ESL Podcast: Here we learn excellent phrases and vocabulary to describe an unreliable person. If you use these phrases you will sound like a native English speaker in no time! Let us know what you think of this ESL Podcast.
Discussion forum
Unreliable:
ESL Reading
Phrases and Vocabulary used:
Empty promises - If someone makes a promise that they can’t keep it is called an empty promise. For example, imagine a father tells his son that if he gets over 90% on a school exam, then the father will give his son $100 . Now imagine later that the son actually gets over 90% but the father decides not to give the son any money. We could say that the father made an empty promise. If someone makes a lot of empty promises then people around them will begin to trust them less and less. Companies often make empty promises in their advertisments. “Our skin cream will make your skin look 20 years younger”.
Flaky - A flaky person is a person who makes plans but then cancels at the last moment, or doesn’t even call to cancel. Flaky people often don’t have a good excuse for cancelling. It is a bad habit. We often use this term in a dating context. I could say, my date last night flaked out. It is the second time in a row that she did this to me. I don’t think I’ll call her anymore because she’s too flaky.
I wouldn’t count on that - “Counting on” something means depending or relying on it. I could say, you can’t “count on” flaky people. Even if they promise to meet you at a time and place, you never know if they will actually do it.
We can say “count on” for both things and people.
Your friend could tell you that a salesperson told him that he could make 25% per year if he did a certain type of investment.
If you didn’t think this was likely, you could say to your friend, “I wouldn’t count on that”. It basically means, “Don’t expect that to be true”, or “I don’t think that will happen”
You could also say, “I wouldn’t count on that type of sales person if I were you”. That means, “you shouldn’t believe what salespeople like that say”.
Don’t hold your breath - This phrase basically means, “I don’t think it will happen”. Holding your breath means to stop breathing. It is saying, “don’t hold your breath waiting for something like this to happen because it probably won’t happen”
It is similar to saying, “I wouldn’t count on that”
Exaggerator - If you call someone an exaggerator, you are saying that they exaggerate when they tell stories. They make things seem more intense than they really are. Exaggeraters tell you that they earn more money than they actually do for example. Exaggerators tell you that it is colder than it actually is, the party was more fun than it really was, or their holiday was more fun than it really was etc. They often do this to make themselves appear better or make the story more interesting.
We often say, he is a “huge exaggerator” or a “big time exaggerator”.
January 29th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Thanks!
Happy Chinese New Year!
did you guys enjoy the fireworks?
Thank you verymuch, a wonderful lesson
January 29th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Great phrases , thank you very much , I liked the word ( flaky ) , cause it’s the first time I hear it , good word , I certainly know a lot of flaky people !
well , I know that you never made empty promises to us , and that I can count on this site to improve my english , and I’m not an exaggerator when I say it is the best ESL podcast.
thanks.
January 29th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Thank you guys! You really do wonderful job. I’m extensively recommending you podcast to all of my friends
January 30th, 2009 at 6:25 am
hi guys, once again thanks for this new podcast. hey, i would like you very much if you let a woman participated in next podcast. you guys speak very well, well enough to impress other people. but you know woman’s voice can rock the floor…. you voice stayed in our ears sometimes it get from one side and out from otherside. female voice will go straight way to our heart, it would help us in learning english. we could pay more attention.. etc… lol please, it would be great fun, wont it? looking forward for a postive response.
February 1st, 2009 at 3:54 pm
GUYS, i am a huge fan of your podcasts. i really enjoy every episode of them. and the examples you gave is so funny. the unreliable father, cannot control to take the comfort food, the useless skin cream…whatever….funny…
love your laughter…
happy chinese new year…
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:23 am
Wish both of you to have a good time in Chinese new year and take a lot of fruitful business in 2009. In new year Im giong to spent more time on china 232.com to enjoy the exllent lessons being given from you all and I bilieve in its
usefull result to whom learning English, but Im really sorry to miss the last podcast listening that’s a interesting part in every lesson.
We are all the faithfull friend of yours in next podcast,
Thank you a lot,
February 5th, 2009 at 5:43 am
I am a regular listener of your Podcast and I found a lot of fun and interesting ways of transfering useful phrases from your lessons to listeners. I guess you both are quite on the go at the time being so your podcast have been not uploaded more regular than they are used to be. Anyway, thanks a million for your help in our E improvement.
February 5th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Excellent web site guys, congratulations.
What is the difference between \"I can\’t count on you\" or \"I can\’t rely on you\" ?
Thanks ahead
February 5th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Today while I was downhill skying at the Dolomite (Italy) I listened to many of your great lessons! Great time! thanks!
Paula
February 6th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Thanks SooOooo much for the great podcast.. As usual
.. by the way, I claim that I’m one of the listeners that actually listen 
February 6th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
hello guys you are the best I always enjoy yours lessons and I always listen your podcast when I have free time in my job congratulations and keep doing it so well!
February 8th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
such nice work, you guys are teh best. you are changing the face of humanty
February 10th, 2009 at 5:42 am
Hello guys, I really really thank this website, it really helpful for me to learn english, I think this is really helpful for all people in the world who want to improve their english as well, Thanks all again
February 10th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Hi guys ,
Well , it’s been long time that l did not log on to China232 . When l got back here , I happy that the same good work is on and on !
February 11th, 2009 at 6:06 am
Hi guys,
Thanks for your great programs. I’ve got a suggestion for you, could you please at the end of each episode repeat (simply copy and past) the dialog of that episode. This way we can listen again to the conversation and completely understand all new words in that episode.
Thanks guys,
–Saman
February 12th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Hi,
I really appreciate it, your lessons are great, thank you very much.
Regards,
Beyer.
February 13th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Hi guys! Thanx very much for the exciting lessons. It’s really the best way of learning english.
Could U please do yr futher lesson about ‘temptation’, cose I know this word but I never could use it.
.
Thank U very much once again.
Best regards,
Sardor.
February 13th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
hi, guys! I like the china232 and i think you guys did a great job! i hope you can also make a good profit from it.
February 18th, 2009 at 10:27 am
first time to listen to it,nice work, i have to say! really enjoyed it in a relaxed way!
can’t wait to hear next episode. before that, i think i could enjoy the previous ones.
March 7th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Again a great piece of performance. Great service to the people aspiring for American conversational English and other aspects of the language like clarity, rate of speech and what not .
March 14th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Thank you. Topic is great.
March 23rd, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Hi, Guys,
I am glad to see your lots of new podcasts. But guys can you do me a favor? I think other students needs it. I mean TOEFL iBT sections. How can I improve my listening as fast as I can? I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely yours.
March 26th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Hello,
don\\\’t you exagerate over exagerators?
or didn\\\’t I understand?
The lessons are cool.
I think in 2 years, i\\\’ll speak a better english,
if I continue to listen to the podcasts.
THen, from Belgium,
thank you.
Giovanni
April 8th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
the lessons are really amazing guys
thank you soooooooooooooo much
god bless you
thank you
anna
April 8th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
the lessons are really amazing
thank you sooooooooooo much
god bless you
thanks alot
bye
anna
April 8th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
the lessons are really amazing
thank you soooooooooo much
god bless you all
byeeee
anna
April 8th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
the lessons are really amazing
thank you sooooooooooo much
god bless you all
byeeee
anna
April 14th, 2009 at 12:57 am
Thanks a million.. A very informative lesson.. I love your accent, I hope to accquire it soon. Shuch a lesson helps to cure soul diseases. Keep on keeping on, all my love sealed with a kiss. Egyptophile the ” romantic barbarian “
May 28th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Thanks guyz I love to listen your podcast. I listen to some of them everyday ,they help me alot .I wish to speak like u some day ..
July 16th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Hello everyone, hello guys.
Are you going to make a new free podcasts? A lot of students like me need this one. I totally agree…There\’re tons of free podcasts…but you are the best….It\’s absolutelly true and I dont exaggerate. And of course you have to make money…but all agree with me we NEED it so much. I\’ll wait your new usefull stuff, I stick with it.
Thanks
August 10th, 2009 at 11:35 am
im from china.i wana practise english with non-chinese speaker. no offense to my fellow citizen only for laguage reason
my msn is cxmmxc_5@hotmail.com
skype: cszero_marketing
December 22nd, 2009 at 1:41 pm
hi addison and andrew
long time no new free lessons ?
i really am gettin the meanin of phrases thanks a lot
keep it up
rite now thinkin to sign up for the VIP section
December 23rd, 2009 at 12:01 pm
@sehar
Do not hesitate to join VIP club, mate. It’s worth every penny!
Cheers!