Vocabulary List

Steve Davis

• punch:
  1. An alcoholic drink with sugar, lemon, and spices.
  2. Fruit punch, fruit drink that children like.
• relate to:
  • "He had never known a Chinese person very well. So when he met Chinese people it was difficult to relate to them."
  • If you can relate to someone, you understand how and why they behave or think the way they do, so when you do things with them it's easier.
• noble ambitions: ambitions or goals that are based on high moral principles
• treat a patient:
  • "Doctors treated her headache with aspirin."
  • Try to make someone who is sick (the patient) well again, try to cure a sick person.
• practice medicine:
  • "He practiced medicine in Africa."
  • Work as a doctor.
• practice on:
  • "I'll practice this new word on Susy."
  • It's better to say: "I'll practice this new word with Susy.
  • To practice is to do something regularly so that you do it better.
  • "There were reports of torture being practiced on the villagers."
  • Usually used if something cruel is regularly done to someone.
• pediatrician: A doctor who treats children.
• make a difference:
  • Improve a situation.
  • "It won't make any difference what you do. He's going to die."
  • "Mother Theresa is probably the best example of someone who really made a difference in the world."
  • Used of people who acheived a high moral purpose
• have no one to turn to:
  • "He was studying English in Australia and his family lived a long way away, so he felt like there was no one he could turn to."
  • "He turned to his host family for help."
  • To turn to someone is to ask them for help.
• homeless: a poor person who sleeps on the street
• elderly: old person
• attitude:
  • "His attitude about us has changed recently and he's more co-operative."
  • What someone believes or feels about something.
• care: 1. to do something with 2. burden, "She didn't have a care in the world."
• careless: not careful, to do something without care or negligently, with a lot of errors or mistakes
• carefree: happy, without burdens or
• careful: to do something with care
• serious:
  • "We had a serious talk and I think we've solved our problems."
  • Not joking or trying to amuse.
  • Said when something is important and worthy of a lot of attention and respect.
• recently: A short time ago.
• positively affected:
  • "His attitude has positively affected the way I look at the problem."
  Changed in a good way.
• don't do it for the money:
  • "I certainly don't do this job for the money. I do it because I believe in helping poor people.
  • He does it for another reason, probably a moral reason.
• people in difficult circumstances: People with difficult lives, who have a difficult situation.

• aspirin:
• booze: alcohol.
• handgun: A gun help in the hand
• lose someone:
  • "He lost his father last year."
  • Polite way of saying someone died.
• lose touch with someone:
  • "After the war I lost touch with Sam for 20 years."
  • To not talk to or communicate with someone for a long time.
• been in the family: The family has owned it.
• for generations:
  • "Ethyle" is a name that was popular among my Grandmother's generation."
  • A group of people of about the same age in a society or a family, e.g. my generation, my father's generation, my daughter's generation...
  • Look at the Cambridge International Dictionary of English entry. There's a lot of good information there.
• skid row: A part of town that is poor and dirty, and probably has a lot of people living on the street (street people) or in cheap hotels (flophouses). Many of these people are probably drunks, alcoholics, winos, drug addicts, prostitutes, insane, unemployed, or homeless.
• the counter:
  • "The restaurant had a counter for people who were in a hurry."
  • A long, flat narrow surface where people are served in a store, bank, or restaurant
  • The long, flat narrow surfaces in a kitchen.
  
  
  Cathy Hall
  • bicycle messenger: A person who delivers packages using a bicycle.
  • hyper: Short for "hyperactive." Used for someone who can't stop moving around and talking.
  • get the idea:
    • Understand
    • "He got the idea (that they didn't want him there) and left."
    • "He got the idea (that he smelled bad, had bad BO (body odor)) and slipped back to his room to change his clothes.
    • Often used to mean that someone has said something indirectly (or hinted at something, e.g. "leave!", or "you smell bad") and that the person to whom it was directed has understood and done what was asked for (e.g. leave).
    • Also "You'll have to explain to me all the details, but I've got a rough idea of what you need."
    • See the Cambridge International Dictionary of English for interesting details.
  • winded: Has difficulty in breathing.
  • independence: Freedom or not taking help or money from other people.
  • dash around: To move quickly from place to place.
  • mountain bike: A bicycle with thick tires for riding in the mountains but often used in town also.
  • hang out:
    • "A lot of famous artists hangout at this cafe."
    • "That restaurant is a favorite hangout for movie stars."
    • A place where people spend a lot of time.
  • cooped up in an office:
    • "He couldn't remain cooped up in his room for very long. He had to go take a walk in the park."
    • A chicken coop is a chicken cage which has no space or very little room.
  • it's urgent: "It's important and must be done quickly."
  • a disadvantage:
  • an advantage:
  
  
  Daniel Cody
  • a cocktail lounge: A bar with comfortable seats.
  • a bore: Someone who is boring to be with.
  • an act:
  • refine it to perfection: Work on something all the time to make it perfect.
  
  
  Tom
  • a candle-light dinner: A dinner with the lights turned off to make it more romantic.
  • an assembly line:
    • "Automobile assembly lines often use robots instead of workers."
    • Arranging workers so that each does a small part of the total work of making something.
  • a union job: A job where a union trys to get better pay, benefits, and conditions for the workers.
  • couch potato: Someone who spends a lot of time sitting on the couch watching TV.
  • screw a bolt on:
  • an RV:
    • A recreational vehicle.
    • A camper or four wheel drive used for vacations or fun (i.e. not commuting or driving to work).
  
  Mark Tannenbaum
  • ass:
  • conceited:
  • see you round:
  • I've got to be going. = I must go.
  • leave right away = leave immediately
  • envy:
  • tone it down a bit
  • flashy style
  • flash dancer
  • the management
  • He was fired.
  • spare time = free time
  
  
  Roy Bancroft
  • millionaire:
  • exotic:
  • jungle:
  • tuxedo:
  • pro:
  • sponsor:
  • charity:
  • right after = shortly after
  • he left college: (without completing it)
  
  
  Sue Johnson
  • roadside:
  • fancy = elegant
  • fast food:
  • get to know her better
  • I got to meet: = I have to meet = I must meet
  • lug:
  • be fresh with:
  • bacon and eggs:
  • a diner:
  • guts:
  • bulging:
  • well-developed:
  • Interstate 55:
  • a trucker:
  
  
  Bill Gibson
  • throw up:
  • CPA:
  • Porsche:
  • shack up with:
  • drawn to:
  • charisma:
  • charm:
  • attached
  • a shack
  • workaholic:
  • Thanksgiving:
  • in the six figures:
  
  
  Jerry Wallace
  • It's getting a little late.
  • a cab
  • laid off:
  • drop by:
  • catch a bus/a cab
  • whoops:
  • lost his job:
  • was fired:
  • optimistic:
  • pessimistic:
  
  
  Robert Hamm
  • a nice guy:
  • bump into each other:
  • mingle with:
  • wish you luck:
  • relaxed:
  
  
  Frank McCoy