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.

by Christina Rossetti

What is pink? a rose is pink
By a fountain’s brink.
What is red? a poppy’s red
In its barley bed.
What is blue? the sky is blue
Where the clouds float thro’.
What is white? a swan is white
Sailing in the light.
What is yellow? pears are yellow,
Rich and ripe and mellow.
What is green? the grass is green,
With small flowers between.
What is violet? clouds are violet
In the summer twilight.
What is orange? Why, an orange,
Just an orange!

---

• Color

by Sara Coleridge

The oak is called king of trees,

The aspen quivers in the breeze,

The poplar grows up straight and tall,

The peach tree spreads along the wall,

The sycamore gives pleasant shade,

The willow droops in watery glade,

The fir tree useful timber gives,

The beech amid the forest lives.

---

Read-Aloud Poems, 120 of the world’s best-loved poems for parents and child to share, Edited by Glorya Hale

zip up

I was trying to zip up my coat when some material jammed in the zipper. - Beyond Phrasal Verbs for ESL Learners, Mastering English Phrasal Verbs in Context, by Thmoas A. Celentano

drop off

On the way to work I dropped my daughter off at school.

The postman dropped off a package at our house.

pick up

The train picked up the passengers at 3 pm.

bring up

The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives.

Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up.

brain drain

A U.S. brain drain could be Canada’s brain gain