Learn English Vocabulary Daily #23.1 — British English Podcast

Hello and welcome to The English Like a Native Podcast.

My name is Anna and you are listening to Week 23, Day 1 of Your English Five a Day.

This is the series that aims to increase your active vocabulary by deep-diving

into five pieces every day of the working week from Monday to Friday.

We start today's list with a verb and it is doubt, doubt.

Now we spell this D O U B T.

Doubt.

Notice the 'B' is silent.

Doubt.

To doubt something or someone is to feel uncertain about it or

to think that it's not likely.

To not really believe it.

Here's an example sentence,

"Every time Sarah sees a weather forecast predicting sunshine for her weekend

camping trip, she can't help but doubt it after several rained-out attempts.

"I'll believe it when I see it," she mutters, eyeing the

clear skies with scepticism."

Now, I often doubt myself at times, especially when I have to perform in a

competitive squash match for my club.

So, I represent my club as part of the ladies team.

And so we play other clubs within the county and we are currently in a league.

And if we win our matches, then we go up to the next league, we get promoted.

And so, I feel like there's a lot riding on my performance.

It's not just a mark for me, it's a mark for the entire club and for the

rest of my team who all work hard.

And so, when I get onto the squash court to play my match, I often find myself

doubting my abilities, whether I'm going to be able to pull it off or not.

Have you ever doubted yourself?

Alright, moving on to the next piece today.

It is an idiom, and it is food for thought.

Food for thought.

We spell this food, F O O D.

For, F O R.

Thought, T H O U G H T.

Food for thought.

Notice how the 'for' becomes weak, and we say /fə/.

/fuːd fə/.

/fuːd fə θɔːt/.

Food for thought means that it's something you are going to think deeply

about or consider very seriously.

So, if I give you an option of what you could do in the summer

holidays, an option that you've never considered before, but it is a

really good option, then I would say,

"Well, that's food for thought."

Or you might say,

"Oh, food for thought."

It's something that you can think about very deeply.

Something you can consider very seriously.

Here's an example,

"At the dinner table, Uncle Joe's remark about how technology shapes our

relationships became food for thought for Jamie, who spent the entire evening

pondering over her own screen time and its impact on her friendships."

That is indeed food for thought, isn't it?

How screen time and our addiction to our devices impacts our relationships,

what it teaches our children, what it does to our mental health and our

enjoyment of the little things in life.

It's definitely something to seriously think about and consider.

It's food for thought.

Alright, next on the list is a verb and it is niggle.

To niggle.

We spell this N I G G L E.

Niggle.

Niggle.

If something niggles you, then it causes you slight discomfort or constant bother.

Constant, persistent annoyance.

It's something that's uncomfortable that you have to put up with.

So, you might have a physical pain that's like a low-level pain.

Maybe a twinge in the back, a little pain in one side of your back.

And it's not enough for you to say,

"Oh, I've got a terrible backache."

But it's uncomfortable and it's there all the time.

So, you might say,

"Oh, I've just got a little niggle in my back.

Oh, it's really niggling me.

It's really annoying me.

Just constantly there, niggling away."

So, to constantly persist in causing discomfort or anxiety or annoyance.

Here's another example,

"As Mark sat down to enjoy his book, a niggle about whether he'd locked

the back door kept distracting him.

Despite trying to shake off the feeling, he finally got up to check,

finding peace of mind only after confirming the door was indeed locked."

Ha-ha.

I can certainly relate to that example.

It's something that I deal with most nights.

In fact, last night I had a terrible night's sleep.

I got less than six hours last night.

And it's because when I woke up in the middle of the night with

my youngest son, I lay back in bed trying to get back to sleep.

And I started to think,

"Did I Ieave the front room window open?"

Because it's springtime now, so I'm in the habit of opening all

the windows first thing in the morning to let some fresh air in.

And I lay there thinking to myself,

"Did I shut the window?

Did I?

Or is it wide open?"

Maybe someone will walk past and see it's wide open and see it as an opportunity

to break into the house and steal all our things and I couldn't sleep.

I lay there for about an hour and eventually, I got out

of bed and went to check.

And they were indeed locked.

Do you ever have that?

Right.

So, let's move on to an adjective next, and this is resolute.

Resolute.

We spell this R E S O L U T E.

Resolute.

If you are resolute, then you are extremely determined

in a way that people admire.

You don't waver.

Nothing stops you.

You don't doubt yourself and you are very steady in your desires and your goals.

You just stick to your guns.

That's another phrase.

So you are resolute.

Nothing will change your mind.

Here's an example,

"Despite the challenges of learning to play the guitar, Emma remained resolute.

Her fingers ached, and the chords frustrated her, but she practised

every day, driven by her determination to perform at her brother's wedding."

Fantastic.

Many of my students in the ELAN community and on the Fluency Programme are resolute.

It's the resolute students who are able to achieve success within our programmes,

because they turn up day after day, interacting with the community, attending

the classes, getting involved and they are the ones who see real results.

My resolute students.

The final piece on the list today is a noun and it is aisle.

Aisle.

We spell this A I S L E.

Aisle.

It's an unusual spelling for this word, aisle.

It's also exactly the same pronunciation as the contraction of 'I will'.

"I'll do this."

"I'll walk down the aisle."

Okay.

So, they sound the same, but the spelling is different.

So, keep that in mind.

So, an aisle, this spelling of aisle is a passageway, usually between

two rows of seats, perhaps if you're on the aeroplane, as you walk down

the middle of the plane with seats on either side, that is the aisle.

Or in a supermarket, when you have shelves on either side of you,

you're walking down the aisle.

Or in a church, or a theatre, or a large building where there are seats set out,

there are often aisles between the seats.

Okay, so here's an example sentence,

"Walking down the supermarket aisle, Carlos debated with himself over

the healthiest cereal option, his trolley was already half full, but his

decision-making far from over as he navigated through the endless choices."

I am always amazed by how many different types of cereal are available as

you walk down the cereal aisle in the supermarket, it's just an entire

aisle dedicated to breakfast cereal.

It's insane.

What do you like to eat for breakfast?

Is cereal a thing in your country?

It's very popular here.

Alright, so that's our five for today.

Let's do a quick recap.

We started with the verb doubt.

Doubt.

To feel uncertain about something or to think that something

might not be likely or true.

Then we had the idiom food for thought, which is something that you should

seriously think about or consider.

Something that has given you a lot to think about.

Then we had the verb to niggle, to niggle, to cause constant

annoyance, persistent discomfort.

Then we had the adjective resolute.

Resolute.

When you are absolutely determined, you are unwavering, nothing is going

to stop you from your mission, whatever it is you are determined to do.

And then we have the noun aisle, aisle, meaning the passageway between

rows of seats or in a church, a theatre, an aeroplane, or commonly

in the supermarket between shelves.

So, let's do this for pronunciation.

Please repeat after me.

Doubt.

Doubt.

Food for thought.

Food for thought.

Niggle.

Niggle.

Resolute.

Resolute.

Aisle.

Aisle.

Fantastic.

Let me test your memory now.

So, for the last month, I've had a pain, a little pain in my big toe

joint, and it's really bothering me.

It's a constant pain that's irritating me.

It's not really bad.

It doesn't stop me from doing what I'm doing, but it's annoying.

It's a constant little pain in my big toe joint whenever I'm active.

And I'm very active.

I love doing my hiking and running and cycling and my tennis.

But this thing is really bothering me.

It's really irritating me.

What verb could I use in place of bothering me?

It's niggling me.

Yes, it niggles.

It just niggles away at me.

And so, I am going to try and do whatever I can to improve this pain in my foot, to

try and actually get rid of it if I can.

Now, my first friend that I approach about this constant niggling pain that I've

got, she tells me that I should try eating more oranges and dipping my toe in milk.

She says, it's a new age therapy that she heard really

helps with big toe joint pain.

But I'm not convinced.

I don't believe it's likely to work out.

So, what verb could I use to suggest that I don't really believe what

she's telling me about dipping my toe in milk and eating oranges?

I doubt.

I doubt that her method will actually work.

It sounds like a lot of nonsense, doesn't it?

So, this niggle does need dealing with.

This pain is niggling me a lot, but I doubt that dipping it in milk will work.

However, my other friend who is a doctor suggests that it might be my footwear

that is the problem and sends me lots of articles about the problems with

modern-day fashion footwear, that it's causing many problems for people's feet.

And that gives me a lot to consider, a lot to think about.

And I think about it very seriously.

What idiom could I use here instead of saying it's given me a lot to think about?

It's food for thought.

Absolutely.

It's food for thought.

And because I am absolutely determined to solve this problem, to stop this pain from

niggling at me all the time, I will do whatever it takes because I am determined.

What adjective could I use instead of determined?

If I have unwavering determination to achieve something.

I'm resolute.

I'm absolutely resolute.

So, I will try purchasing some expensive footwear that is scientifically proven

to improve pain in the big toe joint.

So, I go to this huge store that sells specialist footwear and I'm walking

down the passageway between all the shelves and looking at all these shoes.

What other word would I use instead of pathway?

Aisle.

I'm walking down the aisle looking at all the options, and

finally, I pick my new shoe.

So, there we go.

I had a pain that was niggling me for over a month in my big toe joint.

My first friend said, dip your toe in milk.

I had a lot of doubt.

I doubted if that would even work.

But my second friend, who's a doctor, told me it's the footwear that's the problem.

It gave me a lot of food for thought.

And because I was resolute, I decided to follow her advice.

And I went down to the specialist shoe aisle in the special shoe shop.

And I found my solution.

I found the perfect shoe.

So, there we go.

That was our five for today.

Let's bring them all together once again, in a little story.

Lucy was at a crossroads in her life.

For years, she had allowed doubts to dictate her decisions, letting them

niggle at her confidence and resolve.

This time, however, she was determined to make a change.

She had been resolute in her decision to adopt a healthier

lifestyle, not just in her diet, but in her overall approach to life.

Today's challenge was the supermarket, a place she often

found overwhelming, filled with temptations that tested her willpower.

As she entered the store, she was immediately confronted with the

colourful displays of processed foods in the first aisle.

Memories of comfort eating and the immediate gratification these

foods provided flooded her mind.

She was doubting herself, questioning whether she could

truly commit to this new lifestyle.

The familiar feeling of inhibition crept in, making her wonder if

she could really make this change.

Determined to push through, Lucy grabbed a trolley and headed

towards the fresh produce aisle.

Each step was a battle against the niggles of anxiety and self-doubt.

The fresh produce aisle, with its abundance of fruit and vegetables,

offered an appearance of relief.

Yet, as she picked up a bunch of bananas, the doubt lingered.

Would she be able to maintain this healthy eating habit, or would she revert to

her old ways by the end of the week?

It was then that she remembered a podcast she had listened to the night

before, offering food for thought on the importance of small, manageable changes.

Inspired, Lucy decided to apply this philosophy to her shopping habits.

Instead of overhauling her diet overnight, she would focus on

adding more fruit and vegetables to her meals, one day at a time.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Lucy moved through the aisles.

She carefully read labels, choosing items that were less processed and more natural.

It wasn't just about the food anymore; it was about respecting her body

and taking control of her health.

The real test came in the snack aisle.

The shelves were packed with crisps, cookies, and sweets,

all calling out to her.

She stood there for a moment, feeling the tug of her old habits.

But, she was no longer the person who gave in to every impulse.

"Ahhhh..."

With a deep breath, she pushed her trolley past the aisle, focusing on

the progress she had already made.

By the time Lucy reached the checkout, her trolley was filled with healthy choices.

The doubts that had troubled her at the entrance had eased,

replaced by a quiet confidence.

She had faced her inhibitions and emerged victorious, one small decision at a time.

As Lucy unpacked her groceries at home, she realised that today's

success was a significant step towards a healthier future.

The journey would be long, filled with moments of doubt and

temptation, but she was resolute.

Each niggle of anxiety or hesitation would be met with the same

determination that carried her through the supermarket aisles.

This day, Lucy learned a valuable lesson: change is not about the

absence of doubt, but the courage to move forward despite it.

With each step, she was not just transforming her diet;

she was reshaping her life.

And that brings us to the end of today's episode.

I do hope you found it useful.

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Until next time, take very good care and goodbye.