ELL HubIrv Grousbeck
Irv Grousbeck
Episode 148
Vocabulary
punctuate (verb)
- Definition:
- to make something you are saying very clear and important
- Example from the episode:
- “But in hearing how you said it, I actually see how it punctuates the point.”
- Example sentence:
- “Her dramatic pause helped punctuate the point effectively.”
adage (noun)
- Definition:
- a short and wise saying that people have used for a long time to share important advice or truth
- Example from the episode:
- “So there’s an old adage that we like to remind students about, which is when great management meets a bad business, the business always wins.”
- Example sentence:
- “The timeless adage, “Honesty is the best policy,” guided his decisions.”
bombastic (adjective)
- Definition:
- using fancy or big words to sound important, but often without much meaning.
- Example from the episode:
- “They’re bombastic and they are attracted to risk and they’re egotistical.”
- Example sentence:
- “The politician’s bombastic language did not convince the voters.”
blind side (idiom)
- Definition:
- to surprise or catch someone off guard, often in a way that is negative or unexpected
- Example from the episode:
- “Well, I’m surprised that you see this as a blind side.”
- Example sentence:
- “The scandal caught the administration on a blind side.”