thu huyen tran-
a solid chunk
Americans they don't have enough for retirement, with a solid having no savings at all.
a significant portion or considerable number of people
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throw in the towel
It's part of a growing retirement crisis, where many can't afford to throw in the .
to stop trying to do something because you have realized that you cannot succeed or to retire
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A big nest egg
Pam Tourangeau said at 68, she doesn't have a big nest egg.
a significant amount of money or savings that someone has accumulated over time
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defined contribution plans
As the Congressional Research Service found, defined contribution plans, which are retirement plans like 401(k)s that rely on employee contributions
Retirement plans where employees contribute and the benefits are determine by market performance
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have gotten stuck in a generation gap
too young to receive pensions but too old to really be part of the tech boom.
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afloat in retirement
Americans surveyed reported having no retirement savings, and over half of them do not think they'll have enough money to keep them afloat in retirement.
to keep oneself financially stable during retirement
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a wake up call
the survey "should be a wake-up call for every adult, young or old, as well as policymakers at both federal and state levels
a shocking event that changes the way many people think
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grearing up
That new data comes as the country is gearing up for an onslaught of retiring peak boomers.
to prepare for an activity or event
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peak boomers
Those are Americans born between 1959 and 1964
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In assets
Income Institute found that just over half of the peak boomer population have $250,000 or less in assets
the total value of possessions or resources owned by an individual or organization
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run through one's saving
That means that many will likely run through their savings, and have to depend on Social Security to stay afloat
deplete or exhaust one's savings
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having enough money to pay what you owe
keep afloat The business had to sell off some of its assets to keep afloat.
stay afloat Many small businesses are struggling to stay afloat.
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This profligacy contributes hugely to the three great planetary crises of our time
climate change, biodiversity loss and, of course, waste and pollution
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Hardly/barely scratch the surface
Up to now, efforts to clean up our act have barely scratched the surface
the attempts to improve our behavior or situation have made very little progress so far
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What can recycled PET be downcycled into?
upholstery, carpets and insulation.
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a garbage/hazardous-waste incinerator
Mechanical recycling thus merely postpones the day when the plastic ends up in landfill or an incinerator.
a device for burning things that are no longer wanted
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The profit margins are very tight means
the amount of profit earned is minimal or narrow, leaving little room or financial gain
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jumbled mess
The company can’t deal with the jumbled mess that is “post-consumer” plastic waste
a disorganized and chaotic situation or state
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In principle (C2)
In principle, advanced recycling can do much better because it works not mechanically, but chemically.
If you agree with or believe something in principle, you agree with the idea in general, although you might not support it in reality or in every situation
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Pyrolysis
which is the application of heat — upwards of 500°C — in the absence of oxygen to melt down plastics into their component parts.
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gasification
which uses even higher temperatures to fully convert waste plastics into syngas
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green credentials
Both processes require the application of heat, which dents their green credentials somewhat — but then so does the creation of virgin plastic.
the environmental qualities attributes of a product, process or organization
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umbrella terms
The umbrella terms pyrolysis and gasification cover a multitude of different technologies
broad categories that encompass various related concepts or items
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beyond the drawing board
Many have gone beyond the drawing board: the continent already has dozens of plants with a combined annual output capacity of 270,000 tonnes
moving from the planning or conceptual stage to actual implementation to execution
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in the game
The US is in the game too. Companies there have invested over $7 billion in advanced recycling since 2017
involved or participating in a particular activity or situation
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On the horizon
On the horizon is an even more promising method called solvolysis.
likely to happen or exist soon
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solvolysis
it essentially involves dissolving plastic in liquid and recovering useful chemicals from it
requires less heat than pyrolysis and gasification, making it greener, and it produces fewer toxic byproducts
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bring the gavel down
There is also the expectation that the UN will bring the gavel down on a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution later this year
to make a final decision or judgment, often with authority or force
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pile on (phrasal verb)
They will drastically curtail the manufacture of virgin plastic and pile on the pressure to create a circular plastics economy.
to increase quickly
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Public pushback
Be prepared for a lot of public pushbacks as residents are fighting to stop a pyrolysis plant that they say will belch out toxic waste.
strong opposition or resistance expressed by members of the public towards a particular issue, decision, or action
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in full flow
The pushback is in full flow, with organisations such as Beyond Plastics stepping up their campaigns
happening or progressing at its maximum intensity or activity level
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safe in the knowledge that
I look forward to the day when I can just sling all my plastic into the recycling bin, safe in the knowledge that it will have a meaningful afterlife.
feeling confident and assured about something
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Slack off
participants were asked whether they would share gossip about someone who was constantly slacking off and leaving others to do the work.
to work less hard or to be less than is usual or necessary
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crop up
Among other things, lies cropped up twice as frequently when gossipers were told they were in competition with each other.
to happen or appear unexpectedly
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Be drawn to
A related problem is that people are drawn to negative gossip more than positive gossip.
Attracted or inclined towards something/someone
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On the basis of
In 2021 the Ontario Superior Court in Canada awarded hefty damages to an employee at a volunteer department who had been fired by the local municipality on the basis of false rumours that she had engaged in inappropriate sexual behaviour with firefighters.
based on, using as a foundation or starting point
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Vent about
If people think they are being treated unfairly, then they will want to vent about it to co-workers.
to express one's feelings or frustrations about something, typically in a passionate or emotional manner
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To bore someone rigid
If workers have jobs that bore them rigid, they will alleviate the tedium with chit-chat.
Make them extremely bored or uninterested
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Churn out
Not much, was the answer it churned out
Produce or generate something quickly and in large quantities
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Come into its own
A pioneer of chaos theory and complex systems, he believes that complexity economics has recently come into its own, making reliable predictions about the…
to reach a stage of maturity or fulfillment
to achieve its full potential or recognition
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cut someone some slack
argued that austerity had to be imposed on the Greeks – that it was the only cure for their failing economy. Others, like Nobel-prizewinning economist Paul Krugman, argued that, no, you had to actually cut them some slack
to be lenient or forgiving towards someone
to give them a break or some leeway
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wartime footing
if we wanted to go on a wartime footing and were willing to make some sacrifices, we could do it all in three years
a state of preparedness and urgency similar to that during a war
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take down
She takes down school bullies (verbally)
defeat or overcome (someone or something), typically in a forceful or effective way.
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Ace up someone sleeve
It’s another gripping, original read from McNicoll, who always has a moving plot ace up her sleeve.
Having a secret advantage or plan that is kept hidden until it is needed
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sub-par footwear
Naturally, jerks like Will’s nemesis Chris home in on sub-par footwear.
shoes or footwear that is of low quality or below average in terms of design, durability, or comfort
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In league with
But when Will’s dad turns to the loan shark, a furious Will ends up in league with Chris and out of his depth in this all-too-real tale of stolen footwear – and surprising turnarounds
To be in collaboration or partneship with someone, typicall for a common purpose, often implying involvement in something illicit or morally questionable
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Out of one depth
Christ feels like he is out of his depth in this situation, where he has been receiving bombastic questions from interviewers
Being in a situation that is beyond one's understanding
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Kid-lit tropes
So many kid-lit tropes are present in this sensational book (grief-stricken father, semi-wicked sort-of stepmother, time travel) but Goldewijk’s magic-cineaste fable makes everything new again
refer to recurring themes or elements commonly found in children's literature
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Pixelated goon
The final, emotional twist is like a kick in the solar plexus from a pixelated goon – but in a good way.
Refers to a surprising or unexpected twist that evokes strong emotions, typically in a positive way
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optimal lifestyle combination for a longer life was found to be
never smoking, regular physical activity, adequate sleep duration and healthy diet
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This new research shows that, despite genetic factors, living a healthy lifestyle, including eating a balanced nutritious diet and keeping active, can help us live longer.
Matt Lambert, a senior health information officer at the World Cancer Research Fund
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Public health policies for improving healthy lifestyles
would serve as potent complements to conventional healthcare and mitigate the influence of genetic factors on human lifespan.”
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Bake into
The principles of equality and fairness are baked into the foundation of our legal system
Today, these ideas are baked into the standard model of cosmology, our supremely successful explanation of how the cosmos grew and took shape
to be deeply ingrained or incorporated into something
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the cosmic microwave background
the amounts of helium and deuterium made in the first few minutes of the universe and the pattern of light left over from the big bang
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crop up
we would expect gravity to have pulled matter together into large structures, but only up to a point, given the age of the universe. Oddities within this general evenness may crop up, but they should be rare
to happen or appear unexpectedly
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behemoth
For Lopez, the results are interesting because they could potentially also explain the behemoth structures she found. “It’s good science to follow the data,” she says
Something that is extremely large and often extremely powerful
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cook up
You could probably cook up some sort of dark matter interaction either with itself or with baryons [the key components of ordinary matter] that would boost structure formation
to create or invent something, especially a story or explanation
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The composition of rouge has changed over the centuries, but in Spain’s golden age
it was often made from charred sulfur, mercury, lead, minium (a lead compound), and other substances
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part of a history of misogynist literature that condemns women’s beauty rituals as tampering with God’s creation.
The moralist Juan de Zabaleta, in his book El Día de Fiesta por la Mañana y por la Tarde, published in 1654, attacked the use of cosmetics on religious grounds.
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María de Zayas, a golden age Spanish writer, today considered a protofeminist .
if women applied themselves “to training with weapons and studying the sciences, instead of growing their hair and shading their faces, they could already have surpassed men in many things.”
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With the French Revolution in 1789
a more natural look swept through Europe, and elaborate wigs and makeup were shunned.
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In the mid-1800s
Heavy makeup fell out of fashion, associated with actresses and prostitutes
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Romantic writers often rebelled against the rationalism and order of the Enlightenment period that preceded it, opting to exaggerate and contradict reality instead
such as African American poet Phillis Wheatley, used her poetry to resonate with themes of freedom and spirituality amid the stark realities of slavery in the late 18th century
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grapple with
As the 19th century progressed, writers continued to grapple with existential and societal concerns, delving into themes of death, imperialism, and advancing technology
dealing with difficult or complex issues
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cultural baggage
And yet the color carries a lot of cultural baggage. As pink made the jump from nature’s palette to human adornment, it gathered connotations of colonialism, beauty, power, and gender.
the accumulated belief, values, and attitudes that individuals carry based on their cultural background
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Symbolism of pink color
As pink made the jump from nature’s palette to human adornment, it gathered connotations of colonialism, beauty, power, and gender.
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Mammography
Mammography and prostate-specific antigen screening produce large numbers of frightening false positives, and there is a rich body of evidence that these scares can leave lasting psychological scars
medical screeing technique used to detect breast cancer in women
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a rich body of evidence
there is a rich body of evidence that these scares can leave lasting psychological scars.
a substantial collection of research or data that supports a particular claim or conclusion
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wire into our biology
We can’t entirely cure cancer – it is wired into our biology – nor can we entirely “cure” cancerphobia, the part of cancer fear that is a natural product of our instinctive risk-perception psychology
means it is an inherent part of our biological makeup and cannot be completely eliminated
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run on empty
But while we are rightly concentrating on Earth’s delicate energy balance, we are ignoring the signs that our own bodies are running on empty.
to continue functioning or exerting effort despite having little or no energy or resources remaining
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The pandemic sent stress levels skyrocketing and drained people in unique ways
some through emotional exhaustion and burnout, others via loneliness, grief or anxiety.
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Mental health conditions
including depression and anxiety, can also lead to feeling exhausted or apathetic
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keep something at bay
Current advice to keep fatigue at bay is always to “do more”.
to prevent or avoid something
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push through
The idea seems to be that one can push through exhaustion by sheer will without repercussion
to persevere or overcome obstacles in order to achieve a goal
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hang over
Though he has never had a life-threatening reaction, the risk of one hangs over him constantly.
a constant threat or source of worry
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grow out of something
We always hoped he would grow out of his allergies
to outgrow or overcome a particular condition, habit or behavior
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a long tail of
Beyond the “big eight” lies a long tail of allergies to other foods, including many fruits, vegetables and seeds.
a large number of less common or niche items that exist beyond the more popular or mainstream ones
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hope on the horizon
But now, finally, there is hope on the horizon, with the arrival of several new therapies that can help people avoid an allergic reaction, not just to food, but other kinds of triggers
a promising or positive outlook for the future
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a head-scratcher
Childhood food allergies are also a bit of a head-scratcher.
something that is puzzling or difficult to understand
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allergic reaction
swelling, itching, streaming eyes and nose, hives and, in the case of food, vomiting and diarrhoea.
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get off the ground
The drug has significantly increased the patient's tolerance threshold for 6 months. Unfortunately, this promising tool didn’t get off the ground
get started or set in motion
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oral immunotherapy
n the meantime, however, a different strategy called oral immunotherapy (OIT) was being tested. This involves feeding people with food allergies tiny but escalating doses of their trigger allergen.
medical treatment that involves gradually introducing small amounts of an allergen into the body through the mouth to desensitize the immune system and reduce allergic reactions
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never saw the light of the day
The trial was halted due to a legal dispute between Tanox and its industry partners, Novartis and Genentech, over who owned the right to develop the drug. TNX-901 never saw the light of day.
something that never brought into existence or made public
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fall by the wayside
Despite the positive result, the approach was considered too risky and OIT fell by the wayside.
no longer be active or successful/ to be abandoned or disregarded
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get off to a rocky start
Things got off to a rocky start: the first clinical trial of omalizumab for peanut allergy had to stop recruiting when two of the volunteers had anaphylactic shocks during tests to measure their baseline tolerance to this food
to have a difficult or problematic start
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wear off
But it isn’t the final answer, she says. The drug is expensive and its effects wear off, necessitating injections every two to four weeks
to stop having an effect or influence
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fine-tune
It is critical for us to understand the biology behind responders and non-responders, but that will enable us to fine-tune our therapeutics and push the needle beyond two-thirds
make small adjustments
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in the pipeline
There are also more potent IgE blockers in the pipeline
The new product launch is in the pipeline and will be released next month.
being developed, being planned
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a new class of drug
But a new class of drugs called disruptive IgE inhibitors not only stop IgE from binding, but also lever it off target cells once it has bound
a group of medications that belong to a distinct category or type and have unique characteristics or mechanisms of acion
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a sense of a new dawn
As a result, after decades of having little to offer people with food allergies, there is suddenly a sense of a new dawn. “It’s a game changer,”
refers to a feeling of hope or optimism about the future
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pin down
But in recent decades, we have got ever closer to pinning down the physical structures, mechanisms and neural networks responsible.
to determine or identify with precision or certainty
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tease out
Still, Koch needn’t take it too hard: we are inching closer all the time, teasing out fresh insights into everything from what happens in our brains when we sleep and dream to the way that increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence is challenging what it means to be conscious
to extract or uncover information or insights gradually and carefully
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backlash
A backlash is now under way, as many parents seemingly long for the pre-smartphone days.
adverse reaction, resistance
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off the hook
None of this means that social media and smartphones are off the hook, but we must follow the evidence – and for now, unfortunately, it is inconclusive
freed from danger or blame or obligation, escaped from a difficult situation
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feed into
Today, these observations are fed into computer models to work out the extent to which the risk of fires is increasing due to global heating, and thus how much worse it will get in the future.
to input or enter information into a system or process
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as opposed to
We have always known that managed fires, as opposed to wildfires, are responsible for part of the burned area, says Perkins.
rather than, instead of
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Managed fires
it means fires are intentionally controlled and supervised by humans
This includes the burning of stubble after harvesting, for instance, or small fires set to reduce the amount of dead vegetation and the risk of bigger fires later on.
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Push through
Push through the feelings of: I’m worthless, this sucks’: can anyone learn to be a top songwriterovercome or persevere despite negative emotions or challenges
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On a retreat
On a retreat in north Wales, our folk music critic tries to write her first song
to withdraw or take a break from one's usual activities or surroundings for relaxation, reflection, or creative purposes
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chop
Imagine you’ve spent the past 20 years writing about songs but never had the chops to write one
ability and technical skill, especially in playing a musical instrument
