Vocabulary practice · Episode 71

Review the useful expressions from the episode

Study the episode’s central expressions with English definitions, nuance and examples, plus reviewed support-language versions where available.

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  1. Choose one expression. Read its definition, nuance and examples.
  2. Make it yours. Write one true sentence from your own life.
  3. Return to the episode. Listen for the expression in its original context.

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Vocabulary from the episode

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Expression 1

work-life balance

the healthy distribution of time and energy between professional responsibilities and personal life, rest, relationships, and wellbeing

Nuance: Work-life balance is one of the most discussed concepts in modern English — it appears in job interviews, wellness conversations, and cultural critiques of hustle culture. Knowing how to discuss it naturally is essential for professional English.

Work-life balance is not about working less — it is about not letting work take everything.

She finally found her work-life balance when she started treating English study as part of her personal time, not a chore.

Expression 2

to draw the line

to set a limit on what you are willing to accept or do; to decide that something has gone far enough

Nuance: Draw the line is the moment of self-assertion — you are saying 'this is where I stop'. Essential for professional conversations about workload, boundaries, and expectations. One of the most useful idioms for assertive English.

She drew the line at working weekends — that time was for her family and her English practice.

Learning when to draw the line is as important as knowing how to work hard.

Expression 3

to set boundaries

to establish clear limits about what you will and will not accept — in relationships, work, or social situations

Nuance: Set boundaries is the modern self-care and professional phrase. In English-speaking work culture, the ability to set and communicate boundaries is seen as a professional competence, not a personal weakness. 'I do not check emails after 6pm', 'I prefer not to discuss that' — these are boundary statements that native speakers express directly.

Set boundaries at work clearly and early — it is easier to maintain them than to establish them later.

She set firm boundaries around her working hours and found that her productivity and wellbeing both improved.

Expression 4

to switch off

to stop thinking about work or responsibilities — to mentally disconnect and rest

Nuance: Switch off is the recovery phrase. In an always-connected professional world, the ability to switch off — to genuinely not think about work during non-work hours — is increasingly rare and increasingly important. Research shows that inability to switch off leads to burnout, poorer decisions, and reduced creativity.

Switching off fully after work makes you more effective during work — rest is not a reward, it is a tool.

She struggled to switch off and found herself checking emails until midnight before deciding to set a cut-off time.

Expression 5

to burn out

to reach a state of physical or emotional exhaustion — caused by prolonged overwork or chronic stress without adequate recovery

Nuance: Burn out is the overwork result verb. Burnout is now recognised as a significant occupational health issue. In English-speaking professional contexts, talking about burnout is increasingly normalised — seeking help for it is not weakness but awareness. Prevention involves consistent rest, clear limits, and sustainable pace.

Burning out helps no one — maintain a sustainable pace rather than a heroic one.

She burned out after three months of sixty-hour weeks and needed six months to recover fully.

Expression 6

flexible working

an arrangement in which employees have more control over when, where, or how much they work

Nuance: Flexible working is the modern employment concept. It encompasses remote work, flexible hours, compressed work weeks, and part-time arrangements. In English-speaking professional contexts, being able to discuss and negotiate flexible working is an important language skill. The vocabulary includes: 'working from home', 'hybrid working', 'flexitime', 'compressed hours'.

Flexible working requires trust — demonstrate reliability and it becomes easier to negotiate.

She negotiated flexible working when she returned from maternity leave and managed to keep her career on track.

Expression 7

to prioritise

to decide which tasks or responsibilities are most important and should be done first

Nuance: Prioritise is the productivity verb. When everything feels urgent, the ability to prioritise — to distinguish between what is important and what is merely pressing — is a critical professional skill. In English, this is often discussed explicitly: 'What are your priorities this week?', 'Can we discuss how to prioritise this?'

Prioritise ruthlessly — not everything that feels urgent actually is.

She learned to prioritise her tasks by asking: which of these will matter in six months?

Expression 8

to delegate

to assign a task or responsibility to someone else — freeing yourself to focus on higher-priority work

Nuance: Delegate is the management verb. Many professionals struggle to delegate because they believe no one else will do the task as well as they would. But the inability to delegate is itself a professional limitation. In English, delegation comes with clear communication: what needs to be done, by when, and to what standard.

Delegate tasks that others can do well so you can focus on what only you can do.

She learned to delegate by accepting that 'good enough' done by someone else was better than 'perfect' done too late.

Expression 9

to clock off

to finish work and leave — to mark the end of the working day

Nuance: Clock off is the informal phrase for finishing work. Originally it referred to punching out on a time clock. Now it is used broadly for ending work — whether leaving an office, logging off a system, or mentally transitioning out of work mode. 'I clocked off at five' or 'I try to clock off by six' are natural professional phrases.

Clock off at a consistent time each day — routine end-times protect your personal time and signal your limits.

She made a rule to clock off by six o'clock and refused to answer work messages after that time.

Expression 10

to recharge your batteries

to rest and recover energy after a period of intense work or activity

Nuance: Recharge your batteries is the energy recovery metaphor. Just as devices need to be recharged, people need rest to function at full capacity. In professional English, this phrase is used to talk about holidays, weekends, rest days, and any activity that genuinely restores energy. It normalises rest as necessary, not indulgent.

Recharge your batteries before a big project — you perform best when you are fully rested.

She took a long weekend to recharge her batteries and returned to work more focused than she had been in months.

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