Learn how to use the phrase "to flesh out”.
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Episode Script:
“We are going to flesh out an idiom on the podcast today.”

Welcome to “ESL with Josh” - a podcast that will help you to speak more like a native English speaker. In this episode, we will consider the phrase “to flesh out” - what does it mean and how do we use it?

“To flesh out” is an idiom, which means that this phrase has a meaning unrelated to the words found in it. ”To flesh out” does NOT mean to literally put skin on something or remove skin from something. ”To flesh out” does NOT have anything to do with a body part.

“To flesh out” DOES mean to develop by adding more information.

The phrase comes from the idea of a skeleton, all bones and no muscles and flesh. The skeleton needs to be “fleshed out” in order to be complete. In the same way, if an idea is shared without enough details, the idea needs to be “fleshed out” to be completed. To “flesh out” an idea means to develop it by adding missing information or details.

It can be used in two ways. In the first way, the thing needing more information comes after the phrase, like this: “Let’s flesh out that idea.” The other way is to split the phrase in the middle: “Let’s flesh that idea out.”

Here are a few examples:

• Great idea! Let’s get together to flesh that out.
• I think the story is good, but the author could have fleshed out the characters more.
• This plan looks good. All that is left is to flesh out the details.
• The outline is done. Once Peter fleshes it out a bit, the speech should be finished.

Now it is time to take a quiz. 
Which of the following sentences use the idiom correctly?

1. I think the story is good, but the author could have fleshed in the characters more.
2. I think the story is good, but the author could have skinned out the characters more.
3. I think the story is good, but the author could have fleshed out the characters more.
4. I think the story is good, but the author could have fleshed the characters more.

What do you think? 
The only correct sentence is number 3.

Now it’s time for the Joke of the Day
Did you know the first French fries weren’t actually cooked in France?
They were cooked in Greece (grease).

Thanks for listening!

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