This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 1456.
Crank up the volume to use natural phrasal verbs in English.
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Burn up, clam up, shake up, crank up.
Today get hand curated natural phrasal verbs using up that you will never find in any English textbook.
Listen in for real English today.
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Hey, Lindsay, how's it going?
Hey, it's going well, Michelle.
How are you doing today?
I'm good.
I'm good.
Did you say that it snowed near you?
Yes, I did.
And the date, actually, guys, so it's not October 21st.
This is coming out October 21st, but we are recording September 10th.
So we almost had an August snowstorm here.
It's crazy because over the weekend, it was like 97 degrees in Denver.
And then on Monday, no, Tuesday, by Tuesday, it was cold enough to snow.
It was like, you know, like a 60 degree swing in temperature.
That's crazy.
Oh my gosh.
Oh my gosh.
I don't know why that happened, but maybe it's related to global warming.
I don't know, but crazy stuff going on around here.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.
Oh, my gosh, that is crazy.
Yeah, I remember.
Actually wow, I just totally made something up because it's a song lyric.
There's what can i say?
A song lyric or no, i don't know.
I don't know.
All right, i'm not gonna say it.
I'm not gonna say it, but there's.
There's a song lyric in a certain song about it snowing at a strange time of year, and it was always like a very funny it was.
It just like made us laugh because once there was a big snowstorm at a family event anyway, and i just took that as having happened in my real life.
And that's weird michelle, that's weird wow okay, all right, but i do remember in new york there was once a huge snowstorm on halloween yeah, around halloween um, and it was like insane and that's kind of a little bit early.
So yeah anyway sometimes, that's true, that's true, Halloween snowstorms used to happen where I grew up in New Hampshire too.
But that was the absolute earliest that I ever saw on the East Coast for a snowstorm, you know?
Yeah, that's kind of like, wow.
So anyway, today we had a question from a listener about phrasal verbs, which is always I mean Always a good one.
We can never do enough phrasal verbs, Lindsay.
They're just... everywhere.
We have so many phrasal verbs to teach you guys.
So don't worry, there will be a lot of more episodes, a lot more episodes in the future.
So looking forward to it.
Definitely, definitely.
So, before we get to the question guys, we want to remind you to listen to the IELTS Energy podcast right, Lindsay?
Yeah, for sure.
Guys, you want to be over there if IELTS is anywhere within your window of time, your plans.
If you want to immigrate or study abroad, get a master's degree abroad, go over and subscribe to the IELTS energy podcast.
We also have a full and complete online course three keys IELTS.
So I just want to let you know about that, Because there is a webinar happening this month and you don't want to miss it.
So go over there, subscribe, find out all the details and get involved.
Okay, cool.
Amazing.
All right.
So Lindsay, would you read the question for us?
Yeah, here we go.
So this is from Roberto.
Okay.
Hi, my name is Roberto.
I'm from the Dominican Republic, but now I'm living in Canada.
My question is about up, the word up, right?
So the preposition up.
I've seen this a few times, like burn it up and so on, but I'd like to go deeper in this area.
Thank you so much, Roberto.
Okay.
Awesome.
Burn it up.
Burn it up.
Do you know this one?
I mean, not like in isolation.
Maybe it means something in a certain context that I'm not totally aware of.
You know as like a slang term.
To be honest, I don't really know.
But I will say something.
Sometimes I'm burning up.
Like if I have a fever or...
Or if it's really hot out like it's been super hot this summer in Denver like it feels like you're under a hairdryer and I could go out, I could say I'm burning up.
It's so hot.
Yeah, I'm burning up.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.
But yeah, I agree with you for burn it up.
I mean, I do see I am looking at the dictionary and it talks about, you know, destroying something.
I quote, I quote, something completely with fire or heat.
Yeah, but I don't really hear that much.
Like you said, I hear I hear it more just like burn up.
So it could be that a lot of people use this.
So but yeah, that's what is not so much in my vocabulary.
Yeah.
I mean, there's so much, Michelle, that we could do with phrasal verbs.
It makes me think of the verb tear it up, just to, like you know, in a metaphorical way, saying like just attack this thing, just do an awesome job, just tear it up.
Right.
So we all kind of have our own ways to use phrasal verbs.
So that's why this is so fun to get into.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Also for burn up.
I mean, I think of like sunburns.
Like I think, oh, I always burn up when I stay out in the sun for too long.
Or if you like.
You said like, if you're getting too hot, you've been out for a while I'm burning up, let's go inside.
Yeah.
Or even with a real fire, like I'm going to burn up my old yearbook so I never have to think of high school again, right?
So I guess you could say I'm going to burn my old yearbook up, right?
So in that way, the it is useful.
Yeah, and phrasal verbs can get tricky, right?
In some cases, you can split the verb and the preposition.
In other cases, you can't.
So that's why we got to immerse ourselves in English as much as possible.
This kind of makes me think.
Did you see in the papers Michelle, that San Francisco, like the sky in San Francisco this week, is literally Yes?
Yeah, that was insane.
Orange because of the wildfires.
Guys, this summer of 2020 has been crazy for wildfires in the western US.
I mean, we could smell smoke from the California fires here in Colorado.
Wow.
Yeah.
So the sky in the beginning of September in some cases in San Francisco is actually kind of orange.
It was eerie looking.
Yeah.
Wow.
Yeah, I saw there was a picture somebody put of their, of their child like, just like in front of the sky.
And it looks so it looks like the end of the world.
It really does.
It's freaky.
So I don't know.
But yeah, that just made me think of that.
So.
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
So yeah, Lindsay, you're right about the separable and inseparable phrasal verbs.
So yes, I could say, I'm going to burn my old yearbook up.
Or I guess I could say, I'm going to burn it up.
So yeah, that's how... I don't know why, like, that's not the first thing that I thought of.
But for some reason, just seeing burn it up in isolation...
Just like seemed like, I don't know that I don't say it, but in this context, I guess I do.
Well, I think that it's two different things.
I think with some phrases there are slang expressions where you could just say that alone, like burn it up.
It must mean something.
We don't really know exactly what it means.
Right.
But in some certain slang context with some community, it means something.
OK.
But then there's also when you're referencing your yearbook, you're having a conversation about high school.
I'm going to burn it up.
My yearbook.
I hate it.
Right.
That also means something a little different.
So it's like we can take these phrasal verbs, put a pronoun in the middle and it means something completely different.
It has its own meaning.
Right, right, right, right.
Exactly.
So, yeah, we are going to also talk about just up, you know, in phrasal verbs.
So because Roberto was asking about the word up.
And so that's what we're going to go into today.
So, Lindsay, we also have episode 363 way back.
Over a thousand episodes ago, which was grow versus grow up, how to tell the difference in English.
So that would be a helpful one.
And like I said, we have talked about phrasal verbs a lot on this show.
Today, we're going to give you some unique ones that will make you sound very fluent and natural.
And guys, again, like we said, we can always use more phrasal verbs in our English.
Yeah.
And guys, I really think the key with phrasal verbs, because it's so unique to English, right, Michelle?
And especially to American English, I think.
Just don't get discouraged.
Learn one from today's episode, not seven.
You don't have to learn them all perfectly.
And don't have a perfectionist attitude.
Have a connection attitude, right?
Connection, not perfection.
Absolutely.
Try to know natives using it, just have fun with them because they are kind of tricky.
So don't get discouraged, right?
That's just what I want to say.
Exactly.
I love it.
A lot of people are listening to the IELTS Energy Podcast to prepare for IELTS, because we make IELTS fun.
Plus we know the score system well.
Go and subscribe to the IELTS Energy Podcast if you want to score a seven or higher on your exam.
See you there.
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Okay, so let's get into them.
So the first one, Lindsay, what is it?
Okay, so to clam up, this is a great one.
Yeah.
So do you clam up a lot, Michelle?
Um, not really.
I mean sometimes, like when I'm in a social situation where I don't know anybody, and sometimes in a networking situation.
What about you?
Yeah, so exactly.
So sometimes, yeah, that's what it means, right?
So, when you don't say anything, when you literally think of yourself as like as Michelle said, with a clam closing and protecting itself?
OK, so you start to feel worried, scared, nervous.
I know that when this might be the same thing, when I'm really scared I don't speak much, like I won't be like talking mumbling, that kind of thing.
I just won't.
I'll be very quiet.
So that might be part of it.
Yeah.
I think we talked about that recently.
Yeah, because I'm the same way.
Some people, I think, when they get nervous, they get very chatty.
But for me, I've actually had friends tell me that they know when I'm nervous, because all of a sudden I kind of withdraw.
Like I don't, I don't like just keep talking and talking and talking, as that's when I'm feeling comfortable, but I get quiet.
Interesting.
Interesting.
But I think this particular clam up is more in a social context.
Right.
Not so much like pure fear.
Right.
Yes.
You walk into there's a ghost or something.
No, I don't think it's quite the same thing.
I think, guys, this is very social specific.
OK, so, for example, Rachel clammed up after the presentation because she felt it didn't go well.
So maybe she came off the stage and she didn't talk to anyone.
You know, she went into herself.
Right, right, right.
Exactly.
Exactly.
So the next one is shake up.
Yeah.
What's that, Michelle?
Well, this one is to basically freak someone out or make someone uneasy or upset.
So maybe they're very surprised by something.
So, for example, Tommy shook me up when he told me that his company was going bankrupt.
Yeah.
So, yeah, it really shakes you up when you hear certain pieces of news.
I mean, it feels like every day we get some crazy piece of news now in politics.
But, you know, when there's some big disaster in the world, like obviously 9-11.
This weekend I was at a party and we were talking about like the core experiences that defined us in our generations.
And for me, I said mine was probably the crash of 2008, but it was 9-11, right?
Walking into the student center and seeing the plane on the monitor crash into the World Trade Center really shook me up.
Yeah.
Definitely, I remember I was in French class.
What year were you in?
I was a sophomore in college.
Okay, got it.
Yeah.
So yeah, I remember being in French class.
And I don't know, I didn't really at first, it was just like, yeah, I didn't get it.
And then I remember, in a weird way, I didn't, it took me some time for it to really register.
I think at first i was in denial or i didn't understand or whatever.
But i remember the next year, on the first anniversary, i remember i actually remember going into the bathroom at my house after watching the tv and i was like really crying.
I remember Yeah well, it really like I think it changed our country.
I mean, it completely changed our country.
And I think it really shook a lot.
It gave us that sense that we're not invincible.
I think a lot of Americans until then had carried on this sense of like this country is invincible.
And I think that really cracked that myth.
You know a lot of our in our minds yeah, but we can go into that whole topic another day.
I bet our listeners would definitely yeah yeah, i bet they would yeah be interesting okay, anyways.
The next one is crank up, which means to increase the intensity of something.
So I think of this with volume or maybe energy that you're putting into something like exercising, or maybe with air conditioning or heat, right.
Totally.
Totally.
I like these phrasal verbs that you've chosen today Michelle too, because our listeners really wouldn't find these in a textbook so much.
Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
So guys, this is not textbook English.
I tried to pick ones that are more unique.
Yeah, they're unique.
They're native.
And my dad used to say this a lot when Credence Clearwater would come on the radio and be like crank it up.
That's cute.
Right.
So exactly.
You guys are like, can you crank up the radio?
I can't hear a thing.
Do you, Linda, do you like to crank up the radio when you're driving?
Or do you, like, need to keep it silent and focus?
Or just, like, kind of enjoy the quiet?
These days, I actually like to listen to podcasts when I'm in the car, to be honest.
But when I was a kid, oh, man, I was the first of my friends to be able to drive at 16, you know?
And so I would drive all my friends around. crank up the radio in my Volvo drive around the town.
It was so cheesy.
Yeah, we used to love to crank it up.
Nice.
Love it.
Okay.
Awesome.
All right, Lindsay, what's the next one?
All right, so to free up.
Okay, so what does this mean, Michelle?
This is about taking away or clearing an obstacle so that something else can be used or done.
So for example, can we free up some space on the table for this new computer?
So it's basically like to make space.
Yeah, or in your schedule, right?
So I need to free up some time tomorrow for my meeting.
So you move things around, you create a block of time or space somewhere.
Yeah.
Right, right, right.
Exactly.
So, all right, should we do one more?
Yeah, let's do one more.
I like this last one here.
What is it, Michelle?
Hmm.
So to improve something, right?
Usually in kind of a small way.
If you think about what the verb touch means, it just means a light pressure.
You're putting on something right.
Right, right, right, right.
So exactly.
You could say something like, hold on one second.
I need to touch up my mascara before we leave.
Yeah.
Or I also think of touch up paint for a car.
Hmm.
Right.
If you have a little chip, you can actually buy bottles that match the paint on your car and you can just touch it up yourself.
Definitely.
Yeah.
Have you had to touch up your car recently?
Yeah.
Yeah, I don't have a car right now.
No, I haven't had a car in years because I've always lived in cities.
You know Tokyo, New York, Boston where I didn't need cars in those cities.
But now I might need to get a car soon here in Denver because...
You know, you need a car to get out to the mountains and that kind of thing.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.
So, guys, so those are the phrasal verbs that we're going with for today.
These are really helpful.
They're really unique.
I tried to pick some ones that you're not going to find in your textbook.
And I think you should try them today.
You know, in general, with phrasal verbs, don't get intimidated.
Like Lindsay said, start slow.
Pick one.
Pick one from today and use it.
The one that you think would apply most to your life.
And I think that's a great way to learn.
Just choose one as your theme.
Learn it that way, and that's going to help you categorize the new terms in your head.
Yeah, I love that idea and have fun with it.
Choose one that you feel like you'd enjoy saying and talking about based on your life.
Make English your own, guys, right?
And make it about connection.
That's the key to getting fluent and getting to that advanced level where we know you guys want to get okay.
And Michelle I just want to mention remind our listeners guys go over and subscribe to the IELTS Energy podcast before we finish up today, because again lots of good IELTS stuff going on in the month of October.
OK, awesome.
Definitely go on over there, guys.
So, Lindsay, this was fun.
And thanks to our listener for that question.
And all right.
Well, we'll see you guys on the next one.
All right.
Thanks, Michelle.
Talk to you soon.
Bye.
All right.
Bye.
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