Elisa Perez-Arellano: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Approx. time Expression Explanation
3:36 congregated grouped together
4:01 made fun of laughed at, mocked, joked about/td>
4:13/td> felt so out of it/td> felt alone, disconnected, unaware/td>
4:23/td> getting the hang of/td> learning, getting used to/td>
6:09/td> resilient/td> able to come back, withstand difficulties/td>
8:41/td> undocumented/td> without official papers or visas/td>
10:05/td> el macho de la casa/td> the man of the house/td>
10:45/td> machismo/td> male strength/td>
11:07/td> don’t know the ropes/td> didn’t understand the rules, how to do things
12:50 uninsured without health insurance
13:02 keep up with bills stay current with costs for housing, food, electricity, gas, etc.
13:56 LGBTQ community lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning people
15:27 potluck a meal where everyone brings one dish of food to share

Alan Headbloom

Alan advises Americans how to be global citizens and expats how to fit in to Michigan culture without annoying their native coworkers and clients. He also tweets and blogs at the intersection of language and culture. Over decades, he's traveled, studied, or lived on six continents, putting strange foods into his mouth and emitting strange sounds from it. His use of English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Swedish, Hausa, and Japanese all improve with alcohol use. He gives invited public presentations on culture and unsolicited private advice on English grammar and usage; the latter isn't always appreciated. Visit his website for information on consulting, coaching, or speaking engagements.