Daily English 1270 Cold and Frozen Treats

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:28
Explanation begins at: 3:23
Normal Speed begins at: 17:04

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,270 – Cold and Frozen Treats.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,270. 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 Miranda and Luca about eating things that are cold and sweet. Sounds good to me. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Miranda: Mmm, I could really go for an ice cream sundae right now.

Luca: I was thinking more like a cup of hot cocoa.

Miranda: Forget that. A banana split with ice cream and lots of chocolate sauce topped with whipped cream – mmm.

Luca: I like chocolate, too, but hot chocolate sounds much better.

Miranda: Oh, maybe we could run to the store for some popsicles and ice cream sandwiches. Those would really hit the spot.

Luca: Some mulled cider is more like it for me.

Miranda: If only we had a snow cone machine. We could make our own snow cones!

Luca: How about a hot toddy instead?

Miranda: No way! Do you think the frozen yogurt store is still open at this hour?

Luca: You do know that it’s the middle of winter, right?

Miranda: I know, but I can’t help it. I need to cool off.

Luca: Hot flashes again?

Miranda: That’s right. I wonder if the pool is frozen.

[end of dialogue]

Miranda begins our dialogue by going, “Mmm.” That sound “mmm” is one we make when something either smells good or tastes good. Miranda says, “I could really go for an ice cream sundae right now.” Miranda isn’t smelling or tasting anything right now. She’s thinking about it.

She says she “could go for an ice cream sundae.” The expression “to go for” something here means to be excited about the idea of doing something or eating something. When someone says, “I could go for a hamburger,” he means “I really feel like eating a hamburger.” I would like a hamburger right now. The expression is really “I could go for.” “He could go for.” The word “could” is important here. That indicates that it’s something you want to eat, or something you want to do.

Miranda “could go for an ice cream sundae” (sundae). Notice the spelling of the word “sundae.” That word is pronounced the same as the first day of the week, “Sunday” (Sunday), but it’s spelled different. A “sundae” is a kind of dessert, a sweet thing you eat after the main meal, that is made from one or more types of ice cream. A sundae usually has something else with it in addition to the ice cream, such as nuts, fruit, or some kind of candy on top. An “ice cream sundae” might have a liquid form of sugar called “syrup,” or at least syrup made with sugar. “Syrup” is a liquid that you pour over something else. It’s usually sweet.

Luca says, “I was thinking more like a cup of hot cocoa.” Luca is thinking of eating something different, or actually drinking something, such as a “cup of hot cocoa” (cocoa). “Cocoa” here refers to a powdered chocolate, a form of chocolate that you use for cooking – or in this case, for making a chocolate drink usually combined with hot water or perhaps hot milk. Miranda says, “Forget that,” meaning no, that’s not a good idea. She continues, “A banana split with ice cream and lots of chocolate sauce topped with whipped cream – mmm.” Notice again she makes that sound, “mmm,” which indicates something that would taste good.

Miranda now has the idea of eating another kind of dessert called a “banana split.” I used to love eating banana splits when I was a child. A banana split is made by taking a banana and cutting it in half the long way, and putting those in a dish, and then you take three, what we would call “scoops” (scoops) of ice cream – a “scoop” of ice cream is like a little ball of ice cream – and you take one scoop of vanilla-flavored, one scoop of chocolate-flavored, and one scoop of strawberry-flavored ice cream and you put them in the dish in between the two pieces of banana.

Then, you usually put some chocolate sauce, which is a liquid you pour over the ice cream, as well as some whipped cream. “Cream” is a form of milk, or something that you would get from milk that’s very fatty. You whip it – you add air to it, basically, so that it’s very light, and you put it on top of the banana split.

Luca says, “I like chocolate, too, but hot chocolate sounds much better.” “Hot chocolate”

is a sweet drink made by melting chocolate into hot milk and then mixing it with sugar and vanilla. “Hot cocoa” and “hot chocolate” are basically the same thing. “Cocoa” is made usually from powdered chocolate – chocolate that is dried and put into very small pieces. “Hot chocolate” is often made directly from, say, a bar of chocolate. Luca wants some hot chocolate.

Miranda says, “Oh, maybe we could run to the store,” meaning go to the store, “for some popsicles and ice cream sandwiches. Those would really hit the spot,” she says. A “popsicle” (popsicle) is made by taking juice or some combination of juice and water and freezing it onto a little stick, and then you take the popsicle after it is frozen and you can lick the frozen juice, or juice and water combination. A popsicle is usually about, oh, I don’t know, six, maybe five, six inches long and about maybe an inch around.

An “ice cream sandwich” is a dessert made by taking a piece of ice cream, basically, or some ice cream and putting it in between two frozen chocolate cookies or two frozen pieces of chocolate almost like a chocolate cake. It’s not exactly like a cookie. It’s more soft than a cookie. Popsicles and ice cream sandwiches are the sorts of desserts that children often like because they’re very sweet. I don’t think I’ve had a popsicle or an ice cream sandwich in many, many years.

Miranda thinks that those two things, however, “would really hit the spot” (spot). The expression “to hit the spot” means to be very satisfying when you are hungry. If you are very hungry and then you have a good meal, you might say at the end, “That really hit the spot.” It made you full so that you’re no longer hungry anymore, and usually it tasted good.

Luca is not thinking of cold drinks. He’s still thinking of something hot. He says, “Some mulled cider is more like it for me.” The phrase “is more like it for me” means “is something that I would want more.” Luca wants some “mulled (mulled) cider (cider).” “Cider” is made from fruit. It’s the juice of a fruit. “Mulled cider” is apple juice that is heated and has cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and other spices in it.

Miranda says, “If only we had a snow cone machine.” A “snow cone” (cone) is a paper cup that has small pieces of flavored ice, usually ice that is chopped up in very small pieces and then has colored, sweetened liquid poured over it, a kind of sugar that is poured over it. You’ll sometimes see snow cones sold at outdoor events during the summertime. Miranda thinks that they could make their own snow cones, but Luca wants instead a “hot toddy” (toddy).

A “hot toddy” is a hot drink made with some kind of alcohol, such as rum or whiskey, added to hot water, honey or sugar, and perhaps some other kind of flavoring. Miranda says, “No way! Do you think the frozen yogurt store is still open at this hour?” “Frozen yogurt” (yogurt) is a dessert similar to ice cream, but it’s made with yogurt instead. Luca says, “You do know that it’s the middle of winter, right?” “The middle of winter” means that it is in one of the cold months, such as January, February, or March.

Miranda says, “I know, but I can’t help it. I need to cool off.” Miranda is hot for some reason, and therefore she needs “to cool off.” She needs to lower her body temperature. Luca asks, “Hot flashes again?” A “hot flash” (flash) is when you suddenly feel very hot even though the temperature in the room or outside has not changed. “Hot flashes” are something that happens sometimes to women who, when they get older, go through something called “menopause” (menopause). It’s a certain time of a woman’s life when her body’s hormones begin to change. I won’t explain it all here.

Miranda says, “That’s right,” meaning yes, she is having hot flashes. Then she says, “I wonder if the pool is frozen.” A “pool” (pool) here refers to a swimming pool, an area that is full of water that you can swim in. Miranda is asking if the swimming pool is “frozen” (frozen). “Frozen” is when water becomes a solid. If the pool is “frozen,” the water inside of the pool has frozen and therefore you cannot swim in it. Miranda is so hot, she’s thinking of swimming even when it is very cold outside.

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

[start of dialogue]

Miranda: Mmm, I could really go for an ice cream sundae right now.

Luca: I was thinking more like a cup of hot cocoa.

Miranda: Forget that. A banana split with ice cream and lots of chocolate sauce topped with whipped cream – mmm.

Luca: I like chocolate, too, but hot chocolate sounds much better.

Miranda: Oh, maybe we could run to the store for some popsicles and ice cream sandwiches. Those would really hit the spot.

Luca: Some mulled cider is more like it for me.

Miranda: If only we had a snow cone machine. We could make our own snow cones!

Luca: How about a hot toddy instead?

Miranda: No way! Do you think the frozen yogurt store is still open at this hour?

Luca: You do know that it’s the middle of winter, right?

Miranda: I know, but I can’t help it. I need to cool off.

Luca: Hot flashes again?

Miranda: That’s right. I wonder if the pool is frozen.

[end of dialogue]

We can’t give you any frozen yogurt, but we can give you some excellent English lessons thanks to the wonderful scripts written by our own Dr. Lucy Tse.

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 go for (something) – to be excited about the idea of having, doing, or eating something; to want to have, do, or eat something

* I could really go for Thai food tonight. Doesn’t that sound good?

ice cream sundae – a dessert made from one or more types of ice cream with nuts, fruit, syrups, and/or candies on top

* Shane prefers a simple ice cream sundae made with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, chopped peanuts, and a cherry on top.

hot cocoa – a hot, sweet drink made by mixing cocoa powder with sugar, water, and some milk or cream

* They played in the snow for hours and then came inside for some hot cocoa.

banana split – a dessert made by cutting a banana in half, placing three scoops of ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) between the two halves, and topping everything with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry

* This banana split is delicious, but really big. Do you want to help me eat it?

ice cream – a frozen dessert made with milk, cream, sugar, eggs, and flavoring, usually served in a bowl and eaten with a spoon, or served in a cone that is held in one’s hand

* Do you want a scoop of ice cream with your apple pie?

chocolate sauce – liquid, sweet chocolate that is poured over ice cream or stirred into milk to flavor it

* Please don’t put chocolate sauce on my brownie. It’s already sweet enough.

whipped cream – a fluffy white substance made by stirring cream and sugar together very quickly, used to decorate and flavor many desserts

* Do you want some whipped cream on your latte?

hot chocolate – a hot, sweet drink made by melting chocolate into hot milk or cream and mixing it with sugar and vanilla

* This hot chocolate is creamy and delicious, but it must have at least 400 calories.

popsicle – juice or flavored water that is frozen onto a stick so that one can lick and eat it while holding the stick

* The children had to eat their popsicles quickly before the sun melted them.

ice cream sandwich – a dessert made by placing ice cream between two frozen cookies, typically chocolate cookies

* Make sure you put those ice cream sandwiches in the freezer right away, or else they will melt.

to hit the spot – to be very satisfying; to meet someone’s need and make him or her feel comfortable and content

* A bowl of tomato soup really hits the spot on cold afternoons.

mulled cider – apple juice that is heated with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and other spices

* Mulled cider is delicious when you add a little bit of orange peel.

snow cone – a paper cone filled with very small pieces of ice flavored with sweetened, colored syrups, often served at outdoor summer events

* This snow cone has two syrups: grape and coconut.

hot toddy – a hot drink made with rum or whisky, hot water, honey, or sugar, and possibly other flavorings

* I thought Caroline was drinking tea, but it was actually a hot toddy with rum and cinnamon.

frozen yogurt – a dessert that is similar to ice cream, but made with yogurt and milk instead of cream

* Frozen yogurt is healthier than ice cream, but not if you cover it with candy and cookie crumbs.

hot flash – a sudden feeling of being too hot even though the actual temperature has not changed, often associated with menopause (a time of transition in a woman’s life when she stops having menstrual periods)

* Everyone else was wearing sweaters and jackets, but Meghan suddenly stripped down to a t-shirt because she was experiencing a hot flash.

pool – a swimming pool; a large deep area filled with water for swimming

* How many laps did you swim in the pool yesterday?

frozen – when a liquid is very cold and becomes a solid; below the freezing point

* The top part of the lake is frozen, but I don’t think it’s solid enough for ice-skating.

Comprehension Questions

1. Which of these contains milk?
a) Hot cocoa
b) Mulled cider
c) A hot toddy
2. What does Miranda mean when she says, “Those would really hit the spot”?
a) She thinks those things would make her gain weight.
b) She thinks those things sound delicious and satisfying.
c) She thinks those things will be to expensive.

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

to hit the spot

The phrase “to hit the spot,” in this podcast, means to be very satisfying, or to meet someone’s need and make him or her feel comfortable and content: “That lasagna really hit the spot. Thank you for making it!” The phrase “to put (someone) on the spot” means to make someone feel uncomfortable by asking that person to do something or to answer an embarrassing question unexpectedly and without advance notice: “That teacher often puts students on the spot, asking them questions when she knows they aren’t prepared to answer them.” Finally, the phrase “a weak spot” means a weakness and is used to refer to something that one likes very much and is not able to say “no” to: “William has a weak spot for chocolate chip cookies.”

pool

In this podcast, the word “pool” means a swimming pool, or a large area filled with water for swimming: “I would never buy a house with a pool in the backyard. It would be too time-consuming and expensive to maintain.” The word “carpool” describes people traveling together to and from work in a single car: “We started a carpool to save money on gas and parking.” The phrase “motor pool” refers to all the cars that are owned by some part of the government: “Please fill out this form if you want to use a car from the department’s motor pool.” Finally, a “tide pool” is a rocky area that holds water, plants, and animals at low tide (when ocean waves are further from shore): “Look at the amazing starfish in this tide pool!”

Culture Note

Popular Ice Cream Desserts

According to the International “Dairy Foods” (foods made from milk) Association, the average American eats almost 22 pounds of ice cream each year. Some of this ice cream is just eaten in a bowl or on a cone, but there are many special ice cream desserts too.

For example, “baked Alaska” is a dessert made by putting ice cream on top of cake and then covering it with “meringue” (a desert made by mixing egg whites, sugar, and lemon very quickly so that it fills with air and becomes very fluffy). Then it is baked quickly so that the top of the meringue “turns” (becomes) golden brown.

Another dessert, “bananas Foster,” requires “sautéing” (cooking at a high temperature) bananas, butter, “rum” (a type of alcohol), and cinnamon to create a hot sauce, which is then poured over the ice cream. When it is served at a restaurant, the “waiter” (the person who brings the food) presents it as a “flambé” (a dish served while a fire burns off the alcohol in the sauce).

Some people like “fried ice cream.” To make it, they make a hard ball of ice cream and freeze it at a very low temperature. Then they roll it in “raw” (uncooked) egg and then flour or cereal so that it has a “coating” (an outer layer). Then this is fried in hot oil and served quickly, before the ice cream “melts” (becomes as liquid), with chocolate sauce or powdered sugar.

Many other people like to eat their ice cream as part of a thick drink. Some people make “frappés” by “blending” (using a machine that mixes ingredients very quickly) coffee, milk, ice, and ice cream. Other people blend ice cream, milk, fruit, and other ingredients to make a “milkshake.”

Comprehension Answers

1 - a

2 - b