This is an All Ears English Podcast, episode 2329.
Don't let idioms get your goat.
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We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection with your American host, Aubrey Carter, the IELTS wiz, and Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, USA.
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In this part two of our two -part series, learn four classic phrases that include alliteration to use both literally and abstractly in English.
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Hey Aubrey, question for you today.
All right, let's hear it.
So do you drive a gas guzzler?
Oh, I do drive an SUV that is a bit of a gas guzzler.
I drive it as seldom as possible, and then I have an electric vehicle that I try to drive as much as possible to save gas.
Oh my God, I definitely drive a gas guzzler.
I drive an old Toyota 4Runner from 2006.
Oh man, Supreme gas guzzler.
What is a gas guzzler, Lindsay, what is that?
Yeah, a gas guzzler is a car that just guzzles up so much gas, just consumes gas very quickly.
And when gas prices are up, we can feel it for sure.
Seriously, yes, this is a car that is not fuel efficient.
So when you go to fill the tank, first of all, you're filling it very often and then it goes through gas really quickly.
So especially older cars, right?
They're more fuel efficient these days.
The older cars, yeah, I didn't realize it, but SUVs have gotten a lot more fuel efficient.
You know, they really have a lot of even like hybrids, electric vehicles or SUVs.
It's amazing, the power they're able to get with those these days.
It's impressive. It's impressive.
So how does this tie into the topic today, Aubrey?
Yes, we are talking about idioms that have alliteration.
We did a part one on the Business English podcast, stay to the end and we'll let you know which episode that was.
If you missed it, you don't have to have heard that one to understand this one today.
We're sharing idioms that also have alliteration that we use in everyday conversations.
Yeah. And the other episode we talked about how these are just fun to say they're punchy.
They sound smooth. They're just fun and kind of funny at times.
Exactly. Right. Alliteration is when you have a repeated sound like in gas guzzler, we have that hard sound twice and it does make it fun to say.
So idioms, I mean, they're fun enough on their own ad alliteration.
Yeah. It's another tool, right?
Especially as our listeners get into B2 C1, in our C1 course, we talk about speaking in metaphors.
This could be another tool speaking with alliteration.
Mm. Interesting. Yeah.
Super interesting. All right.
Let's go into number one, which is gas guzzler.
We shared what it means.
Let's share a couple more examples here.
Okay. Here's one. This car is a real gas guzzler.
And in my Toyota Forerunner is definitely a real gas guzzler.
Yes. Yeah. So this is not a compliment, right?
This is a complaint.
This is someone complaining about their car.
That's right. It was another one, Aubrey.
You might say, I'm shopping for a more fuel efficient car.
I'm tired of driving a gas guzzler.
Mm -hmm. And this is just the phrase, this phrase, everyone knows it, right?
Native speakers just know it.
And so to learn it and to be able to start using it will just feel natural.
People will just recognize it when you say it.
Yeah. Yes. And it's really interesting.
It's amazing how much that alliteration makes it more playful.
Because if you're going to say, oh, I want a more fuel efficient car, it's just fun and informal and playful to say, oh, I don't want to drive a gas guzzler.
Yeah. You know, if we said that, I mean, it's not wrong.
It's fine, but sometimes I don't know, it can feel something saying that would feel kind of formal, kind of distant, kind of stiff.
Exactly. It adds a distance.
Yes. And just using idioms and slang and alliteration, it closes that distance and makes connection closer.
Ooh, I think that's the topic today, right?
How to close the distance using alliteration.
That's it right there.
Yeah. Absolutely. So Aubrey, what's our second one?
This one feels a little older to me.
Yeah. This is, my parents said this a lot.
Get your goat, which means to like bother or annoy.
And whenever my brother would do something annoying and I would complain about him, my mom especially would say, why do you let him get your goat?
That meant like, why do you let him bother you?
Why do you care? Yeah.
For sure. Were you and your brother close in age or how far apart in age are you?
Yes. A couple of years apart.
I'm actually going to see him on Thanksgiving in a few days.
I'm very excited. But we really were at fisticuffs as kids.
That phrase was like, we were just always fighting, always arguing.
My brother and I were the same way.
We're two and a half years apart.
He's two and a half years younger, but we, I think that age difference is really, really, yo.
Exactly. That's exactly what we are.
We're two and a half years younger than me.
Yep. Yep. The fighting is intense when you're a kid.
Um, so let's see, what is another sample sentence?
Yeah. You might say about somebody that guy really gets my goat, right?
Or the lady really gets my goat.
And this is a more informal playful way of saying they really bother me.
They really annoy me, which that is a phrase that you want to kind of take some of the ire out of.
You want to make it more playful because otherwise it's like, you're being too serious about her.
You're like, you know, it's not a good look to get really annoyed.
Yeah. What are you going to say?
I really hate that person.
No, right. You need something else to, to say to kind of, yeah, to lighten it, to lighten it and make it diffuse what you're saying a little bit.
Yeah. And this is a little less common.
I think you're right.
You're kind of feeling like it's maybe a little older, maybe the generation older than us used it more.
I do still hear it.
I think you guys will hear it on TV podcasts, but a little less common.
Yeah. I still hear, I think my grandmother used to say it, but I still hear it for sure.
So it lives on, it lives on.
I hope it will. It's fun.
And the alliteration get your goat so fun.
And number three is make a mountain out of a mole Hill.
This one is also still very common.
Although it may be a little bit older to make a big deal out of something small.
Exactly. So you might say I'm upset.
She's late, but I'm trying not to make a mountain out of a mole Hill.
You're like, I'm trying to be chill.
I'm trying not to make a big deal out of something.
That's really not a big deal, right?
To not be so dramatic, right?
Take the drama out of life a little bit.
Yeah, exactly. Yes.
Or you might say about someone, okay, he's making a mountain out of a mole Hill.
This really wasn't a big deal, right?
So, and it is, if you, if you're saying this about someone, you're trying to share that they're being too dramatic.
Like you said, Lindsay, this is a good way to lighten it up a little bit.
Do you know anyone, Aubrey, that tends to do this?
They just kind of go full speed into feeling everything with intense.
I can't think of anyone who does this more than I do.
Maybe I do too. It depends on the situation.
Sometimes, you know, I know I've mentioned on the podcast before that if I feel like someone's being treated unfairly, I'm like zero to 60.
I'm right there in someone's face, like defending someone, maybe making them out and out of a mole Hill sometimes.
Right. And I think it also depends on who, for me, it depends on who I'm around.
Like if I'm around my partner, I feel more liberty to be dramatic.
Totally, right? You're in a safe place.
Yes. You know, just a friend that maybe I don't know as well.
I mean strangers, I might be a little more, a little more easy going.
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
So our personalities change depending on who we're around for sure.
Oh my gosh. Okay. Pleased as punch.
Love it. Also feels classic.
Let's call it classic.
They are all pretty classic, right?
We've definitely heard our grandparents use these.
We've seen them on older TV shows, but we do still hear them some.
So this means very happy to be pleased as punch.
Yeah. So here's an example.
I'm just pleased as punch about the present.
You got me. I feel like I should say that in a Southern accent for some reason.
I don't know why or like imitate a cute little grandma.
Yeah. Or you might say he looks pleased as punch.
Something really good must have happened.
I think we often, at least our generation and younger, we often use this to be a little more silly.
Right? We're like, don't you just look pleased as punch.
We're almost teasing them for being so happy about something.
So you're saying you're not necessarily using it in a fully serious way, right?
Yeah. I feel like this is when I use it the most and it's that chunk.
If I see that someone's just giddy, like super happy, especially if it's something really little and silly, then I say, you just look pleased as punch.
Nice. I love that. Yeah.
I mean, sometimes older phrases that have been around, we heard our grandparents use.
We use them still, but we use them in a more figurative way or a fun, sarcastic way.
Almost like we're imitating our grandparents saying it to us.
Interesting. Okay. Good to know though.
Good to know. So in this role play, which we're going to go into right now, after we take a quick break, let's take a quick break, Aubrey, and then we'll be right back.
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Okay. We are back from break.
Here in this role play, you work at a car dealership and shopping for a new car.
Okay. All right. Let's do it.
You want to start us out?
Yes. Here we go. All right.
Can you tell me how many miles per gallon this car gets?
I don't want a gas guzzler.
I know what you mean.
It really gets my goat when you see that gas gauge dropping so fast.
Yes. Not to make a mountain out of a mole hell, but I definitely want to avoid that.
Well, I think you'll be pleased as punch with this one.
It gets 30 miles per gallon on the highway and 25 in town.
I would make a good car salesman.
Yes. I know you don't drive your soul of a bargain.
I know it's just like talk about the features, talk about the efficiency of the car.
I love it. Exactly.
Right. All right. So here use, I said, can you tell me how many miles per gallon this car gets?
And I said, I don't want a gas guzzler.
And that was the car that tends to use gas quickly.
It just absorbs it.
Yeah, exactly. And we didn't really talk about the actual verb.
Guzzle means to like drink very fast.
We'll say this like someone could guzzle like a soda means you're like drinking something really fast.
So this is very idiomatic sort of personification to say that the car is drinking the gas.
It is cool. Kind of creative, right?
Yeah. Fun. Okay. And then I said, Oh yeah, it really gets my goat when you see that gas gauge dropping.
So this is a fun way to use it.
I am, you know, sure.
It's like showing empathy to you.
Like I get it. I also hate driving a gas guzzler.
And so then I can say, yeah, that really gets my goat.
Like that also really bothers me.
And also a good sales skill, right?
People, in order to sell, people have to feel that you understand them with empathy and you do, you're genuine here.
Right? So true. I missed my calling as a car salesman, sales person would have been a different life for sure.
And then I said, yes, not to make a mountain out of mole Hill, but I definitely want to avoid that.
So I'm saying, I'm not trying to be dramatic or make a really huge deal out of this one goal of the car, but I don't want it.
Right? Exactly. Right.
You're sort of backpedaling a little to like not seem dramatic, not seem like picky, like, Oh, I'm not trying to be dramatic.
I'm not trying to make them out in a mole Hill, but that, you know, this is an important feature to me.
You have to say what you're looking for when you're in the market for anything, right?
Yes. And then I finished by saying, I think you'll be pleased as punch with this one.
And this, I could see myself saying this even in this kind of situation and be like, it means the same as I think you're really going to love this other one.
I'm going to show you, but it's a little more playful.
Yeah. As pleased as punch with this one.
Yeah. And this is used in a more straightforward way, right?
Cause it's just a sales deal and you don't know the person.
So it's being used in the way that maybe our parents generation used it or our grandparents.
Exactly. And this is interesting to look at this role play because a lot of you out there might think you need to reserve idioms and slang for like friends, close friends, very informal conversations, right?
Here we're, you know, a sales person and someone buying a car.
We don't know each other.
Well, it's a little more of a formal situation and it still doesn't feel strange to be throwing in idioms because it just is very native and natural.
It's still a pretty informal conversation if you're shopping for a car.
Oh, for sure. There are so many contexts for idioms and expressions and slang phrases.
So it's not just those close friends, 100%.
100 % So let's send our listeners to the first episode in this series, Aubrey.
What episode was that?
Yes. It was episode 349 on the business English podcast called amazing alliteration.
Commit these sticky phrases to memory.
And we talked a little more about alliteration and how it's used by brands to make those memorable.
So be sure to check out that episode and follow the business English podcast if you don't, cause you're missing great episodes.
Oh my gosh, for sure.
If you're not aware, we have a whole other podcast again called business English.
So type in your search bar, business English.
It will come up. You'll see the yellow.
You'll see us on the cover and you want to go ahead and hit that follow button because we publish business episodes, business English three days a week.
All right. Yes, don't miss those.
I'm excited for you guys to use all of the idioms from today's episode and that one after you check it out because alliteration really does add something.
They're fun to say.
They're fun to hear.
So not only do you have all these great idioms, they all have alliteration.
Yes, I love it. And what was what that we said at the top of the episode kind of closing the gap, right?
Between, you know, trying to find ways to get closer to people using these fun expressions, you know, play around with language.
Don't just use textbook phrases all the time.
This is how we build connection.
Yeah. Absolutely. I agree.
So fun. All right. I'll see you in the next one.
Take care. Awesome.
See you next time. Bye.
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