This is an All Ears English podcast episode 1243.
Less flashy, but more useful English vocabulary to spark connection.
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Today we bring you two very short and similar sounding phrases, but you'll quickly see how different they are but how useful they can be when it comes to commenting and connecting in English.
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Hey, Lindsay, how's it going?
Yeah, Michelle, things are good.
I'm thankful to be on the microphone as always.
And it's a sunny day in L.A.
That's good.
Oh my gosh, though.
I just ate the best chocolate chip cookie, though.
It was huge.
And I loved it because I love chocolate chip cookies.
They're my favorite.
But you know, so much for eating healthy.
I mean, so much for that.
But hey, when you get it, we have a good chocolate chip cookie in front of you.
It's hard to resist me, that's ice cream.
Over the weekend i had a little bit of ben and jerry's chocolate with chocolate brownie, which was so good and yeah, so much for that.
Um, healthy waistline.
But who cares?
It's just one treat, it's one dessert.
Yeah yeah, yeah.
For me, just one or more than one.
Oh, okay.
Whatever.
Okay, okay.
Whatever, guys.
Guys, so sometimes one tiny word changes the entire meaning of an expression.
So we're going to go over one really good example today, because we have a listener question and it involves this short little phrase.
So much for
So we're going to do that in just a second.
Yeah, I'm excited for this one, Lindsay.
This is a really, really good question.
I had a lot of fun with this one.
Yeah, I'm glad that our listener here is really listening to English so closely to hear these two different phrases and just little things, little changes that are made that we do need to start to pay attention to.
I mean, this is great, guys.
Right, right, right.
Yeah, for sure.
Okay, so we're going to get into the listener question in just a second.
But before that, we have a quick reminder.
Guys, if you haven't yet, you need to hit subscribe on your podcast player, right?
Because if you don't hit subscribe, you might miss really good episodes.
Right, Lindsay?
Yeah, exactly.
Or special announcements, right?
For any special things we're doing.
Like last month, we did a fun web class, right?
That was awesome.
You and Jessica did it together.
And guys, you wouldn't have known about that if you weren't subscribed to the podcast.
So make sure you hit subscribe on your podcast player if you are a regular listener or you want to become one.
Awesome.
Yeah, definitely.
Definitely.
Okay, Lindsay, so could you read this question for us?
Sure, here we go.
So this is from Muller.
Muller6 says, I was wondering if you could possibly discuss the phrase so much for.
I always get confused by its meaning, like this one that I saw on a TV show and this one so much as okay.
Um, the the one from the tv show uh, i think it's the one down it says help.
It seemed like it was coming from the question.
Still yeah uh Yeah yeah, I guess it was listed below or something got messed up, but that's okay.
So, like, it says, like, help.
It seemed like it was coming from around here, didn't it?
Everybody went back to... Everybody back to camp are packed.
So much for my GPS and my satellite phone.
Or what's the other one, Lindsay?
Okay, or number two, I will never abandon you.
And even though...
I can't always be around.
If you so much as breathe my name, I will come for you, or something like that, right?
Okay, so those were just examples that this listener wrote in that he or she was confused about the use of what are the phrases?
Again, Michelle.
So much for and so much as.
Yeah, because they are really similar.
Right.
They're really similar.
So you might think, oh, well, they're the same, right?
Or, you know, they're probably roughly the same.
Because sometimes, you know, you never know.
Sometimes it could just be that they're pretty much the same thing.
You know, you guys will write in and it's like... oh, yeah, they're the same.
And then with this one, it's just one tiny word and we're going to tell you it's different.
Right.
So, you know, it can be confusing.
But guys, we're going to clear it up for today.
And I mean, I think that these are both really useful little phrases.
I never thought about like if they were similar or not, because I don't think about the words, I don't think of so much for so much as I think about the overall meaning, right as a chunk.
So until now I wouldn't have even placed them in the same category.
But they are, because they both use the same two first words.
Right, Lindsay?
So much blank.
Yeah, they're used in such different contexts that it makes sense as a native speaker that you wouldn't think about them being similar, Michelle.
So that's where we want you guys to start moving towards is using things in context and learning them in context.
So they don't say we're not getting things confused.
Yeah, it's just the difference of a few prepositions, but they're very different.
Right, right, right.
So let's go over them.
So let's start with so much for.
Okay, so you know there are a couple definitions online, but the best way that I can explain it is that it means well, I guess that's over, or well, I guess that's not happening.
Right.
Yeah.
I like that.
Yeah.
So like in the beginning of the episode, I said that I ate a huge chocolate chip cookie.
And then I said so much for eating healthy.
So I'm basically saying here, I guess I'm done with eating healthy.
It has a sense of giving up on something, but not necessarily in a sad way.
It's just kind of making a statement.
It can be often used to make fun of yourself, right?
You're kind of making fun of yourself a little.
Oh, so much for my diet.
I just had, you know, five chocolate chip cookies.
Right, right, right.
Exactly.
So it can be used in kind of a fun way.
But yeah, it is that sense of I like how you put that, Lindsay the sense of giving up on something.
I love that.
And in the transcript example for our listeners, they pointed out this phrase help.
It seemed like it was coming from around here, didn't it?
Everybody, back to camp.
Our packs.
So much for my GPS and my satellite phone.
OK, yeah.
So I don't know where they where this is from a TV show or I don't know where.
Yeah.
But.
But yeah, I can't tell quite what's going on here because I don't know what we're listening to or the context.
But it seems here that maybe the packs were gone and they contained the GPS and the satellite phone.
So maybe the person was saying, oh, I guess we don't have those anymore.
Like, I'm giving up.
We don't have it.
This must be from some TV show or movie or something that our listener had a transcript for.
So that is from another show.
But yeah, that's a good example in context right there.
So much for my GPS and my satellite phone.
Right, right, right.
Exactly.
So, Lindsay, do we have a couple other examples we can use?
Yeah, for sure.
So here's one, guys.
I thought we were meeting on Tuesday, but he said he can't.
So much for trying to make plans with him.
He always cancels.
Okay, awesome.
It's like I give up, right?
I give up on making plans with him.
Yeah, it's kind of like the feeling of throwing up your arms, right?
Oh, I give up so much for this.
Yeah, that's that's a funny image.
That's so true.
Yep.
Throwing up your arms or another one.
You could say, oh, my gosh, I can't believe it's already 3 a.m.
I have to get up at 7.
So much for sleep.
OK, throwing up your arms.
It's not happening.
Right.
I love it.
I love it.
So is this always used in kind of a humorous?
I would say it's used in like a light way a lot of the time.
I mean, yeah, I'm not going to say it's always used in a humorous or sarcastic way.
But I mean, that's kind of the way that we're focusing on for right now, guys.
Kind of like I give up.
Right.
It's over.
So but yeah, you could use it in other ways.
But you know, this is the to me, very frequently used way.
And I like to keep it a little bit focused for today.
So we're going to stick with that.
So Lindsay, what was the next phrase that we were going to talk about?
Okay.
So guys, now we're going to switch gears to a completely different meaning, different phrase, which is so much as
So much as, okay?
So dictionaries define this as even, the word even.
And I'm sure, Michelle, do you think we've done any episodes on the word even?
I suppose we probably have, right?
We probably have.
Guys, you have to put that into the search bar.
Yeah, I didn't look that one up specifically, but we must have.
Yeah, go over guys to allyoursenglishcom forward, slash episodes and type that into the search bar.
See if you can find an episode on that to make sure you understand what even means.
And then come back to this episode.
That'll be a good background builder.
For sure, for sure.
So the listener example was, I will never abandon you.
And even though I can't always be around, if you so much as breathe my name dot dot dot, dot dot right.
So here you could replace the words, replace so much as with the word even.
If you even breathe my name, right?
Totally.
That makes complete sense.
Yeah, I love that.
So it's really just a swap in for even and it adds a little more drama, I guess.
Right, right, right.
And you know it might not be, it might not work in every context to just replace even right so much as right, but we're focusing on some of the main ways today.
And we'll give you some examples.
So you know, you really got to listen for the context.
And we'll give you the examples here today.
So so what's another example that we could use Lindsay?
Okay, here's a phrase.
Be quiet.
If I hear so much as a peep from you, you will not get any dessert.
Oh, that's so mean.
A peep.
That's a fun word.
I think that's a good bonus word.
What's a peep?
That's a good bonus word.
Yeah, a peep means just a sound, like a tiny sound, like a sound that a mouse would make, a squeak.
Right?
Right.
Right.
Right.
I love that one.
Oh, man.
Did your parents discipline you that way?
They held back dessert?
No, no.
Did yours?
No, I don't think so.
Not really.
But yeah.
So here it's saying if I if I hear so much as a peep from you, you will not get any dessert.
So it's saying even if I only hear a small sound from you, that's it.
No more dessert.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Or here's another one.
I hate olives.
If I so much as accidentally get a taste of an olive on pizza, I get upset.
Yeah.
Right, right, right.
That's actually a completely true statement from me.
I can't believe you hate olives.
Oh, who hates olives?
Most people love olives.
I don't know.
I think it's kind of one of those controversial foods.
It's weird.
Like you like salty things.
You're a salty person.
Sorry, I don't think you're a salty person.
Thank you.
You have salty, like that's your preferred taste over sweet, right?
Yeah, and I like pickles and strong pickles too.
Oh, that's weird.
But you don't like olives.
No, I like, I hate them.
I don't even, like they're my least favorite food.
For my most hated food.
Yeah, so here it's saying I hate olives.
If I so much as accidentally get a taste of an olive on a pizza, I get upset.
So it's saying even if I only, right?
So it's kind of like saying if I only get a tiny taste, I get upset.
Exactly.
So guys, you can see now how extremely different these two phrases are.
Yeah, they're not anywhere close, really.
No, no, exactly.
So let's do a role play Michelle, so we can show our listeners in context here, so they can start using this.
All right, let's do it.
So here you are, my teacher, and you are giving instructions on the first day of class, and you are very strict, Lindsay.
Oh my gosh, I can't imagine it.
I can't imagine it.
All right.
There will be no talking when I'm writing on the board.
If I hear so much as one word, you will be sent to the principal's office.
Okay, I understand.
Can we talk during the break?
No.
So much for a fun class.
Hopefully you didn't say that to the teacher.
Hopefully I said that under my breath to a friend.
Yeah, no, yeah.
Hopefully the teacher didn't hear that.
Otherwise, I have a feeling I am going to the principal's office.
Yeah, you are.
That's funny.
All right, great.
So here we go.
So the first one here is, if I hear so much as again, we said earlier Michelle, that this can be replaced with even right.
Yeah.
If I even hear one word, right?
Yeah, exactly.
It would be a perfect swap.
But again, like you said before, it's not always a perfect swap.
So just be careful, guys.
Make sure you know exactly when it fits and when it doesn't.
Yeah, exactly.
Listen for context.
And then you said that we can't even talk during the break.
So I said, so much for a fun class.
So it's kind of like I give up on a fun class.
And I'm saying it in a sarcastic, funny kind of way that the teacher would not find funny if she heard.
Yeah, I love that.
And again, we said throwing up our arms and giving up on something.
So perfect.
Those are great examples.
I love it.
Yeah, yeah.
So, these are really good phrases.
So, you know, there are different ways to use the phrases that I mentioned, right?
So, but today we're focusing on just a couple different ways.
You know, but let us know if you hear them used in different ways or in different formats, or if the word placement is something different.
We're happy to go over those.
But we wanted to keep it focused on kind of the basics today, the basic differences for today.
But I think that this is really cool because it kind of shows you how one word can either make no difference of a change or it can make everything.
Every like big like a huge difference between the meaning.
And, you know, that's just kind of you got to realize that that's going to happen.
Sometimes it will be different.
Sometimes it won't.
And we just got to, you know, get used to rolling with it.
Right, Lindsay?
Rolling with it.
I love it.
So true, Michelle.
So this is how we move from upper intermediate guys to advanced.
It's by paying attention to these nuances.
And you guys are ready for this.
So go out and use it.
Right, right, right.
And, you know, try using these phrases today.
You know, they're short and they may not sound that interesting so much for so much.
Sorry, but they can actually make you sound much more natural in English.
And sometimes the greatest expressions aren't the ones that are complicated sounding or fancy, but the small ones like these ones.
So you know don't, don't just hear something like this and say oh that's, you know, just a bunch of grammar sounding words.
Right.
Right.
You don't want to think like that.
And I'm glad that our listener brought these to our attention because it may somebody might say oh well, it's not as fun as the idioms about horses.
Right.
Like that we did a couple of weeks ago.
Right.
But it's very, very important and very useful.
And it can be used in personality.
Exactly.
Good points, Michelle.
I mean, in some ways, it's more diverse than the horse idioms.
You know what I mean?
It's more useful.
You can slip these in in more situations to really relate to people.
Right.
It does tie in a little bit with sarcasm too.
We didn't talk too much about that today, but we could do a follow-up on how.
So much for that could tie in sarcastically too.
And that would be another direction we could take this in.
So guys.
Let us know if you hear these phrases being used and if you're still confused.
Bring that information in from the real world of English and show it to us, and we'll do another episode on it.
That's awesome.
Okay.
Well, this was really a lot of fun.
And thanks to our listener for that great question.
And Lindsay, I will talk to you soon.
Definitely.
And Michelle.
Before we get off the mic, I want to remind our listeners to go over and find us on Instagram.
Right, Michelle?
Because...
We're having lots of fun over there.
Yeah, lots of fun, lots of different stuff we're getting over there.
Videos guys, of all three of us and you know photos images, really stretching your vocabulary over there and connecting as a community.
So go over and find All Ears English on Instagram.
We'll see you guys there.
All right.
Bye, Lindsay.
All right.
Bye, Michelle.
Thanks for listening to all ears English.
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