The easiest way to learn and remember idioms is to learn about their history. When you understand where they came from, it's a lot easier to remember what they mean.  This episode covers idioms that are drawn from different types of transportation.

Difficult English Explained

Idioms from Transportation:  What do they mean and where do they come from?

The tale of a street cat who one day meets a lonely man, they embark on a poignant adventure together, travelling across Japan. This is a beautiful, moving but simply-written tale suitable for English learners of all levels.

Audiobooks with Pip

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by : Chapter 1

Set in 1940s New York, Capote tells the story of one of literature's most-infamous characters, the fabulous and complicated Holly Golightly, as seen through the eyes of her occasional acquaintances.

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote: Chapter 1

In the late 1970s, a naive young secretary abandons her hometown in Cleveland for San Francisco, and heads into a brave new world of strange and wonderful characters, in this cult classic novel by the Charles Dickens of San Francisco Armistead Maupin. Maupin writes in a simple, but creative way to blend together the lives of some of the city's most-eccentric inhabitants; which makes the story highly accessible for language learners*.

*Suitable for adults over the age of 18.

Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin: Chapter 1

This short novel tells the story of some farm animals who rebel against their human masters. Orwell uses simple English to appeal to all reading levels and the animals speak in concise, clear sentences: perfect for language learners.

Animal Farm by George Orwell: Chapter 1

This short, powerful novel introduces the reader to George and Lennie, two farm workers in the US, dreaming of a better life during the Great Depression. The story is a heart-wrenching exploration of friendship, hope and love. Steinbeck’s writing is simple yet interesting, which makes it accessible for English learners. 