A Phrasal Verb a Day - Learn English Phrasal Verbs with Luke Thompson

Learn a phrasal verb every day with this series of short podcasts by Luke Thompson from Luke’s English Podcast. Each episode contains definitions, explanations and improvised examples of each phrase to help you understand and remember these complex but important parts of the English language! Transcripts are also available for every episode.

#140 POP IN / OUT / OFF / ON / UP (A Phrasal Verb a Day is back) 11/03/2018

#140 POP IN / OUT / OFF / ON / UP (A Phrasal Verb a Day is back) A Phrasal Verb a Day is back. In this episode I'll give you an update about this podcast and teach you phrasal verbs with POP. /episode/index/show/apvad/id/7369259

#139 - TO POLISH OFF 06/21/2016

#139 - TO POLISH OFF = to finish/consume something completely- especially food e.g. I made a pizza for my friends and they polished it off in just a few minutes because they were so hungry. /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484948

#138 - TO POINT OUT 05/30/2016

#138 - TO POINT OUT to indicate something 1. literally, by indicating something with your finger or a pointer) or 2. saying something that people don't know, or saying something specific that needs to be indicated e.g. "I'd just like to point out that these figures are not adjusted for inflation" or "Can I point out that you're getting these episodes for free. If you'd like to say thanks, you could consider making a donation. That's optional of course. I just wanted to point it out." Visit www.teacherluke.co.uk/pv for more /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484949

#137 - TO PLUG IN/INTO 05/30/2016

#137 - TO PLUG IN/INTO to connect a piece of equipment to an electrical supply or another piece of equipment "Can you plug in my phone please?" "Can I plug my phone into your computer?" "Do you mind if I just charge my phone? Where can I plug it in?" "I'll need to just unplug my memory card" Transcript coming soon at www.teacherluke.co.uk/pv /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484950

#136 - TO PLOUGH ON/AHEAD/THROUGH/INTO 05/30/2016

#136 - TO PLOUGH ON/AHEAD/THROUGH/INTO to plough = when a farmer breaks up the earth in a field to prepare it for growing crops, using a plough. See pic. 1. to plough on/ahead = to keep going even though it's difficult "I've got to get this report done by tomorrow, so I just have to plough ahead" "We decided to plough ahead with the decision to move to new premises, even though it was unpopular" "She completely ignored my question and just ploughed on" (she didn't listen to me and just kept talking) 2. to plough through something = to read something, or deal with something that takes a lot of time and effort "I have this huge financial report to plough through before the meeting tomorrow morning" "I have tons of exam marking to plough through" "What are you doing later?" "Just ploughing through all my expenses" 3. to plough into something = when a vehicle crashes with a heavy impact "The bus ploughed into the side of my car and I was badly hurt" More at www.teacherluke.co.uk/pv /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484951

#135 - TO PLOD ALONG 05/30/2016

#135 - TO PLOD ALONG 1. to walk with slow heavy steps "As we all walked back from the pub, Jeff was plodding along behind us" - we imagine here that Jeff was feeling sad for some reason and he was walking slowly and sadly behind us, with heavy steps. 2. to make slow but steady progress I'm not making much progress with A Phrasal Verb a Day at the moment. I'm just plodding along really. Transcript coming soon... /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484952

#134 - TO PLAY UP 04/19/2016

#134 - TO PLAY UP 1. when a child misbehaves, e.g. "The kids were playing up all morning, it was a nightmare!" 2. when something fails to function properly. e.g. "The battery in my phone is playing up" 3. when a part of your body causes you pain or doesn't function properly "my back's been playing up again" 4. to exaggerate a problem - make it seem more serious than it really is "Papers are playing up the fighting between Bernie Sanders and Hilary Clinton" More information and a transcript (soon) here: http://wp.me/P4IuUx-65h /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484953

#133 - TO PLAY DOWN [+ VIDEO] 04/11/2016

#133 - TO PLAY DOWN [+ VIDEO] = to make a problem seem less serious than it really is e.g. The government played down the threat to public health after the radiation leak from the nuclear accident. Click here for a transcript (soon) and to see me explain this on video http://teacherluke.co.uk/133-to-play-down-video/ /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484954

#132 - TO PLAN AHEAD 12/14/2015

#132 - TO PLAN AHEAD to think about what's going to happen in the future and prepare for it. "If you've got an exam coming up I suggest you plan ahead in order to get the best mark." Transcript here http://wp.me/P4IuUx-5X7 /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484955

#131 - TO PISS AROUND/ABOUT/AWAY/DOWN/OFF 12/09/2015

#131 - TO PISS AROUND/ABOUT/AWAY/DOWN/OFF Lots of phrasal verbs with the word 'piss'. Watch out, this one contains some rude language and swearing. You'll learn at least 4 phrasal verbs with the word piss. /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484956

#130 - TO PIPE UP 11/20/2015

#130 - TO PIPE UP = to start talking suddenly, to interrupt, to speak after a period of being silent "I asked the class a question and everyone was silent for a moment before Anna piped up and gave me the answer." This quote from theage.au.com "My kids spent the sober, rainy days that followed the horrific Paris attacks with their grandparents, playing Monopoly. So it was somewhat gingerly that I introduced the subject later, asking what they had heard, and knew. "Not much", they responded, both walking into the kitchen and shrugging nonchalantly. A couple of minutes later my nine-year-old piped up: "Well I did read the newspaper and find out some stuff." "Like what?" With an alarming level of detail, she quickly outlined the number of people who had died and how, the carnage inside Bataclan concert hall, the reaction of the rock band on stage, and the bombs outside the stadium. She then asked if she could see footage of the shooting: I refused." http://www.theage.com.au/comment/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-terror-20151119-gl38qw.html More info at teacherluke.co.uk /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484957

#129 - TO PIPE DOWN 11/20/2015

#129 - TO PIPE DOWN This phrase is used to tell someone to make less noise, or to stop talking. "Could you pipe down a bit please, I'm trying to work in here!" /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484958

#128 - TO PIN SOMETHING ON SOMEONE 11/18/2015

#128 - TO PIN SOMETHING ON SOMEONE 1. to put all the blame onto someone - to accuse someone of doing something, especially if they didn't actually do it also, the fixed phrase: to pin your hopes on something/someone = to put all your hope on one thing, when all other things have failed. For explanations and examples, listen to the episode. Notes and transcript here soon: /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484959

#127 - TO PIN DOWN 11/18/2015

#127 - TO PIN DOWN 1. to understand, explain or describe something specifically 2. to keep people contained in a particular place (especially used when talking about military action) 3. to force someone to make a decision 4. to hold someone on the ground so they can't move For examples and explanations, listen to the episode. Transcript coming soon here: http://wp.me/P4IuUx-5Dl /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484960

#126 - TO PILE UP 11/16/2015

#126 - TO PILE UP = put lots of things on top of each other to make a pile (often passive) http://wp.me/P4IuUx-5gD /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484961

#125 - TO PILE IN 11/16/2015

#125 - TO PILE IN = to enter a place or a thing (e.g. a car) in very large numbers "The doors of the store opened and everyone piled in, hoping to get a bargain in the sales." http://wp.me/P4IuUx-5gA /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484962

#124 - TO PIG OUT (ON) 11/16/2015

#124 - TO PIG OUT (ON) = to eat an enormous amount of food - much more than you need. "We just pigged out on pizza. I felt so disgusting afterwards." http://teacherluke.co.uk/phrasal-verb-a-day/124-to-pig-out-on/ /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484963

#123 - TO PIECE TOGETHER 11/15/2015

#123 - TO PIECE TOGETHER 1. To collect lots of bits of information and put it together in order to understand the full situation Transcript here soon http://wp.me/P4IuUx-5gp /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484964

#122 - TO PICK UP ON 11/15/2015

#122 - TO PICK UP ON 1. to talk about something specific that someone else already mentioned 2. to notice or register something that's changed Transcript soon at http://wp.me/P4IuUx-5gk /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484965

#121 - TO PICK ON SOMEONE 09/30/2015

#121 - TO PICK ON SOMEONE To treat someone badly, like criticising them, when it's unfair. "Why are you always picking on me?" "Pick on someone your own size for a change!" "The other kids at school used to pick on me for being a swot" Transcript here http://teacherluke.co.uk/phrasal-verb-a-day/121-to-pick-on-someone/ /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484966

#120 - TO PHASE IN/OUT 09/28/2015

#120 - TO PHASE IN/OUT phase in = to gradually start using something phase out = to gradually stop using something Listen to the episode for examples. Donate to Luke at www.teacherluke.co.uk /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484967

#119 - TO PETER OUT 09/28/2015

#119 - TO PETER OUT To slowly get weaker or softer and then to disappear/end completely. E.g. "The music just petered out as the band stopped playing" "We followed the path through the forest but eventually it just petered out." "I can't talk to Jeff about anything. Our conversation always just peters out, unless we're talking about biscuits." Transcript here http://teacherluke.co.uk/phrasal-verb-a-day/119-to-peter-out/ /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484968

#118 - TO PERK UP 09/25/2015

#118 - TO PERK UP 1. to become more lively, happy and energetic 2. something perks something/someone up = it makes it more lively or exciting. More details and transcripts at www.teacherluke.co.uk /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484969

#117 - TO PENCIL IN 09/25/2015

#117 - TO PENCIL IN 1. To arrange an appointment, meeting or date in a diary, but it's not a fixed plan - it might change later. Transcript here http://teacherluke.co.uk/phrasal-verb-a-day/117-to-pencil-in/ /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484970

#116 - TO PAY OFF 09/25/2015

#116 - TO PAY OFF 1. to get the benefit of something later 2. to repay a loan or debt 3. to bribe someone to do something bad 4. to bribe someone to keep a secret Transcript here http://teacherluke.co.uk/phrasal-verb-a-day/116-to-pay-off/ /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484971

#115 - TO PASS OUT 06/16/2015

#115 - TO PASS OUT 1. To hand something out to everybody. To give something to everybody in a place. E.g. "all the students were silent as the exam papers were passed out" 2. To become unconscious, to faint. "She passed out due to heat exhaustion" More info at teacherluke.co.uk/Phrasal-verb-a-day /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484972

#114 - TO PASS AWAY 06/12/2015

#114 - TO PASS AWAY = to die (but it is a slightly less upsetting word than 'die') E.g. "Actor Christopher Lee passed away yesterday after suffering from heart failure". /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484973

#113 - TO PAN OUT 06/03/2015

#113 - TO PAN OUT = when a situation develops in a certain way "We're not sure how this is going to pan out" Or "It didn't pan out as we expected" For more details visit teacherluke.co.uk /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484974

#112 - TO PAIR OFF 05/28/2015

#112 - TO PAIR OFF 1. When two people get together and start a romantic or sexual relationship. (We usually use this to talk about other people's behaviour, not our own). E.g. "I'm in my 30s now and all my friends seem to be pairing off and getting married, but I'm still single" -to pair off 2. -to pair someone off with someone = to try and make two people start having a romantic or sexual relationship together. "I think your wife is trying to pair me off with her friend". More info at http://teacherluke.co.uk/phrasal-verb-a-day/112-to-pair-off/ /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484975

#111 - TO PALM OFF 05/27/2015

#111 - TO PALM OFF This means to get rid of something that you don't want any more by giving it to someone else, while being dishonest about it. E.g. "I can't believe they palmed off that broken Nintendo on me!" (They sold me the Nintendo, giving me the impression that it was a bargain and a good thing to buy, but they were just trying to get rid of it because it was broken). For a transcript (soon) check this page on my website http://teacherluke.co.uk/phrasal-verb-a-day/111-to-palm-off/ /episode/index/show/apvad/id/5484976

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A Phrasal Verb a Day - Learn English Phrasal Verbs with Luke Thompson

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