Author Archives: Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Who’s the Head Honcho Here?

Posted on Wednesday - April 25, 2018 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

The term head honcho is sometimes used to describe the leader, president, or most powerful person in an organization or company. The word head here means “top” or “best.” In some schools in England, for example, there is a “head … Continue reading →

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What Does “To Be Short For” Mean?

Posted on Wednesday - April 18, 2018 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Here’s a 90-second video explaining the use of the common English expression to be short for. WAIT! Before You Go . . . Get a FREE English Lesson from ESLPod.com! Do you have difficulties remembering the “right” word when speaking … Continue reading →

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What Does “Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen” Mean?

Posted on Tuesday - April 10, 2018 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

We see in this cartoon a group of people sitting around a conference table, most of them with chef’s hats on, the tall hats sometimes worn by the main cook or “chef” in a restaurant. The man leading (running) the meeting announces that they … Continue reading →

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60-Second English: What Does “To Rule Something Out” Mean? (Video)

Posted on Tuesday - April 3, 2018 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Learn what the popular phrasal verb “to rule something out” means in this quick video lesson. Want to comment on this blog post? You can now do that on our Facebook page – click here to comment on this post! … Continue reading →

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“To Make the Grade” versus “To Make the Cut”

Posted on Tuesday - March 20, 2018 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Watch this short video to learn the differences between “make the grade” and “make the cut.” Want to comment on this blog post? You can now do that on our Facebook page – click here to comment on this post!

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3 Rules for Email (and Why You Should Follow Them)

Posted on Tuesday - March 13, 2018 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

The Wall Street Journal recently ran (published) an article on how you can use your email better. They cite (talk about; mention) a lot of recent scientific studies on using email. Let’s talk about three of them, and learn some … Continue reading →

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What Do “To Throw Shade” and “To Dis” Mean?

Posted on Tuesday - March 6, 2018 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

My mother used to tell us, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Not many of our public officials or politicians follow (take; accept) this advice. Not a week goes by (there is no … Continue reading →

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Honking in Los Angeles

Posted on Tuesday - February 27, 2018 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Every city has particular characteristics that shape (change) the people who live there. It may be the size of the city, the culture of the city, the geography (where things are) of the city, the history of the city – all … Continue reading →

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100% Organic English Lessons Now Available!

Posted on Tuesday - February 20, 2018 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

We at ESLPod.com are always looking to improve our lessons. So we thought we try to make them even better by making all lessons 100% organic, gluten-free, fair trade, non-GMO, with 0 trans fat – all natural with no preservatives! … Continue reading →

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How to Win a Gold Medal in Speaking English

Posted on Tuesday - February 13, 2018 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Have you been watching the Olympics? It’s fun to see such amazing performances by athletes. How do they get to be so good? The obvious answer is “practice.” They spend thousands of hours working hard, improving a little bit everyday. … Continue reading →

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