Crosby’s 9

English from all angles! Here, Drew discusses the expression “ticky-tacky,” which refers to cheap, low-quality construction and/or building materials often used in mass-production. A ticky-tacky house is a house built with inferior materials and/or workmanship and many were built after World War II in the United States. Does shoddy workmanship bother you? Some people really can’t stand it. What ab...

English from all angles! With this, the 136th episode, Drew is back to the grindstone. Are you familiar with the expression, “back to the grindstone?” Drew explains it here. Remember, you’ll continue to improve your pronunciation and speaking by imitating Drew. Question: Do you need to grind ground coffee? Not sure? Tune in! And regarding letters, don’t confuse the “g” with the “j.” Also, Drew rem...

English from all angles! Remember, your wide-ranging vocabulary, your impeccable grammar and your flawless pronunciation is rendered useless if you can’t understand what people are saying. Use this podcast as a tool to improve your listening comprehension so that your other skills can really shine! Once again, Drew gives you the key to becoming a better English speaker: imitate him. Here, he discu...

English from all angles! You can plan for something or you can wing it. Which do you prefer? Which “strategy” leads to the best results? What are the pros and cons of each one? Tune in and discover what “winging it” means while you practice your English. Some people believe that achieving success through hard work is for losers. Intuition, they argue - or winging it - is the key to success. Have w...

English from all angles! The more social media you use, the less sociable you are. Do you agree? Hear Drew’s take on being sociable and its relationship with social media. Learn new words, expressions and phrasal verbs while improving your fluency in English. Downloading, uploading, checking, scanning, swiping…Isn’t social media a big waste of time? Probably not, as long as you don’t go overboard....

English from all angles! Can you really enjoy something that you don’t like doing? Can you really enjoy something that’s irritating, bothersome or uncomfortable? Drew thinks so. Tune in and find out while you practice your English, to boot! (to boot? – Drew discussed this in EP 114). Drew reminds you of two key tips in order to easily and correctly pronounce words in English. Also, how well can yo...

English from all angles! When you’re “in the zone,” does time fly or does it stand still? Have you ever worked, performed or played while being “in the zone?” What’s it really like to be “in the zone”? Listen in and find out! How do you pronounce the “z” in English? Here’s a refresher. In fact, you’re really going to practice your letters in this podcast. You’ll also learn the (slightly rude) expr...

English from all angles! Are you ready to improve your speaking and pronunciation in English? Imitate, imitate, imitate…you know the drill! In this episode, Drew teaches you the expressions, “true to form” and “all the rage.” Quick! Which one is the synonym for “accustomed to?” “Use to” or “used to?” You’ll get the lowdown here. (Lowdown? You’ll have to look that one up!) Also, test your knowledge...

English from all angles! In this episode, Drew discusses the expression “the plot thickens”, which includes everything from the TV series “Dallas” to chicken broth. Quite a hodgepodge of content, indeed! (Hodgepodge? You’ll have to look that one up :) Drew will also have you on the edge of your seat -yes; you’ll learn this expression- as he offers you his regular dose of tips for pronunciation and...

English from all angles! Uh-oh! We’re in trouble. Our main competitor has just released a new breakthrough technology. They’ve raised the bar! Now we have to…try harder, improve our performance, achieve better results…In this episode, Drew explains what it means to “raise the bar.” How do you pronounce “hire?” Is it a noun? Tune in and you’ll be surprised. Also, we review the phrasal verb “to dres...

English from all angles! Are you mentally tough? Are you impervious to criticism? If so, you’re probably thick-skinned. Tune in and learn more about this useful expression, along with other words and expressions related to the word “skin.” Quick! How many syllables does the word “criticism” have? Four. Did you get it right? Remember, the suffix “ism” has two syllables. Listen to this episode for s...

English from all angles! Money makes the world go round, doesn’t it? What do you think? Does money have an impact on our happiness? Drew discusses a few expressions related to money. Are you still struggling with recognizing certain letters in English? Tune in for a trick that’ll help you out. Question: Is it C-y-n-d-i or C-i-n-d-y? You’ll “see…”

English from all angles! This episode looks at some vocabulary and expressions related to the words “hat” and “cap.” How does a hat differ from a cap? C – a – p – p – e – d…how do you pronounce this word? What does it mean? DO YOU WRITE IN ALL CAPS? Nobody likes drinking flat Coca-Cola, right? So cap the bottle!

English from all angles! In this episode, Drew discusses the concept of the underdog. Do you typically root for the underdog? Also, you’ll learn the expression “pardon the pun.” Question: how to you pronounce the word “upset” in the following sentences? (Hint: the verb is pronounced differently from the noun). The 49ers upset the Packers and the Bengals upset the Titans. Two incredible upsets took...

English from all angles! Would you like to practice and learn English in a natural way? Naturally, you’ve come to the right place. Here, you’ll practice (and improve) your listening comprehension and speaking as you gain fluency and build your vocabulary with new words, expressions and phrasal verbs.

English from all angles! Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? Have you resolved to get in shape? Have you resolved to quit smoking? In this episode you’ll learn about resolutions: making them, keeping them -sticking to them- and, hopefully, not giving up on them! How familiar are you with the conditionals in English? How about a quick review? Tune in and test your knowledge. Also, repeat what...

English from all angles! ‘Tis the season, and therefore Drew takes a look at some of his favorite holiday symbols and activities. Tune in, practice and improve your English! Hear about snow, sledding, ornaments, luminarias, caroling, reindeer…(flying reindeer) and learn the phrasal verbs “hand down” and “die out.” What do you think? Is Christmas caroling dying out?

English from all angles! Drew explains a super useful expression that uses (arguably) the two most important verbs in the English language: to be and to have. Also, the keys to pronouncing, “blood,” “hood” and “food.” So, tune in to stay on top of your listening skills and learn some new words and expressions. My desk doubles as a table. The chairman currently doubles as the CEO. Are you familiar...

English from all angles! Are you ready for more expressions and phrasal verbs? How about improving your speaking in English? Simply tune in. You know the drill. Let’s go! Is there any bad blood between you and someone else? If so, why? What happened? Not sure? Tune in and find out. Also, when is it a good time to take a chill pill?

English from all angles! Tune in to learn all about style. What’s yours? Also, do want to improve your pronunciation Stress the “s”. Style is used in writing, fashion, decoration, music and design -as in mid-century design- which Drew discusses here.

English from all angles! Listening, grammar, spelling, phrasal verbs, expressions and…speaking. Take just 9 minutes to freshen up -and practice- your English. In this episode you’ll learn the word “thyme” along with the differences between “to endorse” and “to sponsor.” Also, check out the expression “to make a stink over something” and find out who has replaced Charlie Watts.

English from all angles! In this episode, Drew talks about growing up in Chicagoland and the concept of suburbia. Also, learn the expression, “a rolling stone gathers no moss”. What defines a hometown? Are you from the city or the suburbs? C’mon, tell the truth…Tune in and learn more…English! “She was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.” Repeat it and improve your speaking and pronunciation.

English from all angles! It’s time for another Crosby’s 9, so you know the drill. Know the drill? If you don’t know the expression “know the drill” you certainly will know it after listening to this episode. Get ready to learn a ton of new phrasal verbs in this episode. And remember, if you imitate…simply imitate Drew, your speaking will improve. Magic!

English from all angles! Do you want to improve your speaking and pronunciation in English? How about adding some new expressions and phrasal verbs to your arsenal, to boot? Yes…”to boot,” which is something you’ll learn here, so simply tune in. The song Shake, Rattle and Roll forms part of the roots of rock and roll; when rock and roll was looked down upon. Learn the idiom “look down upon” -and m...

English from all angles! Is there a sucker born every minute? Did the advent of movies signal the decline of the circus? Tune in and find out. You’ll learn tons of new vocabulary and gain useful tips on how to improve your speaking. In this episode you’ll learn a lot of English when looking at the history of the circus. Expressions include “glory days,” “to have a blast” and “wheeler dealer.”