1The Bob and Rob Show Study GuideLesson 70: Irandate: Jan 27, 2007file name: bobrob 01-27-07

Show notesTodays topic was the Islamic Republic of Iran. We talked a little bit about its history, culture and food. Wealso interviewed an Iranian friend of ours. Join us as we explore the interesting country of Iran.

Phrasal Verbs"to sew something up"1) To repair or connect something e.g: those jeans are ripped, you should sew them up.2) To bring something to an end e.g: the business was sewn up.3) To be likely to win something like a game e.g: The soccer team Barcelona have the title sewn up.

Idioms(to be) in someones shoes = To be in someones position or circumstances.

1) Movie stars are so rich and famous; I would love to be in their shoes just for a day.2) I wouldnt stay in that job if I were in his shoes.

Bonus Idiom: on a shoestring = To do something with very little money.

1) I traveled around Europe on a shoestring when I was a student.2) My brother did a ski season1 in the US on a shoestring once. Basically, he was a ski bum2.

Extra Extra Idiom: if the shoe fits, (wear it) UK English = if the cap fitsIf someone feels that a negative remark applies to them, then it does eg:

A: This house is a mess !B: I suppose you think thats my fault do you?A: Well, if the shoe fits ..

Email Bag / Ancient Persian English Study Secret

Body language varies from culture to culture and it is important to know so as to prevent one from some stickysituations. Very few gestures are universally understood and interpreted. What is perfectly acceptable in theUnited States may be rude, or even obscene, in other cultures. Check these sites out for more info:

http://www.deltabravo.net/custody/body.phphttp://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/body_language.phphttp://members.aol.com/nonverbal2/diction1.htm

Both Sides of the PondWe looked at common words in both the US and the UK that came from Persia:

(US) magic (UK) magic(US) scarlet (UK) scarlet(US) caravan (UK) caravan

2(US) bazaar (UK) bazaar(US) paradise (UK) paradise(US) serendipity3 (UK) serendipity

SongMountains by Katy Pfafflhttp://www.podshow.com

QuotesUse your enemys hand to catch a snake.Whatever is in the heart will come up to the tongue.

Show transcriptBOBHi, it's the Bob and Rob Show. This is, Bob.

ROBAnd, this is, Rob. Good afternoon, everybody.

BOBGood afternoon. Today, we're talking about Iran.

ROBOr, as some people say in the States, "Iran."

BOBThat's true. You don't say that in the UK?

ROBNo, we say, "Iran."

BOBIran. And before 1935 most people, I believe, called that area of the world Persia.

ROBYes, yes, right.

BOBPersia - the land of Persia. Actually, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling Shah was forcedinto exile. So, today we're talking about the country of Iran.

ROBAnd, a little bit later on in the show, we're going to have an interview with one of our friends whos from Iran,originally.

BOBWe've got everything for you today on the Bob and Rob Show. Any interesting facts about Iran that we can tellour listeners?

ROBSure. The population of Iran is over sixty-eight million.

BOBThat's quite populous.

ROBThe land is mostly arid, or semi-arid, and it's one of the worlds most rugged mountainous areas.

BOBHey, that's good for you. You should visit there.

ROBWith plateaus4 I'd love to.

3BOBA lot of mountains to climb.

ROBDefinitely.

BOBWhen a lot of Americans think of Iran, they think of oil, or maybe, Persian rugs, but Iran actually has some ofthe worlds best caviar.

ROBIs that so? That's interesting. I didn't know that.

BOBDo you like caviar?

ROBI do, it's good. Because, I'm high-class5.

BOBAre you high-class, or are you, just high? "High," actually, means "to do a drug," so if youre "high," youredoing drugs. That was my bad joke. Rob's not high - he's just high on life.

ROBThat's a good joke. Some of the contributions that Iran, and Iranians, have made to humanity are: Persiansfirst discovered algebra,

BOBOh, so theyre responsible for that. I hated Algebra in school.

ROBIt's difficult. And they invented the windmill, and they found medical uses for alcohol.

BOBMedical uses of alcohol - well, I certainly am familiar with the recreational6 uses of alcohol. Maybe, a little bittoo familiar. If your visiting Iran in the near future, the Bob and Rob Show recommends, Esfahan7, one of theoldest Iranian cities. Its approximately 2500 years old, and its a world heritage site. It served as8 the capitolof Persia between 1598 and 1722. So, that's one site we officially recommend.

ROBInteresting stuff. Definitely, I'd love to go there. Have you been to Iran?

BOBI have not, but I would love to go.

ROBYea, me too. So would I. I'd also love to go skiing at Dizin9 - I think it's pronounced.

BOBWhat? Skiing in Iran?

ROBYea, incredible.

BOBI'd never heard of skiing in Iran before.

ROBApparently, there's skiing in a place called, Dizin, D-I-Z-I-N.

BOBDid you say, "zed," or "z"?

4ROBWell, in Britain we say, "zed." We get it correct.

BOBAs you know, or you may not know, the language of Iran is Farsi. Let's listen to a little bit more about Farsi,okay?

ROBCool, yea, okay.

OTHERFarsi, is in fact, the language of Iran. And the Iran of today, is just a fraction of the vast Iranian lands, or theIranian Empire of centuries ago. The richness and antiquity10 of the Farsi language has attracted somerenowned linguists over the years, who have dedicated their entire lives to the study and dissemination11 ofFarsi language. Farsi is the second most important language of the world of Islam, and is recognized as theprimary language of Islamic Iranian culture and civilization. Many religious, philosophical, agnostic12,mystical, and historical works have been originally written in Farsi, and as such, all those who wish to learnIslamic arts and sciences, have chosen to learn Farsi.

BOBThat's a little information about, Farsi, for you Rob.

ROBVery interesting.

BOBCan you speak Farsi?

ROBNo, I wish I could. It looks like a difficult language. I imagine its difficult.

BOBWhy don't we sit down with a good friend of ours from Iran. He's from Iran - originally, he's from Iran, I shouldsay. He doesn't live in Iran now. Let's ask him a few questions:

ROBSure, good idea.

BOBOkay, let's go. We're off to see Mehran.

BOB:Okay, Mehran, well thank you very much for coming on the Bob and Rob Show.

MEHRAN:Sure, my pleasure.

BOB:I feel like youve been here before.

MEHRAN:Maybe a couple times.

BOB:So, youre from Iran?

MEHRAN:Yes, I am.

BOB:Mehran from Iran.

MEHRAN:Mehran from Tehran from Iran.

5BOB:Wow, youre not from Tehran, though.

MEHRAN:No, Im from the southern part of Iran.

BOB:I see.

ROB:And, uh, is it right that you left Iran when you were eight?

MEHRAN:Yes, I left Iran when I was eight. And then I was in the states until eighteen.

BOB:In California?

MEHRAN:In California, right.

ROB:I see.

MEHRAN:Then went back to Iran, then I was there until I was 22. And then left. And havent been back since then.

BOB:Wow. Tell us about Persian food.

MEHRAN:Persian food? I think youd like it. Its a mainlythe staple food in Iran is rice and bread. People usuallyhave bread, fresh bread, just go buy for breakfastgo buy bread.

BOB:You know Mehran gave me some Basmati rice about 3 months ago and Im hoping hes going to give mesome more.

ROB:My image of it is that its quite spicy..but is that the case?

MEHRAN:No, its not very spicy, but it dependsactually it depends on the area too. A lot of people think that Iran isjust like one race, one language, but its not. You know, different areas. In the North food is moreblandsimple, in the south, you know, its closer to Arab countriesspicier.

BOB:Mehran, I have a very important question for you: Do you have a Persian rug?

MEHRAN:I think I told you not to ask me this question before. Its a big secret so

BOB:It must be very expensive.

MEHRAN:But if you promise not to tell anybodyyes, Ill tell you. Yes, I do have a rug.

BOB:Just the 9000 people listening to this show. And your address is?

MEHRAN:No, stop it!

6BOB:Okay, any other questions?

ROB:Yeah, what advice would you give, Mehran, to our listeners learning English?

MEHRAN:Since I learned the language naturally - I mean by living in the U.S., its difficult for me to say how to study it, ,especially for people who dont live in America, but learning language for me was like a second nature, andsecond nature means I was in contact with it naturally every day. if you can do that, great. If you cant, try tobe in contact with English every day, even 15 minutes, half an hour, 1 hour.

BOB:So be consistent.

ROB:Yeah, be consistent. So youre trilingual? You can speak Japanese, Farsi and English?

MEHRAN:Thats right, yes.

BOB:So you speak Farsi, so how would you say, I love the Bob and Rob Show in Farsi?

MEHRAN:In Farsi? ..

ROB:Sounds difficult.

MEHRAN:Yeah, it is very difficult. Its a completely different language.

ROB:Yeah, yeah, that sounds really unusual to the ear if youre not use to it.

BOB:Exotic. Well, Mehran, uh, from Iran, thank you very much for coming on the Bob and Rob Show.

MERHAN:Youre welcome.

ROB:Yeah, much appreciated.

MEHRAN:Sure, my pleasure. Anytime.

ROBPhrasal verbs, what were we going to do today? Today we're going to look at - well, you were talking aboutrugs - rugs are very famous from Iran - Persian rugs. So, if you "sew" something up...

BOBGood tie-in13 there.

ROBYou have to sew rugs up.

BOBTo actually sew with a needle and thread. Okay? Another more idiomatic use of "sew up" is "trying to arrangesomething in an acceptable way," or "bring it to an acceptable conclusion." This is often used in business; forexample, "let's try and sew up this business deal, let's bring to an acceptable conclusion."

7ROBGood one.

BOB"Let's get the negotiations sewn up."

ROBRight, that makes sense.

BOBOf course it does, it came out of my mouth14.

ROBPearls of wisdom. Another interpretation of "to sew something up," is to have control of something, or to belikely to win something. Let me think of an example, - I know you're not really familiar with football, Bob, "butManchester United, that world famous football club, theyve pretty much got the premier league15 sewn up."

BOBOh, I see, okay.

ROBThat's the English football division, because they're ten points ahead of their nearest rival.

BOBSo, like "very, very likely to win. "They've got it sewn up."

ROBYea, they've got it sewn up.

BOBDo you say "sewn up," or "sewed up"? I think both are okay - the past tense?

ROBThe past participle is "sewn."

BOBSewn, with an "n."

ROBS-E-W-N

BOBSome people might say "e-d" too. "Sewed up."

ROBYes, S-E-W-E-D.

BOBIs also, acceptable.

ROBI think it is, because there are other examples of past participles; like, "learnt," or "learned."

BOBExactly - a little flexibility there - you can say, "sewn up", or "sewed up" (ed, or n).

OTHERSay, what's that down there, in those weeds? I don't know, looks like some kind of shoe. Yea, it is a shoe.Here, see. What do ya know, a Persian slipper.

BOBPersian slippers - reminds me of shoes - and maybe we should do some shoe idioms?

ROB

8Definitely.

BOBFor example, "in someone's shoes." What do you think that means? Well, you know what it means, but whatdo you think out there listeners, what does it mean? Can you guess? "in someone's shoes," like, "you know,Rob, you should put yourself into her shoes; she's just lost her job.

ROBShe's going through some bad times at the moment.

BOB"Put yourself in her shoes, understand where she's coming from."

ROBRight, so that means "to basically put yourself in their position"

BOBYes, to put yourself in someone's position "to empathize16 with them."

ROBTo see their point of view.

BOBExactly. For example, "Rob, if I were in your shoes, I think I would be upset too."

ROBBecause, my feet stink?

BOBOh, that's good. Good joke.

ROBMaybe because my feet are too small.

BOBThat was a pun17. "To be in someone's shoes." To be in someone's shoes is to put yourself in their position.So, for example, "Rob, if I were in your shoes, I would probably consider moving to a better university,because you're such an outstanding teacher with such high intellect."

ROBOh, that's very kind of you.

BOBJoke, joke. Today's bonus idiom is "on a shoestring."

ROBThat's an interesting idiom - "on a shoestring." To do something on a shoestring.

BOBHave you ever traveled on a shoestring?

ROBYes, I have. When I was seventeen, I went around Europe for about a month on a shoestring.

BOBI traveled around Southeast Asia, as well. Anyway, this will be in the study guide, so check it out there. Okay,today's email bag is by an Iranian listener. He says, "How are you men? Thanks a lot for your fantasticpodcast. I have a suggestion: If it's possible, please prepare a show on body language, and its application indifferent cultures. I think that would be a great show. You can invite listeners of your podcasts to put somenotes on the blog about body languages which they use in their country." That's from, Arash, from Iran. Thankyou very much, Arash, that's a very interesting topic because body language is a separate language that weuse to communicate.

ROB

9Sure, yes.

BOBIf you give someone the middle finger 18 in English, you're saying something to them - that you don't likethem, or you want to fight them. I think in some ways body language is more important to other cultures than itwould be in American culture. Of course, we still use body language but often we put more emphasis onverbal expression and not so much on body language. But again, everyone uses body language. Somecultures, maybe, rely on it a little more than other cultures. Living in Japan is interesting because their bodylanguage is very different than in the West.

ROBSure, yes, and very different. And gestures, as well.

BOBGestures, yea, very, very different. I notice in speeches sometimes, half of the people will have their eyesclosed. When I first came here, I thought, how rude, you shouldn't sleep through the speech.' But, apparently,that's completely acceptable: it shows that you're concentrating. I try and do that a lot now. Of course, I'musually sleeping. Also, I don't know - on trains -

ROBOn trains, in the States and in the UK too, it's okay if when we're sitting down in buses or trains to spread ourlegs..

BOBAt least men.

ROBOr, to cross your legs, is it?

BOBIn Japan, it's a bit rude to sit on a train with your legs crossed or spread.

ROBYea, that's right.

BOBHow about in the UK, do you find that - at least compared to America - that maybe, you keep more distancefrom people - you have more private space19 - you stand farther away than you would in other cultures?Don't you have a reputation in the UK for...

ROBFor being cold, and horrible. Yes, distant.

BOBI didn't say "horrible."

ROBCold and distant. I guess that's because the UK is an island nation; the same with Japan. Yea, we tend to bea bit more reserved, and perhaps we're more reluctant to hug and kiss like other people do in continentalEurope; the Italians...

BOBRob, get your hand off my leg right now.

ROBThe Italians and the French very readily kiss one another and hug. But, even friends in the UK don't do that somuch.

BOBI think in America, maybe we do it a little bit more than the British, but not as much as continental Europe.Anyway, Arash, thank you very much. Very interesting topic, and listeners if you have any examples from yourown culture of body language, write about it on the blog.

ROB

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And, there will be some interesting links in the study guide on body language and gestures.

BOBPictures of your body? Don't scare our listeners away.

ROBNo offense to the listeners.

BOBBy the way Arash, this could have almost been an Ancient English Study Secret. I think since we're talkingabout Iran today, maybe, we can just call that Ancient Persian English Study Secret.

ROBAncient Persian English Study Secret.

BOBWell, what should we do now, Rob?

ROBHow about some, Both Sides of the Pond? Well, I thought this week we could look at some words which havebeen introduced into English, which have a Persian origin.

BOBFantastic! That ties in perfectly with our topic today, which happens to be, Iran, or Iran.

ROBIran. If you meet a big bloke whose chasing you, "I ran away." 20 Sorry, Bob. Anyway, yes, last week youmentioned, Bob, about some words in American English from France and Spain. So, "magic."

BOBThat's Persian.

ROBThat's Persian - "magic."

BOBI didn't know that. Wow! Also, "scarlet"..

ROBRight, the color - the red color.

BOB"Scarlet" means "red."

ROBYes.

BOBYou say that, in the UK?

ROBWe do. It's also the first name of ladies. "Scarlet"- Scarlet O'Hara from Gone With the Wind21. And,"caravan," is Persian.

BOB"Caravan," that doesn't surprise me. A "caravan" is a "company of travelers in a desert, or hostile region." A"bazaar" too.

ROBA bazaar, yes.

BOBIt's a market that sells miscellaneous22 goods. B-A-Z-A-A-R

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ROBNot "bizarre."

BOB:No, thats your middle name23.

ROB:And "paradise," is also Persian.

BOBReally?

ROBThat's interesting, I didn't realize that.

BOBAnd, "serendipity." That's a difficult word. What does that mean?

ROBThat means to find something that's fortunate, or good luck, completely by accident.

BOBSo, I guess, our coming together was serendipitous? The fact that Bob, and Rob got a job at the sameuniversity...

ROBAnd we met...

BOBAnd, we're both charming, smart, young men - English teachers - that was very serendipitous24.

ROBThat's right, we we're lucky enough to meet each other, and then there's the Bob and Rob Show. Serendipity,a Persian word; very interesting.

ROBFirst of all, we like to say, thanks very much for your donations, and if you enjoy the show and are a regularlistener please consider making a donation.

BOBSpeaking of donations - maybe you can tell, but we're using new mikes25 today. Thanks to your donations wehave much better microphones and set-ups. Hopefully, this podcast is clearer and louder than it's been in thepast. Thank you very much for your donations we put them to good use. We got new microphones.

ROBThank you, Bob, for buying this new equipment. It's great. Any support, is very much appreciated, and ifyoure interested in receiving the detailed study notes and transcripts, please consider becoming a Bob andRob Show member.

BOBWrite to us if you have any questions or comments about the show. We're at www.thebobandrobshow.com.You can also send an email, or a voice message. We do have a voice message link now. Look on the sidebarin our blog, there's a "Send Us a Voice Mail" button. Don't be shy, don't worry about making mistakes. Robalways makes mistakes.

ROBAll the time. Finally, if you know anybody who may be interested in our show - The Bob and Rob Show - then,please be sure to tell them, let them know.

BOBAnd have them tell someone. Today, we talked about Persia, and I thought it would be interesting if we hadsome Persian quotes on the show. What's one?

ROB

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"Use your enemy's hand to catch a snake." That's good, I like that.

BOBCan I have your hand, Rob? "Whatever is in the heart will come up to the tongue."

ROBThat's nice, too.

BOBIt's hard to hide who you are inside. Now today, we got a song for you - well, it was hard to find a song aboutIran in English - Iran's a mountainous country - you mentioned that at the beginning, so today's song is called,"Mountains." By Katy Pfaffl. P-F-A-F-F-L We got this song from podshow. If you want to know more about thisartist, go to www.music.podshow.com. So, enjoy the song, and hope you learned a lot about the country ofIran today.

ROBI certainly did.

BOBWe'll see you all back here next week.

ROBThank you very much. Bye, bye.

I used to dream of the mountains jutting out26 into the open sky / I would scale them and count each one asa trophy by my side / But in my dreams of the mountains there were snowcapped silent hills of wonder / Neverseeing the mountains hid their fury and it hid their hunger / But now I've been to the mountains and I tried totake a climb / Well, I was warned by they're raging strength that I'd better stop and take my time / And so I talkto the mountains and I listen to their endless stories / And found the tale of the mountains lies within theirstrength, within their hearts, within their glory / As I climb, I am sweating off my pride, I was dripping aiminghigh / I am breaking through the sky as I'm waking up / As I climb I am stripping off my pride / I am wasgripping aiming high / I am breaking through the sky and Im taking life on the mountains, as I stand here nowin their meaning energized and abundant 27 / Walking a straight path instead of leaning / And I live with themountains making everyday a little longer / And I give you the mountains as I pass along their song, theirlegacy / To make us stronger.

Extension and Review Study*note: we encourage you to respond to the questions and readings by posting on the discussion board (Loginusing your Bob and Rob Show membership username and password)http://englishcaster.com/discussionboard/

1/ Bob and Rob talked about Iran. Describe some of the customs and cultural aspects of your country. Whatmakes your nation unique and interesting?

2/ If you could be in anybodys shoes, whose would they be and why? Use your imagination as this questionis in the subjunctive mood (that is, it represents a hypothetical situation).

3/ What body language is unique to your country? Describe some habits and customs from your nation thatyou think foreign visitors and tourists ought to know about before their intended trip.

Glossary 1 did a ski season = this informal term means to spend the whole winter in a ski resort having fun on theslopes. Usually young people (21 30) only go on such trips.2 ski bum = this slang term refers to someone who is usually doing a ski season; someone who scrapes byon handouts and does not have much money, but only skis and does not work.

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3 Serendipity = Heres a link to the movie of the same title Rob mentioned:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240890/4 Plateaus = large areas of land at high levels. Can also refer to an activity that has stopped developing e.g:many learners find it difficult to get past the intermediate plateau.5 high-class = A synonym is upper class. Rob is actually working class though6 recreational = for fun7 Esfahan = find out more here: http://www.iranchamber.com/cities/esfahan/esfahan.php8 served as = official capacity or designation.9 Dizin = find out more here: http://www.irantravelingcenter.com/ski_dizin.htm10 Antiquity = ancient times11 Dissemination = the discussion and spreading of ideas widely.12 Agnostic = the belief that one cannot know about the existence of God or not.13 tie-in = connect to14 came out of my mouth = something said15 premier league = if youre not familiar with English football (US = soccer), other famous teams includeLiverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.16 Empathize = the ability to imagine and experience someones feelings. The noun is empathy.17 pun = a word that sounds the same but has a different meaning.18 middle finger = a vulgar sign made using the middle finger; fuck off, etc.19 private space = also known as personal space, an imaginary circle that exits around us.20 "I ran away" = Rob is really sorry for this pitiful attempt at humor.21 Gone with the Wind = famous American movie.22 Miscellaneous = an assortment of different items.23 middle name = used here idiomatically. Means defining feature or dominant trait.24 Serendipitous = this is the adjectival form of the noun serendipity.25 Mikes = a mike is the shortened version of microphone.26 jutting out = to stick out and be noticeable.27 Abundant = plenty of something.