In this mini episode, you will learn the expression “keep your eyes peeled.”
Episode 391 of the Everybody ESL podcast is a mini episode that teaches you the expression “keep your eyes peeled.” Send your questions about English and your comments and suggestions to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. (And let me know if you’d like to record the introduction to a future episode.)
Intro
“Hi, everyone. This is Mobina, from Iran. And you are listening to this amazing podcast, Everybody ESL.”
Welcome to episode 391 of Everybody ESL, the podcast for everybody who wants to improve their English, practice their English, or just learn more English. My name is Ben, and I have a mini episode for you today, where I am going to teach you about one English topic. You can subscribe to the Everybody ESL podcast at Apple podcasts and wherever you find your podcasts. If you like Everybody ESL, leave it a good review so other people can find out about it too. And if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for me, please send an email to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. Okay! Let’s get on with this mini episode.
The episode
In this episode, I am going to teach you an interesting and useful expression.
And the expression is “Keep your eyes peeled.” Keep your eyes peeled.
That’s keep, k-e-e-p, your, eyes, e-y-e-s, peeled, p-e-e-l-e-d. Keep your eyes peeled.
Before I tell you what this expression means, let me ask this question: What does peeled mean? What does peeled mean? First of all, do you know what a peel is? P-e-e-l. Peel. A peel is the thin outer layer or skin on certain kinds of fruits and vegetables. That’s a peel. So, an apple has a peel around it. A potato has a peel. An orange has a peel. That’s what we call that thin outside layer or skin on certain kinds of fruits and vegetables.
Now, let me ask you this: What does it mean to peel something? What does it mean when we say, “to peel something”? That means to remove the peel from something. To remove that thin outer layer or skin from something. When you peel an apple, you are removing the peel from the apple.
Often, when we peel an apple, we use a little device, a little tool called a peeler. A peeler is a little device that peels things. It removes the peel.
Okay, now we can talk about this expression, “Keep your eyes peeled.”
If your eyes are peeled, or if your eyes have been peeled, if you have peeled your eyes, that means you have removed the peel from your eyes. You have removed that outer layer. You’ve removed that covering from your eyes.
Of course, eyes don’t really have peels. That’s why this is an interesting expression. Eyes don’t really have peels, but this expression is sort of imagining that they do.
When we say, “Keep your eyes peeled,” we are saying, “Keep your eyes uncovered, or keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes in a condition where they don’t have a peel or a covering over them anymore.”
“To keep your eyes peeled” means to stay alert, to keep looking for something important. It means, “Don’t look away. Don’t become distracted. Don’t forget to pay attention to something.”
The thing that you should keep looking for will be different in different situations, of course. But when we say to someone, “Keep your eyes peeled,” we are saying, “Keep looking. Don’t look away. Don’t let your eyes be covered,” or “Don’t let your eyes be closed. Keep your eyes open. Stay alert. Stay focused. Keep paying attention to something. Don’t let something surprise you. Don’t miss some important thing because you didn’t see it or because you weren’t paying attention. Instead, stay alert. Keep looking. Keep your eyes open.”
That is “Keep your eyes peeled,” an interesting and useful expression that I think you should know.
Outro
This is the end of episode 391 of Everybody ESL. Remember: if you have questions about English, or if you have comments for me, or if you would like to record an introduction that I can play at the beginning of future episodes—the same way Mobina recorded the introduction you heard at the beginning of this episode—send an email to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. I’ll be back soon with a new episode. And until then, keep going, keep practicing, and keep learning. I’ll see you soon. Goodbye!