This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 2500.
Would you learn English by any means necessary?
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast downloaded more than 200 million times.
Are you feeling stuck with your English?
We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American hosts.
Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz, and Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, USA.
And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglishcom.
Forward slash subscribe.
When you feel strongly about something, how can you express this in English?
Today get the skills you need to show what you care about most to build a better connection.
Do you want a more international career?
What if English no longer held you back from getting a promotion, getting chosen for an important project or presentation?
Imagine the possibilities if you had fluent English.
Find out your English level now with our free level quiz.
Go to allearsenglishcom slash fluency score.
Again, that's allearsenglish.com slash F-L-U-E-N-C-Y-S-C-O-R-E.
And we'll see you there.
Hey there, Aubrey.
How's it going?
Welcome to 2500, episode 2500.
Lindsay, 2500 episodes.
That's amazing.
We should be very proud.
But really, it's about our listeners, you know?
The comments they send us.
We love you guys.
And we're going to keep going for another 2,500 or more.
So we're here for you.
Absolutely.
We're answering a great question today.
We get so many good questions.
Keep them coming, guys, for another 2,500 episodes.
Exactly.
Aubrey, I do have a question to start off today.
You ready?
So have you ever been in a situation where you had to get out by any means necessary?
Yes.
So when I was in high school, I got locked inside a hallway where like, the classroom exited into this little hallway, and it was on a Saturday.
I was actually judging a debate tournament at another high school.
I was a senior and I realized the classroom doors had locked behind me.
And the exit out into the parking lot had a chain on it.
It was like locked because it wasn't the main.
It was like a back entry.
So I was stuck there.
And the classrooms that I had come through, no one was in.
So I'm like pounding on the door.
No one could hear me.
So I started.
I didn't have much, but I was trying to break the glass to get out because I was stuck in there for like five hours.
Five hours?
No one had cell phones at the time.
I didn't have a phone.
So no one knew where I was.
I was just trapped there and I was willing to get out by any means necessary.
If I had had the means, I probably would have started a fire and burned down the building.
And did someone eventually just come in?
Yeah, finally someone came.
I saw them in the parking lot.
And so I'm like pounding on the door and they came up and I was able to tell them I'm trapped and they couldn't get through the chain, but they were able to go around the front and let me out.
Oh, that's quite a story.
It was.
Yeah.
Oh my gosh, I have a fear that I'm going to get locked in a bathroom.
When I use public bathrooms, I have this weird fear that I'm not going to be able to open the door you know to get out.
Then you have to go down and shimmy underneath.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I always imagine it.
I do.
This is neurotic fear.
This is recurring all the time.
So just getting trapped anywhere.
No, not good.
Not good.
Okay.
So that kicks off our question.
This came from YouTube.
Guys, don't forget this podcast is on YouTube.
So check it out.
It's a big episode.
Twenty five hundred.
So go.
Subscribe on YouTube to celebrate the anniversary.
Yeah?
Yes, absolutely.
So this is from Benistabier, and they said, Hi, Lindsay, Michelle, and Aubrey.
I'm a big fan of your podcasts.
A little while ago, I came across the phrase by any means necessary.
It really caught my attention and I'd love to start using it in my conversations.
Could you explain the best situations to use it and maybe share a few examples or scenarios?
Thank you so much.
Beautiful.
Such a good question.
Yeah.
And my example is one of the few, because this is very extreme to say you'll do something by any means necessary, right?
It's a willingness to use all available tactics or strategies or methods to achieve your goal, your desired end, even potentially using violence, destroying property right.
But you were pounding on the window.
Yes.
If I had had something, I would have broken the window because I thought I was going to be in there forever.
I'm like, no one's ever going to know where to find me.
They're going to call the police.
So how quickly did panic set in for you there?
It sounds like you might have been panicking a little bit.
Like, did it set in right away?
I'm curious.
I think it was, I don't know that I really panicked.
I was really bored.
All I had with me were my SAT prep materials.
So I was like studying for the SAT for hours.
Um, so I don't know if I really pan it.
Maybe I did.
Toward the end after a few hours I maybe was kind of panicking and I was seeing if there was anything.
I was like.
I remember hitting the windows with my books.
Yeah, totally not.
It was less effective.
There was no breaking glass with those books.
Yeah.
So by any means necessary, you had to get out of there.
Here are a couple of sample sentences.
I will get front row tickets to that concert by any means necessary, even if I have to camp out overnight in the rain.
So this is interesting.
We'll use it this way.
We'll say by any means necessary when we don't really mean it.
Like we might be willing to camp out overnight in the rain, but we're not going to like break the law or be violent.
Yeah, we'll say by any means necessary when we not really you're being a little you're exaggerating.
Yeah, for sure.
What else?
You might say he always cheats at games.
He wants to win by any means necessary.
So I'll say this and I just mean he's willing to cheat, right?
He wouldn't really do anything.
Yes, exactly.
And there are some people like that.
They're so competitive that they just cheat.
And I hate that.
You know, my brother's like that.
You have to watch him.
He'll cheat.
He's getting better as he gets older.
When we were kids, he was a huge cheater.
Oh, interesting.
Okay, now he's getting a little more tactful of when he can cheat and how to cheat.
Maybe he's just more careful.
So he gets away with it better.
Maybe, maybe.
Let's see.
Number two, next one at all costs.
So very similar.
This is no matter what the price or the sacrifice, the goal must be achieved.
So same idea.
Exactly.
Right.
Very similar meaning.
You might say she was determined to win the championship at all costs.
And so usually this would just mean she's practicing as hard as she can, doing everything she can.
But it could also imply like.
She's willing to cheat.
Who knows?
At all costs, that could mean anything.
Or we need to protect the evidence at all costs, even if it means delaying the trial.
Yeah.
So this when we say at all costs, it can really mean that someone's willing to do whatever it takes.
If you're watching a show about like a crime boss and they say you know, get rid of him at all costs.
That could really mean like whatever you have to do.
Yeah, oh gosh, the gangster movies, right?
Right, exactly.
But if someone says it like this, right?
Oh, you know, she's determined to win at all costs.
That doesn't necessarily imply she's willing to do violence, right?
It just means she's going to put in maximum effort.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
It doesn't mean someone's going to end up in the bottom of the Charles River in Boston or something.
It's not always murdery.
This is not a true crime podcast.
All right.
Number three, whatever it takes.
Yeah.
Again, very similar vibe.
Same willingness to do anything required to succeed.
But again, right.
We use these sort of hyperbole like this very hyperbolic like it just means it means a lot to us.
So, for example, she'll do whatever it takes to get into medical school.
And really, we mean she's studying as hard as she can, spending a lot of time.
Yeah, it's interesting.
I had some friends when I was growing up that really knew exactly what they wanted to do.
They were neighbors in my neighborhood and like.
They both ended up going to Princeton and they were just so determined.
They knew exactly what they wanted to do.
And I was just always kind of like, how do you know what you want to be and where you want to go?
I never quite understood it.
You know, I'm always impressed when someone is that driven.
I was the same.
I'm like, I don't know.
It could be.
Let's leave our options open.
Right.
Exactly.
It's a very different way of living life, I think, you know.
And I feel like these come up a lot in sports.
So for example, the coach told the team to win the game, whatever it takes.
And so this can happen if a coach is recommending more like underhanded techniques.
Maybe if it's basketball, you're intentionally fouling.
This does happen where sometimes, when people are getting competitive, they're willing to use sneakier tactics.
Right.
Like maybe in hockey, the checking thing.
I don't know if they can do that anymore.
I think in men's hockey they can.
Yeah.
Sometimes you can get away with it if you're a little sneakier.
Right.
For sure.
And then no matter what is on the same vibe and action that will happen.
An action will happen regardless of obstacles or consequences.
This is the most down-to-earth way to say it, isn't it?
Absolutely.
And it's often more positive, right?
Someone might say, I'll support you no matter what.
That's a little more general often, right?
We're not getting into, we're not saying, I'll do whatever it takes.
It's just like, No matter what, I will always support you.
Yeah, it feels like it's the most accessible.
It's the one I usually use.
Me too, I use it the most too.
Yeah, yeah.
It's the one that's just available most often for some reason, linguistically speaking.
Aubrey.
There are others, but a few of them we can't say here on the podcast because they involve curse words.
There's a really fun one that has a similar meaning, but it has a curse word.
So we can't say it here on the podcast.
I'm going to post about it in our community the day this episode drops.
So if you are in one of our courses, look for that.
If you're not, you need to sign up for one of our courses so that you can get that post.
Yeah, our community is an amazingly vibrant place where students are connecting with each other.
They're finding out about open conversation club QA, the times of the important student only clubs that happen too.
I think someone just posted a brand new one coming up soon.
We love this.
This is a key part of our course system.
When you join a course, you become a part of the community.
And there is a new course coming out, another brand new course coming out in the next few weeks at All Ears English.
So take a look at what we have in the next couple of weeks, guys.
Yes, awesome.
Hiring is not just about filling a position in your company.
It's about finding someone who will actually drive revenue or improve your business.
If you're in charge of hiring at your company, stop struggling to get your job seen on other sites.
Give your job the best chance to be seen with Indeed sponsored jobs.
It makes a big difference.
According to indeed data, sponsored jobs posted directly on indeed are 90 more likely to report a higher than non sponsored jobs, because you reach a bigger pool of quality candidates.
If I needed to hire a new blog writer to join our team here at All Ears English, I'd be super specific.
I would look for someone with two years of experience and WordPress expertise.
Indeed can deliver on these specifications.
Spend more time interviewing candidates who check all your boxes.
Less stress, less time, more results now with Indeed sponsored jobs.
And listeners of this show will get a 75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at Indeedcom.
Just go to Indeedcom.
Slash AEE right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast.
I N D E E D.com slash a E E terms and conditions apply hiring.
Do it the right way with indeed.com.
All right, role play time, Aubrey.
We are two friends planning to get tickets for a concert.
Okay.
Yeah, I'll start us out.
I can't believe the tickets for this concert sold out in 10 minutes.
I know.
We have to get tickets by any means necessary.
We still have a chance.
They're selling the front row seats to the first people in line the night of the concert.
I'm willing to go the day before and camp outside the box office overnight.
I want to see this band at all costs.
I'm down.
I've never waited in line overnight for anything, but I'll do whatever it takes to get these front row seats.
Let's do it.
No matter what, we're getting those tickets.
It's kind of fun when you're young, you might do that.
It makes me also think of Apple people, you know, iOS people.
I'm not sure if people do that anymore, but when the iPhone was first launching the new versions, people would camp out to get it.
Yeah, I always thought when we moved to New York I was like I wanted to go to like a taping of SNL Stephen Colbert.
There were like shows I wanted to see.
And I was probably well, I was willing to get those tickets at all costs.
But then it ended up being pretty easy.
You could just like reserve them online for the night you wanted to go.
So I never had to camp out anywhere.
I never did that when I lived in New York and I so regret it.
I feel like I didn't do some of the cool things that locals do.
Right.
You were younger, so you were like too cool for that.
I was too cool, I guess.
But that sounds like a really fun thing to do.
Go on SNL or any of the nighttime talk shows, right?
I loved it.
It was so fun.
The best thing about going to a live taping of SNL is one of the cast members does like stand up to warm up the crowd.
And it was Jason Sudeikis the night we were there.
And it was so funny.
I'm like, I can't believe I'm like...
For free, seeing like Jason Sudeikis stand up live.
It's amazing.
That's kind of insane.
Yeah, there's some really cool things about living in New York.
Also the tickets that like when you go to Times Square and you go to the big TKTS office to get the cheap Broadway tickets.
You can do the lottery for a lot of shows, the front row.
This is kind of what I was thinking here, like the front row lottery.
We always were playing for those cheap seats.
Yeah, there are benefits to being a local, that's for sure.
All right, let's go through our role play here, Aubrey.
So I'm saying we have to get tickets by any means necessary.
So we'll do anything, not anything, but anything.
That's where you can see the exaggeration here, right?
We're willing to sleep out overnight on the sidewalk.
That's extreme.
We would use these phrases for that.
But like, really, would we do anything?
I know.
There's actually a really funny song.
I don't know if you ever saw Flight of the Conchords, where he writes this song for a girl and he's saying I would do anything for you.
And his friend kind of calls him out and he's like, would you really do anything?
So he changes the song where he was like, I would give you a ride to the airport.
He like starts listing things he actually would do.
That's really funny.
I love that.
That's awesome.
And then what was the next phrase that was used here?
So then you said, I want to see this band at all costs.
So it's just another interesting way of saying, I really want to see them.
I'm willing to camp out to get these tickets.
Yeah, I can't think of any band that I'd be willing to camp out for, honestly.
I don't know.
I'm too old for that.
I can't do that anymore.
I don't like concerts that much anyway.
But often the tickets are too expensive.
If they sell out quickly, I'm like, oh, bummer.
Yeah, I'm not a huge concert person either.
I feel like you have to stand a lot, which then I get tired.
My concert attending days are in my past.
I agree completely.
And then you said, I'm down.
I've never waited in line for anything, but I'll do whatever it takes.
Clearly, we are like 19 years old here, right?
Yeah, it does sound like it, right?
We're willing to sleep on the sidewalk overnight to get tickets.
It sounds like we're pretty young.
Yeah, for sure.
And then what did I say last?
And you said, let's do it.
No matter what, we're getting those tickets.
Yes.
What's our takeaway for today's episode?
Yeah, I feel like one of the best things to connect about is something you're really passionate about.
And you need today's vocabulary to do it.
Yeah.
And again, everyone has weird, different niche interests.
I mean, maybe it's a particular restaurant or some kind of festival.
That's really strange, but you love it.
And so being able to show like your weirdness and your interest is a huge connection skill, right?
Absolutely.
Maybe it's some crazy thing that you collect.
And you're going to share about that and say, I would get this figurine by any means necessary.
Maybe you're bidding on eBay for it.
Totally.
Or there's like a stamp collecting conference or something and you have to get those tickets.
So don't be afraid, as you are connecting with native speakers to show who you really are and show that weirdness, right.
That makes you interesting.
Absolutely.
Own your weird.
People are more interesting when they are open about whatever weird things they're interested in.
Totally.
100%.
Good stuff today, Aubrey.
Guys, hit the follow button on the show and we'll see you next time.
Awesome.
See you next time.
All right.
Bye.
Thanks for listening to All Ears English.
Would you like to know your English level?
Take our two minute quiz.
Go to allearsenglish.com forward slash fluency score.
And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything.
See you next time.
Or like a month?
With OfferWatch.
So, want to drive?
CarMax.
Pickup not available everywhere.
Restrictions and fee may apply.
