Ups and Downs, Highs and Lows

Ups and Downs, Highs and Lows

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

Up and down. High and low. These short words describe more than just directions. They also connect to our feelings and experiences. In this episode¹ of Words and Their Stories, we'll start down low and end up high.

Many cultures around the world connect the words "low" or "down" with something negative. This is because our minds can easily connect low places, like the floor or the ground, with dirt.

So, when someone asks, "How low can you go?" they are expressing their opinion that another person's behavior is bad in a moral or ethical² sense.

If you are down and out, that means you are poor, without enough money for the things you need.

And if you are down in the dumps, that means you feel unhappy or depressed³.

Next, let's look at two "down" expressions that relate to either getting or keeping information. They sound similar but have different meanings. The following exchange uses one of these expressions:

A: So, did Maria tell you anything?

B: She did! But keep this on the down-low—she's going to quit her job next month.

A: Oh my gosh! Wow—that is big news.

B: I know, but she doesn't want anyone else to know.

A: No worries. I'll keep it on the DL.

To keep something on the down-low means to keep information secret. Speakers often say the shortened⁴ form, "on the DL," when using the expression.

On the other hand, if you want the low-down on a situation, that means you want to get the information. For example:

A: Did Jane give you the low-down on the budget?

B: Yeah. She said they can't afford to do a summer project this year.

So, getting the low-down means you are getting information. Keeping it on the down-low means you are keeping information away from people.

Moving up

Now, let's move up to a few expressions with "high."

Imagine you are driving in an area with a lot of traffic. You see a car waiting to turn onto your street, so you stop and let that car make the turn. But this makes the car behind you slow down. The driver of this car now honks⁶ the horn for a long time, leans out the car window, and shouts at you.

At this point, you have a choice. You can also shout in return, or you can take the high road and not answer. To take the high road means to behave in a way that is morally correct, even when other people around you are not behaving well.

Our next expression relates to time. Sometimes there are things that people should do, but they wait longer than necessary to do them. By waiting, they sometimes create problems or make things worse.

In these situations, we can use the phrase "it's high time" to say that people have delayed doing something for too long.

For example, someone can say, "It's high time you cleaned up that apartment. It is so dirty!"

Next, we look at the word highfalutin. If you say someone is highfalutin, that means you think the person is overly fancy or pompous⁷. Highfalutin is usually a negative way of referring to ways of speaking and behaving.

According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of American English, the first known use of this word was in 1839 in the United States.

Finally, you can end on a high note by connecting to another Words and Their Stories program. There, you can learn more expressions about highs and lows.

Then, give yourself a high-five for reading and listening to this week's Words and Their Stories.

Words in This Story

negative –adj. not good; the opposite of positive

honk⁵ –v. to make a loud sound often with the horn of a car

fancy –adj. uncommon⁸, costly⁹, or fashionable

pompous –adj. behaving in a way that appears to show a person thinks they are better than others

1 episode   

n.（作品的一段）情节，插曲，系列事件中之一

参考例句：

• The episode was a huge embarrassment for all concerned.这段小插曲令所有有关人员都感到非常尴尬。
• This episode remains sharply engraved on my mind.这段经历至今仍深深地铭刻在我的心中。

2 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

3 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

4 shortened   

v.弄短，缩短( shorten的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She shortened the skirt by an inch. 她把裙子缩短了一英寸。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Vacations have lengthened and the work week has shortened. 假期延长，工作周就缩短了。 来自辞典例句

5 honk   

n.雁叫声，汽车喇叭声

参考例句：

• Don't honk the horn indiscriminately.不要乱鸣喇叭！
• While passing another vehicle,you must honk your horn.通过另一部车时必须鸣按喇叭。

6 honks   

n.雁叫声( honk的名词复数 )；汽车的喇叭声v.（使）发出雁叫似的声音，鸣（喇叭），按（喇叭）( honk的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In the fall we sometimes hear honks as a flock of geese flies south. 到了秋天，有时我们能听到南飞雁群的叫声。 来自辞典例句
• A wild- goose honks. 雁鸣。 来自互联网

7 pompous   

adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities.他有点自大，自视甚高。
• He is a good man underneath his pompous appearance. 他的外表虽傲慢，其实是个好人。

8 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

9 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。