Background: This esl podcast is about a confrontation to a friend about his girlfriend. Here we learn some excellent vocabulary and phrases about talking to someone about something that isn’t easy to talk about.
Foot Down
Conversation
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Addison
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A: Steve, I’ve got to talk to you.
B: Sure, what’s up?
A: I really don’t know how to say this but…
B: Just go ahead.
A: Well, don’t take this the wrong way, but your girl is ruining your life. You’ve got to get rid of her.
B: What do you mean?
A: She doesn’t work, she calls you 24/7 whining about nothing, and won’t let you hang out with your friends.
B: I love her though.
A: No you don’t. You are just attached. You’ve got to cut it. Think about how horrible your life has been lately. Why do you let people treat you like that?
B: I don’t know, until you mentioned it I hadn’t really thought about it. I guess it is pretty bad. I’ll have to at least demand some changes.
A: Alright, but you’ve got to put your foot down. You’re a cool guy. You don’t have to put up with this garbage.
B: You’re right, I’m going to tell her.
A: Ok, and make sure you don’t wimp out. |
Key vocabulary and phrases that are discussed in the podcast:
I really don’t know how to say this – A way to tell someone you are about to tell him something sensitive or some bad news.
Don’t take this the wrong way – This tells someone that you are not trying to make them angry at all. You are trying to help. If you tell someone, “I think you should start going to the gym”. The other person might think you mean they are fat. But maybe your real meaning is that you want them to keep healthy. So if they got angry, they took it the wrong way.
24/7 – a way to express “all the time”. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Attached – a feeling that you have if you’re with someone for a long time. Maybe you don’t really love them but you feel you need them.
put your foot down – Make a clear demand and don’t change or negotiate your position at all. For example, a father might say to his daughter, “it’s too late, I’m not going to let you go out, I’m putting my foot down”. That means he really won’t let her go out. This expression is kind of old fashioned and isn’t really used when talking directly to someone. You can tell someone to put their foot down with someone else. If you say, “I’m putting my foot down” and you are talking to your friend, you will sound like an idiot.
put up with – to tolerate something. Its something you don’t like but you are accepting it anyway. If you neighbor is playing really loud music, after a while you might not be able to put up with it anymore, so you go tell them to turn it down.
wimp out – a wimp is a weak person in many areas. If you wimp out it means you got scared in a situation and didn’t do something that you were planning to do. So if Steve saw his girlfriend and didn’t tell her what he thought, then he “wimped out”.
June 17th, 2008 at 6:51 am
Now thank you for this great lesson and let me go to put my foot down, and tell my girlfriend… enough is enough, Im just joking… many thanks guys…
June 23rd, 2008 at 1:48 pm
I love all your lessons… Really enjoy learning from you guys ^^
October 3rd, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Hi guys…I have been listening to you the last two weeks and I have learned a lot of vocabulary and overall I think I’ve improved my listening and so my English… (that’s what I think)… thanks again, you’re doing it very well…
November 29th, 2008 at 6:29 am
Hi, I’ve been listened this episode more than 20 times and it’s still very interesting. Thanks. Bye.
December 12th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Hello
I\’ve been listening to all your eposides since that time I knew about your broadcast from a friend of mine. You are doing a very great job.Words are not enough to express my thanks for what you are doing for us, the nonnative English speakers.
December 27th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Thanks for help us, the lesson is very interesting.
I knew about your broadcast for by my brother, he lives in NY, bye
March 20th, 2009 at 7:45 am
Thank you for the Lesson, I want to say, that I put my feet down doing something interesting and funny and not procrastination. I really want to hear all the podcast, and i don´t wanna wimp out.
I have two more friends Adison and Andrew cause I hear you voice frecuently, I hope I your friend too.
October 21st, 2011 at 2:21 pm
hi, i’m a blogwalker. plz let me comment on your post. so i’ll have a backlink to my blog. thank you for your kinds
December 18th, 2011 at 12:43 am
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