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Groundhog Day traditions in US | English phrasal verb ‘suffer through’
Episode 19
In one of America’s strangest holidays, a groundhog predicts that winter will last six more weeks. The tradition inspired the 1993 movie “Groundhog D…
8 years, 4 months ago
Mexico debates legalizing marijuana | What it means to ‘get your fix’
Episode 18
A Mexican government official suggested legalizing marijuana in tourist areas to reduce violence, but a majority of Mexicans appear to be against the…
8 years, 4 months ago
Super Bowl traditions in US | English expression ‘pit against’
Episode 17
One of the biggest dates on the American cultural calendar is the first weekend of February—Super Bowl Sunday. On this episode of Plain English, we t…
8 years, 4 months ago
Stolen: World’s most expensive bottle of vodka | English phrase 'getting cold feet’
Episode 16
A collector’s bottle of vodka, made of gold and silver and decorated with diamonds and classic car parts, was stolen from the basement of a bar in Co…
8 years, 4 months ago
App matches your face with famous paintings |Learn the English phrase ‘Push the limit’
Episode 15
Today on Plain English: Do you have a historical double—in a painting? A new feature in a Google app will search historical artwork and tell you whic…
8 years, 5 months ago
Could Oprah be president? | English phrase ‘speak up’
Episode 14
Today on Plain English: Media mogul Oprah Winfrey gave an inspirational speech at the Golden Globe Awards in January, focusing on injustice and sexua…
8 years, 5 months ago
North Korea to participate in Winter Olympics | How to use ‘rocky’
Episode 13
Today on Plain English: North Korea announced it will send a delegation of athletes to the Winter Olympics, being held in Pyeongchang, just 40 miles …
8 years, 5 months ago
Giving up alcohol for ‘Dry January’ | Pumping their own gas in Oregon | English words ‘sober’ and ‘quirky’
Episode 12
A UK charity encourages people to give up alcohol for the month of January. Those who do experience better sleep, weight loss, and better health—but …
8 years, 5 months ago
Protests in Iran | New Year around the world | Practice ‘shut down’ & ‘bucket list’
Episode 11
Protesters in Iran are demonstrating against the government, focusing on the economic conditions that include high unemployment and high inflation. T…
8 years, 5 months ago
Power out at world’s busiest airport | Spain’s lottery | English words ‘stranded’ and ‘fundraiser’
Episode 10
An electrical fire below ground knocked out power at the Atlanta airport—the world’s busiest—for eleven hours just eight days before Christmas. Passe…
8 years, 5 months ago