Native English Expressions | Ep.33
Do you feel lost when listening to native speakers? It’s likely because textbook English isn’t enough. Welcome to Native Expressions Ep.33.
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.33 | 1 – 10
assortment
- collection. a group of different types of something.
- By offering a wide assortment of gadgets, the shop made sure every visitor found what they needed.
leverage
- utilize. to use something you already have in order to achieve something new or better.
- The business tried to leverage its many physical locations to provide better face-to-face support.
affluent
- wealthy. having a lot of money or expensive things.
- The marketing team focused on affluent professionals who wanted the latest luxury gadgets.
empty nesters
- parents alone. people whose children have grown up and moved out of their home.
- The brand created special services for empty nesters who had more free time and money.
affinity
- liking. a natural attraction to or interest in something.
- Some shoppers showed a strong affinity for exploring new and complex technology.
capitalize on
- use. to take advantage of something to make a profit.
- The retailer wanted to capitalize on the trend of people working and entertaining at home.
convergence
- joining. the process of different technologies or ideas coming together.
- The convergence of phones and cameras changed how people bought electronic devices.
demystify
- explain. to make something complicated easier to understand.
- Salespeople were trained to demystify complex home networks for regular customers.
autocratic
- powerful. using complete power and not involving others in decisions.
- The leader used an autocratic style to make sure everyone followed the new rules quickly.
instilling
- teaching. gradually putting an idea or attitude into someone’s mind.
- The manager focused on instilling a customer-first attitude in every new employee.
Native Expressions Ep.33 | 11 – 20
akin to
- similar. being like or related to something else.
- Changing the entire company culture was akin to fixing a car while it was still driving fast.
roll out
- : launch. to officially start or introduce a new plan or product.
- The business decided to roll out its new service model in several test locations.
merchandise
- : organize. to arrange and display goods in a store to encourage people to buy them.
- The management changed how they merchandise products to make the shopping experience more interactive for visitors.
elaborate
- : detailed. having many parts and being very carefully planned or decorated.
- The renovation included elaborate living room setups to help people imagine the electronics in their own homes.
leverage
- : use. To use something you already have to achieve a specific result.
- The business decided to leverage its existing delivery network to start a new grocery service.
acquisition
- : purchase. The act of one company buying another company or asset.
- Following the acquisition of the smaller tech firm, the corporation gained many new patents.
discretionary income
- : extra money. The money remaining after a person has paid for taxes and necessities.
- Since the family had more discretionary income this year, they decided to upgrade their home audio system.
upscale
- : high-end. Designed for or relating to people with a lot of money.
- They moved their shop to an upscale neighborhood to attract customers who want luxury goods.
affluent
- : wealthy. Having a lot of money and a high standard of living.
- The brand created a special loyalty program to attract more affluent shoppers to their stores.
appeal to
- : attract. To be attractive or interesting to a particular person or group.
- The company designed the new kitchen appliances to appeal to busy parents who value time-saving features.
Native Expressions Ep.33 | 21 – 30
referral
- : suggestion. The act of sending a person to another professional for help.
- Instead of just selling a laptop, the employee gave a referral to the technical support team to help with the setup.
envision
- : imagine. To think of something as a possible or desired future event.
- The management team envisioned a store where every shopper received personalized tech advice rather than just finding items on a shelf.
instigate
- : start. To cause a process, event, or discussion to begin.
- The high demand for computer repairs instigated a discussion about offering similar installation services for home theaters.
dispatch
- : send. To send someone to a specific place for a particular task or job.
- The company can dispatch a specialized agent to a customer’s home to help install a new wireless network.
peripheral
- : accessory. A device that is connected to a computer but is not part of the main unit, such as a printer.
- After choosing a new PC, the customer looked at several peripherals like high-quality speakers and a scanner.
harness
- : use. To control and use the natural power or potential of something to achieve a goal.
- The young staff member harnesses the new service model to build deep relationships with every customer who enters the store.
frontline
- : customer-facing. the part of a business that deals directly with customers.
- The frontline workers are the most important because they hear directly what the shoppers need.
empower
- : authorize. to give someone the power or freedom to do something.
- The manager wanted to empower the sales team so they could make quick decisions without asking for permission.
purview
- : area of responsibility. the range of operation, authority, or control.
- Changing the display at the front of the aisle was within the purview of the local store associates.
perimeter
- : edge. the outer boundary or the area around the outside of something.
- The workers placed the largest washing machines along the perimeter of the department to create more walking space.
Native Expressions Ep.33 | 31 – 40
tailor
- : customize. to make or adapt something for a specific person or purpose.
- The marketing team decided to tailor their advertisements to the local language to better connect with the neighborhood.
substantiate
- : prove. to provide evidence to support or prove the truth of something.
- The high sales numbers helped substantiate the claim that the new floor plan was working.
enterprise
- : corporation. a large company or business organization.
- If a local idea is successful, it can become a standard practice for the entire enterprise.
geek
- : expert. a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about a specific technical subject.
- He was the local geek who helped everyone in the neighborhood set up their new computers.
squad
- : team. a small group of people organized to work together on a specific task.
- A squad of specialists arrived at the store to begin the renovations for the new display area.
call for
- : require. to make something necessary or to demand a specific action.
- The new business model called for more freedom for workers to change the store layout.
ethnic
- : cultural. relating to a population group with a common national or cultural tradition.
- The store hired staff who spoke different languages to better serve the diverse ethnic groups in the neighborhood.
oversee
- : supervise. to be in charge of a group of people or a project.
- The regional director had to oversee many branch managers to ensure the new strategy was working.
execute against
- : follow. to perform a task according to a specific plan or set of rules.
- The store staff worked hard to execute against the standard operating procedures every day.
merchandising
- : selling. the activity of promoting and displaying goods in a store.
- Effective merchandising helped the electronics retailer attract more customers to its specialized sections.
Native Expressions Ep.33 | 41 – 50
alienate
- : push away. to make someone feel that they do not belong or are not supported.
- The retail chain was careful not to alienate its core customers while trying to attract new younger shoppers.
assortment
- : variety. a collection of different types of things.
- The general manager had to choose a specific assortment of products that matched the needs of local shoppers.
codependence
- : mutual need. a situation where two things rely on each other.
- There was a strong codependence between the products selected and the specific customer groups the store targeted.
be up to someone
- : depend. used to say that someone is responsible for a decision or task.
- The manager knew it would be up to someone in leadership to ensure the new sales strategy succeeded.
on the floor
- : working. present in the customer area of a store rather than in an office.
- It is important to have enough experts on the floor to answer technical questions about home audio systems.
call on
- : visit. to go to a person or place to ask for something or offer a service.
- The salesperson decided to call on local businesses to see if they needed new theater equipment for their lounges.
be tied to
- : connect. to be related to or influenced by something else.
- The success of the store was directly be tied to how well the staff understood their specific customer groups.
discipline
- : control. the ability to follow rules and stay organized even when things are difficult.
- The director emphasized that passion for the product must be matched with strict discipline in managing costs.
break down
- : fail. to stop working correctly or to lose control.
- The entire business model could break down if the scheduling of employees is not handled properly.
articulate
- : express. to be able to put thoughts or feelings into clear words.
- Many shoppers find it hard to articulate exactly what kind of technology they need for their homes.
Native Expressions Ep.33 | 51 – 52
directionally correct
- : roughly right. moving in the right general direction even if not perfect.
- The initial sales data was directionally correct, showing that the new theater room was becoming popular.
on the heels of
- following closely. happening immediately after something else.
- The new customer-focused plan came on the heels of a long study about shopper behavior.