The Importance of Being ‘Dialed In’ - February 20, 2025

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1. 0:01And
2. 0:09now, words and their stories from VOA Learning English.
3. 0:20Technology is always progressing.
4. 0:23Today, many modern devices can be controlled by touch or voice.
5. 0:30This has led to some traditional electronic controls, such as dials and switches,
6. 0:37being replaced with new technologies.
7. 0:41Digital displays have also become increasingly common.
8. 0:47For example, digital number readouts have long replaced the hands on many clocks.
9. 0:53Many other devices also now operate purely with digital tools instead
10. 1:01of mechanical systems.
11. 1:04But some expressions and idioms used by English speakers still describe older technologies.
12. 1:14First, let's talk about dials.
13. 1:17These controls are used for changing settings on a piece of equipment, like a radio or old television.
14. 1:26We use the dial to tune in to a specific channel.
15. 1:31That's where the expressions, dialed in and tuned in, come from.
16. 1:38If we are dialed in or tuned in to a radio or television program,
17. 1:43we can hear it clearly, there is no noise, or static.
18. 1:50The same can be said when using these terms in personal conversations.
19. 1:55For example, if you are dialed in to a project or problem, you know exactly what needs to be done.
20. 2:04You are thinking clearly about it, and remain very focused.
21. 2:10And when you are tuned in, you understand clearly what is going on around you.
22. 2:18Don't touch that dial, and stay tuned are two ways to tell someone to keep watching or listening to a program.
23. 2:27Now, let's talk about switches.
24. 2:30These are built to either be off or on.
25. 2:34There are no in-between settings like with a dial.
26. 2:38fail. So, when we flip the switch, we make something happen quickly and easily.
27. 2:46It can also mean that we suddenly change something.
28. 2:51Let's listen to an example.
29. 2:54The restaurant's change to all organic food happened slowly over time.
30. 3:01It wasn't a matter of flipping a switch.
31. 3:05Now for our last expression.
32. 3:08To move the needle.
33. 3:11Needles on measuring devices, like a scale, move to show a desired level has been reached.
34. 3:19So when something moves the needle, it causes a noticeable change in something,
35. 3:26usually for the good.
36. 3:29And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.
37. 3:33Don't forget to tune in again for another story about American English expressions.
38. 3:40Until next time, I'm Anna Matteo.