Daily English 1218 Describing Relative Location

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:40
Explanation begins at: 3:32
Normal Speed begins at: 16:36

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,218 – Describing Relative Location.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,218. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

This dialogue is between Penelope and Outis about describing relative location – where things are. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Penelope: Tell me about the new town you’re moving to.

Outis: It’s called Nusquam and it’s smack dab in the middle of the country.

Penelope: Where is it exactly?

Outis: I can’t give you the coordinates, if that’s what you’re after.

Penelope: Of course not. I’m just trying to pinpoint where it is. Is it near Wichita, Kansas?

Outis: It’s nowhere near Wichita. It’s in the heart of a remote part of the country.

Penelope: Where is it relative to, this town?

Outis: I can’t give you any reference points or tell you the distance. I’ll just say it’s on the outskirts of a medium-sized town and borders Nebraska.

Penelope: Why are you being so cryptic?

Outis: I’ll tell you that when you spill the beans on why you’re asking.

Penelope: I thought I’d come for an extended stay to help you get settled.

Outis: You’ve just answered your own question.

[end of dialogue]

Our dialogue begins with Penelope saying to Outis, “Tell me about the new town you’re moving to.” Outis, apparently, is moving to a new city, a new town. Normally we consider a “town” smaller than a city, but we will sometimes use the two words interchangeably – that is, one for the other. Outis says the town is called “Nusquam and it’s smack dab in the middle of the country.”

The expression “smack (smack) dab” means exactly or precisely in a certain place, in a certain spot. “Smack dab” is almost always used for a location, to say something is exactly in this place. In fact, normally you will hear it together with the expression “in the middle of” – “It’s smack dab in the middle of the city,” or “It’s smack dab in the middle of a bunch of apartment buildings.”

Penelope says, “Where is it exactly?” She wants to know where this town Outis is moving to is. Outis says, “I can’t give you the coordinates, if that’s what you’re after.” “Coordinates” (coordinates) refers to the longitude and latitude of a certain place. Of course, almost no one knows the coordinates exactly of where they are. Los Angeles’s coordinates are approximately 34.0500 degrees north and 118.2500 degrees west, approximately. Outis thinks that Penelope is asking for the coordinates, but of course, she isn’t.

He says, “I can’t give you the coordinates, if that’s what you’re after.” The use of the word “after” here is a little different than the normal meaning of that word. It doesn’t mean something that comes in a place later than another thing. Instead, it means “looking for” or “trying to get.” If someone asks you, “What are you after?” the person is asking what you want, what you are trying to get – “What are you looking for?” That’s very different than the more common use of the word “after” such as in the expression “comes after” – “two comes after one,” “three comes after two,” and so forth.

Penelope says she’s not looking for the coordinates, of course. She says, “I’m just trying to pinpoint where it is.” “To pinpoint” (pinpoint) means to identify the exact location of something. It could also mean to get the exact meaning of something or to get a lot of detail, a lot of information about a topic. Here we’re using it in the more common sense of location – where exactly is it? Penelope’s “trying to pinpoint where it is.”

“Is it near Wichita, Kansas?” Kansas is in the middle part of the United States – the central part of the United States. Outis, however, says no. “It’s nowhere near Wichita.” The expression “nowhere near” means very far from, not close at all. He says, “It’s in the heart of a remote part of the country.” If something is “in the heart (heart) of” something, it’s in the middle of or center of something. It’s completely surrounded by something.

If you say, “My house is in the heart of the Mojave Desert,” you mean that it is in the center or middle part of the desert. If you say, “I want to go to New York City and stay in the heart of Manhattan,” you’re saying you want to go and stay right in the middle part of New York City or right where most of the action is in New York City, which is in the borough of Manhattan – the island which is part of New York City.

The word “heart” normally refers to an organ in your body – the part of your body that pumps or moves blood through the rest of the body. But here it means more the center, or most important part. Outis says that the town he’s moving to is “in the heart of a remote part of the country.” Something that is “remote” (remote) is far away from cities and towns and where most people live.

Penelope says, “Where is it relative to, this town?” The expression “relative to” means in comparison to or in relation to. Outis says, “I can’t give you any reference points or tell you the distance.” It doesn’t sound like Outis knows where he’s going. He says he can’t give Penelope “any reference points.” “Reference points” would be something that allows you to determine facts about another thing. We might also use the expression “a basis for comparison.”

So, for example, I often describe where a state is in the United States by trying to give you some reference points in terms of direction – “It’s in the northeast part of the U.S.,” “It’s in the center part of the U.S.,” or I might say, “It’s 180 miles west of Chicago.” Chicago is a reference point – something you know about already that can help you determine the meaning, or in this case the location, of another place. But Outis says he can’t give Penelope any reference points or tell her the distance, the number of miles or kilometers, this town is from another town.

He continues, “I’ll just say it’s on the outskirts of a medium-sized town and borders Nebraska.” The “outskirts” (outskirts) refers to the area surrounding a town or a city. You have the central part of a city, and then you have the areas which we sometimes call “suburbs” that are on the “outskirts.” Sometimes we use the word “outskirts” to refer to places that are even farther away than the suburbs, that are not part of any town or city formally, but we’re not quite sure what Outis means about it, just that it’s not in the center part of the town.

He says it’s “on the outskirts of a “medium-sized town” – that is, not a large town, not a small town, but something in between. He says it “borders (borders) Nebraska,” which is a state, again, in the center of the country of the United States. “To border” means to be next to something.

Penelope says, “Why are you being so cryptic?” “Cryptic” (cryptic) means difficult to understand, unclear. We use the word “cryptic” often when someone is using a special code – a person is not giving the information in a way we can understand. They might even be using special numbers or even a special language. Penelope wants to know why Outis isn’t just telling her exactly where this place is.

Outis says, “I’ll tell you that when you spill the beans on why you’re asking.” “To spill the beans” (beans) means to tell someone a secret, often by accident. If you “spill the beans” to your friend about something, you tell your friend a secret, but you do it accidentally. You didn’t mean to do it. Outis wants Penelope not to accidentally tell him why she’s asking where he’s moving, but to tell him directly. “Why are you asking me?” That’s what Outis wants to know.

Penelope says, “I thought I’d come for an extended stay to help you get settled.” Penelope explains to Outis that she wants to know where he is moving so she can go and help him. She wants to come “for an extended (extended) stay (stay).” An “extended stay” is a long visit – when you are visiting someone for many days, perhaps even weeks.

Penelope wants to help Outis “get settled.” The phrasal verb “to get settled” (settled) means to get comfortable in a new place, especially after you’ve just moved there. Sometimes it takes a few weeks for you to get settled when you move into a new apartment or a new house. You have to find out where everything is and make sure all of your things are in the places you want them to be inside of your apartment. Penelope wants to go and help Outis get settled by staying with him for a long period of time.

Outis ends the dialogue by saying, “You’ve just answered your own question.” Remember Penelope’s question (or at least the last one she asked in the dialogue) of Outis is “Why are you being so cryptic?” Why are you being so secretive? Why aren’t you telling me where you’re going to live? Well, the answer of course is that Outis doesn’t want Penelope to come and stay with him and help him get settled. I wonder why?

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

[start of dialogue]

Penelope: Tell me about the new town you’re moving to.

Outis: It’s called Nusquam and it’s smack dab in the middle of the country.

Penelope: Where is it exactly?

Outis: I can’t give you the coordinates, if that’s what you’re after.

Penelope: Of course not. I’m just trying to pinpoint where it is. Is it near Wichita, Kansas?

Outis: It’s nowhere near Wichita. It’s in the heart of a remote part of the country.

Penelope: Where is it relative to, this town?

Outis: I can’t give you any reference points or tell you the distance. I’ll just say it’s on the outskirts of a medium-sized town and borders Nebraska.

Penelope: Why are you being so cryptic?

Outis: I’ll tell you that when you spill the beans on why you’re asking.

Penelope: I thought I’d come for an extended stay to help you get settled.

Outis: You’ve just answered your own question.

[end of dialogue]

If it’s better English you’re after, I highly recommend you listen to the wonderful scripts by our wonderful scriptwriter, Dr. Lucy Tse.

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

Glossary

smack dab – precisely; exactly in a particular spot

* Jon spilled red wine smack dab in the middle of his sweater and there was no way to hide it.

coordinates – longitude and latitude; information corresponding to vertical and horizontal lines drawn on a map, used to help someone find a place

* The coordinates of Los Angeles, California are 34.0500° N, 118.2500° W.

after – looking for; trying to have, get, or achieve

* He’ll never apologize. If that’s what you’re after, you should give up now.

to pinpoint – to identify or determine the exact location or meaning of something; to specify in great detail

* The military is using different types of technology to try to pinpoint the location of the enemy soldiers.

nowhere near – not at all close to; far from; not near

* All of their adult children have moved away. They live nowhere near their parents now.

in the heart of – in the middle or center of something; completely surrounded by something

* They built their home in the heart of the desert, with the nearest town more than 90 miles away.

remote – far away; not near cities or populated areas; rural and difficult to get to

* Their headquarters are in Omaha, but they have smaller offices in remote areas throughout Nebraska.

relative to – related to; with reference to; in relation to

* Where are the best restaurants relative to the airport?

reference point – a basis for comparison; something that allows one to make a determination about something else

* It’s hard to know how we’re doing without previous years’ company sales figures as a reference point.

distance – the amount of space between two places or things

* Were you able to run the whole distance between the town center and the train station without stopping?

outskirts – the area surrounding a city or town; the outermost parts of a city or town

* Homes and land are usually cheaper in the outskirts of a city than in the downtown area.

to border – to be next to something; to share a side or wall with something, especially on a map

* Texas borders Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Mexico.

cryptic – coded; difficult to understand, especially because something is presented in a secretive language; not clear or straightforward

* The politician’s cryptic answers left us all wondering whether he had even understood the question.

to spill the beans – to share a secret, especially by accident; to disclose

* We were planning a surprise birthday party, but then Uncle Jeong spilled the beans.

extended stay – a long visit, or a longer-than-expected visit, usually involving multiple nights

* We’re happy to host you for a weekend, but if you’re planning an extended stay in the area, you probably want to consider staying in a hotel.

to get settled – to become comfortable in a new place, especially after one has moved there, so that it begins to feel like home

* Plan to spend a few days getting settled. You’ll need some time to unpack your boxes, go grocery shopping, and learn how to get around town.

Comprehension Questions

1. What does Outis mean when he says that Nusquam is smack dab in the middle of the country?
a) It’s in a very poor part of the country.
b) It’s in the central region of the country.
c) It’s in a very crowded part of the country.

2. How will Penelope spill the beans?
a) By telling him her secret.
b) By giving him a housewarming gift.
c) By paying him for assistance.

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

after

The word “after,” in this podcast, means looking for or trying to have, get, or achieve: “This is the job I’ve been after for all these years.” If something is “sought-after,” it is wanted by many people or wanted very much: “Wow, congratulations on getting the most sought-after award in your field!” The phrase “after-effect” refers to a negative consequence that lasts for a long time: “We’re still recovering from the after-effects of filing for bankruptcy three years ago.” The polite phrase “after you” means that another person should do something first: “We arrived at the door at the same time, but the gentleman held open the door and said, ‘After you,’ letting me walk in first.” Finally, the phrase “to take after” means to resemble another person in some way: “He took after his parents and is very talented musically.”

to get settled

In this podcast, the phrase “to get settled” means to become comfortable in a new place, especially after one has moved there, so that it begins to feel like home: “It’s a lot easier to get settled in a new environment if you unpack some photographs and other personal items first.” The phrase “settled in” means comfortable with something: “Most of the immigrants have settled in and are becoming part of the local community.” The phrase “to settle down” means to calm down and become quiet and still: “Children, please settle down and listen to our guest speaker.” Finally, the phrase “to settle for” means to accept something that is not what one really wants: “In the end, we settled for a used car, even though we would have preferred a new car.”

Culture Note

Pseudonyms

Sometimes people use a “pseudonym” (a false name; a name that is not one’s real name) to “hide” (not allow others to see or know) one’s “true identity” (who one really is). Artists, musicians, actors, and writers often do this so that they can “maintain their privacy” (keep things private and personal) even though their work is well known by the “public” (most people).

“Outis,” a Greek word meaning “nobody,” and “Nemo,” a Latin word with the same meaning, are popular pseudonyms, and they also appear in “literature” (written stories and books, especially those that are well known and widely respected). For example, in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, written by Jules Verne, the main character is Captain Nemo. He is a “mysterious” (not fully known or understood by others; with many unanswered questions) hero, so the name “suits him” (is appropriate for him).

The American poet Edgar Allan Poe once criticized poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in a “periodical” (newspaper or magazine), and someone wrote letters “in his defense” (supporting someone who is being attacked) by writing letters to the publication, but signing them only as “Outis,” so no one knew who actually wrote them.

On “social media” (websites and applications where people share information and interact), many people use the names “Outis Nemo” and “Nemo Outis.” “Presumably” (one supposes) these are people who are using a pseudonym because they want to use the site “anonymously” (without sharing one’s identity) and do not want to be found online by people who do not know them well.

Comprehension Answers

1 - b

2 - a