This is an All Ears English podcast episode 2123.
Six ways to say party in English.
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If you have a vibrant social life, then you are probably attending a lot of events.
Today, find out why it's important to be specific about the type of event that you're attending, and learn six new ways to say party.
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Hey, Michelle, how's everything going?
Everything is good over here.
Lindsay, how are you?
I'm feeling good.
I've just come back from my trip to Portugal and yeah, it was great.
It was good to travel for a week or so.
Feeling good, feeling fresh.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's good.
I feel like you were gone for a short time.
Like it was a shorter trip, right?
Yeah.
A little bit shorter.
Did it feel like, did it, did you feel like it was enough time?
Did you feel like you wanted more or were you ready to?
Sometimes, people just are ready to get back home at the end.
I was ready.
We actually went home early.
We went home a day early.
We changed our flight cause we were just ready.
We were done.
We were satisfied.
We ate all the food we could eat, drank all the wine we could drink.
And we're like, Oh my gosh, we have to go back to normal life oh, wow.
So yeah yeah, we booked our teacher flight.
Yeah oh wow, okay.
Well, i'm glad that you had fun.
Um lindsay, when was the last time you went to a shindig?
A shindig?
Oh my gosh.
Last time I went to a shindig, I can't even think of anything right now, but there will be one.
We'll be hosting a ugly sweater party next weekend.
I'm so excited for that shindig.
That's great.
Well, actually in the future, I've planned something about being a party host.
So maybe we'll bump that episode up a little bit.
Love it.
But yeah, actually I went to a shindig over back in October for Halloween and it was really fun.
A bunch of old friends, just like you know, those friends that are like family yeah, that's amazing.
Yeah, so that was really fun.
So today we are going to be talking about shindigs.
I'm sure you guys can guess what a shindig is, based on the context, by this point, but if not, we are going to get into it.
But before guys, we have been doing these amazing polls on Spotify.
It's just a new way to interact with our listeners, which I love.
Me too.
Yeah.
So we throw out a question every few episodes and then you can vote on the question put in your answer and then we will share the results.
It's a great way to get to know you guys.
And it's a lot of fun.
Yeah, i love it.
So what was the poll?
So for episode 2094, we had a poll.
The episode was what's so funny, how to connect over laughter in english?
And what question did we ask michelle?
Okay, so this was back in 2094.
So the question was what makes you laugh the most?
The first one was a funny show or movie, and 416 of you said that.
The second option was your funny friend and 42.6% said that.
So almost the same.
But it turns out, family members aren't that funny, because the third option was your funny family member and 158 of you said that, so it was really the show.
Or a funny friend, Lindsay?
Who or what makes you laugh the most?
Oh my gosh, probably also.
You know the people in my life.
You know there are certain people in my life that are funny and they just have a different way of looking at the world, and I love it because they just find what's funny and you connect more with that right, Michelle?
Yes um yes i, i definitely, i love.
I have a few characters in my life who are especially funny.
In my life, my sister-in-law is one of the funniest people.
Yes oh, that's funny, yeah.
So guys, and we are going to have another poll coming to you at the end of the episode.
So if you're listening on Spotify, definitely will, no matter where you're listening, listen till the end.
But in Spotify, listen and make sure that you vote and we will let you know what is the poll at the end of the episode.
Yes.
Cannot wait for that, guys.
So go ahead and listen in.
You know listen, keep listening today and you'll get to vote and have your voice heard.
Yes.
Definitely.
All right.
So today we are going to talk about different kinds of parties and different words to use for parties.
This episode comes to you from Julia Louis-Dreyfus, inspired by her.
That's Elaine on Seinfeld.
Guys, we recently did a Seinfeld episode as well.
Yes.
And I got this idea because I follow her on Instagram and she posted something about going to a shindig.
And I saw that word and I thought, ding, ding, ding, all ears English.
Yeah, that's funny.
Oh, she's so funny.
Oh my gosh.
Do you think she was the funniest character on Seinfeld?
Or would you say Jerry?
Or who would you say was the funniest character?
They're all so good.
It's really hard to choose.
But in general, I love her.
I think she's so talented.
Like she did Veep.
Did you watch Veep?
No, i didn't watch that.
She's really good.
You have to watch me.
That's hysterical anyway.
Um, so she mentioned shindig, so i thought let's do it.
Lindsay, do you use the word shindig?
I do sometimes michelle, i would say it's a fun, slangy way to say event or party.
Right yeah yeah, i think like, maybe a party, maybe with dancing.
I think it's used in kind of a cutesy, maybe slightly funny or sarcastic way, like yeah, i don't know that i would if if, if somebody said oh, what are you doing saturday?
I might not just say like i have a shindig right right right, yeah.
No, you have to be in kind of a playful mood to use it a little bit.
It's got a little something extra.
I would say yeah, it's not the same as just saying party, it has a different feel to it.
Yeah, it's not, it's not objective.
Right, it's like i'm going to a shin dig.
We use it with certain people in certain ways, but we have another episode to remind our listeners to go back to.
We're going to get into this a bit more, but first guys, go and check out episode 2114.
That is how to use a strong idiom to share your identity in english.
Love that idea, Michelle.
Definitely.
Yes, for sure.
Yes.
And one of the ways we share our identity is through the vocabulary we choose.
So we're explaining a little bit about this word.
So for example, I might say something like, I got to head to work.
I'll be home late because I got to go to this shindig for my supervisor's birthday.
Yeah.
So you're being a little playful there.
And who do you think you're talking to in that case?
Who would you be talking to?
Who would we use this around?
I would say like this might be for your partner.
This might be for a friend.
A friend.
Yeah.
Somebody more casual.
Right.
I would agree with that.
So you're just saying I'm going to a party, but you're putting a little flair on it.
Love it.
Okay, Michelle.
So, I mean, Michelle, what kind of parties are your favorite kinds of parties?
What do you like to do when it comes to partying?
When it comes to partying, while i do, i do like to dance, um at parties.
I like to eat um yeah, but more so i like uh, i kind of just like a party with good friends at somebody's house um, i think those are.
Those are my favorites.
What about you?
I love a good barbecue summer.
That's why fourth of july is my favorite.
Yes, you know, backyard barbecues are the best, sitting around a campfire or like a backyard fire.
You know, people have the patio fires and maybe roasting marshmallows and drinking beers and just eating veggie burgers.
Yeah, i just think summertime parties are the best personally.
Yeah Yeah yeah, yeah.
They're a lot of fun.
Yeah.
So other words for parties.
Let's talk about some other ways that you can talk about a party.
So the first one is bash.
Bash.
So fun, love it.
I kind of forgot that this word existed, but this is a fun one.
I know right what I mean.
To me, I feel like you use bash with the word birthday, like oh, a birthday bash.
Like I don't know that I would hear bash oh, I don't know bash, or something.
Yeah right, I feel.
And I also feel like this is a lot of times on an invitation maybe it's written like you know Michelle yeah, you know it 17th birthday bash.
Just kidding.
I'm 17.
Michelle.
Wow.
Maybe 25.
Yeah.
No, no one knows.
No one knows.
So right.
So Lindsay, how might you use this?
Could say oh wow, we are invited to paul's 40th birthday bash, i almost okay, tell me what you think about this, if i'm making this up or if you agree.
I kind of feel like people might use birthday bash if it's maybe an older birthday, like moving towards 40 plus, and people are trying to kind of i don't know, just be a little silly, add a little something extra.
Instead of saying birthday, like i feel like for a kid, would you say come to to my son's fifth birthday bash.
Maybe Maybe, but yeah no, I see what you're saying.
I think of a bash as a more formal adult thing that's like, hey, we're celebrating this event.
I don't know, a little cheesy maybe.
Yeah, I think it's more geared towards events for adults.
They're a little bit older, maybe it's less.
Maybe people feel like oh, it's a birthday party, it's something kids do, although that's not true, i'm not sure.
I just think there's a little something there that you can use this word more so for events for adults rather than kids.
Yeah yeah, and i do think it is often like when it's written on an invitation.
I think that you might say like i imagine you were saying oh, we're invited to paul's 40th birthday bash.
I, i imagine you're opening up the invitation and it says like Paul's 40th birthday bash, right?
I don't know that it would say... something and then you just throw out the word bash for fun yeah yeah right so don't get us wrong guys it's not like you can't say birthday party if you then you've read the invitation and then yeah you go to your partner and you say hey are we going to go to this party you don't have to say bash right just because it's an adult's party no one's going to say no it's actually a bash right exactly no but i agree with you i imagined opening the invitation and saying that as i was reading it right yeah So now we're going to move on to a couple different words that are a little bit more specific, in my opinion.
So this one is reception.
Yeah, more fancy for sure.
And much more specific.
Right.
Yeah.
I mean I think of wedding when I hear the word reception, or just something associated with a party after attending something else, like maybe a reception after a work award ceremony.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Wedding reception after the wedding ceremony.
But I when I hear reception, I think of like maybe a ballroom. yeah i would say maybe yeah i was thinking like after a graduation i guess there could be a reception held by the school something a little more structured i think tending to be held by like an institution or like a larger group maybe yeah reception feels that's why it's fancy it's more it's more organized maybe rather than a party Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, I mean, weddings these days are wedding receptions.
Yeah.
I mean, I so my wedding was in a hotel at a hotel.
OK.
And what about you?
My wedding was at a like a farm out, like a farm, like a non-working farm kind of place, sort of in the countryside a little bit.
Yeah.
Oh, how fun.
Yeah.
So, I mean, but I mean, yeah.
It's a lot of decisions for a wedding.
And I feel like looking back, you just kind of wish that.
Well, I wish that some of that money were spent on a house or something like that.
I feel like weddings have gotten kind of out of hand.
Out of control.
Out of control.
We're going to see what our listeners think at the end of the episode, right?
I'm excited for that poll.
Guys, stay tuned.
Keep listening.
But yeah, I mean, just to hint at that a little bit, I totally agree.
It's out of control, Michelle.
It is out of control.
Out of control.
And in the us, once you sign on to one service or one venue, it's implied that you'll do all these other things.
It's it can get really pricey.
Yes yes, exactly exactly.
And often before a wedding, there's a shower like a bridal shower.
So guys, this is the next word, it's shower, not like a shower when you are bathing.
Uh lindsay, what is a shower?
So it's where i imagine it, where you're showered with gifts.
Yeah, I guess that's where it comes from.
Bridal shower, baby shower.
So the bride gets a lot of gifts.
The bride and groom or the mother-to-be gets a lot of gifts from their close friends.
Usually it's at a home, I would say.
Would you agree with that?
At someone's home?
It might be, but I had a bridal shower.
I was at a restaurant.
I mean, at home, a restaurant.
I mean, some are very...
Fancy.
Some are, some are more casual.
So yeah, I would say that it could be wherever, but yeah, exactly.
I think of being showered with gifts.
Have you ever heard of this?
A little bonus is a sprinkle for a baby.
Maybe.
What does that, what does that mean?
Okay.
So I don't understand this but, like I didn't, I didn't have a baby shower, but a baby sprinkle.
As I understand it guys, correct me if i'm wrong as i understand that a baby sprinkle is for not the first child.
It's like if you already have a kid, so it's not a shower, it's a sprinkle.
So they're having something for you, but we're not calling it a shower because you already had one.
Oh interesting, so right, and you've had a lot of gifts in the shower.
Now we're just going to sprinkle some gifts on you right, exactly now.
We're just a different weather, different kind of weather situation.
Second child thing right, it's always oh yeah, it's a big deal for the first child, everything in, And then second child, I imagine it's like okay, no big deal.
Yeah.
Well, it's like, all right, well, we already got your gifts the first time.
So funny.
So yeah.
And that's usually just about one person, right?
One person is focused on.
So for example, the wedding isn't until June, but the bridal shower is in February.
And that's typical.
Normally the shower would be a little like three, four or five months before, and then the wedding would be later.
Yeah.
Yes.
Yes, exactly.
Do we have time for one more?
Should we move into the role play?
I think we should move.
Oh, no, we have two more.
Oh, yeah, I got excited.
I guess I got excited planning this one, but we'll skip the next ones and we'll get into a role play.
So here we go.
Lindsay, in this role play, we are talking about... Oh, wait, hold on.
Here we go.
Okay, we are talking about weekend plans.
Yes, talking about weekend plans.
Okay perfect yeah, and we'll show you guys, those bonus words here.
We won't go into them very much, but listen in for some key bonuses.
All right, exactly all right.
Here we go.
All right, here we go.
So i'm going to, i'm going to a wedding saturday.
Oh, how nice.
Where is it?
Well, the ceremony is in this beautiful garden, but the reception is then after at a hotel.
Oh, have fun, thanks.
I went to a bridal shower a few months ago.
The food was great, so i'm expecting nothing less from the real soiree.
Ooh, sounds delicious.
What are you up to this weekend?
Well, I'm attending a little soiree myself.
Ooh, what?
A birthday bash?
No, it's actually a gala for my friend's nonprofit.
Oh, that's great.
Have fun.
Ooh, so many good words here, Michelle.
So many high-level natural native words.
Yep, yep, yep.
So we are both partying, right, in the upcoming days.
Love it.
Party, party.
Yes.
Okay.
So let's go through it.
So I said, the ceremony is in this beautiful garden, but the reception is then after at a hotel.
The reception, the party part.
Yeah.
And we said those are usually more organized, maybe after a wedding or after some big event.
Yeah.
Okay.
That's right.
And then, yeah, go ahead.
Go ahead.
Oh, okay.
I said I went to a bridal shower, the bridal shower a few months ago.
So that were the showered with gifts before the event.
Okay.
And then there's a bonus word, Lindsay.
Yeah, you said, so I'm expecting nothing less from the real soiree.
And you're having fun here with this word soiree.
And just real quick, what do we mean there?
We won't go into it too much.
Another party, another word.
It's kind of a glitzy way to say party.
It does sound glitzy, glitzy and glammy.
And then you said, ooh, go ahead.
Oh, no.
Yeah, I said, ooh, what a birthday bash.
So we went over that yeah, and then i said no, it's actually a gala for my friend's non-profit and that is yeah, that tends to be.
Is that generally a fundraising event, a gala?
Yeah, i would say that a gala.
I don't know if it's oh, i think it's generally.
I think of it for a cause right, exactly like i think of it.
Maybe money is going to be raised, but it's generally for something.
So a gala is not a is is not just any kind of party, right Yeah?
It's not a reception.
It's not necessarily a bad.
It's certainly.
Usually they have a dinner and but they are usually kind of raising money and also tend to be very fancy, right.
Fancy dresses, maybe ballroom dresses, that sort of deal.
Yes right right right oh yes wow, lots of.
But it felt very natural that conversation.
So you see, even in the same conversation, you can use all of these, and it doesn't sound, you know, sometimes we say oh, you don't want to use all of these at once, but to me this sounded very natural because there's just like each one is pretty specific and has a slightly different meaning.
I love it very specific.
Be more specific, guys.
I mean, that's the takeaway for today is be more specific when you talk about your parties and your events, because you have a vibrant social life right, so share that.
You talk about what you're doing.
Invite people in also, it's important.
So if you're inviting someone to join you michelle, you need to clue them in to what they're going to so they know how to dress, because you're not going to show up for a gala in, you know, khaki pants in a tuxedo right yeah right exactly exactly, so good um, guys.
This leaves us to the poll, before we leave.
So the question is on spotify do you think it's better to spend money on a big wedding or save up for a house so you can vote wedding or house?
Let us know, and we will let you know in the future when we get the results.
Yeah.
And we know what our opinions are.
So maybe in the next time when we share the results, we'll share a little bit more about our opinions here.
But guys, go over to Spotify, vote in that poll, make your voice heard.
And Michelle, thanks for being on the show today.
All right, Lindsay.
Thanks so much.
This was fun.
This was a real bash.
It was.
Yeah, it was a fantastic shindig here.
Bye.
Thanks.
You too.
Bye.
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