Native English Expressions | Ep.16

step back

• to move backward or feel surprised
• The interviewer mentioned that the artist’s deep voice is so unique it makes people step back in surprise.

freak out

• to become very excited, or shocked about something
• Students on a field trip started to freak out when they realized a famous celebrity was standing right next to them.

mullet

• a hairstyle that is short at the front and sides but long at the back
• The celebrity mentioned that she could have been mistaken for anyone because she was wearing a mullet at the time

abuse of the voice

• the improper or excessive use of one’s vocal cords
• The doctor explained that the medical condition was caused by abuse of the voice from talking and performing too much.

stay up

• to remain awake during the time you would normally be sleeping
• After the adrenaline of a live show, she would often stay up all night talking instead of getting rest.

give someone away

• to reveal someone’s true identity or a secret
• Even if she tries to hide, her unique voice and her distinct hairstyle always give her away to the public.

collect wrinkles

• to develop lines on the surface as a result of age or experience
• The speaker compared the vocal cords to a person’s face, explaining how they collect wrinkles and change as someone gets older.

dirt

• signs of age, experience that give something character and history
• The interviewer observed that the singer’s voice is like a face because it collects dirt and tells the story of her long career.

stigma

• a strong feeling of disapproval that most people in a society have about something
• She discussed how there is a negative stigma regarding aging, especially for women working in the entertainment industry.

weathered

• changed or worn by long exposure to the atmosphere or life experiences
• Her voice sounds weathered because it has been through many years of touring and difficult personal events.

reflection

• a sign or result that shows the nature of a situation or experience
• The singer feels that the change in her tone is a reflection of the heavy emotional things she has dealt with recently.

longevity

• the ability to last for a long time
• While she practiced singing scales, no one ever taught her how to maintain the longevity of her voice throughout a long career.

launch pad

• a starting point that helps someone to be successful in a new activity
• The early days of her career provided an amazing launch pad for the various projects she is working on today.

jump in the deep end

• to start doing something new or difficult without being prepared
• Without much guidance, she had to jump in the deep end of the industry and hope she could handle the pressure.

teeter

• to move or balance unsteadily as if you are about to fall
• She had to teeter between her secret life as a teenager and her public role as a famous superstar.

Would you like me to find more examples of “teeter” used in emotional or financial contexts?

sober

• not affected by alcohol or drugs
• After undergoing vocal surgery, she decided to become sober to better protect her health and her voice.

preacher

• a person who speaks publicly to give moral or religious advice, often in a forceful way
• When you are famous, people sometimes treat you like a preacher and expect you to tell everyone else how to live.

go up

• to experience a feeling of high energy or excitement
• She explained that she used to like to go up, but now she prefers the clarity of staying sober.

kick someone out

• to force someone to leave a place
• She warned that the real danger comes when you kick everyone out who is actually trying to help or check on your well-being.

loopy

• behaving in a strange, silly, or slightly crazy way
• The singer laughed while describing her father, saying he is loopy but she loves him very much.

as hell

• very
• She joked that her father is as loopy as hell and likely wouldn’t even hear the interview because he has no internet.

go a year

• to spend a full twelve months doing something
• Her father set a personal challenge to go a year without eating his favorite food, pizza.

every now and then

• sometimes, but not regularly or often
• Even though he doesn’t have internet at home, he visits his brother every now and then to use FaceTime.

pebble’s throw away

• a very short distance
• The singer’s father kept the whole family within a pebble’s throw away so they could all live near each other.

get something across

• to manage to make someone understand
• The interviewer asked how she would get across difficult topics like drugs to young children in a book.

ghost author

• a person who writes a book or article for someone else who is then named as the author
• He wondered if she would hire a ghost author to write the stories while she provided the main ideas.

jaded

• feeling bored, typically after having too much of something
• Despite all her years in the famous industry, she doesn’t feel jaded or cold toward her life and career.

curl up in a ball

• to pull your arms and legs close to your body, often because you are feeling sad, scared, or sick
• After facing a difficult situation, the woman didn’t curl up in a ball as she might have done in the past.

separation

• a period of time when two people who were in a relationship or married live apart
• The public was unaware of the long separation that occurred before the couple officially announced their divorce.

go through

• to experience a difficult or unpleasant situation
• The speaker recently had to go through a very challenging and public separation.

villainize

• to describe or portray someone as a bad or evil person
• She found it hard to deal with how the media started to villainize her during the breakup.

make out

• to kiss someone passionately for a long time
• The public was shocked to see pictures of her beginning to make out with a friend shortly after the news broke.

narrative

• a particular way of explaining a story or series of events
• It is frustrating when people create a false narrative about your life without knowing the facts.

in one’s face

• impossible to avoid or ignore because it is very close or obvious
• The negative newspaper article about his career was right in one’s face even though he tried to ignore it.

buddy system

• a procedure in which two people operate together as a single unit so that they can monitor and help each other
• Having her father experience fame first acted as a buddy system, helping her navigate the industry more safely.

clickbait

• content whose main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link
• The headlines claiming she was in trouble were just clickbait designed to sell more magazines.

tabloids

• newspapers with small pages and many pictures, often focusing on sensational stories or gossip about famous people
• The tabloids often printed shocking headlines about her personal life just to grab the public’s attention.

unprogramming

• the process of freeing someone from established habits or beliefs
• She is going through an unprogramming phase to stop caring about what the tabloids say about her.

on the stands

• available for purchase at a store
• By the time her interview was finally on the stands, the information about her marriage was already outdated.

get in the habit

• to begin to do something regularly or repeatedly
• She get in the habit of hearing people say she was much calmer in person than they expected.

frivolous

• silly or not serious
• The media often focuses on frivolous gossip about her clothes rather than the actual message of her music.

vanity fair

• a place or lifestyle characterized by frivolous entertainment
• The artist realized that being featured in a famous magazine like vanity fair often meant her personal life became a spectacle for public entertainment.

drop acid

• to take the illegal drug
• People often assumed she was partying and decided to drop acid because of her wild public image.

spell it out

• to explain something in a very clear and detailed way
• The tabloids would spell it out for the public, creating a specific story about her life that wasn’t necessarily true.

rebel

• to fight against or refuse to obey rules
• The public expects every young star to rebel against their clean image as they grow up.

dude

• a casual way of addressing a man or any person, similar to “friend” or “person”
• She explained to the interviewer that her family history was the cause of her struggles, saying, “No dude, it’s actually genetic.”

take a hit

• to inhale smoke from a cigarette or a pipe containing a drug
• The speaker mentions that some people might take a hit of marijuana without realizing how it might affect them.

have nothing against

• to not dislike
• Even though she stopped using it herself, she said she would have nothing against others using marijuana.

weed

• a common informal name for marijuana or cannabis
• The singer grew up in a family where many members smoked weed regularly.

stoner

• a person who regularly smokes marijuana
• She jokingly describes her family as a bunch of stoner types because they enjoy using weed.

adamant

• very determined and not willing to change one’s opinion or decision
• The speaker is adamant about discussing the negative side effects of drugs that many people ignore.

schizophrenic

• suffering from a serious mental illness
• The host warned that some people can experience a schizophrenic breakdown after using certain substances.