Listen
Feifei needs to be nice to her landlady in order to prevent a rise in her rent. Finn suggests that she butters up the woman. How can she do this? Listen to the programme to find out.
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Butter up
 |
Many idioms are inspired by
food. |
The script for this programme
(Feifei and Finn bump into each other at the supermarket)
Finn: Hello Feifei. I didn't know you shopped at this supermarket too.
Feifei: Hi Finn. Usually I don't. But it's close to the office and I have to rush home to welcome an important guest.
Finn: Who is it? Someone I know?
Feifei: No, it's my landlady. She's coming to collect some of her post and… well, I want to make her like me because next month, the contract on my flat is due to be renewed and she might want to increase the rent.
Finn: Yeah, I see what you mean. So you'd better butter her up then!
Feifei: Butter? Oh, yes. But I'm a pretty bad cook. If I baked a cake it would probably be horrible!
Finn: No. I don't mean butter for a cake. In English, when you say you'll 'butter someone up', you mean you'll be especially nice to them in the hope they'll do something good for you in return.
Feifei: Oh, I see. So I'll be nice to her and pay her compliments so that she likes me and keeps the rent low. I'll 'butter her up'! But isn't it a bit insincere?
Finn: Well, it can have a negative connotation, yes. Let's hear some examples of how to use 'to butter someone up' or 'to butter up someone', which is today's expression in The English We Speak.
Finn: Hello Feifei. I didn't know you shopped at this supermarket too.
Feifei: Hi Finn. Usually I don't. But it's close to the office and I have to rush home to welcome an important guest.
Finn: Who is it? Someone I know?
Feifei: No, it's my landlady. She's coming to collect some of her post and… well, I want to make her like me because next month, the contract on my flat is due to be renewed and she might want to increase the rent.
Finn: Yeah, I see what you mean. So you'd better butter her up then!
Feifei: Butter? Oh, yes. But I'm a pretty bad cook. If I baked a cake it would probably be horrible!
Finn: No. I don't mean butter for a cake. In English, when you say you'll 'butter someone up', you mean you'll be especially nice to them in the hope they'll do something good for you in return.
Feifei: Oh, I see. So I'll be nice to her and pay her compliments so that she likes me and keeps the rent low. I'll 'butter her up'! But isn't it a bit insincere?
Finn: Well, it can have a negative connotation, yes. Let's hear some examples of how to use 'to butter someone up' or 'to butter up someone', which is today's expression in The English We Speak.
Feifei: Oh, look. It's 6pm already. I'm very late. I might not be on time to meet my landlady and she'll be angry with me. She's a very busy woman.
Finn: Yeah, well, then you are in a jam!
Feifei: Jam?!
Finn: In English, when you say someone 'is in a jam', you mean they are in a difficult situation – but that's a different kind of jam!
Feifei: All these expressions about food!
Finn: I know. We have a huge appetite for food expressions. But let's leave some for another day. Bye!
Feifei: Bye!
Finn: Yeah, well, then you are in a jam!
Feifei: Jam?!
Finn: In English, when you say someone 'is in a jam', you mean they are in a difficult situation – but that's a different kind of jam!
Feifei: All these expressions about food!
Finn: I know. We have a huge appetite for food expressions. But let's leave some for another day. Bye!
Feifei: Bye!
Downloads
To take away:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theenglishwespeak/2014/09/140923_tews_194_butter_up.shtml
Next: Splash out
Next: Splash out
terça-feira, 2 de setembro de 2014
Cheesed off
 |
| Do you get angry when you feel hungry? |
Finn's not happy. His boss has told him to write his long, boring report again. Li offers him some cheese, but it doesn't help. He's 'cheesed off'. Listen to the programme to find out what this expression means.
The script for this programme
(Finn comes into the office where Li is working and he looks very angry)
Li: Hi Finn. Oh, you don't look that happy today... Here, have a bit of cheese.
Finn: No thanks, Li.
Li: It's tasty! Italian cheese – my favourite.
Finn: Thank you, Li. But, I'm sorry, I'm just in a terrible mood today. Do you know I have to spend the whole weekend writing a report?
Li: Oh really…?
Finn: Well, the boss said my first draft wasn't good enough and asked me to do the whole thing again by Monday!
Li: Not much fun. Sorry Finn. Are you sure you don't want some cheese?
Finn: No. No cheese for me, thanks. I'm… I'm really cheesed off!
Li: Cheesed off? Is that a medical problem…? You can't eat cheese?
Finn: No. In English, 'to be cheesed off' means to be really annoyed. I'm so cheesed off! You can also say 'to cheese someone off' – so, writing reports really cheeses me off.
Li: So… now I know why you're cheesed off.
Finn: Yes, 'cheesed off' is today's expression in Authentic Real English. Let's hear some examples of how it's used.
Li: Hi Finn. Oh, you don't look that happy today... Here, have a bit of cheese.
Finn: No thanks, Li.
Li: It's tasty! Italian cheese – my favourite.
Finn: Thank you, Li. But, I'm sorry, I'm just in a terrible mood today. Do you know I have to spend the whole weekend writing a report?
Li: Oh really…?
Finn: Well, the boss said my first draft wasn't good enough and asked me to do the whole thing again by Monday!
Li: Not much fun. Sorry Finn. Are you sure you don't want some cheese?
Finn: No. No cheese for me, thanks. I'm… I'm really cheesed off!
Li: Cheesed off? Is that a medical problem…? You can't eat cheese?
Finn: No. In English, 'to be cheesed off' means to be really annoyed. I'm so cheesed off! You can also say 'to cheese someone off' – so, writing reports really cheeses me off.
Li: So… now I know why you're cheesed off.
Finn: Yes, 'cheesed off' is today's expression in Authentic Real English. Let's hear some examples of how it's used.
Li: No need to be cheesed off, Finn. I can help you with your report.
Finn: Oh really. You're such a sweetie, Li!
Li: But you have to do what I say…
Finn: Ok… what do I have to do?
Li: First thing: have some of this cheese!
Finn: Oh, okay. Mmm… mmmmm… this is quite delicious! Can I have some more?
Li: You see. I knew you would feel better after eating something. You weren't just angry – you were hungry! Feeling a bit better now?
Finn: Oh yes. Oh, lovely. Thank you. Now, let's get this done. Bye.
Li: Bye.
Finn: Oh really. You're such a sweetie, Li!
Li: But you have to do what I say…
Finn: Ok… what do I have to do?
Li: First thing: have some of this cheese!
Finn: Oh, okay. Mmm… mmmmm… this is quite delicious! Can I have some more?
Li: You see. I knew you would feel better after eating something. You weren't just angry – you were hungry! Feeling a bit better now?
Finn: Oh yes. Oh, lovely. Thank you. Now, let's get this done. Bye.
Li: Bye.
Downloads
To take away:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theenglishwespeak/2014/09/140902_tews_191_cheesed_off.shtml
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