
What’s the one thing you just can’t say no to? Andrew and Indiana share their biggest weaknesses when it comes to food, shopping, screen time, and a few basic life skills, and Andrew tells a story about an unexpected visitor at his desk. Along the way, you’ll learn how to use “Achilles heel,” “a goody two-shoes,” “mid,” “cooked,” “your own worst enemy,” and “a coping mechanism.”
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Link from this episode:
The fashion scene at Dongmyo Market (SSENSE)
Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode:
An Achilles heel
A goody two-shoes
Mid
To be cooked
To be one’s own worst enemy
A coping mechanism
Sep 26
29 min

Does sport bring people together, or does it divide us? Andrew and Anna’s conversation moves from the World Cup to the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, and even esports. Along the way, you’ll hear expressions like “in the wake of,” “to not have a dog in the fight,” “emotionally charged,” “over the top,” “good grief,” and “to check a box.”
The brand-new Culips app is live!
Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary:
Open this lesson in the Culips app.
The Best Way to Learn with This Episode:
Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Become a Culips member now:
Members can access the ad-free version here: Click here.
Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice:
Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode:
In the wake of (something)
To (not) have a dog in the fight
Emotionally charged
Over the top
Good grief
To check a box
Sep 20
32 min

In this Catch Word lesson, Andrew and Indiana teach you five English expressions that are often used in meetings and in the workplace: “circle back,” “touch base,” “drop the ball,” “in the weeds,” and “move the needle.” Learning these expressions will help you be a clearer speaker and a better listener the next time you find yourself in a meeting.
The brand-new Culips app is live!
Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary:
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Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode:
To circle back
To touch base
To drop the ball
Across the board
In the weeds
To move the needle
Sep 13
24 min

In this bonus episode, Andrew takes one day off at the end of the summer and heads to the beach with his wife. They are only away for 24 hours, but they fit a lot into it. Listen along to learn some vocabulary that will help make your English more natural and to improve your listening fluency.
The brand new Culips app is live!
Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary: Open this lesson in the Culips app.
Study Materials for This Episode
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Become a Culips member to get study materials for every episode, live speaking classes, ad-free audio, member-only perks, and more.
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Keep an ear out for these expressions during the episode:
The last hurrah
To be closed off
A puppy mill
To take one for the team
Buoyant
To zone out
Not really a thing
To luck out
Big ups / props
Health-maxxing
Sep 7
37 min

Hang out with your English-speaking friends, Andrew and Indiana, for a catch-up! Indiana has been growing tomatillos on her patio, and she rode 40 miles along New York’s Empire State Trail on a very hot day, though the ride did not go the way she planned. Andrew went to see a Damien Hirst exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, and he has been letting an AI design his marathon training plan.
The brand-new Culips app is live!
Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary:
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Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode:
On deck
To clue in
Happy-go-lucky
To put a bad taste in someone’s mouth
To hit the pavement
A mishap
Aug 31
37 min

In this bonus episode, Andrew tells the story of the most stressful morning he’s had in a long time, and it all started with something small that ended up in a place he couldn’t reach. Listen along to learn some vocabulary that will help make your English more natural and to improve your listening fluency.
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Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary: Open this lesson in the Culips app.
Tell us about your own terrible morning! Record a two-minute audio story and Andrew might share it in a future episode: Record your story here.
Study Materials for This Episode
The interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary are free for everyone. No membership needed.
The comprehension quiz and the PDF study guide download are for Culips members.
Become a Culips member to get study materials for every episode, live speaking classes, ad-free audio, member-only perks, and more.
Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice.
Keep an ear out for these expressions during the episode:
Wiggle room
Flush
TMI
Minuscule
To fall between the cracks
To lull someone to sleep
To emit
Tongs
To rig up
A last ditch effort
Aug 26
29 min

What does a heat wave actually do to your day? Andrew and Anna compare their summers from opposite sides of the world. Anna is in Madrid, where a hot day reaches 40 degrees and the blinds stay closed until evening. Andrew is in Seoul, where the rainy season just ended but the humidity stayed. They talk about air conditioning, lost sleep, cold showers, and the wildfires that burned west of Madrid this summer.
Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode:
Not so fast
Respite
Bar none
To do one’s business
Bone dry
To burn to a crisp
Study Materials:
Episode link: The 2026 Spain wildfires
The brand-new Culips app is live!
Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary:
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Aug 18
37 min

In this bonus episode, Andrew picks up the story he started last time and tells you what happened next. He heads out to the edge of the city on a hot summer evening and gets home much later than he planned. Listen along to learn some vocabulary that will help make your English more natural and to improve your listening fluency.
The brand-new Culips app is live!
Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary:
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Expressions
To set the stage
To count down the days
Headlining
The tail end
A certain je ne sais quoi
When all is said and done
Boy, was I wrong
Artsy-fartsy
To rub someone the wrong way
To write off
Aug 11
31 min

How do you get from intermediate English to sounding almost like a native speaker? Jesús Florez did it, and he’s back on the show to tell Andrew how. He explains the years he spent creating his own English immersion at home and names the four shows that finally moved him up to an advanced level. Listen in to hear his story and his advice for taking your own English to the next level.
The brand-new Culips app is live!
Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary:
Open this lesson in the Culips app.
Free Resources and Links
The interactive transcript, study guide, and quizzes for this episode are free for everyone. No membership needed.
Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join.
Jesús’s YouTube channel
Jesús’s Instagram
Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode:
A long time in the making
To shift gears
Give or take
To lend itself to (something)
A cut above (the rest)
It bears repeating
Aug 6
53 min

Have you ever gotten a second chance at something you thought you would only get to do once? In this bonus episode, Andrew talks about the first Culips meetup in Seoul and then tells the story of trying to see one of his favorite bands play a second time. Listen along to learn some vocabulary that will help make your English more natural and improve your listening fluency.
The brand-new Culips app is live!
Study this episode with an interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary:
Open this lesson in the Culips app.
Expressions
A turnout
To talk into the void
To be taken aback
A high-water mark
Now or never
Once-in-a-lifetime
To shell out
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade
Someone’s mind is made up
To go through
Aug 3
26 min
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