Fun English Lessons

ESL Conversation

A:  Wow!  That’s the 4th date you’ve been on this week?    B:  I’ve been on this new online dating site.  It’s free for girls and guys pay about 30 bucks a month for a premium membership.  There are tons of girls on there.   A:  They must be pretty desperate though.  And they wouldn’t need to be on there if they were a decent catch.    B:  That’s what I thought but there are a lot of good-looking girls who hate the bar scene because they get hit on constantly by slimy guys.  This way they can see your profile and see if you have anything in common.   A:  Isn’t it hard to judge their appearance based on a thumbnail picture?   B:  This site makes everyone upload at least 5 pictures with a high quality resolution.  It’s true though, that some people’s pics make them look much better than they do in person.  It’s hit and miss.   A:  What do you do when you show up on a date and know immediately she’s not cutting it in the looks department.   B:  It’s a delicate situation.  Obviously you can’t let her know what you are thinking.  I try to make afternoon coffee dates and I always have a plan B in the back of my mind.   A:  Sounds like too much hassle.   B:  It’s still easier, healthier, and cheaper than being in smoky bars all the time.    A:  That’s true.  Maybe I’ll try it out.  I’ve got nothing to lose.

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Key vocabulary and phrases that are discussed in the podcast:

“On this new online dating site” - We often talk about being “on” a website which means been “using”.  In spoken English, we also often say “site” instead of “website”.  Both are ok though.

 

Tons - Slang for “very many”.  I ate a ton of pizza last night.

 

Desperate – Someone who seems to really want a boyfriend or girlfriend but is having a hard time finding one we call “desperate.”  Girls won’t want to date you if you seem desperate.

 

Decent catch – A decent catch is someone who would be a really good person to date.  They have a lot of good qualities.  Generally speaking, a “good catch” is good looking, has a good job, has a good personality etc.  This term comes from fishing.  I guess finding someone is a little bit like catching a fish.

 

Bar scene – We often refer to the kind of nightlife that includes going to bars to socialize is the “bar scene”.  How’s the bar scene in Tokyo? 

 

Hit on – Getting “hit on” means that someone is approaching you because they are interested in maybe dating you.  It’s like flirting.  Models get “hit on” a lot when they go out. 

 

Slimy – This is a slang term used to describe guys who pretend to be really nice and genuine but really have different ideas in mind.  They might lie to make themselves look how they think the girl would want them to look like.  Maybe they only want to bring you home for one night.  Girls are always trying to stay away from slimy guys. 

 

In common – Having something “in common” with someone means that you have the same interest or background as they do.  When dating, it’s important to find someone you have something in common with.  What do you have in common with her?  We are both from the same hometown and we have the same taste in music.

 

Thumbnail picture – A thumbnail picture is one of those small square pictures that are often found on the internet.  The picture you have on msn messenger is an example of a thumbnail picture.

 

High quality resolution – The resolution of a photo is something which refers to how clear the picture is.  The higher the resolution, the clearer the picture.

 

Hit and miss – This phrase means sometimes its good, sometimes it’s bad.  You don’t really know beforehand if the result will be good or not.  You just have to try it and hope for the best.  The business of cold calling is hit and miss.

 

She’s not cutting it in the looks department – This phrase is very slang.  It means, “this girl is not attractive enough for me”.  If you are cutting it, it means you are at an acceptable level.  Sometimes we refer to a department, as some kind of aspect.  A girl might say, he’s really nice but not great in the romance department.

 

Delicate situation – A situation that you must handle carefully to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.  Telling someone you think they have an alcohol problem is a delicate situation.

 

Plan B – Plan B is a “back-up” plan.  Plan A is what you plan on doing.  If something goes wrong, the next plan is called plan B.  Let’s go to the park tomorrow.  Ok, but if it rains we are going to need to think of a plan B.

 

Back of my mind – If you have something in the “back of your mind” it means you aren’t always thinking about it but it is still there.  You think of it from time to time.

 

Hassle – If something is a hassle it means it is annoying and frustrating to deal with.  I’d like to go watch the game live, but it’s such a hassle to drive there, pay for parking, walk all the way to the stadium and listen to the screaming fans.  I think I’ll just stay home and watch it on TV. 

 

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