Transcript
Land on
Today’s expression is to “land on” something. I must admit, this is not a very common expression. However, you do hear it from time to time. And one of those times was earlier in today’s lesson. I asked you to imagine you were flipping through the channels and you landed on an episode of Law & Order , identifiable by the signature sound effects they use throughout the show. If you’re flipping through channels and you land on Law & Order, you decide to stop when you reach Law & Order.
When we say you “land on” something, we’re talking about considering many available options and finally deciding on one. If you’re flipping through the channels, you might land on a game show, a sporting event, a reality show, a cooking show, whatever. The point is, you’ve got many options, you’re sampling them all, and you finally decide on one.
I’m revisiting the copy on the home page of Plain English. The copy is the text on the home page. We’re going to be revealing a new design for the home page very soon and I decided I wanted to revisit the wording. And let me tell you, this is not easy finding the right words to put on a web page. I wanted to find a word that communicates what we really offer here. We’re not teaching you English, exactly, so I didn’t want to say that you should “learn” English with us. I thought about “study,” but that sounds too much like a classroom. “Improve” is a good word, and that’s really close to what we offer, but in my opinion, the word “improve” is a little too boring. It’s just really common.
So, you can see, I’m thinking it through, I’m trying a bunch of different words. I’m sampling some and I have to decide on one. So, what word did I land on? I landed on the word “upgrade.” That really is what we try to help you do here, we help you upgrade your English. So, when you see the new home page, you’ll see the word “upgrade” prominently displayed because that’s our real value proposition. Of course, you’re all either Free or Plain English Plus+ members, so you’ll have your own home page after you log in!
A few years back, I had been living in New York and I decided to move away. I was fortunate to have a job that would let me live in any big city in the U.S, and if I wanted to twist some arms, in a lot of big cities around the world. I considered a lot of places to live. I thought seriously about Houston. I thought about Atlanta. I thought about Dallas, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Diego. In the end, I landed on Chicago. I had lived there before, and I honestly just wanted to come back. So, I landed on Chicago. I thought about it, I considered many different options. And when I finally decided, I decided on Chicago. I landed on Chicago.
You might be looking to hire a new team member at work. You might be reading resumes and you might have a lot of options. Ronny might have more business experience overall, but Simone might have the more specific experience for the job. Rafael was recommended by someone you trust. Who will you hire? You’ll read all their applications, interview them, and then it’s decision time. Who will you land on? Who will you decide on? There’s nothing like a solid recommendation, so maybe you land on Rafael, who knows.
JR’s song of the week
Today’s song of the week is “Bell Bottom Blues” by Derek & the Dominoes. It’s inspired by Monday’s episode about skinny jeans . Bell bottoms, you’ll remember, were a style from the 60s and 70s. In the song, Eric Clapton, the lead singer, says “I don’t want to fade away” and asks to have one more chance with his ex-lover. “Bell Bottom Blues” is one of my favorite songs from Eric Clapton—officially the band Derek & the Dominoes—and that is JR’s song of the week for today.
See you next time!
And that is all for today’s lesson. I hope you enjoyed it. The frustrating thing is, when I want to talk about TV shows, I don’t know who has access to what. I think this is available on Amazon Prime, but it’s impossible to know the streaming rights in every country. If you can’t find this one, I would recommend watching any “Law & Order” episode; there are a bunch on Netflix, at least here, and some on Amazon, too. You should watch at least one episode because it’s super popular here in the U.S.
And you did hear me correctly that a new version of the website is coming soon. The structure will be the same. And unlike the last time I did this, about a year ago, you won’t have to learn a new system and you won’t have to get used to new ways of doing things. That will all remain the same. But the look and feel and the user experience will be upgraded. There’s that word again; I love it these days! I can’t tell you exactly when the new site will be ready because I don’t know but check back.
The next lesson will be on Monday, see you then.
¿Hablas español?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into Spanish. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .
How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
你说中国话？
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Parlez-vous français?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Você fala português?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
日本語は話せますか？
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Parli italiano?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Sen Türkçe konuşmayı biliyor musun?
The transcripts of Plain English lessons are available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation. Turkish translations are available starting at Lesson 278.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Mówisz po polsku?
The transcript of Plain English lessons are available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation. Polish translations are available starting at Lesson 278.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Audio
The fast version of this expression is available for subscribers of Plain English Plus+.