1The Bob and Rob Show Study GuideLesson 90: Gunsdate: June 16, 2007file name: bobrob 06-16-07

Show notesThis week we approach a very sensitive and controversial topic: guns. It should be noted that we recordedthis show before the tragic events that took place in Virginia1. As such, we apologize in advance if any of ourlisteners find the topic upsetting or feel it insensitive of us by not making any reference to it.

Phrasal Verbs and Idioms

"to shoot up / to shoot something or somebody up"1) To increase very quickly, usually negatively e.g: The number of burglaries in our neighborhood have shot

up over the last few years.2) To use a syringe to insert an illegal drug into your body e.g: The junkie shot up with heroin as soon as he

got his drugs.3) To injure someone or damage something with a gun, by shooting e.g: That new club was shot up by that

gang.4) To physically grow quickly e.g: Wow, your son has just shot up since the last time I saw him.

Idioms: son of a gunSomeone or something that you are annoyed with e.g: that son of a gun tried to take my place in the line.It can also be used as an exclamation to show surprise or affection between male friends.

Bonus Idiom: to jump the gunTo come to the wrong conclusion before one has all the facts i.e. to assume something that isnt actually true.e.g: At first Mike blamed me for breaking the computer, but when he found out it wasn't me, he apologized forjumping the gun.This idiom is based on the image of an athlete starting before the starting gun has been fired. This person hasliterally jumped the gun and could be disqualified if it happens again.

Extra Idiom: gun it / floor itTo push your foot on the accelerator pedal of a car to the floor and so reach a fast speed quickly e.g: Comeon, lets get out of here, this is hostile territory. Quick, gun it.

AJESSWe looked at ways of expressing reservations about something:"yes but ... if guns are outlawed only criminals will have guns.""Yes, but don't forget ... that every year a lot of people are shot by accident.""That would be great except ... then the government would be able to confiscate them easier ""That's a good idea but ... the police might have a different opinion "

Email BagBartos from Poland asked a question about taking exams. Since Bob and Rob were not sure of the maingoals of Bartos, they suggested the standard IELTS or TOEFL test in order to pursue a degree at a foreignuniversity. However, if ones goal is to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL), then an MA in TESOL orapplied linguistics is the best route to take. It is a great stepping stone toward getting a position at aninstitution at the tertiary level.

Both Sides of the Pond(US) gurney (UK) stretcher(US) squirt gun (UK) water pistol(US) firecrackers (UK) bangersEXTRA: (US) smoking gun (UK) proof positive

2SongSon of a Gun by Radio Knives. See more at http://www.podshow.com

Quotes"You can get much further with a kind word and a gun, than you can with a kind word alone." Al Capone"If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns." Edward Abbey"Dollars and guns are no substitutes for brains and willpower." Dwight David EisenhauerEXTRA: In Sicily, women are more dangerous than shotguns. Fabrizio

Show transcript

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

ROBAnd this is Rob. Hey, hey, hey.

BOBHey, Rob, hey, quick, duck! Just joking.

ROBWhat was that?

BOBWe're talking about guns today; today we're talking guns. I'm an American, I like to talk about guns; I like tohold a gun.

ROBYes, of course.

BOBYou ever shot a gun, fired a gun?

ROBI have actually, I went to Saipan2 with my wife once, before our kids were born, and we had an interestingholiday. Of course, lovely beaches and great hotel ...

BOBYou robbed a bank.

ROBWe robbed a bank with some guns, no. They had a gun alley - a gun range, and you paid money, and we shot...

BOBA, firing range, is what we'd say.

ROBRight, yes, sorry, a firing range.

BOBThat's the only time though, you didn't grow up with guns?

ROBToy guns, I loved toy guns when I was a kid, yeah. I liked playing soldiers3, but apart from that experience inSaipan, I've never used a gun. How about you, have you shot one?

BOBActually, I grew up with guns; we had guns in the house, so I've shot guns quite a bit. I've never really hunted,just target practice. We lived out in the country in a very rural area, so sometimes, we just had guns aroundfor - I don't know why -

3ROBWhy?

BOBJust to kill people4. Anyway, talking guns, there's a lot of different ways you can describe guns. You gothandguns ...

ROBYou've got a musket5 ...

BOBThat's an older kind of gun.

ROBDefinitely, an old style gun.

BOBA pistol, which is basically like a handgun.

ROBYes, a smaller size. You have a revolver ...

BOBWhich is a handgun, but it has a chamber.

ROBAnd a barrel, like a ...

BOBThey all have barrels, Rob.

ROBBut I'm talking about Dirty Harry6's type of gun.

BOBYeah, like a revolver would be the kind that has the cylinder. Then you've got longer guns like a rifle ...

ROBOr a shotgun.

BOBA shotgun sprays little pellets out of a shell.

ROBRight. And often bank robbers saw it off ...

BOBA sawed off 12 gage shotgun. And then kids play with bee-bee guns; it's not a toy, but it uses air, notgunpowder.

ROBKids use that, right?

BOBKids play with them a lot. By no means are they a toy; you can shoot your eye out and hurt yourself. It's hardto kills someone with a bee-bee gun.

ROBWe call those, air guns, in the UK.

BOBWe call them air guns, as well. Basically a bee-bee is a little brass ball.

ROB

4Yeah, similar, yeah. And we also have pellet guns.

BOBThat's similar to a bee-bee gun, it uses air. And a submachine gun or machine gun, which fires bullets rapidly.

ROBAnd a submachine gun is the smaller type, like an Uzi?

BOBYea, yea, like an Uzi7.

OTHERI have seen one son with a 45 automatic at 25 yards, take the head right off a snapping turtle in our pond.These guys know how to shoot; they know how to shoot because I taught them to. Just to give you an ideahow valuable it is to have a loaded gun in tow. These kids were little, their mother was upstairs, and awhacked out8 junkie9, you know, long hair, dilated pupils, and things like that, invaded the house. And theyyelled "mommy, mommy" and they said, "there's a man in the house." She came down with my 357 Smith &Wesson Magnum and she pointed it at that guy's head and she cocked it and she said, "Now children, watchthe bad man's head explode." He lost his bladder10, and tore out of there faster then a scolded assed dog.All right, ladies and gentlemen, that's it.

BOBOne way that we talk about guns - measure them - is by using numbers like a 44, a 38, or a 22. You mighthear that a lot, like "he fired a 22," and the number refers to the diameter of the inside of the barrel. So a 22 is,.22, of an inch.

ROBI see. That's interesting to know.

BOBOr a 44 is basically almost half an inch in diameter.

ROBSo obviously, the bigger the number, the bigger the bullet.

BOBThe bigger the bullet, yea. Guns - as an American - I have mixed feelings about them. It's a very polarized11subject in the US: Gun rights verses gun control. How about in Europe, is gun control fairly common, or do alot of people have guns?

ROBI don't think many people have guns in Europe. Gun control advocates, as you just said, they argue thatthey're trying to stop the access of criminals and delinquent youths12, who are able to get guns. In Europewe don't have guns for individuals.

BOBReally?

ROBYeah, we can't just go out and buy a gun in a shop, so we don't have any gun shops, as such.

BOBOh, really?

ROBYeah.

BOBWell, how do you protect yourself from the government?

ROBWell, yeah, that's a good point.

BOB

5No. You don't have any history of that in Europe, do you ... of monarchy or .. just joking. Okay, I'll shut up,keep talking.

ROBI don't know or not, whether perhaps it's a better stance. I'm just stating the situation as it is at the moment. Sogun control advocates will say that there's no constitutional barrier to such measures; there aren't anysignificant social costs. But we can also look at certain statistics; I've got a couple of statistics here which arevery interesting: In Japan, where we both live, Bob, as you know, here there are no individuals who areallowed to own guns. I think that one can but it's very stringent13 ...

BOBIt's hard, yeah.

ROBVery stringent licensing process.

BOBYes, yes they do.

ROBNinety-three gun deaths occurred last year, whereas in America - have a guess.

BOBProbably a lot, like 10,000?

ROBWell, actually, yeah, nearly triple that - over triple that - 36,000 people died from guns.

BOBI have to admit, when I look at statistics like that, I think maybe gun control's a good idea.

ROBBut then we have to remember that Japan is a very safe country, by and large14, anyway.

BOBSure, there are a lot of countries that have guns that still have really low gun deaths, so it might be morebecause of US culture than the fact that we have more guns. I think it's a combination of both. We'd have toas Dick Cheney15 cause he ...

ROBDick Cheney, yeah, he ...

BOBIt would have been 36,001 if he would have been a better shot.

ROBYeah, interesting, he shot his friend, didn't he?

BOBYeah, on a hunting trip. There's the other side of the argument and again I have mixed feelings, and a lot ofpeople in America, looking at our history have a lot of opposition to federal control. They think that ...

ROBThey have their own individual right, it's their own ...

BOBThey feel that by denying individuals guns that you're just rewarding the criminals, and in the end, thecriminals will have guns, but innocent people won't.

ROBOh, I see.

BOBIt's a law abiding citizen's right to have a firearm. And it says in the constitution, the second amendment16,

6the right to bear arms17 and a well armed militia18. So they point to that, but I think what it really goes to isthere's a fear that if people don't have access to weapons, to guns, then there's a potential for tyranny19.Whether by gangs or by the government. And I think if you look at history, tyranny is pretty much the rule notthe exception. Monarchy and what-not, basically having power over people, and so I think there's a lot ofpeople in America that are afraid of police powers, and that they feel it's the right of the people to bear arms toprotect themselves from the government. And they look at the past, the takeover of any country is usuallyproceeded by the disarming of the general public. That happened in Germany, I think quite a bit; theydisarmed the Germans, the Nazi's did when they took power. So it's quite polarized and I think that theargument, the strongest argument, is that we have guns to protect ourselves from the government.

ROBI think it is a very controversial topic, and again, I think we tend to occasionally recommend movies to ourlisteners, don't we, Bob. And there's a really good movie, which probably many of you probably have seen it -you might be familiar with it?

BOBMichael Moore?

ROBMichael Moore's, Bowling for Columbine, and that's quite a controversial documentary about gun controlverses the gun rights of individuals.

BOBI grew up with guns, I have a gun in the US, not necessarily because I'm paranoid20, for self protection. I justgrew up with them, and also, I lived up in Alaska. I did a lot of camping, and there are a lot of grizzly bears inthe area, and you should carry a gun because grizzlies will eat you. But I'm somewhere in the middle. I don'tthink a person should be able to have any kind of weapon they want. Because, if you really are thinking youhave to defend yourself from the government, then you'd better have tanks, bazookas. grenades, and wheredoes it stop. It's a bit of a slippery slope argument, I know, but again, I'm somewhere in the middle. I thinksensible gun control is important, but also, I think people should have a right to own firearms, to a certainextent. I don't think you should be able to have assault rifles, grenades, bazookas, tanks, nuclear weapons.

ROBThat's fair enough, yeah. Phrasal verbs, okay?

BOBYeah, phrasal verbs. We're talking about guns, so let's use a phrasal verb here, "to shoot," "to shoot up.""Shoot up" can mean "to rise up or increase very quickly." For example, "Inflation shot up very quickly afterWorld War I in Germany, growing to 20% annually."

ROBWe can also say the same of people who grow taller in a short space of time; so for example, for kids

BOBWell, Luca's really shot up - your son.

ROBYeah, thanks, he has grown quite tall recently.

BOB"Shoot up" is also a slang term to basically use a needle or syringe to get high with drugs.

ROBRight. Usually with heroin, I guess.

BOBYes, "shoot up" with heroin.

ROBWe can also "shoot somebody up," or "shoot something up," and this means obviously "to hurt someone, todamage them, or injure."

BOBSo if you walk into a bar and just start firing, you might say, "some guy came in the bar and shot up the

7place." Okay, idioms for today; again we're talking about guns, so we've got a really common expression here,"son-of-a-gun." Do you use that in the UK, "son-of-a-gun"?

ROBNot that often, no, but we know what it means, obviously.

BOBWe should tell our listeners that it means "a person or thing that you are annoyed with," like "that son-of-a-guntried to steal my food again." What else?

ROBIt can be used to show surprise, as well.

BOBThat's true, "son-of-a-gun what was that, that was loud"?

ROBThat was loud, yeah, son-of-a-gun.

BOBAlso, sometimes between guys it's an affectionate expression like "You son-of-a-gun."

ROBIt can be used to show different emotions in different contexts.

BOBTrue, true, son-of-a-gun.

ROBExcellent. And today's bonus idiom is "to jump the gun."

BOBOh, that's a popular one too.

ROBYeah, "jump the gun."

BOBCan you give an example?

ROB"At first Mike blamed me for breaking the computer, but when he found out it wasn't me, he apologized forjumping the gun."

BOBYou'll find that in the study guide.

ROBThat will be in the study guide; so please check it out.

BOBWell, moving along now Ancient Japanese English Study Secret.

ROBAncient Japanese Study Secret.

BOBWhat are we talking about today, Rob?

ROBWe are talking about "ways of expressing reservations about something."

BOBOkay, well, let's give some examples, "yes but ..."

8ROB"Yes, but don't forget ..."

BOB"That would be great except ..."

ROB"That's a good idea but ..."

BOBAnd when you talk about controversial topics, I think, often, we can use these expressions for expressingreservations and gun control, gun rights, is a very controversial topic. Let's show how they can be used in thiscontext: "Rob, all guns should be outlawed."

ROB"Yes, but if guns are outlawed only criminals will have guns."

BOBOr the government.

ROB"Guns protect us from criminals, Bob."

BOBYes, but don't forget that every year a lot of people are shot by accident."

ROBThat's true.

BOBThat would be great, except, then the government would be able to confiscate them easier." And, "Peopleshould be allowed to carry concealed weapons for self-defense, in my view."

ROB"We need to register all firearms."

BOB"Well, that's a good idea, but the police might have a different opinion; think of it from their perspective."

ROBGood ways of expressing some reservation.

OTHEROne of the first studies goes all the way back to the 1970's, a study done in the Cleveland area. And in thatcase they looked just at accidental deaths in the home, as compared with the number of times a gun in thehome was used in the home to kill an attacker. And they found that for every one time a gun in the home wasused to kill an attacker, there were more than six accidental firearm related deaths of a household member.This was followed by other studies. The study that is best know and most often quoted, is the study byKellerman et al21, which was done in Washington State. That study showed that if you look at homicides22,suicides, and accidental deaths, for every one time a gun in the home was used to kill an attacker, there were43 gun related suicides, homicides, or accidental deaths from a gun in the home. There have been multipleother studies since that time, all showing that guns in the home are much more likely to kill or injure thehousehold member than to protect them.

BOBOkay, let's move on to Both Sides of the Pond. Talking about guns ... if you get shot they're going to put youon a "gurney." It's a way they transport someone that's been injured, do you say, "gurney"?

ROBNo, we don't, actually. So that's like a stretcher, yeah?

BOBYeah, on wheels.

9ROBA stretcher on wheels, okay.

BOBWhat would you call it?

ROBI guess, we would just call it "a stretcher on wheels."

BOBYeah, we call it a gurney. How about when you were a kid, did you play with a "squirt gun"?

ROBWhat war? I don't know.

BOBOh, behave.

ROBWe probably call that a "water pistol." Like a gun which sprays water?

BOBYeah. We call those squirt guns cause it squirts water out.

ROBBritish English, "water pistol."

BOBGuns make a loud crack or report, sounds like "firecrackers." Do you say, firecrackers, in the UK?

ROBLike the noise?

BOBYeah, bam!

ROBWe call them "bangers."

BOBMakes sense, they go bang. Okay, I guess, we got email bag?

ROBWe had an email from - I think it's pronounced Bartos, and ...

BOBWhere's he from; does he say?

ROBPoland, sorry, yes, of course. Yes, Bartos is from Poland.

BOBHe's from Poland? Good country, that's where my grandma's from originally.

ROBYes, that's right. Anyway, Bartos says he's between a upper-middle and advanced student, and he's thinkingof getting a certificate, and maybe going to university in the UK ...

BOBLike a TOEFL certificate, or an English teaching certificate?

ROBRight, well, this is what he says. He says, "There are so many certificates it's hard to decide; the CAE, the

10

IELTS23, the TOEFL24, ESL," and he says, "please help me with this."

BOBI wouldn't know what to tell him; I would just get an MA, I think that's the best thing. A certificates nice, but ifyou really want to get a good job and have a career, I think, the MA is the way to go. Don't you?

ROBAn MA in a specific subject that you're interested in?

BOBYeah, like if you're interested in teaching English, then a MA in TESOL25, or TEFAL, or linguistics.

ROBAnd sometimes, when you do a Masters you don't need the TOEFAL or the IELTS. If you can provide sometranscript, or some academic work that you've already done, then you have an interview, it's quite possiblethat the university might take you on.

BOBI see, so he wants to teach English.

ROBQuite possibly, it's not specific in the email, but if, Bartos, you just want to improve your English ...

BOBSorry, I can hear my son in the background, carry on.

ROBI would suggest IELTS or TOEFL.

BOBI think, I would too; those are my choices, as well.

ROBPersonally, I think the IELTS is a bit more comprehensive, it's quite harder.

BOBThe TOEFL's changed though, there's speaking component actually now that they have. It's all done bycomputer, but they're both extremely challenging. I think it also depends on where you're aiming towards asfar as your future. If it's more Europe centered then I think IELTS, if it's North America, if you're interested inthat then maybe TOEFL. It's definitely more recognized, I think, in the US than the IELTS. Is it pronounced"IALTS."

ROBThat's right.

BOBSo anyway, thanks for your email ...

ROBSorry, Bob, I must add this from Bartos, he says, "Oh, and did you know that there is a word, bobeck, in thePolish language"? And he says this reminds him of the name Bob. And "bobeck" means "a small poo made bysmall animals, especially goats."

BOBWhat's this guy's name; he's banned from the show.

ROBThanks, Bartos.

BOBAh, Bartos, thank you. Yes, you're banned from the show from now on. Just joking. Alright, just someannouncements. Thanks for the donations, thanks for listening to the Bob and Rob Show.

ROB

11

Yeah, yeah, that's right, we appreciate all your support, and if you're interested in getting some detailed studyguides, and notes, and transcripts then think about becoming a Bob and Rob Show member.

BOBAlso, just to remind you, please, send us a voice message, so we can use it in the two year anniversaryedition. We've gotten a few voice messages and we want more, so please, send us a voice message. Tell uswhat you have liked about the show.

ROBA very interesting anniversary Bob and Rob Show.

BOBAnd finally, if you do have a gun, remember as a National Rifle Association's rules state: 1. Always keep thegun pointed in a safe direction.

ROBYes, and 2. Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

BOBAnd 3. Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

ROBGood tips.

BOBYeah. And let's move right into quotations; what's a good quote you got, Rob?

ROBThis is a good one from an old gangster, Al Capone: "You can get much further with a kind word and a gun,than you can with a kind word alone."

BOB"If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns." Edward Abbey

ROBAnd Dwight David Eisenhauer said this: "Dollars and guns are no substitutes for brains and willpower."

BOBThat's a good one to leave it on. Today for the song, we've got a great song, I really like this group. They'recalled The Radio Knives and the song is called "Son-of-a-Gun." The idiom that we did earlier in the show. It'sa great song.

ROBI'm looking forward to listening to it.

ROBWe got this song from Podshow, so if you want to learn more about the artists, the Radio Knives then pleasego to www.music.podshow.com.

BOBWhere did we get it from?

BOBSo, anyway, I hope you enjoyed the show about guns.

ROBAnd if you have a gun, please, be careful.

BOBRemember the three rules that we read; be safe and don't forget to duck.

ROBCheerio, everybody, bye, bye.

12

SONG"Son-of-a-Gun" By, The Radio Knives: When I was a boy my daddy told me, "son, you may bet beat up insome battles, and some wars just can't be won / He said that "in this world there are two kinds, and one getby on the others lies. And I'll be damned if any son of mine will be that son-og-a-gun / Yeah, I'll be damned ifany son of mine will be that son-of-a-gun / When I was a younger man my daddy sat me down. He said,"Sometimes your heros will be villains when you're not around / He said, "In this world it's a simple fact, a mancan't get to heaven on another man's back / And I'll be damned if any son of mine will be that son-og-a-gun /Yeah, I'll be damned if any son of mine will be that son-of-a-gun / Well, some are trying not to lose and somejust can't win / Some are trying to get to heaven and some never begin / Some are dying for the truth andsome are living in sin / Oh, no, no, no / I was a fully grown man when my daddy took his final breath / Andskies opened up like a river on the day we put him to rest / But no a man was crying, not a single soul / And ithit me like a bullet when I felt that hole / I was a genuine, bona fide26 son of a son-of-a-gun / Cause not aman was crying not a single soul / And it hit me like a bullet when I felt that hole / I was a genuine, bona fideson of a son-of-a-gun / I was a genuine, bona fide son of a son-of-a-gun.

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/ Have you ever owned or fired a gun? What is your opinion about gun control laws and the right to beararms? What are the laws in your country about owning firearms?

2/ Have you ever jumped the gun? What happened? Did you apologize for jumping the gun?

Glossary 1 Virginia = Find out more about this awful massacre here:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6563565.stm2 Saipan = One of the mid-Pacific islands that belong to America. Another one is Guam. Both are convenientlylocated in Asia and are popular destinations for Japanese tourists.3 playing soldiers = Note the difference between playing soldiers and playing with soldiers. The formermeans actually physically acting out battle scenes whereas the latter means using toy soldiers to reenactbattles.4 Just to kill people = a very sarcastic and black sense of humor. Please remember this was said before thelatest gun tragedy in the US.5 a musket = Find out more about these historical weapons here:http://www.fairfax.org.uk/main/soldiers/musket.htm6 Dirty Harry = In case you didn't know, Dirty Harry is a fictional character from a series of movies portrayedby Clint Eastwood. He used to use a Magnum 44, 'the most powerful handgun in the world, and can blow yourhead clean off'.7 Uzi = An Israeli designed weapon that was revolutionary for its time, and remains so today.8 whacked out = this phrasal verb has a couple of meanings. One is to be hit unconscious, similar to knockedout. Another is to be not in control of one's senses due to drugs or some other stimulant.9 Junkie = Slang for drug addict. Often collocates with 'whacked out'.10 lost his bladder = Was so scared one involuntarily goes to the toilet. Other expressions include: I wet mypants, I pissed myself, I shat myself (these could also be said when something was very funny to you).11 Polarized = views that are at extreme opposites of each other.12 delinquent youths = young people, mostly teenagers who are constantly causing trouble and committinganti-social behavior.

13

13 Stringent = strict, hard to pass.14 by and large = More or less is a synonymous expression.15 Dick Cheney = See more about the Vice President's little shooting accident here:http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/vice-president-shoots-hunter/2006/02/13/1139679502642.html16 second amendment = Learn more about the US constitution from this site:http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html17 the right to bear arms = a textual chunk, which is basically the 2nd ammendment of the US constitution.18 Militia = a group of people who are trained as soldiers but are not part of the regular army.19 Tyranny = oppression; gaining power unfairly and using that power to control people cruelly. It can also beapplied to individuals as well as governments.20 Paranoid = Believing that you can not trust anyone or that people are trying to hurt you.21 et al = This is a Latin phrase and is used in academic papers. It means 'and all the others' and refers toother co-researchers and co-writers of an article.22 Homicides = Police term for murder.23 IELTS = Find out more about this exam here: http://www.ielts.org/24 TOEFL = Find out more about this exam here:http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.fab2360b1645a1de9b3a0779f1751509/?vgnextoid=69c0197a484f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD25 MA in TESOL = these are a good option if you want to focus professionally on applied linguistics or TESOL(Teaching English to Students of Other Languages). Many universities offer good programs, but here is apopular one from the UK: http://www.aston.ac.uk/prospective-students/pg/pros/lss/03matesol.jsp26 bona fide = real, genuine.