Deciding by a 'Flip of a Coin'
2021-05-30
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1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2On this program we talk about words and expressions from the English language.
3We also give examples on how to use them.
4Today, we are going to talk about coins! Coins are small, flat and usually round pieces of metal issued by a government as money.
5In the United States we have coins for dollars, half dollars, quarters, dimes, five cents or nickels, and one cent or a penny.
6There are two sides to a coin.
7For example, the U.S. quarter has an image of George Washington on one side and an eagle on the other side.
8So, naturally, we call the Washington side head and the other side tail.
9And that brings us to our first expression: Two sides of the same coin.
10If two things are two sides of the same coin, they are closely related even though they seem different.
11For example:
12Experts often consider mental health issues and homelessness to be two sides of the same coin.
13In other words, there is often a connection or relationship between the two.
14Now, we use coins to buy things. We also use coins to decide between two choices.
15We flip or toss a coin and call heads or tails.
16"Heads you win." or "Tails I win."
17Whosever call matches the side of the coin showing is the winner.
18This is what we mean by winning a decision by a flip of a coin or a coin toss.
19In many sports, deciding who gets the ball first or takes the field first is sometimes done by a coin toss.
20There is a certain amount of luck involved in a flip of a coin.
21You have a 50/50 chance of winning.
22For some things, those odds may not be good enough.
23When the stakes are very high, meaning when you could lose a lot, you might not want to flip a coin.
24For example, it would not be a good idea to bet double or nothing of your entire life's savings by flipping a coin.
25There is a 50/50 chance of your losing everything.
26If the two choices are both good and nearly equal, a coin toss might be the perfect way to come to a decision.
27Let's say you and your best friend want to go out for dinner.
28She wants Italian. You want Korean.
29You both like the two restaurants.
30So, a coin toss is a perfect way to decide.
31We also use this expression to describe a situation where two outcomes, usually opposites, are likely to happen.
32And they will be decided by chance, not by reason or scientific research.
33To some degree, the results are out of your hands.
34Here's an example:
35It's out of your hands whether the rain will come today.
36I could also say ...
37It's a coin toss whether the rain will come today.
38And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.
39Whether or not we will be back next week will not be decided by a flip of the coin.
40We will definitely have a new program for you. On that you can bet your bottom dollar!
41Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2On this program we talk about words and expressions from the English language. We also give examples on how to use them. 3Today, we are going to talk about coins! Coins are small, flat and usually round pieces of metal issued by a government as money. In the United States we have coins for dollars, half dollars, quarters, dimes, five cents or nickels, and one cent or a penny. 4There are two sides to a coin. For example, the U.S. quarter has an image of George Washington on one side and an eagle on the other side. So, naturally, we call the Washington side head and the other side tail. 5And that brings us to our first expression: Two sides of the same coin. If two things are two sides of the same coin, they are closely related even though they seem different. 6For example: 7Experts often consider mental health issues and homelessness to be two sides of the same coin. 8In other words, there is often a connection or relationship between the two. 9Now, we use coins to buy things. We also use coins to decide between two choices. 10We flip or toss a coin and call heads or tails. "Heads you win." or "Tails I win." Whosever call matches the side of the coin showing is the winner. This is what we mean by winning a decision by a flip of a coin or a coin toss. 11In many sports, deciding who gets the ball first or takes the field first is sometimes done by a coin toss. 12There is a certain amount of luck involved in a flip of a coin. You have a 50/50 chance of winning. For some things, those odds may not be good enough. 13When the stakes are very high, meaning when you could lose a lot, you might not want to flip a coin. For example, it would not be a good idea to bet double or nothing of your entire life's savings by flipping a coin. There is a 50/50 chance of your losing everything. 14If the two choices are both good and nearly equal, a coin toss might be the perfect way to come to a decision. Let's say you and your best friend want to go out for dinner. She wants Italian. You want Korean. You both like the two restaurants. So, a coin toss is a perfect way to decide. 15We also use this expression to describe a situation where two outcomes, usually opposites, are likely to happen. And they will be decided by chance, not by reason or scientific research. To some degree, the results are out of your hands. 16Here's an example: 17It's out of your hands whether the rain will come today. 18I could also say ... 19It's a coin toss whether the rain will come today. 20And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. 21Whether or not we will be back next week will not be decided by a flip of the coin. We will definitely have a new program for you. On that you can bet your bottom dollar! 22Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 23Anna Matteo wrote this for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. 24__________________________________________________________ 25Words in This Story 26flip - v. to toss so as to cause to turn over in the air : flip - n. the act of flipping something : a quick turn, toss, or movement 27toss - v. to throw with a quick, light, or careless motion or with a sudden jerk : toss - n. a deciding by chance and especially by flipping a coin 28odds - n. the possibility that something will happen : the chance that one thing will happen instead of a different thing 29stakes - n. something (such as money) that you could win or lose in a game, contest, etc. 30double or nothing - adv. with the result that a gambler either wins two times as much money as he or she has already won or loses all of the money 31out of your hands - phrase not within one's control 32bet your bottom dollar - phrase to be certain that something will happen