Are You Strong 'Out of the Gate'?
2024-06-09
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1And now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.
2At the start of this program, we usually share the expression or idiom we are going to talk about.
3We do this right out of the gate so that listeners know what to expect.
4Out of the gate means the very start of something -- like an audio program!
5Some people are really good at starting things.
6Whether it is planning a fun family reunion or a serious work-related project, they are strong right out of the gate.
7Other people may be slow out of the gate.
8They take their time getting started, but they may be strong finishers.
9So, out of the gate means the very of beginning of something. We can also say at the outset.
10Here is an example.
11As soon as I signed up for an online class, I had trouble with technology.
12I couldn't get logged in.
13I forgot my password.
14And then my computer crashed.
15I had so many technical issues right out of the gate!
16I had problems at the outset or at the very beginning of the class.
17This expression comes from sports or activities that involve holding animals behind a gate until it is time to start.
18With horse racing, dog racing, and bull-riding, the animals all wait behind a gate.
19When I was a child, my parents often took me to horse races.
20The horses were behind a gate as they waited to start the race.
21As soon as they were out of the gate, the race had started! That's also when my parents would start yelling.
22Right out of the gate, they would yell for their horse to win.
23In English, we have other similar expressions.
24Word experts say that the expression right off the bat is from baseball, cricket, or another sport where a bat is involved.
25The batter hits the ball, the ball is in play and the actions of the other players begin.
26They are, more or less, waiting for that ball to be hit before they have something to do.
27So, if something happens right off the bat, it happens as soon as something starts.
28Another similar expression is from the get-go.
29When we say from the get-go, we are also talking about the start of something.
30Here's an example using that one.
31Let's say you start a new job.
32It's important to make a good first impression from the get-go.
33On your first day, you want to be on time and ready to work.
34As we like to say, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression.
35And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.
36Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English. 2At the start of this program, we usually share the expression or idiom we are going to talk about. We do this right out of the gate so that listeners know what to expect. 3Out of the gate means the very start of something -- like an audio program! 4Some people are really good at starting things. Whether it is planning a fun family reunion or a serious work-related project, they are strong right out of the gate. Other people may be slow out of the gate. They take their time getting started, but they may be strong finishers. 5So, out of the gate means the very of beginning of something. We can also say at the outset. 6Here is an example. As soon as I signed up for an online class, I had trouble with technology. I couldn't get logged in. I forgot my password. And then my computer crashed. I had so many technical issues right out of the gate! I had problems at the outset or at the very beginning of the class. 7This expression comes from sports or activities that involve holding animals behind a gate until it is time to start. With horse racing, dog racing, and bull-riding, the animals all wait behind a gate. 8When I was a child, my parents often took me to horse races. The horses were behind a gate as they waited to start the race. As soon as they were out of the gate, the race had started! That's also when my parents would start yelling. Right out of the gate, they would yell for their horse to win. 9In English, we have other similar expressions. 10Word experts say that the expression right off the bat is from baseball, cricket, or another sport where a bat is involved. 11The batter hits the ball, the ball is in play and the actions of the other players begin. They are, more or less, waiting for that ball to be hit before they have something to do. So, if something happens right off the bat, it happens as soon as something starts. 12Another similar expression is from the get-go. When we say from the get-go, we are also talking about the start of something. 13Here's an example using that one. Let's say you start a new job. It's important to make a good first impression from the get-go. On your first day, you want to be on time and ready to work. As we like to say, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. 14And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 15Anna Matteo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 16_____________________________________________ 17Words in This Story 18reunion - n. a reuniting of persons after separation : an event where people come together after a period of separation 19outset - n. a beginning, a start 20impression - n. an especially marked and often favorable influence or effect on feeling, sense, or mind 21We want to hear from you. Do you have similar expressions in your language? In the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. 22Our comment policy is here. Or send us an email at VOALearningEnglish@voanews.com