Vocabulary practice · Episode 88

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.

B1–B2Everyday EnglishAbout 10 min + dynamic ads5 PDF versions available
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A short study session

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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

to go off

To begin making a loud warning sound.

Nuance: For alarms, go off means activate, not stop working.

The smoke detector goes off when the toast burns.

My alarm went off at six this morning.

Expression 2

evaluation apprehension

Fear or anxiety caused by being watched or judged while performing.

Nuance: A psychology term especially relevant to language learning and public performance.

Evaluation apprehension can make familiar words disappear.

The supportive group reduced her evaluation apprehension.

Expression 3

to lose access to something

To become temporarily unable to use or reach something.

Nuance: Here it describes skills that anxiety makes difficult to retrieve.

Under pressure, you may lose access to your sense of humour.

Stress made him lose access to words he knew well.

Expression 4

background noise

A continuous sound or influence that stays in the background.

Nuance: Often used figuratively for worries that consume attention.

Anxiety has become the background noise of modern life.

Notifications create constant mental background noise.

Expression 5

decision fatigue

Reduced ability to make good decisions after making too many choices.

Nuance: A common psychology and productivity collocation.

Decision fatigue drains the energy you need for English.

She avoids decision fatigue by planning meals in advance.

Expression 6

to drain mental energy

To gradually use up someone’s capacity to think or concentrate.

Nuance: Drain creates the image of liquid slowly leaving a container.

Constant alerts drain mental energy.

Worrying about every mistake drains your mental energy.

Expression 7

to stay braced

To remain physically or mentally tense in preparation for danger.

Nuance: Braced suggests the body is expecting an impact.

The body stays braced while it waits for an all-clear.

He noticed that his shoulders stayed braced all day.

Expression 8

an all-clear

A signal that a dangerous situation has ended.

Nuance: Often used with give or wait for.

Your nervous system is waiting for an all-clear.

The police gave the all-clear after checking the building.

Expression 9

the double breath

A calming technique using two inhales followed by one long exhale.

Nuance: Also known as a physiological sigh.

Use the double breath before a difficult call.

Two double breaths helped her body settle.

Expression 10

to ground yourself

To reconnect with the present moment through the senses.

Nuance: Common in wellbeing contexts; it does not mean punish yourself.

Name five things you can see to ground yourself.

She grounded herself by feeling her feet on the floor.

Expression 11

a racing heart

A heartbeat that feels unusually fast, often because of fear or excitement.

Nuance: Racing is figurative and very common with heart and thoughts.

A racing heart does not always mean you are in danger.

He took a slow breath and his racing heart settled.

Expression 12

to work overtime

To work longer than normal; figuratively, to be excessively active.

Nuance: The episode uses it figuratively for an overactive alarm system.

Her alarm system had been working overtime.

My imagination works overtime before important meetings.

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