Leisure in America

glean (v.)

1. To collect or obtain information in small amounts, often with difficulty, from various sources.

2. To gather grain or other crops that have been left behind after harvesting.

Ex: 1. From what I was able to ___ , the news about the project is positive.

2. After the harvest, poor farmers were allowed to ___ wheat in the fields.

goof off (phr. v.)

(informal) To spend time doing nothing/avoid doing any work, especially when you should be working or studying. Ex: If you keep ____ instead of studying, you will fail the upcoming exam.

murky (adj.)

1. Dark and dirty or cloudy; difficult to see through (especially of liquids or light).

2. Complicated, unpleasant, or dishonest, with many facts not clear.

Ex: 1. The water in the lake was dark and _ after the heavy rain.

2. He was involved in the _ world of illegal drug dealing.

reckon (v.)

1. (Informal) To think or believe something; to have an opinion about something.

2. To be generally considered or thought to be something.

3. To calculate an amount or number.

Ex: 1. I __ it's going to rain this afternoon.

2. She was widely __ed to be the best actress of her generation.

3. The total cost of the trip was __ed at around $500.

run errands (phrase)

To do tasks that involve going somewhere to buy something, deliver goods, or take a message for someone. Ex: She spent the entire morning ______ for her grandmother, such as buying groceries and posting letters.

slice the data (phrase)

To divide information or data into smaller parts in order to study or examine it in different ways. Ex: The software allows researchers to __ by age and gender to analyze buying habits.