Video Of the Moment : Movie – Wall Street “Greed is Good!”

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)	-	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.
malfunctioning (adj.)	-	not working or operating correctly Synonyms: failing, flopping ≠ functioning, working, successful

Video of the Moment : Movie – Toy Story 3 “Ken Meets Barbie”

The toys are given a tour by Ken (Michael Keaton), who is quite impressed by the blonde Barbie.

to donate	to give something such as money or goods to an organization, especially to a school, hospital, political party, or charity
a loss (singular)	a disadvantage that you have when someone leaves or when you cannot use something any longer
to settle in	to make yourself comfortable in a place because you are going to stay there for a long time
Far out! (informal exclamation)	Cool!
in a jiff / in a jiffy (informal)	very quickly, or very soon
folks (informal)	used for talking to a group of people (Ex. “What do you folks think?”)
an ascot	a broad neck scarf that is looped under the chin (Note: they are playing the words “ass” and “cut”, a bit too osé on the part of Pixar if you ask me!)
recess (American) / break (British)	a period between school classes when students can eat, rest, or play
Right on! (informal exclamation)	used for emphasizing that you agree with or support someone or something
to look forward to something	to feel happy and excited about something that is going to happen
stuffed	a stuffed toy or cushion has been filled with a soft material
puffed	big, round, and light
buffed	made to shine after being polished

Video of the Moment : Movie - The Devil Wears Prada "Gird your loins!"

Andy (Anne Hathaway) watches as the Runway Magazine office turns upside down when it is announced that Miranda (Meryl Streep) is on her way.

to turn something upside down	-	to change in a complete way, often in a way that is shocking or upsetting
to be on one’s way	-	to be about to arrive or happen
to text message	-	to transmit a text message (SMS)
a facialist	-	a beautician who specializes in beauty treatment for the face, usually consisting of massages and the application of cosmetics
to rupture a disk	-	to tear or split the cartilage between the bones in your back
Gird your loins! (often humorous)	-	This expression comes from an older, archaic English and means to prepare for a difficult or dangerous activity. The idea is of bringing out your inner strength and fortitude. To gird meant to prepare for action and was the image of placing a flexible belt around your waist, such as one that had a sword. Your loins are your lower abdominal regions about the hips, particularly where your reproductive organs are.
a bagel	-	a type of bread that is small and round with a hole in the middle. See link!
a tale	-	a spoken account of someone’s experiences, especially when they are made to seem more exciting or unpleasant than they really were. E.G. “tales of your incompetence do not interest me” (as spoken in clip)
a layout	-	the way in which the words and pictures on a page are arranged
smiley (adj)	-	smiling, tending to smile a lot
paunchy (adj)	-	with a paunch, i.e. fat around the stomach (usually on a man)
to RSVP	-	to reply to an invitation with a yes or a no (from the French répondez s’il vous plaît)
to drop someone off	-	to take someone to a place in a car
to pick someone up	-	to take someone who is waiting by the road into your vehicle and take them somewhere
sharp (adverb, i.e. “at 7:30 pm sharp”)	-	at exactly a particular time

Video of the Moment : Movie - Sherlock Holmes “I need you to find someone for me.”

 

to set the table	-	to put all the knives, forks, spoons, plates, etc. needed for a meal on the table
to hunt down	-	to try to find a particular thing or person
to dwell on / upon something	-	to spend a lot of time thinking or talking about something unpleasant
to be between jobs	-	to be currently unemployed, between having the last job which has ended and starting a new job.
to be between husbands / wives	-	to be divorced. Often said of those who divorce often and then quickly remarry.
to snore	-	to breathe noisily while sleeping

 

The official movie site for Sherlock Holmes

Video of the Moment : Movie - “Percy Jackson & the Olympians : The Lightning Thief”

to be courted (old-fashioned)	-	When Medusa states that she was courted, she wants to say that men pursued her romantically in the hopes of eventually marrying her.
a suitor (old-fashioned)	-	a man who wants to get married to a particular woman
to curse	-	to use magical powers to make bad things happen to someone
Come on!	-	Used for encouraging someone to do something
to sneak a peek	-	to secretly take a quick look at someone or something

Video of the Moment : Jake Learns from “Avatar”

Jake (Sam Worthington) logs the progress of his education in the language and ways of Pandora.

a rack (slang)	-	This is primarily, though not only,  a military slang term meaning “bed” or “bunk.” So when Jake says that he wants to “get some rack,” he means he wants to “get some sleep.” If it’s time to go to bed you could say, “It’s time to hit the rack.”
a shack	-	a small plain building usually built of wood or metal
to blur	-	If something blurs, it becomes difficult to see clearly and the edges aren’t clear. Many different things can blur such as our eyes or our memories. If our eyes blur, you can say that your vision has become blurry. If you wake up in the morning after having drunk too much alcohol, your memories of the night before might be blurry. In the movie clip Jake states that the days are starting to blur together which means he can no longer distinguish one day from another because they all seem the same.
to be a pain	-	If we say something is a pain, we want to say that it is annoying and we don’t enjoy it. Sometimes we add “in the neck” such as learning English can sometimes be a pain in the neck. Two other common possibilities, though extremely impolite, are to be a pain in the butt or a pain in the ass.
to field strip (military term)	-	to take apart a weapon for cleaning, lubrication and repair or for inspection
a moron	-	an insulting term for someone who behaves in a stupid way. If we want to say that someone’s actions are stupid we would describe those actions as moronic.
to be on board	-	This expression means to be involved in a project or organization, or working for a company. When Jake says that Norm is back on board, he is saying that he has rejoined the group.