Simplified Speech #253 – What’s your Achilles Heel?

In this bonus episode, Andrew tells the story of something new that he and his wife recently started together, and what it’s like to be a total beginner again. Listen along to learn some vocabulary that will help make your English more natural and to improve your listening fluency. The brand new Culips app is live! Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary: Open this lesson in the Culips app. Tell us about a time you were a beginner! Record a two-minute audio story about an awkward, funny, or embarrassing moment from trying something new, and Andrew might share it in a future episode: Record your story here. Study materials for this episode The interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary are free for everyone. No membership needed. The comprehension quiz and the PDF study guide download are for Culips members. Become a Culips member to get study materials for every episode, live speaking classes, ad-free audio, member-only perks, and more. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Keep an ear out for these expressions during the episode: To deteriorate Self-conscious To weigh the pros and cons To stick with (something) As the crow flies To put off A sales spiel A gym rat Ego lifting To be juxtaposed

What’s the one thing you just can’t say no to? Andrew and Indiana share their biggest weaknesses when it comes to food, shopping, screen time, and a few basic life skills, and Andrew tells a story about an unexpected visitor at his desk. Along the way, you’ll learn how to use “Achilles heel,” “a goody two-shoes,” “mid,” “cooked,” “your own worst enemy,” and “a coping mechanism.” The brand-new Culips app is live! Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary: Open this lesson in the Culips app. The Best Way to Learn with This Episode: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Become a Culips member now. Members can access the ad-free version here: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Link from this episode: The fashion scene at Dongmyo Market (SSENSE) Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode: An Achilles heel A goody two-shoes Mid To be cooked To be one’s own worst enemy A coping mechanism

Does sport bring people together, or does it divide us? Andrew and Anna’s conversation moves from the World Cup to the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, and even esports. Along the way, you’ll hear expressions like “in the wake of,” “to not have a dog in the fight,” “emotionally charged,” “over the top,” “good grief,” and “to check a box.” The brand-new Culips app is live! Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary: Open this lesson in the Culips app. The Best Way to Learn with This Episode: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Become a Culips member now: Members can access the ad-free version here: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice: Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode: In the wake of (something) To (not) have a dog in the fight Emotionally charged Over the top Good grief To check a box

In this Catch Word lesson, Andrew and Indiana teach you five English expressions that are often used in meetings and in the workplace: “circle back,” “touch base,” “drop the ball,” “in the weeds,” and “move the needle.” Learning these expressions will help you be a clearer speaker and a better listener the next time you find yourself in a meeting. The brand-new Culips app is live! Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary: Open this lesson in the Culips app. Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode: To circle back To touch base To drop the ball Across the board In the weeds To move the needle

In this bonus episode, Andrew takes one day off at the end of the summer and heads to the beach with his wife. They are only away for 24 hours, but they fit a lot into it. Listen along to learn some vocabulary that will help make your English more natural and to improve your listening fluency. The brand new Culips app is live! Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary: Open this lesson in the Culips app. Study materials for this episode The interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary are free for everyone. No membership needed. The comprehension quiz and the PDF study guide download are for Culips members. Become a Culips member to get study materials for every episode, live speaking classes, ad-free audio, member-only perks, and more. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Keep an ear out for these expressions during the episode: The last hurrah To be closed off A puppy mill To take one for the team Buoyant To zone out Not really a thing To luck out Big ups / props Health-maxxing

Hang out with your English-speaking friends, Andrew and Indiana, for a catch-up! Indiana has been growing tomatillos on her patio, and she rode 40 miles along New York’s Empire State Trail on a very hot day, though the ride did not go the way she planned. Andrew went to see a Damien Hirst exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, and he has been letting an AI design his marathon training plan. The brand-new Culips app is live! Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary: Open this lesson in the Culips app. Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode: On deck To clue in Happy-go-lucky To put a bad taste in someone’s mouth To hit the pavement A mishap

In this bonus episode, Andrew tells the story of the most stressful morning he’s had in a long time, and it all started with something small that ended up in a place he couldn’t reach. Listen along to learn some vocabulary that will help make your English more natural and to improve your listening fluency. The brand new Culips app is live! Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary: Open this lesson in the Culips app. Tell us about your own terrible morning! Record a two-minute audio story and Andrew might share it in a future episode: Record your story here. Study Materials for This Episode The interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary are free for everyone. No membership needed. The comprehension quiz and the PDF study guide download are for Culips members. Become a Culips member to get study materials for every episode, live speaking classes, ad-free audio, member-only perks, and more. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Keep an ear out for these expressions during the episode: Wiggle room Flush TMI Minuscule To fall between the cracks To lull someone to sleep To emit Tongs To rig up A last ditch effort

What does a heat wave actually do to your day? Andrew and Anna compare their summers from opposite sides of the world. Anna is in Madrid, where a hot day reaches 40 degrees and the blinds stay closed until evening. Andrew is in Seoul, where the rainy season just ended but the humidity stayed. They talk about air conditioning, lost sleep, cold showers, and the wildfires that burned west of Madrid this summer. Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode: Not so fast Respite Bar none To do one’s business Bone dry To burn to a crisp Study Materials: Episode link: The 2026 Spain wildfires The brand-new Culips app is live! Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary: Open this lesson in the Culips app.

In this bonus episode, Andrew picks up the story he started last time and tells you what happened next. He heads out to the edge of the city on a hot summer evening and gets home much later than he planned. Listen along to learn some vocabulary that will help make your English more natural and to improve your listening fluency. The brand-new Culips app is live! Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary: Open this lesson in the Culips app. Expressions To set the stage To count down the days Headlining The tail end A certain je ne sais quoi When all is said and done Boy, was I wrong Artsy-fartsy To rub someone the wrong way To write off

How do you get from intermediate English to sounding almost like a native speaker? Jesús Florez did it, and he’s back on the show to tell Andrew how. He explains the years he spent creating his own English immersion at home and names the four shows that finally moved him up to an advanced level. Listen in to hear his story and his advice for taking your own English to the next level. The brand-new Culips app is live! Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary: Open this lesson in the Culips app. Free Resources and Links The interactive transcript, study guide, and quizzes for this episode are free for everyone. No membership needed. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join. Jesús’s YouTube channel Jesús’s Instagram Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode: A long time in the making To shift gears Give or take To lend itself to (something) A cut above (the rest) It bears repeating