Plain English

A group of artists called the Night Lords has turned vacant walls into graffiti murals of The Simpsons in Iztacalco, a neighborhood of Mexico City. Over 15 murals are up and five more are on the way. Neighbors who were initially skeptical now embrace the project. Plus, learn how to use the English phrase ‘on board.’ Check out pictures of Sprayfield here: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ywx5w7/a...

Gareth Bale scored two goals as a substitute and Karim Benzema scored an embarrassing goal against Liverpool goaltender Lorius Karius as Real Madrid captured its 13th Champions League title and its third in a row. It was Cristiano Ronaldo’s fifth title—but his comments after the game cast doubt on his future in Madrid. Learn what it means to take someone up on an offer. Read the full transcript of...

On Plain English’s 50th episode: Captain Liu Chuanjian landed a Sichuan Airlines flight safely after its windshield blew out mid-air, 32,000 feet above ground. The co-pilot was sucked halfway out of the plane and the temperature and air pressure in the cockpit plummeted. Captain Liu is being “hailed as a hero” for his efforts to save the plane—and learn how to use “hailed as a hero” in English. Re...

Prince Harry, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II of England, married American actress Meghan Markle in a ceremony that both honored tradition but had its own unique touch. On the morning of the wedding, Prince Harry was given the official title Duke of Sussex, and Ms. Markle, who may have to give up her American citizenship, will be Duchess of Sussex. The expression today is “one for the ages.” Re...

The last home-grown terrorist organization in Europe officially disbanded. The Basque country’s ETA, which used violent tactics in an attempt to separate from Spain, agreed to give up its weapons and disband last month. Plus, we discuss the English phrase “fight back.” Read the full transcript of this episode at http://www.plainenglish.com/48      Transcripts are always free and available now! ¿Ha...

Electric scooters are taking over the streets in some American cities, including San Francisco. New programs allow people to rent a scooter for $1, unlock it with their smartphones, and leave the scooters wherever they please when they are finished. Mayors and city officials aren’t happy with the rollout. Plus, we discuss the English phrasal verb “roll out.” Read the full transcript of this episod...

Nazaré, Portugal, attracts surfers and observers from around the world for its world-class surfing waves, and last November Brazilian surfer Rodrigo Koxa set the record for surfing the biggest-wave ever, at 80 feet. The same day, a British surfer broke his back on a similar wave. The silver lining for him was that he was given the award for best wipeout—and in the second half of the show, we talk...

The Kilauea volcano in Hawaii is erupting and sending lava flowing through residential areas, putting homes and businesses at risk. Gas and steam are coming out of new cracks in the earth that opened up after a series of earthquakes last week. Several residents were given only minutes to evacuate their homes and head for safety. We also discuss the English phrase “head for” on today’s program. Rea...

Eighty years ago, the original Superman cartoon was published in issue #1 of Action Comics—and the modern-day superhero genre was born. What began as a simple cartoon by two teenagers in Ohio turned into one of the most recognizable characters in comic book history. Over the years, several other superheroes have followed in the footsteps of the Man of Steel, but none has had quite as much staying...

Leaders of North and South Korea met in a historic one-day summit at the border of their two countries to negotiate the formal end to the Korean War. Though fighting stopped over sixty years ago, the countries have remained in a state of war ever since. North Korea has also promised to close its main testing site for nuclear weapons. Learn the English phrasal verb “hash out.” Read the full transcr...

Raúl Castro will formally step aside as Cuba’s president and Miguel Díaz-Canel, the vice president, is the Communist Party’s nominee to replace him. The 57-year-old was born after Fidel Castro took power in the Cuban revolution, but has been a loyal servant to the party and the government, so it’s not clear if Cuba will change after a new generation takes over the presidency. Plus, we review the E...

The music world was shocked at the news that Swedish DJ Avicii, known for his high-energy concerts, was found dead in the Middle Eastern nation of Oman. He was 28. Avicii had retired from touring, citing the negative effects on his health of the touring lifestyle. But he continued to release albums, including one last year. In the second half of the show, we review the English phrase “take its tol...

The US government released a 90-page memo detailing much of the evidence they plan to use in the trial of drug lord Joaquin Guzman, also known as El Chapo. Among the charges are that he personally interrogated rivals, had them killed, and ordered their bodies burned in a hole in the ground. El Chapo pulled of two dramatic prison escapes—and in today’s episode, we’ll talk about the English phrasal...

Canada is mourning the loss of 16 people in a tragic bus crash that killed junior hockey players, coaches, and staff on their way to a playoff game. Ten of those killed were players between the ages of 16 and 21. Across Canada, people paid tribute by placing hockey sticks outside their homes and businesses. In the second half of the show, we discuss the English phrase “come to grips.” Read the ful...

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the ex-president of Brazil who was convicted of corruption as part of the country’s massive ‘Car Wash’ scandal, surrendered to police last week after a tense three-day standoff that pitted his supporters against police. The ex-president is in jail while he appeals his conviction. Plus, we review the English phrase, “give voice to.” Read the full transcript of this episod...

Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani started the 2018 year in America’s Major League Baseball and hopes to become the first player to be both a superstar pitcher and a superstar batter since Babe Ruth revolutionized the sport 99 years ago. He’s off to a great start with two dominant pitching performances and three home runs. Plus, we talk about the English phrase “flip a switch.” Read the ful...

Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigns amid a corruption scandal. The ex-President left after having alienated his supporters and antagonized his opponents in Congress. His resignation comes after he pardoned another ex-president, Alberto Fujimori. In the second half of the episode, we talk about the English expression “the last straw.” Read the full transcript of this episode at http://...

Facebook is suffering from a series of scandals related to data privacy. As a result, some people are trying to #DeleteFacebook. Do you know how much information Facebook knows about you? Some users were surprised at what the social network had collected about them. At the end of the episode, we’ll talk about the English phrase “to gather steam.” Read the full transcript of this episode at http://...

Operation Car Wash—the massive investigation into corruption in Brazil that has stretched on for five years—will be the topic of a new series on Netflix directed by José Padilha. The eight-part series, called “The Mechanism,” centers on one criminal money-launderer and two investigators. The crux of the scandal is corruption—and we talk about how to use the word “crux” in English. Read the full tr...

A self-driving Uber car struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona, raising questions about the safety of the entire industry of autonomous vehicles. The 49-year-old woman was walking her bike across the street when she was hit by the Volvo SUV. The human operator, whose job was to intervene in an emergency, wasn’t looking at the road at the time. Could this be a turning point for self-driving cars...

eSports—competitive video-gaming—are gaining in popularity in the United States among males under age 25. As a result, new venues are being built to accommodate live video-game competitions. One venue took over NBC Studios in California; another is being built in Texas. eSports are starting to catch on in the United States; we’ll also review how to use the phrasal verb “catch on.” Read the full tr...

Stephen Hawking, the physicist who studied gravity, black holes and the origins of the universe, and who used a distinctive computerized voice after losing his ability to speak, died last week at age 76. He lived for 50 years with ALS after having been given just a few years to live after his diagnosis. The English phrase today is “do justice.” Read the full transcript of this episode at http://ww...

St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Irish culture around the world, featuring parades, Irish music and dance, whiskey, and beer. The holiday originally honored St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who brought Catholicism to the island and taught the inhabitants about the Holy Trinity by using a three-leaf clover. Plus, we talk about how to use the phrasal verb “scale back.” Read the full tr...

Toymaker Mattel has released a Frida Kahlo Barbie Doll in honor of International Women’s Day—but some in Mexico think it’s not an accurate representation of the famous Mexican artists. Plus, one of Frida Kahlo’s descendants claims Mattel didn’t secure the rights to the artist’s image. Even so, Mattel seems to be on solid legal ground—and we also talk about what it means to be on solid ground. Link...

The hit music streaming service Spotify is preparing to go public—and in the process is revealing some information about its business for the first time, including its ambitions to change the entire music industry. Learn how many users it has, what major labels get payouts, and how people have tried to game the system—and what the English expression “game the system” means. Read the full transcrip...