VOA词汇掌故2025--The Story of Jack Frost

Now, from VOA Learning English, it's time for Words and Their Stories.

If this is your first time with us, this program explores words and expressions commonly used in American English. We take a look at where they come from and how best to use them.

So, as winter officially comes to half the world, today we celebrate an expression that means winter is coming.

When temperatures drop and a cold snap comes, that means one thing: Jack¹ Frost has arrived!

Jack Frost represents the coming of dark, cold days. He is the personification of winter, a human form of winter weather. So, when we say, "Jack Frost is nipping at your nose," we mean that you feel the cold, icy effects of winter on your face.

When a frost or deep freeze comes, you had better bundle up! You should wear enough clothing to stay warm.

Now, Jack Frost does, indeed, bring the cold of winter. But he can also create beauty in nature. Some traditions claim that Jack Frost is responsible for leaving ice and snow on windows, trees, the ground...anywhere it will stick.

While we know frost is a natural event, it is fun to think that an imaginary creature named Jack Frost (or another name in some other cultures) changed the world into a winter wonderland!

That is what poet Hannah Flagg Gould (1789-1865) must have been thinking when she wrote a poem called The Frost.

Here are parts of that poem.

THE FROST looked forth², one still, clear night,

And he said, "Now I shall be out of sight; ...

Then he went to the mountain, and powdered its crest³,

He climbed up the trees, and their boughs⁵ he dressed

With diamonds and pearls...

A conversation

With all of its beauty and extremes, winter is a great subject for songs and poetry. But now, let's listen to how we use these wintry expressions in conversation:

Brrr! It is freezing outside. This cold snap came out of nowhere!

I don't care how cold it is. I'm going on a hot date!

Is that all you're wearing? You need to bundle up or Jack Frost will be nipping at more than your nose!

I'll be fine. I'm wearing my new coat.

That it is NOT a winter coat. I mean, it looks great, but it's much too thin. You will catch a cold. I know. You can wear my new down coat. It keeps you warm up to minus 30 degrees Celsius⁶!

I'm going on a date...not exploring the Arctic Circle! Thanks. But I am not wearing that big, thick black coat. Besides, the taxi will take me from door-to-door.

But what if something goes wrong? What if the car skids⁸ on the ice and is involved in an accident? You'll have to walk to the restaurant. You might freeze to death!

No, I won't. I'll just call an Uber to come and get me.

And what if that vehicle runs out of fuel? Then you'll have to walk to get more.

No, the Uber driver will. I'll just call another car.

What if that new Uber driver is a pregnant woman and she goes into labor⁹? You'll have to help. You'll have to wait outside in the cold until help arrives! And the roads are already covered with five centimeters of snow! It could take the ambulance an hour to get to you! If you're wearing that thin coat...you'll catch your death!! The EMTs will find you frozen solid like a block of ice!!

Stop! Stop!! You win! Give me your coat!

Good decision.

Here's my ride ...

Don't forget gloves...a hat...and a scarf! Okay, good bye. Have fun!

And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories.

Until next time!

I'm Anna Matteo.

Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

cold snap - n. a brief period of very cold weather

nip - v. to injure or make numb¹⁰ with cold

shiver - v. to shake slightly (as from cold or fear)

wonderland - n. an imaginary place of delicate beauty or magical charm

powdered - v. to sprinkle or cover with or as if with fine particles of something

bough⁴ - n. a branch of a tree

skid⁷ - v. to fail to grip the roadway

ambulance - n. a vehicle equipped for transporting the injured or sick

EMT - n. a person who is trained to provide emergency medical services to patients who are being taken to a hospital : short for Emergency Medical Technician

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

3 crest   

n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖

参考例句：

• The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
• He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。

4 bough   

n.大树枝，主枝

参考例句：

• I rested my fishing rod against a pine bough.我把钓鱼竿靠在一棵松树的大树枝上。
• Every bough was swinging in the wind.每条树枝都在风里摇摆。

5 boughs   

大树枝( bough的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 绿枝上闪烁着露珠的光彩。
• A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微风在高高的树枝上叹息着。

6 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

7 skid   

v.打滑 n.滑向一侧；滑道 ，滑轨

参考例句：

• He braked suddenly,causing the front wheels to skid.他突然剎车，使得前轮打了滑。
• The police examined the skid marks to see how fast the car had been travelling.警察检查了车轮滑行痕迹，以判断汽车当时开得有多快。

8 skids   

n.滑向一侧( skid的名词复数 )；滑道；滚道；制轮器v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的第三人称单数 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区

参考例句：

• The aging football player was playing on the skids. 那个上了年纪的足球运动员很明显地在走下坡路。 来自辞典例句
• It's a shame that he hit the skids. 很遗憾他消沉了。 来自辞典例句

9 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

10 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。