TIME TO PLAY THE LATEST SUNDAY PUZZLE FROM NPR ON-AIR CHALLENGE!

I'm going to give you some eight-letter words. For each one insert two letters in a row to make a familiar 10-letter word.

 

Ex. INTIMATE:  Add ID =>  INTIMIDATE

 

    1.   ALLIANCE

    2.   DEMOTION

    3.   TRAMLINE

    4.   INHERENT

    5.   PARTICLE

    6.   LIBATION

    7.   COALESCE

    8.   INFINITE

    9.   COMPRISE

 

 

ANSWER KEYS

1.  Add EG => ALLEGIANCE

2.  Add LI => DEMOLITION

3.  Add PO => TRAMPOLINE

4.  Add CO => INCOHERENT

5.  Add IP => PARTICIPLE

6.  Add ER => LIBERATION

7.  Add NV => CONVALESCE

8.  Add DE => INDEFINITE, or Add IV => INFINITIVE

9.  Add OM => COMPROMISE

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE Series #5 On the Shelf (sung by Donny & Marie Osmond)

 LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE

Do you take delight in watching films or listening to pop music? For English learners, movies, songs, and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.

 

#5. “On the Shelf” sung by Donny & Marie Osmond

This song conveys the deep sense of loss, frustration, heartbreak, and loneliness experienced after a breakup, using a lot of metaphors like a dog without a bone and a house that's not a home to illustrate the emptiness and abandonment felt by the artist.

 

I'm like a lock without a key

Nobody wants to lean on me

I′m so lonely, lonely without you

Back on the shelf am I, baby

Back on the shelf am I

 

The expression/ the title of the song “on the shelf” refers to somebody or something that is unwanted, not in use, abandoned ,inactive, or postponed (like an idea or project put aside) it can also describe a person, typically an older woman, who is considered past the usual age for marriage and is thus "unwanted" or "left behind," though this usage is considered outdated and offensive.

 

·       Jean’s small thoughts on the song:

Heartbroken after leaving or being left out on the shelf? I hear you all. How about coloring the shared time with your loved one (who left you) in light pink in the back of your mind? You could revisit the shared love in your heart forever. Even the lost love could still be cherished as love.

CHAPTER IV: WORKSHEET #88 of Dr. Jedidiah's Diary

 WORKSHEET #88

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #88 of  Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary! 

 

1.   Having grown up in the poverty-stricken hood galv____________ (*meaning “to arouse to awareness or action; spur”) Steve to do something to improve his lifetime community. He had the awakening moment one day that he would become a social worker to help with the at-risk children and their neglecting parents.  

 

2.   His one-of-a-kind jokes brought the entire house down at the comedy club, which kn__________ out all his competitors. (*meaning “to thoroughly impress, overwhelm, or excite one”)

 

3.   The bor_______________ from his stomach sounded like the saddest requiem to my ears. (*meaning “rumbling or gurgling sounds made by gas, fluid, and food moving through your intestines, often caused by hunger or digestion”)

 

4.   The impeached former president Yoon of South Korea will be op__________ously (*meaning “in a way that expresses severe criticism, disgrace, contempt, or blame, often using scornful or abusive language”) remembered for his tyrannical rule and total insanity forever.

 

5.   He clumsily spilled boiling cream over the chocolate and, so he wouldn't get bu_____, (*meaning “to be caught/ seen/ or arrested by the police for doing something illegal”) he mixed them together, creating the delicious product we know today. His mistake earned him the name ga________e or imbecile (*meaning “a glaze, icing, sauce, or filling for pastries, made from chocolate and cream”) from his master, who named the creation after his hapless apprentice.

 

6.   Sometimes I need to stra___________ or bim_______ around without thinking or planning in my head just to stay relaxed. (*meaning “to roam/ wander/ and ramble aimlessly”)

 

7.   I found the meeting so ineffective. It was a total waste of time and energy that seemed like a bunch of ho_____. (*meaning “nonsense/ gibberish”)

 

8.   The reporter’s question hit the spot when he asked the politician about the sensitive issues of his bribery scandal, which made the mayor feel completely nonp_________. (*meaning “perplexed/ embarrassed/ surprised”)

 

 

9.    Senator Bernie Sanders has always been vocal against policies that don't adequately address corporate power and economic inequality, calling out the need for a stronger fight for the working class against "big money". I would always shout out to the man “R________ on!!!” (*meaning “strong agreement or confirms something is exactly correct”)

 

10. We were invited to the Claytons’ huge family _____________ (*meaning “family reunion/ gathering/ event”) which was the most beautiful Thanksgiving gathering that we had ever been to.

 

11. Most Peorians would feel gu_____ if Tanner’s farm stopped selling their signature Apple Cider Donuts. (*meaning “bitterly/ extremely disappointed or upset”)

 

12. My grandmother's secret was using a sour cream dough for her ru_________h (*meaning “crescent-shaped Jewish pastries, often filled with nuts, fruit, or chocolate”) , making them incredibly flaky.

 

13. The actress made the best use of hypno___________ to memorize her lines while sleeping. (*meaning “Sleep-learning or sleep-teaching (also known as hypnopædia or hypnopedia) is an attempt to convey information to a sleeping person, typically by playing a sound recording to them while they sleep”)

    14. He earned my begr___________ respect by forcing me to do that. (*meaning “given or allowed or done unwillingly/ reluctantly”)

CHAPTER IV: WORKSHEET #87 of Dr. Jedidiah's Diary

WORKSHEET #87

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #87 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary! 

 

1.   My father was a m___________ who was caring and warm-hearted. (*meaning “a person of integrity, honor, and kindness”)

 

2.   He told me about the attractive and cheerful hoo______________ (*meaning “informal gathering for folk music, often with an open mic for participants to play and sing, and sentences show it used for lively parties or even as a general term for a fun, chaotic event”) in the small town where a lot of hippies got together to smoke p_________ (*meaning “marijuana/ weed”) and desc______ upon (*meaning “to sing/play/discourse about something”) the atrocity of wars.

 

3.   Emerald T_________ (*meaning “a region in Northern California comprising Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity counties, renowned for cannabis cultivation”) is an area named and known for its legacy of prolific marijuana farming, which is so called a weed mecca.

 

4.   My grandmother's secret to the perfect trout m_______ière was using salted butter in the brown butter sauce. (*meaning “(especially of fish) cooked or served in lightly browned butter with lemon juice and parsley”)

 

5.   Jess finds herself completely calm and unflu_________ on her yoga mat. (*meaning “free from emotional agitation or nervous tension. synonyms: unflurried, unperturbed, unruffled”) That is how she stays peaceful in the a_______-headed (*meaning “eccentrically or annoyingly confused, silly, or stupid”) world today.

 

6.   Make sure to leave no stones _______________ (*meaning “to try every possible course of action in order to achieve something”) in preparation if you are serious about participating in the game show.

 

7.   Since I saw the movie about the mythical creature called _________ foot, (*meaning “a legendary, ape-like creature said to inhabit the wilderness, particularly the forests of the Pacific Northwest in North America, described as a tall, hairy, bipedal being that leaves large footprints”) I’ve often had the recurring nightmare in which I’m being chased by the huge Sas________h (*meaning “abominable apelike monster”) in the woods.

 

8.   We have been sh______-shocked (*meaning “shocked or confused because of a sudden alarming experience”) at the heartbreaking news of a mother of three children gunned down by an insane and clueless ICE agent lately.

 

9.   The two cousins remained silent throughout the family gathering. There must have been more to their attitudes than meets the ________. (*meaning “always something which means more than what is actually said or seen; this expression implies the hidden complexity of things”)

CHAPTER IV: WORKSHEET #86 of Dr. Jedidiah's Diary

WORKSHEET #86

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #86 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary! 

 

    1.   She was like the sunshine in his teneb_____________ life. (*meaning “dark; gloomy; causing gloom”)

 

    2.   Jean got tired of the way he ina_________ tried to cheer her up with silly jokes. (*meaning “not suited to circumstances; improperly; inappropriately; incongruously”)

 

    3.   My friends and I laughed so hard at our high school reunion, reminiscing about our funny old days when we were calling one another “coo________”! (*meaning “head lice or imaginary disease. "Cootie" is a small insect that lives in people's hair (a head louse) It is also a child's term for an imaginary germ or disease that one can catch by touching a person who is disliked or socially avoided”)

 

    4.   He was a total tatter________________ living in a dilapidated, crummy old hut. (*meaning “a person in tattered clothing; a shabby person”)

 

    5.   The film Dunkirk depicts the massive evacuation of allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk, showcasing collective heroism of gall_______ soldiers. (*meaning “spirited; brave; courageous; heroic”)  

 

    6.   I love helping people in need. So volunteering at the soup kitchen is right up my ___________. (*meaning “to one’s taste; in one’s specialty”)

 

    7.   Luke is a grumpy and belli___________ old guy living next door to her. (*meaning “combative, aggressive, hostile, pugnacious, quarrelsome, contentious, truculent, or warlike”) To top it all off, he is such a bili__________ person that no one wants to be around. (*meaning “1. (figurative) temperament: irritable, grouchy, bad-tempered, peevish, or grumpy  2. appearance/color: sickly, green or yellow, nauseatingly unpleasant”)  

 

    8.   He has no business acumen. All he brings out on the table for new projects is a non-_____________. (*meaning “an issue, plan, etc., that does not get or deserve to get under way”)

 

    9.   Robert seems to have tha_____phobia that drives him crazy while he has to sit still without anything particular to do in a day. (*meaning “an intense and irrational fear of being idle, sitting still, or having nothing to do, often leading to constant stimulation-seeking or restlessness/An overwhelming anxiety about periods of inactivity or lack of stimulation”)

 

     10.  Seth is so ada_____________ that he won’t join their trip this summer. (*meaning “refusing to be persuaded or to change one’s mind”)

 

     11.  Hank and his buddies used to shoot ____________ after school. (*meaning “to play basketball, especially casually by simply shooting and not engaging in a game”)

 

     12.  The aroma of freshly brewed coffee waf______ all the way through to his bedroom early in the morning. (*meaning “to pass or cause to pass easily or gently through or as if through the air”)

 

     13. After mass shootings, the N______  suggests arming security guards in schools as a preventative measure. (*meaning “National Rifle Association”)

CHAPTER IV: WORKSHEET #85 of Dr. Jedidiah's Diary

WORKSHEET #85

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #85 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary! 

 

    1.   Joe did not know that his comments have been __________banned (*meaning “to block a user from a social media site or online  forum without their knowledge, typically by making their posts and comments no longer visible to other users”) by his close buddy Tim on Facebook.

 

    2.   When I saw the documentary film about the Holocaust survivors, I felt it was way above and much more than a flesh and ____________ could ever stand. (*meaning “living being with human emotions or frailty, often in contrast to something abstract, spiritual, or mechanical”)

 

    3.   My favorite actor Cillian Murphy is very good at interpreting the roles in the films that seem to be abst______________ directed to most movie goers. (*meaning “in a difficult way”)

 

    4.   To my surprise, he seems to be one of those few anom_________ (*meaning “deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected”) prosecutors who tries his very best to bring justice back to our evil society.

 

    5.   Margo is a self-proclaimed w__________-doctor who says she could make some kind of elixir or potion to cure mysterious illnesses in town, but medical doctors thought she is nothing more than a swindler who is out of k________ (*meaning “something is out of tune or not in harmony with…”) in the field of medicine today.

 

    6.   Roy has been criticized by the public as a political agi___________. (*meaning “a person who urges others to protest or rebel”) who destroys peace and prevents the satur_________ age from coming. (*meaning “(Latin origin) peaceful, prosperous, or happy”)

 

7.   The stupid former president Yoon of South Korea did nothing but throwing big or small car______________s and booze parties. (*meaning “a wild, drunken party or celebration”)

 

    8.   Anna com____________ herself with dignity even when she felt the dark shadow of death coming near. (*meaning “to behave in a certain way. used especially in situations where the behavior is admirable or appropriate”)

 

    9.   Hue told his friend the truth in good f____________, but he felt hurt by the truth. Yes, truth hurts quite oftentimes. (*meaning “in an honest and proper way”)

 

    10. Henry captured the beautiful moment of a seabird ready to fly away from the mountain led______ (*meaning “a narrow horizontal surface projecting from a wall, cliff, or other surface”) where it was nesting.

 

     11. Suzan saw the tw________h in her daughter’s eyelids when she asked her where she had been all day. (*meaning “noun: a brief spasmodic contraction of the muscle fibers/ verb: to tug or pull at with a quick, short movement”)

 

     12.  I never y_____k (*meaning “to pull or remove abruptly and vigorously”) on my doggie’s leash while walking him because I just don’t want him to feel controlled all the time.

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE #4

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE

Do you take delight in watching films or listening to pop music? For English learners, movies, songs, and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.

 

#4. Appetite for Life: The Biography of Julia Child (authored by Noel Riley Fitch)

“In her old age, Julia joined that noble species, the Grand Old Gal – a common apotheosis for brilliant women. She may stand with her head tipped a little down and sideward, as Eleanor Roosevelt did when her back became stooped, but she is still the queen. Despite bum knees weakening her gait, and the occasional need to lean against the stove (or on the table), she worked at a barely diminished pace. After all, as she loved to point out, “Escoffier lived to be ninety-three and my old chef Max Bugnard lived to be ninety-six.”

-        “The Grand Old Gal” was a respectful and humorous nickname for Julia Child that showed her fans’ long-lasting admiration, the sense of ties, and fondness for her, even decades after her death. As the word “apotheosis” manifests, Julia child was viewed as a woman who reached her dream all the way to the highest point where she could happily create the taste of life like a divine chef from another country.

 

“Her appetite for life will never be sated. “Retired people are boring,” she claims. “In the line of work, you never have to retire. You keep right on until you’re through.”

-        Julia Child was a woman of passion whose indefatigable will to venture into the world of taste has no limits. She continued on with her culinary creations with insatiable desire until she passed.

 

·       ** Jean’s small thoughts:

 

When I first saw Julia Child on TV show, I was a bit surprised by her high-pitched and distinctively wavering voice with thick French accent in her English. It took me no longer than five minutes to be totally enamored by the tall French chef who tossed the dough as hard as she could onto the board with a great big smile.

 

Whenever I watched her collaboration with her life-long buddy Chef Jacques Pépin (i.e., Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home), I was amused by their steadfast friendship and playful arguments about the recipes and cooking process. Their genuine “down-to-earth” characters and kind smile on the cooking show always brought warmth and happiness to my own small kitchen.

 

By the end of your long day, you might bring out the leftover sandwich or spaghetti from the fridge to your dinner table. Add some more of your favorite “fromage” to those “not-so-hearty” kind of dish and say “Bon appetite!” What a good way to sign off your day!