ACT ONE
"The Simpsons Christmas Special" appears on screen. The episode begins with Homer, Marge and Maggie arriving at Springfield Elementary School. They are late for the schools' Christmas show.
Transcript at:
http://www.simpsoncrazy.com/scripts/simpsons-roasting
The Simpsons, The first Season, Episode 1. Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
After Bart’s tattoo
removal, Homer’s failure as a department store Santa, and a bad day at the dog
track, Christmas prospects look dim for the Simpsons. But Homer seizes the day and, with the help
of Santa’s Little helper, blunders home with the best gift of all – something
to share the family’s love. And frighten
prowlers. A holiday classic.
VOCABULARY
1) Roasting on an open Fire (phrase):
Cooking (chestnuts at Christmas) in a
fireplace or on flames not on the stove. Grandpa
Moe: “Mmm, those chestnuts roasting on an open fire smell
good.”
2) How’s it going (idiom)?:
How are you?
What’s new? How are you going? Nanny: “Jack, how’s it
going?” Jack: “I’m good, and you?”
3)
So
you got dragged down here too? (Idiom): Were you forced to
come here also?
Jim: “Hi Sharon, so you got
dragged down here too?” Sharon: “Yeah,
I had no choice, oh well.”
4) Scuse me.
(informal idiom): An abbreviation of
excuse me. Pardon me. Jim: “Scuse me,
Colleen.” Colleen: “Oh, OK, no problem,
please pass by”
5)
Galosh (noun): Over shoes. Plastic/rubber wraps to wear to protect your
shoes when it is snowing or raining. Mom: “Put on your galoshes, or
your leather shoes will be ruined.”
Whipping rod (noun): A long stick or piece of
metal used to strike or lash at people or animals. Also a very
old kind of gun. Saddam Hussein: “Make sure to use the whipping rods during
the torture!”
6) I have eyes in the back of
my head (idiom): Even if I can’t see what you are doing, I
know what you are doing. Teacher
(to students while writing on the board): “Stop playing games and
passing notes; I have eyes in the back of my head!”
7)
Favour
us with a melody (idiom): Please us with a
music/song. Principal
(at a school Christmas concert): “The
2nd grade class is now going to favour us with a melody.”
8) Jingle bells, Batman smells,
Robin laid an egg, the Bat Mobile
lost its wheel, and the Joker got away (song): Children often sing a funnier version of the
song, Jingle Bells. Bart: Jingle
bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg, the Bat Mobile lost its wheel, and the Joker got away.
9) Life goes on (idiom): A need to keep going, to persevere, to
continue. This is said when you are
trying to encourage someone who has just experienced something bad. Erin: “Cookie
the cat died, but life goes on, since we bought a new cat, Cookie II.”
10) Speaking of… (Idiom): Said when you want to remind someone of
something, or refer back to something just said. The new sentence relates back to what was
just said. Glen: “The
Patriots (National Football team) just won the Super bowl.” Mike:
“Speaking of the Super Bowl, I need a bowl of soup.”
11)
Straight
“A”s (noun): Got an “A” grade in each course. Did very well on the report card. Dad: “Very good son, you got straight ‘A’s on your report card. You are very smart.”
12) The magic of the season has
touched us all (phrase): The special feeling of Christmas has affected
each of us. Norah: “Last
Christmas was very special, since everyone came home to celebrate. I feel like the magic of the season has
touched us all.”
13) Heaven’s sake (idiom): Come on!
Are you joking?!! Usually said
when shocked, surprised or in anger. Carol: “For heaven’s sake,
Michael, the TV is too loud. Turn down
the volume!”
14) D’oh!
(Interjection): A phrase used by Homer Simpson when he is
hurt, angry or makes a mistake. D’oh can
me Ow, hey, darn it. D’oh is now a
popular saying amongst all native English speakers worldwide. Bruce: “D’oh, I just dropped the pizza on the
floor!”
15) Santa’s Workshop (noun): A place in the North Pole where Santa’s elves
make toys for Children at Christmas time. Elf: “I need to get some toys for the kids from Santa’s
Workshop.”
16) Can’t you take a hint (idiom)?: Are you unable to accept an indirect
suggestion? Jay: “She doesn’t like you; stop asking her out
on dates. She told you 17 times that she
is not interested. Can’t you take a
hint?”
17)
All
right! (Informal): Wow! Awesome!
Said when excited. Jonathan: “All
right! I’m going to go to Thailand where
it is fun!”
18) Yello (informal): Said when answering the phone, instead of
saying hello. Pierre (phone is ringing): “Yello? Oh, hi Larry, how’s it going?”
19) Looking forward to something
(verb): Expect something or
hope for. Hany: “I love Thailand. I have been looking forward to going to Thailand for a long-time.”
20) “Marge, turn on the juice” (idiom): To turn the power or electricity on. To plug in the power cord. Homer: “We need power and electricity. Marge, turn on the juice.”
21) Hold your horses (idiom): Please wait a moment. Kevin: “OK, OK, wait a sec; hold your horses.”
22) Neato!! (Interjection): Wow, cool!! Neat!! Super!! Bea: “That card is so nice; neato”
23) I outta…Flanders
(informal): I ought to!! Flanders is
their neighbour. Linda:
“I am so angry at Bob. Why, I outta…”
24) Muzak
(noun): Background music, like on
the elevator or when you are put on hold on a phone. Roz:
“Heather, isn’t this muzak on our elevator so boring?”
25)
Mm-hmm
(interjection,
informal): Yes, ok, I understand. Carol: “OK, Mm-Hmm, I understand.”
26) Ay, Karamba!! (Phrase): Oh, wow!! Leo: “Ay, Karamba, that girl is super-cute!”
27) Sucker (noun): A loser.
A person with no social skills. Also unspecified thing. Used as a generalized term of reference,
often as an intensive: "our goal
of getting that sucker on the air before old age took the both of us”. Also a lollipop candy. Krista: “Wow, look at that pencil. It is quite a big sucker!”
28) Quit it!
(Verb): Stop it! Kodiak: “Mike, stop grabbing my face.
Quit it!”
29) “Used to be a real boss
tattoo” (Adj.,
slang): This was a really cool,
first-rate, top-notch tattoo before. Jennifer: “I love my slick
car. It’s so boss.”
30) Wanna (informal): Want to. Leslie: “I wanna move to Toronto”
31)
Circus
of values (noun): A store where you can
buy really cheap things.
Lea: “I am going to Circus of Values to do some discount
shopping!”
32)
A
six-pack (noun): Buy something in a set of six. Also a 6-pack
of abs (abdominal/stomach muscles). Christine: “I want to go to the store for a 6-pack of Budweiser Beer”.
33) Gimme! (informal): Give me!! Greg: “Gimme that 4 leaf cover back, now!”
34) Gee (informal): Said when surprised. Doug: “Gee, we have twins?”
35) You bet! (informal idiom): Of course! Duane: “Did I get the ticket for the Eddie Van Halen concert? You bet I did!”
36) A lump of coal in your
stocking (idiom): To get nothing for Christmas. Mark: “You were bad this year, Son, so all you’re gonna get is a lump of coal
in your stocking!”
37) Sucking your… (informal): A way of drinking from a bottle. Joanne: “Look at the baby, she is sucking her bottle.”
38) Drinks all around (idiom): I am buying everyone drinks. Owen (at a bar): “I
just won a million dollars, so drinks all around.”
39) Crazy get-up (idiom): A silly costume. Terry: “Look at Brad’s crazy get-up. He
looks so silly.”
40) Now, from the top (idiom): Let’s start over. Music teacher: “Let’s start over (the song).
Now, from the top.”
41) Tubby! (noun): A fat or chubby person. Lisa: My dad is becoming a little tubby.
I hope he can lose weight.
42) Egghead (noun): Stupid person. Eleanor: “That George Bush is such an egghead.
He is really dumb.”
43) Uh-oh! (interjection, informal): On no! Lee-Anne: “I just spilt the milk. Uh-Oh!”
44)
“Get
a load of the quote un quote Santa” (idiom): Have a look at that supposed
Santa.
Laurent:
“That silly East Bunny costume looks so terrible. Get a load of the quote un
quote Easter Rabbit.”
45) “I can’t believe kids are falling
for that” (idiom): Kids are being tricked. Carmen: “That man on the corner is pretending he is poor and begging for
money. I can’t
believe people
are falling for that.”
46) Ah, touché (interjection): Admitting to sarcasm, a cold joke, dark
humour. Steve:
“That was a funny comeback. Ah, touché. ”
47) What’s shaking man? (idiom): What’s
new? What’s up? Allan: “Hi Jeremy, long time no see.
What’s shaking, man?” Jeremy: “Oh, not too much. Same old
same old.”
48) Who the hell are you? (idiom): Bart often said this, and it is now a very common idiom in the English language. It means; who are you? Santa: “Hello, little boy. What’s your name?” Bart: “My name’s Bart Simpson, who the hell are you?”
49)
Jolly
old St. Nick (idiom): A happy Santa Claus. Erich: “Oh, look, it’s Jolly old St. Nick.
It must be Christmas time again.”
50) Cover for me, Elfie (idiom): Take my place, elf. Mike (Dressed as a mall Santa): “Cover
fro me Elfie, I need to eat lunch.”
51) Let’s not get mushy (idiom): Please, don’t be emotional. Darren: “The movie was sad, but let’s not get too mushy.”
52) Here ya go (phrase): This is for you. Paul: “This chocolate is for you; here ya go.”
53) “Let’s go cash this baby” (idiom): To change the check into money. Neil: “I just got my pay check (salary).
Let’s go cash this baby!”
54) A total washout (idiom): A complete loser. Joan: “That man has no job and no education.
He is a total washout.”
55) Ten to one shot (idiom): A chance at odds; something to bet on. Myles: “That horse in the 5th race is a ten to one shot.”
56) Money in the bank (idiom): To earn to money will
be so easy. Jeff: “That job is so easy, it’s like we aren’t
even working. Money in the bank.”
57) “We’re in the money, we got
a lot of what it takes to get along!” (idiom): A song sang when you earn or win a lot of
cash. Bart (singing): “We’re in the money; we got a
lot of what it takes to get along”
58)
Scrawny
little bag of bones (idiom): Something skinny with no meat/muscle.
Jeff:
“That scrawny little bag of bones wants to be a
bodybuilder? Ha, good luck!”
59)
Unadulterated
pap (noun): Something that is 100% garbage, of no worth.
Fred: “Smoking 2 packs of cigarettes is unadulterated pap,
unless you want cancer.”
60) Doofus (noun): An idiot. Frank: “Fred, you are so silly some times, just a big doofus.”
61) “I’m just trashing your
father.” (slang): To speak poorly or badly of. Brian: “Moby, that movie really sucked.
It was the worst movie ever!” Moby: “Brian, you really trashed that movie.”
62) Whirlwind by a country mile
(informal): The dog won by a great distance. Maxim: “Hey, look, the dog, Whirlwind won by a country mile. I just won $3.00!”
63) Jeez (interjection): Used to express
surprise or annoyance. Joe: “Jeez, that street is really dirty.”
64) Smelling like cheap perfume
(slang): When a man cheats, he may come home smelling
like the perfume of the girl he was with. Candy: “Jeremy, you smell like cheap perfume.
You’ve been cheating on me!”
65) Shnozzola (noun): A snoz; a large nose. Also schnozz, schnozzle. Of Yiddish
(Jewish) origin from 1935-40. Sean: “Jim, you have
a huge Shnozzola!” Jim: “Well, Sean, I do have a big nose, but you have a huge pot-belly!”
66) You’ll go down in history (idiom): People will remember you. Teacher: “Do something grand, like a leader would and you’ll go down in history.”
QUESTIONS
1. What
were the Simpson’s attending at school?
2. Tell
us about a time you performed at school.
3.
What was Lisa in the
Christmas performance?
4.
What song did Bart sing?
5.
Have you ever sung in a
school performance?
6.
What did Homer not receive
this year from work?
7.
Do many families not have
enough money?
8. What
did Bart want for Christmas?
9. How
do you feel about tattoos?
10. What
did Lisa want for Christmas?
11. Have
you ever wanted a pony?
12. What
did Homer do to make more money?
13. Does
your country have mall Santas?
14. Where
did Homer go when he was feeling blue?
15. Is
going to a bar,
because you are sad,
wrong or ok?
16. Where
did Homer go with Bart and Barney?
17. Is
it OK to
take a child to a dog track?
18. How
do you feel about gambling?
19. What
did the Simpsons find for Christmas?
20. Do
you have a pet?
ROLL-PLAY
1. Ask
Santa for gifts.
2. Find
out you are not getting a Christmas bonus.
3. Pretend
you are performing at school.
4. Go
to a discount store and buy cheap gifts for your family.
5. Your
son has just gotten a tattoo.
6. Remove
the tattoo at the doctor’s office.
7. Pretend
to be a mall Santa.
8. Go
to a dog track.
9. Get
a pet for Christmas.
10. Sing
a song in front of your group partners.
