📙 Part 2: Describe a boring place

This episode's vocabulary

Dull (adjective) – lacking interest or excitement. → I don't usually go out of my way to be in places that are dull.

Go out of one's way (idiom) – to make a special effort to do something. → I don't usually go out of my way to be in places that are dull.

Pan out (phrasal verb) – to develop in a particular way or to succeed. → I'm not sure that's panned out very well, unfortunately.

A shame (noun phrase) – a cause for regret or disappointment. → Which is a shame since it's only about a half hour walk from my home.

Wander around (phrasal verb) – to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction. → We wandered around about for a while inside.

Keen to do something (phrase) – very interested, eager, or wanting (to do) something very much. → She's an artist and was really keen to see all of the different things there.

Philistine (noun) – a person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts. → Maybe I'm just a Philistine, but the stuff they had on display wasn't terribly engaging.

Engaging (adjective) – charming and attractive; tending to draw favorable attention. → The stuff they had on display wasn't terribly engaging.

Bored out of one's mind (idiom) – extremely bored. → I was bored out of my mind the whole time and couldn't wait to get home.

Chill out (phrasal verb) – to relax completely. → I couldn't wait to get home and just chill out with some murder documentaries.

Artifact (noun) – an object made by a human being, typically one of cultural or historical interest. → It was for the most part, just a scattered showcase of some random artifacts.

Devoid of (adjective phrase) – entirely lacking or free from. → The entrance area is just devoid of anything.

Fancy doing something (verb phrase) – to want to have or do something. → I don't really fancy going through that again if I can avoid it.

Avoid something like the plague (idiom) – to be determined to avoid someone or something completely. → For the moment, I'll be avoiding it like the plague.

Tedious (adjective) – too long, slow, or dull; tiresome or monotonous. → Another synonym for boring is tedious.

Questions and Answers

Maria: Describe a boring place. You should say where it is, who you went there with, what you did there, and explain why you think it's a boring place. Rory, give us your story.

Rory: Well, I don't usually go out of my way to be in places that are dull, but the one that most clearly comes to mind is the Victoria and Albert Museum in Dundee. Speaking about exactly where it is, it's located on the waterfront area of the city, next to the river bank. I think it was meant to be one of the centerpiece attractions there, but I'm not sure that's panned out very well, unfortunately. Which is a shame since it's only about a half hour walk from my home and it had great potential and maybe still does. If we consider who I went there with, well, actually, I've been there a few times, despite the fact that I dislike it. The most recent visit was with one of my friends who came to visit for a holiday. We wandered around about for a while inside since she's an artist and was really keen to see all of the different things there. They had an exhibition on for kimonos which for once was actually quite interesting. But generally speaking it's not like that. And I think about exactly what went on there, aside from wandering around looking at these various exhibits, not a great deal. Maybe I'm just a Philistine, but the stuff they had on display wasn't terribly engaging. And I was bored out of my mind the whole time and couldn't wait to get home and just chill out with some murder documentaries or something like that. As far as why I found the whole thing so dull is concerned, well, like I said, there wasn't much to do. It was for the most part, just a scattered showcase of some random artifacts held together by some very loose themes. And the space seemed so wasted. They have this massive atrium in the entrance and entry area that's just devoid of anything. And they could have filled that with something, I'm sure. There was some stuff with a connection to our town, but frankly, we already have a museum that does that much more effectively. And I'd much rather have gone there. In fact, we have two. Hopefully they will improve things in the future, but for the moment, I'll be avoiding it like the plague. I don't really fancy going through that again if I can avoid it.