Dear Friends;
I think 'Words and Expressions" might attract your attention. I am really fond of them. You can down load voice file from Internet. The regular program of VOA Special English Report on Sunday is 'Words and Expressions', and you can download them from the following website: http://www.listeningexpress.com.
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Now the VOA Special English program "Words and Their Stories".
Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about cloth? Let`s see if I can name a few off the cuff or without any preparation.
People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies. We sometimes say that
people who are restless or nervous have ants in their pants. They might also fly by the seat of their pants. They use their natural sense to do something instead of their learned knowledge.
Sometimes, people may get caught with their pants down. They are found doing something they should not be doing. And in every family, one person takes control.
Sometimes, a wife tells her husband what to do, then we say she wears the pants
in the family.
Pants usually have pockets to hold things. Money that is likely to be spent quickly can burn a hole in your pocket. Sometimes, you need a belt to hold up your pants. If you have less money than usual, you may have to tighten your belt. You
may have to live on less money and spend your money carefully. But once you have
succeeded in budgeting your money, you will have that skill under your belt. I
always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. I really take my hat off to them. Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it at the drop of a hat, immediately, without waiting. And sadly, you cannot pull money out
of a hat. You cannot get money by inventing or imagining it.
Boots are heavy or strong shoes. People who are too big for their boots think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people. I really do.
You can bet your boots on that. Yet, truly important people are hard to replace.
Rarely can you fill their shoes or replace them with someone equally effective.
My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and a tie, and a shirt with sleeves that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him well think he is too firm and severe. They think he is a real stuffed shirt. But I know that my father wears his heart on his sleeve. He shows his feelings openly. And he knows how to keep his shirt on. He stays calm and never gets angry
or too excited. Also, my father has never lost his shirt in a business deal. He
is too smart to lose all or most of his money. This is because my father rolls up his sleeves and prepares to work hard. He often has a special plan or answer to a problem that he can use if he needs it. He is like a person who dose magic tricks. We say he has a card up his sleeve.
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Last week I explained some English expressions about cloths. Everything I told you was true. I did not talk through my hat or say something without knowing the
facts. Everyone knows there are many English expressions about cloths. There is
no need to keep it secret or keep it under your hat. In fact, if I keep talking
soon enough you will start to think I am an old hat about this, a real expert. Do not be fool, though.
My friends sometime call me "a wolf in sheep`s clothing". This is someone who acts like a good person, but he is really a bad person. I am not really a bad person, but I do love cloths. It is always fun to get dressed up. I look great in my
best cloths. When I put them on, I feel decked-out. You might say when I wear my best cloths, I am dressed to the nice or dressed to the teeth. In fact, my husband says I look dressed to kill. Of course, I would never kill anyone. But there is something special about putting on cloths that are pleasing to the eye.
My best cloths are not modern or fashionable. Maybe someday, they will come into
fashion, but I really do not care. They certainly look better on me than my birthday suit. Did you know that everyone has a birthday suit? You wear it when you
are wearing no cloths at all. Babies are born wearing their birthday suits.
I am very careful with my cloths. I handle them with kid gloves. I try not to get them dirty or torn. Most of my cloths fit like a glove. They fit perfectly. But when I eat too much, I feel like my cloths might burst at the seams. My cloths
fill too restrictive and tight.
Some of the cloths I like best are hand-me-down my older sister gave them to me
when she no longer wanted them. hand-me-downs are great because cloths often cost too much money. I live on a shoestring. I have a very small budget and little
money to spend on cloths. However, my sister has a lot of money to spend on cloths. Maybe someday, the shoe will be on the other foot. They opposite will be true. I will have a lot of money to buy cloths. And my sister will get hand-me-downs from me. I yet admit, I dream of being rich. I dream that someday I will be able to live like a rich person. I will know what it is like to walk in another person`s shoes.
Some of my friends got rich by writting someone else`s coattails. They are successful today as a result of someone else being successful. But I beleive you should never criticize others for something you would do yourself. What you said about someone else can also be said about you. Remember, if the shoe fits, wear it.
Hope you can enjoy it!
Warmly
Azure