This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 1784, a healthy dose of English vocabulary.
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Do you like to laugh when you're feeling bad about something?
Today, learn a common English proverb or expression to say this, and then listen in later in the episode as we get into even more complex English situations.
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Hey, Lindsay, how are you?
Hey, Michelle, I'm doing awesome.
How are you?
I'm good.
I'm good.
I have a question.
Do you think laughter is the best medicine?
No question, Michelle.
Oh my gosh.
It just feels so good to laugh.
If you pay attention to what happens in your body when you have a really good laugh, it's so good for you.
I think your body just gets flooded with good hormones.
I don't know.
I'm not a doctor.
I'm not a scientist or a biochemist, but that's my guess.
Yeah.
No, I think so too.
I mean, what does that mean?
That's the best medicine?
Like you don't take like a spoonful of laughter.
That's what I was thinking too, like cherry cough syrup.
Oh, I used to hate cherry cough syrup when I was a kid.
Yeah, that's pretty gross.
Yeah, I used to like hide my cough from my mom so she wouldn't come in and make me have.
Oh, I remember.
Sorry, this is totally random.
But I remember once I because I mean, I liked I took piano lessons and I liked piano.
Um, but but every once in a while, I didn't want to go.
And I remember once I was like I had like a piece of pizza, like really hot pizza, like right before, and I was like hoping that then I would like get a fever, like Like she would take my temperature right after under my tongue and it would be so hot and I'd be like oh, I won't have to go.
Right.
Oh my gosh, Michelle.
I did that too once, but I put the thermometer under a light because I saw it on TV.
Like I think I saw Punky Brewster or Saved by the Bell or something.
That's funny.
And the thermometer like broke and my mom just threw the thermometer out and I still had to go to school.
Oh my God.
Did you know what had happened?
I still think to this day she doesn't know.
Oh, that's funny.
Kids try to manipulate things, right?
Because they don't want to take their medicine or they don't want to go do something.
Yes, exactly.
But I think all kids like to laugh.
So, I mean, this means laughing is the best thing for you.
I mean it can be thought of as good for you during like – I mean even during like a literal illness.
I think you know it's shown to help.
I don't know.
Again, I'm not a doctor.
I don't have any studies with me.
Of course not.
I think it can be helpful when you don't feel well physically or emotionally.
I mean, I don't know this.
I don't have the data, but I'm sure there's some study out there that says that people that laugh more often even live longer.
I'm sure there is.
Really?
I would not be surprised if that data existed out there.
Yeah.
Huh.
I'm going to look it up after this.
I could be wrong, but it feels right.
It just feels right.
It does.
It does feel right.
So what does it mean to you again, Michelle?
Yeah.
I mean, it's just like brings me back to times in my life where just like I couldn't stop laughing.
Maybe like you don't feel like... Do you ever have a time where like you're kind of...
Like things are kind of serious.
And then all of a sudden somebody cracks a joke and like you start laughing and it feels like you have this moment where you're like that felt amazing.
Like you have like a laughing fit and then you just feel better.
What does that mean, Lindsay?
A laughing fit?
This happens.
We've talked about this on the podcast before, right?
It tends to happen, especially like to middle school kids.
Yeah.
Or any kids in any school high school, middle school, elementary school where they're just like this.
Laughter starts probably between you and a friend or someone and you just can't stop laughing.
Like everything then becomes funny.
It's not just that one thing.
It's everything is funny.
It's in the middle of a classroom or something.
Right.
And you just can't stop.
Yeah.
But it happens to adults too, I'm sure.
Right.
Right, right, right.
Yeah.
I mean, I think laughter can just be so beneficial in many ways.
I'm sure it lowers stress, all these different things.
So laughter is the best medicine is a great expression to use.
So but like, how would you use this?
Like, when do you say this?
How would this work?
So we're gonna give let's give an example.
Okay, let's give an example.
Let's do a roleplay.
Michelle, here we go.
Well, Paula is so upset about failing her exam.
Let's take her to a comedy show tonight.
Yes.
After all, laughter is the best medicine.
True.
Oh, yeah.
I love going to comedy shows.
I don't usually think about that as something to do.
But then when I go, it is really like it can be funny, a stand up comedy show or something.
Yeah.
Although are you ever like in the audience, and then they comment on you and then you're embarrassed.
Yeah.
It's always like, oh, I want to kind of hide in the back.
Yeah.
Oh, no question.
You mean like you specifically, they like point at you or just like how you are, something you do?
Wait, me?
No, no, no.
Do you mean, are you saying the scenario where the comedian like, points at you and sort of like, gets you to participate?
Or are you saying the scenario where they talk about something you tend to do?
No, no, no.
Where they actually like get you to participate.
Oh, no, I don't like that.
No, no, no.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's always like, no, no, no, not me.
Oh, that's not good.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I agree.
I don't, I just came to listen and laugh not to participate.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Exactly.
Um, so yeah, exactly.
But, um, it just, I think that the expression just kind of highlights how important humor is.
Um, and that it's, it is like a medicine.
So guys, you will hear this expression.
It's more, it's kind of like a lesson, maybe like a proverb in a way.
Um, that, you know, that really just like highlights this.
So I think it's a good one.
And you know what, we're going to give a couple other kind of medicine idioms to go along with this.
Yeah, fine.
Okay.
All right.
So we're getting our little our dose of medicine today with all our dose of medicine.
That's right.
So here's another idiom, right?
Michelle, are we ready for this one?
Yep.
All right.
So it is a healthy dose of something.
Now, what do we mean?
When do we use this expression?
This one is a little bit interesting.
I had to think about this one a little bit, because I think sometimes it's used in a I don't want to say malicious way, but kind of maybe in a little bit of a malicious or sarcastic way.
I would totally agree.
Yeah.
Let's just give an example.
I'll just say this example.
She needs a healthy dose of reality to know how to deal with things at work.
So it's often said by someone that's observing someone having some kind of I would say kind of misfortune or a bad situation.
Would you say so, Michelle?
Yeah.
Yeah, I think it can be used for that.
It's just this idea like, I wouldn't like this.
I think this is used for like ideas.
Um, you know, like a reality or like, I wouldn't say like, oh, a healthy dose of potato chips.
I mean, no, no.
Yeah, metaphor.
It's more it's not.
Yeah, it's not physical.
Right.
It's an experience or an idea.
You get an idea of something.
You experience some hardship, I guess.
Right, right, right.
Or here, like, what's the next one?
I got a healthy dose of attitude when I asked to change my appointment.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And yeah, it is often when someone, someone thinks that that person needs that that thing because they haven't been acting correctly or something.
Right?
Right, right, right.
And here I'm just saying somebody was rude to me, but I'm saying it in a more unique way.
Like, maybe I don't deserve the attitude, but I, you know, I got it.
Maybe we'll have to come back to this one around another angle, at this one another day Michelle, because this one's complex, isn't it?
It is complex and as i was like planning this episode, i realized just how complex it is.
It's like it's a little bit cynical, like maybe sometimes it can be a little bit more genuine.
But yeah, this is.
This is definitely i would say this is the trickiest one, Don't you hate it when you're trying to buy something online and when you finally make all of your selections and get ready to check out, your credit card is nowhere to be found.
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Yeah, let's go to a slightly easier one for our listeners.
But by the way, guys, don't shy away from the complex expressions, right?
We're here to teach you those complex expressions and make them work, because that's how you really connect.
Don't just do the easy ones, okay?
No, exactly, exactly.
Okay.
Okay.
And then the next one is I'm writing some words, so hold on one second a taste of one's own medicine.
Right.
A taste of one's own medicine.
So we talked about something like this in 1034, right, Michelle?
Episode 1034?
Yeah.
Right, right, right.
Yeah.
How to employ the mind of an athlete for more English and life success.
So we may have used that expression there.
So definitely, you know, listen to that episode as well.
But this is basically this idea of like something that you do comes back to you, or something or someone else.
So it's like, for example...
He's always making fun of my fashion.
I'm going to give him a taste of his own medicine.
So if I say that, what does it sound like I'm going to do?
Well, you're going to make fun of his own fashion, right?
So actually.
So in that sense it's similar to the first one that you think this person needs something.
They need like a reality check, right?
Right.
So this concept of medicine used as an idiom is kind of like a lesson.
The person needs a lesson.
Yes, a lesson.
That's right.
It is kind of like that.
Yeah, yeah.
Do you have anyone in your life, Michelle, that likes to teach lessons?
Oh.
Ah, great question.
No, I can't think of anybody right off the top of my head.
What about you?
Yeah.
Yeah.
There is someone I know that likes to do that.
Just likes to really enjoys that experience where like, Maybe you make a mistake and it's not necessarily always bad, but this person does like to kind of come around and like say OK well, the lesson here is, like I could tell, the person takes a lot of pleasure in that, which is
Sometimes it rubs me the wrong way a little bit.
Yeah, yeah.
Because we all make mistakes, right?
And I think if we're smart, we can understand the lesson without having someone explain it to us right?
Right, right, right, right.
It can make you feel like a little like... belittled or child.
Exactly.
Yeah, that's how I usually feel.
So there's not really a need to articulate this, but it's so interesting that in English we use medicine as a dose of reality or a lesson.
Yeah.
It is.
It is, definitely.
Should we put them together?
I think we should, Michelle.
Let's do it.
So here we are traveling together and we are friends.
Okay.
Okay.
Oh, I'm kind of down that we couldn't get into that restaurant.
Oh, don't worry.
Let's just watch something funny in the hotel room.
Laughter is the best medicine.
That sounds good.
Then we can try again.
That receptionist gave me a healthy dose of realistic expectations.
Apparently that place is so popular, it takes months to get a reservation.
I know, that's so crazy.
Well, if they call us, let's give them a taste of their own medicine and tell them we can't come.
Ha ha.
All right, cool.
So here, you said, oh, let's watch something funny in the hotel room.
Laughter is the best medicine.
Do you do that sometimes, Michelle, when you're feeling bad?
Do you just turn on like a rom-com or something funny?
Yeah, just something funny.
Usually a show.
Usually I'm not.
Yeah, I don't know.
I like never watch movies anymore.
You don't?
Okay.
No, I just say short things.
But yeah, so but yes.
Of course.
Do you know what movie I watched last night?
What?
Never Been Kissed.
Do you remember that movie from the 90s with Drew Barrymore?
I do.
Drew Barrymore.
That's right.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, it was really fun.
And it was so 90s.
I love just the artifacts from the 90s when I see a movie that's that old at this point.
Yeah.
It's funny because now there's like some new Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy coming out with Owen Wilson.
And like, it seems like so classic.
Like, I feel like we haven't had like those regular, like those like rom-com type things in a while.
No, we haven't.
No, and this like because I see this on, you know, and I'm like, oh my gosh, it's so cheesy.
But then I said to Dan I'm like well maybe, like we're returning just to like a simpler yeah, rom-com era and and maybe we should embrace that like Yeah, maybe people want to come back, you know, after the pandemic and all this stuff.
We want to get back to simple and fun and light, you know?
Right.
So, like, maybe I would enjoy it.
Like you know, the cynical part of me is like oh gosh, you know like, but it's like would be good.
Oh, I think a little balance of everything is good for sure.
For sure.
So anyways, yeah, I do that too.
Sometimes just go to a movie.
It does help.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Then what else did we say here?
Well, so this is the complicated one.
Now we're getting complex, right?
Yeah.
So I so we weren't able to get into this restaurant.
And then I you said the receptionist gave me a healthy dose of realistic expectation.
So this is basically.
It sounds like what happened was um, you know, we you tried to call and maybe they were like really like, we're booked four months in advance.
I've had that before.
Have you ever done that?
And then you're like No, but yeah.
Yeah, that is really especially in New York when you just want to eat good food.
Right.
You want good food.
But some places really do book out that long in advance, don't they?
Yeah.
Yeah, they do.
And so by me saying this, like that receptionist gave me a healthy dose of realistic expectations.
Mm hmm.
It's like she.
It almost sounds like oh, maybe she was a little like nasty about it, or like ha ha ha.
Like you think it sounds like I'm being a little bit sarcastic here.
Yeah.
And maybe you are a little naive and she was trying to show you how naive you are being by assuming you could get a reservation right away.
Right.
That's that to me is what that says.
Right.
Exactly.
Exactly.
So that's a good one.
Okay.
And then what did I say?
Okay.
Then you said, Michelle, I know that's so crazy.
Well, if they call us, let's give them a taste of their own medicine.
So, again, it's about teaching a lesson.
And it's almost like you want to make it even.
You feel a little slighted, right?
You want to make it even.
And now you want to say, oh, I can't go after all.
And then they have to struggle to find someone.
It's like, well, I'm not coming to your restaurant.
Exactly.
So these two expressions are really complex.
It's true.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So this is about teaching lessons, like kind of like having a little attitude.
Attitude in life.
Yeah.
Very interesting.
In general, I don't I don't really like to go around that way.
Right.
Because it's not good.
It doesn't feel good to keep these feelings.
Right.
Yeah.
For sure.
Not.
Yeah.
What's the takeaway for our listeners today, Michelle?
Well, I think it's an interesting theme that we had here today about medicine and like lessons, like laughter is the best medicine.
That's like more of a proverb that kind of like a more genuine lesson.
And then we went into, you know, the other ones are, you know, have a little bit more zing to them.
So yeah, we went into it all.
But sometimes we need the vocabulary for this, right?
Because we don't always encounter just simple positive situations.
Sometimes there are more complex situations, guys, that you encounter and you want to have the right words for it in English. right right right exactly well this was definitely fun guys uh listen for these expressions use them if you if you dare and uh we will see you on the next episode sounds good michelle talk to you soon bye all right bye Thanks for listening to all ears English.
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