cruise

cruise

noun

• especially : a tour by ship

We went on a weeklong cruise down the Yangtze River.

They went on a cruise for their honeymoon.

Bruce Anchor Cruises

yacht

yacht

noun

For the past 18 months, orcas have been attacking boats and yachts in the Mediterranean Sea near the Strait of Gibraltar. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 30 June 2023

surfboard

surfboard

noun

deck chair

flip-flop

flip-flop

noun

snorkel

snorkel

noun

Additionally, each lagoon has areas for kayak, paddle board, floating tube and snorkel gear rentals. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 July 2025

palm

palm

noun

pelican

pelican

noun

albatross

albatross

noun

recorder

recorder

noun

Peppa pig learns to play the recorder.

widower

widower

noun

Grief Forum – Loss of a Spouse: An eight-week program for widows and widowers who have lost their loved one. — Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2025

yucky

yucky

adjective

The water was dirty and smelled yucky.

yummy

yummy

adjective

yummy desserts

a yummy meal that is also nutritious

parasol

parasol

noun

There were beach parasols in bright red-and-white stripes. — New York Times, 12 May 2020

pal

pal

noun

We’ve been pals since we were kids.

rub

rub

verb

Don’t rub too hard or you’ll tear the paper.

toss

toss

verb

toss a ball around

noun

They decided what to do by a coin toss.

the toss of a coin

gobble

gobble

verb

gobbled the sandwiches like they hadn’t eaten for days

Gobble breakfast.

nebulous

nebulous

adjective

A lot of philosophical concepts can seem nebulous at first, but a good instructor can cut through the jargon and help students see how they apply to day-to-day life.

nautilus

nautilus

noun

Nautilus shell

dahlia

dahlia

noun

fern

fern

noun

guinea pig

carriage

carriage

noun

scavenge

scavenge

verb

The bears scavenged the woods for food.

scavenger

scavenger

noun

Scanvenger Hunt

somersault

somersault

noun

The gymnast turned a somersault.

wrestle

wrestle

verb

They’ll be wrestling with each other for the championship.

deciduous

deciduous

adjective

maples, birches, and other deciduous trees

the bare branches of a deciduous tree in winter

deciduous trees

sprout

sprout

verb

seeds sprouting in the spring

The tree is already sprouting leaves.

The garden is sprouting weeds.

blossom

blossom

verb

he fruit tree seemed to blossom overnight once the warm spring weather arrived

noun

The cherry blossoms remain a major draw this time of year for Japan. — Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2024

vine

vine

noun

Pinch off the tips of squash and pumpkin vines to force energy into developing fruits instead of growing longer vines. — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Aug. 2025

bud

bud

noun

The bush has plenty of buds but no flowers yet.

a plan still in the bud

bandanna

bandanna

noun

breakdown

breakdown

noun

Both sides are to blame for the breakdown in communication.

parallel bars

plural noun

Greeting People

For greetings at different times of day, use these time tips:

Good morning: use before noon 12:00 P.M.

Good afternoon: use from 12:01 P.M. until approximately 5:00 P.M.

Good evening: use from approximately 5:00 P.M. until midnight 12:00 A.M.

Meeting People

In North America, eye contact is expected and acceptable during a coversation.

Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand. - Thomas Carlyle

Never put off till tomorrow what can be done today. — Mark Twain

It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. — Robert Collier

bite off more than you can chew

I think he’s bitten off more than he can chew taking all those classes.

give someone a shout

I’ll give you a shout when it’s time to leave.

Give me a shout when you’ve finished in the bathroom.

neighborhood

neighborhood

noun

They bought a house in a beautiful neighborhood.

The whole neighborhood heard about it.

block

block

noun

We took a walk around the block.

She lived on our block.

The store is three blocks down on the right.

crowbar

crowbar

noun

The door was swollen shut and workers used crowbars to open it.

folktale

folktale

noun

West African folktales that continue to be passed from generation to generation through storytelling.

haze

haze

noun

The bar was filled with a smoky haze.

I’m good

“How are you doing?” “I’m good, thanks.”

“More coffee?” “No, I’m good, thanks.”

“Would you like anything more to drink?” “I’m good, thanks.”

sea change

The early 2000s witnessed a sea change in public opinion about smoking in public places.

or something

Can I get you a glass of wine or something?

crunch time

with only three minutes left in the game, it was definitely crunch time

stick around

we stuck around afterwards to help clean up

scorch

scorch

verb

scorching sun

resort

resort

noun

a place of popular resort

Cochin is a resort village. People go there on vacation.

amenable

amenable

adjective

The data is amenable to analysis.

whatever you decide to do, I’m amenable—just let me know.

ale

ale

noun

The bar serves two very different ales.

brew

brew

verb

The restaurant also brews its own ginger ale and root beer.

noun

I’ll buy you a brew.

dizzy

dizzy

adjective

The children were dizzy after spinning in circles.

Complex math problems make me dizzy.

looking down from dizzy heights

cumin

cumin

noun

Blend the oil, garlic, ginger, oregano, black pepper, cumin, cloves, cinnamon and tomato paste together until smooth and heat them in a small pan until fragrant. — Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2025

As one of the agency’s best employees, you’ve been selected as a finalist to potentially take on a new top-secret mission. You’ve already shown your aptitude for surveillance and disguise, but the agency is looking to test one last critical skill: how well you can drive. To prove yourself, you’ll need to complete a series of complicated challenges behind the wheel.

As the test begins, you notice that the distances between yourself and the cars around you are being meticulously monitored. One of the most widely recommended strategies when it comes to safe driving is known as defensive driving. It doesn’t mean driving paranoid — but rather, making a conscious effort to anticipate potential errors and accidents. For example, keeping a three-second distance from the car in front of you increases your chances of stopping in time if traffic suddenly halts.

You soon approach your first obstacle: a sudden lane closure. While many assume that good driving etiquette requires them to merge as soon as possible, most safety studies suggest the opposite. Continuing at a consistent speed until you reach the lane end point, and then zipper merging decreases the number of potentially dangerous lane switches. And this doesn’t just improve safety — it also keeps traffic moving. One study found that using signs that encourage drivers to zipper merge can reduce traffic backup lengths by 40%.

Your phone lights up — it’s the agency. Should you pick it up? While it might seem easy to multitask while you drive, most people can’t balance driving with anything else effectively. It’s estimated that 80% of accidents happen when the drivers look away from the road. And just because your hands are on the wheel doesn’t mean you’re not distracted. In one study, drivers who were talking on the phone hands-free had delayed braking reactions and made as many mistakes
as drivers who were intoxicated. And those who think they’re the exception to the rule might be most at risk. People who self-identify as multitasking pros tend to perform worst at tests that require dividing their attention.

Suddenly, a car cuts you off, and your hand instinctively moves towards the horn. You’re not alone — up to a third of drivers report that they’ve acted aggressively on the road, honking or shouting at another driver. Road rage is thought to be sparked by the perception of other drivers as reckless, rude, or even deliberately trying to impede you. And it’s typically exacerbated by personal factors like stress or being in a rush. Some psychologists theorize that we can feel isolated from others while in our cars, and, therefore, somewhat anonymous. This may make us more prone to act aggressively or to even retaliate against other drivers. But being aware of this tendency and practicing relaxation techniques, like taking a deep breath in the moment, can help you avoid these hot-tempered situations.

Finally, you approach your last test: a stop sign. But you don’t see it. You mistakenly cruise through without looking and narrowly miss an accident. Mistakes don’t feel great, but they’re actually a valuable part of learning. This is especially true for new drivers. In one study, participants who practiced using a driving simulator that flagged their errors performed better on subsequent driving tests. And like any skill, becoming an expert driver takes time and practice. After all, controlling a vehicle while properly assessing your surroundings and following the often-complicated rules of the road is no easy feat. A majority of drivers first learn in their teens and early 20s, when the brain is uniquely wired to learn from new experiences and take on risks and challenges. New drivers can take full advantage of this window of opportunity, beginning with short, familiar journeys to build confidence, and then tackling as many different driving conditions as they can.

You arrive back at the agency feeling defeated, but to your surprise, you’re handed an envelope with all the assignment details. While you may have made a few mistakes, it turns out you’re the only agent who can parallel park.

set aside

I set aside two rooms for them.

We set aside a few dollars a month to buy furniture.

key fob

Membership key fob

creep in

A few mistakes crept in during the last revision of the paper.

Believing in yourself can be challenging, especially when self-doubt creeps in.

sacred cow

The old government program has become a sacred cow.

show off

The goal is not to show off AI but to show off how AI can help. — Ewan Spence, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024

circle of friends

So one’s circle of friends grows.

retrieval

retrieval

noun

The system allows quick storage and retrieval of data.

alternator

alternator

noun

The charging system indicator light on indicates the alternator isn’t properly charging the battery, potentially leading to a dead battery and leaving you stranded.

faucet

faucet

noun

don’t forget to turn off the faucet

furnace

furnace

noun

scarecrow

scarecrow

noun

knuckle

knuckle

noun

She rapped her knuckles on the table.

dent

dent

verb

I’m afraid I dented the wall pretty badly when I was hammering in that nail.

Many of the cans were badly dented.

noun

there was a big dent in the car’s hood where something had hit it

dodgeball

dodgeball

noun

Events will tentatively include games of dodgeball, tic-tac-toe, a relay race, punt/catch, move the mountain and quarterback accuracy. — Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025

tournament

tournament

noun

She’s an excellent tennis player who has won many tournaments.

linger

linger

verb

He lingered in bed and missed breakfast.

quintessential

quintessential

adjective

Helen of Troy was supposedly the quintessential beauty of the ancient world.

Daffodils are the quintessential sign of spring’s arrival.

toss

toss

verb

She tossed the ball high in the air.