RealLife Radio #94 – American Sports Metaphors

Today our plan for you is to give you an opportunity to hit your English out of the park [definition below].

In this episode of RealLife radio you are going to learn all about baseball, pick up tons of new expressions, get inspired by another kick ass quote, and you might even get to third base [listen to episode to understand joke].

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Words You’ll Learn

Mourning – to go through sadness and grief, especially for someone’s death
Caddy – golfer’s assistant who carries his or her golf clubs
Demeaning – when something makes you feel like you are worthless
Fair-weathered fan – one that shows support and appreciation only when things go well
Enlighten – to give someone information about something they don’t understand or need further explanation about
Ripper – excellent, great, awesome
Warm and fuzzy – when something touches you emotionally and make you feel good
Big Deal – something considered to be important
Break something down – to separate into parts, make it easier to understand
Plagiarize – to copy what someone has written or quoted in the past and claim it as yours
Hit it out of the park – to achieve a remarkable result at something you were attempting to do.
Straight of the bat – the something very quick and with no hesitation
Throw a curveball – when something unexpected happens (figurative)
At hand – what’s being talked about at the moment
Keep your eye on the ball – pay attention, stay focused
Out of left field – in  a sudden and unexpected fashion
Score – to get a point in sports
Cut to the chase – asking someone to talk specifically  about what they want
Take one for the team – to sacrifice something for the greater good of the group
Old school – retro, from the past
To bond – to become close to another person by getting to know them very well and having things in common
Messy – disorganized and not clean

Shoutouts

  • Julia Kalankina – 5 Star Itunes Review: “Hi guys, you’re doing an awesome job. I’ve been listening to your podcast now for the last month and now I understand almost 90%. The first time I couldn’t understand anything. Cheers, Julia.”

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Kickass Quote

  •  “It’s not the size of the dog in a fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.” – Mark Twain

Conversation Topic

  • Learn everything baseball in today’s conversation topic! Not only will you learn a lot more about the game itself, but you are going to get a ton of baseball related expressions, and find out how baseball is used for sex metaphors. Aww yeah!

Killer Clip

In this episode you are going to see a very famous clip from a classic kid’s movie about baseball, Sandlot Kids.

  • Test your comprehension, and learn about some typical American kid’s culture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlddDZkkxCc

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Song: Macklemore “My oh My”

Lyrics

I used to sit with my dad in the garage
That sawdust that pine sol and the moss
Around every spring when the winter thaw
We’d huddle around the radio twist the broken knob
710 AM no KJR Dave Niehaus voice would echo throughout the yard
Couldn’t have been older than 10
But to me and my friends
The voice on the other end might as well have been God’s
1995 the division series
Edgars up to bat
Bottom of the 11th inning got the whole town listening,
Swung on and belted the words that started, Joey Cora rounds third
Here comes Griffey the throw to the plate’s not in time
My oh my the Mariners win it
Yes, fire works they lit up ceiling in the king dome
We had just made history.

[Dave Niehaus announcing:]
And swung, Lined down the left field line for a base hit!
Here comes Joey! Here comes Junior to third base!
They’re gonna wave him in! the throw to the plate will be’.
Late! The Mariners are going to play for the American League Championship!
I don’t believe it! It just continues! MY OH MY!

Laces woven barley holdin’ that stitch
The creases are time amongst the grime and the grit
Where the leather he used to pound his fists
To some it’s just a mitt, but see that glove was him
Yep, tell me stories on the field with that sun stained brim
Blood under my chin, he taught me how to spit
Sunflower seeds back when me and my crew sun burnt arms
Big league chew, yeah we were like the sand lot after dinner
After practice we listen to the M’s in the kitchen
And if mom wasn’t trippin’ come on dad please I swear just one more inning
Voice went pump pump through the system break out the Rye bread it’s grand salami time
My oh My another victory yes, my city my city.
Childhood my life watchin’ Griffey right under those lights

Under that light rain gleaming in that night came, can’t stop now
Keep moving no break pads came here to prove a point, live my life on the field
Make history in between the base path
And compete against the fear that is in me that’s my only barrier and I swear I’m going to break that
From the mud the cleats that we drug threw the feet this is that moment and you cannot take it back
I don’t really collect cards anymore, just a box and some old card board
Memories embedded in the dust, in the fighters that age just like us livin’ some where off in the drawer
This is what you make of it yeah we play to win
Live it like we’re under the lights of the stadium fight until the day that God decided to wave us in,
Right until he waves us in
It’s my city my city childhood my life that’s right right under those lights
My city my city childhood that’s right Niehaus
My oh My come on, my city my city childhood my life that’s right under those lights
It’s my city my city childhood my life Niehaus My oh My Rest in peace.

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  • XxXALEXxX says:

    Hi. There is a problem with the episodes number 90 and 94, they are all the same or at least when I try to download them it shows me the same file. Greetings from Cuba.

    • Agnieszka from RealLife English says:

      Hello Alex! Thank you for letting us know! We just fixed it. Enjoy the podcast 🙂