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Podcast number 911 Correcting and Explaining in Conversation.
This is English as a Second Language podcast episode 911.
I'm your host, Dr Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Our website is eslpod.com.
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This episode is a dialogue between Danny and Sybil about how you correct someone in a conversation.
Let's get started.
You look like you need to relax.
Excuse me?
What I mean is, you look like you could use some R&R.
I didn't know I looked tired and worn out.
No, what I'm trying to say is, people need leisure time once in a while.
Yes, that's certainly true.
The human body needs downtime to recuperate and to regenerate.
Okay, I guess that's true.
Let me rephrase that.
People need time away from work to get ready for more work.
No, no, no.
Let me put it another way.
It's imperative that you don't work this weekend.
Why?
What's going on this weekend?
Are you saying that something big is happening in the department this weekend and I'm being left out?
No, not at all.
What I'm trying to say is...
Oh, I guess I didn't catch your drift earlier.
You're asking me out for Saturday.
Yes, I am.
Really?
Really?
Yes, as long as you promise never to ask me out on a first date ever again.
Danny begins our dialogue by saying to Sybil, You look like you need to relax.
You look like you need to...
Be calmer, less worried, less anxious.
Sybil says, excuse me?
The expression excuse me is used in a lot of different ways.
Here, it's used when someone says something to you and you don't really understand why they said it.
You might also be a little upset sometimes. or angry that they said this to you.
So you're indicating your displeasure, the fact that you don't like what they said.
That's why Sybil says, excuse me?
She's not very happy that Danny has told her that she needs to relax.
Danny then corrects himself.
He says, what I mean is... you look like you could use some are and are.
The phrase what I mean is is used when you've just said something that the other person didn't understand, or you don't think the other person understood correctly and you want to give another way of saying it.
You want to say it in a different way.
So when Sybil says excuse me, indicating she didn't like what Danny said, Danny says what I mean is you look like you could use some RR.
R&R stands for rest and relaxation.
Sybil said, I didn't know I looked tired and worn out.
Sybil thinks that Danny is criticizing her in a way, saying that she looks tired and worn out.
To be worn, W-O-R-N, out, means to be very tired, both physically and perhaps mentally.
Danny realizes that Sybil still doesn't like the way he expressed his idea, so he uses another phrase to correct himself again.
He says, no, what I'm trying to say is people need leisure time once in a while.
What I'm trying to say is means the same as what I mean is.
It's an expression or a phrase you would use in a conversation when you need to correct yourself or you need to say something in a different way.
Danny says that people need leisure time once in a while.
Leisure, L-E-I-S-U-R-E, means time that you do what you enjoy.
Time that you do some activity that isn't work.
Finally, Sybil seems to understand what he's saying.
She says, yes, that's certainly true.
Danny continues...
He is saying that our bodies, our physical bodies, need downtime.
Downtime, one word, is time that...
You don't have anything scheduled.
It's time where you are just going to do whatever you feel like doing.
It's similar to leisure, although you could have downtime at your work where you don't have anything scheduled.
You can relax a little but still have to think of something to do.
Downtime in this conversation, in this dialogue, means something closer to leisure, relaxation.
The body needs downtime, Danny says, to recuperate.
To recuperate, R-E-C-U-P-E-R-A-T-E, means...
To recover, usually to recover from some sort of sickness or illness.
In this case, the body needs time to recuperate, to get its energy back.
To regenerate is another verb that Danny uses here.
Regenerate R-E-G-E-N-E-R-A-T-E means to become renewed, almost to take on a new life.
It's not that common of an expression or a verb in cases such as this, but it's possible to say that the body needs time to regenerate.
Literally, it means to make again, to generate again, to create again.
Sybil says, okay, I guess that's true.
Again, Sybil is not perhaps happy with what Danny has said and Danny, sensing this, seeing this, says Let me rephrase that
To rephrase R-E-P-H-R-A-S-E, means to express an idea in a different way, especially if the first time you said it wasn't exactly what you wanted to say or was unclear.
This is another way of correcting yourself, of saying wait a minute.
Let me say this in a different way.
Danny says, let me rephrase that.
People need time away from work to get ready for more work.
Now Danny's presenting a little different idea.
He's saying that we need downtime and leisure so that we can work even more.
Sybil says, are you saying you're planning on giving me more work?
Now we realize Danny appears to be Sybil's boss.
So Sybil asks Danny if he is planning on giving her more work and that's why he's telling her to relax, and so forth.
Danny says, no, no, no.
Let me put it another way.
To put something another way is to say it in a different way.
This is another expression, another phrase you can use when you want to correct what you just said or when the person misunderstood you.
It means the same as let me rephrase that.
Danny says...
It's imperative that you don't work this weekend.
Something that is imperative.
I-M-P-E-R-A-T-I-V-E is something that is extremely important, something that is necessary, something that is required.
Danny is saying it's imperative that you do not work this weekend.
Sybil says, why?
What's going on?
What's happening this weekend?
Are you saying that something big is happening in the department this weekend and I'm being left out?
To be left out means not to be included in some activity or some discussion.
We could also say, to be excluded.
That's to be left out.
Now Sybil is worrying that Danny doesn't want her to be part of something important.
Danny says, no, not at all.
Meaning, no, you're not being left out.
What I'm trying to say is, and he sighs, he goes, would you like to go out with me Saturday night?
Danny, who remember we think is Sybil's boss, is asking her out on a date, is asking if she would like to go and spend time with him this weekend.
He said, would you like to go out with me this weekend, Saturday night?
To go out with someone means to go on a date with them.
I'm not sure if this is a good idea for the boss to be asking one of his employees out on a date.
Most companies don't like that.
Well, Danny is doing it anyway.
Sybil says, oh, I didn't catch your drift earlier.
To catch someone's drift.
D-R-I-F-T. is an old expression meaning to understand the main idea of what someone else is saying.
To get the general idea of what another person is telling you.
Sybil says she did not catch Danny's drift earlier.
She says, you're asking me out for Saturday.
Danny says, yes, I am.
Sybil says, then I accept.
Danny says, really?
He's surprised, and he should be.
I mean, Danny is not an attractive person.
I mean, he's not as good looking as Sybil.
Danny says, really?
Sybil says, yes, as long as you promise never to ask me out on a first date ever again.
Sybil is making a little joke here.
Of course, you can only ask someone out on a first date once.
You can only do something the first time once.
She's also saying that Danny did not do a very good job of asking her out on this date.
And I think we can all agree that's true.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
You look like you need to relax.
Excuse me?
What I mean is, you look like you could use some R&R.
I didn't know I looked tired and worn out.
No, what I'm trying to say is people need leisure time once in a while.
Yes, that's certainly true.
The human body needs downtime to recuperate and to regenerate.
Okay, I guess that's true.
Let me rephrase that.
People need time away from work to get ready for more work.
Are you saying you're planning on giving me more work?
No, no, no.
Let me put it another way.
It's imperative that you don't work this weekend.
Why?
What's going on this weekend?
Are you saying that something big is happening in the department this weekend and I'm being left out?
No, not at all.
What I'm trying to say is, would you like to go out with me Saturday night?
Oh, I guess I didn't catch your drift earlier.
You're asking me out for Saturday.
Yes, I am.
Then I accept.
Really?
Yes, as long as you promise never to ask me out on a first date ever again.
Our scriptwriter needs some downtime, some R&R, because she works so hard.
I speak, of course, of the wonderful Dr. Lucy Say.
Thank you, Lucy.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.
Thank you for listening.
Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language podcast is written and produced by Dr Lucy Say, hosted by Dr Jeff McQuillan.
Copyright 2013 by the Center for Educational Development.
