'Sugarcoat' Pills and Bad News
2022-02-20
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1And now Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.
2Bad news can be hard to hear.
3It can be even harder to share with someone.
4So, we may tell someone bad news in a way that is easier for them to hear.
5In other words, we may try to sugarcoat it.
6And that is our expression for today -- "sugarcoat."
7When you sugarcoat something you try to make it more pleasant or acceptable than it really is.
8You try to make an event or situation seem not so bad.
9So, you don't share all the upsetting or otherwise bad details.
10It might surprise you to learn that a United States president was criticized for using the term "sugarcoat" in an official message.
11I will tell you which one later in the program.
12But first, let's talk about the word "coat."
13A coat can be a layer, such as a coat of paint.
14As a verb, "coat" also means to cover something with a substance.
15So, you could say the walls were coated with a layer of paint.
16Sugar, as you know, is a sweet substance.
17It makes so many things taste good - things like cakes, cookies, pies, and candy.
18But sugar can also make things like medicine taste better too and therefore easier to take.
19So, medicine makers began adding sweet flavorings to their products to help people, especially children, take the medicine.
20Now, pills can taste bitter too.
21So, pill makers started doing the same.
22They began coating pills with a hard sugar coating.
23This made them easier to swallow.
24These days we use the term sugarcoat for actual sugar coatings and when we share news and information.
25Here is a quick example.
26Let's listen to these co-workers talk about their business.
27A: Okay, give it to me straight. How much money did we lose last year?
28B: Let me start by saying ... we'll make up our losses this year.
29A: Stop sugarcoating it! I want numbers. How much did we lose?
30B: All of it. We lost all of our profits from last year.
31A: Wow. That IS bad. You could have broken the news to me a bit easier.
32A: You said not to sugarcoat anything!
33Now, back to our earlier question.
34Which U.S. president was criticized for using this informal term in an official address?
35In a message to Congress on July 4, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln wrote:
36"With rebellion thus sugar-coated they have been drugging the public mind of their section for more than thirty years,
37and until at length they have brought many good men to a willingness to take up arms against the government..."
38Often on this show we talk about whether a term or expression is formal or informal.
39Formal language is well suited for professional and official situations, such as a presidential address.
40Informal is the type of language we use with those close to us.
41Well, reportedly, some government officials at the time did not like President Lincoln's use of the informal term "sugar-coat" in an official message.
42Experts at the website History.com explain that the official government printer objected to Lincoln using "sugar-coat,"
43saying the word was beneath the dignity of the office of the president.
44Also, reportedly, Lincoln didn't care.
45History.com experts claim Lincoln said, "The time will never come in this country when the people won't know exactly what sugar-coated means."
46And he was right. Sugarcoat in all its forms remains commonly used and clear in meaning.
47Feel free to use it in any situation, even if it is formal. You will be in good company.
48And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English. 2Bad news can be hard to hear. It can be even harder to share with someone. So, we may tell someone bad news in a way that is easier for them to hear. In other words, we may try to sugarcoat it. 3And that is our expression for today -- "sugarcoat." 4When you sugarcoat something you try to make it more pleasant or acceptable than it really is. You try to make an event or situation seem not so bad. So, you don't share all the upsetting or otherwise bad details. 5It might surprise you to learn that a United States president was criticized for using the term "sugarcoat" in an official message. I will tell you which one later in the program. 6But first, let's talk about the word "coat." 7A coat can be a layer, such as a coat of paint. As a verb, "coat" also means to cover something with a substance. So, you could say the walls were coated with a layer of paint. 8Sugar, as you know, is a sweet substance. It makes so many things taste good - things like cakes, cookies, pies, and candy. But sugar can also make things like medicine taste better too and therefore easier to take. 9So, medicine makers began adding sweet flavorings to their products to help people, especially children, take the medicine. 10Now, pills can taste bitter too. So, pill makers started doing the same. They began coating pills with a hard sugar coating. This made them easier to swallow. 11These days we use the term sugarcoat for actual sugar coatings and when we share news and information. 12Here is a quick example. Let's listen to these co-workers talk about their business. 13A: Okay, give it to me straight. How much money did we lose last year? 14B: Let me start by saying ... we'll make up our losses this year. 15A: Stop sugarcoating it! I want numbers. How much did we lose? 16B: All of it. We lost all of our profits from last year. 17A: Wow. That IS bad. You could have broken the news to me a bit easier. 18A: You said not to sugarcoat anything! 19Now, back to our earlier question. Which U.S. president was criticized for using this informal term in an official address? 20In a message to Congress on July 4, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln wrote: 21"With rebellion thus sugar-coated they have been drugging the public mind of their section for more than thirty years, and until at length they have brought many good men to a willingness to take up arms against the government..." 22Often on this show we talk about whether a term or expression is formal or informal. Formal language is well suited for professional and official situations, such as a presidential address. Informal is the type of language we use with those close to us. 23Well, reportedly, some government officials at the time did not like President Lincoln's use of the informal term "sugar-coat" in an official message. 24Experts at the website History.com explain that the official government printer objected to Lincoln using "sugar-coat," saying the word was beneath the dignity of the office of the president. 25Also, reportedly, Lincoln didn't care. 26History.com experts claim Lincoln said, "The time will never come in this country when the people won't know exactly what sugar-coated means." 27And he was right. Sugarcoat in all its forms remains commonly used and clear in meaning. Feel free to use it in any situation, even if it is formal. You will be in good company. 28And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 29Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. 30_____________________________________________________________ 31Words in This Story 32layer - n. an amount of something that is spread over an area : a covering piece of material or a part that lies over or under another 33delightful - adj. highly pleasing 34flavoring - n. a substance that is added to a food or drink to give it a desired taste 35bitter - adj. having a strong and often unpleasant flavor that is the opposite of sweet 36give it to me straight - phrase to tell someone the truth 37profit - n. money that is made in a business, through investing, etc., after all the costs and expenses are paid : a financial gain 38rebellion - n. an effort by many people to change the government or leader of a country by the use of protest or violence : open opposition toward a person or group in authority 39formal - adj. suitable for a proper occasion 40informal - adj. marked by the absence of formality or ceremony 41dignity - n. the quality or state of being worthy of honor and respect