Slang Challenge – Day 1

1 London Calling
Audioscript
Kate! I’m finally here! In the Big Smoke. Oh god, I should definitely stop
calling London that now I’m a local. My travel plans went a bit pear-shaped
today and I ended up having to catch a later train. I am definitely not going
to miss the public transport in our little, middle-of-nowhere village.
The crowds here are absolutely barmy, though! It was properly parky
outside today and still the streets were full of people. I guess they’re all
hitting the January sales. I’m staying in a hostel at the moment while I look
for my own place. The bathrooms are a bit foul but the other people staying
here seem nice enough. I’ve got the jitters about starting work on Monday.
Give me one of your famous pep talks and tell me I’m going to be fine!
Anyway, I’m zonked. Give us a bell when you’ve got time.

Vocabulary Bank
the Big Smoke n /ðə ˌbɪɡ ˈsməʊk/ (BrE slang) London or another large city - I
can’t wait to be back in the Big Smoke.
to go pear-shaped idiom /ˈpeə ʃeɪpt/ - to go wrong - I was planning a
delicious dinner and then everything went pear-shaped.
middle-of-nowhere adj - a place that is a long way from anywhere else - I live
in a middle-of-nowhere town in Scotland.
barmy adj /ˈbɑːmi/ - a little bit crazy - The traffic is barmy!
parky adj /ˈpɑːki/ - (of the weather) cold - Brr, it’s a bit parky out there!
foul adj /faʊl/ - dirty or unpleasant - The weather is foul!
jitters n /ˈdʒɪtəz/ - (usually ‘the jitters’) feelings of being nervous, usually
before an important event - She had the jitters the night before her
wedding.
pep talk n /ˈpep tɔːk/ - a short speech to encourage someone to be more
confident, to win or to work harder - Pete gave us a pep talk before the
match.
zonked adj /zɒŋkt/ - extremely tired - The girls were zonked after a full day
at nursery.
to give sb. a bell idiom - to call somebody on the phone - Give me a bell
when you get home.