Podcast's English Café number 99.

This is the English Café episode 99. I'm your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to

you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles,

California.

Welcome to our 99 th episode. The number 99 reminds me of a famous song that

many Americans know, called “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.” We'll talk about

that today. We're also going to do our “Ask an American” section, where we will

listen to a native speaker talking about a topic. Today's topic is losing weight;

something that many Americans need to do. Me, too! And finally, we'll answer

some of your questions. Let's get started.

When I was child growing up, sometimes in school we would take trips on a bus.

Sometimes these were long trips – an hour, two hours – going to some event or

visiting some place. One of the things that we used to do as children – and many

American children do – is to sing a song so that the time goes by more quickly.

To entertain yourself, you can sing a song. There's one song – it's a kind of

counting song, I guess – that's called "99 Bottles of Beer," like what you would

drink.

Now, this is a strange song for children to sing, but we sang it, and many children

do, on trips like this, or on long trips in a car with their parents. It's a very simple

song; you start at 99 and you count down (you go backwards: 99, 98, 97). And,

the words to the song are very simple: "99 bottles of beer on the wall (meaning

on a shelf on a wall), 99 bottles of beer. Take one down and pass it around." To

"pass something around" means to give it to other people, in this case, to share it

with other people. So, you take one down and you pass it around, now you have

98 bottles of beer, so the next part of the song is "98 bottles of beer on the wall,"

and so forth.

The song, when sung, sounds like this – only better, since I can't sing very well

(Jeff sings): "99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer. Take one down

and pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall. 98 bottles of beer on the wall,

98 bottles of beer. Take one down and pass it around, 97 bottles of beer on the

wall..." and so on, and so on. I won't sing down to number one!

Now, when you get to number one, the last line is kind of interesting (Jeff sings):

"No more bottles of beer on the wall, no more bottles of beer. Go to the store

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 99

and buy some more, 99 bottles of beer on the wall." You notice that the last line

is "No more bottles of beer on the wall," so you "Go to the store and buy some

more, 99 bottles of beer on the wall," because you bought 99 new bottles.

It's really kind of a drinking song, I guess, but it is something that children often

sing; I know I did when I was a child. Maybe I was just a little different – I don't

know!

Today we're going to do another one of our “Ask an American” segments, where

we listen to a native speaker talking at normal speed, and then I will go back and

explain what they're saying.

Today's topic is on being overweight; being, what we may say, too fat, though

that's not a very nice way to talk about it. You don't want to say someone is “fat,”

you want to say they're “overweight” (too much weight).

It turns out that 66% of Americans – two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and

many of those are what we would call “obese” (obese). To be “obese” means

that you are really overweight; you are so overweight that you will start to have

problems with your health. That is to be “obese.”

We're going to listen to part of an interview on the Voice of America with a

woman – a 59-year-old woman – who is trying to lose weight. And the story

begins with this woman saying that she was 59 years old, and she stepped on

the scale one morning and she discovered how overweight she was.

Let's listen to her. Again, she's going to speak fast, but we'll go back after and

talk about what she said.

[recording]

I was 59, and I was approaching my 60th birthday, and I stepped on the scale

one morning and the numbers went up to 179 and then the scale broke. And, I’m

only 5'1”, I’m a very short woman, and I said, “That’s it! You’re going to make

changes, and those changes are going to last you for the rest of your life.”

[recording stops]

Pretty fast, right? She talks very fast. Well, let's talk about what she said. She

starts by saying, “I was 59, and I was approaching my 60th birthday.” To be

“approaching” means to be coming close to. She says, “I stepped on the scale”

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of

these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

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