[ti:Be Careful What You 'Bank On']
[al:Words and Their Stories]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2024-07-21]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:08.11]And now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.
[00:18.69]On today's show, we take you to the bank.
[00:23.59]Banks help us manage our money. When we make deposits, we put money in; when we make withdrawals, we take money out. 
[00:35.25]Banks help us reach important life goals. 
[00:40.73]We can borrow money from a bank to buy a house. 
[00:45.05]A bank can loan us money to start a business.
[00:49.96]So, we need to trust our banks. 
[00:53.46]And that need for trust gives us some idiomatic expressions in American English that are connected to banks.
[01:04.99]The first is simply to bank on something. 
[01:09.29]If you bank on something, you trust it will happen. 
[01:15.05]In fact, you count on it happening. 
[01:19.38]Sometimes we use this expression to mean our strategy depends on something to happen.
[01:26.73]Here are some examples:
[01:28.78]When a city hosts the Olympics, they bank on drawing large crowds to see the games.
[01:36.15]To win the election, the politician is banking on voters finding out about his opponent's scandals.
[01:45.00]We often use this expression in a set phrase: to bank on the fact that something will happen.
[01:54.28]For example, you can bank on the fact that a famous person caught doing something wrong will soon give a public apology.
[02:04.92]It is certain to happen.
[02:07.27]You can bank on the fact that if I see chocolate cake, I will eat it. It is a given. It will happen.
[02:19.15]If you are very sure something will happen, it's like money in the bank.
[02:25.60]When we have money in the bank, we count on it to be there when we need it.
[02:32.00]Banks offer guarantees that they will protect our money.
[02:37.43]So, if something is like money in the bank, it is a guarantee. It is a certainty.
[02:47.03]When we say "you can take that to the bank," we mean something is a sure thing. It is true or certain to happen.
[02:58.46]We finish today's show with one more expression, which sounds like a funny situation.
[03:05.90]If you laugh all the way to the bank, you make a lot of money with very little effort.
[03:14.31]This expression also can mean that you are happy about making money from something that others think is unfair or even bad.
[03:27.06]In other situations, it means that you make money from something that others think is a waste of time.
[03:36.93]For example, when a woman started a organic homemade dog food business, her friends thought it was a silly idea.
[03:48.19]They even laughed at her idea. But it ended up being very successful and made her very rich. 
[03:58.30]So, now she is the one laughing - laughing all the way to the bank!
[04:04.61]And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.
[04:09.48]If you want to learn English, the stories and programs at VOA Learning English can help you out. You can take that to the bank!
[04:19.03]Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.