Deer Caught in Headlights
2020-09-13
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1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2On this program we teach common words and expressions in American English.
3Today we talk about an animal found in many parts of the United States -- deer.
4Washington, D.C. is home to many deer.
5They are sweet-looking, especially the baby fawns with their white spots.
6In the city, they are fun to watch, but they do cause trouble.
7They make a lot of gardeners angry because deer eat almost everything!
8In many parts of America, you will see road warning signs about deer.
9Adults are not little animals.
10An average male weighs about 135 kilograms! Deer sometimes leap into the path of fast-moving traffic.
11This can have serious, sometimes deadly, results.
12And, that is what brings us to today's expression - like a deer caught in headlights.
13Deer will often stop suddenly in the middle of a road and stare into the lights of a vehicle coming toward them.
14They appear frozen in place, or "caught" in the headlights.
15When people are in a state of extreme surprise, fear or confusion, we say they are like deer caught in headlights.
16They seem so frightened that they can not think clearly.
17They do not know what to do, so they do not do anything.
18Sometimes we shorten the phrase and simply say, "like a deer in headlights."
19This is a little different from being called "doe-eyed."
20A doe is a grown female deer. People who are doe-eyed are innocent, clueless.
21They are unaware of what's going on around them.
22Now, please keep this in mind.
23We usually use "like a deer caught in headlights" in situations that are not life-threatening.
24For example, people who have stage fright often look like a deer in headlights.
25Let's say I am acting in a play.
26I know all my lines and feel ready.
27But on opening night, as I look out into the audience and see all those faces ... I freeze.
28I forget all my lines and stare into space, unable to speak.
29Someone watching might say, "What is wrong with Anna? Is she supposed to just stand there doing ... nothing? She's like a deer caught in headlights."
30So the next time you are really surprised or scared, you may find yourself looking frozen and wide-eyed -- like a deer in headlights.
31And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories. Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo!
1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2On this program we teach common words and expressions in American English. Today we talk about an animal found in many parts of the United States -- deer. 3Washington, D.C. is home to many deer. They are sweet-looking, especially the baby fawns with their white spots. In the city, they are fun to watch, but they do cause trouble. 4They make a lot of gardeners angry because deer eat almost everything! 5In many parts of America, you will see road warning signs about deer. Adults are not little animals. An average male weighs about 135 kilograms! Deer sometimes leap into the path of fast-moving traffic. This can have serious, sometimes deadly, results. 6And, that is what brings us to today's expression - like a deer caught in headlights. 7Deer will often stop suddenly in the middle of a road and stare into the lights of a vehicle coming toward them. They appear frozen in place, or "caught" in the headlights. 8When people are in a state of extreme surprise, fear or confusion, we say they are like deer caught in headlights. They seem so frightened that they can not think clearly. They do not know what to do, so they do not do anything. 9Sometimes we shorten the phrase and simply say, "like a deer in headlights." 10This is a little different from being called "doe-eyed." A doe is a grown female deer. People who are doe-eyed are innocent, clueless. They are unaware of what's going on around them. 11Now, please keep this in mind. We usually use "like a deer caught in headlights" in situations that are not life-threatening. 12For example, people who have stage fright often look like a deer in headlights. Let's say I am acting in a play. I know all my lines and feel ready. But on opening night, as I look out into the audience and see all those faces ... I freeze. I forget all my lines and stare into space, unable to speak. Someone watching might say, "What is wrong with Anna? Is she supposed to just stand there doing ... nothing? She's like a deer caught in headlights." 13So the next time you are really surprised or scared, you may find yourself looking frozen and wide-eyed -- like a deer in headlights. 14And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories. Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo! 15Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. The song at the end is Sia singing "Deer in Headlights." 16________________________________________________________________ 17Words in This Story 18fawn - n. a deer that is less than a year old 19leap - v. to jump over something : to move quickly 20stare - v. to look at someone or something for a long time often with your eyes wide open 21stage fright - n. nervousness felt at appearing before an audience 22audience - n. a group of people who gather together to listen to something (such as a concert) or watch something (such as a movie or play) : the people who attend a performance