Native English Expressions | Ep.32

Do you feel lost when listening to native speakers? It’s likely because textbook English isn’t enough. Welcome to Native Expressions Ep.32.

Real conversations are full of idioms, phrasal verbs, and cultural nuances. This series curates authentic expressions directly from podcasts and YouTube videos to help you sound more natural and confident.

Native Expressions Ep.32 | 1 – 10

rollout

introduction. Starting a new product or opening new shops for the first time.
The rollout of many new shops happened too quickly for the staff to manage.

revamped

improved. To change something to make it better or more modern.
They opened a revamped store that focused more on what shoppers really wanted.

winning formula

success plan. A method or set of actions that usually leads to success.
The business changed its winning formula to try a new strategy for the future.

mature

old. A company or person that is fully grown and not growing fast anymore.
The leader worried that his mature company might slowly lose its power.

reengage

reconnect. To start paying attention to or connecting with someone again.
The manager believed they needed to reengage with their buyers to stay successful.

dual dilemma

double problem. A situation where you must choose between two difficult options.
The boss faced a dual dilemma of needing quick money while changing the whole company.

withstand

resist. To be strong enough to stay safe or successful during a hard time.
The new strategy could not withstand a long period of losing money.

imperative

essential. extremely important and needing to be done immediately.
The manager believed that changing the old strategy was imperative to stop the company’s decline.

centricity

focus. making one specific thing the most important part of a business or plan.
The company’s new centricity on its buyers helped them understand what people really wanted to buy.

fared

performed. how well or badly someone or something did in a specific situation.
The second group of stores fared poorly compared to the first few that they opened.

Native Expressions Ep.32 | 11 – 20

lure

attract. To tempt or pull someone toward a place or thing.
The shop used bright signs and loud music to lure young people into the store.

be addicted to

obsessed. To love doing something so much that you cannot stop.
After making many successful deals, the young man was addicted to selling electronics.

flagship store

main shop. The most important or largest store in a company.
A violent storm unfortunately destroyed the company’s flagship store in the city.

at a bargain

cheap. At a very low price that is much less than the real value.
Many people came to the sale to buy high-quality speakers at a bargain.

erode

decrease. To slowly wear away or reduce something over time.
When too many competitors opened, the company’s profits began to erode slowly.

compensate

balance. To make up for a loss or a problem by doing something else.
To compensate for low sales in music, they started selling large kitchen appliances.

mimic

copy. To do or look like something else to get the same success.
Other businesses began to mimic the large store model to attract more shoppers.

propel

push. To move something forward or make it grow very quickly.
The new way of serving customers helped propel the company to the top of the market.

ensure uniformity

keep same. To make sure that every part of a system acts in the same way.
The leader created a handbook to ensure uniformity in how staff treated every customer.

predominantly

mostly. For the most part or mainly.
The store’s workers were predominantly young people who worked only a few days a week.

Native Expressions Ep.32 | 21 – 30

novices

beginners. People who are new to a subject or activity and lack experience.
The staff had to explain basic tech terms to the novices who came to buy their first PC.

cater to

serve. To provide what is needed or wanted by a specific group.
To cater to wealthy buyers, the firm bought a special brand that sold high-end speakers.

peers

equals. People or companies that are of the same rank or in the same industry.
While other shops were struggling, this business grew much faster than its peers.

hovered around

stayed near. To remain at or near a certain amount or level without changing much.
Even though the market was changing, their profit margins hovered around the same level.

encyclopedia

big book. A very large and detailed collection of information or rules.
The manager wrote an encyclopedia of rules to teach every worker how to sell products.

attributed to

caused by. When you believe something is the result of a specific person or action.
Much of the shop’s great success was attributed to the hard work of the young sales team.

corporate cheer

group shout. A song or chant done by workers to build excitement and energy.
Every morning, the team performed a corporate cheer to get ready for a busy day of selling.

bellowing

shouting. To shout something in a very loud and deep voice.
The workers were bellowing the company’s name together to show their team spirit.

foster

encourage. To help something, like a feeling or a relationship, to grow and develop.
The manager tried to foster a friendly environment where everyone felt like part of a team.

employee retention

keeping staff. The ability of a company to keep its workers for a long time.
Giving out free lunch was a simple way to improve employee retention at the busy shop.

Native Expressions Ep.32 | 31 – 40

in the vicinity

nearby. In the area that is close to a specific person or place.
When a big sale happened, everyone in the vicinity would clap to celebrate the success.

acknowledge

recognize. To show that you have noticed or appreciate something someone did.
The boss used the speakers to acknowledge the person who sold the most computers that day.

on the spot

immediately. Right at the moment and place where something is happening.
The hard-working student was rewarded on the spot with a gift card for a local restaurant.

tied to

linked. When one thing depends directly on the success or result of another.
The supervisor’s extra pay was tied to how well the whole store performed during the holidays.

slap

hit. To hit something with the flat part of your hand.
During the morning cheer, the workers had to slap their legs seven times to make a loud sound.

clap

strike hands. To hit your hands together to make a noise, usually to show you are happy.
The manager would clap five times to celebrate whenever a team member sold a expensive computer.

encore

repeat. An extra performance or action done because the audience asked for it.
After finishing the first cheer, the staff performed an encore to keep their energy high.

take over

lead. to begin having control or responsibility for something.
The new manager had to take over the company after the previous leader retired.

stellar performance

excellent. very high quality or successful work.
Even with stellar performance in the past, the business needed new ideas to stay ahead.

fade

disappear. to slowly become weaker or less clear.
The CEO worried that their market power would fade as more competitors appeared.

Native Expressions Ep.32 | 41 – 50

lucrative

profitable. producing a lot of money.
Selling high-end televisions was a very lucrative business for the retailer.

imitate

copy. to behave or look like something else.
Other shops began to imitate the way the store displayed its newest gadgets.

poach

steal. to persuade someone to leave their job and work for you instead.
Rival companies tried to poach the best sales staff by offering higher salaries.

fraction of

part. a small amount or portion of a whole.
Only a fraction of the buyers actually understood how the complex software worked.

one-size-fits-all

general. intended to work for everyone or every situation.
The manager realized that a one-size-fits-all approach did not satisfy individual needs.

vis-à-vis

compared to. in relation to something else.
The small company struggled to keep its prices low vis-à-vis the huge online retailers.

peripherals

accessories. extra parts or equipment added to a computer or electronic system.
The shop sold many different peripherals, including gaming mice and high-quality speakers.

high-margin

profitable. products or services that provide a large profit for each item sold.
The company wanted to sell more high-margin items, like expensive sound systems and repair services.

unsustainable

weak. something that cannot continue for a long time at the same level.
Opening new shops every month was unsustainable because the market was already full of stores.

lavish someone with

give plenty. to give someone a very large or expensive amount of something.
The staff began to lavish someone with attention and care to make sure they felt like a special guest.

Native Expressions Ep.32 | 51 – 55

account for

make up. to be the reason for or the source of a specific amount.
A small group of loyal shoppers account for most of the revenue in many retail businesses.

markdowns

price cuts. a reduction in the price of something, usually to encourage sales.
The “angel” customers bought the newest TVs immediately without waiting for any markdowns.

rebates

money back. a partial refund to someone who has paid too much money for tax, rent, or a product.
Some shoppers only buy electronics when there are rebates that give them cash back later.

better off

improved. to be in a more successful or happy situation.
The manager believed the company would be better off by ignoring shoppers who only wanted cheap deals.

deter

discourage. to make someone decide not to do something.
New policies were created to deter people who frequently returned items just to get a discount