Everyday English - 'Health Fanatic' by John Cooper Clarke

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We have already had several posts in a row about job interviews, writing CVs, and using English in the office. I think it's time for something more light-weight. Life is not all about work, after all.

This is a poem by a punk-poet John Cooper Clarke (my particular favourite), entitled 'Health Fanatic'. It contains lots of colloquial, idiomatic English expressions that you don't often find in language course-books.

You can view the whole text at John Cooper Clarke's website.

"HEALTH FANATIC"

AROUND THE BLOCK - AGAINST THE CLOCK
TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK
RUNNING OUT OF BREATH - RUNNING OUT OF SOCKS
RUBBER ON THE ROAD... FLIPPETY FLOP
NON-SKID AGILITY... CHOP CHOP
NO TIME TO HANG ABOUT
WORK OUT HEALTH FANATIC... WORK OUT!

THE CRACK OF DAWN HE'S LIFTING WEIGHTS
HIS TELL-TALE HEART REVERBERATES
HE'S HIGH IN POLYUNSATURATES...
LOW IN POLYSATURATES...
THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S AWARD AWAITS
IT'S A MAN'S LIFE
HE'S A HEALTH FANATIC... SO WAS HIS WIFE

TIME OFF DOESN'T PAY
ENJOYS HIMSELF THE HARD WAY
ALLOWS HIMSELF A MARS A DAY
HOW OLD AM I - WHAT DO I WEIGH
PUNCH ME THERE... DOES IT HURT... NO WAY
RUNNING ON THE SPOT DON'T GET TOO HOT
HE'S A HEALTH FANATIC, THAT'S WHY NOT

RUNNING THROUGH THE TRAFFIC JAM - TAKING IN THE LEAD
HYPERACTIVITY KEEPS HIM OUT OF BED
DEEP DOWN HE'D LIKE TO KICK IT IN THE HEAD
THEY'LL REGRET IT WHEN THEY'RE DEAD
THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN FUN
HE'S A HEALTH FANATIC - HE'S GOT TO RUN

BEANS GREENS AND TANGERINES

AND LOW CHOLESTEROL MARGARINES
 HIS LIMBS ARE LOOSE, HIS TEETH ARE CLEAN
 HE'S A HIGH-OCTANE FRESH-AIR FIEND
YOU'VE GOT TO ADMIT HE'S KEEN
WHAT CAN YOU DO BUT BE IMPRESSED 
HE'S A HEALTH FANATIC... GIVE IT A REST
 

...view the whole text at John Cooper Clarke's website

VOCABULARY.

against the clock - If you do something against time/the clock, you do it as fast as possible and try to finish it before a certain time.

The test consisted of typing out a long passage against the clock, they had 5 minutes to complete it. = The people taking the test had to type out a long passage very quickly and somebody was measuring the time. They had 5 minutes to finish it. 

out of breath - unable to breathe comfortably because of tiredness or excitement.

 He is not very fit. We went jogging and he was out of breath after just 500 metres.

When you run out of something it means that you had something but you used it all up and there is nothing left. 

I went for a year-long trip around the world but I had to come home after just 3 months because I ran out of money. = I had money but I spent it and I don't have it any more.

Hurry up! We're running out of time. = Soon we will have no time left.

to hang about (informal, British English) - to move or do things slowly, to waste time.

Come on! We only have three more hours to finish the job; there is no time to hang about! = there is no time to waste.

to work out - to exercise (especially in a gym).

She works out at the gym five times a week and she has already lost 7 kilos.

at the crack of dawn  - at sunrise.

polyunsaturates - the type of fats that are good for you, such as the ones you find in fish, 

traffic jam - when there are so many cars on the road that they cannot move, or move very slowly.

lead - a chemical substance; very bad for humans. There is lead in car-fumes.

hyperactivity (noun)

hyperactive (adjective) - Someone who is hyperactive has more energy than is normal, gets excited easily and cannot stay still for longer than a minute.

 Hyperactive children often have poor concentration and get into trouble at school.

greens = vegetables (especially cooked and served on your plate).

(Parent to a child) You won't leave the table until you've eaten all your greens! = all the vegetables on your plate

limbs - arms and legs.
a rest - a period of time in which you relax, do not do anything active, or sleep

• After they had carried the piano up the stairs, they stopped for a rest.    

• The doctor prescribed some pills and told her to  get/have  a week's rest.

• I've been working very hard for the past year. I think I need to take some rest and go on holiday.

give it a rest (informal) - said when you want someone to stop talking about or doing something that is annoying you.

You've been whistling that tune for the past three hours; give it a rest, won't you?

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