Daily English 1210 Small Town Charm

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:37
Explanation begins at: 4:00
Normal Speed begins at: 17:49

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,210 – Small Town Charm.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,210. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

This episode is a dialogue between Alisha and Ramon about living in a small town, in a place that doesn’t have very many people. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Alisha: Hey, you’re back from your vacation. Where did you go? New York City? Miami?

Ramon: I decided to spend my vacation in Maddieville.

Alisha: Where is Maddieville? I’ve never heard of it.

Ramon: It’s a small town about a six-hour drive from here. I read about it being a throwback to the days of small shops and friendly neighbors, with a charming old-fashioned main street. It was really nice.

Alisha: I’m not sure I’d want to travel back in time. It doesn’t sound very exciting.

Ramon: It wasn’t as lively as some places I could have gone, but I enjoyed the quaint shops, the unpretentious people, and the genuine friendliness.

Alisha: What did you do for an entire week?

Ramon: I perused the shops, ate at the family-owned restaurants, and learned about the quirky history of the town by shooting the breeze with the old-timers at the local bar.

Alisha: To each his own, but that sounds like dullsville to me.

Ramon: Then I guess you wouldn’t want to go back with me this summer for their wine festival.

Alisha: Did you say wine? Maybe I shouldn’t dismiss small town charm quite so quickly.

[end of dialogue]

Alisha says to Ramon, “Hey, you’re back from vacation.” “You’re back” here means you have returned from your vacation. “Where did you go?” Alisha asks. “New York City? Miami?” Ramon answers, “I decided to spend” – that is, to take – “my vacation in Maddieville.” Alisha says, “Where is Maddieville? I’ve never heard of it,” meaning I have never heard that name. I don’t know anything about it. Ramon says, “It’s a small town about a six-hour drive from here.”

In American English, we often distinguish between a city – a place with hundreds of thousands or millions of people, such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and others – and a town, which is a place with a much smaller number of people. There isn’t an exact number we use to distinguish between a city and a town. Most people would probably consider a place with, say, 3,000 or 5,000 people or fewer as being a town. There are some towns in the United States that have only a couple hundred people.

So it’s not clear what Ramon is talking about when he says he went to a “small town,” but we can guess it’s a place that has very few people. I myself have never lived in a small town, but I’ve been to many small towns. My sister moved to a small town of 3,000 people after she graduated from college. She was a teacher in a town even smaller than that, that was near the small town where she lived. The town where she taught high school had only 500 people. That was a really small town.

Well, in our dialogue, the town is “a six-hour drive” from wherever Alisha and Ramon are now. That means it takes six hours in a car to get there. Ramon says, “I read about it being a throwback to the days of small shops and friendly neighbors, with a charming old-fashioned main street.” Ramon read about this small town as being a “throwback” (throwback). A “throwback” is something from an earlier time, an earlier time in history, something that reminds you of the past.

In this case, it’s a town that reminds you of the days before there were big cities, when there were just towns with small shops or stores and “friendly neighbors” – people who were nice to you. Not like a big city such as Los Angeles. Ramon says this small town has a “charming old-fashioned main street.” “Charming” (charming) is something that is attractive, something that might be described as being “cute” (cute).

“Old-fashioned” refers to something that is the opposite of modern or contemporary. Something that is “old-fashioned” is something that is no longer popular nowadays. “Old-fashioned” might also refer to a set of beliefs or values that are no longer popular today. Some people use the term “old-fashioned” in a negative way to describe something that is no longer done and shouldn’t be done anymore. But here, “old-fashioned” is a good thing. It’s referring to the way this small town looks, especially its “main street.”

The “main (main) street” of a town is the most important street in a town. In fact, in many small towns, the most important street where you find all the shops, all the stores, is actually called “Main Street.” And there are hundreds of thousands of Main Streets in the United States. There’s a Main Street in Santa Monica. There’s a Main Street in Culver City. There’s a Main Street here in Los Angeles. Some of these still are the most important streets in those areas. But here, he (Ramon) is using the term just to refer to the most important street, the busiest street, the biggest street in this small town.

Alisha says, “I’m not sure I’d want to travel back in time.” “To travel back in time” means to experience things the way they were in the past. Alisha says, “It doesn’t sound very exciting.” Ramon says, “It wasn’t” – that is, it was not – “as lively as some places I could have gone, but I enjoyed the quaint shops, the unpretentious people, and the genuine friendliness.” Ramon says this town wasn’t as “lively” (lively). “Lively” means with a lot of energy or movement or excitement.

Ramon describes the shops, the stores, as being “quaint” (quaint). Something that is “quaint” is something that is attractive – a little unusual, a little old-fashioned perhaps, but still something you enjoy. “Unpretentious” (unpretentious) refers to a person who is modest, who doesn’t try to impress other people, who doesn’t try to seem like he is smarter or more intelligent or more important than other people around him.

“To be genuine” (genuine) means to be real, to be true. It’s the opposite of being fake or phony or false. Someone who is “genuine” is someone who doesn’t pretend to be someone else, who doesn’t act differently depending on who he is with. Ramon finds that this small town had unpretentious people and genuine friendliness. Alisha says, “What did you do for an entire week?” That is, what did you do for the seven days you were there?

Ramon says, “I perused the shops, ate at family-owned restaurants, and learned about the quirky history of the town by shooting the breeze with the old-timers at the local bar.” “To peruse” (peruse) means to look at, examine, or in some cases read something very carefully, paying attention to all of the little details. So, “to peruse a shop” means to go into a store and look very carefully at everything that is in it. Ramon says he also learned about the “quirky (quirky) history of the town.”

Something that is “quirky” is something that is unusual or strange or perhaps unexpected, but in a fun way, in a good way. “To shoot (shoot) the breeze” (breeze) means to have an informal conversation with someone, without any clear purpose. If you see your neighbor, the person who lives next to you, you may ask how he’s doing, talk about the weather, talk about something going on in your neighborhood. You’re “shooting the breeze.” You’re just talking to be nice, to be friendly. You don’t have any real purpose in your conversation.

Ramon was shooting the breeze with some “old-timers” at the bar in this town. An “old-timer” is someone who has lived in a particular place for a long time. Someone who is, I don’t know, 70 or 80 years old and has lived in a town or a city his whole life would certainly be considered an “old-timer.” Someone who could tell you a lot about that particular place.

Alisha doesn’t quite understand why Ramon went to this town. She says, “To each his own, but that sounds like dullsville to me.” The expression “to each his own” means each person has his own likes, his own wants, and not everyone may like what that person likes. I may like drinking wine. You may like drinking beer. There is no right or wrong. Each person has his own preferences, own interest. Obviously Alisha doesn’t like this idea of going to a small town.

She says, “That sounds like dullsville (dullsville).” “Dullsville” is a funny word that means a very boring, uninteresting place or situation. Ramon responds, “Then I guess you wouldn’t want to go back with me this summer for their wine festival.” A “festival” (festival) is some sort of celebration or party, often organized by a community or a town. In this case, this town is going to have a wine festival. Now Ramon has gotten Alisha interested. She says, “Did you say wine?” She’s obviously someone who likes to drink wine.

She says, “Maybe I shouldn’t dismiss small town charm quite so quickly.” “To dismiss” (dismiss) means to decide to ignore something, to not pay attention to something, or to think something is not very important and therefore not pay attention to it. Alisha says, “Maybe I shouldn’t dismiss small town charm,” meaning even though before she thought this small town was going to be uninteresting, if they have a wine festival, she might want to go to it.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Alisha: Hey, you’re back from your vacation. Where did you go? New York City? Miami?

Ramon: I decided to spend my vacation in Maddieville.

Alisha: Where is Maddieville? I’ve never heard of it.

Alisha: I’m not sure I’d want to travel back in time. It doesn’t sound very exciting.

Ramon: It wasn’t as lively as some places I could have gone, but I enjoyed the quaint shops, the unpretentious people, and the genuine friendliness.

Alisha: What did you do for an entire week?

Ramon: I perused the shops, ate at the family-owned restaurants, and learned about the quirky history of the town by shooting the breeze with the old-timers at the local bar.

Alisha: To each his own, but that sounds like dullsville to me.

Ramon: Then I guess you wouldn’t want to go back with me this summer for their wine festival.

Alisha: Did you say wine? Maybe I shouldn’t dismiss small town charm quite so quickly.

[end of dialogue]

We thank Dr. Lucy Tse for her lively dialogue, as always.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thanks for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

Glossary

throwback – something from an earlier time; something that reminds one of the past

* That restaurant is such a throwback to the 1950s! The waiters’ uniforms and the restaurant décor all make me think of my grandparents’ childhood.

charming – very attractive, cute, and comfortable

* This is a charming hotel with lots of rocking chairs, soft pillows, and art by local artists on the walls.

old-fashioned – traditional; not modern or contemporary; related to how things were done in the past, especially with older values

* Here they make ice cream the old-fashioned way, with ice, salt, and a hand crank.

main street – the most important street in a small city, where most of the stores, restaurants, and other businesses are found

* The library, post office, bank, and grocery store are all on the main street.

to travel back in time – to find a way to experience time in the past or future, usually when referring to science fiction

* I wish I could travel back in time to see what dinosaurs were really like.

lively – with a lot of energy, action, movement, and excitement

* How do kindergarten teachers manage classes of up to 25 lively students each day?

quaint – attractive, pleasantly unusual, and old-fashioned

* Pablo enjoys using quaint phrases like, “How do you do?” instead of more common phrases like, “How are you?”

unpretentious – modest; not trying to impress other people; not trying to seem more intelligent, important, or valuable than one actually is

* Craig is brilliant and wealthy, but you’d never know it by speaking to him. He is so unpretentious.

genuine – real and true; not fake or false

* Was that a genuine offer? It seems too good to be true.

to peruse – to read and examine something very carefully while paying attention to all the details

* The students who peruse the textbook before class always ask the best questions.

quirky – unusual, strange, and unexpected, but in a fun or humorous way

* Aunt Jemima has a quirky sense of humor, but most people like her jokes.

to shoot the breeze – to chat; to have an informal conversation with someone, without any clear purpose

* They spent hours shooting the breeze and remembering what they had done in high school years ago.

old-timer – an older person who has lived in a particular place for a very long time

* The old-timers can still remember when the flood ruined most of the homes and stores in the downtown area.

to each (one’s) own – a phrase meaning that each person may have particular preferences and may do what he or she wants, even though one does not share those interests

* She has decorated her office with pink flowers and pictures of horses, but to each her own. As long as she gets her work done, I guess it doesn’t matter.

dullsville – a very boring, uninteresting place or situation

* You spent all weekend studying? Sounds like dullsville to me.

festival – a party or celebration, especially one organized by a city or county with many different activities and foods

* The annual harvest festival has competitions for the biggest pumpkin and the best-tasting apple juice.

to dismiss – to decide to ignore or overlook something because it seems unimportant

* How can you dismiss astrology? Don’t you believe that the month you were born in can affect your personality?

Comprehension Questions

1. What did Ramon like about Maddieville?
a) It had a lot of exciting events.
b) The people were very intelligent and well traveled.
c) It was very calm, relaxing, and traditional.

2. What was Ramon doing when he was shooting the breeze?
a) He was talking about the weather.
b) He was practicing his aim with a gun.
c) He was having informal conversations.

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

charming

The word “charming,” in this podcast, means very attractive, cute, and comfortable: “We rented a charming cottage with beautiful views of the ocean.” The word “charming” can also refer to someone’s personality: “He’s a charming young man with perfect manners. All the women are attracted to him.” “Prince Charming” refers to the perfect, ideal man whom a woman dreams of meeting: “It’s time to stop dreaming about Prince Charming and instead consider the men who are around you.” “Charm” refers to some special quality that makes someone or something attractive: “Quentin admires Becca for her charm and wit.” Finally, a “charm” can be a small object that is worn on a bracelet or necklace, especially for good luck or as a way to remember someone or something: “She always wears a bracelet with a charm for each of her children.”

lively

In this podcast, the word “lively” means with a lot of energy, action, movement, and excitement: “That was a lively dance performance!” The word “lively” can also mean having a lot of interest with many ideas: “They had a lively discussion about immigration policy reform.” Or, “The presidential candidates engaged in a lively debate.” Someone who has a “lively imagination” is very creative and often makes up stories: “Chloe has a lively imagination and often tells stories about adventures with her imaginary friend.” Sometimes “lively” refers to very bright colors: “They painted their entry way a lively orange color.” Finally, the phrase “step lively” means to hurry up and do something quickly: “Step lively! The CEO will be here any minute!”

Culture Note

The Most Famous Streets in the U.S.

The U.S. has more than one million streets, but some of them have become “household names” (things and people that are very well known by almost everyone).

For example, Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC is sometimes referred to as “America’s Main Street.” It “connects” (touches two points) the “White House” (where the U.S. president lives and works) and the U.S. Capitol (where Congress meets). The street is home to many important government buildings and “monuments” (statues and other structures that honor and remember important people and events from the past).

“Wall Street” in New York City is “perhaps” (possibly; maybe) the best-known street in the U.S. The New York “Stock Exchange” (transactions related to the buying and selling of “stocks” (partial ownership in large businesses)) is found on Wall Street, which is “synonymous with” (other words for) the financial services “sector” (industry; part of the economy).

Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana is famous for its entertainment options. It is home to many restaurants and bars, and many people go there to experience the “nightlife” (activities that happen in the evening, especially drinking and dancing). The annual Mardi Gras celebration is closely “tied to” (associated or affiliated with) Bourbon Street.

Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California is famous for having the “Hollywood Walk of Fame,” or a “stretch” (expanse; distance between two points) of sidewalk with many stars, each with the name of famous person in entertainment, such as an actor or musician. Many tourists go to Hollywood Boulevard in the hopes of “spotting” (seeing briefly) a “celebrity” (a person who is famous, especially in the arts or music) while having their picture taken in front of one or more of the starts on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Comprehension Answers

1 - c

2 - c