In the Wild 008: Sam Neill

List of Highlighted Vocabulary

Note: If you don’t want any spoilers, only look at this list AFTER listening to the episode.

• a barrel of laughs: someone or something that is very entertaining or enjoyable
• a fat cheque: an informal expression meaning a payment of a large amount of money
• alchemy: an ancient practice involving attempts to transform substances, especially ordinary metals into gold
• aroma: a pleasant or distinctive smell, especially of food, drink, or plants
• Baader-Meinhof phenomenon: the experience of suddenly noticing something frequently after learning about it
• bacteria: microscopic living organisms, some of which cause disease and others of which are useful
• bark: the protective outer covering of a tree
• barrel: a large round container, traditionally made of wood, used for storing liquids such as wine
• brewery: a place where beer is produced
• chemical reaction: a process in which substances change into different substances
• chemistry: the scientific study of substances and how they react and change
• cork: a small stopper, traditionally made from tree bark, used to close a wine bottle
• cork it!: an informal and rather rude expression telling someone to stop talking
• corkscrew: a tool used to remove corks from bottles
• cultural identity: a person’s sense of belonging to a particular culture or community
• destiny: the idea that certain events are meant to happen
• distillery: a place where alcoholic spirits such as whisky or vodka are produced
• fatal: causing death, or having serious consequences
• fermentation: the process of changing sugars into alcohol, acids, or other substances using microorganisms
• franchise: a series of related films, books, or other products featuring the same characters or fictional world
• grapevine: a climbing plant on which grapes grow
• horticulture: the science and practice of growing plants, especially fruits, vegetables, and flowers
• in the back of your mind: present in your thoughts without being the main thing you are thinking about
• metaphor: a way of describing something by comparing it to something else without using “like” or “as”
• neck of a bottle: the narrow upper part of a bottle
• oak: a type of tree whose strong wood is often used to make wine barrels
• perfectionist: someone who wants everything they do to be as good as possible
• ritual: an activity or series of actions performed regularly in a particular way
• screw cap: a lid that opens or closes by being twisted
• sparks flying: an expression describing strong excitement, attraction, or tension between people
• spread: a soft food that can be put onto bread or toast
• to barrel down the road: to travel along a road very quickly, often in an uncontrolled way
• to crush: to press or squeeze something with enough force to break it or change its shape
• to distill: to purify or concentrate a liquid by heating it and collecting the resulting vapor
• to ferment: to undergo a chemical process in which microorganisms such as yeast transform sugars into other substances, often producing alcohol
• to have chemistry: to have a strong natural connection with another person, sometimes involving romantic attraction
• to have someone over a barrel: to put someone in a difficult position where they have very little choice
• to pass away: a polite expression meaning to die
• to pay attention: to concentrate on or notice something carefully
• to smuggle: to secretly bring something into or out of a place, usually against the rules
• to stick around: to stay somewhere or continue watching or listening
• to uncork: to remove the cork from a bottle
• vineyard: an area of land where grapes are grown, especially for making wine
• what are the odds?: an expression of surprise that something unlikely has happened
• wine cellar: a cool room or underground space used for storing wine
• wine tasting: the activity of trying different wines and evaluating their flavors and smells
• winery: a place where wine is produced
• world-class: among the best in the world at a particular activity
• yeast: a tiny living organism used to make bread rise and to produce alcohol through fermentation
• yeast extract: a concentrated food product made from yeast, often used for its strong, savory flavor