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ESL Podcast 999 – Being Vague and Unfocused

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1

GLOSSARY

pumped – very excited and eager to do something; prepared and ready to do
something with a lot of enthusiasm
* Jenna is pumped about going to the concert this weekend.

vague – unclear, without enough detail or clarity; not specific
* The job description sounds interesting, but it’s really vague about the salary and
benefits.

to show up – to appear; to be present at a location or event; to come, especially
without a formal commitment to do so
* What time did Anastasia finally show up for the dinner party?

to make it – to be able to do something, especially to be able to go somewhere
for some purpose
* Do you think you’ll make it in time for the opening remarks of her speech?

auspicious – favorable; an omen or indication that something good will happen
* The sunny weather was an auspicious beginning to his first day in the new job.

fuzzy – vague; unclear, without enough detail or clarity; not specific
* Childhood memories seem to become fuzzier as I get older.

sign-up sheet – a piece of paper where everyone who comes to an event or
participates in an activity writes down his or her name and possibly contact
information
* Please use the sign-up sheet, take one packet, and find an empty seat.

(one’s) heart is in the right place – a phrased used to mean that one has good
intentions and wants to do the right thing
* Clarke wants to help, but everything he does seems to make the situation
worse. At least his heart is in the right place.

(one’s) head is in the clouds – a phrase used to describe a dreamer, someone
who is lost in thought, but not practical and not concerned with the details
* Sheila is an artist whose head is in the clouds, always thinking about her next
great piece of art.

absentminded – inattentive and forgetful, unable to concentrate or focus
* Oliver is so absentminded that he accidentally put his car keys in the washing
machine.

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ESL Podcast 999 – Being Vague and Unfocused

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2

to daydream – to think about pleasant things, almost as if dreaming, but while
one is awake, especially while one should be focusing on something else
* These class notes don’t make sense. I must have been daydreaming while the
professor was talking.

to pin (someone) down – to make someone respond clearly, providing a
definite answer or a piece of information, especially when that person would
prefer to be vague
* How did you finally pin him down and get him to make a decision?

to attend to – to pay attention to something; to address, handle, or manage
something; to be aware of something and in control of it
* Don’t forget to attend to those bills before they become overdue.

nitty-gritty – specific details; the practical, meaningful facts related to something
* We’ve verbally agreed to work together, but now we need to review the nitty-
gritty during contract negotiations.

frequency – a measurement of the number of radio waves per second; a
channel for radio
* Which frequency should we tune into for radio news updates during an
emergency?

Earth to (someone) – an informal, slightly rude phrase used to get someone’s
attention when that person is clearly thinking about something else, as if that
person were on another planet
* I had been talking for five minutes when I realized that Sara wasn’t listening to
me at all. I said, “Earth to Sara, can you hear me?”

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ESL Podcast 999 – Being Vague and Unfocused

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3

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What does Thierry mean when he says, “I’m pumped”?
a) He has been lifting weights, so he’s strong enough for the painting project.
b) He has finally saved up enough money for the painting project.
c) He is really excited about the painting project.

2. What is Thierry going to do when he “pins” Sophia down?
a) He’s going to ask her for more specific information.
b) He’s going to criticize her for being so disorganized.
c) He’s going to start doing her job for her.

______________


WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to be pumped
The phrase “to be pumped,” in this podcast, means to be very excited and eager
to do something, or prepared and ready to do something with a lot of enthusiasm:
“The builders are almost finished with the new home and we’re pumped to move
in.” The phrase “to pump iron” means to lift weights for exercise in order to build
muscle: “As a professional bodybuilder, Trent spends hours pumping iron in the
gym each day.” Finally, the phrase “to pump money into (something)” means to
invest a lot of money in a project: “Pharmaceutical companies sometimes have to
pump money into drug development for years before they have a product they
can sell.”

to pin (someone) down
In this podcast, the phrase “to pin (someone) down” means to make someone
respond clearly, providing a definite answer or a piece of information, especially
when that person would prefer to be vague: “Try to pin him down on a sales price
early in the negotiations.” When talking about wrestling, the phrase “to pin
(someone) down” means to use one’s weight on top of another person’s body so
that he or she cannot get up or cannot move: “How did you pin down your
opponent so quickly?” Finally, the phrase “to pin the blame on (someone)” means
to blame another person, saying that he or she is the cause of a problem even
though it isn’t true, “Hey, don’t pin the blame on your sister when you were
equally responsible for what happened.”

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ESL Podcast 999 – Being Vague and Unfocused

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4

CULTURE NOTE

Community Organizing and Grassroots Efforts

In the United States, people who are dissatisfied with the “status quo” (the way
things are) have three options: they can ask their “elected representatives” (the
people who were voted into positions to represent others in the government) to
“address” (deal with) the issue, they can “learn to live with it” (become
accustomed to the unpleasant way things are), or they can fight for change.
People who fight for change often turn to “community organizing” and “grassroots
efforts,” or loosely organized groups of ordinary people who feel “passionately”
(very strongly) about a particular “cause” (a movement; something that needs to
change) and spend a lot of time and energy promoting that cause.

Community activists and grassroots leaders face great “obstacles” (things that
make it difficult to achieve one’s goals), but they are “persistent” (don’t stop
trying). They often “cite” (repeat words said by someone else) Margaret Mead, an
author who said, ““Never ‘doubt’ (thinking that something might not be true) that a
small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is
the only thing that ever has.”

Most grassroots efforts begin at the local level, sometimes even focusing on a
particular building, such as when the “tenants” (renters; people who live in a
building owned by someone else) of an apartment building organize themselves
to demand repairs or better living conditions. But other groups have a much
larger “scope” (the topics and area one wants to cover) and “end up” (eventually;
in the end) becoming national movements, such as the “civil rights movement”
(efforts to ensure that all people are treated fairly) and “anti-war movements”
(efforts to prevent and/or end wars).

______________

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – a

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ESL Podcast 999 – Being Vague and Unfocused

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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

5

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 999 – Being Vague
and Unfocused.

Going to party like it’s episode 999.

Oh, hi. Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast episode 999. I’m
your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational
Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

I’m happy today. This is episode 999. You can visit our website at ESLPod.com.
On this episode, we’re going to listen to a dialogue between Thierry and Bonnie
about being vague and unfocused. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Thierry: I’m pumped and ready to help paint the community center this weekend.
What time are we supposed to get there in the morning?

Bonnie: I’m not sure. Sophia was a little vague about that. She told people to
show up when they can make it.

Thierry: That doesn’t sound like an auspicious start. How many people are
supposed to be there?

Bonnie: I’m a little fuzzy on that, too. Sophia didn’t have a sign-up sheet. She just
told people to show up if they could.

Thierry: I hate to say it, but Sophia is the worst person to be organizing this. Her
heart is in the right place, but her head is in the clouds. I don’t think I’ve ever met
a more absentminded person.

Bonnie: I know what you mean. She always seems to be daydreaming.

Thierry: I’m going to call her right now and pin her down. She needs to attend to
the nitty-gritty if this is project is going to get done.

Bonnie: What if she’s as vague as she usually is?

Thierry: I’ll try speaking to her on a different frequency: Earth to Sophia, Earth to
Sophia . . .

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ESL Podcast 999 – Being Vague and Unfocused

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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

6

[end of dialogue]

Our dialogue begins with Thierry saying, “I’m pumped and ready to help paint the
community center this weekend.” “To be pumped” (pumped) means to be very
excited, to be prepared and eager to do something, to do something with a lot of
in enthusiasm. That’s what Thierry is saying here. He’s pumped to paint the
community center this weekend. A “community center” would be a building that is
used by people in a certain neighborhood, a certain part of town, for meetings
and classes and things of that nature. Community centers are usually built by the
local government.

He says, “What time are we supposed to get there in the morning?” Bonnie says,
“I’m not sure. Sophia was a little vague about that.” To be vague” (vague) means
to be unclear, not very specific. Bonnie says that Sophia was “a little vague” –
somewhat vague – about what time they should get to the community center in
the morning to paint. Bonnie says, “She told people to show up when they can
make it.” “To show up” is a two-word phrasal verb meaning to appear, to come,
to be present at some event or at some location.

Normally, you show up for work at eight o’clock in the morning or maybe nine
o’clock in the morning. That’s one possible use of “to show up.” Often it’s used to
mean to attend: “How many people showed up at the meeting last night?” How
many people attended? How many people went to the meeting? Bonnie says that
Sophia said that people should “show up when they can make it.” “To make it”
here means to be able to do something, especially to be able to go somewhere
for some purpose. I wanted to go to the movie last night, but it was raining and I
didn’t make it. I didn’t actually go.

Thierry says, “That doesn’t sound like an auspicious start.” “Auspicious”
(auspicious) means favorable, indicating that something good will happen. It’s not
a common word in English conversation, but you will read it. You will sometimes
also hear people say “auspicious” when talking about something that indicates
that this event is going to go well, or in this case, that this event is not going to go
well. Thierry says this doesn’t – this does not – sound like an auspicious start.

“How many people are supposed to be there?” He asks. Bonnie says, “I’m a little
fuzzy on that too.” “To be fuzzy” (fuzzy) here means to be vague, to be unclear,
not to be very specific. Bonnie says, “Sophia didn’t have a sign-up sheet.” The
word “sheet” (sheet) here means a sheet of paper, a piece of paper. A “sign-up
sheet” is a piece of paper where you put your name down to indicate that you are
going to participate in something or you are going to do something. A sign-up

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ESL Podcast 999 – Being Vague and Unfocused

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7

sheet would be used for some event for which you want to know who is coming
or how many people are coming.

Thierry says, “I hate to say it, but Sophia is the worst person to be organizing
this. Her heart is in the right place, but her head is in the clouds.” There are two
common expressions there. First, “to have your heart (heart) in the right place.”
“To have your heart in the right place” means that you have good intentions. You
want to do the right thing. You want to do good.

“To have your head in the clouds” means that you’re not a very practical person.
You’re not a person who worries about the details, about the specifics, of
something. In other words, you’re not a very good person to plan or organize
something, because you’re not paying attention to the specific details that you
need to pay attention to. Sophia, then, wants to do the right thing, but she’s not a
very practical person. “Her heart is in the right place, but her head is in the
clouds.”

Thierry says, “I don’t think I’ve ever met a more absentminded person.” “To be
absentminded” (absentminded) – one word – means to be forgetful, to be unable
to concentrate or focus. There’s an old expression, “the absentminded
professor,” referring to someone who teaches at the university. We think of
professors as being absentminded because although they are very smart – they
have a lot of intelligence – they are often not very practical. So, we have this
image of the absentminded professor.

Sophia is also considered to be absentminded by Thierry. Bonnie says, “I know
what you mean. She always seems to be daydreaming.” “To daydream” is to
imagine things that aren’t actually happening right now, and may never happen,
during the middle of the day. Normally, we think about dreaming as something
that you do at night when you’re sleeping. “Daydreaming” is to be imagining
things happening right now, instead of, of course, actually doing your work.

If you are sitting at your desk in your office at work and daydreaming, your boss
will not be very happy. You’re supposed to be working, not dreaming about your
vacation next year in Hawaii or in France or wherever you take your vacation.
You daydream about pleasant things, things that you want to happen or that
might happen.

Thierry says, “I’m going to call her right now and pin her down.” “To pin (pin)
someone down” is a phrasal verb meaning to make them give you a specific
answer to your question, to make them give you the details of something,
especially when that person has been vague about the issue that you are asking

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ESL Podcast 999 – Being Vague and Unfocused

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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

8

about. Thierry says “She,” meaning Sophia, “needs to attend to the nitty-gritty if
this project is going to get done.”

“To attend (attend) to” something means to pay attention to something, to
address something, to take care of something. Notice that you use this
expression with the preposition “to” at the end. It’s always something you are
attending to. This is different than the verb “to attend,” which can mean
something similar as “to attend to,” but it could also mean “to show up” – to go to
a certain place. Here in this sentence, it means to take care of or pay attention to
something.

Thierry wants Sophia “to attend to the nitty-gritty.” “Nitty (nitty) – gritty (gritty)”
refers to the specific details. Sophia hasn’t attended to the nitty-gritty here. She
hasn’t told people exactly what time they should be there or found out even how
many people are going. Bonnie says, “What if she’s as vague as she usually is?”
What if, in other words, she doesn’t give Thierry the details he’s looking for?
Thierry says, “I’ll try speaking to her on a different frequency: Earth to Sophia,
Earth to Sophia . . .”

Thierry’s making a joke here. The word “frequency” is normally used to talk about
measuring radio waves. Here, really it refers more to a particular channel for
audio or radio communication. In order for two people to talk to each other on the
radio, they both have to be on the same frequency, on the same channel – and
that, in fact, is another common expression in English: “to be on the same
frequency.”

We even say “to be on the same wavelength” when we are talking about
someone who is thinking the same way we are, someone to whom we can
communicate our ideas easily. “Wavelength” is another term you will hear people
use in talking about radio communication. When Thierry says he is going to try to
speak to Sophia “on a different frequency,” he means he’s going to try to reach
her – to communicate with her – because she doesn’t seem to understand
normal human communication.

Then he uses the expression “Earth to Sophia.” When you say, “Earth to”
someone, you are trying to get their attention, but the idea is that this person isn’t
paying attention. It’s almost as if this person were from another planet and you,
being on planet Earth, are trying to communicate to this person. Perhaps this
expression became popular during the era of space exploration in the twentieth
century, I’m not sure. But it means that you are trying to communicate with
someone who seems to not be listening or not be paying attention to what you
are talking about.

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ESL Podcast 999 – Being Vague and Unfocused

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9

It’s a somewhat insulting way to talk to someone. If you feel as though someone
isn’t listening to you or isn’t paying attention to you, you might use this
expression as a joke to get the person to pay attention. We may also use this
expression when someone has an idea that is completely unrealistic or very
incorrect, very wrong. The person doesn’t seem to be thinking rationally.
Someone says, “I’m going to walk from New York City to Paris.” Well, you might
use the expression here, “Earth to Jeff, you can’t walk from New York to Paris” –
at least not very easily.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Thierry: I’m pumped and ready to help paint the community center this weekend.
What time are we supposed to get there in the morning?

Bonnie: I’m not sure. Sophia was a little vague about that. She told people to
show up when they can make it.

Thierry: That doesn’t sound like an auspicious start. How many people are
supposed to be there?

Bonnie: I’m a little fuzzy on that, too. Sophia didn’t have a sign-up sheet. She just
told people to show up if they could.

Thierry: I hate to say it, but Sophia is the worst person to be organizing this. Her
heart is in the right place, but her head is in the clouds. I don’t think I’ve ever met
a more absentminded person.

Bonnie: I know what you mean. She always seems to be daydreaming.

Thierry: I’m going to call her right now and pin her down. She needs to attend to
the nitty-gritty if this is project is going to get done.

Bonnie: What if she’s as vague as she usually is?

Thierry: I’ll try speaking to her on a different frequency: Earth to Sophia, Earth to
Sophia . . .

[end of dialogue]

English as a Second Language Podcast

www.eslpod.com

ESL Podcast 999 – Being Vague and Unfocused

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2014). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

10

There’s nothing vague or unfocused about our wonderful scripts here on ESL
Podcast. That’s because they’re written by the wonderful Dr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come
back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast was written and produced by Dr. Lucy
Tse, hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. Copyright 2014 by the Center for Educational
Development.