#981 Have You Ever Been Low? Offensive Place Names, Eunkyung From Korea

Show 981 Friday 27 February
Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi, I’m Sarah, welcome to The Daily English Show.

Today we’re studying a song called Low. It’s by Kelly Clarkson who is an American singer. She won the first American Idol series – if you’ve heard of that … it’s a kind of talent show.

A lot of songs – especially pop songs – have a few lines that are repeated over and over … and that can be really annoying. But it’s great if you’re studying English and those lines are useful to remember.
In this song she sings this line over and over: Have you ever been low?

The song is basically just another one of those songs lamenting a failed relationship.
By low, she means: depressed or feeling bad.

I don’t know if you’d ever actually ask anyone: Have you ever been low? – but have you ever been … is very useful. If it doesn’t roll off your tongue already, you should practice saying it over and over or listen to the song and sing along. Another good way to practice is to get together with a friend, or a teacher, or a classmate and spend about five or ten minutes just asking each other have you ever questions.

Have you ever been to Europe?
Have you ever tried snowboarding?
Have you ever broken a bone?
Have you ever been rafting?
Have you ever forgotten where you parked the car?
Have you ever lost your mobile phone?
Have you ever stolen anything?
Have you ever made a speech at a funeral?
Have you ever missed a flight?
Have you ever been to Disneyland?

STICK NEWS

Kia ora in Stick News today LA County in the United States has requested to rename a mountain which is now called Negrohead Mountain.

This word is considered so offensive in the United States that it’s referred to by the euphemism: The N Word.
But that wasn’t always the case and there used to be many official place names containing the N word.
According to Wikipedia, in 1967, many of these place names were changed to another word starting with N.
This word is also now considered offensive – so place names are being changed again.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has requested that Negrohead Mountain be changed to Ballard Mountain.

And that was Stick News for Friday the 27th of February.
Kia ora.

TDES Niseko Snow Report
in The Annupuri Gondola

thanks to Eunkyung

1. Where are you from?
I’m from Korea.

2. Whereabouts in Korea?
I’m from Daejeon.

3: How long are you here for?
Until April.Three months in total.

4. How did you find out about Niseko?
My friend Lee brought me here.

5. How many times have you been to Niseko?
Last year was my first time and this is the second time.

6. How are the conditions today?
The snow’s a bit heavier than usual but it’s still good. Very good.

7. Where do you usually go snowboarding in Korea?
Muju Resort. There’s not much snow at Muju Resort. Not as much as in Niseko.

8. How long have you been snowboarding?
Three years.

Word of the Day

Today’s word is low.

Low has many meanings.
When Kelly Clarkson sings: Have you ever been low? she’s meaning: Have you ever been depressed?
But at the end of the song she sings: What you did was low.
This is another meaning of the word low. Here low means: unscrupulous or dishonest.

friday joke

* I found today's joke in the comments of this video.

Why do most people have trouble getting blood transfusions in Taiwan?
Because they only have type A.

conversations with sarah
#616 Don’t you think it’s cruel?

Step 1: Repeat Tony’s lines.
Step 2: Read Tony’s lines and talk to Sarah.

Tony Have you ever seen American Idol?

Sarah Mmm, I’ve seen clips online – but I’ve never actually seen a whole show.

Tony Do you like it?

Sarah Yeah, it’s kind of entertaining. Especially the judges’ comments.

Tony Don’t you think it’s cruel?

Sarah No, cause they’ve chosen to be there and they know what they’re up for – so I think it’s fair enough.

Tony Some people get really upset though.

Sarah Well … bad luck. I mean, that’s like enabling comments on your online video and then complaining when someone says it sucks.

links

today's news
today's STICK NEWS pictures

Kelly Clarkson - YouTube channel
Low by Kelly Clarkson - official video on YouTube

music

show start
artist: Boom Tschak
album: Indietronic CCBit.
track: More Chocolate, Please
from: Former Yugoslavia
MySpace

nsr start
artist: Zeropage
album: Ambient Pills Update
track: Is It Real?
from: Switzerland
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

nsr bgm
artist: Kevin MacLeod
track: Bass Vibes
artist site
YouTube channel

WOD start
artist: DJ iPep's
album: Home Mix 2007
track: Game Toy
from: EVREUX, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

friday joke start
artist: AdHoc
album: Toutes directions
track: Sumbala
from: Annecy, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: Wolfgang S.
album: Indietronic CCBit.
track: Dynamite
from: Belgrade, Serbia, Former Yugoslavia
artist site
MySpace

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: triptracks
track: triptrack2
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: Antony Raijekov
album: See U
track: Lightin
from: Sofia, Bulgaria
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

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