Simplified Speech #252 – Bikes, gardens, art, and AI coaches

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

Have you ever gotten a second chance at something you thought you would only get to do once? In this bonus episode, Andrew talks about the first Culips meetup in Seoul and then tells the story of trying to see one of his favorite bands play a second time. Listen along to learn some vocabulary that will help make your English more natural and 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 A turnout To talk into the void To be taken aback A high-water mark Now or never Once-in-a-lifetime To shell out When life gives you lemons, make lemonade Someone’s mind is made up To go through

Have you ever looked up from your phone and realized that an hour just disappeared? In this Catch Word lesson, Andrew and Indiana teach you how to tell someone to “touch grass” and how to describe a person as “terminally online” or “chronically online.” They explain the difference in tone between these expressions, why “touch grass” can sound like a real insult, and when each one is appropriate to use. 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 touch grass Terminally online / Chronically online To be cooped up To be wrapped up in something A break with reality To get the last word

Have you ever traveled to a city far from home and felt like you had already been there? The same coffee shops, the same clothing stores, even the same songs playing inside the cafes. In this Chatterbox episode, Andrew and Anna talk about hyperblanding, the idea that fashion, music, food, and design all over the world are slowly becoming the same. The word comes from a 2026 trend report, and you can read more about it here. Listen to the full conversation to learn what hyperblanding is, decide if you agree with the idea, and build your English fluency at the same time. 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: A myriad of To get under someone’s skin To regurgitate Been there, done that To ride the wave Variety is the spice of life