ELL HubKai Ryssdal
Kai Ryssdal
Episode 311
Vocabulary
sugarcoat (verb)
- Definition:
- to say something in a nicer way so it seems less bad
- Example from the episode:
- “And we can't sugarcoat it, so let's address the anxiety, let's address the fact that these are scary, scary times.”
- Example sentence:
- “The doctor did not sugarcoat the diagnosis.”
tangent (noun)
- Definition:
- a topic or idea that moves away from the main subject
- Example from the episode:
- “And when somebody goes off track or on a tangent, how do you pull them back?”
- Example sentence:
- “He went off on a tangent during class.”
mortifying (adjective)
- Definition:
- it is very embarrassing and makes you feel ashamed
- Example from the episode:
- “Not only is it mortifying, it's not edifying for the audience.”
- Example sentence:
- “Forgetting my lines felt mortifying.”
nuts and bolts (idiom)
- Definition:
- the basic and practical details of how something works
- Example from the episode:
- “It's a little bit of self-deprecation and then the nuts and bolts.”
- Example sentence:
- “Tell me the nuts and bolts of the plan.”