Author Archives: Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Posted on Tuesday - May 20, 2014 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

It has long been an accepted (widely-believed) axiom (rule; law) in the world of marketing (selling things to people) that you never ask people how much money they would pay to buy something. If you ask a group of consumers … Continue reading →

Posted in Business | 30 Comments

Pizza for Breakfast

Posted on Tuesday - April 22, 2014 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

One out of every eight Americans will eat pizza today, according to a nutritionist (someone who studies the science of food) from the federal (national) government agency that tracks (follows; analyzes) such things, the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Among teenage … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 36 Comments

Y’all Going to a Yard Sale to Buy Some Tennis Shoes?

Posted on Tuesday - January 28, 2014 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

One of the difficulties in learning a second language is the fact that, in most languages, there are different words for the same concept or idea. People in the United States, for example, often use different words to describe the … Continue reading →

Posted in Language & Terms | 27 Comments

Remember the Color of Your First Bicycle? Me, Neither.

Posted on Tuesday - November 5, 2013 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Part of living in an Internet world is dealing with (taking care of) security. Sure, you have to have good passwords, but for many websites, that is no longer good enough. In addition to a password, you often need to … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States, Technology | 33 Comments

Listening to Your Favorite Music Can Cause an Accident

Posted on Tuesday - October 15, 2013 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Like most people, I love to listen to some of my favorite songs and music when I drive, especially for long distances. It makes the time pass (go by) more quickly. Now I’ve learned it may also cause an accident. … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 17 Comments

If Your Password is “Password,” Read This

Posted on Tuesday - October 1, 2013 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Every year a company named Splash Data publishes a list of the worst passwords of the year. Their list from 2012 shows that, despite all of the warnings about security on the Internet, many people continue to pick some really … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | 17 Comments

Headline English: A Modest Step Toward a Grand Bargain

Posted on Tuesday - September 10, 2013 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Let’s talk about a business headline today. This one comes from a recent issue of Bloomberg Magazine, one of the largest business magazines in the United States. Here’s the headline: A Modest Step Toward a Grand Bargain The news story … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Language & Terms, News and Current Events | 20 Comments

From Harvard, With Mud

Posted on Tuesday - August 27, 2013 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

In 2009, Will Dean, a Brit (informal term for someone from Great Britain) studying at the Harvard Business School, had an idea for a new company. His idea was to create a competition (contest) modeled on (based on; following the … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 20 Comments

Test Your Knowledge of U.S. Travel Requirements

Posted on Tuesday - August 13, 2013 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

August is a month for vacations in many parts of the world, so this would be a good time to test your knowledge on the requirements for visiting the United States from another country. See how well you do on … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 33 Comments

Podcasts This Week (July 29, 2013)

Posted on Sunday - July 28, 2013 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Is your limited English standing in your way? Do you want to improve your English now? Learn English even faster with the help of the Learning Guide. In it, you’ll get more vocabulary, language explanations, sample sentences, comprehension questions, cultural … Continue reading →

Posted in About ESL Podcast | 6 Comments