Plain English
Episodes
Surge of dengue in Latin America (Buy up)
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's story: Dengue fever is a tropical disease spread by mosquitoes. Though it's not deadly in the vast majority of cases, about five percent of pa...
Impressionism turns 150 (Fall into)
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's story: Impressionism, the art movement that celebrates bright colors, thick brushstrokes, and outdoor settings, turns 150 years old this month...
Three big ideas from behavioral science (Stick with (someone))
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's story: "Behavioral science" is the field of studying how humans behave in the real world. Today, take a look at three groundbreaking findings ...
Daniel Kahneman and behavioral economics (Pass away)
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's story: Daniel Kahneman was a trained psychologist who became the ""grandfather of behavioral economics"" with his experiments on human behavio...
Updates on Iceland, Trump, and recent stories (Nod off)
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's story: A corridor of magma below the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland burst to the surface through a series of volcanic eruptions. The Golden Ba...
Quebec is squeezing Montreal's English speakers (Squeezed out)
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's story: Quebec, Canada's only French-speaking province, has long protected its language. But now, some English speakers say the province has go...
Canada's complicated bilingualism (In a pinch)
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's story: Canada is a bilingual country, offering government services in both English and French. But the balance isn't 50-50. French is the domi...
The translator at the center of a sports betting scandal (Caught up in)
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's story: Shohei Ohtani is a superstar baseball player in Los Angeles. Since his arrival in the U.S., he has used a Japanese translator. But the ...
How zoo animals behaved during the eclipse (Quiet down)
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's Story: How do animals behave during a total solar eclipse? It's a difficult question to answer because eclipses are so rare and they don't oft...
Paris's Olympic dream: swimming in the Seine (Run through)
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's story: Swimming has been prohibited in the River Seine for over 100 years, and for good reason: it has been filthy for much of that time. But ...
Chef José Andrés and the Israel-Hamas conflict (Throw yourself into)
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Chef José Andrés is famous for his high-end restaurants. He's also the founder of World Central Kitchen, a charity that helps serve meals to peopl...
Stephen King has been terrifying fans for 50 years (Come together)
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Fifty years ago this month, ""Carrie,"" Stephen King's first novel, was released. It was the first of many, as King became one of the world's best-s...
Massive bridge falls after collision with ship (Fire up)
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" A massive bridge over a river in Baltimore, Maryland, fell into the water last month, after a container ship veered off course and crashed into one ...
The growing popularity of Turkish television (Open to)
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Britain and the United States are the two biggest exporters of television. But the third-biggest may surprise you: Turkey. Long-running Turkish dram...
Cracks are showing in America's real-estate racket (In the best possible light)
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Americans buy and sell millions of homes per year, and about 90 percent of transactions use a real estate agent. But agents in the U.S. charge among...
Will new dry 'tiles' be the future of laundry detergent? (Morph into)
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" First there was powder. Then there was liquid laundry detergent. And then there were laundry ""pods,"" small capsules of pre-measured detergent. But...
Gabriel García Márquez sons publish last book against author's wishes (Cloud your judgment)
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" The Nobel prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez worked on a slim novel called ""Until August"" on and off for decades. In his final years, t...
Podcasting turns 20 years old (Come to mind)
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Twenty years ago, a new computer program let consumers download a feed of audio clips onto their iPod music players. Today, ""podcasting"" serves mi...
Like it or not, it's Biden vs. Trump again (Pass the torch)
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Three years ago, it seemed that neither Biden nor Trump would be on the American presidential ballot in 2024. But now both are, setting up a rematch...
Four questions about weight-loss drugs (Press up against)
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Weight-loss drugs look to figure prominently in the business and health landscape of the future. So today, we take a look at four questions about th...
The perils of going off weight-loss drugs (Slow down)
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Weight-loss drugs like Wegovy have become extremely popular in recent years. Recent studies confirm that patients regain much of the weight they los...
How our lives are different after the pandemic (Stick with)
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Four years ago, our lives changed in an instant. As the immediate danger of the pandemic subsided, we went back to our old habits of eating indoors,...
COVID predictions that never came true (Come true)
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's story: Four years ago, our lives changed in an instant. As the immediate danger of the pandemic subsided, we went back to our old habits of ea...
Meet me at the 'zombie mall' (Put off)
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" What happens to a large shopping mall after the biggest stores close? The mall often stays open in a zombie state: fewer customers, lower quality, a...
The rise and slow fall of the indoor mall (Wander around)
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" The enclosed shopping mall was once the epicenter of suburban social life. But now, the age of the indoor mall is ending. E-commerce and shifting co...
The fate of the penny in 7 currencies (More trouble than it's worth)
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Swiss francs, British pounds, euros, and various kinds of dollars are divided into hundredths. But not all currencies have 1/100th coins. Today, we ...
‘Nearshoring’ in Mexico and eastern Europe (Carve out)
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" If the 1990s and 2000s were about globalization and offshoring, then the 2020s are about ""nearshoring."" Large companies in the U.S. and western Eu...
The winners and losers of Leap Years (Fall on)
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Leap Years come (about!) once every four years. The unusual day can cause havoc for some people, least of all the approximately 5 million who were b...
AM radio goes missing in electric cars (Have something going)
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" AM radio has been around for over a hundred years and one of the most popular places to listen is in the car. Now, though, some carmakers have decid...
British Post Office scandal: a 'miscarriage of justice' (Drop off)
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Thousands of post office workers in the U.K. were falsely accused of accounting fraud--all because of a faulty computer system. Hundreds were falsel...
Correcting bias in academic research (Give in)
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" The world of academic publishing has been shaken by a series of scandals of late. But one idea aims to correct the biases in research. A ""registere...
The dark side of 'publish or perish' (Cross a line)
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Academic researchers are under intense career pressure to publish their findings, a pressure known as ""publish or perish."" While that pressure mea...
More problems for Boeing's 737-MAX (Turn around)
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" A key part blew off the body of a Boeing 737-MAX plane shortly after takeoff, ripping the shirt of a passenger and causing a drop in cabin air press...
Should London's pedicabs be regulated? (Draw the line)
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Pedicabs -- bicycles with fancy carriages on the back -- are popular in London's West End and SoHo. Due to a quirk in London's taxi law, they operat...
Ecuador is living a drug-fueled nightmare (Fill a vacuum)
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Ecuador, nestled between Peru and Colombia on South America's Pacific coast, was once one of the safest countries in the Americas. But now, the it's...
The new six-figure job: prompt engineer (Scratch the surface)
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" If you have a knack for writing the perfect prompt in ChatGPT, then you might want to become a ""prompt engineer."" That's the new job title for peo...
Meet the new neighbor: he's a grizzly bear (Pass down)
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" The grizzly bear population has grown in the western United States, after successful conservation efforts. But that means the bears, which can weigh...
Ikea is heading to the city center (Pick out)
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" Ikea stores are known for being very big and far from the city center. For many shoppers, a trip to Ikea is a full-day event. But now the Swedish fu...
The southern accent is fading away (Fade away)
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" One of the most distinctive English accents is the ""southern accent,"" popular in American states from Texas to Virginia. But younger people are lo...
'Golden Bachelor' shows a new kind of reality: dating over 60 (Angle for)
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" ""The Golden Bachelor"" is a spinoff of the popular ""Bachelor"" reality dating franchise. The show features 72-year-old Gerry Turner and 22 women o...
The backlash against too much tipping (Once in a while)
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" It can be hard to know when to tip in any culture. But tipping has increased in the United States since the pandemic. New touch-screen payment syste...
Theft at the British Museum (Go missing)
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" When a private dealer of gems and jewels noticed a great bargain on eBay, he had no idea that it would eventually lead him to uncover a major scanda...
New York gets serious about its trash (Get rid of)
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" It's an all-too-common sight on the streets of New York City: piles of black garbage bags on the sidewalks, waiting to be collected. America's large...
McDonald's is making changes to its burgers (Fall behind)
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" McDonald's is preparing to roll out big changes to its number-one menu item: burgers. The world's biggest burger chain says it will adjust how its p...
The hard work after a snowstorm (Buy in bulk)
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
" A few inches of snow can be beautiful. But for local governments, it's hard work to clear it and keep everyone moving. Today, we look at everything ...
Six ways to fail (Root cause)
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Failure is part of life. But not everything that goes wrong is the same. Sometimes, we should assign blame. Other times, failure is a good thing. A ...
Drought in Panama complicates canal traffic (In place)
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" The Panama Canal connects Asia and the east coasts of North and South America. Manufactured goods, energy, food, cars, and more all pass through the...
Iceland braces for a volcanic eruption (Up close)
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" A 15-kilometer-long corridor of magma (melted rock) has accumulated just below the Earth's surface in the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland. The accumu...
Battle for sunken treasure off Colombia's coast (Destined for)
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The San José, a Spanish treasure ship carrying gold, silver, and valuable jewelry, sank off the coast of Colombia in 1708. The shipwreck, and its tre...
The new attraction in Las Vegas is a giant ball (Get going)
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" The 'Sphere' is the newest entertainment complex in Las Vegas. It boasts an immersive, wraparound 16K LED screen, haptic seating, and thousands of s...
Can’t sleep 8 hours? There’s still hope (Catch up)
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Most sleep advice focuses on how much sleep you get. And while that's important, a new study also shows that consistency is also important. People w...
SBF: Villain or a careless founder in over his head? | Learn English expression 'in tatters'
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried lasted over a month. During that time, the prosecution called several witnesses that detailed fraud against customers...
The sad story of Sam Bankman-Fried | Learn English phrasal verb 'pay off'
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" After making a fortune trading cryptocurrencies, Sam Bankman-Fried started an exchange called FTX. That, he promised, would be the safest place to t...
Celine Dion is keeping New Zealanders up all night | Learn English expression 'rig together'
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" A subculture of Pasifika people in New Zealand has a strange tradition: playing music through megaphones and loudspeakers. They try to play music as...
Why are movies getting longer? | Learn English expression 'upper hand'
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Oppenheimer. Killers of the Flower Moon. Babylon. What do they have in common? They're all box office hits. And they're all over three hours long. C...
The Twinkie refuses to die | Learn English expression 'try your hand at'
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" The Twinkie is a submarine-shaped yellow cake with a vanilla filling. Invented in 1930, it became one of America's favorite indulgences. After losin...
Super-shoes help propel runners to marathon records | Learn English phrasal verb 'lace up'
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Kelvin Kiptum and Tigst Assefa, respectively, set records for the men’s and women’s marathon this year. But Nike and adidas are also winners. Th...
American football is smitten with Taylor Swift | Learn English expression 'lean into'
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Just when you thought nothing could make American football more popular, Taylor Swift comes onto the scene. She is reportedly dating a football star...
Biden's uphill battle for re-election | Learn English expression 'play into someone's hands'
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" About a year from now, Americans will go to the polls--and they're likely to get a rematch between sitting President Joe Biden and his immediate pre...
Fernando Botero, Colombia’s artist of over-sized subjects | Learn English expression 'call attention to'
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Fernando Botero was Colombia's most famous artist--and his whimsical, rotund figures are famous around the world. By painting everything in exaggera...
The Great Paris Bedbug Battle of 2023 | Learn English phrasal verb 'creep out'
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" A bedbug infestation is spreading across Paris, even affecting the Métro, trains, hospitals and schools--according to social media. But many report...
Surge pricing comes to the pub | Learn English phrasal verb 'cut short'
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" ""Dynamic pricing"": it's when businesses constantly change the price of a product, based on the current demand. We're used to it when booking airli...
The latest on Threads, X, Wagner, Trump and more | Learn English phrasal verb 'settle down'
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" It's time to take a look back and learn the latest on several topics we've talked about in Plain English recently, including ChatGPT, Netflix, Threa...
Is a lab-grown diamond as good as the real thing? | Learn English word 'intangibles'
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Diamond rings, bracelets, and earrings have a timeless beauty. They are in high demand, but they're expensive. But now a combination of forces may h...
Is this the largest animal ever? | Learn English expression 'come as a surprise'
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Scientists in Peru discovered fossils of an enormous whale, which lived about 37 million years ago. Based on the size and density of the fossils, th...
Kidfluencers: big money in a legal grey area | Learn English expression 'on the backs of'
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Child social media influencers--or 'kidfluencers'--can make big money online. But they do so in a legal grey area, where there are few or no rules a...
The kiss that shook Spanish soccer | Learn English phrasal verb 'pile on'
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" The Spanish national team won the women's World Cup in Australia earlier this year. But the stunning victory was quickly overshadowed by a controver...
Life in Mexico: One year later | Learn English phrasal verb 'on hand'
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" There are many similarities between Mexico and the U.S., but there are also some differences that become clear only after living in another place. T...
The 7 design ideas for the new euro bills | Learn English expression 'in-depth'
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" The European Central Bank has identified seven possible design themes for the redesign of its paper bills. Now, European citizens have their say on ...
What should go on the new euro banknotes? | Learn English expression 'hard-pressed'
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" The euro paper currency is over 20 years old. Now, the European Central Bank has started the process of redesigning the banknotes. Many countries pu...
Edible microchips to track authentic Italian cheese | Learn English expression 'bear resemblance to'
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" ""Parmigiano Reggiano"" is a nutty, salty cheese with a 900-year history. Under European rules, only cheese made in a certain region in Italy, and o...
Do you really need 10,000 steps? | Learn English phrasal verb 'capitalize on'
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Pedometers and health apps all recommend we take 10,000 steps a day. Most people fall far short of that number. But is there any magic to it? How ma...
Courts grapple with how to interpret emojis | Learn English expression 'figure that'
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Court cases often hinge on what words mean. But what happens when a dispute involves an emoji? To decide cases or rule on motions, judges often have...
Crisis averted as oil safely offloaded from FSO Safer | Learn English phrasal verb 'go back on'
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" As the oil tanker FSO Safer deteriorated off the coast of Yemen, U.N. diplomats scrambled to get access to the vessel, and to raise the money for a ...
How a rusting oil tanker threatened the Red Sea | Learn expression 'accident waiting to happen'
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" The FSO Safer is an oil storage vessel, meant to store oil waiting to be shipped to the market. But when rebels took over the coast of Yemen, they h...
Employers sour on remote work | Learn English expression 'come full circle'
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Zoom, the teleconferencing company, promised a fully remote future. Employers (and especially employees) embraced the flexible, work-from-anywhere m...
Fish & chips: British comfort food | Learn English expression 'sentimental value'
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" ""Fish and chips"" is the classic British comfort food: sold in to-go stands and fine dining restaurants alike, it's a combination of fried white fi...
Games, rides, and food at the State Fair | Learn English expression 'come home with'
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A "State Fair" is a huge statewide party featuring music, parties, food, games, rides, and more. What started as a way for farmers to show off their l...
The Minors: small towns and the quest for baseball fame | Learn English phrasal verb 'weed out'
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Minor league baseball is a staple of small-town American summers. They're the leagues just below the majors, where developing players try to prove t...
Flags in the English-speaking world | Learn English expression 'in use'
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" We take a look at the flags of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Union Jack (Britain's flag) h...
'Barbie' was just the beginning | Learn English phrase 'get off the ground'
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" ""Barbie"" has grossed over $1 billion at the box office--not a bad debut for Mattel, a toymaker that had never made a feature film before. Now, Mat...
Wine thief swipes bottles worth $600K | Learn English expression 'make off with'
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" A thief drilled a hole into the roof of a California wine store and robbed hundreds of bottles of rare wines and liquors, in one of the biggest wine...
Tony Bennett bridged musical generations | Learn English idiom 'fall apart'
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Tony Bennett's career peaked before the age of rock-and-roll. When new stars burst onto the scene, it seemed like his style of music belonged to the...
Tony Bennett and the 'Great American Songbook' | Learn English phrasal verb 'give way'
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Antonio Dominick Benedetto--later 'Tony Bennett'--had one of the great American entertainment careers. Born in Queens, New York, he rose to fame by ...
Why it's so hot this summer | Learn English phrasal verb 'cool off'
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" For many in Asia, North America, and Europe, the theme of summer 2023 is heat. That's because the jet stream is caught in an unusual pattern that tr...
A look at the world's largest cruise ship | Learn English expression 'set sail'
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Cruise operator Royal Caribbean is making final preparations to launch the ""Icon of the Seas,"" the first in a new class of cruise ships. The ships...
Strong start for Meta's Threads app | Learn English expression 'Get off to a good start'
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, launched a new app designed to compete with Twitter. Threads, as the new app is called, attracte...
Pat Sajak's last spin on 'Wheel of Fortune' | Learn English phrasal verb 'slip up'
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" ""Wheel of Fortune"" is a game show staple in the kitchens of American homes. Three contestants compete to solve word puzzle games, as millions of A...
The war over live video game streaming | Learn English phrasal verb 'roll back'
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" The most popular streaming platforms serve up professional content. But another type of platform focuses on user-generated content. Twitch is famous...
Take a year or two off your age? It's true in South Korea | Learn English expression 'imagine that'
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Age is just a number, but in South Korea, it has been two (or even three) numbers. The country has long maintained a traditional way of calculating ...
Russia shaken by private army mutiny | Learn English expression 'overplay your hand'
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" A private army working for the government of Russia turned on the country's official military last month, taking control of a major city and marchin...
'Titan' captain repeatedly dismissed safety warnings | Learn English expression 'buyer beware'
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Stockton Rush, the founder of OceanGate, was a tireless advocate of the Titan and its carbon-fiber design. He insisted the design was ""way safer"" ...
Titan: another shipwreck in the North Atlantic | Learn English phrase 'off the coast'
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Five people died after their submersible 'Titan' imploded deep in the Atlantic Ocean, hours after they left on an exploratory mission to the site of...
Comic Sans: the font we love to hate | Learn English expression 'play a role in'
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Comic Sans is a typeface that was designed to be used in cartoon quote bubbles and in other childlike, informal situations. But since the font was i...
'The Morning Show': a serious drama with a star-studded cast | Learn phrasal verb 'star in'
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" ""The Morning Show"" on Apple TV+ is about morning network news, a light-hearted way to start your day. But the show is anything but fluffy: it's a ...
Fish farming moves to dry land | Learn English expression 'put to use'
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Global fish consumption is rising, but natural fisheries have reached their capacity. Fish farming is typically done in oceans and rivers, near wher...
Colombian kids rescued after surviving Amazon plane crash | Learn English expression 'no trace'
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Colombian military announced the dramatic rescue of four children who survived alone in the Amazon jungle after their plane crashed on May 1. All ...
The hot new trend is an ice-cold bath | Learn English expression 'if all else fails'
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Cold plunges are the new health trend championed by high-fliers and ordinary people alike. By submerging yourself water that's 15 degrees Celsius (o...
What it's like in a low-security federal prison | Learn English expression 'serve time'
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabeth Holmes was a young self-made billionaire entrepreneur until her company was revealed to be a fraud. Now, she's about to serve 11 years in a ...
Kia and Hyundai thefts affect more than just owners | Learn English expression 'spend time'
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
" Thousands of Kia and Hyundai cars are stolen every month in the United States. And while that's distressing and expensive for car owners, many more ...