How I Met Your Mother – Season 2, Episode 1

Expressions:

To get back at someone – To get revenge on someone

Binge drinking – drinking too much alcohol

Promiscuity – lewd sexual behavior

Father issues – Freud’s notion that a girl’s relationship with her father is very important. If her father neglects her or
treats her badly, she’s more likely to become very needy in her relationships with men in the future.

Bachelorette party – like a bachelor party, but for a woman who is about to marry

To dump someone – to break up with someone

Leftovers – leftover food from a previous meal

To cut someone some slack – don’t be too hard on someone; give someone a break or another chance.

Tough love – when you’re tough on someone out of love for them, in order to help them

Seventh inning stretch – a kind of intermission in the seventh inning of a baseball game

Till your periods synch up – women’s periods synchronize if they spend a great deal of time together

To hold it together – to keep from losing your mind or breaking down emotionally

To blow it – to ruin or squander one’s opportunity

Community college – a kind of two-year college which is less expensive than a usual university. After two years, one
can transfer to a university.

To be freaked out – to be worried or nervous

Back to square one – back to the beginning or to the way things were

Discussion Questions:

1.) This show makes the argument that men deal with and recover from break ups much worse than women. Do
you think this is true, and if so, then why is that?
2.) Do you think it was a good idea for Marshall to go to Lillie’s hotel room to try to get her back, or do you think
that Ted was right that he should wait for Lily to come back to him? Should Marshall even take her back?
3.) Have you ever had a bad break up? How long did it take you to recover? What did you do to get over it? Any
advice for Marshall?
How I Met Your Mother – Season 2, Episode 2
Expressions:

Red-head – someone with red hair (adj. red-headed)

Brunet, Brunette – someone with brown or black hair

Blond, Blonde – someone with blond hair.

Tumor – some sort of abnormal growth, often cancerous

Whoppers, Mounds, Gobstoppers – some names of candies in the US

Salad in a bag

To have a shot with someone – to have a chance to succeed in a romantic relationship with someone.

Hypothetical – not real, but imaginary (ex. Imagine the following hypothetical situation. You are trapped on a desert
island and can only bring one item with you.

Penny – a one cent coin in US currency, made of copper

A metaphor – something that represents or symbolizes something else

A human tapestry – a tapestry is a kind of quilt, composed of sewn together pieces of fabric. A human tapestry is
similar to the melting pot metaphor we use in the US.

Crawling in the broken glass of her own shame and regret

To choose sides – to support one member or group in an argument between two other people or groups; this would
be the opposite of neutrality. (ex. Switzerland doesn’t chose sides in military conflicts.)

“She’ll be putty in your hands” – putty is a kind of pliable rubbery substances children often play with. So…this
sentence means, “She’ll do whatever you want. It’ll be easy to control her.”

“Ambition is the enemy of success”

Four-eyes – a negative name for someone with glasses

Astigmatism – a type of vision problem

A moral grey area – something which is not clearly right, moral, or ethical. Perhaps it is wrong, or perhaps not,
depending on interpretation.

To take a leak – to pee (slang)

Chemistry – sometimes used to talk about the interaction and compatibility of potential romance partners.

College lesbian phase – some young women experiment with lesbian relationships in college. It’s generally
considered a phase since many of them go on to marry men.

Cinco de Mayo – May 5th, Mexican Independence Day. Usually celebrated in America with Mexican food and Tequila,
a Mexican alcohol.

A hangover – the sickness one has after drinking too much the night before

Chirpy – happy, cheerful

Blabbering on about something – continuously talking about something

In a heartbeat – in no time at all

Wood – a euphemism for a man’s erection (ex. morning wood)

To clique with someone – to get along with someone

A lawless post-apocalyptic wasteland – a metaphor for a situation with no rules or ethics

A threesome, a manage-a-trois – a sexual act involving three people

Chlamydia – a sexually transmitted disease

Discussion Questions:

1.) Barney informs Marshall that the best way to succeed with meeting women is to disarm them with some sort of
remark so that they’ll be self-conscious about their appearance and that this will make them more likely to date
you. Strange as it sounds, I’m afraid Barney may have a point. Haven’t you ever noticed (or heard) that girls often
go for jerks? Exactly why is that? Or are Barney and I just imagining this phenomenon?
2.) Lillie’s decision to move to San Francisco turned out to be a failure. Do you think her decision was a mistake?
Why or why not?
3.) Do you agree or disagree with Marshall’s decision about Lillie at the end of the show? Why?
4.) Would you like to have a friend like Barney? Why or why not?
How I Met Your Mother – Season 2, Episode 3
Expressions:

Toe lifts – an exercise to strengthen the calves

U2 – a good band

Dave Matthews – a lame band

“What a stitch!” – could have two meanings because this sentence could mean “How funny!” or it could refer to
sewing

A real looker – a very beautiful person

“Way to write the curve” – this is what you’d say to someone who did really well on a test or a project, causing
trouble for other students who have to try to measure up to this great performance.

A broach – a large gold pin that old ladies like to wear

To knock back a few cerveza – to drink a few beers

To be ticked at someone – to be angry with someone

A wingman – someone’s partner for picking up ladies.

To rack jack someone – this is a Barneyism that means to steal someone’s woman. “Rack” is slang for “breasts” and
“jack” is used as in “carjack” or “hijack”

To beg to differ – a polite way of expressing a difference of opinion

To close the deal – a euphemism for having sex

A waterpark – like Caribbean Bay

To hook up – to date or have sex with

A floozy – an impolite name for a low class woman

A tandem bike – a bicycle built for two riders

To set someone up – to serve as a matchmaker by introducing two people for dating

A squeaker – a very close game

Discussion Questions:

1.) Ted’s parents always avoid talking about problems or unpleasant news. What about your parents? What about
you? Are you like this yourself?
2.) Ted learns that the reason for his parents divorce is that they have very little, or perhaps nothing, in common.
Do you think it’s important to have many things in common with your spouse, or do opposites attract, as what
emphasized in Season 1?
3.) Lillie and Marshall found it confusing to be near one another after the break up. Do you think it’s wise for them
to continue to try to be friends? Do you think they can succeed at it? Should they get back together?
4.) Ted’s parents seem to be good friends despite their divorce. Do you think you could be friends with your former
spouse after a divorce?
5.) A lot of the problems that Ted’s parents mentioned in their relationship seem to exist in Robin and Ted’s
relationship? Can it work out between Robin and Ted?

How I Met Your Mother – Season 2, Episode 4

Expressions:

To go under – to go out of business

Package – a euphemism for a man’s genitals

To give someone the shaft – literally, to “dick” someone over. To cheat someone or treat them very badly.

Travesty – An exaggerated or grotesque imitation

Cornices – The molding at the top of the walls of a room, between the walls and ceiling.
To get bummed out – to feel sad about something

A suicide hotline – a phone number that people call when they are considering suicide

“Go-to” (noun) – for example “go to guy”, which means someone you always call on for something

To drone on – talking on and on about something incessantly, usually something boring.

Sober – the opposite of drunk

Foxy boxing – female boxing with good looking competitors

The Brady Bunch – popular TV show from the 60’s and 70’s

To vent – to get some negative feelings out by talking

The talky-talk – slang for “talk”

To take a wack at something – to try something, to make an attempt

Conundrum – an intricate and difficult problem

Non sequitur – a statement that has no connection to the previous conversation topic

Galloping – the verb that describes how horses run

Slut – a dirty girl

As per use – Barneyism - as usual

To take a TO – taking a time out

Discussion Topics:

1.) Does Ted complain too much about work? Is that his fault?
2.) Is Robin really obligated to listen to his depressing work stories? Would you listen to your partner’s complaining
stories?
3.) Is Robin a good girlfriend? Is Ted a good boyfriend?
4.) Girls seem to think that architects are hot. What are the “hot” careers in Korea for men? For women?
How I Met Your Mother – Season 2, Episode 5
Expressions:

Enigma – a mystery, something hard to understand

Shrouded in mystery – very mysterious

Circumvent – to work around or find a way around something

A tug boat – a boat used to push barges for cargo

We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it! – a statement made by gay activist

Beat it – leave, get out of here!

Coup de grace – the final blow, a mercy killing

Storm trooper – a soldier from the movie Star Wars

Redonkulous – slang for ridiculous

Eggs Beny – eggs Benedict

The cat’s out of the bag – the secret’s out

To squat – to gain ownership of a place or property by living there for a long time; squat also means to get low to
the ground, but not exactly sitting. Think of a squat toilet, the type which is popular in Korea.

Mother issues – men who have issues with women due to lack of attention from their moms.

Granny panties – large panties rather than the thong style

On the prowl – looking for ladies

Wedding crashers – people who visit weddings uninvited, usually to eat food and pick up women

Walt Whitman – famous American poet

Pottery Barn – a store that sells various kinds of pottery, popular with women

Gravy boat – container for pouring out the gravy

Halfsies – to split the bill in half

To give it a whirl – to give it a try, to try it out

To spoon someone – to cuddle in bed

Discussion Questions:

1.) Why do you think Barney is so terrified of letting a woman into his life? Why is he so scared of relationships? Are
you afraid of a serious relationship?
2.) Guys, would you like to have a house like Barney’s? Girls, would you try to stay in Barney’s house if you were
Lillie?
3.) Have you ever felt that this world is too geared towards couples? Are there things you miss out on when you’re
not in a relationship? Like what?
4.) Barney doesn’t hide his porn, and in fact he displays it for everyone to see. Would you mind if your partner
looked at porn?

How I Met Your Mother – S2E6

Expressions:

A life coach – This is a person who council’s people who feel lost about the direction of their life

Slam poet – This is a kind of poet that makes loud, aggressive, unprepared poetry. This is a very urban style of
poetry often popular with African Americans.

Beekeeper – Someone who raises or farms bees for honey. They have to wear a protective suit.

Luau – a kind of a big Hawaiian party

To get laid – to have sex

To be into someone – To like someone or be interested in them as a boyfriend or girlfriend

Cougar – a large kind of wild cat

On the prowl – hunting for a suitable sex partner or lover

Lai – A Hawaiian style flower necklace. When you go to Hawaii, they put one of these around your neck as you get
off the plane.

Sides – short for side dishes

Cleavage – this describes the area between a woman’s breasts. Some fashionable blouses show this area to some
extent, and we refer to this area as “cleavage.”

Alimony – This is a divorce settlement which generally requires men to pay their wives after a divorce, often in
cases where the wife has much less income potential than the man. Nowadays, in some cases, the woman must pay
alimony to the man, such as in the case of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline.

To mount and stuff an animal – This describes taxidermy, when a hunter kills an animal and has it stuffed and
mounted for display. Think of a deer head on display in a hunter’s living room. Actually, the words stuff and mount
are used in a sexual way in this episode, as “mount” can refer to assuming the mating position and “stuff” can mean
to force something large into something small (use your imagination.)

Tardy – late, often used by teachers to describe their students

To overcompensate – here, overcompensation means that someone has a small penis so they try to make up for it
by driving a big car or perhaps trying to build big muscles, etc.
Testy – irritably impatient; touchy; this is pronounced the same as “teste” which means “testical” or “ball,” a male
reproductive organ

Crotchety – given to odd notions, whims, grouchiness, etc.; sounds like “crotch”

To pitch something to someone – to try to sell something to someone or to try to convince them of something.

To pull an all-nighter – to stay up all night, usually studying, but it could be working as well.

To gloss over something – to talk briefly and only superficially about something.

Brunet – another word for brown or dark, usually used to describe someone who has dark hair.

Ungroomed – unkempt, unmanaged. Ex. An ungroomed garden contains many weeds.

Busy work – unimportant work used just to keep someone busy and perhaps out of the way.

Horseradish – a kind of mustard sauce, often for sandwiches.

Khakis – beige colored dress pants popular with 20-somethings.

Nervous breakdown – when someone loses control of their emotion or sanity due to extreme stress or a terrible or
shocking event.

Pete Rose – A famous American baseball player who was not allowed to enter the Hall of Fame because he was
convicted of betting on games.
To follow someone’s lead – to follow someone’s example or to imitate one’s actions

John Cougar-Melloncamp – An American singer who finally changed his named to the shortened, John Melloncamp

To go easy on someone – to show mercy on someone by holding back one’s best effort. Ex. I could have beaten my
sister in basketball, but I went easy on her and let her win.

Hats off to you– congratulations

Trajectory – the direction and angle

To stand up to someone – to willingly enter into a conflict with someone who is antagonizing us. Ex. If you want
that bully to leave you alone, you are going to have to stand up to him.

Slides – pictures usually shown on a kind of beam projector. This used to be a popular way of showing people your
travel pictures.

Discussion Topics:
1.) It seems that Ted’s boss is really quite unkind and hard to work for and with. Tell your own story about a
difficult professor or boss who made your work environment less than satisfying.
2.) Lilie seems to believe that adults are not really all that different than children. Do you believe this? Can Lilie’s
kindergarten conduct code strategy really work in the adult world?
3.) Lilie seemed to have a sort of 20’s crisis this week, trying to decide on the perfect career. Have you ever thought
about a drastic change in your career? If so, what kind of work would you choose?
4.) Lilie seems to have ended up in the same career that she started in. Do you think her “career journey” was
worthwhile or just a cosmic waste of time?
How I Met Your Mother – Season 2, Episode 7

Expressions:

To have a crush on someone – to like someone, often not telling them.

To crack someone up – to make some laugh really hard.

Bob Marley – a legendary reggae singer

Carlos – a common name in Spanish speaking countries

Charles Barkley – a famous former American basketball player

Swahili – an east African language

Rambling on – talking incessantly about something uninteresting

To hook someone up – to help someone out

To ditch someone – to get rid of someone

Pupils – the black holes in one’s eyes

A threesome – a sexual act involving three people

Midget – a dwarf or abnormally short person

Needy – requiring a lot of attention from others

Jerk – a mean, unkind person, especially a guy

Snotty – an unfriendly person who is rude and thinks he/she is better than everyone
To get knocked up – informal way of saying “to get pregnant”

People – the name of a major magazine

A limp – an awkward walking style usually caused by some sort of injury or deformity

Crazy – can mean insane, but can also mean “extraordinarily good” or “amazing.”

That’s just how I roll – that’s just the way I act, live, or operate. That’s the way I am

Warsaw – the capital of Poland

Monica Lewinsky – the woman involved in a major scandal with President Bill Clinton.

Discussion Questions:

1.) Have you ever given someone or been given a cool or strange nickname? What was the name? Did it suit you?
Did you like it or was it terrible, as in the case of Swarhili?
2.) Have you ever stalked an ex-partner in the way that Lilie did to Marshal? Is that normal behavior? Can you
understand her?
3.) Do you think Marshall and Lilie are a good couple? Do you think it was wise for them to get back together?
4.) It seems that both Ted and Robin have some sort of “fake” gestures they used to attract one another when they
first started dating. Do you have any of these yourself? What are they?

How I Met Your Mother – Season 2, Episode 9

Expressions:

Crepes – thin pancakes from France

Gala – a sort of party

Sharper Image – a store in America

Nose hair trimmer – a device for cutting one’s nose hair

Cinnabun – a company which sells gigantic, gooey cinnamon rolls. If I could never get fat, I’d live on these.

“I’d rather not say” – This is the most polite way of refusing to answer a question that is too personal.

To get mauled – to get injured in a violent attack.

A dealbreaker – a point of disagreement that makes it impossible to continue on in a relationship

A promise ring – Christians sometimes wear promise rings as a pact with God to keep their virginity.

Jukebox – a machine where people pay coins to play music in a public place

Nickel – a five cent coin

To clam up – to get all nervous and sweaty because of tension

To ask someone point blank – to directly ask someone something

Mistress – a man’s other lover besides his wife

To turn someone’s world upside-down – to completely change someone’s life

Orange Julius – a kind of frozen orange juice that we usually drink at the mall

Premature ejaculation – When a man cannot control himself and has an orgasm which occurs too early

To dole something out – to distribute or give out

To pry something out of someone – to get information out of someone that they don’t want to give

Discussion Questions:

1.) Ted and Barney argued about whether or not it’s better to know all of you partner’s secrets. Barney claims that
it’s better not to know so much about your partner’s past because it’s inevitable that you’ll find a dealbreaker in
there somewhere. Ted thinks it’s better to know the truth right away so you can make a wise decision about the
relationship before marriage. Who’s right?
2.) If you were Ted, would you have been just as eager to know Robin’s secret, or could you have respected her
privacy? Are you a nosey partner? Can you tolerate your partner’s nosiness? Is it OK to keep important secrets from
your partner?
3.) Lilie told Barney the truth about Robin even though it ended up hurting Marshall. Do you agree with her
decision? Would you have done the same thing if you were her?
4.) Ted was faced with a question: Should he continue to date Robin after realizing that she has already been
married in the past? Could you marry someone who was divorced? Why or why not?
5.) Would you prefer to take 10 slaps right away or 5 slaps over the course of your life? Did Barney make the right
choice? Why or why not?