This is an All Ears English Podcast, episode 2301, rookie mistakes in English.
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Do you ever make a rookie mistake in your English speaking or in your life?
Today, find out how this expression and others can be strategically used to comment on your own blunders and the slip ups of others.
Hello Michelle, how's it going today?
I'm good. Lindsay, I have a question.
How do you feel when you make a mistake?
Are you hard on yourself or can you kind of tease yourself and find the humor in things?
I think these days I've gotten better about that actually.
Finding the humor and just having a lot of grace.
We talked about grace a few months ago.
Having grace for myself.
Yeah, so not too bad, unless it's a big one.
Of course. Of course, it depends on the mistake definitely.
We are going to be talking about a really fun expression.
This is one of those that came up naturally because in my personal life, my husband, I think teased me calling me a rookie about something.
I can't remember exactly what it was, but we are going to be discussing this expression, rookie mistake.
One of the reasons we are also going to do this is because we have been asked by a listener on YouTube, guys, you can also leave your questions on YouTube.
This listener wants to hear more about sports.
We are going to be doing many episodes in the future about sports or sports idioms.
This is one of them today.
Lindsay, would you like to read the question for us?
I would love to. This is from Safedine3355, again on YouTube.
They said, thank you for this beautiful episode.
I want you to talk about sports because I've just started learning English and I want to start learning about the things I love.
Please, will you do an episode about sports?
Thank you. Definitely.
Also, to this listener, yeah, we did do a basketball series.
Yes. We did a whole series on basketball.
Go on over and check that out if you put basketball into the search bar.
You will find a lot of sports episodes.
We are going to definitely take your question and distribute more episodes about sports because I do think it's important.
It's great for connection.
There are tons of good idioms that get in there.
What do you think, Lindsay?
Sound good to you? I do think so.
We're going to answer another question about sports in the future in the next few weeks sometime, Michelle, on Aller's English.
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All right. I already kind of touched on the expression.
This is a really fun one that you can use when you're teasing yourself or someone else about a mistake.
Lindsay, is this for very serious mistakes?
The idea of a rookie mistake, do you mean, Michelle?
Do you think it would say rookie mistake about something really serious?
Oh, yeah. No. If you made a big mistake, like what would be a big mistake?
I don't know. You like spelled your name wrong on your passport or something, and then you go to the airport and you're like, oh, rookie mistake.
No, probably not. This is more like this is about a certain type of thing too.
You can be a rookie at something and a pro at something else because you're just experienced.
It just means in some area, you have a little less experience.
So you made a beginner's mistake.
Yes. Yes, exactly. So, you know, I mean, you could use it on yourself for a bigger mistake, but only in a teasing way about yourself.
But you would never say it to someone else about a serious mistake they made, right?
I don't think that they would feel very good and I think that they would feel self -conscious and get upset.
So, but let's talk about this.
I mean, Lindsay, would you say rookie mistake?
Yeah, sure. Yeah, if the situation called for it, it would make sense.
I mean, for example, our inner IELTS course, so we have our three keys IELTS course, which I'm sure a lot of our students know about, we have an entire section called IELTS rookie mistakes.
And that is meant to be a fun way of just having fun with naming parts of the course.
But it means, especially, these things will happen to people who have never taken IELTS before.
Interesting. Mm -hmm.
Right. So, I mean, well, to talk about the what does this mean?
First, we have to talk about what the word rookie means.
So, what is a rookie?
From what I understand, it's just a beginner or someone who's new.
So, for example, this is used a lot in pro sports and you might hear the announcer, okay, here comes the rookie to bat.
It doesn't mean he's a beginner at baseball, obviously.
He wouldn't get the pros.
Yeah, it means he's new in the Major League Baseball in the leagues.
Right. He's new in the leagues, new in the pros.
Okay. Mm -hmm. Here's the rookie from Minnesota.
Right. That kind of thing.
Yes. Yes, exactly. You might hear they have done.
They have an award like the Rookie of the Year or there was a movie, Rookie of the Year.
Oh, yeah. So, that means the best player and in their first year of being on the team.
Yes. Right. So, again, not new to baseball altogether, but just specific to their first year of pro sports.
And it also could be, I was looking, I saw in one of the dictionaries, it could be about joining a police force or some agency like that.
Sometimes they might use the word rookie.
Yeah. I would imagine organized, especially possibly like the military, maybe like SEAL teams or something.
You know, that kind of place that intersects between military and defense and that sort of area, cops and things could also use that term.
I feel like it's also much more common among men.
Do you know what I mean?
Like, these particular professions tend to draw men more, obviously.
And I hear it more.
I don't know, for some reason, but certainly with female sports, you hear it too, I would say.
Well, it's interesting.
I always think of baseball when I hear the word rookie.
Yeah, me too. I don't necessarily think of it as in basketball or the other sports as much for something.
I mean, perhaps it is used, but it seems very specific to baseball.
Yeah, because I'm trying to think like football.
I don't think they use it in football.
Yeah. Yeah, I think you're right.
Actually, baseball.
Yeah, so it's interesting.
I mean, so like I said, the other day, I think Dan called me a rookie about something.
I can't remember what it was.
It's possible you would use it like let's say I was having a hard time opening a lock.
Right. And I was just kind of fiddling with it and I couldn't get it to go.
And he might say, OK, rookie or what are you a rookie?
So it's this idea of kind of being when you talk about somebody making a mistake as rookie.
Yeah, it's Lindsay.
It's what it's what you said that beginner's mistake but in a little bit of a almost I think it's used more so when you're not a beginner and you make a beginner mistake.
Yeah, I think it's used a lot.
Right. Like just the term rookie mistake.
Right. You made a rookie mistake even though maybe you're an expert.
This is a rookie mistake.
What are you doing?
Why? Why are you doing?
Why did you do that?
Right. That kind of thing.
Yeah. Yes. So it could be is more I don't know more genuinely, I guess.
Right. But I think oftentimes it's used in kind of a lighthearted teasing way, maybe self -deprecating way as well.
So it's the same. It's this idea that you made a mistake that would be simply for a beginner.
Yeah. And when you're not new to something but you made a mistake as if you were new.
Yeah. Yeah. And everyone does it in their in their given expertise, areas of expertise.
You know, sometimes we make rookie mistakes on the mic, too.
We do certain things like laugh into the mic too loudly, which might hurt our listeners' ears.
These are listener mistakes, right?
Like, you know, there are certain these are these are rookie mistakes.
Yeah. For example. Yeah.
Right. Right. So if Lindsay and I were to make a rookie mistake, I can imagine if I mean, Lindsay, sometimes I remember I think it was just two weeks ago when we were starting to record and we were thinking, why am I picture doesn't look good?
Oh, is something wrong with the camera and it doesn't look right?
And then I realized that they didn't have the appropriate camera.
Oh, yeah. Yeah. So yeah, so that's an example of I could say about myself, a rookie mistake, right?
And it's a way to just acknowledge, OK, I made this mistake, kind of laugh it off.
Yeah, totally exactly.
That 100 percent happened.
Sorry. All right. That was a rookie mistake.
Not turning off my phone.
There you go. Perfect timing.
But let's do some more more examples.
I mean, what what would be another scenario where maybe somebody would say rookie mistake?
Your parent, the parent, someone's parent goes to the wrong pickup line at school.
Right. They go to pick up the first graders when their kid is in kindergarten.
Maybe something like that.
Oh, my goodness. I'm sorry.
Rookie mistake is what you could say.
So so we use this to talk about ourselves, too, not just to point at the person and say you've made a mistake, which is interesting, right?
And well, and I think that to use it about somebody else, you really have to be comfortable with them.
They have to know that you're joking to use it about yourself.
You can do it a little bit more freely because, you know, we have more I don't know, freedom to kind of make tease ourselves without worrying about.
Yeah. You know, repercussions.
I agree. What's another example, Michelle?
So let's say a friend gives her other friend a chocolate cake when she knows she always eats vanilla.
So she might say, oh, you're vanilla.
I knew that rookie mistake.
Right. Okay. Now, this is interesting because you're saying that you're a rookie when it comes to the knowledge of your friend.
Right. And that I should it's it's almost like saying I should have known that.
Of course. Yes. And that is kind of that's kind of a connection moment because that's implying that I know you better than this.
I should have known any better than.
Ah. Right. Right. Right.
Exactly. So it's very interesting how that acknowledging this mistake can almost just bring about this extra moment of connection that wouldn't have been there before.
So in a way, it can be kind of a good thing in some in some cases.
Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah.
OK, Michelle. Can this ever be genuine?
Would you say? Yeah, we were touching on this a little bit before, but it can it ever not be kind of a way to tease or be funny?
I think you could say, oh, she made a rookie mistake today.
But it's OK because she's brand new to this job.
She will learn. So you could you could do it.
But again, you have to be it could be a little insulting.
Right. So you want to think about how you're using it and just be careful.
Yeah. Well, actually, now that makes me because you said police.
So there's a TV show.
We used to watch it at home.
I think it's coming back on soon called The Rookie.
And it's do you know that show?
It's I've heard of it.
I've heard of it. It's another cop show.
So it's the L .A. Los Angeles cops for one district.
And it's just, you know, the inner workings of being a cop and the office politics and all relationships and everything.
But yeah, the one guy that's kind of the star of the show, the protagonist, kind of he's he's a rookie when he first starts.
Right. And so like from his perspective and yeah.
So that's a good example of this word being used even to name a show.
Yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Exactly. So, you know, I I typically think of it as being more this way to tease joke around.
But yeah, like you said, that that's a perfect example of this TV show.
And but there are other ways to express this idea of kind of a silly mistake.
Yeah. Lindsay, what are some other things you could say?
Blunder. I love this word.
Yeah. Blunder. I never use it.
But it's really if our listeners guys, if you could start using this word very high level.
OK. Yes. Yes. What kind of a mistake is a blunder, Michelle?
It's like I'm imagining, oh, maybe a hot mic incident in the debate or something, right?
Yeah. What is what is that?
What is a hot mic? A hot mic.
I love that term. It just means that you are speaking, you didn't realize the microphone was on.
So you were making comments under your breath, maybe to yourself during a debate or something, or or that could also happen.
A hot mic in like a loudspeaker situation, something like that when you're in an office, but you're connected to a loudspeaker and your mic is on, it's been known to happen.
It's been. Oh, absolutely.
It's very scary to be very careful.
Yeah. So but that would be an example of a blunder.
That's kind of a big mistake.
Right. A big, embarrassing mistake or a slip up, a slip up.
Very similar. Right.
I made a slip up. I think the difference between these two are going to be it's going to be hard.
It's pursing real very specific.
And do you think of any anything between these two that are different slip up and a blunder?
I mean, a blunder seems slightly more intense, but yeah, yes and no.
I mean, in general, I wouldn't really think a huge difference.
But a slip up to me seems a little bit more minor than a blunder.
Yeah. I think a slip up can also be used when you make a mistake in self control.
Like you would say you were on a diet that week.
You're like, I'm not going to eat cheese, even though cheese is the best food on earth.
Right. I'm just not going to eat cheese.
And then I had a slip up last night and I had some cheese.
Right. Right. You're trying to break a habit.
You're trying to break some sort of habit, like you're biting your nails and then you say, oh, I got anxious and I had a slip up, something like that.
Yep. Yep. And then we can say silly me.
And this is what we might say about ourselves.
Exactly. This would be like, oh, you knock over a couple of water.
Yeah. Right. Very small silly me.
And then I found this one when I was looking up different ideas.
It says, school boy boy error.
Have you heard of this, Lindsay?
Not really, but I can imagine what it means.
Right. This is like it's something that like a kid with no experience would do.
Right. Yeah. That sort of thing.
Yeah. For sure. Interesting.
So should we do a role play with a few of these?
Yes. Let's do it, Michelle.
So here we are close friends and we're working together at a coffee shop.
Sometimes I have fantasies about just working in a coffee shop, just like just just change everything and just like go become an employee in a coffee shop.
Yes. Yeah. It probably seems more romantic.
I was going to say it seems probably seems more romantic than it actually is.
Yeah. Yeah. And not romantic in like the love sense.
Guys, it's romantic.
This is the other way of using the whole episode.
Yeah. This is another episode for another day.
Guys, hit follow on the show.
We can only do so much in one day.
All right. So, Michelle?
Can you start us off?
All right. Here we go.
Lindsay, you were supposed to make this with almond milk.
Oh, my gosh. Rookie mistake.
That's OK. I've made many slip ups on my day.
Well, where is the almond milk anyway?
Oh, silly me. It's in the fridge in the back.
Sorry about that. Nice.
This felt pretty natural, you know, because the truth is we do make mistakes all of the time.
You could probably count like 30 I made just yesterday, you know.
And so we need to we need things to say when this happens.
Right. Yep. Yep. Exactly.
So I said you were supposed to make this with almond milk.
So you say, oh, my gosh, rookie mistake.
So probably, you know, you've been working there for a while and you realize, do you hit the wrong button or you just didn't listen?
Or you just picked up the wrong bottle?
Yeah. And then I'm trying to make you feel better or you're trying to make me feel better.
It's OK. I've made many slip ups in my day.
And in my day means in your 10 year working at that coffee shop.
Right. Right. Yeah.
Yeah. And then you asked for the almond milk was and I said, oh, silly me.
It's in the fridge in the back.
So I'm saying, oh, it's not even it's not even here.
So I'm saying, silly me like I'm supposed to put those out all the milk out.
Nice. That was a good example.
I do have a question that I think our listeners might be thinking right now, Michelle.
So these phrases we learn today, rookie mistake, blunder, slip up, silly me, do these apply when we make an English mistake?
Like when we make a mistake, we make a grammar mistake.
We know we've just said that grammar point wrong.
I mean, on this show, we believe in connection.
So the point is when you make that mistake, you seek the connection.
You maybe laugh at yourself.
You make eye contact.
But do we actually comment on our own mistakes?
Oh, rookie mistake.
Let me change that.
Let me say it this way.
I think it depends on your individual personality.
I think that you can certainly do that.
If you have more if you're if you feel pretty, just lighthearted, you're not taking yourself too seriously, you're you're able to maybe just laugh at yourself when you make mistakes in general in your life, then I would say there's nothing wrong with saying one of these depending on the situation.
I wouldn't say it in the middle of a presentation at school.
Yeah, totally. Totally.
But if you if you kind of mess up a verb tense to somebody, you could actually connect to that person by saying, oh, my gosh, rookie mistake.
Yeah. I mean, I I think so.
I think it could be a good, fun connection moment because you're I think it actually shows an extra level of knowledge because you you're saying, oh, I know I made that mistake.
Right. I think. Yeah, I think my takeaway from what you said, Michelle, is that you ask yourself the question, is this going to serve connection right now, right?
Sometimes it's not going to because all of us are going to make a lot of mistakes.
We understand that if we do this every time, make a comment on our mistake.
It's going to prevent the connection.
But if there's one key moment in which there's like a lull in the conversation, you're like dropping a joke about yourself in that sense.
Yes, that serves connection.
In that case, go for it.
Right. Yes, absolutely.
Absolutely. Yes. Very good point, Lindsay.
Guys, head on over to the Business English podcast, one of our other podcasts here at Allers English, Episode 328.
We did Nevermind How to Respond to a Coworker's Mistake.
So more about mistakes over there.
So go ahead and listen to that one and hit follow on the Business English podcast as well.
All right. And that's it, Michelle.
That's where I want to leave our listeners.
We all make mistakes and that's what we're all about.
We just don't let it affect our quality of our life and the connections in our lives.
Yep. Right. That's the key.
Love it. All right.
Thanks, Lindsay. And thanks to our listener for that question.
Definitely listen up for some more sports type episodes coming soon.
All right, Michelle, talk soon.
Bye. All right. Bye.
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