Episode 0152

Hello everyone and welcome back to English Pod. My name is Marco.

And my name is Catherine. So, as usual, we've got a great dialogue for you today. And before we get going, I should mention what the topic is. So, Marco, take it away.

We are We are actually having a small fight at the office. Somebody or a coworker is annoying us. So, you know, sometimes coworkers, you see them every day. They're doing something that's maybe getting on your nerves.

And you practically live together because you're with each other for 8, 9, 10 hours every day.

Exactly. So that's what we're going to be looking at today, some language related to this topic. So let's listen to the dialogue for the first time.

Cut what out? I'm not doing anything.

Look, we have a lot of accumulated anger from working in these conditions. And it's probably okay to let off steam once in a while. But it's probably not a good idea to keep it up. I'm willing to forgive and forget if you are.

Fine. Let's call a truce. I'll try to be more considerate and keep the noise down.

Yeah, I'll try to do the same.

All right, we're back. So, uh, yeah, I think this is a common situation, right?

All right. So, um, I think there was some interesting words here, but mostly phrases. So, uh, let's start with the words first on language takeaway.

Language Takeaway.

All right, so the first word, as you might have guessed, has to do with eating and drinking. This is called slurping. And it's something

To slurp.

To slurp. So the the noun, the thing is slurping. And uh, it's very common with people who um, who eat their food quickly.

Like soup. Yeah.

Soup or, you know, or when they're eating soup noodles.

Noodles.

Or sometimes when you have a drink and you're drinking it through a straw, towards the end, you're just like trying to get the very last part at the bottom. So yeah, the straw slurps.

Yeah, so slurping, some people really can't stand it. And uh,

Sometimes you don't even notice that you're doing it.

No, absolutely not.

All right. So, uh, apart from slurping, what else do we have?

We've got a great word here, accumulated. So a lot of accumulated anger. The word is a verb to accumulate.

And what does that mean?

Means to kind of grow or to become more and more. All right? So,

So you're just like saving it.

Or even it's like building up. You know, we say this oftentimes in Chicago where it snows a lot in the winter, that there's uh, a foot of snow accumulated on the ground. That means there's a lot of snow. And every time it snows, it keeps getting bigger.

Uh-huh.

So, to accumulate.

So accumulated anger, your anger is getting bigger and bigger.

Right, because you never tell anyone about your anger, so it keeps building and it keeps piling up.

All right. Well, uh, towards the end, they said, well, let's call a truce. So they want to call a truce.

Right, a truce is another word for a peace. And so this is a way that that you can stop fighting and uh, say that you and I have been fighting for a long time. We may not come to a deal, but we'll say truce from now on. We just won't fight, okay?

Won't fight about it. Okay.

Brothers and sisters often call truces.

That truce. And uh, well, if you're calling a truce, you're you're trying to be more considerate.

Okay, considerate, like you're saying is a is a way to be or a way to act. And considerate um, often has to do with how you act towards other people. So it's being nice to other people or thinking about other people's feelings before you yourself.

All right. So if you're considerate, then you are maybe more polite. You think about the other person's feelings before you do anything.

Exactly, or you just say nice little things like please and thank you and I'm sorry, and these things are all ways of being considerate.

Very good. All right, so four great words on language takeaway. Uh, why don't we move on now to fluency builder?

Fluency Builder.

All right, so as we mentioned, this uh dialogue is very, very rich in a lot of different phrases. So, let's start with a couple of them. The very first one and the title of the lesson, cut it out. Cut that out.

Right. So, you're you're not actually saying to cut something with scissors or something, right?

No, this is it's it's a way of saying can you stop that?

Stop it. Stop doing that.

Stop it. Quit it.

Okay. Cut that out. Cut it out.

So if something someone's doing something that's really annoying to you, it's not very nice to say, but you can say, hey, cut that out.

Cut it out.

Or if someone's doing something mean to someone, like my brother used to hit me, my mom would say, Peter, cut that out.

All right, so it is a good mom phrase as well.

Mhm.

All right, uh, moving on to our next phrase. The guy said that the tapping on the desk was driving him crazy. It's driving me crazy.

All right, to drive someone crazy means to make someone just feel like they're going nuts or um, you know, just it makes you kind of angry or frustrated or tense.

But it can also be used like in um, in a romantic sense, right? That girl drives me crazy.

It means like he can't even think about anything else.

All right.

So in this case, uh, what drives you crazy?

Uh, when,

I'll tell you what drives me crazy. When people clip their fingernails and toenails at the office.

Can't believe. Well, uh, it drives me crazy like for example, when somebody or my brother leaves his clothes lying on the floor in the living room for example.

Oh, that's annoying, too. Yeah.

So that drives me crazy. All right, so, uh, moving on to our third phrase. This is a pretty big one, but take it as a whole. You've got to be kidding me.

All right, so this is, as you've said, a a fixed phrase. These words usually go together and it is a perfect example of sarcasm. So it's a way you the way you say it is very important. So I could say, uh, you've got to be kidding me. Um, what's a good uh, what's a good situation for this? Maybe um, I get to the airport and I'm running late and I'm really happy that I get there on time. And then I see the flight is delayed seven hours.

Exactly.

Right. So it's a way of saying I can't believe it or seriously, this isn't Yeah. What's happening?

Or what bad luck.

Right. So it is a sarcastic phrase, but use it as a whole. Usually you don't change the subject. You don't say you've got to be kidding him or something.

All right.

See, different meanings with different inflections.

Different inflection. Very good.

Uh, what's our next phrase?

Our next phrase is a good one because uh, it doesn't mean what it sounds like, okay? So, uh, to shoot the breeze.

Okay.

Shoot means like you can shoot a gun and breeze is like the wind. But here to shoot the breeze is to have a nice little conversation, just to talk about nothing.

Okay, so not really do anything, just talk a little bit.

Right, so if we think about this in the context of this sentence, it's you know, you go out for your cigarette break 10 times a day to shoot the breeze.

Okay.

So this means you go outside and you just talk about nothing and whatever and it's almost like you're wasting time just talking.

Okay, so shooting the breeze. You can say, oh, we were just shooting the breeze.

Just have a nice little conversation. Nothing important.

Okay. And uh, our last phrase for today.

Forgive and forget. Let's forgive and forget.

Let's forgive and forget. This is these words again, like the last phrases, um, go together. Forgive and forget. So I could say this to you, Marco. I say, I know you've been fighting with your brother for 10 years. I say finally, just forgive and forget. It means just put everything behind you and try and start again.

Again. Okay, let it go.

Yeah, forgive the person, forget about it. Move on.

Okay, forgive and forget. Very good. So very interesting phrases, I think, um, they're very useful and this is very colloquial English, right?

Absolutely. This is stuff that you're going to hear all the time, but maybe not altogether at the same time. Definitely though, very helpful for interacting with foreign friends and colleagues.

Very good. So, let's listen to the dialogue for the last time and we'll be right back.

Cut what out? I'm not doing anything.

Look, we have a lot of accumulated anger from working in these conditions. And it's probably okay to let off steam once in a while. But it's probably not a good idea to keep it up. I'm willing to forgive and forget if you are.

Fine. Let's call a truce. I'll try to be more considerate and keep the noise down.

Yeah, I'll try to do the same.

So, do you ever see the TV show Full House when you were a kid?

I did. I did. It was a popular.

Da, da, da.

Um, with uh, the Olsen twins and and all those, right?

Yeah, and Bob Saget. So, there was an uncle on the show, Uncle Joey. And he always used to say, cut it out. And he had like hand motions for it. And so cut it out is a way to say, kind of, stop it, quit it. You're killing me. It's like he was saying, too funny.

Right, right.

Very early nineties. Yeah. Um, well, it this whole situation with the office as well, I think there was a TV show called The Office, right?

Yeah, there was the British Office and then there was an American version. Mhm.

And it's also something about office life and how colleagues get on each other's nerves and they play pranks on each other and everyone's kind of weird.

And everyone drives everyone else crazy.

Exactly.

No, it's uh, it's it's funny because once you start working in an office full-time, I mean, everyone's maybe had a little bit of office experience, but when it's full-time, you spend more time with your colleagues than you do with your family. It's it's really amazing what what makes you crazy, what drives you crazy and what stuff just doesn't matter.

So this is an interesting topic. We really want to hear from you guys. Um, many of you probably work at an office, so tell us. So come and tell us what drives you crazier, maybe what colleague is driving you mad.

Right. So, uh, we'll be waiting for you at Englishpod.com. Leave questions and comments and uh, we'll see you guys next time. Yep.

Bye, everyone. Bye.

The English part audio review.

Listen to the meaning, then say the vocabulary word.

Tell somebody to stop.

Cut that out.

You must be making jokes with me.

You've got to be kidding me.

Chat.

Shoot the breeze.

Gathered.

Accumulated.

To release excess energy, emotion, etc.

Let off steam.

Carry on.

Keep up.

Stop feeling anger and decide to let it go.

Forgive and forget.

Stop fighting.

Call a truce.

Thinking about the feelings of other people.

Considerate.

To eat or drink something noisily.

Slurp.

Stop feeling anger and decide to let it go.

Forgive and forget.

You must be making jokes with me.

You've got to be kidding me.

Tell somebody to stop.

Cut that out.

To release excess energy, emotion, etc.

Let off steam.

To eat or drink something noisily.

Slurp.

Stop fighting.

Call a truce.

Chat.

Shoot the breeze.

Thinking about the feelings of other people.

Considerate.

Carry on.

Keep up.

Gathered.

Accumulated.

Now say the word and hear it in a sentence.

Cut that out.

Cut that out.

Cut that out.

Let's cut the funny business out and get back to work.

Slurp.

It's considered rude to slurp your soup.

Slurp.

The dog slurped the whole meal down at once.

Slurp.

He always slurps his coffee.

Let off steam.

You can talk to me anytime if you need to let off steam.

Let off steam.

Sometimes exercise is the best way to let off steam.

Let off steam.

Letting off steam is essential for good mental health.

Keep up.

If you keep up the good work, you could get promoted.

Keep up.

Keep up.

Let's hope this good weather keeps up.

Considerate.

Sending a thank you card is very considerate.

Considerate.

Mary is a caring and considerate person.

Considerate.

It was very considerate of you to offer to help.