Speaker 1: Are you ready to pack a picnic and have some
fun in the sun before calling it a day. Check
out today's English lesson podcast, all about beachlife, part of
our summer series on American culture. Let's dive in.
Speaker 2: Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming to you from
New York City. And here's your English teacher, Michael.
Speaker 1: All right, thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael
here from Happy English and I help people speak English better.
This is Happy English Podcast eight fifty four Beach Life, Sunscreen,
Umbrellas and Snacks. Hello and welcome. Thanks for joining me
for another episode of the Happy English Podcast. It's week
eight of our summer series on American culture, and this
time we're talking about one of my favorite parts of summer,
beach life. We're going to talk about beachlife, which could
be the beach at the ocean or a lake, and
to some degree even the neighborhood swimming pool. Along the way,
I'll show you five idioms and phrases that match the sunscreen,
beach umbrellas and beach snacks theme. Fun in the sun,
catch some rays, pack a picnic, chill out and call
it a day. If you've ever spent a summer in
the US, especially near the coast, you know that going
to the beach is almost a sport in itself. People
plan whole weekends around it. And we've got our rituals,
packing sunscreen, setting up a beach umbrella, and making sure
there are plenty of snacks in the cooler. People often
talk about having fun in the sun. That rhymes, doesn't it?
Fun in the sun. It's a cheerful way to talk
about enjoying sunny days outside, And I have to be
honest with you for a moment, compared to the sunny
days in New York where I live. In northern Japan
right now, it's so humid outside that for a lot
of folks here, sun and fun don't rhyme as well
as they did back in the Big Apple. But regardless,
summertime is a time to go outside. But remember, fun
in the sun comes with a warning. Too much sun
can leave you looking like a lobster. So before we
even set foot on the sand, it's time to put
on the sunscreen. That's the cream that you put on
your skin to prevent getting a sunburn. Interestingly, when I
was a kid, it was called suntan lotion. Lotion to
help you get a sun tan. Now we call it sunscreen, interesting,
isn't it. Our view of the product has changed over
the years. So your friends might say something like, we're
heading to the beach for some fun in the sun,
and yes, I've got my sunscreen. Or camping this weekend
sounds like fun in the sun. Fun in the sun.
It's one of those phrases you'll hear in TV commercials,
on travel blogs, and from your friends planning a summer getaway. Now,
once you're protected from the sun, it's time to catch
some rays. Catch some rays. This phrase just means to sunbathe,
you know, to lay in the sun and enjoy the warmth.
You might stretch out on a towel or maybe on
a lounge chair under the umbrella with just your legs
in the sun. Some people are serious about catching rays.
They'll turn over like a pancake every fifteen minutes to
get an even tan. Your friends might say, let's catch
some rays before the clouds roll in. Or Jack was
catching rays all afternoon and ended up with a sunburn. Remember,
a sun tan is when your skin is brown from
the sun. A sun burn is when your skin turns red,
and that's no picnic. If you have fair skin, you
should think about getting a beach umbrella. Don't forget sunscreen first,
catching rays second. Speaking of umbrellas, they're not just for
shade their home base. For all the beach snacks. In
the US, it's super common to pack a picnic for
the beach. That means bringing food and drinks from home
so you can eat right there on the sand Sandwiches, chips, watermelon,
maybe a thermos of iced tea. Everything goes in the cooler.
The cooler is a kind of box that you put
some ice in with your food and it stays cool
for hours. I've heard some people call it a cooler box,
but basically we call it a cooler. Families often have
coolers with everything packed in ice. When I was a kid,
my mom would pack a picnic with sandwiches and fruit
for the beach. And one of the reasons people pack
a picnic is because the food they sell at the
beach is such a ripoff. I heard that at Jones Beach,
which is a popular beach in New York, burgers go
for thirteen dollars a pop. Thirteen bucks for a burger,
no wonder. Most people pack a picnic. So the umbrella
keeps you cool, the snacks keep you happy, and you've
got the ocean right in front of you. Not bad, right,
no wonder. The beach is also the perfect place to
chill out. Chill out is a popular and really classical
phrasal verb for relaxing and taking it easy. When you
chill out, you're not doing anything stressful, just enjoying the moment.
Maybe you're reading a book, listening to music, or just
people watching. Like last Sunday at the beach, we chilled
out under the umbrella all afternoon after working in the garden.
I just want to chill out with a cold drink.
And when you've had enough snacks, enough sun, and enough
salt water for one day, you can call it a day.
Call it a day means to decide that you're finished
with an activity. You might here call it a day.
At work, we've done enough for today, let's call it
a day. But at the beach, it's the moment when
everyone's tired, sandy, and ready to head home. So your
buddy says, that was a lot of fun, but let's
call it a day. Yeah, we caught some rays, ate
all the snacks, it's time to call it a day.
So beach life in the US is all about the
simple pleasures. Sun's green for safety, umbrellas for shade, snacks
for energy, and just the right balance of fun and relaxation.
And along the way, you've got some great expressions to use.
When you have fun in the sun, you are enjoying
sunny days outdoors. When you catch some rays, you sunbathe.
When you pack a picnic, you bring food to eat outside.
When you chill out, you relax and take it easy.
And when you call it a day, you decide to
stop in activity or stop working for the day. This
phrase works great at the beach or at the workplace.
All right, that's it for today's episode. Wherever you are,
I hope you're enjoying your own version of beach life.
And hey, don't forget the sunscreen. And keep in mind
the best way to remember English like this and any
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