Crosby’s 9

English from all angles! Check out EP 68 to test your listening comprehension of some of the most commonly used word combinations in English. Also, learn the phrasal verbs “heat up”, “cool down” and “crack down”. To heat up = to become intense. > There are many riots and protests taking place in the US; things are heating up. To crack down (on) = to take strong measures against bad/illegal behavio...

English from all angles! If you say something without thinking -or planning- beforehand, then you’re speaking “off the cuff.” In this episode, Drew looks at this expression, along with other related words, concepts and phrasal verbs. Practice your pronunciation -and even improve your speaking- by imitating what Drew says. You’ll see; it really works! Do you wear cufflinks? Do you roll up your slee...

English from all angles! Change is inevitable. Whether it takes place quickly or slowly, one thing is for sure: the only constant in life is change. Learn new words and expressions related to the concept of change as Drew discusses its presence in music, business and our daily lives. Change forms part of chaos just as it does to courage. Find out how artists like David Bowie, Sam Cooke and Michael...

Do you watch your salt intake? What about your alcohol intake? In this episode, Drew takes a look at the word “intake,” which means “consumption,” along with the related phrasal verb “to take in.” Have you been taking in a lot of calories lately? You’ll learn the expressions “to sugar coat something,” “to take something with a grain of salt,” and “fat chance.” And as usual, Drew gives you tips on...

In this episode, Drew looks at the pros and cons (the upsides and the downsides) of remote working, also known as teleworking or working from home. The adjective “remote” means distant, private, faraway, isolated, slight and inaccessible. Common uses of the word remote include “remote control,” “remote island” and “remote chance.” You’ll learn them here. Are you familiar with the phrasal verb “fig...

What comes to mind when you hear the word "country?" Music? Sport? Nature? Drew looks at it from all of these angles -and more- in this episode of Crosby’s 9. Improve your English listening comprehension, gain confidence in your speaking, enlarge your vocabulary and correct your mistakes - all through the use of the word “country.” Learn the subtle difference between “country” and “countryside,” w...

English from all angles! In this episode, Drew discusses procrastination. Putting something off means delaying or postponing a specific task, while procrastination is the term we use in English to refer to delaying action in general. If you’re constantly putting things off, like writing a draft for a speech that you have to give, or updating your résumé for a job that you want to apply for, most l...

English from all angles! Whether you’re talking or driving, nobody likes getting cut off. In this episode, Drew takes a look at the phrasal verb “to cut off,” along with the noun “cutoff”. A “cutoff” is a point or a level where something stops. It’s a date or a period of time when something stops. For example: Apply now and hurry! The cutoff is May 30th. Also in this episode, learn the concept of...

English from all angles. Good news! After the COVID-19 lockdown, businesses and services around the world are opening up. “Opening up” is the opposite of closing down, locking down, restricting movement or even repressing feelings. And as a phrasal verb it’s separable: After a two-month lockdown, now we’re opening the shop up. Do you keep your feelings to yourself, or do you easily open up? To ope...

English from all angles! What do you miss the most during the lockdown? Listen to this episode and find out what Drew misses (not much!) and learn the word “lockdown,” the phrasal verb “to lock down,” and the expression “short for.” Speaking of “missing,” when did the Rolling Stones’ song Miss You come out? It was 1978. Learn what a “concession stand” is (hint, think hot dogs, ice cream and pop),...

English from all angles! What does “goo goo gaga” mean? It refers to meaningless sounds babies make. In this episode, Drew talks about Lady Gaga, making goo-goo eyes, Radio Ga Ga by Queen and Goo Goo Dolls. Also, learn the words lullaby, twinkle and “ish”. Practice the expression “to star in”. Who starred in A Star is Born? That depends on which version we’re talking about. Kris Kristofferson and...

English for all angles! In this episode, Drew explains uses of the word “aim,” along with the expression “to aim high,” which means to be ambitious and set challenging goals. He also discusses the concept of “settling for less,” which is a willingness to accept mediocrity, lowered standards or unambitious objectives. Never settle for less – aim high! Additional expressions in this episode include...

English from all angles! Hail, jail, frail, sail, rail, tail, mail…This episode looks at how these rhyming words are used in English. You’ll learn slang terms for the word “jail”; the expressions “to tell a tall tale” and “snail mail”, along with what happens when it hails.

English from all angles! In this episode, Drew looks at the very useful expression “to set the record straight” and explains several uses of the word “record.” Follow along with him and improve your English in just 9 minutes! Some people think that learning English is a piece of cake. Let me set the record straight: learning English requires a lot effort, but it’s worth it. Along with “set the rec...

English from all angles! This episode looks at the word “tag” and the use of question tags. You’re familiar with question tags, aren’t you? You’ve studied question tags before, haven’t you? You can master question tags, can’t you? As you can see, the three previous questions employ question tags. Listen in and discover more! A tag is a small piece of paper, metal or cloth that contains information...

English from all angles! What’s the difference between a yard and a garden, in American English? Not sure? Then tune in! Also in this episode: the expression “the whole nine yards”, and the words “weed”, “prune” and “junkyard”. So, is it “yard” or “garden”? It depends. You barbecue in the backyard and you have yard sales in the front (yard); you grow vegetables in the garden. And you can weed both...

English from all angles! This episode takes a look at the expression “cup of tea” and the main uses of “whose” and who’s.” Tip: “whose” and “who’s” are pronounced exactly the same. They rhyme with “shoes.” Remember, we use the possessive pronoun “whose” to ask whom something belongs to: Whose car is that? “Whose” is also used to tell whom something belongs to: My friend, whose car broke down, is a...

English from all angles! In episode 51, you’ll learn what it means to be “cooped up” and why it results in having “cabin fever.” These two concepts result from measures taken to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. To be cooped up means to be confined to a small, restricted space. The classic example involves chickens, which are typically cramped together and raised in small cages calle...

English from all angles! Could, should and would. You know these modal verbs, right? Can you use them properly in the past tense? Examples are “could’ve gone,” “would’ve learned,” and “should’ve listened.” If you can’t, don’t worry! Listen to Drew’s podcast and you will learn (very easily) how to accurately use this structure in English. We use modal verbs in the past tense to talk about hypotheti...

English from all angles! This episode covers the word “cover” (pun intended)! Drew discusses the covers on beds, bottles and books and looks at cover songs, cover groups and cover ups. Drew also reminds you of the trick for pronouncing the letter “v” and tells you how you can use the word “would” to explain repetitive actions in the past.

English from all angles! This episode focuses on several expressions related to the words hop, skip and jump. Have you ever skipped school? Or maybe just class? Be honest! Not sure? You’ll be sure after listening to this podcast. Drew picks up where he left off from the previous podcast and explains the expression “to scrape the surface,” along with the word “scrap.” He also discusses various uses...

English from all angles! There are two basic elements that you absolutely need when learning English: concentration and willpower. Period. If you fail to put these two components to use, you won’t get very far. To illustrate this, Drew cites the (common) mistake of “forgetting” to pronounce the “s” for verbs in the present tense for the third person singular. Despite having studied for years, many...

English from all angles! In this episode, Drew explains two interesting and very often used phrasal verbs: to tear up and to tear up. Yes, they’re spelled exactly the same, but they’re pronounced differently and one is a regular verb and the other is an irregular verb. When you get tears in your eyes because you’re experiencing strong emotions, you are tearing up. And when you destroy paper or fab...

English from all angles! Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials have different views on living a balanced life. Listen to this episode to find out why and also to check if you’re properly pronouncing the adjective “live,” the noun “life” and the verb “to live.” Can you easily tell them apart? To tell apart = to differentiate, to distinguish. Also in this episode, Drew reminds listeners how they ca...

English from all angles! In this episode, we look at the word “drain” along with two expressions associated with it: “brain drain” and “to go down the drain.” Also, Drew reminds listeners of the benefits of writing down new words. (You already know them, right?) It strengthens your spelling, vocabulary and even your pronunciation. To drain means to empty or remove a liquid. For example, when you e...