Today’s expression and dialog: a can-do attitude English is so hard~ Come on! It’s not that bad. It is. I don’t wanna study English~ Hey! You need to have a can-do attitude. Do have any goals? Any dreams? I hope you do. Are your dreams "realistic" or are the a bit "crazy"?!! If one of your dreams is to get a perfect score on the TOEFL or IELTS...well, it's not very realistic. It's possible--but to be honest, most native English speakers wouldn't be able to get a perfect score! We need to have "r...
Jun 12, 2015•5 min
Today’s expression and dialog: to bail on somebody Is Jim helping you with your English? He bailed on me. What happened? As soon as we started, his girlfriend called. Did you ever make a promise to help someone, but at the last minute CANCEL? It happens. We're human! Can you remember a time when YOUR friend canceled on you? I can. My friend Eric promised he would pick me up at 7 on Friday night and take me to a local football game. I was excited. I didn't know the local players and he was going ...
Jun 11, 2015•6 min
Today’s expression and dialog: no strings attached Did you sign up for the free DDM lessons? No. He’s just trying to sell his classes. Well, yeah, but the 8 lessons are free! No strings attached? None! A few days ago I signed up for an online course--it said: Sign up for 5 free video classes on "how to improve your internet marketing". Well, I signed up and they sent me one free video and it was okay...problem, it didn't really teach me anything. It was exciting, but...no real lesson. In order t...
Jun 10, 2015•10 min
Today’s expression and dialog: to put it bluntly Have some of this! What’s this tea in a bowl? It’s soup! How is it? Be honest. Well, to put it bluntly…it’s flavorless. Does your mom cook? Is she good? My mom makes some really tasty dishes. My favorites are her spaghetti, goulash, beef stew, turkey and chicken...hmm-mm! Delicious. But...there have been meals that were not "really delicious"...but...am I allowed to tell her? Do I always have to say only nice things...can I be REALLY HONEST and ex...
Jun 09, 2015•8 min
Today’s expression and dialog: (place) is a dump Let’s go eat at Earl’s Restaurant. No way. The place is a dump! But their hamburgers are SO good. Wha… Yeah, they really are tasty! Do you like moving? I do NOT like moving, but EVERY year I end up moving. No joke. Since 2008, I have lived in 6 different places. And...my guess, I will move again at the end of this year or the beginning of next year. Money has been the biggest reason--working online only is NOT an easy place to make money!! But my ...
Jun 08, 2015•5 min
Today’s expression and dialog: to dump someone You look down in the dumps. Oh, man… I’m so sad. What happened? She dumped me. She dumped me for another man~ Have you ever had a girlfriend or a boyfriend that LEFT you? They broke up with you? Maybe it was your husband or your wife?!! Well...was it your fault? Did you do something wrong? Yes?? Good! But if it really wasn't your fault...if it was that person's fault...GOOD! Good for you and good for them. If they did something bad in your relations...
Jun 07, 2015•4 min
Today’s expression and dialog: … per se Should I throw this away? Don’t touch that T-shirt. Why not? It’s not worth anything! It’s a rag! It may not be valuable per se, but it means a lot to me. Oh boy...today we will learn how to use a difficult, but surprising common, Latin expression. It is "per se". The way I explain this expression is...I think, pretty good! I will give you FOUR examples and then I give you an easy way to find more example online! With a little practice, you should become c...
Jun 06, 2015•8 min
Today’s expression and dialog: dumpster Mom, where are my comics? I put them away~ Where? In the dumpster! What? No~~ I used to have a friend that lived in a VERY rich part of town. All the houses were huge, they had swimming pools, they had people who worked there and cars with drivers...it was a different world from what I knew~ I remember one time as we were going to his house I saw on the street a FULL SET OF FURNITURE for a living room! A sofa, chairs, tables, lamps, rugs...I asked my frien...
Jun 05, 2015•7 min
Today’s expression and dialog: to dig deep So, how was DDM100? It was great! We dug deep into sandwiches. Sandwiches? Yeah! Coach Shane and his mom showed us how to make four different kinds of typical, American sandwiches! Do you ever listen to the radio? When I was young, I was ADDICTED! Every night. I'd listen to anything--rock music, country music, new wave music, talk radio, sports--anything. My radio put me to sleep at night, woke me up in the morning, played along as I studied--it was my ...
Jun 04, 2015•9 min
Today’s expression and dialog: keep your nose clean Where’s the seminar? In Las Vegas! That’s the City of Sin! Yeah!! Keep your nose clean~ When I was a kid...I got into trouble a lot. Nothing serious. But always in trouble. My teachers yelled at me, my mom, my principle... I never had a problem with the police, though!! I was smart enough to stay out of BIG trouble. But now I'm a little older...and I don't have the URGE to cause chaos anymore!!! I'm very happy with a nice, quiet and calm enviro...
Jun 03, 2015•6 min
Today’s expression and dialog: better safe than sorry Oh, the weather looks great! Yeah, it does. Got your umbrella? What for? It’s sunny! Better safe than sorry~ Do you have extra batteries in your home? Extra light bulbs? If you are a smoker, do you have extra lighters? Extra cigarettes somewhere? If you like sweets, do you have some extra cookies or chocolate bars hidden somewhere? If you do, then you are like me! I ALWAYS want to be ready in case of an emergency. Right now, in my desk drawer...
Jun 02, 2015•7 min
Today’s expression and dialog: down in the dumps Shane’s really down in the dumps. Why? He got yelled at by his mom. What for? He forgot to help her clean on Saturday. Happy JUNE and happy Monday, everyone!! Actually, Monday is kind of a "day off" for me, so I like it! But June...oh...it will soon be summer. And summer is NOT my favorite month~~ I love WINTER!!! But, I will survive. Okay, let's get to today's podcast... Can you think of a TERRIBLE place to be? What about...in the dump? Remember,...
Jun 01, 2015•4 min
Today’s expression and dialog: head over heels What do you think? Oh, I’m head over heels! You like it? It’s the perfect car! I’ll take it! ------------------------------------------- Hello!! How are you today? Are you in love? I mean REALLY in love? If not, when was the last time? With whom were/are you in love? Or...with what? Me? I'm in love RIGHT now. TOTALLY in love. There's a truck made by Ford called the F-150 Raptor. Oh...I LOVE that truck so much. It's my dream to own it. I hope, one da...
May 31, 2015•6 min
Today’s expression and dialog: the dump Where you going? The dump. You got room for some magazines? No! You need to recycle those! Do you recycle? When I lived in Korea, I was really good at recycling. The country had a good system. Plastic, glass, paper, plastic bags, light bulbs and even batteries. People even recycled their food waste. The actual amount of "garbage" was pretty small. Very good. But now I am in America...and the recycling system is really bad! Fortunately where I live, we do r...
May 30, 2015•5 min
Today’s expression and dialog: to rub someone’s nose in it I heard Eric broke up with you. Yeah. I heard he has a new girlfriend. Uh-huh. I heard she’s really rich. Quit rubbing my nose in it! How do you teach a dog NOT to go to the bathroom INSIDE a house? Well, it's not easy, but one method is...SHOW the dog it's mistake. If it pees or poos in the house, take the dog--grab its head--and FORCE the dog to see and smell its mistake. It doesn't sound nice, but it is effective. Of course, there are...
May 29, 2015•7 min
Today’s expression and dialog: ~ never delivers Are you going to vote? What for? Politicians never deliver. They never keep their promises, do they? They’re almost all the same. Happy Thursday, everyone. Today's expression is SERIOUS. Here's a true story to get you thinking before you listen... Many years ago I was the manager of a language school. One of my teachers was a really nice guy. He was smart, had good charisma, could explain grammar well...BUT he was ALWAYS breaking his promises. He w...
May 28, 2015•6 min
Today’s expression and dialog: to call dibs Hey, do you guys wanna go to the lake? Yeah!! Dibs on the front seat! Aw~ You always get the front seat. You need to call dibs! Hi everyone!! Do you know what jelly beans are? If not, GOOGLE jelly beans right now! They're a small (like a bean) chewy candy. You chew them and they taste great. When I was young, there were only a few flavors. There was orange, cherry, lime, lemon, vanilla and black licorice. My ABSOLUTE favorite was...ORANGE!! Unfortunate...
May 27, 2015•5 min
Today’s expression and dialog: to solidify something … Congratulations on your podcast, Shane. Thanks. It really solidifies me as an English coach for the world. A lot of people download your podcast? Over 12,000 people for each episode! If we have ice and we heat it, we get water, right? We have "liquefied" ice. If we have water and we freeze it, we get ice, right? We have "solidified" water. But, did you know that outside of science, "solidify" has another meaning? It certainly does and I work...
May 26, 2015•9 min
Today’s expression and dialog: to pick someone's brain Can I pick your brain? Sure. What about? American pronunciation. That’s my specialty! Happy Memorial Day!!! It's a day for picnics and...well, I'll tell you in the podcast!! So, tomorrow I am going to be cooking "corn on the cob". Do you know what that is? It's corn...but directly from the plant. I have never cooked corn like that before so I don't want to make any mistakes. I know that I will have to peel off the green leaves, then I will h...
May 25, 2015•5 min
Today’s expression and dialog: to have no say I’m going to major in Philosophy. What? Did you ask your parents? They have no say. Aren’t they paying for your education? Yeah…so? Do you make ALL of your decisions? Do you allow anyone to help you? If you DO allow someone to help you, who? And for what decisions? Me? Well, right now I am seriously thinking about moving. Because I work online, I can move anywhere...BUT, the internet connection MUST be very good. I upload SO many large files, it has ...
May 24, 2015•6 min
Today’s expression and dialog: No less so than… I’m trying to sleep less these days. Why? Sleep is important. No less so than food and water. But I wanna start exercising. Great, but don’t reduce your sleep. Mom, who do you love more? Me or my sister? Shane!! Of course I love you more^^ NOT!! That would NEVER happen! Right? Of course, my mother (and probably your mother) would say something like...I love you both the same!! Mothers are SO political!! Just be honest, mom!! Today's I'll teach you ...
May 23, 2015•6 min
Today’s expression and dialog: to haul ass Isn’t your meeting at 3? Oh, no. I’m gonna be late. You’d better haul ass. Yep. See ya~ Do you know the verb "to haul"? It means to carry--especially to carry something in a big truck. Hauling lumber, hauling computers, hauling corn, hauling medical supplies... But, you can also "haul ass"!!! "ass" is a word that means "butt"...REMEMBER, the word "ass" is NOT a good word to use in public. Only use it with your friends and don't SHOUT the word or other p...
May 22, 2015•4 min
Today’s expression and dialog: to get a lot out ofsomething Did you read this? Obama’s book? Yeah. Did you get a lot out of it? No! But it was perfect for falling asleep. I hope you are enjoying my podcasts and videos. I really enjoy making them for you. YOU are INVESTING your time in watching and listening to me, SO I do my best to GIVE you VALUE. And that is what today's expression is all about..."to get a lot out of"...I hope you get a lot out of my lessons!! Now, the expression is really use...
May 21, 2015•6 min
Today’s expression and dialog: to fool around I like fooling around in the kitchen? With your girlfriend? NO! When I cook. I like to create different things. So, you’re a creative cook, huh? A lot of you ask me "What do you do on your day off?" Well, to be honest, I don't really have a day off...but I do my best to NOT check email on Sundays and Mondays...so I guess that those two days are my "days off"! What do I do? I "fool around"!! I like to experiment in the kitchen. I like to go fishing an...
May 20, 2015•6 min
Today’s expression and dialog: I can live with some… My neighbors are so loud. That’s life in an apartment. Hey, I can live with some noise, but not all night. Why don’t you complain? No…I’ll just move out! When I go to a cheap restaurant, I know the food might not be perfect. I know that the restaurant might not be perfectly clean. I know that the waiter might not be very polite. I can "tolerate" that. I can LIVE WITH SOME "not-so-tasty" pie, I can live with some dirty spoons, I can live with s...
May 19, 2015•6 min
Today’s expression and dialog: ~ is top shelf Daily Easy English podcast is top shelf. How so? Oh! Every day! Coach Shane makes a podcast every day! Free English every day! Really? I should start listening, too! When I buy things, I really try and save money. I try to be frugal. But something...you should spend more money on. Especially suits! Yes! So, when I buy suits--I buy THE BEST!! I buy TOP SHELF!! How many suits do I have? ZERO!! Those suits are too expensive for me! Do you have anything ...
May 18, 2015•7 min
Today’s expression and dialog: RIP Rest In Peace Did you hear the news? What? B.B. King died. Aw, what a shame. He was such a great entertainer. May he rest in peace~ One thing in life is ABSOLUTELY certain...we will all die. It's a very sad thing, but it's reality. I hope that when I die, it will be in my sleep. It will be peaceful. I hope I will have no regrets. I hope I will have said "I love you" to all the people in my life...I hope that I am able to "rest in peace". I'm sure you have the s...
May 17, 2015•6 min
Today’s expression and dialog: You reap what you sow. I’m sick. Your stomach? Yeah. I think I ate too much cake. You ate the entire cake! You reap what you sow. When I was a kid, I LOVED to play outside! I was always in the sun--spring, summer, winter and fall! But I was stupid...I rarely used sun block--I didn't use any lotions to protect my skin from the sun. And now...years later...I have problems! As many of you know, I recently had two surgeries for skin cancer! Well, the surgeries were suc...
May 16, 2015•7 min
Today’s expression and dialog: I can’t shake SOMETHING Are you still not feeling well? I can’t shake this cold. How long have you had it? Over a week now. Did you ever have a feeling that something bad was going to happen? Maybe before a trip or before a vacation. Maybe before watching a movie. Maybe before visiting a friend. I have. Fortunately, nothing usually happens--nothing bad!!! Thank god!! But I still get that feeling and I can NOT lose that feeling. Today, we will learn a great expressi...
May 15, 2015•5 min
Today’s expression and dialog: I’m off out TIME I’m off out next week camping. You’re what? I have the week off and will leave to go camping. Oh! Where’d you learn English? Do you have a day off coming? I will have NO work on Sunday!! Finally! I will be OFF! And I will not stay at home. I will leave my house and go fishing! I doubt that I will catch anything, but I really enjoy being out in nature^^ What about you? Today we'll learn an expression that I have heard several times from my British f...
May 15, 2015•5 min
