Daily English 1214 Experiencing Dread

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:45
Explanation begins at: 4:19
Normal Speed begins at: 17:13

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,214 – Experiencing Dread.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,214. 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 about dread – of not wanting to do something because of the fear of what might happen. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Brianna: Are you still here? I thought you left ages ago.

Viktor: There’s no rush. I’m thinking of postponing until tomorrow.

Brianna: Why?

Viktor: I feel a sense of foreboding. I have a sneaking suspicion that things aren’t going to go well.

Brianna: Under the circumstances, I can understand your reluctance, but it’s like ripping off a bandage. It’s best done quickly.

Viktor: I’m not sure about that. I have a feeling that things are going to go very, very wrong, and the longer I can put it off the better.

Brianna: Next week is your girlfriend’s birthday. You don’t want to break up with her on her birthday, do you?

Viktor: No, that would be cruel. Maybe I should hold off until after next week.

Brianna: You’re really dreading breaking up with her, aren’t you?

Viktor: She’s got a temper. When I told her that I couldn’t join her on a visit to her parents’ house last weekend, she went ballistic, and I have dents in my car door to show for it. I expect this to be much, much worse.

Brianna: Ah, I see. I never liked the idea of breaking up with someone remotely, but it might be called for in this case.

[end of dialogue]

Brianna asks Viktor, “Are you still here? I thought you left ages ago.” “Ages (ages) ago (ago)” means here “a long time ago.” Viktor says, “There’s no rush,” meaning there’s no hurry. There’s no reason for me to leave right away or immediately. In fact, Viktor says, “I’m thinking of postponing until tomorrow.” “To postpone” (postpone) means to do something later, not to do it now. Another verb here we could use is “to delay” (delay).

Brianna asks Viktor why he’s thinking of postponing until tomorrow. Viktor says, “I feel a sense of foreboding.” “Foreboding” (foreboding) is not a common word in English conversation. It means an anxious feeling that something bad will happen. You have a sense, a feeling, an emotion that something bad will happen in the future. Viktor says, “I have a sneaking suspicion that things aren’t going to go well.”

A “sneaking (sneaking) suspicion (suspicion)” is a belief that something bad will happen. It’s very similar to this idea of “foreboding.” The word “foreboding” is usually used when something really bad is going to happen, something perhaps even evil. “Sneaking suspicion” is usually used in a less serious situation, where you know something is bad or you know something not good may happen, but it’s not going to be something terrible.

Sometimes we use this expression “sneaking suspicion” when you think another person is hiding something from you or you think that something is going on that shouldn’t be going on. “I have a sneaking suspicion that Bill isn’t really sick today. He decided to go to the beach with his girlfriend. That’s why he’s not here at work.” That would be an example of using that expression when there isn’t something horrible that is happening or going to happen.

Brianna says, “Under the circumstances, I can understand your reluctance, but it’s like ripping off a bandage. It’s best done quickly.” “Reluctance” (reluctance) is a hesitation or unwillingness to do something. You’re not sure you really want to do it. You sort of wait and stop and think “Hmm, should I really do this?” That’s a “reluctance,” an unwillingness to do something. Brianna can understand Viktor’s reluctance. “But,” she says, “it’s like ripping off a bandage” (bandage).

A “bandage” is something you put on your skin when you cut yourself. You put it over the cut. “To rip off a bandage” is to take it off your skin quickly. Of course, you take off a bandage quickly so that it doesn’t hurt as much, or you get the pain over in a very short period of time. That’s what Brianna is suggesting that Viktor do. Obviously Viktor is thinking about something that he doesn’t want to do that will be painful, and that’s why it’s best to do it quickly, Brianna says.

Viktor disagrees. He says, “I’m not sure about that. I have the feeling,” meaning I think or I believe, “that things are going to go very, very wrong.” For something “to go very, very wrong” is for bad things to happen as a result of whatever you’re going to do or whatever someone else is going to do. Viktor believes “The longer I can put it off, the better.” The two-word phrasal verb “to put something off” means the same as “to postpone” or “to delay” – to do something later, usually because you don’t want to do it now.

Brianna says, “Next week is your girlfriend’s birthday. You don’t want to break up with her on her birthday, do you?” Now we learn what Viktor is worried about. He wants to break up with his girlfriend. “To break up with” someone is to end a romantic relationship with someone, usually someone that you are not married to yet, someone you are “dating,” we would say.

Viktor says, “No.” He doesn’t want to break up with his girlfriend on her birthday. “That would be cruel” (cruel). “Cruel” is very mean, very inconsiderate, we might say. “Cruel” is actually more than inconsiderate. It’s something that really hurts another person. Viktor says, “Maybe I should hold off until after next week.” “To hold off” is a two-word phrasal verb meaning to wait to do something later. It’s similar to “to delay” or “to postpone.”

Brianna says, “You’re really dreading breaking up with her, aren’t you?” “To dread” (dread) means to not want to do something because you are worried or afraid about what might happen. “I dread talking to my mother-in-law.” I don’t really want to. I have a feeling that it’s not going to be very pleasant. Perhaps I’m even fearful of what might happen. You might dread taking a test at school because you know you may not do very well on it. You’re fearful about what will happen. Brianna thinks that Viktor is dreading breaking up with his girlfriend.

Viktor apparently is dreading breaking up with her, in part because he says she has a temper. Viktor says, “She’s got a temper.” “She’s got a temper” means the same as “she has a temper.” “To have a temper” (temper) means to lose control of your emotions easily, to be someone who often gets upset and angry. We often think of a young child as having a “temper” if the child gets angry easily. But adults also have a temper. Someone who easily gets upset at things or starts yelling at other people because something goes wrong is someone who has a temper.

Viktor says, “When I told her I couldn’t join her on a visit to her parents’ house last weekend, she went ballistic.” Viktor told his girlfriend that he could not go with her when she was going to visit her parents last weekend. When this happened, Viktor says, the girlfriend “went ballistic” (ballistic). The phrasal verb “to go ballistic” means to become extremely angry and to lose control of your emotions – to start shouting and screaming, for example.

Viktor says he has dents in his car door to show for it. A “dent” (dent) is a small section of something that has been pushed in, that is no longer flat or smooth. If you have a car and someone hits your car – the side of your car, especially – you will probably get a dent in the side of your car. The metal will go in. There will be what we call an “indentation.” Well, it’s obvious that Viktor’s girlfriend got so angry at him that she hit his car and caused a dent. That’s what happens when she goes ballistic, I guess.

This is what Viktor has “to show for it.” The expression “to show for it” means to have as a result of something else happening. He says, “I expect this to be much, much worse,” meaning if he breaks up with her, she will get even more angry. Brianna says, “Ah, I see,” meaning “Yes. I understand.” “I never liked the idea of breaking up with someone remotely, but it might be called for in this case.”

To do something “remotely” (remotely) is to do it from a distance. Many people now work remotely. They don’t go into their office. They stay at home and work on their computer and use the internet to communicate with other people. That’s “working remotely.” Brianna is suggesting perhaps that Viktor break up with his girlfriend “remotely” – maybe send her a text message or tweet her or put something on his Facebook page like “Now I’m single.”

In any case, Brianna thinks that breaking up with the girlfriend remotely might be “called for in this case.” “To be called for” means to be appropriate, to be necessary or required in this particular situation. I have to say, I never had a difficult breakup with my girlfriends. Usually they broke up with me, so I didn’t have to worry about it too much until after it happened.

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

[start of dialogue]

Brianna: Are you still here? I thought you left ages ago.

Viktor: There’s no rush. I’m thinking of postponing until tomorrow.

Brianna: Why?

Viktor: I feel a sense of foreboding. I have a sneaking suspicion that things aren’t going to go well.

Brianna: Under the circumstances, I can understand your reluctance, but it’s like ripping off a bandage. It’s best done quickly.

Viktor: I’m not sure about that. I have a feeling that things are going to go very, very wrong, and the longer I can put it off the better.

Brianna: Next week is your girlfriend’s birthday. You don’t want to break up with her on her birthday, do you?

Viktor: No, that would be cruel. Maybe I should hold off until after next week.

Brianna: You’re really dreading breaking up with her, aren’t you?

Brianna: Ah, I see. I never liked the idea of breaking up with someone remotely, but it might be called for in this case.

[end of dialogue]

Never postpone listening to our ESL Podcast episodes. You want to listen to the wonderful scripts by our wonderful scriptwriter, Dr. Lucy Tse, as soon as you can.

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

Glossary

to postpone – to do something later, not now; to delay

* This has been a really busy day. Can we postpone our meeting until tomorrow?

foreboding – an anxious feeling that something bad will happen; a sense of doom

* As we walked into the dark forest, we were all filled with a sense of foreboding.

sneaking suspicion – a premonition; a belief or feeling that something bad will happen

* I have a sneaking suspicion that James is hiding something from us.

reluctance – a hesitation or unwillingness to do something; a lack of desire to do something

* During an interview, don’t do or say anything that shows a reluctance to work hard.

to rip off a bandage – to remove the adhesive (sticky) fabric placed on an injury; a phrase used to mean to do something unpleasant or painful very quickly in order to be done with it as soon as possible

* I know you hate firing people, but it’s time to get rid of our lowest-performing employees. Just rip off the bandage and get it done today.

to have a feeling – to think, feel, or believe something, often without proof

* I have a feeling this could be our most profitable client yet.

to go very, very wrong – for very bad things to happen as a result of something else

* Having guns in an unlocked cabinet in the home is almost a guarantee that something will go very, very wrong.

to put it off – to delay, postpone, or procrastinate; to do something later because one does not want to do it right now

* Nobody wants to write the proposal, but if we put it off any longer, we will miss this opportunity.

to break up with (someone) – to end a romantic relationship with someone; to tell someone that one no longer wants to date him or her

* Karina cried for days after her boyfriend broke up with her.

cruel – very mean and inconsiderate, not caring about hurting another person’s feelings

* Duke was a cruel man who laughed at other people’s troubles.

to hold off – to wait to do something until later; to delay or procrastinate

* Please hold off on sending that report until I’ve had time to check the calculations.

to dread – to anticipate something with fear; to not want to do something because one is worried and afraid about what might happen

* Many people dread speaking in public because they get very nervous in front of an audience.

to [have / have got] a temper – to lose control of one’s anger and other negative emotions very quickly and easily; to often become very upset and angry, especially to begin to yell

* Xavier has got a temper, but he has to learn that it is never appropriate to yell at coworkers at the office.

to go ballistic – to become extremely angry and lose control of one’s emotions and actions

* My parents would go ballistic if I got a tattoo!

dent – an indentation; a small section that has been pushed inward in a hard surface so that it is no longer flat or smooth

* This dent near the driver’s door is from when I accidentally drove into a tree.

to show for it – to have something as a result of what has happened or what one has done; proof that something has happened

* I spent four years studying all the time, and all I have to show for it is this diploma. I still can’t find a job after a year!

remotely – from a distance; not face-to-face or in person

* Why don’t you ask your boss for permission to work remotely a few days each month?

to be called for – to be appropriate, necessary, or required in a particular situation

* In this difficult situation, I think the advice of more experienced managers is called for.

Comprehension Questions

1. Which of these means to do something right away?
a) To postpone
b) To rip off a bandage
c) To put it off

2. What does Victor mean when he says, “that would be cruel”?
a) It would be effective.
b) It would be mean.
c) It would be dangerous.

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

to go wrong

The phrase “to go wrong,” in this podcast, means for bad things to happen as a result of something else: “The engineers who design the space shuttle have to make plans for everything that could go wrong.” The phrase “to be wrong” means to be incorrect: “Your answer was wrong.” The phrase “to be wrong” can also mean to be immoral or unethical: “What you did was wrong. You should apologize.” The phrase “to take (something) the wrong way” means to be offended or insulted because one understood something incorrectly: “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m worried about your health. Have you thought about trying to lose some weight?” Finally, the phrase “to be wrong for (someone)” means to not be the right person or match: “We enjoy each other’s company, but we were wrong for each other in many ways.”

called for

In this podcast, the phrase “to be called for” means to be appropriate, necessary, or required in a particular situation: “Do you think having such a large number of police officers present was called for during a peaceful protest?” The phrase “uncalled for” means unwelcome and inappropriate: “Those insults are uncalled for. If you’re upset, let’s have a calm conversation about it.” The phrase “to call forth” means to produce some type of reaction: “Classical music calls forth a range of emotions from listeners.” The phrase “to call (somebody) back” means to return a phone call: “Did you remember to call back the doctor’s office?” Finally, the phrase “to call (something) into question” means to make someone unsure of what is correct or true: “That poor decision has called his judgment into question.”

Culture Note

Breakup Etiquette

As in all “social interactions” (relationships between people), there are many rules of “etiquette” (the types of behavior that are considered to be appropriate and polite) around “breakups” (the end of romantic relationships). It is generally considered bad etiquette to break up with someone using email or a text message. Breaking up over the phone might be “tolerable” (barely acceptable), but it is best to do it “in person” (face to face; in the same room) where other people cannot see or hear what is happening.

If one of the romantic partners has received expensive gifts from the other person, it might be appropriate to return those gifts. This is especially true if an “engagement ring” (a ring exchanged when two people promise to marry each other in the future) is involved. However, the other person might not want to receive the gift back. And in some cases, the “recipient” (the person who received the gift) might not want to return it, instead preferring to “hold onto it” (keep it) for “sentimental reasons” (for reasons related to how one feels about something, not related to practical reasons).

Couples who have “been together” (dated; been in a relationship) for a long time often have close friends and might need to “divide up” (separate) their friends, so that each person agrees to spend time primarily with certain friends. This can be helpful if group gatherings would be uncomfortable if both people were included. However, the two people must “proceed” (continue) “with caution” (very carefully) if they want to date one of their “ex’s” (the former boyfriend or girlfriend, or former husband or wife) friends. If they are still “on speaking terms” (able to speak with each other calmly), they should request “explicit” (very clear) permission before dating an ex’s friend.

Comprehension Answers

1 - b

2 - b