This is an all ears English podcast episode 1969.
Should you say all in or all out?
How to show intensity in English.
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Today, we answer a listener question about the difference between all out and all in.
These are both used to indicate intensity or excessiveness, but are also different.
Learn the subtle differences today.
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Hello, Lindsay.
Let's go all out for this episode, okay?
Oh, let's go all out.
I love it.
We usually go all out for most episodes.
I mean, we do.
I think we do.
You know what?
Because we're all in.
We're all in on All Is English.
Oh my gosh.
I'm so confused, Michelle.
What are you even saying now?
I don't know, guys.
It's gonna be a lot of fun today.
So i mean lindsay, when was the last time you went all out for a party right like, maybe you dressed up like a lot of food friends?
Let's see oh, a couple of like friends holiday parties that i've gone to.
I've gotten some nice stuff on, like wear a dress.
I rarely wear dresses, but i did it in that case.
I am not the person that goes all out for Halloween.
What about you, Michelle?
Well, we've talked about this because Dan loves Halloween and I'm lukewarm on Halloween.
I mean I like it, but now that, now that i have a kid, it's like kind of fun, but like at the same time i'm just, i don't know, like this.
This year my son wanted us all to be paw patrol, so even dan, i think.
Now we're just like tired, like so we just ordered t-shirts like a paw patrol character and we got little dog ears, and that's more my speed.
Uh Yeah, that's my speed too.
I do not spend like some.
People spend hours and days putting together a costume, spend a ton of money on it.
It is not me.
That is not me.
I have a friend who goes all out for Halloween.
He, he is, he is, he's like really good, even with like I don't know he's like how do I say this?
Like lights, like electricity.
So he'll like incorporate lights and have things flickering on his costume.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Person.
Yes.
Yes.
And he's just like he's famous for going all out for Halloween.
He's famous for going all out.
I love that.
I love that.
So what's the word that we've been using here that might be brand new for our listeners.
Maybe it is it's all out.
So we have a listener question about all in and all out.
Lindsay, could you read the question for us?
Yes, and this is a listener who reviewed us an apple podcast and gave us five stars.
Michelle, we love that.
We'd love to see your reviews, guys.
So go leave us a rating review, ask your question right there, like this listener did.
So this listener says I love this podcast.
That's great.
I love that.
So she says, I have a question for you.
What's the difference between going all in and going all out?
I've heard all out in the gym and once heard Lindsay asking Michelle about her dating style and if she used to ease into a relationship or if she would go all in at the beginning.
Thanks.
This is from Zahar in Apple Podcasts.
Very nice.
Thank you so much.
This is fun.
I'm excited for this episode.
Yeah, we wanted to.
We always want to direct you to other episodes that you can listen to.
That could be fun.
So we have episode 1671.
Can personality traits be changed?
So this is, you know, personality traits.
And this is kind of the idea of like going all out and going all in.
Right.
Like we just talked about with the costume.
So.
Yeah, that's interesting.
Right.
I love it.
Any kind of chance to talk about personality types, personality traits.
I love that topic.
And I think it's a great connection skill for our listeners.
Right.
Exactly.
So so let's go into it.
So, Lindsay, what is all out to go all out?
OK, this is to put everything into something right.
To be excited about something like your example with the guy with the lights.
I'm imagining your friend completely covered in christmas lights or something.
I could see it.
Yeah, i don't know.
Crazy to go above and beyond, to go in with what they say.
Gusto right, Right.
Yes.
Yes.
That's going to be a good bonus for today.
What do you think?
Yeah, I mean well.
So let's talk about you know, because the listener mentioned the gym, like talking about going all out at the gym.
So what would that mean to go if I if I say, oh, when I go to the gym, I go all out.
What does that mean?
Means you go really hard.
Um and a good analogy for this is actually an orange theory.
We have levels of running, so on the tread they tell you when to you have levels.
We have base pace or we have push pace or we have all out.
So all out for me is usually like an eight, like eight miles an hour, right?
So just like you're quite fast.
It's quite fast for me.
So all out is the fastest speed.
We never do more than 30 seconds and we always get a walk after that.
And so that's just what that essentially think about applying that speed and pace and intensity to life.
That's what going all out is, right?
Right, right, right.
Exactly.
Wow.
And that's so funny, because I was gonna ask you do go all out at Orange Theory.
And I didn't know that that's actually something that's used term.
Yeah, yeah, just goes to show you this is really good for the gym.
I mean yeah, lifting the heavy weights, doing a lot of you know, just I mean so you could say Oh, I went all out at the gym yesterday.
And today I'm really sore.
That's so true right now for me.
Yes, exactly.
But Michelle, when you go to the gym, or if you ever do go to the gym, no offense.
When you go to the gym, do you find it easy enough to push yourself?
Or do you need someone to tell you like, all out, go fast, run right now?
Personally, I struggle with going fast.
Yeah, I like a little bit of direction.
Yeah, for sure.
I think it's helpful.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.
So let's go into some other examples.
So for example, that party was amazing.
The hosts went all out and decorated the whole place like it was a fancy ballroom.
Yeah, for sure.
Or you really deserve this vacation.
Let's go all out.
A shopping spree, time on the beach, whatever you want.
So it's when someone just fully immerses themselves in an experience and maybe they get the fanciest menu.
Right.
The best thing, whatever they want, they go fully into it.
Yeah.
Right, right, right.
I mean, Lindsay, how do you decide?
Like, because you can't go all out on everything, right?
How do you decide what it is you're going to go all out on?
That's a great question.
I think I have to know myself well and know my my values really well.
Right.
And so I guess if I'm celebrating something and I feel like I need to like reward myself or reward someone else, I will go all out and be like hey, let's go all out tonight.
We just did X, Y, Z. We just achieved this.
Let's go all out.
Let's order the bottle of wine.
Right, the expensive bottle of wine.
But when it's something that i know like doesn't matter that much to me, i might try to save money or not really get the fanciest things.
What about you?
Right.
Well, yeah, I think budget is a huge thing.
You know, like, you know, I think that's a big way that people decide.
Right.
Like, OK, well, you know, I just got a bonus or I just got, you know, promotion or whatever.
Let's go all out or just if they I mean, or some people go all out probably too frequently.
Right.
Right.
That's why we've had so much credit card debt in this country.
Right.
They have to be smart about what to go out for.
But it's not only about spending money.
It's not just about consumption.
Right.
So it's about a lot of things.
So it's just how much you want to do it, how much you're excited about something, how much energy you have to put something it put into something.
Yeah.
So yeah, that's a good point.
That's an important point, michelle.
We are pointing a lot to consumption of food or goods materials, but it could also be, let's say, your friend invites you hey uh, there's a half marathon in in denver in next summer.
You want to do it with me?
And i could say no, let's just go all out and do the full marathon, Right?
We might regret that.
Yeah yes, exactly exactly.
That's a good point, lindsay.
So another, so let's go to all in all right so um, this is all.
This is also the idea of putting everything into it.
The dictionary said, i'm going to quote um completely committed to or very much in favor of something.
Now this sounds almost the same, very similar, Very similar.
I think about poker, right?
And I think this kind of helps me understand the difference.
If you say I'm going all in on poker, what does that mean?
So that really means that you are... You're betting all of your money.
Yeah.
Yeah. what is the key difference here michelle between okay well we're gonna yeah we're gonna get you don't worry don't worry we'll get okay i know right it's it's so funny because it seems like oh they're totally different and then when you actually get into it it's like wait a second wait a second they're more similar than we realize yeah and so it's kind of funny but yeah when you say all in in poker it's like you're you you are so confident or maybe you are trying to get people to think you're that confident yeah and you say i'm betting all my chips i'm going all in i'm going to win with this amazing hand um and that's like putting all your money in betting all of it lindsay have you ever played poker No, I'm terrified.
I think I would be terrible at poker.
I'd lose all my money.
I'm not a gambling woman.
So yeah but guys, in case you're interested, go on listen to episode 1675, which was do you have a poker face when it comes to learning English?
While we're on the topic of poker,
Yes.
So all right, let's get to it.
I mean, so the idea of being all in is what Michelle?
So is that you're truly I mean not to just say this, but in something so You are putting your all in.
You are devoted.
You are all consumed.
Right.
So if I say I'm all in on this marriage, we will fix whatever problems we have.
Right.
It wouldn't be the same as you couldn't say I'm I'm, I'm going all out on this marriage like that doesn't.
No.
It doesn't mean the same thing.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I'm all in.
It's like I've committed myself.
I'm putting everything I have into this.
Totally.
Totally.
Or if you say you could even just say it.
So like to accept something like I got the job.
Yes, I'll take it.
I'm all in.
Like I'm accepting it. you're and at that point you're saying i'm putting down my other options like i'm i'm no longer interviewing i'm not thinking about my other options i'm all in i'm signing a contract let's do it right Right, right, exactly.
So I think of all out as far as the differences, I think of all out as being more a little bit over the top, maybe a little excessive or extravagant.
So like, Maybe dealing with maybe dealing with spending money or just being really into something.
So like, yeah, also just like as a as a side note, you don't say I'm I'm all out.
You'd say, I'm going all out.
I'm going all out.
But you do say, I'm all in.
That's a good point.
You wouldn't say, I'm all out.
That would be more like you don't have something.
It just doesn't work.
Yeah, so along the same lines, I agree with you, Michelle.
I think the key difference, it's subtle.
Again, we've been doing a lot of subtleties on All Ears English lately.
With Aubrey, we did one a few weeks ago that was quite subtle as well.
But I think all out to go all out again, you said go all out is a lot of it is about consumption.
Like what are you consuming?
Right.
I'm going to get that ice cream sundae, not just the mini kitty cup.
Right.
I'm going to go all out.
I'm going to do that.
And as opposed to all in, it's like you are involved in something.
You're involved in a marriage.
You're involved in a poker game.
You're involved in a job.
Something about you taking actions and being in a circle, kind of.
Does that make sense?
Right.
Yeah, I agree.
And so well, I have some examples here where we're going to fill in the blank and we'll even give a second, and then the listeners can guess and we'll talk about which we think makes sense.
Right, to help us get into the differences a little bit more with some real examples, let's try and fill in the blank.
Little exercise, a little game for today, so i'll do the first one.
So okay, she really went blank with the baking.
There were brownies and cookies and cupcakes.
What do you think, lindy?
Wait, let's pause guys, what do you think Okay?
So can I, can I throw in my idea here?
What do you think?
Okay.
I think she really went all out because I also think it's a chunk too.
Again, as we said, to go all out, to go all out.
So that's the hint.
That's the clue, right?
Right.
And also this fact that, you know, then I listed brownies and cookies and cupcakes.
Right.
Yeah.
I could say she went all in, but it just I don't know.
It just doesn't sound as well.
And she went all out.
Mm hmm.
I feel like all out, you know, emphasizes like this extravagance, this extravagance, excessiveness consumption.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Right.
What's the next one?
OK.
You want to do the next one?
Sure.
Or should I do them?
Because then you have to guess.
OK, go for it.
Yeah.
OK.
I'm blank when it comes to my kids.
Okay, listeners, go ahead and take a guess.
And I will throw out my guess now.
I think it is I'm all in.
Yes.
Right.
This points to being part of like a circle.
It's your family.
You're physically, not just physically involved, mentally, emotionally, fully just in, just totally in it.
You're committed, you're committed, you're invested, all these things, right?
Yeah.
It wouldn't make sense.
I'm all out when it comes to my kids.
You can't say that.
You might say, I mean, but let's say you're talking about Christmas shopping or something.
And you say, I go all out when it comes to my kids.
That would mean I get the toys, I get the stockings, I get this and that, right?
So exactly that idea of consumptions.
Yes.
Perfect.
Perfect example.
Right.
Okay.
Let's do a couple more.
Okay.
They are really blank on this.
They won't give up.
OK, for this one, I would say they are really all in on this.
Is that right?
Yeah, that's what I was thinking.
They won't give up like they're, you know, they're they're invested.
They're they're deep into it.
They're a part of something, like you said, a part of something that's the key, and and maybe not like physically, but emotionally, here they're invested, as you said, michelle.
Okay right right right, one more.
All right, here we go.
He went blank at the talent show.
His guitar playing was amazing and he played songs he wrote himself.
He practiced so much.
This one's tough, because I could see how our listeners might think.
Maybe I'm wrong.
I don't know.
I would say he went all out at the talent show.
Is that what you were thinking?
Well, that's what I was thinking.
I think especially when you have like these lists.
But however, you could say you could say.
He went all in, but I just.
This is one of those where I think it sounds more natural to say all out.
Like we talked about, it's not just consumption.
I mean, I think the fact that I listed you it was a guitar playing songs, you know, but I think it would have sounded better to say like Oh, like my, my friend is practicing for the talent show.
He's really all in, you know?
Yeah, I see what you mean.
Yeah.
So also the fact that it's go right.
We use went.
So that was the clue for me.
Right.
So go all out.
Right.
So.
All right, Michelle.
And let's go ahead and try a quick role play in just a minute here.
Okay, Michelle, quick role play.
Here we go.
Are you ready?
I am your realtor.
Yeah, so here we go.
So are you ready to start looking?
Yes, I'm all in.
Okay, awesome.
So let's list some of the things you're looking for in a new home.
Give me the whole list.
Really go all out.
Okay, here we go.
That's always a fun moment when you're whoever's helping you find something.
It's like, tell me everything you want.
Tell me all your dreams.
But then they have to say, this is not possible.
Right okay, so just real quick to show our listeners.
You said yes, i'm all in.
That means you are totally committed to this project.
Right exactly, exactly.
And then you said give me the whole list like basically, you know all the things you would want.
So really go all out, give me everything, all the, even if it sounds excessive, right Again excessiveness consumption, kind of the idea of you want all these things.
That's right.
But again, Michelle, there is overlap.
So what should our listeners come away with today?
I think the main idea we have is this idea of being a part of something is often all in.
You're all in on a marriage, but you usually say all out with the word go.
I wouldn't say I'm all out.
I might say I go all in on my relationships.
You might say that, but you would never say I am all out out.
No, you would know exactly.
So today we've given you guys some broad rules, exactly so this is nuanced.
So i mean, i would recommend for our listeners guys, just listen to this, try to hear native speakers use these two phrases, and then you'll start to get it a bit more right.
Exactly this is fun.
I really like this question and guys, give it a try, you'll.
You'll definitely hear this.
These are both really common.
Yeah, this is a really good one, michelle.
Thanks for hanging out in the mic with me today.
I'll talk to you soon.
All right bye, lindsay bye.
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