This is an All Ears English podcast episode 2455.
Should you poke fun at someone's niche interests?
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In this episode, we answer a listener question about the phrase get a life.
Who can you use this with? What does it mean?
And how can you use it about yourself to reveal your nerdy interests?
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Hey, Lindsay, how are you? Good, Michelle.
How are you? What's shaking? What's going on?
Yeah, I'm good. Thanks. Lindsay, did you ever play the game Life as a kid?
Of course. I used to love Life. I remember I liked it more than Monopoly or really any other game.
Yeah, the game of Life. Yeah. Tell us a little bit.
Do you even remember? Because I can't. It's hard for me to remember, but I know that it was fun and you got to have your little pieces and put them in the car, right?
Yeah, there was a car. It was kind of chugging along, right?
That's all I remember about it. But I mean, what is this?
How does this relate to today's topic? Well, today, well, it doesn't, but the word life does.
So today, because today we actually have a listener question dealing with the word life, a question about an expression that people use. say and we're gonna really get into that that's gonna be very interesting but Lindsay guys we first we want to remind you that the very best place to listen to the all ears English podcast is in our app right yes a hundred percent a hundred percent that is the place to go to have the full all ears English experience So when you are a premium user in the app, you get to tap on keywords that we've selected for you to see their meanings, to see sample sentences, and to save them in your keyword, your personal power list is what we call it, which means you have your personal bank of all there's English words, words you've learned on this show.
So you don't have to write them down, put them in a notebook, lose the notebook.
Pages are flying all over the place. We don't want to do any of that, right, Michelle?
No, no, no, no, we don't. So, yeah, oh my gosh, Ania, I really love those real-time transcripts.
Those are amazing. So, guys, to get that app, go to allearsenglish.com slash app, A-P-P.
Yes, excellent. Go over there, guys. Now, let's get into today's topic, Michelle.
This question comes from, wow, but I have a hard time pronouncing the first name, Kodabaksh Osaini, right?
Yes. Should I read the question? Sure. All right.
Special hello to the great hosts of All Ears English.
Well, hello. Back to you. This is Kotobox from Afghanistan, and I've been listening to your podcast for more than seven months.
I'm really enthusiastic about it. Oh, that is wonderful.
Thank you. That means a lot to us. Appreciate that.
It absolutely does. In fact, your podcast is very helpful and effective.
By the way, I have some questions for you. um my question is what is the meaning of the phrase to get a life i look forward to hearing from you oh it's a great question this is a great question and this listener also asked another question but we are going to see if we can get to that at a later date but um thank you for both of those questions um so yeah get a life you know what for some reason the first thing comes to mind is the show the simpsons and how rude that show was Yeah.
Bart Simpson was the root. I wasn't even allowed to watch The Simpsons in the 90s.
It was one of those forbidden TV shows for me because it was so rude.
I could imagine him saying that to, what is it, Lisa?
Right. Lisa, his little sister. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
That's true. I could see that. I'm sure he did.
So yeah, I mean, Lindsay, when you hear get a life, how does that sound lindsay get a life extremely rude yeah we would never say that to each other i mean this is something honestly kids say teenagers say to each other i don't even know if that's true because they could say a totally different slang right now oh you're right yeah no who are we to be teaching teenagers we should have like some teenagers on we should i think we have some teenage listeners probably but i mean i guess Sure.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. For sure. And learn, learn the teenager slang right now.
Yes. I love it. Let's say this is something teenagers said to each other in the 90s.
Let's say that. Right. Exactly. Exactly.
So, you know, we're going to but OK, we don't shy away from topics.
We don't shy away from something just because we say, oh, people don't really you know, that's not a great thing to say.
That's not a nice thing to say. We want to teach you everything, the good, the bad, the ugly, everything.
The good, the bad, the ugly. Yes. Right.
So we're going to go into it. Lindsay, what does it mean if someone says get a life?
It basically means that someone is maybe spending too much time thinking about something or doing something that the other person, the person saying it, deems to be useless or unimportant or boring or lame, maybe.
It's basically judgy and it's saying like what you're spending your time on is not important.
Right. And sometimes just in an argument with somebody, it might not even have to do with anything.
They might just say, get a life. Right. It's not even necessarily about anything.
It's just it's just an insult. It's just kind of an insult.
Yeah. An immature. Let's say it's an immature insult.
And also, you know, even if our listeners don't I know a lot of our listeners personally, I don't see them using this.
Right. But they also watch movies where they might hear this.
Right. right exactly so it's good to know what it means and that you should pretty much avoid it but we'll we'll talk about it um so let's do a let's we're gonna do two role plays to start us out to show how this could be used all right so here we go all right yes did you hear the latest celeb gossip lindsay oh michelle get a life that stuff doesn't matter yeah okay so i'm saying that you're spending too much time and energy paying attention to celebrities and i i'm judging that and i'm saying that's irrelevant right not right not important right now if we're good friends and we you you can say this in a joking way yeah i believe but you have to be really careful and you have to kind of have that rapport with that person already.
Like I wouldn't whip that out with a new friend.
I mean, but you could, I mean, if we're just, ah, get a life, you know, but if you're, it just really, it kind of depends on your intent and how you think, what you know about that other person.
Can they take a joke? Are they going to be offended by that?
We have to think about all these things.
So it is definitely a Not something that I would say, oh, this is something you really have to introduce to your vocabulary right away.
Put this in the conversation. This is like a very... oh, we don't know what's going to happen with this one.
And I would say even more so like a brother, sister, like, could you see yourself?
I know you said you joke around with your brother a lot.
You have a really like humor based relationship, joking.
Could you see yourself saying that to him if he makes a joke and, you know, a comeback, it's your comeback or something, right?
A hundred percent. A hundred percent. Yeah.
So with that kind of person, you know, those people in your life that Lindsay, do you have anybody that you can think of that's like, you just kind of like kind of throwing yeah for sure i have a few people that i would you know it's like things are a little softer there's more playfulness around your connection right yeah so definitely my brother it needs to get a life okay there you go there you go let's do another role play shall we okay i just think it's so amazing to look through all the museum websites and decide what to do Lindsay, get a life.
That sounds so boring. Oh, that reminds me of something that my partner and I did on my birthday a couple of years ago.
This is the nerdiest, but it's the funnest thing to do.
So we went down to the public library. It was a really hot August 3rd in like 2023.
And we went into the microfiche, Michelle, and we looked up August 3rd of all these different years to see what was happening like in eight years.
1899 like all these old newspapers to get like, I don't know sort of like a historical context interesting It's a real nerdy, but I could see someone saying when did get a life that is so lame You spent your birthday in a library looking at microfiche.
I mean, what is it? That's really funny.
Well, but it's true. You said that something like that when you say it like that, it's humorous, right?
Yeah, if somebody if somebody said that to you who you were close with, you'd probably laugh, right?
Because you're also acknowledging to yourself that that's like, Oh yeah.
Oh yeah. Like kind of, you know, but I actually think that that's really cool.
Does anything stand out? It's more, and I was actually thinking I should do some episodes on what I found.
Just the way vocabulary has changed and sentence structure is dramatic, dramatic.
The way things are phrased, the words that are used.
In some ways, things sounded really crass because there are words we don't use anymore.
And in other ways, they sounded very formal.
And yeah, it's really weird. Maybe I'll go back and get microfiche again this year.
I think that's a cool thing to do. Why not?
Okay, but yeah, a very good example. But yeah, again, it can be used to tease if you know someone well.
Like here's another example of how it could be used in kind of a fun, like a fun loving way.
So here we go. Here we are sisters and I am known for being obsessed with baking.
Okay, yeah. Baking again? I'm just trying to separate these egg whites.
Oh, Michelle, get a life already. Ha, ha, ha.
Right? Yeah. So you're really, and it's true, you know, I think it's cool to be obsessed with things.
I think it's cool to have niche talents and interests, right?
These days, especially, everything is niche now.
You know, we're all obsessed with something.
Baking, making bread. In the pandemic, everyone was so obsessed with baking bread.
Right? Yeah. Yeah. We just bought a pasta making machine.
Oh. Well, like one of those ones that you crank.
Uh-huh. I've seen them on TV. Very cool.
So we started making pasta, but we realized very quickly that we don't – necessarily have time for that, but we, but we have done it and we've already done it twice and it's fun.
So yeah, there's always something, you know, that you're, that you get into like little, these phases or maybe longer than a phase.
Sure. Absolutely. Gardening. People are really into gardening.
A lot of people. And so, but I sort of teased you, right?
And we must, again, we're sisters. So this is, I do kind of have a license to do this probably.
And I said, oh, Michelle, get a life already.
And what about that as a bonus, Michelle, already?
Oh, that one deserves another episode, I think.
Oh, I'm gonna write that down. Okay. All right, guys, hit the follow button.
We'll come back to that in another episode.
That's a really important one for our listeners to understand.
Yes. Yes. Or let's do another little, we're full of role plays today.
Um, so and that's good, because it signifies how this is such a back and forth.
Yeah. So here we are childhood friends, and we do have that sarcastic relationship.
Okay. So, okay, I'm trying to get to watch every Star Wars movie before the weekend ends.
Oh, man, get a life. OK, yeah, this is rude.
Sorry, I didn't see the rest of it. Yes, that's another niche.
Right. Interest. Some people might call nerdy or very specific and another great example.
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And now, Michelle, I mentioned we mentioned earlier with the microfiche example, people might use this in a self-deprecating way to themselves.
They might say something like, I need to get a life like I need to get a life.
Why would I spend a beautiful sunny day on my birthday in a library looking at microfiche?
I mean, that's funny, right? It's funny to hear people kind of tease themselves.
Right. So in a way, yeah. I would say that that's kind of the most fun way that you can actually use this expression that, you know, when it's about yourself, that's the safest way to use it.
Kind of teasing yourself. You know, you don't want to do that all the time, but sometimes it is funny.
Yeah, definitely don't overdo that, right?
Don't lead with that all the time, especially when you're getting to know someone new.
But yeah, it's good to drop that to have some context to know that what you're into might be a little nerdy in other people's perspective, okay?
Right, right, right. So, okay, for example, I've spent hours fixing these invitations.
I need to get a life. Oh, yeah. I bet some people feel that way when it comes to their wedding even.
It's so much work to plan and there's so many details that maybe you look back on it and you're like, I was really obsessed with everything.
I needed to get a life at that time. But you have no choice.
You have to plan your wedding. And that's what happens.
Something happens, I think, in well, I mean, in everybody's brain and a lot of people's brains when it's wedding, a switch flips and you become like, you know, obsessed with a chair, you know, and it's so, it's so funny to look back on it.
It's like, I don't know what, like, why would I have care?
I remember there were the basic chairs and then there were the really fancy chairs and every website always had that.
I think that they're called shivari chairs.
Okay. Every website, And then everybody, and that was, and I was like, oh my God, the chairs are so funny.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. The ones where you probably tie the little bow on the back, right?
Yeah, like they're like, you know, with the, I don't know, they're just the fancier looking ones.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know what you're talking about.
So nervous about the chairs. Anyway. Was there anything in your wedding, Lindsay, that you got?
Well, my partner was really excited about the seating charts, but that was something worth obsessing over because it was fun.
It was actually really fun to figure out who do we put next to each other, who's single and we think might connect, you know, that sort of thing.
So the seating charts were a big thing. And my mother-in-law was really obsessed over the pies.
I think she called every week to ask about the pies.
The pies. The pies. It was really funny.
It became a big joke. How much can we talk about the pies?
Yeah. Right. So you could say, I mean, I don't know your relationship with your mother-in-law, but you couldn't even say like, ah, come on, get a life, you know?
No, no. Yeah. No, it's great. My relationship with her is great, but it was pretty funny.
Like we did say, okay, it's another call about the pies.
Oh gosh. Yeah. I love it. What's another example?
All right. So why am I so obsessed with this magazine?
I need to get a life, right? Maybe I have this magazine that every month I'm just staring at it.
Maybe the celebrity gossip. I don't know.
So, Lindsay, you already talked about, I mean, what, you know, like, is there anything that anything else that you would say this about? for yourself, something you do, something you're interested in?
Yeah. I mean, I would say, well, sometimes I can get into, when I talk about meditation and my Buddhist practice with anyone that's not in it, it can get a little bit like out of context.
People might get a little bored because you use phrases and words like the word suffering.
We have another way of interpreting that phrase that's not mainstream.
You know what I mean? Like suffering to a Buddhist could be you have a hangnail and you're obsessing over it.
And so if I drop these words that are totally out of context to mainstream people, it can be weird.
That's funny. Yeah. So someone might say, Lindsay, get a life.
Oh, my gosh. Come back. Right. Back to earth.
I love it. I mean, yeah, for me, it can even be as simple as staying up too late on your phone.
Right. I could I could I could be getting ready to put my phone down and I'm trying to go to sleep.
I could say, oh, I need to get a life. Like I could even say that to myself.
So, yeah. I mean, another thing for me could be with my dog.
I get really obsessive over him and I just saw... Oh, I know, but he's so cute.
Oh, he's so cute. But just on my Instagram feed came up this thing where if dogs drink too much water, they can get really sick.
And I was saying this this morning to my partner and it was like...
What is in your Instagram feed? You are a paranoid mother.
Anyways, moving on. We all have our niche obsessions, right?
Yeah, exactly. Another thing you could say that would be maybe a nicer thing if somebody is focusing on something that really doesn't matter.
You could say something like, let's focus on what matters, right?
Yeah. So it may be somebody's nervous about something or they're obsessing over something little.
So for example, with the chairs, somebody could say, Michelle, let's focus on what matters.
You are getting married to Dan. You know what I mean?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's true. It is hard, though, because you are in charge of planning your own wedding, essentially.
So you want to focus on the fact that you're getting married, but you are in charge of all these details, right?
Yeah. Yes, yes, exactly. Or another thing, if you wanted to change the topic, you know, you could say something like, let's take our minds off of this, right?
And that could be good. You could rely on a good friend to do that.
Let's take our minds off this. Let's not talk about the wedding tonight, right?
Yeah, exactly. So, all right, let's do one more role play. and so here we go so we are close friends and I have been working on a puzzle every night for the past two weeks all right here we go yeah puzzles are another one yeah all right here we go okay I think I'm almost done Michelle you are obsessed with this come out with me I have to finish this get a life already excuse you Sorry, I meant to say, let's take our minds off this puzzle and go enjoy some food.
Okay, fine. and was it you and me that did the uh episode on excuse you excuse me or was that me and aubrey i never know that was me no no i know i think i think it was me but i'm trying to find the episode that it was and it was but anyways guys go back into our you know the last month or so and we did do a great episode on excuse me and excuse you and you'll get the context for that Right?
Yes, exactly. Love it. Let's go through the role play real quick, Michelle.
So what did I say to you? You are into this puzzle.
You're hooked into it. Yes, exactly. And then I said, you said, come out with me.
And I said, I have to finish this. So you said, get a life already.
And there comes that already. Yeah, I get over and again guys hit follow we will revisit that phrase already.
It's really specific how to use it Okay, and then I said sorry I meant to say let's take our minds off this puzzle and go enjoy some food So I had to kind of tone it down With more respect right and like being up serious being more explicit and yeah Mm-hmm.
Yes exactly So Michelle, what's our takeaway for our listeners?
I? Which we keep in mind. Yeah. I mean, it's very – the whole thing is very interesting because, you know, you have to have the right – a relationship with somebody where you can say something like this to them.
And it has to be lighthearted. It has to be in a silly, teasing way.
This is not something you're going to say to the barista who has a lot of pictures of their kid around, right?
Yeah. Yeah. And on top of that, play around with using this to refer to yourself because I do think there's something kind of fun these days and trendy and cool about having niche interests and really being a bit of a nerd in one way or another.
You're like making pasta at home, right?
Or like baking or doing micro fish or whatever it is, you're nerding out on it, right?
And so using this to refer to yourself, uh i know i need to get a life when you're getting to know someone little by little might be kind of cool because they could see the real you right yes exactly all right guys well this was a lot of fun great question and uh yeah guys we'll see you on the next one all right see you then michelle take care bye Thanks for listening to All Ears English.
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