Sun, Sea, and Skin
Vocabulary
Sun, Sea, and Skin
fair-skinned
So being fair-skinned, do you burn easily?
If you are fair-skinned, you light colored skin. Notice the following:
- People from Ireland are fair-skinned.
- He likes getting tan to cover his fair-skin.
freckly
I get really, really freckly.
A freckly person has lots of freckles. Freckles are small dots on the skin. Notice the following:
- I was quite freckly when I was little.
- I think freckles are cute.
I do get it
I’m not a sunbather. I do get it, but I just get too bored.
If you ‘get it’, then you understand how people feel about something. If you do not get it,’ then you do not understand. Notice the following:
- I disagree, but I do get it.
- I just don’t get it. Tell the joke one more time.
without fail
Every day of the year without fail, she would swim in the sea.
Without fail means always. It is often used with the word everyNotice the following:
- I drink coffee every morning without fail.
- Without fail, she calls her mom every weekend.
a sturdy lass
She is a sturdy lass.
A sturdy lass is a woman who is very tough and strong. Lass means woman. Notice the following:
- My aunt was a sturdy lass.
- My sister is a sturdy lass. She is as tough as any man I know.
swear by
Yeah, she swore by it.
When you swear by something, you strongly believe in it, and often share you thoughts about it with others. Notice the following:
- My mother swore by the healing power of aloe vera oil.
- He drinks cod liver oil every day for his health. He swears by it.
Audio Script
Sun, Sea, and Skin
Paul: So being fair-skinned, do you burn easily in the sun?
Aimee: I do! I get really, really freckly, just turn into one big freckle. I have to be careful not to get burned, yeah. I’m careful with my sun lotion. How about you?
Paul: Yeah, I’m not a sunbather. I can’t think of anything more boring to be quite honest with you. I may not get it lying on the beach – you’ve got the sand, you’ve got the surf. I do get it, but I just get too bored. I’d rather be more active, doing some sort of swimming, some sort of activity….
Aimee: I really enjoy swimming in the ocean. If I go to the beach, I don’t sunbathe at all. I sit in the shade until I just want to swim in the ocean: go snorkeling, see something. That’s a lot more fun.
Sun, Sea, and Skin
Paul: Mmmm, yeah, see something, explore a bit. Yeah, yeah. I mean the sea creatures are actually fascinating really. You put that snorkel on, it’s as if you’ve gone into a new world.
Aimee: I couldn’t do that in Scandinavia, I don’t think.
Paul: Speaking of Scandinavia, I did a home stay when I was a high school student.
Aimee: Oh, did you?
Paul: Yeah, and it was with a Danish family. And the mother was very kind of typically Scandinavian. Uhm, like stereotypically very strong, blond hair, and every day of the year without fail, she would swim in the sea.
Aimee: Oh my goodness.
Paul: You know there’d big blocks of ice in the sea, and she’d still be swimming.
Aimee: A sturdy lass.
Paul: Yeah, she swore by it. I think she really believed that it was good for the circulation and her health. Yes, but admiration, but I won’t want to follow her.
Aimee: I don’t think I could – only certain times a year.
Paul: Yeah.