The Best Present Ever┃Learn American English Pronunciation On the Go

Rachel: Welcome to the Rachel's English Podcast. I am Rachel and this podcast is made especially for  

non-native speakers, to help you learn the phrases and idioms that Americans use while speaking  

natural American English. If you would like a free copy of the transcript of this episode,  

just go to rachelsenglish.com/podcast and search for this episode. As we're in the holiday season  

here in the US, many people celebrate Christmas. It's become a commercialized holiday here in the  

US and even people who don't go to church regularly or don't identify as Christians  

do often exchange Christmas gifts. So,  at the end of the year here, we're going  

to be discussing gifts. And we're going to be talking about the best gifts we've ever gotten.

As we go along, if, uh, interesting vocabulary word, or idiom, or phrasal verb comes up,  

we'll stop and discuss it to try to make  sure that everyone understands how we use  

this in American English. All right, I'm going to sit down here with my husband, David. Let's  

get started. David, do you have any gifts from childhood that are very memorable for you?

David: Yes, I have one time in particular. I  was maybe eight or nine years old, hmm, maybe  

six or seven. And there were two things that I really, really wanted. One was the Atari 2600.

Rachel: And that's a game console?

David: That was a game console. That is one of the originals. Rachel: Is that something that plugged  

into your TV or was it a ... ? David: Right. Rachel: Okay.

David: Yup, plugged into the TV. And I didn't think that I was going to get that. And the  

other one was this, I forget what it was  called. It was like a speak and spell,  

maybe. It had a little keyboard. It was this  self-contained electronic toy that taught you  

about spelling and punctuation that I thought was really cool. Maybe a friend had that. And I,  

I didn't really think that I would get either  of those. They were both stretch gifts and-

Rachel: Stretch gifts?

David: (Laughs)

Rachel: That means something you  don't think you're going to get,  

but you're going to ask for it anyway?

David: Yeah, maybe reach is better. We would use that like if you're applying to college.  

You have a reach school and a school that  you think you might actually get into.

Rachel: And I think you could also say, if you  set goals for yourself like you could have a, an  

easy goal, a challenge goal, and maybe a stretch goal. And a stretch goal would be something you  

don't think you're actually going to be able to achieve, but you set it just to motivate yourself?

David: Yeah.

Rachel: Like my goal this month,  let's say is to lose 2-pounds,  

that's my easy goal. My challenge goal is 6-pounds and my stretch goal would be 10-pounds maybe.

David: Yeah, right.

Rachel: Okay, so this was, a stretch ask. David: Both of these things individually were  

things that I did not think that  my parents would get for me. Um,  

and so we got to Christmas morning and I  opened the speak and spell thing and I just,  

I was freaking out. I could not believe that  I had gotten it. I started playing with it.

Rachel: What does freaking out look like?

David: Just like my jaw dropped  to the ground. I was just shocked,  

so surprised. I could not believe it.

Rachel: Did you get kind of hyper  about it, do you think? David: I  

think I probably got hyper, yeah. Rachel: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

David: I got really happy, I'm sure.

Rachel: Very energized.

David: Energized, smiling, laughing.

Rachel: Maybe there was a lot of, "Oh my God!"

David: Yeah, stuff like that. So, my Christmas was already going to be the greatest Christmas ever,  

because I had gotten this thing. And  then there were couple more presents  

under the tree still. And I opened  it up and the Atari was in there too,  

and (laughs) I almost imploded from  happiness. Like I could not believe my eyes.

Rachel: What's the difference between implode and explode? So explode is the thing that  

happens outward, right? And implode  is the thing that happens inward?

David: (Laughs)

Rachel: Like a building would implode  when it like falls down upon itself. It  

would explode when it gets blown into  bits and pieces that go everywhere?

David: I guess so.

Rachel: Ah-huh.

David: That's a quick physics aside.

Rachel: Okay.

David: Uh, anyway, that was incredibly memorable,  

because the two things that I really,  really wanted, I didn't think I would get  

either. I got both and I was super happy. Rachel: Yeah that's, that's pretty amazing  

when you get your "oh my God" gift and then there is an even bigger "oh my God" gift coming.

David: Yeah.

Rachel: Yeah.

David: That was nuts.

Rachel: This ... That's reminding me of,  um, one year, we had all gotten all of  

our gifts and you know, it was like uh,  a good hall. (Laughs) You know we ... My  

parents always got us a, a pretty good amount of gifts. We would between friends and family,  

we would probably each be opening like  eight gifts each year. So we are pretty  

excited about what we've got, and then there was one more gift that got pulled out. I was  

ten years old and it was a family gift that  my dad bought and it was a video camera.

David: Oh, yeah.

Rachel: It was one of those big ones that goes on  

a shoulder, you know? David: Yeah. Rachel: It's like those full VHS  

tapes would go in. And, uh, we immediately both became film makers, my brother and I.

David: (Laughs)

Rachel: Actually, I was more of an  actress, he was more of the director,  

but we had a lot of fun making like  fictional movies. My dad bought  

it for home movies of course for making  memories of trips and this kind of thing.

David: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Rachel: But my brother and I really used it  for dramatic purposes. I remember one time,  

we were at my cousin's house and we were  making a scary movie that involved a lot  

of fishing line tied to objects to make  them move. (Laughter) And then also, we,  

we put together an outfit and like stuffed it  with other clothes or something. I don't know,  

we made a dummy that we threw off a balcony.

David: Oh my God.

Rachel: Yeah. And the, the worst part of  it is, that movie got erased. David: No.  

Rachel: Yes. My aunt accidentally videotaped something over it. The movie was called,  

"Boo- too." It was a sequel to when my brother and I had done called, "Boo." (Laughter) And  

it's lost forever. Oh my gosh. We can  still remember some of the lines from it.

David: You guys should rerecord it.

Rachel: Like we sometimes, Nikki and I will go,  

"The piece is moving," because there was a  scene where we were playing the game "Sorry."

David: Yeah.

Rachel: And the pieces started moving  around on the board. David: Oh, wow. 

Rachel: Yeah.

David: Oh my God.

Rachel: Yeah. I mean,  

this was an intense film. David: Wow. Rachel: So that was a really memorable gift. And  

actually, the other, I remember another gift that was memorable so much because of the packaging.

David: Hmm.

Rachel: It was given to me by a  friend of the family, Barbara Beynon,  

and she always gave really good gifts.  And this year, she had given me a gift  

that was so small, that I just was so  excited about what could be this small?

David: (Laughs)

Rachel: And it turned out to be a  teeny little Christmas ornaments  

that was really cute that we still  have and we still hang on our tree.

David: Hmm.

Rachel: But the thing that just really got me  was how interesting that size was. And that  

makes me want to, um, think about that when I'm giving gifts to kids in the future, how can we  

make it extra enticing and interesting by the size or something about the way it's wrapped.

David: So it was a tiny little  package, but it was wrapped?

Rachel: Yeah, it was just ... It was like  an inch by an inch by a half-inch maybe.  

David: And wrapped in the traditional  way with the flaps on the side of them?

Rachel: Yeah. And it was yeah, wrapped  in Christmas paper. Uh, I don't think  

it had a bow on it, but it might have had a tag.

David: Hmm.

Rachel: But I was just taken by that.

David: That's fun. You know, your gift, the  family gift that your dad got you guys then  

recently he's digitized some of those movies and he just gave his siblings a gift of that footage.

Rachel: Yeah, he gave them-

David: That's pretty cool.

Rachel: ... a flash drive and it had on it an  interview that they did with my grandparents  

when my grandparents were in their late 80s, early 90s, just talking about their lives.

David: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Rachel: My aunts sat down with them and  interviewed them and my dad taped it. And  

that's really awesome. That's something that I want to do with some of my audio and video  

equipment is get some of the stories  that the family passes around on tape,  

because I don't want to have  to try to remember them all.

David: Yeah.

Rachel: It's funny that we still use the  term "on tape" when everything is digital  

now. David: Yeah, I was thinking of that too. Rachel: Yeah, on my hard drive.

David: There you go.

Rachel: Backed up. You know I think, when we think about gifts, we often think about childhood. What  

about any gifts that you've received as an  adult that have been exceptional or memorable?

David: Yeah, I was thinking about that too.  Childhood comes to mind. I think the ... those  

presents under the tree, that was just you know, they stood out so much in, in our memory. But  

another great birthday that I had was when  I turned 40. And you know, we invited all of  

my family and ton of friends to our house. And the gift was not an actual gift, but having all  

those people in the room at the same time was so much fun. And you know we had good food, and just  

people hanging out and being around. That's, uh, that's one of my birthday highlights for sure.  

Rachel: Yeah, that was a really fun, a really fun evening and day. And I remember feeling really  

happy that it worked out like that, because I was seven months pregnant and I was not up to  

coming up with an amazing gift idea. And it's the 40th birthday. That's a big deal. So I was  

really glad that we had that idea and that you kind of also took on some of the planning that  

maybe I normally would have done if I had  more energy and was feeling more up to it.

David: So, what, what do you mean  40 is a big deal? Rachel: You mean  

what does big deal mean? David: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Rachel: It means, uh, out of the  ordinary and important. It's like  

39th birthday, not a big deal. You know, I also use the phrase,  

"Up to it. I didn't feel up to it. I  didn't feel up to throwing you a big party,  

because I was really physically drained by  being pregnant." So if you're feeling up to it,  

that means, okay you have the energy  and the time to put forth the effort  

to do something. If you're not feeling up to  it, then it means you don't. So for example,  

I could say, "You know David, I know we  are planning on going out to eat tonight,  

but I'm just not up to it. I'm feeling tired. Can we eat in instead?" We could use it like that.

David: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Rachel: It can be something major. "I'm  not up to switching jobs right now. I'm  

just going to stay here even though I'm not that happy." Or you can use it for something minor,  

"Hey, are you up to dinner out  tonight?" "Sure, that sounds great."

David: Yup.

Rachel: For me, I had a great birthday gift  also when I was pregnant. So David and I have  

birthdays that are only 25 days apart, both in November. I'm the 5th, and he's the 30th. And so,  

Stoney was due at the end of December, so that one year where David turned 40, I was also  

very pregnant on my own birthday and was not sure you know, what I was feeling up to. Uh,  

and then also knowing that this was going to be my last birthday without being a mom. And David did  

something really special. We had been in New York, was it just the weekend before visiting Renee?

David: Well, I don't remember that.

Rachel: We had been in New York  I think the weekend before and  

David had brought a wad of cash, that  he’d passed off to my friend Renee,  

a wad being, uh, like a big  ball, a chunk, a wad of cash.

David: Mm-hmm (affirmative) Rachel: He gave it to my friend Renee,  

so that she would have it. And then he and  Renee over the course of the week or the  

couple weeks before had been looking at cultural events. David knows I'm big into the performing  

arts. And so they had chosen a symphony  and had emailed a bunch of my girlfriends  

in New York and got everyone who was free to come to the symphony. Um, but before that,  

we were going to do dinner. Not everyone  could go to the symphony. And before that,  

we were meeting at this chocolate  shop, but I didn't know any of this.

So, the day of my birthday, my friend Krista  here in Philly, has asked me to go to lunch,  

which is part of the rouse, which is, what  does that word mean? Um, the set-up, the ...

David: The conspiring.

Rachel: Yeah, the conspiracy to get me to New York  

without me knowing it. David: rouse or rouse? Rachel: You know, that's a really good question.  

David: I'm going to go rouse. Let's check. Rachel: Okay, it's pronounced  

rouse. David: Nailed it. Rachel: No, I said it with an S.

David: What?

Rachel: I said rouse.

David: I nailed it.

Rachel: Yeah, you nailed it.

David: One in every hundred times I get one right and you get it wrong. Rachel: This  

brings up an interesting point.  First of all, nailed it means got  

it. David: (Laughs) Rachel: Did it.

David: I was right.

Rachel: Did it well. Um, and then the other  thing is this word is spelled R-O-U-S-E. So,  

a word ending in S-E can go either way, mouse is an S, but rose is a Z. So, you don't always know  

how something is pronounced. Now, I should have known this, so I feel like I've heard  

this a number of times. I just, I guess  I wasn't paying close enough attention,  

but the thing that I find interesting is that  you can know a word well by having read it,  

but it might be a word that's used more  in writing than an actual conversation.

David: Hmm.

Rachel: And so you're not really sure how  it's pronounced. And this is something that  

even Americans, even someone like me  who focuses so much on pronunciation  

will run into problems where  we are mispronouncing words.

David: Right.

Rachel: Actually, just this past Thanksgiving, we were with my dad's side of the family,  

and my cousin brought a game called, "Taboo."  And they were calling it, "Taboo." So they are  

putting a schwa in the first syllable to, and I was putting the ah vowel, ta. We were both doing  

the same stress and I was kind of making fun of them for calling it taboo and they're like,  

"That's how the word is pronounced." And I  said, "No, it's taboo." So I looked it up  

and both pronunciations are acceptable, but actually the schwa is more common. And I was  

surprised because I felt like I had not heard  it that way, but you know, again, I mean it's,  

it's not uncommon for me to be looking up a word. It happens every so often where I'm not sure about  

the pronunciation or someone else and thinks it's different and we have to look it up to see.

David: Yeah, and I think it's also ... You know,  

what we just did there was kind of had fun  with it. Like let's each place our bets.

Rachel: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

David: And take our guesses on which way  it's pronounced. That makes it kind of fun.

Rachel: Yeah, but then someone is right and someone is wrong, and you were right and now  

I feel bad. (Laughs) Okay anyway, back to the, the whole point. So Krista invited me out for lunch.

David: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Rachel: And at this lunch, I got a  phone call from David. And David said,  

"Krista has something for you." So  Krista pulls out this train ticket.

David: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Rachel: And he says, "Go home. Pack up real quick. Krista's going to take you to the train station. 

You're going to New York." So  I was like, this is amazing,  

because New York is my favorite place on earth.

David: (Laughs) Rachel: We live in  

Philadelphia, so it's not a big ... It's  not a long train ride. Krista took me home. 

I packed up a quick overnight bag. He said I was staying with my friend Renee and we headed,  

she took me to the train station. And on  the way up. So David said, "You're to be  

at LA Burdick," which was one of my favorite places in New York. It's not there anymore,  

but it's a chocolate shop. He said, "Go to LA Burdick at 5:00." And so I knew I was going to  

have some extra time. So on the way on the train, I booked a massage that was heaven.

David: (Laughs)

Rachel: And then, I walked to  LA Burdick and as I'm walking,  

I'm like two blocks away. Maybe I'm even on the block, and I turned a corner and I'm walking and  

up behind me walks one of my best friends in the whole world, "Beads." And she was like,  

"Hey, Beads." Beads is the nickname she calls me and I call her. Her actual name is Lynn.  

And I was like, "Oh my God, Beads, hi." And  so we walked to LA Burdick together where-

David: (Laughs) Did she tell you  at that point? Rachel: I mean,  

I knew what was going on. David: Yeah.

Rachel: I assumed I was going to be meeting some  

people there. David: Right, okay. Rachel: And, um, Renee was there,  

HaQuyen shows up, Hill comes, Lori comes, and just over the course of the next half hour like it was  

so exciting seeing who was going to walk in the  door next. And I didn't know who had been invited.

David: Right.

Rachel: And I ... But I mean, uh, I  obviously, I had a pretty good guess,  

but it was just excitement every time a  new friend walked in the door. And we-

David: You just used "walk in the door" twice,  

which is funny. Rachel: Why? David: Because that's ... It's  

not a doorway. That would make sense,  but walk in the door? Rachel: Yeah. 

David: It was like, why  would you walk into a door?

Rachel: Right. Well, it's not into. It's not  through, but you're right. She walked in the  

door. That is a phrase we use for "entered the room." So we had our chocolate. Then we went and  

grabbed some tacos, ate them in the park,  and then we went to the symphony. And I  

stayed the night with Renee, came home the next morning, and it was just so much fun.

David: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Rachel: That was a great birthday gift,  David. David: (Laughs) That was fun to plan. 

Rachel: You know, experiences really rank  high in birthday gifts for me. David: Yeah. 

Rachel: Well, actually, I, um, a couple times  recently, I've been with people and I have asked  

them about a memorable gift. So let's listen to what a couple other people have to say. This  

first one is Eliot Friesen who was on a recent podcast. He's an IELTS test expert at Magoosh.  

And because I had him miked up already for that podcast, I went ahead and asked him this question,  

because I knew I wanted to do a podcast  on this topic at the end of the year.

Eliot: Well, I'm not sure if this is the best gift I've ever gotten, but a gift that was memoral-,  

memorable for me recently. Uh, so my wife and I have two small kids and I recently got, uh,  

a weekend to hangout with some college friends as sort of a gift of time that I got. And you know,  

as I found that, the further I get away from  college, the harder and harder it has been to  

get to, together with those old friends and  to find time to do those kinds of things.  

And so that was ... That's one of the, the,  really the best gifts I've gotten recently  

was just the opportunity to sort of take a  weekend away, uh, from family obligations or  

other things we were doing and reconnect  with some people I hadn't seen before.

So, that, that, that stands  out as something recently that,  

that my wife has sort of taken on, because  she of course had to stay at home and,  

and spend a long weekend with the  kids and everything. So, (laughs).

Rachel: So David, Eliot just said  the wo-, the phrase, "Stand out."  

It really stands out ... David: Hmm. Rachel: ... as an amazing gift. So,  

when something stands out, this is a phrasal verb and we use it to mean is very memorable  

or as more noticeable. It's usually a positive thing. So if something stands out as being  

better than something else, although I guess you could also use it negatively if you're talking  

about something that's not good. Well, this  one really stands out as one we don't want.

David: Yeah, I think you ... I think  it can go positive or negative, yeah.  

Rachel: So it just means, um, makes itself known for being more of something, more attractive. 

Oh, this one really stands out. This is a  really attractive offer. More attractive,  

worse, better, whatever, you name the  adjective. Whatever you're talking about  

if there's one that is more than the others  and you can say, "This one really stands out."

David: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Rachel: If you say someone  stands out from a crowd,  

that's a positive. David: Mm-hmm (affirmative) Rachel: They're more noticeable, maybe more  

attractive, more beautiful, better dressed,  whatever. Also, when my cousin Brooke was recently  

with us, I asked her about a gift. And she also talked about the idea of experiences. You know,  

we're talking about experience gifts. Eliot just talked about an experience gift, a gift of time.  

And Brooke also talked about an experience gift. So I really think there is a theme here,  

especially for adults when opening something, like the excitement of opening something isn't  

quite there. I think experience gifts become even more meaningful. Let's listen to Brooke's answer.

Brooke: Um, well I think, uh, in the most  recent years, my parents have begun to give our  

family experiences as gifts as opposed to like physical items. And last Christmas, they, um,  

told us that they were going to take us on  a weekend ski trip close by our house. And  

so that was memorable and it was, um, very significant to us, because we got to spend  

time with my parents. We got to spend time with one another having fun. We were outdoors. Um,  

and then it was also something that I didn't  have to keep track of like a present and, um,  

you know, feel guilty if we weren't using it. It was an experience we all enjoyed and appreciated.

Rachel: I like that. I read somewhere  recently that when they do research on  

like happiness and spending and stuff,  that people tend to have more happiness  

associated with spending on experiences  rather than actual physical objects.

Brooke: I think that makes good  sense. I mean, the more, um,  

there's probably a threshold of physical items that help you feel comfortable in your home or  

wherever you live. But then I think beyond  that, really more stuff in your house and  

more gifts that your given sometimes it feels like it's just weighing you down that you can't  

do what you want to in your life, because  you're so worried about all your stuff.

And so experiences, that makes good  sense to me that you experience it,  

you live it, you have the memories, and  then it lives kind of in your heart,  

in your memory as opposed to  sitting in a corner in your house.

Rachel: Right. That memory lives with you forever  

whereas the thing you probably get  rid off at some point or it breaks.

Brooke: Yup. Rachel: I think one thing about my cousin Brooke  

is she has three kids, so I can see how reducing the amount of physical gifts and things that are  

brought into the house really matters, because you know, her kids are all making stuff at school,  

buying stuff for this activity, these toys, these books. And when you multiply that by three kids,  

I think that probably really adds up. When  something adds up, that means it might become  

more than you expect. For example, you could say, "Well, I have one coffee every day," and  

it doesn't ... It's not a lot of money, but  over a, a whole year, that really adds up.

David: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Rachel: All right, well that wraps up this  episode of the Rachel's English Podcast. David,  

thanks for sitting down with me and  discussing some memorable gifts.

David: You're welcome.

Rachel: Once again, if you would like a  copy of the transcript for this podcast,  

you can get it at rachelsenglish.com/podcast.  Just search for this episode. It's absolutely  

free to download. And as we close out 2017, I'm wishing everyone a really happy holiday  

season and I hope you get the gift of your  dreams this year. If you have some time,  

please head over to the iTunes store to rate and review this podcast. I do read all the reviews and  

I love hearing what people think of the podcast. And even better, it would be a great gift to me  

if you would share an episode of the podcast with your friends, family, on social media,  

say why you like it and hopefully we can  get even more people enjoying this podcast.

That's it guys. Until next week.