On the Brink of -직전에, On Top of That 게다가 (0821 파워 잉글리쉬 스크립트)
Power Warm-up: Black Mold: I’ve Kept My Fingers Crossed
Ian’s uncle has successfully removed the black mold from his apartment. Melinda says Ian is lucky to have an uncle like Rick who can help in a situation like this.
Kristen:
Thank you so much for joining us. I think that some people may think today’s topic black mold. Common 곰팡이 is a little oh it’s kind of disgusting. But it’s important it’s gross. But they’re everywhere even with fairly new apartments, like especially in like the bathrooms or like the sink area where there’s always water. You get a little of that like black mold.
Cameron:
I know, yeah, yes, I’m sure that I have black mold somewhere, but like thinking about that is…
Kristen:
Not a good thing.
Cameron:
It’s kind of terrifying.
Kristen:
Okay. So remember, Ian’s uncle is an expert with black mold. And so he successfully removes the black mold from the apartment, which is great. Okay. So thank goodness for that. I think that if you have a black mold situation, you do need a specialist.
Cameron:
Or just burn the house down. Uh, no. I mean, because I… I’m joking.
Cameron:
Sometimes though if the black mold is really bad, getting rid of it is so difficult.
Kristen:
is harder. It’s so hard.
Cameron:
Like ripping down the walls to get inside, to clean everything.
Expressions
Kristen:
Yeah, agreed, agreed. So the subtitle is I’ve kept my fingers crossed. And it happens to be one of our expressions. If you keep your fingers crossed, what does this mean?
Cameron:
So the actual action of crossing your fingers is when you take your two fingers and you kind of twist them, right? This is crossing your fingers when you’re twisting them together. But it’s often used to say you’re making a wish or you’re hoping for something. You’re really like, oh, please, I hope this works. I hope this goes okay.
Kristen:
Yeah, that’s right. To keep your fingers crossed. Yes. And we’ll see how it’s used in just a bit. If you are on the brink of something, B-R-I-N-K, what’s happening?
Cameron:
You are about to do something. It’s two seconds before it happens. On the brink, it’s almost there.
Kristen:
Right there. Okay. On top of that?
Cameron:
In addition to. So you’re making something more intense or more grand or bigger.
Kristen:
That’s right. Okay. All right. Let’s go ahead and listen to our power dialog.
Power Dialog
Melinda: How is work going on your apartment?
Ian: Uncle Rick thinks he has removed all the mold. He says it was caused by a leaky pipe in the wall.
Melinda: For a few days, it seemed like you were on the brink of having to move out permanently.
Ian: Well, I’ve kept my fingers crossed that Rick would solve the problem.
Melinda: It’s good to have someone like him in the family.
Ian: On top of that, I have an uncle who works as an electrician and another who is a plumber.
Kristen:
We’ve got our power dialog on page 110. So let’s take a look. Melinda says, how is work going on your apartment? So how is this black mold situation? How’s it going?
Kristen:
And Ian says, Uncle Rick thinks he has removed all the mold. He says it was caused by a leaky pipe in the wall. Okay, so Uncle to the rescue. He removed almost all the mold. And the reason why it happened was there was a leaky pipe. L-E-A-K-Y. When someone, not when someone, when something is leaking, what happens?
Cameron:
Slowly the moisture builds up and then you get this mold, right? That’s right. Yeah. So our power vocab today is leaky. L-E-A-K-Y. It is not leaking, not I-N-G, in this case. So, this is a very, I guess a very detailed difference in English. But in here, we would usually say leaky whenever the pipe is not leaking at the moment or all the time. So, if it only leaks when you turn the water on, it’s a leaky pipe.
Kristen:
Got it, yeah.
Cameron:
Right? Right. But if it’s currently coming out of the pipe, you can say a leaking pipe. But I mean, I think it’s more common to say leaky. It’s kind of the difference between a rainy day and it’s raining now. So a rainy day, maybe it’s not raining that second.
Kristen:
Right.
Cameron:
But the overall characteristic of the day would be rainy.
Kristen:
Right. So like sometimes it rains, it stops. Sometimes it rains, it’s like kind of a rainy day.
Cameron:
Right. Same with the leaky. Sometimes it leaks, sometimes it doesn’t. But overall, it’s maybe got a hole in it or it’s loose.
Kristen:
There’s water coming. Okay. Very good. I like that difference.
Cameron:
L-E-A-K-Y.
Kristen:
Okay, Y. So there’s a leaky pipe in the wall. Because if it continued to leak, then probably it would be like wet. Right? So it is a leaky pipe and it just created mold. Okay. Melinda says what?
Cameron:
For a few days, it seemed like you were on the brink of having to move out permanently.
Kristen:
It seemed like something happened which is our power pattern it seemed like which is what.
Cameron:
So it seemed like… Just saying, it felt like something was happening. Yeah. I was looking at you. Yeah. I was hearing about the situation. Right. And I thought…
Kristen:
Oh. Blah, blah, blah. Okay. All right. So you were on the brink of having to move out permanently. Yes. So a while ago when I saw it, I thought, oh my gosh, you have to leave. You have to move to another apartment.
Cameron:
Yes.
Kristen:
You were on the brink of having to move out. So to be on the brink.
Cameron:
Right, so this is brink with an R. B-R-I-N-K.
Kristen:
Hey. Yeah, not blink.
Cameron:
Yeah, not blink, even though it sounds very similar even to me. So when you are on the brink, it means that you are just about to do something. And it kind of feels like you are at the top of a wave or on the top of a mountain.
Kristen:
Like a cliff?
Cameron:
A cliff. And you are just about to fall.
Kristen:
Oh, okay.
Cameron:
So it’s that half of a second right before you fall. That is when you are on the brink. So it seemed to Melinda like it was just about to happen.
Kristen:
Yeah, that’s right. A lot of the times we, and we’ll give you more examples in just a bit, but you’ll hear this expression with like she is or he is on the brink of a nervous breakdown (신경쇠약, 노이로제). Yeah. Right? Like mentally it is just going down. Yeah. Yeah.
Cameron:
They’re so stressed. You know, one small thing, and they will fall off of the cliff (갑작스럽게 상황이 악화되다).
Kristen:
That’s right. You’re crazy, okay. And Ian says,
Cameron:
Well, I’ve kept my fingers crossed that Rick would solve the problem.
Kristen:
So Ian is hoping that Uncle Rick would take care of the situation. He is keeping his fingers crossed.
Cameron:
So yeah, when you make a wish, you often will like twist your fingers. Your forefinger and your middle finger. Twist them together. Oh, please. I hope that I win the lottery.
Kristen:
Yeah, I hope you pass that test. I hope you get a good score on the test. Fingers crossed.
Cameron:
I hope that my seatbelt doesn’t break on the roller coaster.
Kristen:
Oh my gosh.
Cameron:
Oh. Ha ha!
Kristen:
That’s scary.
Cameron:
I love roller coasters, but I always imagine it. There’s a fear. What if this harness breaks? It’s true. And I fall off the roller coaster. I hope that doesn’t happen.
Kristen:
It’s a real concern. It is.
Cameron:
‘Keep my fingers crossed’ means you have a prayer, you have a wish, you have a hope, and you keep thinking about it.
Kristen:
Yeah, that’s right. And Melinda says It’s good to have someone like him in the family. And Ian says on top of that, I have an uncle who works as an electrician and another who is a plumber.
Cameron:
What a lucky guy.
Kristen:
Wow, Ian’s got great uncles.
Cameron:
He will never have to pay for anything. He just needs like a real estate agent. I know. And then he can have his whole house taken care of.
Kristen:
My goodness. So on top of that is our expression.
Cameron:
So on top of that is a way saying in addition in both a negative way or a positive way. Okay. So we’ve already talked about how it’s good that he has someone who can take care of the mold. So Ian, by saying on top of that, he’s adding more good things in addition to it. So black mold specialist, electrician, plumber. It’s like everything keeps leveling up.
Kristen:
That’s right. So I feel like this expression is to really stress a point. It’s for emphasis. Like, I have this on top of that. And it could be both positive and negative. You know, I got soaked in the rain on top of that,
Cameron:
A bird pooped on my head! On top of that I lost a tooth.
Kristen:
Okay, Right. So that is kind of the effect.
Cameron:
Yes.
Kristen:
Let’s go ahead and listen to that one more time.
Power Dialog
Melinda: How is work going on your apartment?
Ian: Uncle Rick thinks he has removed all the mold. He says it was caused by a leaky pipe in the wall.
Melinda: For a few days, it seemed like you were on the brink of having to move out permanently.
Ian: Well, I’ve kept my fingers crossed that Rick would solve the problem.
Melinda: It’s good to have someone like him in the family.
Ian: On top of that, I have an uncle who works as an electrician and another who is a plumber.
Power Note
1. On the brink of – 직전에
Kristen:
It’s time for Power Note. We’re on pages 112 and 113. If you are on the brink of something, you’re like very, very, very near to when something’s going to happen. Right before something happens.
1)
A: I hope the two companies agree to a merger soon.
B: Yeah, the CEO of Tensor Motors is on the brink of walking away from negotiations.
Kristen:
On the brink of walking away from negotiations. So, like, they’ve established that they’re going to merge. But something happened and they’re like, okay, deal is off. On the brink of that.
Cameron:
Say one small thing wrong, and the negotiations are over. I’m getting on a plane.
Kristen:
And speaking of companies, if a company is going to, you know, get bankrupt… Yeah, go bankrupt. They can be on the brink of bankruptcy.
Cameron:
Yeah.
Kristen:
Or… They’re very close to. Right.
Cameron:
Yeah. Or even a single person, maybe they’re on the brink of bankruptcy, or their reputation is on the brink of ruin.
Kristen:
Oof!
Cameron:
They have a secret. And it’s almost found out.
Kristen:
It’s a scandal.
Cameron:
It’s a scandal, and they’re trying to save it from getting out into the public. But they’re on the brink of ruin.
Kristen:
Oh my goodness.
2) This old building is on the brink of being condemned.
Okay, so what does this mean, to be condemned?
Cameron:
Yes, condemned, C-O-N-D-E-M-N-E-D. This is whenever you say that a building is no longer livable.
Kristen:
Livable, yeah.
Cameron:
Or usable like it’s just an old building that you can’t even let people go inside and so often what happens when a building is condemned, it’s when the city, the government will go in and just tear down the building.
Kristen:
Or just put a fence around it.
Cameron:
Yeah, you can’t, like, not anymore.
Kristen:
You cannot get in because the building is in such bad shape, it could collapse. It could go down, right? Okay, so to be on the brink of something. I think in a positive, can we use this in a positive context, like on the brink of success?
Cameron:
Yes! Or on the brink of a major discovery. I’m just about to make a major discovery. I can feel it.
Kristen:
Oh my gosh. Okay.
2. (Keep or have) one’s fingers crossed: 행운을 빌다
To keep or have your fingers crossed means that you are hoping for a good outcome. Okay.
1)
A: I’m going to find out if I passed my medical exams today.
B: I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.
I’m wishing that it will go well for you.
Kristen:
Right, so like um I have a job interview today. Um I hope I get the job and your friend says fingers crossed I keep my fingers crossed for you. The full expression is to keep your fingers crossed. But if we shorten it a lot of people just say fingers crossed.
Cameron:
Yes.
Kristen:
But the next example.
2. Fingers crossed that it’s sunny the whole time we’re in London.
Cameron:
So this is grammatically not correct, right? We have shortened the phrase to just fingers crossed. But it’s another way of saying, I hope that it’s sunny the whole time we’re in London. There’s often a bit of… anxiety with this. Like, oh my gosh, please let it work. Please let it work. It’s not just, oh, I hope I win. It’s like, oh my gosh, I gotta win. I gotta win. Like, there’s a kind of a prolonged, like a lengthy amount of wishing that you’re doing.
Kristen:
Right.
Cameron:
Maybe with some stress involved as well.
Kristen:
Uh, I feel like when you’re traveling um speaking of like going to London and traveling weather is so important. So you really you know this is very common when oh fingers crossed that it’s not gonna snow or it’s gonna rain, that sort of thing.
Cameron:
Right, my friend, when she came here to Korea, we had our fingers crossed that she would get the cherry blossoms. Because she came in the spring. But we missed it. It was like they bloomed late, and so she got here, didn’t see a single one.
Kristen:
Aww. That’s too bad.
Cameron:
Oh, no way. We saw, like, one tree that had, like, three cherry blossoms. She took lots of pictures, though. I was like, isn’t it magical?
Kristen:
Well, it’s unpredictable these days. It really is. Sometimes they come early. Sometimes they come late. Yeah.
Cameron:
Yeah.
Kristen:
Keep your fingers crossed. Okay.
3. On top of that: 게다가
On top of that means in addition to something, but the feeling is like I had this happen. And then on top of that, it’s like, oh, this additional thing was either made it really good or really bad. Yeah.
1)
A: I heard Mike got suspended from work for a week.
B: On top of that, they transferred him to a different department.
Kristen:
Bad situation.
Cameron:
Mike did something wrong.
Kristen:
He did something very bad.
Cameron:
So he got, they’re like, don’t come to work for a week.
Kristen:
Yeah, that’s suspended.
Cameron:
And we’re also giving a new job. Yeah. That’d be a really bad thing that he did.
Kristen:
Very bad.
Cameron:
Aw.
2) I’m going to Paris tomorrow. On top of that, I’m dining near the Eiffel Tower.
Cameron:
Okay, so Paris is cool.
Kristen:
Wonderful.
Cameron:
But dining near the Eiffel Tower… You know, how romantic.
Kristen:
Even better. I bet it’s expensive.
Cameron:
And on top of that, I have a hotel in the Champs-Elysées
Kristen:
Oh my goodness!
Cameron:
I don’t now. I’ve never been to Paris at all.
Kristen:
Oh, you’ve not, no.
Cameron:
Do they have hotels at the Champs-Elysées?
Kristen:
I don’t know if they have hotels. I think it’s nearby because the Champs-Elysées are like lined by stores, like big, you know, name stores, very big shopping street from what I remember.
Cameron:
I see, I see.
Kristen:
Power pattern. It seemed like…
Cameron:
From what I hear, from what I’ve looked at, this is my guess, or this is my feeling.
Kristen:
All right.
4. It seems like — 인 것 같다.
1) I’m not sure, but it seemed like she was lying about something.
2) It seemed like he didn’t want to talk to us.
Kristen:
Yeah.
Cameron:
His mood, his facial expressions.
Kristen:
Yeah, I can kind of tell. Okay, leaky. You had a really great explanation of the difference between leaky and leaking. Yes. Do check out the definition on page 114. And let’s do a quick power practice.
5. Leaky: 새는, 구멍이 난
Something that is leaky or has leaks allows water to get through it. For example, a leaky pipe is either cracked or not properly attached, thus allowing water to drip.
Under The Weather 몸이 안 좋은, Steps To Take 조치 (0807 파워 잉글리수 ㅣ스크립트) (enko.co.kr)