Ups and Downs, Highs and Lows
2023-03-12
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1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2Up and down. High and low.
3These short words describe more than just directions.
4They also connect to our feelings and experiences.
5In this episode of Words and Their Stories, we'll start down low and end up high.
6Many cultures around the world connect the words "low" or "down" with something negative.
7This is because our minds can easily connect low places, like the floor or the ground, with dirt.
8So, when someone asks, "How low can you go?" they are expressing their opinion that another person's behavior is bad in a moral or ethical sense.
9If you are down and out, that means you are poor, without enough money for the things you need.
10And if you are down in the dumps, that means you feel unhappy or depressed.
11Next, let's look at two "down" expressions that relate to either getting or keeping information.
12They sound similar but have different meanings.
13The following exchange uses one of these expressions:
14A: So, did Maria tell you anything?
15B: She did! But keep this on the down-low-she's going to quit her job next month.
16A: Oh my gosh! Wow-that is big news.
17B: I know, but she doesn't want anyone else to know.
18A: No worries. I'll keep it on the DL.
19To keep something on the down-low means to keep information secret.
20Speakers often say the shortened form, "on the DL," when using the expression.
21On the other hand, if you want the low-down on a situation, that means you want to get the information. For example:
22A: Did Jane give you the low-down on the budget?
23B: Yeah. She said they can't afford to do a summer project this year.
24So, getting the low-down means you are getting information.
25Keeping it on the down-low means you are keeping information away from people.
26Now, let's move up to a few expressions with "high."
27Imagine you are driving in an area with a lot of traffic.
28You see a car waiting to turn onto your street, so you stop and let that car make the turn.
29But this makes the car behind you slow down.
30The driver of this car now honks the horn for a long time, leans out the car window, and shouts at you.
31At this point, you have a choice.
32You can also shout in return, or you can take the high road and not answer.
33To take the high road means to behave in a way that is morally correct, even when other people around you are not behaving well.
34Our next expression relates to time.
35Sometimes there are things that people should do, but they wait longer than necessary to do them.
36By waiting, they sometimes create problems or make things worse.
37In these situations, we can use the phrase "it's high time" to say that people have delayed doing something for too long.
38For example, someone can say, "It's high time you cleaned up that apartment. It is so dirty!"
39Next, we look at the word highfalutin.
40If you say someone is highfalutin, that means you think the person is overly fancy or pompous.
41Highfalutin is usually a negative way of referring to ways of speaking and behaving.
42According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of American English, the first known use of this word was in 1839 in the United States.
43Finally, you can end on a high note by connecting to another Words and Their Stories program.
44There, you can learn more expressions about highs and lows.
45Then, give yourself a high-five for reading and listening to this week's Words and Their Stories.
46I'm Andrew Smith.
1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2Up and down. High and low. These short words describe more than just directions. They also connect to our feelings and experiences. In this episode of Words and Their Stories, we'll start down low and end up high. 3Many cultures around the world connect the words "low" or "down" with something negative. This is because our minds can easily connect low places, like the floor or the ground, with dirt. 4So, when someone asks, "How low can you go?" they are expressing their opinion that another person's behavior is bad in a moral or ethical sense. 5If you are down and out, that means you are poor, without enough money for the things you need. 6And if you are down in the dumps, that means you feel unhappy or depressed. 7Next, let's look at two "down" expressions that relate to either getting or keeping information. They sound similar but have different meanings. The following exchange uses one of these expressions: 8A: So, did Maria tell you anything? 9B: She did! But keep this on the down-low-she's going to quit her job next month. 10A: Oh my gosh! Wow-that is big news. 11B: I know, but she doesn't want anyone else to know. 12A: No worries. I'll keep it on the DL. 13To keep something on the down-low means to keep information secret. Speakers often say the shortened form, "on the DL," when using the expression. 14On the other hand, if you want the low-down on a situation, that means you want to get the information. For example: 15A: Did Jane give you the low-down on the budget? 16B: Yeah. She said they can't afford to do a summer project this year. 17So, getting the low-down means you are getting information. Keeping it on the down-low means you are keeping information away from people. 18Moving up 19Now, let's move up to a few expressions with "high." 20Imagine you are driving in an area with a lot of traffic. You see a car waiting to turn onto your street, so you stop and let that car make the turn. But this makes the car behind you slow down. The driver of this car now honks the horn for a long time, leans out the car window, and shouts at you. 21At this point, you have a choice. You can also shout in return, or you can take the high road and not answer. To take the high road means to behave in a way that is morally correct, even when other people around you are not behaving well. 22Our next expression relates to time. Sometimes there are things that people should do, but they wait longer than necessary to do them. By waiting, they sometimes create problems or make things worse. 23In these situations, we can use the phrase "it's high time" to say that people have delayed doing something for too long. 24For example, someone can say, "It's high time you cleaned up that apartment. It is so dirty!" 25Next, we look at the word highfalutin. If you say someone is highfalutin, that means you think the person is overly fancy or pompous. Highfalutin is usually a negative way of referring to ways of speaking and behaving. 26According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of American English, the first known use of this word was in 1839 in the United States. 27Finally, you can end on a high note by connecting to another Words and Their Stories program. There, you can learn more expressions about highs and lows. 28Then, give yourself a high-five for reading and listening to this week's Words and Their Stories. 29I'm Andrew Smith. 30Andrew Smith wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 31____________________________________________________________________ 32Words in This Story 33negative -adj. not good; the opposite of positive 34honk -v. to make a loud sound often with the horn of a car 35fancy -adj. uncommon, costly, or fashionable 36pompous -adj. behaving in a way that appears to show a person thinks they are better than others 37____________________________________________________________________ 38We want to hear from you. Do you have a similar expression in your language? In the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. 39We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 40Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.