Author Archives: Dr. Jeff McQuillan

More American Football English

Posted on Thursday - October 22, 2020 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

On Tuesday, I explained how American football is played and talked about the useful football-related term “to huddle.” Here are two more expressions related to football that we use in everyday English. Take a Punt In football, when your team … Continue reading →

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Football, American (English) Style

Posted on Tuesday - October 20, 2020 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

The American football season (time of year) started a few weeks ago. Americans don’t call it “American football,” of course – it’s just football. That other sport the rest of the world calls “football” is known as “soccer” in the … Continue reading →

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Should You Do The Hustle? (Video)

Posted on Thursday - October 15, 2020 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

“Hustle” has several different meanings in English. Find out what they are in this short video: And take a look at our Cultural English 226 lesson, where we talk more about “hustle.” ~Jeff P.S. Like this short English lesson? Get … Continue reading →

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What is an “Empty Nest”? (Video)

Posted on Tuesday - October 13, 2020 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

What does it mean to have an “empty nest”? Find out in this short 3-minute video: Check out the lesson I talk about in this video, Daily English 444 – Planning for Retirement. And get more information on our Unlimited … Continue reading →

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How to Practice Your English

Posted on Tuesday - October 6, 2020 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

What is “practice” for improving your English? Many people – teachers, students, people on the Internet – think that “practice” means actually speaking English or writing emails, or perhaps talking to yourself in the mirror or repeating what other people … Continue reading →

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Absentee Ballots and Voting By Mail

Posted on Tuesday - September 29, 2020 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

This is an important year in the U.S., an election year. An election is an event that allows people of a country, state, or city to officially choose their government officials. This year is especially important because it is a … Continue reading →

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3 Expressions That Don’t Mean What You Think They Mean

Posted on Tuesday - September 22, 2020 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

As you know, just learning the meaning of individual words isn’t enough to understand everyday English. There are many expressions for which simply defining the meaning of each individual word would be misleading (give you the wrong idea). That’s what … Continue reading →

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Raising versus Begging the Question

Posted on Tuesday - September 15, 2020 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

In our Daily English 210 – A Family Road Trip, we use the expression, “to question the wisdom of (something).” In this short video, I explain two more expressions with “question”: to raise the question and to beg the question. … Continue reading →

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Labor Day

Posted on Tuesday - September 8, 2020 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Yesterday was Labor Day in the United States. Labor Day is a federal (national) holiday that honors (shows respect to or celebrates) workers. “Labor” is another word for work, especially hard, physical work. How did Labor Day get started in … Continue reading →

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What Do Bears and Bulls Have to Do with the Stock Market?

Posted on Tuesday - September 1, 2020 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Many Americans are invested in (have money in) the stock market, especially for their retirement (when they stop working). A stock is part-ownership in a company. A stock market is a place where you can buy and sell stocks. Companies … Continue reading →

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