Single on Valentine's Day? Lucky
2020-02-09
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1Now, it's time for Words and Their Stories -- our weekly program about common, everyday expressions in American English.
2This month, a lot of Americans are talking about pairs or doubles - words relating to the number two.
3That is because February 14 is Valentine's Day.
4It is a celebration of romantic love, usually between two people.
5But being part of a couple is not as common as it used to be: More than one in four Americans lives alone.
6The number of unmarried adults around the world is also higher than it has ever been, says social scientist Bella DePaulo.
7And so today we are going to honor the word "single."
8If someone is single, she or he is not involved in a serious romantic relationship with someone else.
9The word "single" can suggest a feeling of fun.
10One image of a single person is of a carefree man or woman who has many friends and is happy to be independent.
11The findings of researcher Bella DePaulo support this idea.
12She finds that, in general, singles in the U.S. socialize with friends and neighbors, take classes and do volunteer work more than married couples.
13But perhaps you are single and you are not so happy.
14Maybe you would like to meet someone - someone else who is not in a serious romantic relationship right now, either.
15You're in luck. You can go to a singles party, a singles club, or a singles dance.
16Singles events are designed to introduce solo adults to each other.
17And who knows? You might see someone there who looks very interesting and appealing to you.
18You ignore the rest of the crowd and single out this one person as someone you want to get to know.
19You take quick, decisive action.
20In a single stroke, you put down your glass, cross the room, and introduce yourself.
21Luckily, the person is as wonderful as you had imagined.
22You exchange stories. You discuss politics and religion.
23The two of you agree on everything. You are of a single mind!
24Then, suddenly, a loud sound fills the room.
25It's a fire alarm! The guests walk through the door in an orderly way, one behind the other.
26They leave the building single file.
27You now find yourself outside with your new love interest.
28The two of you watch as firefighters investigate the building.
29There does not seem to be a real emergency.
30But the firefighters must look in all the rooms.
31They have to search every single one for signs of fire.
32Slowly, the other singles begin to leave.
33You are not ready to say goodbye to the person who is pulling at your heart.
34But you also feel uneasy about suggesting you meet again soon.
35The person waves and turns to go. Your stomach jumps. Your heart beats faster.
36You open your mouth to ask for a telephone number.
37But then you stop. What if you are rejected?
38Or, what if you are not rejected? You might fall in love and become part of a couple.
39You could lose your alone time, your freedom, your dream to travel the world by yourself.
40You take a deep breath and remind yourself that every journey begins with a single step.
41On your way home, you call your favorite restaurant and tell the person who answers you are planning to eat dinner there on Valentine's Day.
42"Table for two?" the person on the phone asks.
43"No," you answer happily. "I am dining alone."
44And that's Words and Their Stories.
45I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.
1Now, it's time for Words and Their Stories -- our weekly program about common, everyday expressions in American English. 2This month, a lot of Americans are talking about pairs or doubles - words relating to the number two. That is because February 14 is Valentine's Day. It is a celebration of romantic love, usually between two people. 3But being part of a couple is not as common as it used to be: More than one in four Americans lives alone. The number of unmarried adults around the world is also higher than it has ever been, says social scientist Bella DePaulo. 4And so today we are going to honor the word "single." If someone is single, she or he is not involved in a serious romantic relationship with someone else. 5The word "single" can suggest a feeling of fun. One image of a single person is of a carefree man or woman who has many friends and is happy to be independent. The findings of researcher Bella DePaulo support this idea. She finds that, in general, singles in the U.S. socialize with friends and neighbors, take classes and do volunteer work more than married couples. 6But perhaps you are single and you are not so happy. Maybe you would like to meet someone - someone else who is not in a serious romantic relationship right now, either. You're in luck. You can go to a singles party, a singles club, or a singles dance. Singles events are designed to introduce solo adults to each other. 7And who knows? You might see someone there who looks very interesting and appealing to you. You ignore the rest of the crowd and single out this one person as someone you want to get to know. You take quick, decisive action. In a single stroke, you put down your glass, cross the room, and introduce yourself. 8Luckily, the person is as wonderful as you had imagined. You exchange stories. You discuss politics and religion. The two of you agree on everything. You are of a single mind! 9Then, suddenly, a loud sound fills the room. It's a fire alarm! The guests walk through the door in an orderly way, one behind the other. They leave the building single file. 10You now find yourself outside with your new love interest. The two of you watch as firefighters investigate the building. There does not seem to be a real emergency. But the firefighters must look in all the rooms. They have to search every single one for signs of fire. 11Slowly, the other singles begin to leave. You are not ready to say goodbye to the person who is pulling at your heart. But you also feel uneasy about suggesting you meet again soon. 12The person waves and turns to go. Your stomach jumps. Your heart beats faster. You open your mouth to ask for a telephone number. 13But then you stop. What if you are rejected? 14Or, what if you are not rejected? You might fall in love and become part of a couple. You could lose your alone time, your freedom, your dream to travel the world by yourself. 15You take a deep breath and remind yourself that every journey begins with a single step. 16On your way home, you call your favorite restaurant and tell the person who answers you are planning to eat dinner there on Valentine's Day. 17"Table for two?" the person on the phone asks. 18"No," you answer happily. "I am dining alone." 19And that's Words and Their Stories. 20I'm Kelly Jean Kelly. 21Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English (while Anna Mateo is away). Ashley Thompson was the editor. 22___________________________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24pair - n. two animals that mate together 25couple - n. two people who are married or who have a romantic or sexual relationship 26solo - adj. not part of a couple or group