[0:06]Hello everyone and welcome back to Everyday English Academy, where we make English simple and enjoyable. I'm Sarah and I'm Mike. Hello to all of our wonderful listeners wherever you are in the world right now. Mike, are you okay? You sound different today. I'm fine. I just sorry my nose has been going crazy all week. Oh no, allergies? I think so. My eyes are watery, my nose is running. I feel like my face is melting. Haha, that is disgusting. But also welcome to March. March did this to me? March does this to everyone. The flowers start coming, the air changes and suddenly your nose declares war on you. My nose declared war. That's one way to describe it. And that is actually perfect, because today we are talking about March in English. Oh, great. So I am suffering and you want to make a lesson about it. Your pain is our content, Mike. But seriously, March is a really interesting month to talk about. It is. March is the third month of the year. It comes after February and before April. And it is probably the most confusing month for weather. Confusing? What do you mean? I mean the weather in March is completely unpredictable. You never know what you are going to get. Unpredictable. That means you cannot guess what will happen next, right? Exactly. One day it is sunny and warm, the next day it is cold and raining. Sometimes both happen in the same afternoon. That is so true. Last week, I left the house in a T-shirt because the morning was beautiful. By lunchtime, I was freezing. See, March tricks you. You think spring is here and then no, not yet. March is like a friend who says I'll be there in five minutes and arrives two hours later. Haha, that is perfect. And actually, there's a really cool English expression about March weather. Have you heard the saying March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb? Oh, I think I have heard that before. What does it mean exactly? It means the beginning of March is usually wild, cold and stormy, like a lion, strong and aggressive. And the end of March is calm, gentle and warm, like a little lamb. Yes, a lamb is a baby sheep, very soft and very quiet. So the idea is that March starts rough but ends nicely. I love that expression. Is that always true, though? Hmm, not always. Sometimes March comes in like a lion and goes out like a slightly smaller lion. Haha, that sounds more realistic. Okay, so what is March weather usually like where you are, Sarah? For me, March is mostly cold in the morning, but sometimes mild in the afternoon. Mild. That is a nice word. Mild means not too hot, not too cold, just pleasant and comfortable. Exactly, you might say it is quite mild today. I don't need a heavy jacket. I like mild weather, nothing extreme, just nice and easy. But the problem with March is the mild parts don't last. You might get a beautiful mild afternoon and then suddenly a strong gust of wind hits you. A gust? What is that? A gust is a sudden strong push of wind. Not constant wind, just one big whoosh that comes from nowhere. Oh, so everything is calm and then whoosh, your hair is everywhere and your coffee is on the ground. Exactly, a gust of wind almost blew my hat off today. That has literally happened to me. I was holding my coffee, a gust came and the lid flew off, coffee everywhere. March and coffee are not friends. And what about the ground in March? Because where I live the ground is always wet. Oh yes, the ground in March is often muddy. Muddy means the ground is wet and dirty. Soft, sticky dirt everywhere. My shoes are always muddy in March. I walk through the park and my white shoes become brown shoes. Haha, March and white shoes are definitely not friends either. Nothing is safe in March. But you know what is nice sometimes? You get those moments where the sun comes through the clouds, just for a little while, yes? Yes, I love those moments. What do we call them? We call them bright spells. A bright spell is a short period of sunshine between the clouds. So the sky is grey and then suddenly sunshine for maybe 20 or 30 minutes. Exactly, you might hear on the weather report, cloudy with some bright spells this afternoon. And everyone gets so excited about those 20 minutes of sunshine. People go outside immediately like, this is it. We really do. People act like they haven't seen the sun in years. Sitting on benches, standing on balconies, turning their face to the sky. It is true, we become like sunflowers just turning towards the light. Okay, so March weather is unpredictable, sometimes mild, often muddy with gusts of wind and bright spells. That is a lot happening in one month. It really is. But you know what else happens in March? And this is my favorite part. Tell us. Nature starts to wake up. Oh yes, this is the beautiful side of March. After months of grey, cold, boring winter, March is when things start growing again, and honestly, it feels a little bit magical. It does, like the world is slowly waking up from a very long sleep. Yes, everything was brown and empty and now suddenly color is coming back. Flowers start to bloom. To bloom means when flowers open up and show their colors for the first time. You walk through a park and suddenly you see little yellow and purple flowers everywhere. Where did they come from? They were hiding, waiting for March. You can say the flowers are blooming early this year. Beautiful. And the trees. Have you noticed the trees in March, Sarah? Yes, the trees start to blossom. Blossom is similar to bloom, but we usually use it for trees, especially fruit trees. Like cherry trees. Cherry trees blossom with those beautiful pink and white flowers. So pretty, the cherry trees are blossoming. Spring must be close. And it is not just flowers and trees. Small green plants start coming up from the ground too. Yes, they sprout. To sprout means when a small plant pushes through the ground and starts to grow, like a tiny green finger coming out of the earth. Haha, that is a funny picture. The seeds I planted last month are starting to sprout. You can see little green sprouts in gardens and parks. It feels like new life everywhere. For our listeners, what is the first sign of spring where you live? Is it flowers blooming, birds singing, warmer weather? Tell us in the comments. Yes, we want to know. But Mike, you mentioned flowers blooming and trees blossoming. That sounds wonderful, but for you, it means something terrible, right? Uh, yes, because when flowers bloom, they release pollen into the air. And pollen is? Pollen is the tiny yellow powder that comes from flowers. You cannot always see it, but it is everywhere in the air during spring. And when that pollen goes into your nose and eyes, my body says, no, danger, even though it is just tiny flower powder. And that reaction is called hay fever. Hay fever is a very common allergy caused by pollen. Your nose runs, your eyes get red and itchy, you sneeze all the time. That is exactly what is happening to you right now. Yes, I love March, but March does not love me. Haha, you can say I get terrible hay fever every spring. Or my hay fever is really bad today. I cannot stop sneezing. And millions of people around the world have this same problem. Listeners, do you get hay fever or are you lucky? Tell us. If you don't get hay fever, we are very jealous. Very jealous. And here's a useful tip. If someone looks like they are sick, but it is March, do not say, oh, do you have a cold? Say, is it hay fever? Yes, that is much better. Because in March, most of the time it is hay fever, not a cold. And the person will say, yes, the pollen is killing me today. Very normal March conversation. Very normal and very sad. Now, Mike, since March weather is so unpredictable, how do you dress in the morning? Because I find this so stressful. It is the hardest thing about March. I never know what to wear. Same. Some days you need a warm coat, other days a light jacket is enough. And sometimes you need both in the same day. That is why I always carry a windbreaker with me. A windbreaker is a thin light jacket that protects you from wind and maybe a little bit of rain. Windbreakers are perfect for March because they are not heavy, they fold up small, and they protect you from those gusts of wind we talked about. Exactly. I always keep a windbreaker in my bag during March. You never know when you will need it. Smart move. It's like your March survival tool. My windbreaker goes everywhere with me from March to May. I feel naked without it. Naked? That is dramatic. But I understand March without a windbreaker is dangerous. It really is. One minute you are fine, next minute a gust comes and you are shaking. Basically, yes. What about you, any March habits? Actually, yes. I did something last weekend that I do every year around this time. What did you do? I opened all the windows in my apartment to air it out. Oh, what does air out mean? To air out means to open the windows and let fresh air come inside your home. After keeping everything closed all winter, the house feels heavy, old, stuffy. I know that feeling. When you open the windows for the first time after winter, it is amazing. It feels incredible. Fresh, cool air just flowing through every room. I need to air out the house. It smells like winter in here. It smells like winter. That is so funny. But I know exactly what you mean. Everyone knows that smell. And March is the perfect time to air everything out. Open the windows, let the fresh air in, and the house feels alive again. I like that. The house feels alive again. And honestly, I think people feel alive again in March too. Oh, I agree. There is something about March that makes me feel like change is coming. Yes, like good things are on the horizon. On the horizon. That is a great expression. When something is on the horizon, it means it is coming soon. You can almost feel it arriving. Like looking far away and seeing something in the distance. It is not here yet, but it is coming. Warmer weather is on the horizon. Spring is on the horizon. Better days are on the horizon. Perfect examples in March. In March, you start to feel it, the days are longer, the sun is brighter, something good is definitely on the horizon. And you know what's interesting? Just knowing that something good is coming can change how you feel today. That is so true. Even on a cold, grey March morning, you think, okay, but spring is close. Exactly. And I think that hope, that feeling helps people snap out of their winter mood. Oh, snap out of. What does that mean? To snap out of something means to suddenly stop a bad mood or a lazy feeling. Like someone claps their hands in front of your face and you wake up. Haha. Oh, so March helps me snap out of my winter laziness. Or I need to snap out of this tired feeling and go for a walk. That is useful, but Sarah, do you really think March helps people snap out of it? You don't think so? I am a little bit suspicious. Why? Because March gives you one beautiful sunny day and you think, yes, spring is here, life is amazing. And then the next day it rains for 12 hours and you are back under your blanket. Haha, okay, that is fair. March is a tease. A big tease. But I think the feeling is real. Even if the weather is not perfect yet, people start feeling more hopeful in March.
[16:14]I agree. Even a few bright spells can change your whole mood. Does March make you feel more motivated, listeners, or is it still hard for you? We want to know. Okay, Mike, let's do a quick review of the words we learned today. Great idea. First, unpredictable, when you cannot guess what will happen. March weather is so unpredictable. Mild, not too hot, not too cold, pleasant. It is a mild afternoon. Gust, a sudden strong push of wind. A gust of wind blew my papers away. Muddy, when the ground is wet and dirty. My shoes are all muddy from the park. Bright spells, short periods of sunshine between clouds. Cloudy with some bright spells later. Bloom, when flowers open and show their colours. The flowers are blooming in the garden. Blossom, when trees produce flowers in spring. The cherry trees are blossoming. Sprout, when a small plant starts growing from the ground. The seeds are starting to sprout. Pollen, the tiny powder from flowers that causes allergies. There is so much pollen in the air today. Hay fever, an allergy caused by pollen. My hay fever is terrible this month. Windbreaker, a thin light jacket for wind and light rain. Always carry a windbreaker in March. Air out, to open windows and let fresh air inside. I need to air out the bedroom. On the horizon, something good is coming soon. Spring is on the horizon. Snap out of, to suddenly stop a bad mood or lazy feeling. March helps me snap out of winter laziness. And of course, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Those are really useful words for talking about March or any spring month. And now we want to hear from you. Yes, tell us in the comments. What is March like where you live? Is it cold, warm, rainy, completely unpredictable? Write one or two sentences in English. For example, March is very rainy where I live. I always need my windbreaker. Or March is beautiful here. The trees start to blossom and I love it. We read every comment and writing in English is great practice. Even one sentence is enough, just try, that is how you improve. And if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Everyday English Academy and give us a like. Share this with a friend who is learning English. Maybe someone with hay fever who finally needs to know the word for it. Thank you so much for spending time with us today. Keep practicing, keep listening, and remember even when March weather is crazy, spring is on the horizon. Stay warm, stay curious, and we will see you in the next episode. Goodbye everyone. Goodbye.
