– Manuscript –
Welcome to English in a Minute!
This is a spruce tree. Some people use them as a Christmas tree. But what does it mean to “spruce up” something?
Speaker A: Anna, what are you doing?
Speaker B: Redecorating! Sprucing up my work area will help my creative energy.
Speaker A: But… what is all of that?
Speaker B: This is a hat, Dan. For my desk robot. He needs to be spruced up, too!
To “spruce up” means to make something or someone look cleaner and more appealing. You can spruce up your home with fresh paint. You can spruce yourself up with a new haircut. Or you can spruce up your robot with a new hat.
*This article has been edited and reprinted from VOA Learning English with permission from Voice of America (VOA) for use in English language materials.
English 
日本語