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[00:08.60]And now, Words and Their Stories,

[00:11.04]from VOA Learning English.

[00:18.92]On this program,

[00:20.36]we explore words and expressions

[00:22.48]in the English language.

[00:24.64]We give you definitions,

[00:26.84]examples, and notes on usage.

[00:31.44]Today, we talk about fitness and exercise.

[00:36.68]Keeping in shape is a common expression

[00:40.04]for staying physically fit!

[00:43.48]What sort of exercise do you enjoy?

[00:46.48]How do you get in shape?

[00:49.04]If you are already in shape,

[00:51.80]how do you stay in shape?

[00:55.48]I used to walk a lot for work

[00:58.12]and that kept me in good shape.

[01:01.24]Five days a week I would walk to the train station,

[01:04.76]walk to the office and then climb stairs.

[01:08.32]At lunch, my coworkers and I would take a walk outside.

[01:13.40]Our office is in a beautiful area of Washington, D.C.,

[01:18.44]surrounded by museums and monuments.

[01:23.08]So that adds up to a lot of walking!

[01:27.44]But then, in 2020 like so many others,

[01:31.00]I started working from home.

[01:33.56]I became worried that without all that walking,

[01:37.08]I would quickly get out of shape!

[01:39.32]So, I made time for more swimming

[01:43.00]and short walks around my neighborhood.

[01:46.80]Those two kept me in shape.

[01:49.60]Using the word "shape"

[01:51.56]when talking about fitness and health makes sense.

[01:55.68]Sometimes, we can describe the human body

[01:59.32]in terms of size and shape.

[02:03.04]But we can also use the word "shape"

[02:05.76]to talk about our projects,

[02:08.44]our activities, our actions and behaviors.

[02:12.52]So, shape up also means to correct bad behavior.

[02:18.64]For example, a boss might warn

[02:21.72]an underperforming employee to shape up.

[02:26.08]The boss may take this expression one step further.

[02:30.00]She or he might add a threat

[02:32.56]by saying shape up or ship out.

[02:37.16]Talking about ships,

[02:38.88]we also describe things that are clean

[02:41.96]or running smoothly as shipshape.

[02:45.92]A ship that is orderly and clean

[02:48.24]runs more smoothly and is safer.

[02:52.08]Remember, on a ship, you can be very far away from help.

[02:56.68]So, keeping things in good order

[02:59.56]prevents accidents and big problems.

[03:04.28]So, what happens if a situation

[03:07.56]or a project was in trouble but is now going well?

[03:12.72]Well, we can say things are shaping up.

[03:17.76]If it's not going well,

[03:19.60]we can say the project is in bad shape.

[03:24.12]Now, let's hear two friends use some of these expressions.

[03:30.04]A: Hey, how's the project going?

[03:33.00]B: It's going well. Everything is shipshape now.

[03:38.20]A: What do you mean ‘now'?

[03:41.76]B: Well, last week we ran into some trouble.

[03:45.72]An employee wasn't pulling his weight

[03:49.48]and things weren't getting done.

[03:52.00]A: What did you do?

[03:54.40]B: I told him, "Shape up or ship out."

[03:57.76]A: That's pretty harsh!

[03:59.96]B: Maybe, but he shaped up.

[04:02.56]Now he's a valuable member of the team.

[04:06.00]I think he was overworked

[04:08.56]and dealing with some personal issues.

[04:12.48]A: We all run into trouble sometimes.

[04:15.24]Hey, talking about being overworked ...

[04:18.96]let's take a break in a bit. I need a walk!

[04:23.40]B: Sounds good. The project is in good shape.

[04:26.56]But I have to make sure I stay in good shape too!

[04:32.72]And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories.

[04:35.72]We hope you enjoyed learning

[04:37.68]some "shape" expressions and verbal phrases.

[04:41.88]Practice using them the next time

[04:44.32]you want to talk about getting

[04:46.52]or staying physically fit.

[04:49.20]Until next time ...

[04:51.12]I'm Anna Matteo.

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Words in This Story

fitness –n. physical health and strength

museum –n. a building where interesting or valuable things are collected, shown to the public, or studied

monument –n. a building, artwork or place dedicated to the memory of a person or event

neighborhood –n. the people living near one another

to pull your weight –idiom to do a fair share of work

harsh –adj. something that is unpleasant or difficult to accept