Plain English
Episodes
Is a drink a day healthy? New research says no | Learn English phrase ‘to put stock in’
03 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A new study published in The Lancet medical journal refutes the myth that having a drink a day is healthy: it’s actually not, say researchers. The n...
TV’s ‘The Big Bang Theory’ to end after 12 years | Learn English phrase ‘to bite the dust’
30 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Big Bang Theory, the longest-running comedy on television and the number-one show in the United States last year, will end after this year. The st...
Britain’s EU exit plan is a mess | Learn how to use ‘figure out’
27 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Though the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union over two years ago, there are still major differences between the UK and EU regarding how ...
Aretha Franklin was the ‘Queen of Soul Music’ | Learn English phrasal verb ‘break out’
23 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Aretha Franklin, a musician whose songs combined themes of feminism, religion, the civil rights movement, and the struggles of being an African Americ...
Implanting a chip in your hand: the new way to pay? | Learn the English phrasal verb ‘show off’
20 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Some brave early-adopters have surgically implanted a microchip in their hands, and are using it to board trains, access their offices, and even pay f...
Airline employee steals plane, flies, and crash-lands | Learn phrasal verb ‘take off’
16 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A ground employee at the Seattle airport stole an empty airplane, took off, flew it for an hour, and finally crash-landed on an island 40 miles away. ...
Video shows panic, bad weather in Mexican plane crash | Learn English phrasal verb ‘sum up’
13 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A plane crashed shortly after taking off from the city of Durango, Mexico, but all 103 people on board survived the frightening ordeal. A passenger’...
Stunning McDonald’s Monopoly scam to be a movie | Learn English phrase ‘at random’
09 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The McDonald’s Monopoly game—the fast-food chain’s most popular promotion—was scammed for over ten years by one man and a small group of assoc...
Video shows Amazon man living with no human contact | How to use ‘much less’ in English
06 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The government of Brazil released a video of a lone indigenous man surviving in the Brazilian state of Rondônia. He was part of an “uncontacted tri...
Fires leave a Greek seaside town in ashes | Learn English phrase ‘flat-footed’
02 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Greece faced its most devastating tragedy in over a decade when a wildfire swept through a seaside town, killing 80 people; destroying 1,500 homes; an...
Study says we stop discovering new music at age 28 | Learn the English phrasal verb ‘settle in’
30 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Recent studies by music streaming services Deezer and Spotify have found that most people reach an age of “musical paralysis.” Younger listeners t...
Rome’s new subway unearths ancient treasures | Learn a new way to use the English word ‘twist’
26 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Rome is building a new subway and archaeologists keep finding hidden treasures buried deep beneath the city. The artifacts range from small tiles and ...
Kitchen robots can now prepare your meals from scratch | Learn English phrase, ‘brace yourself’
23 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Several companies are developing robots to automatically prepare restaurant meals. One California restaurant has a machine that makes a burger start-t...
Movement growing to eliminate plastic straws | Learn English phrase ‘gathering steam’
20 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The movement to eliminate plastic straws is spreading: the UK government plans to ban them and Starbucks has already announced it will re-design its c...
AMLO landslide as Mexico votes for change | Learn English phrase ‘strike a chord’
18 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a populist leader who twice lost presidential races in Mexico, swept to a landslide victory July 1 as Mexicans overwhel...
Second World Cup trophy for France as Croatia falls short in the final
16 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In a high-scoring and at times odd final, France defeated Croatia 4-2 to win its second World Cup in history, putting an end to Croatia’s improbable...
Daring underwater rescue of Thai soccer team trapped in a cave | Learn English phrasal verb ‘fill up’
13 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Twelve boys and their 25-year-old soccer coach were rescued from a cave in northern Thailand after floodwaters stranded them on a ledge for 18 days. T...
Saudi women are finally allowed to drive | Learn English phrasal verb ‘put on’
11 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As part of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s Vision 2030, the government of Saudi Arabia began issuing driver’s licenses to women. Women across t...
Belgium, England look strong ahead of all-Europe semifinals | Learn English expression ‘on the line’
09 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The final four teams are set: they are France and Belgium, who face off on Tuesday, and Croatia and England, who play on Wednesday. Belgium’s golden...
Venezuela is facing a slow-motion societal collapse | Learn English phrase ‘in the face of’
06 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Venezuela is facing a slow-motion societal collapse, as shortages of food, medicine and electricity plague the country; cities are overrun by violence...
Americans celebrate Independence Day today | Learn phrasal verb ‘go off’
04 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Fourth of July! Americans celebrate their nation’s birthday by having parades, watching fireworks displays, setting off their own fireworks, a...
Messi, Ronaldo out; Spain falls in knockout action | Learn phrasal verb ‘shape up’
02 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Two soccer powerhouses fell in their first games in the knockout round of the world cup as Portugal and Argentina fell to Uruguay and France. Russia s...
NYC to retire ubiquitous yellow MetroCards | Learn English phrasal verbs ‘phase in’ and ‘phase out’
29 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
They are a ubiquitous part of live in New York City: the yellow plastic cards with a magnetic stripe called MetroCards are the way New Yorkers board t...
After Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade, remember to connect with those around you
27 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
TV host Anthony Bourdain and fashion pioneer Kate Spade took their own lives this month—Spade in New York and Bourdain in France. Both were successf...
Argentina in trouble, Mexico jubilant in early World Cup action | Learn English expression ‘over the top’
25 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Lionel Messi has been but a bystander in this World Cup as Argentina fought Iceland to a draw and fell to Croatia in its first two games, putting the ...
Leftist firebrand AMLO leading Mexican election polls | Practice English phrase ‘buck the trend’
21 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Andres Manuel Lopes Obrador, a leftist candidate pledging to fight corruption and revive the agricultural sector, is leading in the polls leading up t...
Juul is latest harmful trend in American schools | Learn English phrasal verb ‘sweep through’
18 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Juul, the most popular brand of e-cigarettes, was designed to help smokers quit by giving them the nicotine their bodies crave without the harmful sid...
Whether you say ‘soccer’ or ‘football’, World Cup starts today | Learn English phrase ‘licking your chops’
14 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The world’s most anticipated sporting competition, FIFA’s World Cup, starts today with a match between host country Russia and Saudi Arabia. The g...
How many Puerto Ricans were lost in Hurricane Maria? | Learn English phrase ‘go without’
11 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Hurricane Maria was one of the worst natural disasters to hit the United States, but the true human damage on the island may never be known. A new stu...
‘Le Spiderman’ climbs a Paris building to save a child | Learn English phrase ‘shine a spotlight’
07 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
They are calling him ‘Le Spiderman’: A 22-year-old immigrant from Mali climbed the side of a Paris apartment building with only his bare hands to ...
Graffiti artists bring The Simpsons to Mexico City | Learn English phrase ‘on board’
04 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A group of artists called the Night Lords has turned vacant walls into graffiti murals of The Simpsons in Iztacalco, a neighborhood of Mexico City. Ov...
Real Madrid wins 13th Champions League title
31 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Gareth Bale scored two goals as a substitute and Karim Benzema scored an embarrassing goal against Liverpool goaltender Lorius Karius as Real Madrid c...
Chinese pilot a hero after mid-air accident | Learn English phrase, ‘hailed as a hero’
28 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On Plain English’s 50th episode: Captain Liu Chuanjian landed a Sichuan Airlines flight safely after its windshield blew out mid-air, 32,000 feet ab...
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle wedding is ‘one for the ages’
24 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Prince Harry, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II of England, married American actress Meghan Markle in a ceremony that both honored tradition but had ...
ETA, violent separatist group in Spain, disbands | Plus, learn English phrase ‘fight back’
21 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The last home-grown terrorist organization in Europe officially disbanded. The Basque country’s ETA, which used violent tactics in an attempt to sep...
Electric scooters are terrorizing American cities | Learn English phrasal verb ‘roll out’
17 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Electric scooters are taking over the streets in some American cities, including San Francisco. New programs allow people to rent a scooter for $1, un...
Brazilian claims title to biggest wave ever surfed | Learn English phrase ‘silver lining’
14 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Nazaré, Portugal, attracts surfers and observers from around the world for its world-class surfing waves, and last November Brazilian surfer Rodrigo ...
Volcano sends lava into Hawaii neighborhoods | Learn English phrase ‘head for’
10 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Kilauea volcano in Hawaii is erupting and sending lava flowing through residential areas, putting homes and businesses at risk. Gas and steam are ...
Superman turns 80 years old | Learn English phrase ‘staying power’
07 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Eighty years ago, the original Superman cartoon was published in issue #1 of Action Comics—and the modern-day superhero genre was born. What began a...
Korean leaders negotiate end to war after 60 years
03 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Leaders of North and South Korea met in a historic one-day summit at the border of their two countries to negotiate the formal end to the Korean War. ...
Castro steps (partially) aside in Cuba | Learn English phrase ‘keep a low profile’
30 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Raúl Castro will formally step aside as Cuba’s president and Miguel Díaz-Canel, the vice president, is the Communist Party’s nominee to replace ...
Avicii, star DJ, found dead at 28 | Learn English phrase ‘take its toll’
26 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The music world was shocked at the news that Swedish DJ Avicii, known for his high-energy concerts, was found dead in the Middle Eastern nation of Oma...
Prosecutors detail evidence against ‘El Chapo’ | English phrasal verb ‘pull off’
23 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The US government released a 90-page memo detailing much of the evidence they plan to use in the trial of drug lord Joaquin Guzman, also known as El C...
Canada shocked by junior-hockey bus tragedy | Learn English expression ‘come to grips’
19 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Canada is mourning the loss of 16 people in a tragic bus crash that killed junior hockey players, coaches, and staff on their way to a playoff game. T...
Brazil’s Lula surrenders after tense stand-off | Learn English phrase ‘give voice to’
16 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the ex-president of Brazil who was convicted of corruption as part of the country’s massive ‘Car Wash’ scandal, surre...
Japanese baseball star doubles his impact in America | Learn English expression ‘flip a switch’
12 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani started the 2018 year in America’s Major League Baseball and hopes to become the first player to be both a...
Peru’s president resigns amid scandal | Learn English phrase ‘the last straw’
09 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigns amid a corruption scandal. The ex-President left after having alienated his supporters and antagonize...
Why some people want to #DeleteFacebook | Learn English expression ‘to gather steam’
06 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook is suffering from a series of scandals related to data privacy. As a result, some people are trying to #DeleteFacebook. Do you know how much ...
Netflix series explores Brazil’s ‘Car Wash’ scandal | English vocabulary: ‘crux’
02 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Operation Car Wash—the massive investigation into corruption in Brazil that has stretched on for five years—will be the topic of a new series on N...
Self-driving Uber kills pedestrian in Arizona | Learn English phrase ‘turning point’
29 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A self-driving Uber car struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona, raising questions about the safety of the entire industry of autonomous vehicles. T...
Competitive video-gaming is the new trend in sports | Learn English phrasal verb ‘catch on’
26 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
eSports—competitive video-gaming—are gaining in popularity in the United States among males under age 25. As a result, new venues are being built ...
Stephen Hawking dies | Learn English phrase ‘do justice’
22 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Hawking, the physicist who studied gravity, black holes and the origins of the universe, and who used a distinctive computerized voice after l...
Celebrating Ireland on St. Patrick's Day | Learn English phrasal verb 'scale back'
19 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Irish culture around the world, featuring parades, Irish music and dance, whiskey, and beer. The holiday origi...
Frida Kahlo doll sparks backlash in Mexico | Learn English phrase ‘on solid ground’
15 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Toymaker Mattel has released a Frida Kahlo Barbie Doll in honor of International Women’s Day—but some in Mexico think it’s not an accurate repre...
Spotify reveals some secrets | Learn English phrase ‘game the system’
12 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The hit music streaming service Spotify is preparing to go public—and in the process is revealing some information about its business for the first ...
‘Shape of Water’ wins Oscar for Best Picture | English phrase ‘cut a deal’
08 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Shape of Water won Best Picture at the Oscars on Sunday night, while Frances McDormand won Best Actress for her role in Three Billboards Outside E...
China to remove term limits for its president | Learn English expression 'akin to'
05 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Communist Party of China has proposed changing to constitution to remove term limits for Chinese president Xi Jinping in a break with the country'...
Iconic preacher Billy Graham dies | Phrasal verb ‘carry out’
01 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Billy Graham, the American preacher whose crusades personally reached hundreds of millions of people, died at age 99. He became just the fourth privat...
Another school shooting in the US | Learn English phrase ‘pour out’
26 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A 17-year-old shot and killed 17 people at a school he once attended in Florida. Another 12 people were injured in the attack. Mass shootings at schoo...
China welcomes Year of the Dog | Learn English phrasal verb ‘sweep away’
22 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Lunar New Year began this week with celebrations across Asia. In China, families follow traditions associated with good luck, dressing in new clot...
Fan-made Harry Potter movie on YouTube | Phrasal verb ‘come out’
19 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A fan-produced movie called “Voldemort: Origins of the Heir” was released on YouTube last month, free of charge. The movie is an unofficial “pre...
Olympics open in South Korea | English idiom ‘third time’s the charm’
15 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
PyeongChang, South Korea, is host to the Winter Olympics. In the chilly opening ceremony, North and South Korea marched under one flag—and one athle...
Russian activist arrested | Practice English phrase ‘turn out’
12 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was arrested on his way to a rally in Moscow. Navalny is the leader of a movement to boycott the upcoming pre...
Groundhog Day traditions in US | Learn English phrasal verb ‘suffer through’
08 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In one of America’s strangest holidays, a groundhog predicts that winter will last six more weeks. The tradition inspired the 1993 movie “Groundho...
Mexico debates legalizing marijuana | What it means to ‘get your fix’
05 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A Mexican government official suggested legalizing marijuana in tourist areas to reduce violence, but a majority of Mexicans appear to be against the ...
Super Bowl traditions in US | English expression ‘pit against’
01 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
One of the biggest dates on the American cultural calendar is the first weekend of February—Super Bowl Sunday. On this episode of Plain English, we ...
Stolen: World’s most expensive bottle of vodka | English phrase 'getting cold feet’
29 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A collector’s bottle of vodka, made of gold and silver and decorated with diamonds and classic car parts, was stolen from the basement of a bar in C...
App matches your face with famous paintings |Learn the English phrase ‘Push the limit’
25 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Today on Plain English: Do you have a historical double—in a painting? A new feature in a Google app will search historical artwork and tell you whi...
Could Oprah be president? | English phrase ‘speak up’
22 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Today on Plain English: Media mogul Oprah Winfrey gave an inspirational speech at the Golden Globe Awards in January, focusing on injustice and sexual...
North and South Korea discuss cooperation for Olympics
18 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Today on Plain English: North Korea announced it will send a delegation of athletes to the Winter Olympics, being held in Pyeongchang, just 40 miles f...
Giving up alcohol for ‘Dry January’ | Pumping their own gas in Oregon | English words ‘sober’ and ‘quirky’
11 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A UK charity encourages people to give up alcohol for the month of January. Those who do experience better sleep, weight loss, and better health—but...
Protests in Iran | New Year around the world | Practice ‘shut down’ & ‘bucket list’
04 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Protesters in Iran are demonstrating against the government, focusing on the economic conditions that include high unemployment and high inflation. Th...
Power out at world’s busiest airport | Spain’s lottery | English words ‘stranded’ and ‘fundraiser’
28 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
An electrical fire below ground knocked out power at the Atlanta airport—the world’s busiest—for eleven hours just eight days before Christmas. ...
Saudi Arabia to allow cinemas | Facebook bad for mental health? | English phrases ‘dive in’ and ‘wind up’
21 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Saudi Arabia will allow construction of new movie theaters, after a 35-year prohibition. Theater chains are ready to dive into a new market, but some ...
Wildfires in California | Russia banned from Olympics | English phrases “crack down on” and “caught up in”
14 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A series of deadly wildfires has broken out in Southern California; they have been spread by strong, dry winds. The fires have caused over 200,000 peo...
‘Coco’ a hit in Mexico and US | Prince Harry engaged | English phrases ‘to go over well’ and ‘to die down’
07 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Disney’s 3-D animated film “Coco”, which is rich with Mexican cultural references, is officially the highest-grossing film ever in Mexico and is...
Serial killer Charles Manson dies | Designing a sustainable city on Mars | English phrases “hold a grudge” and “come about”
30 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Charles Manson, a cult leader whose followers brutally killed nine people and terrorized Los Angeles in 1969, died in jail of natural causes at age 83...
Louvre museum opens in Abu Dhabi | China’s Singles Day sets a global shopping record | Learn English phrases short up, spill into, and throw weight behind
23 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Louvre, one of the most famous museums in the world, opens a second location in Abu Dhabi that will tell the stories of eastern and western civili...
Family survives pirate attack | Selena gets Hollywood star | Plus English expressions on behalf and hitch a ride
16 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
An American family escaped a pirate attack in a remote area of the Brazilian Amazon and survived in the jungle for three days. Selena, the Mexican-Ame...
Catalonia’s independence movement | Astros win World Series | English phrases "stop short" and "a stretch"
09 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Catalonia’s leaders make a bid for independence, but regional president Carles Puigdemont is arrested. The Houston Astros won the World Series for t...
Las Vegas gets its first major sports team | Tom Petty, American musician, dies | English phrases "make a splash" and "take refuge"
02 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Vegas Golden Knights, a hockey team, became the first major league sports team to call Las Vegas home. Tom Petty, one of the most well-known rock ...
Mexico hit with 3 big earthquakes | Apple’s new iPhone X | English expressions "bundled up" and "comb through"
25 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A series of three large earthquakes hit Mexico in the last month, including the strongest earthquake to hit the country in over a century.The new feat...
Learn English free with podcasts: Plain English
01 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Would you like to speak English better? Do you have a hard time understanding native speakers because they go too fast? Do you want to learn English e...