VOA慢速英语2017--Different Ways to Pass and Fail

 

Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories. On this show, we explore the origins and usage¹ of common expressions in American English.

During September in the United States — and in many places around the world — children are going back to school.

Even if your school days have long passed, you may remember this time of the year well: the smell of books and pencils, the sound of your footsteps as you enter a strange classroom, the nervous feeling in your stomach as you meet your new teacher.

Naturally, we all want to do well in school and life. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. So, today we are going to talk about both. The expressions you will hear in today's program are commonly used in a classroom. But, they can also be used in other situations.

Let's start with the bad situations first.

Now, as you probably know, a bomb is something that blows things up. In American slang³, when something bombs, it fails completely. So, if you fail a test, you bombed it.

We also often use "bomb" this way when talking about movies, plays or performing. For example, if a comedian⁴ is on stage telling jokes but no one is laughing, you can say his jokes are bombing. Afterward⁵, if you are feeling very mean, you could say to him, "Wow, you really bombed."

Now, let's say nobody goes to the new superhero movie, you can say it bombed at the box office. The box office is where people buy their movie tickets. In this case, they were buying tickets for a dud or a flop⁶. These two words are often used to describe a form of entertainment that failed in its purpose -- to entertain.

Even a party that bombs can be called a dud or a flop. And if a class you are taking is boring or useless, you could call it a "a real dud."

Now, let's go back to bombing.

Please take note that when the word "bomb" is a verb, it means to fail.

As a slang expression, however, “the bomb” often describes something really good. For example, if a high school student wears a new pair of sneakers to school, his friends could say, "Those shoes are the bomb!" That means they are great -- in a cool, awesome⁷ kind of way.

But please be careful: using “the bomb" this way is extremely casual and would not be appropriate to use in a formal situation. For example, let's say your boss wears a new suit to an important meeting. It might not be a good career move to say to her, "That outfit⁸ is the bomb! You look awesome!"

And making comments about a bomb at a U.S. airport could get you arrested.

So, as we said, be careful!

Now, let's talk about expressions to use when you do something really well.

Let's say you did well on a test. You got 100% correct. You aced⁹ it! You can also say that you passed with flying colors.

The last expression might make you think of a big celebration — like maybe your parents celebrated¹⁰ your passing grade by lighting¹¹ colorful fireworks.

But you would be wrong.

Word experts seem to agree that the expression "to pass with flying colors" comes from the military. In this case, “pass” doesn’t mean to succeed, but to travel. And “colors” doesn’t mean shades like red or blue, but flags.

According to the website The Phrase Finder, “pass with flying colors” originally describes winning ships sailing into port “with flags flying from all the mastheads.” By around 1700, the phrase was being used to describe any kind of victory.

That means you can use "pass with flying colors" when you are being graded on a test or course, but also in a situation that is out of your control -- such as a medical exam.

Let's say you are nervously¹³ waiting in a doctor's exam room for the results of a blood test. The doctor may come in and say, "Don't worry! I'm looking at the results of your blood test and you passed with flying colors!" It's not as if you studied for your blood test and then did well on it. So, this is the doctor's way of being lighthearted or funny.

And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories! We here at VOA Learning English hope you pass your next exam with flying colors — or at least we hope you don't bomb on your next project!

I'm Anna Matteo.

Words in This Story

comedian – n. a person who performs in front of an audience and makes people laugh by telling jokes or funny stories or by acting¹⁴ in a way that is funny : an actor who plays roles that make people laugh

dud – n. something that does not do what it is supposed to do : something that is a complete failure : The movie was a box office dud. [=few people went to see the movie]

flop – n. informal : to fail completely

cool – adj. very fashionable, stylish¹⁵, or appealing in a way that is generally approved of especially by young people

awesome – adj. informal : extremely good

casual – adj. designed for or permitting ordinary dress, behavior, etc. : not formal

formal – adj. requiring or using serious and proper clothes and manners

outfit – n. a set of clothes that are worn together

ace² – v. US, informal : to earn a very high grade on (an examination) : to get a grade of A on (an examination)

masthead – n. the top of a ship's mast¹²

lighthearted – adj. having or showing a cheerful and happy nature

1 usage   

n.惯用法，使用，用法

参考例句：

• I am clear about the usage of this word at last.这个词的用法我算是弄明白了。
• The usage is now firmly established.这种用法现已得到确认。

2 ace   

n.A牌；发球得分；佼佼者；adj.杰出的

参考例句：

• A good negotiator always has more than one ace in the hole.谈判高手总有数张王牌在手。
• He is an ace mechanic.He can repair any cars.他是一流的机械师,什么车都会修。

3 slang   

n.俚语，行话；vt.使用俚语，辱骂；vi.辱骂

参考例句：

• The phrase is labelled as slang in the dictionary.这个短语在这本字典里被注为俚语。
• Slang often goes in and out of fashion quickly.俚语往往很快风行起来又很快不再风行了。

4 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。

5 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

6 flop   

n.失败(者)，扑通一声；vi.笨重地行动，沉重地落下

参考例句：

• The fish gave a flop and landed back in the water.鱼扑通一声又跳回水里。
• The marketing campaign was a flop.The product didn't sell.市场宣传彻底失败，产品卖不出去。

7 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

8 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

9 aced   

vt.发球得分（ace的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• I don't know how I aced in, I was lucky enough. 我不知道这好事怎么让我给碰上了，我够幸运的。 来自互联网
• He aced every physical fitness test they gave him. 他顺利通过了他们对他所作的每项体格检查。 来自互联网

10 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

11 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

12 mast   

n.船桅，桅杆，旗杆，天线杆

参考例句：

• Flags are flying at half-mast across China.全中国将半旗。
• The sails were flapping against the mast.帆拍打着桅杆。

13 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

14 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

15 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。