Plain English
Episodes
A Wimbledon without rankings points | Learn the phrasal verb ‘hand out’
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Wimbledon is the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, but this year, players won’t earn any points towards their world rankings by com...
Just how big is the world’s largest plant? | Learn the phrasal verb ‘look into’
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" The world’s largest plant was recently discovered off the western coast of Australia. The plant is a ribbon weed that researchers estimate to be a...
A royal party for 70 years as Queen | Learn the English expression ‘look down on’
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in the over 1,000-year history of the United Kingdom. She has been Queen of the U.K. for 70 years...
Unlock the hidden features of Google Maps | Learn the English expression ‘brand-new’
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Google Maps, the world’s most popular mapping application, is known for helping people get from one place to another. But did you know that the ap...
The American UFO craze | Learn the English expression ‘raise the stakes’
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"The US government has kept a running list of UFO sightings since the 1940s, and until recently, the list was kept secret. Today, we’re talking abou...
What’s the best hard seltzer? | Learn the English expression ‘take the plunge’
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" In Tuesday’s lesson, we talked about how hard seltzers have become one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the US in just the last few year...
Hard seltzer industry isn’t fizzling out anytime soon | Learn the English expression ‘fit the bill’
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Hard seltzers burst on the scene just a few years ago, and now they are one of the most popular drink options among Americans. Hard seltzers are mar...
Updates on Covid companies, Djokovic, NFTs, and more | Learn the English expression ‘to have a history of’
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Today, we review the latest news on six previous topics: how the Covid business winners are doing two years later, Novak Djokovic’s return to comp...
Buy now, pay later: what could possibly go wrong? | Learn the English expression ‘egg someone on’
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Buy now, pay later started as an option for people without credit cards to pay for big purchases, like furniture or airline flights, in installments...
The rise of buy now, pay later | Learn the English expression ‘think twice’
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Buy now, pay later is on the rise as Americans learn to love the Brazilian way to pay. People without credit scores and credit cards are able to spr...
A new highway across South America | Learn the phrasal verb ‘work on’
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" A new highway will connect the landlocked regions of South America to the Pacific Ocean, and the first link from Paraguay was just completed. South ...
A dog's personality is more than its breed | Learn the English phrasal verb 'bring back'
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Labrador Retrievers are friendly; pit bulls are aggressive; poodles are playful. These generalizations are often true, but a new study shows that a ...
Timeline of Musk's Twitter takeover | Learn the English expression 'come up with'
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla, SpaceX, and other companies, surprised the business world by offering to buy Twitter, a publicly-traded...
Turkey is getting a name change | Learn the English expression ‘turn the tables’
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Turkey, the country, officially changed its English name. If you Google “Turkey,” chances are there will be a mix of search results: everything ...
Poland has been a friendly neighbor to Ukraine | Learn the phrasal verb ‘ride out’
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" As the situation in Ukraine gets increasingly dire, Ukrainians are leaving the country in droves. Five million people have already left the country....
The good and the bad of company mission statements | Learn the phrasal verb ‘come away’
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Company mission statements are supposed to articulate what a company does and how it helps the world. Ideally, mission statements should send a posi...
The search for meaningful work | Learn the English expression ‘day-to-day’
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Covid prompted many employees to take a step back from the endless emails and Zoom calls and reevaluate what they want out of their jobs. Many peopl...
‘Succession’ gives us a different angle of the rich | Learn the English expression ‘to curry favor with’
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" ‘Succession’ is all about media mogul Logan Roy and his children, who are all trying to succeed him as CEO of the family company. Instead of env...
Volodymyr Zelensky: actor turned President turned war hero | Learn the English expression ‘stand out’
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Volodymyr Zelensky has emerged as the surprising hero of Ukraine’s resistance efforts, but his resume might surprise you. Before he was Ukraine’...
Passwordless authentication is the future | Learn the phrasal verb ‘pass along’
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" An organization dedicated to creating simpler, strong authentication – i.e. killing the password – has published a broad outline of how this wil...
Passwords may be dying a slow death | Learn the phrasal verb ‘fall for’
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" The pattern – for some of us – of setting, forgetting, and resetting passwords might soon be behind us. Passwords are slowly dying out and simpl...
Lost ship found in Antarctica after 100 years | Learn the phrasal verb ‘eat away at’
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Over one hundred years ago, an explorer’s ship sunk off the coast of Antarctica, and amazingly, the entire crew of 28 survived the wreck. Just las...
We’re getting closer to a birth control pill for men | Learn the English idiom ‘shoulder the burden’
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" The University of Minnesota is close to kicking off human trials for a male birth control pill. Researchers have developed a pill for men that was f...
How do animals safely cross highways? | Learn the phrasal verb ‘cut through’
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" The US is investing in more animal overpasses to help wildlife navigate around highways. If you think about it, highways are fast and convenient for...
Ukraine’s not-so-secret weapon in the war | Learn the phrasal verb ‘play out’
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" The Ukraine-Russia war is the first time the world is seeing social media and crowdsourced intelligence having a major impact on the battlefield. Bo...
The hidden costs of inflation | Learn the English expression ‘apples-to-apples’
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Inflation is a hot topic around the world as countries are recording their highest inflation rates in decades. In the U.S., inflation recently hit i...
Birdnesting: the divorce trend where the parents rotate homes | Learn the phrasal verb ‘move on’
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" “Birdnesting” is a co-parenting trend where the kids of divorced or separated parents stay in the same home they had always lived in, and the pa...
Will COVID-19 be with us forever? | Learn the English expression ‘build up’
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" COVID-19 seems to be on the trajectory to becoming an endemic disease, meaning that it follows a regular and predictable pattern. Diseases move from...
A post Russia-Ukraine war world | Learn the English expression ‘set your sights on’
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could spark a complete re-ordering of how the world works. Everything from supply chains to payment systems could cha...
Companies are dropping out of Russia | Learn the English expression ‘take it upon yourself’
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Companies from around the globe are pulling out of Russia in a second wave of voluntary sanctions. These go above and beyond the government sanction...
The US and EU are hitting Russia hard with sanctions | Learn the English expression ‘change of heart’
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" After Russia invaded Ukraine, the West imposed a predictable – and usually ineffective – round of financial sanctions on Russia entities like ba...
The friendly way to divorce | Learn the phrasal verb ‘work through’
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Would you go on a weekend getaway with your partner to finalize a divorce? More and more services are popping up that are aimed at making the divorc...
Canada’s truckers protest vaccine mandate | Learn the English expression ‘in droves’
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Thousands of truckers united to block North America’s busiest international border crossing in protest of Canada’s Covid-19 measures. Canada req...
Spotify, Joe Rogan, and the content moderation wars | Learn the phrasal verb ‘call out’
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Spotify came under fire after Joe Rogan, who has an exclusive podcast deal with the streaming service, spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines...
Elizabeth Holmes: Theranos founder convicted of fraud | Learn the English expression ‘buy into’
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Elizabeth Holmes, the ex-CEO of startup Theranos, was once the talk of Silicon Valley. Her company was on a mission to revolutionize blood testing b...
The ‘right to repair’ movement | Learn the English expression ‘down the line’
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" The “right to repair” movement is a consumer-led movement that wants to force companies like Apple and John Deere to provide parts and knowledge...
The SAT exam is going all digital | Learn the English expression ‘just in case’
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" The SAT exam is a standardized test high-schoolers in the United States take in preparation for college. It has always been administered the old-sch...
Immersive Van-Gogh is a no-Gogh | Learn the English expression ‘turn off’
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" As we covered in last week’s lesson, there is a lot of hype surrounding multi-sensory art exhibits. The immersive Van Gogh exhibit is especially p...
Turkmenistan might be closing its Gates of Hell | Learn the phrasal verb ‘burn off’
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" The Gates of Hell, a huge crater in Turkmenistan that has been burning for 50 years, is the country’s biggest tourist attraction. But now, they ar...
Immersive art exhibits are the modern museum | Learn the English expression ‘breathe new life into’
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Immersive art exhibits are exploding in popularity around the globe. These exhibits allow people to experience art in a new, modern, and immersive w...
Volcanic eruption cut off Tonga from the world | Learn the phrasal verb ‘turn back’
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Last month, a massive undersea eruption cut off Tonga from the rest of the world. Just one undersea cable connects the small island nation to the ou...
Gaming addiction is now an official medical diagnosis | Learn the English expression ‘put ahead of’
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" The World Health Organization added gaming addiction to its list of disorders, meaning people can now officially, and medically, be addicted to play...
Novak Djokovic deported from Australia | Learn the English expression ‘on the eve of’
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Novak Djokovic was poised to compete for his tenth Australian Open championship. If he won, he also would have held the title for the most Grand Sla...
Egypt is building a swanky new capital city | Learn the English expression ‘from scratch’
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Egypt is moving its capital city and most government functions to a new city. The plans for the unnamed capital are impressive, and include construc...
The technology that powers Teslas | Learn the English expression ‘take care of’
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" There are three things that make Teslas’ technology unique: the user experience, the auto driving features, and over-the-air updates. We took a Te...
Behind the wheel of a Tesla test drive | Learn the English expression ‘check the boxes’
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Have you ever wondered what it’s like to take a Tesla out for a spin? It has all the ordinary features of a luxury car, plus all of the benefits –...
The direct-to-consumer email newsletter revolution | Learn the English expression ‘spring up’
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" E-mail is one of the oldest ways to communicate on the Internet, and it’s making a comeback in media. E-mail newsletters are on the rise as consum...
The winners of the digital media revolution | Learn the English expression ‘eat into’
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" The internet era completely changed the media industry. The internet affected all news outlets, but print newspapers probably took the biggest hit. ...
Destination Boston: New England’s history hub | Learn the English expression ‘founded in’
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Boston, Massachusetts is one of the oldest cities in the United States, and it’s chock-full of history to show for it. The city also has lots of c...
Pandemic supercharged the mental health movement | Learn the phrasal verb to ‘open up’
06 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" Mental health and wellness has historically been a fairly taboo topic. But the pandemic supercharged the mental health movement and made it much mor...
The electric vehicle charging station revolution | Learn the English expression ‘have the luxury’
03 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
" At some point, you have probably waited in line to fill up a car at a gas station. Well, imagine that scenario at an electric vehicle charging stati...
A very big fuss over a little French word, “iel” | Learn the phrasal verb ‘point out’
30 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" The gender-neutral pronoun, “iel,” was recently added to the French dictionary, and is meant to be used when you don’t want to specify the gen...
UAE has new weekend plans | Learn the phrasal verb ‘decide on’
27 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" The UAE announced that it’s changing its weekend from Friday-Saturday to Saturday-Sunday to match the western world. Friday has historically been ...
The many uses of QR codes | Learn the phrasal verb ‘fill out’
23 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" QR codes have a variety of uses in the modern economy. They help us do everything from purchasing train tickets to getting COVID tests. The technolo...
‘Red’ (Taylor’s Version) is changing music industry contracts | Learn the English expression ‘take something lying down’
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Taylor Swift rerecorded and rereleased her 2012 album ‘Red,’ and it’s making a statement across the music industry. The difference isn’t nec...
The rise of QR codes | Learn the English expression ‘the naked eye’
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
QR codes have exploded in popularity in recent years. The codes are integrated in ordering at restaurants, getting vaccines at COVID testing centers, ...
Pancake enthusiasts, fear not! Canada avoids a global maple syrup shortage | Learn the English expression ‘tap into’
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" A weaker maple syrup harvest this year put Canada in a bit of a sticky situation. As the world leader in maple syrup production, Canada had to tap i...
Angela Merkel’s lasting legacy in Europe | Learn the phrasal verb ‘step aside’
09 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Angela Merkel has been the German chancellor since 2005. Since then, the world and Europe have endured the global financial crisis of 2008, Britain ...
End of the Angela Merkel era for Germany | Learn the English expression ‘preside over’
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Germany is preparing to say goodbye to Angela Merkel, its center-right Chancellor of the past sixteen years. Her upbringing and academic studies see...
Portugal bans bosses texting employees after hours | Learn the English expression ‘stick to’
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Portugal’s parliament passed a new law that gives employees a “right to rest.” In practice, this means that bosses are no longer legally permi...
The end of one conglomerate era, and the beginning of another | Learn the English expression ‘at first glance’
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Big companies like Johnson & Johnson, Toshiba, and General Electric are breaking into smaller companies. In many cases, the smaller companies focuse...
The five-star rating system isn’t working | Learn the English expression ‘rave about’
25 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Leaving a five-star review has become customary for any experience that is excellent, good, average, or even acceptable, and anything below five-sta...
New COVID-19 treatment that comes in a pill bottle | Learn the English expression ‘a step forward’
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Merck and Pfizer have developed antiviral pills that are effective at reducing COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. Pfizer also pledged to make the...
Vertical farming is on the rise | Learn the English expression ‘take up space’
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Vertical farming is a new way to farm that is done all indoors and – get this – doesn’t require any soil. There are many advantages to vertica...
First successful pig-to-human kidney transplant | Learn the phrasal verb ‘hook up’
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Scientists temporarily attached a pig kidney to a human, and it worked for 54 days. This has the medical world excited and optimistic about the poss...
Hello, you’ve reached the Bogota Anti-Machismo Calm Line | Learn the English expression ‘root cause’
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Bogota launched an anti-machismo “Calm Line” hotline to help men manage feelings that can lead to abuse. The pilot program launched last Decembe...
The global supply chain has had better years | Learn the English expression ‘stay afloat’
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" The global supply chain has had a rough couple of years. First, of course, there was the pandemic. Then, the container ship got stuck in the Suez Ca...
A volcano in Spain has been erupting for a month | Learn the English expression ‘at risk of’
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" The Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma in Spain has been erupting for a month, and unfortunately, it shows no signs of stopping. The ful...
Part 2: the three-way international prisoner exchange | Learn the English expression ‘go out of your way’
01 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" The U.S., China, and Canada came to an agreement to release three high-profile international prisoners. Last week’s lesson #411 covered how Meng W...
Meng Wanzhou and the two Michaels finally return home | Learn the English expression ‘against your will’
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Meng Wanzhou, Michael Spavor, and Michael Kovrig are three people that got tangled up in the American-Chinese rivalry. They all have something in co...
Inside Facebook going dark for six hours | Learn the phrasal verb ‘cut off’
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Earlier this month, Facebook and its entire portfolio of apps went dark for six hours. For most people, it was a minor inconvenience to not be able ...
An unpredictable flu season is upon us | Learn the English expression ‘come to pass’
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Flu season was a breeze last year, largely because everyone stayed home and wore masks. But that is putting experts in a tricky and unpredictable si...
An unpredictable flu season is upon us | Learn the English expression ‘come to pass’
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Flu season was a breeze last year, largely because everyone stayed home and wore masks. But that is putting experts in a tricky and unpredictable si...
Updates on the Britney Spears conservatorship, Havana syndrome, and more | Learn the English expression ‘stack up’
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" This lesson reviews the latest updates on previous Plain English topics: Britney Spears’ conservatorship legal battle with her father; Havana synd...
El Salvador bets big on Bitcoin | Learn the English expression ‘stretched thin’
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Earlier this summer, El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, announced that El Salvador would be the first country to adopt Bitcoin as a legal curr...
COVID travel: how I traveled to five countries | Learn the English expression ‘in order’
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Are you thinking about taking an international trip? I just got back from a vacation to five European countries. Each country had different and cons...
International travel in the COVID era | Learn the English expression ‘to get back on your feet’
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Do you need to be vaccinated, get tested, or quarantine to travel internationally? Short answer: it depends. Each country has its own set of rules t...
Disney World celebrates its golden anniversary | Learn the expression ‘come to fruition’
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Walt Disney World, the most-visited theme park in the world, is turning 50 years old. To celebrate, the park has planned the “World’s Most Magica...
6 key ingredients to a good apology | Learn the expression ‘put your money where your mouth is’
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" We all know what a bad apology sounds and feels like, the non-apologetic apologies. It’s easy for apologies to miss the mark, so how do we craft s...
4 chocolate pairings to satisfy your sweet tooth | Learn the English expression ‘hear me out’
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" If you walk down the candy aisle in a grocery store, there are endless chocolate bar options: dark, milk, white, salted, fruity, you name it. Today’...
Flip or flop? Samsung releases modern flip phone | Learn the English expression ‘hold up’
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Flip phones were popular in the early 2000s, but Samsung wants to bring them back. They just released the Galaxy Z Flip 3, a modern flip phone with ...
Part 2: Inside the 9-11 Museum's extensive collection | Learn the expression ‘go to great lengths’
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" The September 11 Museum has a wide-ranging collection of artifacts, including architectural remnants, recovered artifacts, and electronic media. The...
Part 1: September 11 Memorial and Museum honors victims | Learn the English expression ‘strike a balance’
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Last week, lesson 397 discussed what happened on September 11, 2001. In part 1 of 2 lessons, today covers the Ground Zero Museum and Memorial in New...
20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks | Learn the English expression ‘wrest control’
09 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" September 11, 2001 is a day Americans will never forget. Americans that were alive at the time have moments that stuck with them, like where they we...
Streaming services are the new musical gatekeepers | Learn the English expression “light on”
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" In the past, artists needed record labels and agents to promote their music and try to land radio spots. Now, with streaming services like Spotify a...
“Stillwater” movie tells a different Amanda Knox story | Learn the English expression ‘inspired by’
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" The new movie “Stillwater” stars Matt Damon and Camille Cottin. The movie is inspired by the real-life crime story about Amanda Knox, the Americ...
A Messi breakup for football star and FC Barcelona | Learn the English expression ‘bid farewell’
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Lionel Messi is one of the greatest footballers of all time, and he’s spent his entire career thus far with FC Barcelona. He moved to Barcelona at...
Webtoons are the comics for the 21st century | Learn the English expression ‘identify with’
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Comics and cartoon drawings date back to the 1800s. Until recently, comics were typically published in newspapers or books and tell a story over tim...
Japan’s Olympic-sized disaster | Learn the English expression ‘back away from’
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Japan drew the short straw with hosting the 2020-turned-2021 Olympic Games. Under pressure from the International Olympic Committee, Japan hosted th...
100-year-old American food brands that are still in business | Learn the English expression ‘still around’
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Several American food brands have been around for over a century, including a coffee brand from 1850 and a condiment that dates all the way back to ...
Delta variant is giving Americans whiplash | Learn the English expression ‘out of the woods’
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Several American food brands have been around for over a century, including a coffee brand from 1850 and a condiment that dates all the way back to ...
Judge Judy is hanging up her gavel after 25 years | Learn the phrasal verb ‘abide by’
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" “Judge Judy” is an American daytime courtroom television show that’s been airing for over 25 years. The popular show attracts 10 million Ameri...
Reasons for Covid vaccine hesitancy | Learn the English expression ‘pale in comparison’
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" The Delta variant is rapidly spreading throughout the globe, and it’s causing a higher percentage of hospitalizations and serious cases than the o...
A skilled Belgian sniper was on the loose for 35 days | Learn the English expression ‘swept up in’
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" Jürgen Conings was a Belgian soldier that stole military weapons and set off a massive 35-day manhunt in May. He was apparently radicalized by far-...
Richard Branson wins the billionaire space race | Learn the English expression ‘on the way’
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" On July 11, Richard Branson traveled aboard his own Virgin Galactic rocket ship on the first private flight to space. He beat out his billionaire ri...
Is virtual learning for schoolchildren here to stay? | Learn the phrasal verb ‘space out’
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" For at least 100 years, kids have been learning in schools in the same format: a teacher and a class full of students with little technology. Then, ...
China's Communist Party celebrates its 100th birthday | Learn the English expression ‘take place’
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" China’s Communist Party celebrated 100 years in power this month. From its humble beginnings in a house in Shanghai, to strict control over more t...
New York City is experimenting with a new way to vote | Learn the phrasal verb ‘square off’
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" New York City is experimenting with ranked-choice voting, where you rank the candidates in order of your preference. Countries like Australia and Ir...
Condo building tragically collapsed in Surfside, Florida | Learn the phrasal verb ‘act on’
19 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" A fully occupied condominium building in Surfside, Florida tragically collapsed in the middle of the night. Rescue efforts ran into several complica...
Inside the #FreeBritney movement | Learn the English expression ‘raise awareness’
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
" When Britney Spears was 26, she had just gone through a series of personal meltdowns. As a result, her father was legally appointed as her financial...