Crosby's 9

Some people believe that achieving success through hard work is for losers. Intuition, they argue - or winging it - is the key to success. Have we reached the point where success through hard work is looked down upon? Also, get ready to REALLY improve your speaking and pronunciation because this podcast is all about repeat, repeat, repeat. Don’t miss it!

Downloading, uploading, checking, scanning, swiping…Isn’t social media a big waste of time? Probably not, as long as you don’t go overboard. Are you familiar with the term “to go overboard?” You will be after this podcast!

Drew reminds you of two key tips in order to easily and correctly pronounce words in English. Also, how well can you form question tags? Test yourselves in this episode. 

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) expression, “zip it,” and -as usual- there are lots of new words to add to your vocabulary “arsenal.”

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 of the conditionals and learn whether or not it’s a good idea to show the boss 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 speaking, along with useful vocabulary and expressions for your everyday English. Don’t miss it!

How do you pronounce “hire?” Is it a noun? Tune in and you’ll be surprised. Also, we review the phrasal verb “to dress up.” Of course we dress up for Halloween, but is it normal to dress up for work? Lastly, fix your pronunciation of the word “athlete” forever.

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 some good practice. Drew also discusses the meaning of “poetic license.” Don’t miss it!

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…”

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! 

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 place in the NFL yesterday. Tune in and find out!

Quick! What do the words furniture, nature and mature have in common? Do they sound similar? Tune in and find out. 

How familiar are you with the conditionals in English? How about a quick review? Tune in and test your knowledge. Also, repeat what Drew says and watch your speaking skills skyrocket. 

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?

My desk doubles as a table. The chairman currently doubles as the CEO. Are you familiar with the verb “to double as”? Which legendary guitarist was killed in a tragic accident that occurred at a ski resort that doubles as a music venue? Tune in and find out.

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?

Style is used in writing, fashion, decoration, music and design -as in mid-century design- which Drew discusses here. 

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.

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! 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.

English from all angles! Are you able to overcome difficult situations? Can get up after getting knocked down? If so, most likely you have resilience. Having resilience is a good thing. Even people who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths need resilience. Not sure about “silver spoon”? Listen to this podcast and you’ll see.

English from all angles! Speaking slowly is the key to making yourself understood. Drew encourages you to make mistakes when you speak English because it takes you out of your comfort zone and forces you to improve. Therefore, making mistakes when speaking English is normal. What’s not normal, however, is making the same mistake over and over.

English from all angles! Time. In this episode Drew looks at the concept of time: present, future, past… Do you live in the present, future or past? Do you dwell on the past? Dwell. Not sure what it means? Tune in!

English from all angles! Are there certain rules that apply to the world of art, or is it “anything goes?” Are there certain rules that apply to the world of fashion, or is it becoming “anything goes?” Are there certain rules that apply to the world of work, or will it become “anything goes?”

English from all angles! Don’t you think there’s too much hype in the world? Take the Super Bowl, for example. Check out this episode and learn how to properly use the noun (and the verb) “hype.”