Learn British idioms video

In this lesson I discuss useful British English idioms. Many are taken from this webpage: http://www.englishclub.com/ref/Idioms/British/index.htm

Please see the written explanations below to help you understand.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ0Sgm3qM7k

 

Learn English as easy as pie Facebook page (admin Mojtaba Yaghoubi)

http://www.facebook.com/openlearn

 

Guide to idioms

A drop in the ocean

If an amount is a drop in the ocean, it’s a very small portion of the amount that’s needed.

EXAMPLE

“They tried to minimise their expenditure so that they could pay off their debts, but it was like a drop in the ocean.”

 

A new lease of life

If someone has a new lease of life, they have a new enthusiasm for living.

EXAMPLE

“That new job has given him a new lease of life.”

 

A piece of cake / as easy as pie

If you say that something is a piece of cake, you mean that it is extremely easy.

EXAMPLE

“Learning English is a piece of cake if you use the Learn English as easy as pie Facebook page.”

 

Push the boat out

If you “push the boat out”, you are putting a lot of money and effort into a particular endeavour.

EXAMPLE

“They really pushed the boat out for that wedding ceremony.”

 

An axe to grind

If you have an axe to grind, you are angry or unhappy about something and you express this opinion whenever you can.

EXAMPLE

“A lot of British students have a real axe to grind over tuition fees.”

 

Another string to your bow

If you have another string to your bow, you have another skill that you can use.

EXAMPLE

“Attending training courses shows employers you have another string to your bow.”

 

At a loose end

If you’re at a loose end, you have nothing to do.

EXAMPLE

“He’s been at a loose end since he was made redundant.”

 

Can’t see the wood for the trees

If you can’t see the wood for the trees, you can’t see the whole situation clearly because you’re looking too closely at small details, or because you’re too closely involved.

EXAMPLE

“You’re too emotional to make this decision, you can’t see the wood for the trees.”

 

Come a cropper

If you come a cropper, you make a mistake which has serious consequences for you.

EXAMPLE

“Liverpool came a cropper in the big Premier League match today.”

 

Come up trumps

If you come up trumps, you succeed in something that you may not have been expected to succeed in.

EXAMPLE

“Manchester United came up trumps in the match today.”

 

Eat humble pie

If you eat humble pie, you admit that you are in the wrong and behave apologetically.

EXAMPLE

“He was wrong and she made him eat humble pie.”

 

Go down a treat

If something goes down a treat, it’s a great success and everyone enjoys it.

EXAMPLE

“Their latest song is really popular. It’s gone down a treat.”

 

Itchy feet

If you have itchy feet, you feel the need to go somewhere different or do something different.

EXAMPLE

“I fancy travelling around the world. I’ve got itchy feet from being in the UK so long.”

 

Just the ticket

You can say something is just the ticket if it’s the perfect thing or if it’s exactly what’s needed.

EXAMPLE

“I hope that this lesson is just the ticket for you to learn new idioms.”

 

Make a song and dance about something

If you make a song and dance about something, you make a big deal out of, or a fuss over, something that isn’t very important.

EXAMPLE

“It doesn’t matter much so stop making such a song and dance about it.”

 

Right up your street

If something is right up your street, it would be perfect for you or ideal for your skills and interests.

EXAMPLE

“Her new job is right up her street – she’s very good at it.”

 

Take the mickey / take the mick out of someone or something

If you’re taking the mickey out of someone, or taking the mick out of them, you’re making fun of them or copying their behaviour for a laugh.

EXAMPLE

“Are you taking the mick?”

 

Um and ah

If you “um and ah” you’re having trouble deciding what to say, or you’re having trouble telling somebody something.

EXAMPLE

“He asked her out but she could only um and ah.”

 

Over the moon / on cloud nine

If you are “over the moon” or “on cloud nine”, you’re absolutely delighted and very happy about something.

EXAMPLE

“Manchester United supporters are over the moon / on cloud nine today.”

British slang video lesson

In this lesson I explain some extremely common and useful British slang terms which I recommend you study and learn. Please find written explanations below.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1nGVglSVu4

 

Aye

This word is not very common but is still used, (especially by me) and is a substitute for “yes” and “OK”. I believe it is originally a Scottish word, although I am not sure.

So, you use it in exactly the same way as you would “yes” or “OK”.

“How are you?” “Aye, not bad”

“Are you feeling better?” “Aye, thanks”

 

Ain’t

“Ain’t” is a very common and popular word for native English speakers, (I say it all the time) although it is grammatically incorrect. It is hard to explain too, because it is one of the English words which defies the normal rules of language, but I will try to explain how to use it as well as I can, because if you know how to use it, you are a real English speaker!

Basically, it is used as a substitute for the negatives of two verbs: “to not have” and “to not be”, and you can use it for ANY of the subject pronouns. All I can do is give some examples so you can see what I mean:

“Are you there yet?” “No, I ain’t.”

“Have they got it?” “No they ain’t.”

“What’s she wearing to the party later?” “She ain’t going.”

 

British slang: “loo” means “toilet”

A very important slang term to know in the UK is that “loo” is often used as a synonym for toilet.

EXAMPLE

“I’m dying for the loo, where is it?”

Other terms

“Bathroom” normally means the room in a house which contains the bath / shower etc., but sometimes we use it as a synonym for “toilet” too.

“Gents’” (short for “gentlmen’s”) means male toilet and “ladies’” refers to a female toilet.

 

Cheers

“Cheers” is the equivalant of “salud” in Spanish and “santé” in French – normally used when people are drinking together and they hold their glasses close to celebrate something. However, we also use it for two other reasons, for “thanks” and for “bye”.

“Here you go!” “Cheers, mate.” (Thanks.)

“See you later then.” “Cheers.” (Bye.)

 

English slang: “sick” means “great”

“Sick” normally means “ill”, but for some reason is has become a slang synonym for “great”, “amazing” and similar words, having a very positive meaning. I don’t really understand why.

EXAMPLES

“That tune is sick!” (“That song is great!”)

“I can’t wait for the party on Friday, it’s gonna be sick.”

 

Innit

It is derived from “isn’t it”, used mainly by young men in informal settings, normally used like “isn’t it?”  at the end of a question, but also in a confirmatory style at the end of a statement. EXAMPLES:

“It’s very hot today, innit?”

(Me during the football against Germany) “That was way over the line, innit!”

In a confirmatory style: “I’ll call you later, innit.”

 

British slang: “rubbish” means “very bad”

“Rubbish” means “waste”, (“garbage” or “trash” in American English) but another very common usage is an adjective which means “very bad”.

EXAMPLES

“I don’t like that film, I think it’s rubbish.”

“Your football team is going to be rubbish this year.”

I discuss the slang use of “rubbish” briefly in this video lesson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo1mOOmUvMk

 

Synonyms / slang for “tired”

Whacked; exhausted; knackered; cream-crackered (rhyming slang for “knackered”);

So, instead of saying “I’m a bit tired”, you could say:

“I’m a bit whacked.”

“I’m absolutely knackered.” (For informal situations.)

 

Wee

“Are you coming?”, “Aye, wait a WEE while” (Wait for a short time.)

“He’s a WEE lad.” (He’s a small boy.)

NOTE: as a verb, “to wee” is a juvenile expression meaning “to urinate”, so please don’t get that confused with the above.

 

Cockney rhyming slang

Cockney rhyming slang involves using phrases which rhyme with words as substitutes for those words. They will often then drop the last word of the phrase, which rhymes, so that the phrase no longer rhymes, to make it even more confusing. Here is a list of them: http://www.aldertons.com/english-.htm

Butcher’s book (or butcher’s) means “look”

“Let’s get a butcher’s; “Have a butcher’s at that girl!”

Adam and Eve means “believe”

“Would you Adam and Eve it!”

Apples and pears means “stairs”

“I’m heading up the apples and pears…” (“I’m going to bed”)

You can see the rest if you click on the link. There is a very long list.

Video 13: British English vs American English

In this lesson I discuss some of the differences between British English and American English, with many examples.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwwRUyqUqjE

 

Notes

English spoken in the UK is often called “British English”, whereas that spoken in the US is sometimes known as “American English”.

Many words and expressions from each are used interchangeably and I think most Britons should understand almost everything Americans say, but there are some differences and it would really help you to understand them if you are coming to the UK, to avoid confusion.

 

British English                                               American English

Autumn                                                           Fall

Motorway / main road                                                Highway

Railway                                                           Railroad

Tube / underground                                        Subway

Car park                                                          Parking lot

Lift                                                                  Elevator

Post code                                                        Zip code

Post                                                                 Mail

Trousers                                                           Pants

Chips                                                               Fries / French fries

Pissed off (“pissed” means “drunk”)              Pissed

Joking                                                              Kidding

z: “zed”                                                           z: “zee”

Tap                                                                  Faucet

Organisation                                                    Organization

Realise                                                             Realize

Licence (noun)                                                License (noun)

Whilst                                                              While

Amongst                                                         Among

Burnt   (past simple tense)                               Burned

Learnt  (past simple tense)                               Learned

 

Article on influence of American English in Britain (past simple tense): http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1535_questionanswer/page50.shtml

British English vs American English spelling quiz: https://learnbritishenglish.wordpress.com/2012/08/24/british-english-vs-american-english-spelling-quiz-via-cambridge-esol/

A big difference is the accent. My video lessons (free on Youtube) can help you learn the British accent: http://www.youtube.com/user/CJWorkman17?feature=mhee

American accent training: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf-Q8PAj_RQ

British accent vs American accent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua7nyAaf3pE

 

English club’s list of vocabulary: http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/british-american.htm

Effingpot’s guide to speaking British English for Americans: http://www.effingpot.com/

British English accent training lesson 12: pronouns

In this lesson I give you advice on how to pronounce English pronouns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBdrWTTvlmg

Personal pronouns                                  subject   object (prepositional)

singular	1st	male/female	I	me
	2nd	male/female	you	you
	3rd	male	he	him
		female	she	her
		neuter	it	it
plural	1st	male/female	we	us
	2nd	male/female	you	you
	3rd	male/female/neuter	they	them

 

Possessive pronouns

singular	1st	male/female	mine
	2nd	male/female	yours
	3rd	male	his
		female	hers
plural	1st	male/female	ours
	2nd	male/female	yours
	3rd	male/female/neuter	theirs

 

Reflexive pronouns

singular	myself yourself himself, herself, itself
plural	ourselves yourselves themselves

 

Demonstrative pronouns: this; that; these (theez); those (th-oh-z)

British English pronunciation lesson: answers for Cilene and more

In this lesson I pronounce some words for possibly the last time for my colleague Chantal, and answer questions posted to me on Youtube by the delicious Cilene from Brazil.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_WTFekqzfY

 

Notes

Word              Phonetics (emphasise syllable in CAPS)

strategy           STRAH-tuh-jee

strategic           STRUH-tee-jik

volunteer         vo-lun-TEER

volunteering    vo-lun-TEER-ring

voluntary         vo-lun-TEH-ree

volunteerism    vo-lun-TEAR-rih-zum

discrete            dih-SCREEET

discretion        dih-SCREH-shun

valuable           VAH-lyoo-ball

“Shake things up.”

“The new manager is going to shake things up.”

BBC news article on London 2012 volunteers: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19201329

 

Question from Cilene

I’d like to know how to pronounce them when they’re followed by a word which starts with vowels.

I was reading Shakespeare and there was a pun with it, and another video about accents.

Seems like in American English, the song I’m referring is like a “z”. But in British English, it really sounds like “s”, but I’m not sure.

I mean “this apple” (thiSSapple or diZapple)?

Answer

In Britain we use the “s” sound, almost linking the words.

This apple.       thiSS-apple

This house.      thiSS-house

This object.      thiSS-object

Note: “h” acts like a vowel at the beginning of words.

 

Question from Cilene

The words “ride” and write” are pronounced the same way, the ONLY difference is that the “i” in the first word is longer…
What?
Don’t you pronounce the “t”s and “d”s in the middle of a world?
Or was it a particularity of a specific accent?

Answer

Listen to me pronounce the words. There is a difference.

English accent special video lesson: conversation listening practice (featuring special guest star)

In this special English lesson me and my special guest star (a native speaker) improvise conversations around colloquial topics to aid your comprehension.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jruV-OupK_Y

 

Notes

 

Tell us about yourself

Robert can also be called Rob, Bob or Bobby. He prefers Rob.

“Let’s get cracking” means “let’s start”.

“Countryside” means a village or town (not a city).

We’re from Wiltshire.

“Picturesque” is an adjective similar to “beautiful”.

 

What do you study?

Rob studies biochemistry (science) involving proteins, fats and carbohydrates and how they behave within our bodies at Cardiff University.

We recommend Cardiff University to international students. Me and Rob both studied there.

Rob describes it as “reputable” – it has a strong reputation.

 

Describe your job

Rob works in a laboratory where they analyse food to make sure it is safe for people to eat.

 

What do you think about the weather lately?

We love to discuss the weather in Britain.

The weather this summer has been “up and down” (hot and cold).

Some days “uncomfortably warm” (quite hot) and others “bit nippy” or “chilly”.

“Bit nippy” and “chilly” mean “cold”.

 

What books do you like to read? Tell us about the one you’re reading now

Rob loves reading science-fiction books.

His favourite is “Dune” by Frank Herbert.

Other books we discuss are “Lord of the Rings”; books by Jack Vance, Gene Wolf, “His Dark Materials” by Philip Pullman.

He’s currently reading “Stand on Zanzibar” by John Brunner. He mentions it is funny (humorous).

“1984” by George Orwell is a classic English book.

 

How important is reading to your English?

Rob finds reading books very important to improving his English as he learns new vocabulary and expressions.

 

What is your advice to people on how to improve their English?

Rob suggests it depends on what technique works best for you. Do you prefer reading, watching or listening to learn things? You can find movies and radio on the Internet.

We recommend discussing with other people learning English to share ideas and resources.

British English accent training lesson 11: London Olympics

In this topical video I provide information about the London Olympics and give some examples of pronunciation.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQZHbQL-xPc

 

Notes

BBC guide to the Games: http://www.bbc.co.uk/2012/

Opening ceremony 27 July, finish 12 August.

 

London 2012

London Olympics

Olympics

Olympic Games

 

The British team is called Team GB.

 

Controversy over mix for GB football team: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16640170

 

Opening ceremony by director Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-19020830

 

China won the first gold and a 16-year-old swimmer broke a world record.

 

Events held in London, Cardiff, Manchester, Weymouth (sailing) and other cities.

 

Olympic Sports

Rowing

Swimming

Cycling

Sailing

Martial arts (e.g. judo; karate; taekwondo)

Water polo

Fencing

Weightlifting

Athletics

100-meter sprint

Pentathlon (five sports) “pen” means “five”

Heptathlon (seven sports) “hep” means “seven”

Decathlon (ten sports) “dec” means “ten”

 

Famous Olympians

Usain Bolt: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18999825

Roger Federer

Michael Phelps: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19073265

Team GB: Bradley Wiggins, Sir Chris Hoy, Jessica Ennis, Rebecca Adlington, Andy Murray, Ben Ainslie, Tom Daley

 

Medals

Bronze

Silver

Gold

 

 

G4S staffing problems: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18984972

Mistake with North Korean flag: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-19004496

Empty seats: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19048918

Medals table: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/medals/countries

British accent special: interview with French speaker (featuring special French guest Benjamin)

In this video my friend and special guest Benjamin from France talks about learning and speaking British English from the perspective of a foreign speaker, and he gives some helpful advice from his experience in the UK.

We make some jokes, so please don’t take everything seriously.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3US3HhGTZhQ

Interview agenda

Tell us a bit about yourself (Describe yourself.)

Describe your dream girl

What is your advice for learning and speaking English?

 

Do you have advice and tips for speaking with a British accent?

 

Give us an example of a Welsh accent

 

Do you have anything else to share?

Ben talks about the English accents of people from outside the UK, with examples.

Tongue-twister challenge

One tooth, two teeth; one foot, two feet

One tooth, two feet, one foot, two teeth

One foot, two teeth, one tooth, two feet

Video 10: what the British mean

In this video I explain a table which explains what the British mean by particular expressions.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmpitwzPx_Q

 

What the British mean

Video 9: poetry corner

In this video I read two classic poems aloud. They are “A Poison Tree” by William Blake and “A Valediction: Forbidding Morning” by John Donne.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfHHvZbQ0wM

 

Notes

 

A Poison Tree

by William Blake

 

I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine.
And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

 

A VALEDICTION FORBIDDING MOURNING.
by John Donne

AS virtuous men pass mildly away,
And whisper to their souls to go,
Whilst some of their sad friends do say,
“Now his breath goes,” and some say, “No.”

So let us melt, and make no noise,                                       5
No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move ;
‘Twere profanation of our joys  (‘Twere = It were)
To tell the laity our love.

Moving of th’ earth brings harms and fears ;   (th’ = the)
Men reckon what it did, and meant ;                              10
But trepidation of the spheres,
Though greater far, is innocent.

Dull sublunary lovers’ love
—Whose soul is sense—cannot admit
Of absence, ’cause it doth remove    (doth = does)                15
The thing which elemented it.

But we by a love so much refined,
That ourselves know not what it is,
Inter-assurèd of the mind,
Care less, eyes, lips and hands to miss.                           20

Our two souls therefore, which are one,
Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion,
Like gold to aery thinness beat.   (aery = airy)

If they be two, they are two so                                          25
As stiff twin compasses are two ;
Thy soul, the fix’d foot, makes no show  (Thy = your; fix’d = fixed)
To move, but doth, if th’ other do.

And though it in the centre sit,
Yet, when the other far doth roam,                                30
It leans, and hearkens after it,
And grows erect, as that comes home.

Such wilt thou be to me, who must,    (wilt = will)
Like th’ other foot, obliquely run ;
Thy firmness makes my circle just,                                    35
And makes me end where I begun.