Political cartoon by Jimmy Margulies of The Record in New Jersey and published on 27 December 2010.
This political cartoon is a spoof (une parodie) on an anti-drug TV commercial from the 1980s which you’ll find below.
A nest egg is a special sum or amount of money that has been saved or invested for a specific future use such as retirement. This term comes from the practice of putting a real or an artificial egg into the nest of a chicken in order to encourage it to lay (pondre) more eggs.
The connection to saving money is a bit uncertain but possibly it’s because the nest egg wasn’t removed from the nest until the chicken had laid eggs.
Political cartoon by Cameron “Cam” Cardow of The Ottowa Citizen in Canada and published on 01 December 2010.
If you are down on your luck, you are in a long period of difficulty finding work and earning money. Unfortunately due to the current economic situation, a lot of people are down on their luck.
A bailout is an economic term that we’ve been hearing a lot these last few years. This is the money given or lent to a person or organization with financial problems in order to save them. Ireland is the latest EU country after Greece to get a bailout package. However, according to the headline, the bailout is ending inturmoil.
If something is in turmoil, it is in a state of extreme confusion, chaos or agitation. They fear that this economic turmoil is going to spread to other European countries such as Portugal or Spain. In other words, the crisis will proliferate across the EU.
The crisis is provoking political turmoil as well in Ireland. The Taoiseach, the head of the Irish government, is at bay as the ruling coalition disintegrates. If something or someone is at bay, this means that they are cornered or trapped. The Irish leader is under tremendous pressure to step down and to call for new elections.
Political cartoon by Chuck Asay of The Colorado Springs Gazette published on 06 November 2010.
In this conservative leaning political cartoon, the cartoonist is critical of the government taking control of the student loan business. It is full of good vocabulary.
You see a caricature of Obama leading a classroom discussing how to make college tuition more affordable. First, what is tuition? This is the money you pay to take a class at a college, university or private school.
The caricature of Obama states that it is skyrocketing and need to be made more affordable. This means that cost of going to school has increased very quickly and become very expensive and so something must be done to lower the price so more people can pay for it. Look at this example of the vocabulary in use: Currently the price of gold is skyrocketing and is become less affordable for those who want to buy gold.
In response to how to make tuition more affordable, one of the students suggests that colleges should compete for students in a free market. He believes there should be more competition. This means that a university should try to attract more students by offering better educational services at lower prices than another university.
Mr. Marx, an illusion of course to Karl Marx, has another idea. He believes that the government (he uses the common term the Feds to refer to people working for the US government) should take over the student loan business because a government is too big to fail (tell that to the Soviet Union!). A loan is the money you request to borrow from a bank for which you pay back over time at interest. If something fails, it is unsuccessful and doesn’t work.
At the end of the cartoon, we see the caricature of Obama asking the class who they think is going to flunk his class. In the case of this class, the first student is going to flunk and Mr. Marx is going to pass. If you flunk a class, you fail the class and do not get a good mark or grade. If you succeed and get the necessary grade or mark to move up to the next class or level, you pass it. Congratulations!
At the shareholder's meeting, Gekko (Michael Douglas) announces that "greed is good."
corporate(adj)
-
relating to large companies, or to a particular large company
Example: Coca-Cola's corporate headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia
Related terms: a corporation, corporate America (= big businesses in America), corporate culture
unfit (adj. – superlative form used in video : unfittest)
-
not having the right qualities to do a particular job or activity (Ex. an unfit mother)
Synonyms: incompetent, incapable
≠ fit
survival of the fittest (Evolutionary theory)
-
the idea that your survival depends on competing successfully within your environment with other creatures of your own type
Example: In business, it’s the survival of the fittest
in my book(expression)
-
used when giving your strong opinion about something
Example: She’s the best teacher in this school, in my book.
a deal
-
a formal agreement, especially in business or politics
Related terms to show a successful deal: do/cut/make/reach/ strike a deal (with someone) ; a deal goes through
Related term to show a deal couldn’t be made: a deal falls through
to be involved with something
-
to be connected with
Example: He denied that he was involved with organized crime.
a stockholder (American) / a shareholder (British)
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someone who owns stocks (=equal parts into which a company’s money is divided) in a company.
greed
-
a strong wish to have more money, things, or power than you need
Example: a growing culture of corporate greed (=the greed of large companies); their greed for power
for lack of something
-
a situation in which you do not have any, or enough, of something that you need or want
Example: We couldn’t find her passport, but it wasn’t for lack of trying (=we tried hard to find it).
to cut through something
-
1. to deal quickly and effectively with something that causes problems or is confusing; 2. to make a path through something by cutting
Example: 1. We need to cut through the political rhetoric and see what really lies behind the policy. 2. He cut his way through the jungle with a machete.
upward (adj.)
-
moving or turned toward a higher position
a surge
-
a sudden increase
mankind
-
all humans considered as a single group.
Note: Some people avoid using this word because they think it is offensive to women, and they use ‘humankind’ instead
Synonyms: humankind, the human race
mark my words (expression)
-
used for telling someone to listen carefully to what you are saying, especially because you will be proved right in the future
Example: President Obama will not be reelected in 2012, mark my words.
In Paradise Valley, Arizona’s premiere tourist destination thanks to the 12 resorts located there, special room deals and freebies are the spring-season staples. These special prices are luring back sun-seekers and golfers in droves reversing the downward trend that is a result of the sluggish economy. Full story >>
to pay off
-
if something that you do pays off, it brings you some benefit or advantage
premiere(pronounced – Pre-MEERE)
-
first, principle, most important
a room deal
-
promotions offered by hotels
a freebie
-
something given to you that you don’t have pay for
a staple
-
a regular and important part or feature of something
to lure
-
to persuade someone to do something by making it look very attractive
in droves
-
large numbers of people
sluggish(adj.)
-
not performing or reacting as usual, not moving quickly
Canadian Finance Minister James Michael "Jim" Flaherty is the target of a very unflattering image on the front page of the Toronto Sun. They are calling him a tightwad due to a the fiscal restraints in his newly proposed federal budget. A tightwad is someone who always tries to avoid spending money. A good literary example of a tightwad would the be the protagonist of Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens's famous A Christmas Carol. In fact, this character is so famous that a scrooge is synonymous with tightwad.
Fiscal restraints is the term used to imply that limits or controls are being placed on the money being spent. The Harper government in Canada is trying torein in current spending. To rein in means to limit or control something that has developed too much or has continued too long. The image is that of a horse which is controlled and directed by pulling on the reins.
In one of the front page’s headlines, it states, “Fiscal restraint the order of the day in Flaherty’s ‘stay-the-course’ budget.” When we say that something the order of the day, we are saying that it is usual or common at a particular time. During economic good times, it was the order of the day for the government to spend a lot of money on various projects and social programs. Now, because of the economic downturn, cutbacks in spending will be the order of the day. The new budget is being called the ‘stay-the-course’ budget. This comes from the verbal expression ‘to stay the course’ which means to continue doing something despite the difficulties. Former President Bush used to say the United States needed to stay the course in Iraq.
The budget will cut spending across the board. This term is both an adverb and an adjective (written across-the-board) and means that it involves everything or everyone affected by a particular situation. Full story >>
- If for some unfortunate reason you run up debt on your credit card and don’t pay the bill over a period of several months, your creditor might use a collection agency to make you pay your debt. In France, this job is carried out by a court bailiff (un huissier de justice). To run up a bill means you owe someone a lot of money. In winter, we tend to run up higher gas bills in order to heat our homes.
- If your job is outsourced, this means it has been either transferred to another region or it is now being done by someone else outside your company.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke remarked on Tuesday, “From a technical perspective, the recession is very likely over at this point.” In his political cartoon, Jimmy Margulies is commenting on the Bernanke’s comment criticizing him for seeing the current economic situation through rose-colored (US) / rose-coloured (UK) glasses. In English, when we say that you see through / look through rose-colored glasses, then you see the situation as being more pleasant or positive when in reality it isn’t! Another possible wording of the expression is ‘to wear rose-colored glasses.” Here are some example sentences taken from the net:
The magazine had a habit of looking at social issues through rose-colored glasses.
Looked at through rose-colored glasses, the story of women's role in the state's politics could be considered a success.
She's nostalgic for a past that she sees through rose-colored glasses.
When you emerge safely (out of danger) after a difficult time we say that you are "out of the woods." Example: Joe was sick two weeks ago and we were very worried, but now it looks like he is out of the woods." The "woods" can be a dark and dangerous place for those who cannot find their way out; we hope that they will return safely "out of the woods". Example: "It is true that the economy is getting stronger, but we are not out of the woods yet." When people overcome difficult challenges and arrive safely "out of" danger we say that they are "out of the woods." Example: "It is halftime and we are winning this game but let's remember that we are still not out of the woods!" (Explanation taken from GoEnglish.com)
NOTE! I apologize, link to image and PDF became inactive over time.
If you’d like a more readable version of this front page (pdf format), go HERE! For the newspaper’s homepage go to : http://www.independent.ie/
- The Bank of Ireland made a blunder! It was a careless and embarrassing mistake. They blundered by double debiting some of the charges made by their card users. Oops! Unfortunately, this gaffe or error forced some of their clients into the red which means their bank accounts went into a situation where they did not have enough money to cover the charges. Thankfully, the bank caught their slip (mistake)and isrefunding the money to 120,000 customers. http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/top-bank-pays-back-120000-hit--by-card-blunder-1881243.html
- In Ireland at the end of the Junior Cycle (13 to 15 year olds), students take the Junior Certificate examination, also known as the Junior Cert. The Irish Education Ministry is planning ashake-up of the exam. They want torevamp the exam; in other words, they want to improve it to better promote real understanding and skills. Theshake-up would also involve reducing the number of subjects tested which is currently between 10 and 14! http://www.independent.ie/education/latest-news/junior-cert-revamp-will-focus-more-on-skills-than-exams-1881187.html
- And in yet another Irish banking story, a probe is being conducted by investigators and detectives into a loans and deposits controversy at the Anglo Irish Bank. Aprobe is simply an investigation to find out the truth. In order to probe deeper, witnesses need to be interviewed but that will take time and slow down the enquiry. In order to speed up the investigation, they are beefing up the investigative team by adding 20 officers. http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/gardai-poised-to-quiz-key-anglo-figures-in-bank-probe-1881292.html
Please, if you have any questions about the vocabulary or just want to leave a comment or criticism, don’t forget to use the comments option at the end of each post! Let me know what you think of this new format for Vocabulary In the News!
NOTE! I apologize, link to image and PDF became inactive over time.
Let’s try a new way to learn vocabulary by just looking at headlines! If you’d like a more readable version of this front page(pdf format), go HERE! For the newspaper’s homepage go to: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
- A to-do list is simply a list of all the things that you need to get done! For the California Legislature, theirs is lengthy meaning they really have a lot to get accomplished. However the end of this legislative session is looming! We use this verb, to loom, to describe something that is unpleasant or difficult which could happen soon. It’s the verb used when the size of something very large seems to threaten something that is small. In this case, it is going to be very difficult for the California Legislature to complete its agenda before the end of the session. Before the current recession, some economist studying the factors stated that an economic crisis was looming if some things didn’t change. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/09/07/MN5319ILVG.DTL
- To ride out something means to get through a difficult or dangerous period or situation without any problems. Oftentimes when a hurricane warning is issued along the Gulf or Atlantic coasts, some people don’t evacuate and choose to try to ride out the storm in their homes. In California, labor union are riding out the downturn. This a situation in which there is less economic and business activity. In this case, the Unions for the moment are surviving the economic downturn in California and are gaining new members. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/09/07/MNUC19I8SL.DTL
- In California, workers are scrambling to fix a span of the workhorse Bay Bridge. If you have to scramble to do something, you have to work very fast and very hard to complete something because you are either having to compete or you don’t have a lot of time. In this case, the Bay Bridge is a workhorse which means it’s probably the most important bridge in San Francisco in terms of how many people use it. Keeping the bridge closed too long for repair is a problem for traffic which is why workers are scrambling to fix the span. Here, span is a synonym for length. We can also use it as a verb. For example, the Golden Gate Bridge spans San Francisco Bay which means it crosses over an area of water. Unfortunately, the city cannot guarantee opening the bridge for the commute Tuesday. This word is used to describe the movement of people going to and from work. This is also a verb. If you take your car or the train to go to work, you commute to work. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/07/BAQU19JGKE.DTL
- The last major front page article speaks about the resignation of President Obama’s green jobs czar (name given to appointed advisors to the President), Van Jones. The headlines states that supporters accuse the White House of caving in. If you cave in to someone, this means you stop opposing something, and finally do whatever it is the other person wanted. Van Jones had made some very controversial comments which many conservatives found unacceptable and so they called for his resignation. On Sunday, Mr. Van Jones tendered that resignation and now supporters of Obama accuse the White House of caving in to conservative criticism. Another idiomatic way of expressing this as found in the article, is to buckle. Supporters might also say that President Obama buckled under the pressure of criticism. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/09/07/MNT319JJCF.DTL
Don’t forget to use your dictionaries to find other uses and meanings of the above vocabulary. If you have any questions concerning the vocabulary, don’t hesitate to click on the comments link!
To learn more about the resignation of President Obama’s green jobs czar, you can watch the following video by www.newsy.com
Exactly thirty years ago, President Jimmy Carter gave his famous "Crisis of Confidence” speech, also know as the “Malaise” speech. At that time, the United States was also going through a major economic crisis which would also lead to Carter’s defeat for reelection to Ronald Reagan in 1980. Here in a short excerpt from that speech.
US unemployment is expected to hit 10 percent in 2009 despite a fall in job cuts, US President Barack Obama said in a television interview on Tuesday. The US jobless rate soared to 9.6 percent in May for the first time in 26 years.
AFP - US President Barack Obama said Tuesday that unemployment was expected to hit 10 percent this year as companies cut payrolls to cope with prolonged recession.
Asked during an interview with the Bloomberg television network whether the jobless rate, which surged to a 26-year high of 9.4 percent in May, would reach 10 percent, the president said:"Yes."
Queried whether the double-digit rate would occur this year, Obama also replied in the affirmative but added that jobs would continue to be lost even as the recession that struck in December 2007 eased.
"Yes. I think that what you've seen is that the pace of job loss has slowed, and I think that the economy is going to turn around.
"But as you know, jobs are a lagging indicator. And we've got to produce 150,000 jobs every month just to keep pace, just to flatten this out."
The latest Labor Department's monthly report, seen as one of the best indicators of economic momentum, offered conflicting signals about a weak labor market, but suggested that the pace of massive job cuts appeared to be easing.
Some 345,000 nonfarm jobs were shed in May -- much lower than the 520,000 expected and about half the monthly decline of the past six months.
But the unemployment rate, based on a separate survey of households, rose sharply from 8.9 percent to a worse-than-expected 9.4 percent, the highest level since August 1983.
Some said the labor report, along with revised jobless figures for March and April, showed the recession-ravaged economy may have hit bottom, consistent with the notion of "green shoots" of recovery cited by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke.
As a reminder, I’m doing the vocabulary differently now. Words are now linked to various online dictionaries so that you have to explore the various definitions of each word to find its meaning in the context of the text. You can also use this as a tool to explore the other uses and forms of each vocabulary word. This means that you have to work a bit more since I’m not going to do all the work for you! ;-)
Cuba has been a dominant theme at the Summit of the Americas.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and other leaders are pressing Mr. Obama to lift the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.
Mr. Obama says he wants to see a change in U.S.-Cuban relations, but also democratic change on the communist-led island. Cuba is excluded from the summit.
This past week, President Obama lifted restrictions on travel and money transfers by Cuban-Americans to the island.
The other main topics among the leaders at the hemispheric meeting in Trinidad and Tobago have been how to revive their economies, maintain trade and keep the global financial crisis from causing more poverty.
Mr. Obama announced Saturday the formation of a $100-million program to help small entrepreneurs in the Western Hemisphere.
The White House says the new fund would loosen credit from banks and get money moving to small businesses.
U.S. officials say the ultimate goal is to raise 250-million dollars for the program.
Similar microfinance loan programs have proved successful in other developing regions.
Several Latin American leaders have blamed the United States for the financial meltdown.
However, the French news agency reports that President Obama's worldwide popularity was in evidence Saturday at the summit with Latin American leaders jostling to have a photograph taken with him.
The agency says the U.S. president agreed to most of the requests, including those of Panama's tourism minister and actor Ruben Blades.
blame verb [transitive] to say that someone or something is responsible for an accident, problem or bad situation If it all goes wrong, don’t blame me! Crime is a complex issue. We can’t simply blame poverty and unemployment.
fund noun [countable] an amount of money you collect, save or invest an investment/pension fund
jostle verb [intransitive] to compete for something two candidates jostling for votes
lift verb [transitive] to officially end a rule of law that stopped someone from doing something They’re hoping to get the ban lifted by the end of the month.
loosen verb [transitive] to make something less strict or controlled The country will loosen currency controls to encourage spending abroad.
meltdown noun [countable] a sudden and complete failure of a company, organization or system fear of a global financial meltdown
money transfer noun [countable] = wire transfer the electronic sending of money/funds
pressure someone to do something verb [causative] to try in a determined way to make someone do something or tell you something Managers are being pressed to ensure safety standards are met.
request noun [countable] an act of asking for something in a polite or formal way Requests for visas will be dealt with immediately. Three banks have already refused his request for a loan.
revive verb [transitive/intransitive] to become, or to make someone/something become active, successful or popular again. The railroad revived the flagging fortunes of the town.
Wednesday 17 June 2009 
