Crosby’s 9

English from all angles! Crushed garlic. Chopped onions. Sliced tomatoes. Why do certain verbs that end in a “d” sound like they end in a “t?” In this episode, Drew uses verbs associated with cooking to explain this pronunciation trick. The past tenses and participles of verbs such as crush, chop and slice -which are regular verbs and end in a “d”- are pronounced like a “t” because the infinitives...

English from all angles! Once again, Drew delivers his practical style of providing pronunciation and spelling tips -along with useful vocabulary and phrasal verbs- in a unique and informational manner. This allows Crosby’s 9 listeners to effectively improve their listening and speaking skills so that they can communicate in English with confidence. In this episode, Drew looks at various uses of t...

English from all angles! The word “grain” is a general term to describe a type of dry seed that’s grown for consumption. Corn, rice, wheat and rye are examples of grains. Grains provide many nutrients and form part of a healthy diet. Grain also refers to the small lines -the stratification of wood fibers- found in a piece of wood. And the expression “to go against the grain” means to act in a way...

English from all angles! The word “eve” in English can be used figuratively and literally. Its figurative use refers to one event that takes place just before another. For example, “The candidates were still campaigning on the eve of the election.” And the word “eve” is used literally as the day prior to two major holidays: Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. In this case, the word Eve -written with...

English from all angles! We use two key words in English to express desire: wish and hope. Choose one or the other depending on the likelihood of that desire coming true. “Wish” is generally used to express desires that are unlikely or practically impossible to occur, whereas “hope” is used when there is confidence that the desire can come to fruition and is doable. We use the expression “wishful...

English from all angles! 99% of you have bought a lemon at one time or another. That is, the fruit lemon. But when it comes to automobiles, hopefully none of you have ever bought a lemon. That’s because a “lemon” is a new car with a defect, which is a flaw or an imperfection. When it comes to vehicles, the term “lemon” is most commonly associated with a brand new car (and not usually a used car) t...

English from all angles! If you are driven, you are ambitious and hard working. You are motivated to accomplish goals and to get things done. In essence, you are pushed. But what is it that pushes you? In other words, what are you driven by? Money? Success? Fame? Peer pressure? Fear? Failure? “Drive” is energy; it’s determination. If you have a lot drive then you have a strong desire to accomplish...

English from all angles! A stream is a body of running water as well as a flow of digital data. “Running” refers to something that flows, as opposed to something that doesn’t; in other words, something that’s “still.” Streams, rivers and creeks are bodies of running water, whereas oceans, seas and lakes are bodies of still water. Drew stresses just how useful these podcasts are for not only improv...

English from all angles! This episode teaches common words and expressions that use the word “paper.” Others include “to be due,” the phrasal verb “to make up” and Drew gives pronunciation tips on the word “tear.” Have you ever papered a wall? Written a paper? Bought a paper? Broken paper? (No! You can’t break paper, but you can tear it). Listen carefully to this episode and incorporate these usef...

English from all angles! In this episode, Drew explains the differences among three similar words: reward, prize and award. A reward is a payment offered for finding something or someone; a prize is something you get for winning a competition or a contest and an award is what you get for an admirable performance or for doing an excellent job. If you lose your cat, you offer a reward to the person...

English from all angles! The word “cast” has many meanings. As a verb it’s irregular: cast/cast/cast. Casting a movie is the task of assigning actors and actresses to play a particular role. The group of actors is known as the cast. And if you’re an angler, you definitely know how to cast. Cast = actors in a film. Matt Damon and Christian Bale are two cast members in the new movie Ford v Ferrari....

English from all angles! The phrasal verbs “burn out” and “ fade away” are often used in the world of rock and roll. If you’re a celebrity musician who’s reached the peak of fame and fortune, is it better to finish your career by suddenly disappearing (burning out) or gradually dying out (fading away)? It’s a controversial question, as you’ll discover in this podcast. Also, in this 32nd podcast, D...

English from all angles. If you are “in the know,” you have information that other people typically don’t have or understand. As listeners of Crosby’s 9, you are in know; you know the secrets and tips required for improving your English. Also in this podcast, an easy to understand explication of the structures “used to,” “usually” and “to be used to.” “Being in the know,” means that you have a cer...

English from all angles! Incorporate three or four new words this week into your English vocabulary. In this case, they’re words that -on the surface, look and sound similar- but are actually very different. And very useful. If you take the time to truly learn just a couple of new words every week, your ability to effectively communicate in English will skyrocket. How? By using them in every day s...

English from all angles! If the Fab Four named their rock group after the insect the beetle, then why did they call themselves The Beatles? Listen and find out how John Lennon came up with the name. Listeners learn how to use the expression “to come up with” as well as the words “dawn” and “dusk” while they discover how insects like crickets and beetles (and not necessarily grasshoppers and cockro...

English from all angles! Are dealers trustworthy or do they always try to take you to the bank? This episode looks at several uses of the words “deal” and “dealer.” Casino dealers, car dealers; doing deals and making deals. Most listeners will be familiar with the word “dealer.” It’s a word that’s used throughout the world in the fields of business and casinos, among others, where deals are made a...

English from all angles! We all have commitments. They’re those (usually) unwritten personal and professional obligations that we intend to carry out in the short, mid or long- term. They’re promises that we aim to deliver on. In this episode, Drew talks about what it means to be committed over the long haul and the importance of endurance. If you’re a runner and you’re training for a marathon, yo...

English from all angles! Keep a steady pace when learning English. Learning English can be frustrating and there will be times when you’ll feel like you’re not improving (or even going backwards). Not to worry; it tends to happen. As long as you’re studying and practicing, you’ll get better. The key: pace yourself. Keeping a steady pace will prevent you from getting dejected and burning yourself o...

English from all angles! Swimming pools, office pools and carpools. Before we begin, quick question. What are the two most important factors required for learning English? Concentration and willpower. Listen and find out why. And now, pools: relax by one (swimming pool), pool your money in one (office pool) and commute in one (carpool). In this episode, you’ll discover a few common uses of the wor...

English from all angles! When you learn a new word, find out if it’s also a verb. If it is, is it regular or irregular? This episode looks primarily at two concepts: popular music lists -known as the charts (yes, “chart” is a verb) - and billboards. Listen and find out which song has recently climbed the charts to set a record. Billboards are large signs typically found along highways near large c...

English from all angles! Forget about conjugating verbs and use this simple rule. We really don’t “conjugate” verbs in English. At least not the way verbs are conjugated in many languages where each subject pronoun has its own verb form. And that’s a good thing for you, because “conjugating” regular verbs in English is a cinch. Therefore, the real challenge lies in mastering the irregular verbs. T...

English from all angles! This old-school learning technique works wonders. Embrace the power of dictation. Sure, it’s not flashy; it’s not cutting-edge technology, but it’s a tried and true method that covers the key components of English: listening, spelling, writing, vocabulary, speaking and even grammar. When used properly, dictation is arguably the best all-around exercise for learning a forei...

English from all angles! In Episode 21, you’ll learn the regular verb “to lag” and how it’s related to the phrasal verb “hold back.” Students who are lagging tend to hold classes back. Also, Drew tells you when (and why) you should visit his hometown, Chicago. Drew reminds you to always to count the syllables of new words you learn in order to improve your pronunciation – such as “humidity” (four...

English from all angles! What’s the secret to properly pronouncing a word? First, determining how many syllables it has and then stressing the right one. It works all the time. Break the word into syllables; place the accent on the proper syllable and voilà! You’ll never mispronounce the word again. Words that are both nouns and verbs are pronounced differently. Generally, the first syllable is st...

English from all angles! “Loose” is an adjective and “lose” is a verb. The words have entirely different meanings, yet many native English speakers confuse the two. Listen and discover how to avoid the same careless mistake. Also in this episode: tips for pronouncing “of” and “off.” Mixing up the words “loose” and “lose” is becoming more and more commonplace – particularly (surprise!) in the writt...