Shake someone's to the core

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Shake someone's to the core

Shake Someone to the Core” To shake someone to the core means to deeply shock or disturb them, emotionally or mentally.

Examples:

1- The documentary about survivors shook me to the core.

2- He was shaken to the core when he found out his entire past was based on a lie.

Gmail address: jaleqaraqan@gmail.com

Transcript

Hello and welcome to Daily English, as it’d the weekend, we learn ENglish through stories.

Today’s story is a real-life spy thriller. Imagine growing up in a normal Canadian household—then one day, you find out your parents have been lying your whole life. And not just about something small… but about who they are entirely. That’s exactly what happened to 

Tim and Alex were raised in Toronto, Canada, by their parents “Donald Heathfield” and “Tracey Foley.” They believed they were just a regular, private family of French-Canadian origin.

But in 2010, while Tim was studying at university in the U.S., his parents were suddenly arrested by the FBI. The truth was shocking: their real names were Andrey Bezrukov and Elena Vavilova, and they were deep-cover Russian spies, part of a secret mission called “The Illegals Program.”

Their entire identities—including the boys’ last names—had been carefully invented by Russian intelligence. Tim and Alex were Canadian citizens, born and raised in Canada, and had no idea about the deception.

When the truth came out, their parents were deported to Russia—and the brothers were left behind to pick up the pieces. The truth didn’t just surprise them—it shook them to the core.

Expression of the Day: “Shake Someone to the Core” To shake someone to the core means to deeply shock or disturb them, emotionally or mentally.

“The news of the betrayal shook her to the core.”

“The documentary about survivors shook me to the core.”

“He was shaken to the core when he found out his entire past was based on a lie.”

Question for You: Have you ever heard or discovered something that shook you to the core—something that changed how you see someone or something? Don’t forget,  you can share any feedback, ideas or drop me a message at the email address attached.