Show 1034 Tuesday 21 April
Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.
Hi, I’m Sarah, welcome to The Daily English Show.
Today we’re studying the second half of the conversation we studied on last Tuesday’s show from the movie A Modern Affair.
So a woman has run into her ex-boyfriend in the street and they’re having some small talk.
And the ex-boyfriend has had two kids with his new partner and he says: I just happened to have photographs.
What does happen to have mean?
happen v. to do or be sth by chance
For example: She happened to be out when we called.
In this situation it’s funny because it’s not really by chance that he has photos. He’s obviously so proud of his kids that he carries around photos of them all the time. And him using the phrase happen to have emphasizes his eagerness to grab any opportunity to talk about his kids.
And the woman says: Oh, they’re beautiful. They don’t look like you.
And he says: Thanks!
Because if you say, they’re beautiful, they don’t look like you, it kind of sounds like you mean, you are not beautiful – even though that’s not what she means.
And he knows that and he’s only pretending to be offended when he says: Thanks!
This is quite a common response if someone says something offensive by the way. You can say “thanks” in an offended or sarcastic tone. This works both if you really are offended. Thanks. And if you’re really not offended … you’re just joking. Thanks.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora in Stick News today a Canadian tourist in New Zealand said she was offended by the name of a lolly.
According to Wikipedia, Eskimos are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia, across Alaska and Canada, and all of Greenland.
There are also lollies in New Zealand called Eskimos.
A 21-year-old Canadian tourist said she was shocked when she found the lollies for sale last week.
She said the word Eskimo was unacceptable in Canada and carried with it negative racial connotations.
And that was Stick News for Tuesday the 21st of April.
Kia ora.
TDES Niseko Snow Report
with SAS Scott Adventure Sports
thanks to: David New
How do you choose what kind of boots to buy?
Boots are very, very important. And if you’re looking to buy your own boots, the best thing to do is to go and make sure that you see somebody who is, um, has got a lot of experience. Um, ski boot fitting is actually a, um, a very … takes a long time to qualify for as a master boot fitter. It can be five years to, to qualify for. And so if you, um, are going to buy a pair of boots, the best thing to do is to get a referral from a friend. Or have a look on the websites to see who’s recommended as a boot fitter.
Once you’ve done that, then you can go and, you know, you’ll speak to them. And different models, different makes, for instance, Salomon, ah, Atomic, and Nordica … they’re all, you know, they’re all good boot manufacturers. But a good boot … a good boot fitter will be able to tell you that a certain boot is right for you because of the shape of your foot. Um, so, it’s … best advice on that is to go, to go to a good boot fitter.
Word of the Day
Today’s word is gobsmacked.
Gobsmacked is a word that Susan Boyle used to describe her reaction to her sudden worldwide fame.
Gobsmacked means very surprised.
I guess it comes from the word gob and smacked. Gob is an informal word for mouth.
So when you’re so surprised that you don’t know what to say … it’s kind of like someone has smacked your mouth.
conversations with sarah
#653 How’s your dad?
Step 1: Repeat Ben’s lines.
Step 2: Read Ben’s lines and talk to Gracie.
* Watch here from 4:36
Ben How’s your dad?
Gracie He’s good.
Ben Send him my best.
Gracie I will do that. I, ah, I heard you had a kid.
Ben Was that the first or the second you heard?
Gracie Two kids? Wow.
Ben I just happened to have, ah … photographs. That’s Monica and that’s Rachel.
Gracie Oh, they’re beautiful. They don’t look like you.
Ben Thanks!
Gracie I mean, um …They’re beautiful children.
Ben Thanks.
Gracie I, um, I have to go.
Ben Bye.
links
today's news
today's STICK NEWS pictures
photo of Eskimo lollies
producer of Eskimo lollies
more about gobsmacked
music
show start
artist: Boom Tschak
album: Indietronic CCBit.
track: More Chocolate, Please
from: Former Yugoslavia
MySpace
nsr start
artist: Zeropage
album: Ambient Pills Update
track: Is It Real?
from: Switzerland
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site
cws start
artist: Wolfgang S.
album: Indietronic CCBit.
track: Dynamite
from: Belgrade, Serbia, Former Yugoslavia
artist site
MySpace
qa start
artist: ioeo
album: triptracks
track: triptrack2
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site
qa bgm
artist: Josta
album: Altrove (part 1)
track: Ti spiezzo il beat
from: Torino, Italy
artist at Jamendo
album at Jamendo
artist site
Have you translated this script - or part of it - into your language for English practice and published it on your blog? Please leave a comment and a link so other people can read your translation. Thank you.
Posts
