Episode 0184

That's right. It's a new year and so we have a lesson for you where we are going to make new decisions and have a new opportunity in in the new year, right?

That's right, so the New Year is the time to change parts of your life maybe. So that's what we're going to talk about today. Let's listen to this dialogue three times. And when we come back, we'll be talking about the words and phrases in the dialogue.

Now that it's the New Year, I've decided to turn over a new leaf.

Yeah? You finally decided to wipe the slate clean?

So what are you going to do? Take up an art class or something?

Well, first of all, I've decided to stop smoking. It's not that I'm pinching pennies or anything, it's just that I've been smoking since I was 16. And I think it's time to stop.

I'm with you on that one. Anything else you're planning on doing?

It's about time.

All right, we're back and so if you noticed, the dialogue has actually a lot of really, really rich phrases in there. So, today, we are going to change the format a little bit and we are going to do fluency builder in two different sections. So, starting out with the first one on fluency builder part one.

So, the new year, we think about new things, changing things. Uh we have a great phrase in English to describe starting fresh, starting anew. And we say turn over a new leaf.

Okay, so you turn over a new leaf. So that means that you are going to maybe make a radical change, right? Some completely new.

That's right. So, if you think about it, it's a new chapter in your life or a new uh adventure or something like that. Maybe you're going to quit your job. Turn over a new leaf, start a new job.

Okay. So you can say I'm going to turn over a new leaf or Sarah turned over a new leaf and uh quit smoking.

Let's turn over a new leaf and forget the past.

There we go. All right, so to turn over a new leaf, so just imagine that you have a a leaf on the ground and you turn it over and it's nice and clean.

Mm.

All right. And talking about cleanliness, the our second phrase is to wipe the slate clean.

Okay, when I think about this phrase, I think about a chalkboard, okay? So a slate is like a chalkboard. And all of the things that you've done, good and bad, are on that chalkboard. And to wipe the slate clean means to erase those words, erase those things. So perhaps, Marco and I fight all the time and we're angry at each other. Finally I say, listen, Marco, let's wipe the slate clean. Let's forget the past. Let's forget the things we said and start again.

Let's start a new leaf.

Mhm.

To wipe the slate clean is to just start over. You know, just to erase everything, let's forget about it and start over.

Exactly.

All right, and so we're starting over and his friend is asking you decided to wipe the slate clean. And the friend said, you got it. You got what?

What? It? What is it?

What is it?

Yeah.

Well, in this case, you got it means you're right, exactly, you understand what I'm talking about.

Okay. So if you agree with me or I understand what you're talking about, you would say, you got it.

You got it.

All right, so uh I'm trying to explain to you maybe Marco, something very difficult, like, um, you know, if you add four and ten, you get 14, um, what if you add ten more?

That's 24.

Yes.

Okay, so that's the way you would use you got it. It's a really popular phrase. I mean, you can use it on pretty much anything, not only if you're right, but also if somebody agrees with it or you promise something, right? So, are you going to pick me up today? Yeah, you got it.

Okay, so it's a it's a way to agree or to show that you're saying yes.

Yes. Mhm.

Okay, so why don't we listen to our dialogue again and we'll come back shortly to look at fluency builder part two.

Now that it's the New Year, I've decided to turn over a new leaf.

Yeah? You finally decided to wipe the slate clean?

So what are you going to do? Take up an art class or something?

Well, first of all, I've decided to stop smoking. It's not that I'm pinching pennies or anything, it's just that I've been smoking since I was 16. And I think it's time to stop.

I'm with you on that one. Anything else you're planning on doing?

It's about time.

All right, we're back. So now let's continue with our fluency builder. And uh, well, they kept talking and the guy mentioned that he's going to stop smoking, but it's not because he is pinching pennies.

Oh, pinching. That sounds painful.

Right.

Okay, pinching is something you do, especially when you're a child, uh you, you squeeze the skin, pinch, and it hurts. So to pinch really is to hold something with two fingers.

Mhm.

Um, so to pinch pennies means to try to spend very, very, very little money, okay?

Right.

So if we say, um, if I say, hey, Marco, you want to go to dinner tonight? There's this really nice Italian place. It's a little expensive, but

So maybe we'll go somewhere cheaper.

Yeah. So actually pennies are one cent. One cent coins, right? They're called pennies in the United States.

That's right. And it's the smallest kind of money that we have in America. So if you're pinching pennies, if you're saving pennies, it means you really don't have much money.

Right, you're really, really saving. Right.

Okay, so pinching pennies. So he decided to quit smoking and his friend agreed with him and said, you know what? I'm with you on that one.

Okay, so you quit smoking, Marco, and I quit smoking, I'm with you on that one. I think it's a good idea. If I'm with you on that one, it means I I agree with you, you're you're doing the right thing.

So, you can say, I'm with you on that one or you can just say, you know what, I'm with you. Do it or I'm with you, I agree or I'm with you, I support your decision.

So, you are going to go skydiving in a couple weeks. That means you're going to jump out of an airplane. I'm not with you on that one. I, I think it's okay for you, but I would not want to do it personally.

You don't support my decision.

I think it's okay for you, but I would not want to do it.

All right. Right. So you can do it in that way or just anything, you support somebody's decision. I'm with you. I'm with you on that one.

Exactly.

All right, and our last phrase, to come out of the closet.

So who's who's in the closet?

Why is somebody hiding in the closet?

Okay, someone's not really hiding in the closet. This is a phrase we use to describe someone who is gay or lesbian, who is who has a secret about being a gay or lesbian. So when they come out of the closet, they're telling their friends and family for the first time that this is what this is how they feel.

So it's basically a phrase that's kind of a metaphor to say, you know what, I'm going to tell everyone that I am gay or lesbian, right?

That's right. Well, it's because in English often times a closet is a place where we keep secrets. Okay? And so to come out of the closet means to uh to share your secrets with people.

So sometimes in English you say I you have skeletons in in the closet.

That's right. This is a little different. Maybe I killed someone. And it's a skeleton in my closet. It's a secret that I keep.

But a skeleton in your closet can also be a very big secret like you were once married and you never told anyone.

Yeah. Or I have I have two kids and I never told you guys.

Right. So those would be skeletons in the closet, but in this case, it's to come out of the closet and that's always related to telling somebody for the first time that you are gay or lesbian.

That's right. And we don't say it about being straight, which is the opposite, which is um men, men who love women and women who love men. Uh you don't say it about coming out of the closet there. You say it about being gay or lesbian.

Okay. So very interesting and uh so I think we should listen to this dialogue for the last time and we'll be back to talk a little bit more.

Now that it's the New Year, I've decided to turn over a new leaf.

Yeah? You finally decided to wipe the slate clean?

So what are you going to do? Take up an art class or something?

Well, first of all, I've decided to stop smoking. It's not that I'm pinching pennies or anything, it's just that I've been smoking since I was 16. And I think it's time to stop.

I'm with you on that one. Anything else you're planning on doing?

It's about time.

All right, we're back. So this is very interesting and these phrases are so common because if you have a fight with somebody, you say, you know what, let's just wipe the slate clean and start all over again or let's turn over a new leaf. Let's stop fighting. And especially in New Year's, right? Everyone makes a a promise to start fresh.

That's right. Well, the New Year, you can use a new calendar, you can take a fresh perspective on your life. It's it's refreshing and I think it's good that we do this, we evaluate the things that make us happy and we evaluate the things that make us unhappy. And part of that means turning over a new leaf, part of it also means apologizing to people or trying to make the relationships in your life healthier.

Mhm.

And that's really interesting because uh as we said, to come out of the closet is a phrase used in English and mostly related only in this context. So you might see it in TV shows or in a movie. And uh but it's it's an interesting topic, still debatable all over the world about, you know, gay marriages and things like that.

That's right. So we're curious about your New Year's resolutions, are you going to be wiping any slates clean? Are you going to be doing anything differently this year? Let us know on our website, Englishpod.com. We look forward to hearing from you and until next time.

EnglishPod audio review.

Listen to the meaning, then say the vocabulary word.

Start anew.

Turn over a new leaf.

Start over.

Wipe the slate clean.

Chance.

Opportunity.

Start, adopt the study.

Take up.

To be thrifty.

Pinch pennies.

Support you.

With you.

To state openly or publicly one's homosexuality.

Come out of the closet.

Let's try that faster.

To be thrifty.

Pinch pennies.

Chance.

Opportunity.

Start, adopt the study.

Take up.

To state openly or publicly one's homosexuality.

Come out of the closet.

Start over.

Wipe the slate clean.

Start anew.

Turn over a new leaf.

Support you.

With you.

Now say the word and hear it in a sentence.

Turn over a new leaf.

Turn over a new leaf.

Turn over a new leaf.

EnglishPod decided to turn over a new leaf and offer learning English in Chinese to its users.

Wipe the slate clean.

I was unhappy with the way I was living, so I decided to wipe the slate clean and start again.

Wipe the slate clean.

By wiping the slate clean, he was able to forget the troubles of his past and go on with living his life.

Wipe the slate clean.

Opportunity.

Opportunity.

Opportunity.

Take up.

I decided I wasn't good at the piano, so I took up guitar instead.

Take up.

Are you going to take up dancing this year or are you going to stick to gymnastics?

Take up.

With you.

You think he was guilty? I'm with you on that one.

With you.

Were with you to the death.

With you.

I'm with you when you say that life's not fair, but I don't agree that we should just sit around and feel sorry for ourselves when life gets tough.