This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 2514, a foolproof method to express yourself.
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Is your home childproof, dogproof?
Find out what to say when you want to protect things in English.
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Hey there, Michelle.
What's shaking?
Hey, Lindsay.
I'm doing well.
How are you?
Yeah, I'm feeling great.
The sun is shining here in Denver.
So all good.
What are we talking about on the show today?
Well, I'm curious because you have Kiefer at home.
So do you have to doggy proof any areas of your house for him?
Oh my God.
We've been so lucky with Kiefer.
He is so smart.
He doesn't eat any shoes.
He doesn't counter surf, right?
He's not a counter surfer.
No, we don't have to do anything.
He's amazing.
Wow, that is amazing.
Because yeah, I definitely know the shoe eaters.
Well, okay, is Kiefer, is he allowed like on the couch or on the bed?
Or do you have certain rules?
Yeah, he's actually allowed on all those things.
We try to keep a cover on the couch and the bed to make sure he's like not in the bed, right?
That's kind of disgusting.
But he is allowed on top of the... And we had a debate over that, but I lost.
So he is allowed.
So you didn't want him on the bed no, i didn't originally um, but every household has to kind of decide this for themselves.
You know, does he sleep with you then or no?
He has his own bed that he goes back to.
But, like in the morning he'll get up and play and everything.
And you know, he's still kind of a puppy at heart.
He's five years old but he acts like a puppy.
It's really kind of interesting.
So cute.
Yeah.
So today we are going to talk about this suffix proof.
Yes.
And how you can use it in your conversation.
So I said doggy proof.
So what did I mean by doggy proof?
Doggy proof or dog proof.
You meant protected against dogs or protected for dogs.
I guess kind of both.
Right.
So the dog doesn't hurt himself and your house doesn't get harmed by the dog.
Right, right.
Exactly.
So when used as a suffix proof, it basically yeah, like Lindsay said.
I mean it has kind of a couple meanings.
I mean, it can't be altered or ruined by something else, right?
So it's kind of safe from whatever may happen to it.
So yeah, make it safe for dogs or in a way make your house and items, say, from Doug.
But that's what we're going to be talking about today because this is so common.
You hear it all the time, this word proof.
So we're going to go through a bunch of them today and share how they're used.
Yes, guys.
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Okay.
All right.
Perfect.
So, all right, let's go through them because these are all really common and useful.
So what is the first one, Lindsay?
Of course, the one that many of our listeners are parents.
And so they're going to relate to this completely childproof, right?
This could be a verb or an adjective, right?
Mm-hmm.
Right.
So and actually you could also say baby proof.
So but yeah, child proof, definitely very important.
Yeah.
So, for example, we have to child proof the kitchen.
So that would mean maybe put special things in the kitchen to make it so kids can't get hurt on items.
So maybe things on the corners of tables or something. things you can put on cabinets, right?
Because if they open the cabinets and their cleaning supplies, toilets.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
I remember when my brother had my niece, he always had those plastic things on the doors, door handles.
You know, sometimes I got stuck in that.
I was like, how do I even open this?
What do I do?
They're tough.
Or then there's, you know, medicine bottles.
I mean when you're opening up a bottle where there's any sort of medication in it, you know you have to do the pressing it in a certain way because they want to make sure they're childproof.
Yes, completely.
So here's a phrase.
He can't open that.
It's childproof.
So don't worry.
Yeah.
By the way, I love this episode because it's going to give our listeners some flexibility about how they create new words too.
You could create new words with this. this example of proof.
Right.
Exactly.
Exactly.
So yeah, child proofing things, baby proofing things can be a little frightening.
I can imagine.
I can imagine.
Oh my gosh, because you think about what can happen.
Yeah.
So the next one is foolproof.
Yes.
Foolproof.
You ever hear this one, Lindsay?
Yeah, I've heard this for sure.
So this is an adjective.
It was something that is so easy that it just can't be ruined.
It can't be messed up.
You can't mess it up.
A fool can do it.
Right.
Yeah.
It's not mean spirited, though.
Like you want to if you say something is foolproof, you're not.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I don't think.
Right.
Like you're not.
You would never say you wouldn't say to someone you're a fool.
That's pretty offensive, I think.
Right.
Right.
But using it in this context of this new word is OK.
People are not going to get, you know, they'll get it.
They'll get it.
So what's an example?
Our dishwasher is foolproof.
I love how easy it is to use.
Mm-hmm.
Or let's create a foolproof guide for our clients to use when they want to contact us.
So we're just saying we want it to be clear, really easy to consume that guide.
Right.
We're not saying that our clients are fools.
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
That would be bad.
Mm-hmm.
The next one is waterproof.
So this is an adjective.
So yeah, this means it can't get ruined by water.
So a lot of times you'll hear this about cell phones, right?
Or makeup even, right?
You'll see, like waterproof mascara or whatever means it's not going to wash off or some sort of materials.
Or raincoat, even just a raincoat, or a I learned the value of a rain parka, or what do you call that?
Just a rain... Like a poncho?
Yeah, poncho.
That's the word I was looking for in Norway because it rained so much.
Michelle, on our trip to Norway.
We were doing a biking tour...
And I had to buy a poncho to go over everything.
So I looked kind of crazy.
I had this huge poncho and I had this helmet with Viking, like horns, Viking horns.
It looked very silly.
I have a photo somewhere.
I would like to see that.
I would.
So anyways, that poncho really worked.
I mean, and obviously all raincoats, most raincoats are going to be waterproof.
A lot of good hiking boots are going to be waterproof, outdoorsy stuff, right?
Mm-hmm.
Right, exactly.
They have to be able to bear the elements, right?
Exactly.
So you might hear someone say something like I have to wear waterproof mascara at weddings because I always cry.
Do you cry at weddings?
Oh, I always do.
I never think I will, but I do.
I do.
It's weird how it happens.
Like so at my brother-in-law's wedding uh was it.
That was in June, and my son was the ring bearer and my daughter was the flower girl.
And my son came down before her and just like when I saw him in his little tuxedo, and I just I just, that was it.
Like I was just blubbering.
Yeah.
I'm sure.
I'm sure.
A hundred percent.
They, I think weddings are, I don't know.
They really tap into something very emotional for us.
So yeah, a hundred percent.
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I-N-D-E-E-D.com Okay, Michelle, there's more versions of this though.
There's shatterproof.
So when you have, like your glass, your windows replaced in your car, you want them to be shatterproof, right?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, this glass is shatterproof, so no need to worry about someone breaking it.
Or bulletproof, right?
So a lot of times you'll see cops will wear bulletproof vests, right?
Or glass could be bulletproof.
Yeah, just anything that you don't want a bullet to be able to go through.
The builder chose bulletproof glass to make sure everyone felt safe.
Yeah.
Good.
Yeah.
And then one more is soundproof.
Yeah, this one.
Yeah, this so this could be an adjective or verb.
And so yeah, so sound can't be heard.
Right.
So this is good.
I mean, I think of a studio or recording studio.
Yeah, yeah.
I think neither of us have a soundproof studio, but some podcasters go all out and they do develop a whole soundproof studio.
Yeah, yes, exactly.
So Um, we have to soundproof the basement.
So used as, as a verb, right?
Because my son always has his band practice down there.
It gets so loud.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah.
Imagine if your kid decides to play the drums or the saxophone and then you have to hear that every day.
Well, it's funny cause I told you I'm getting back into music and so we, you know, choosing which room to practice in.
So I had my friends over the other night and so it's two guys, they're both got their electric guitars and i'm singing and it's like getting to be bedtime for my kids and i got a text message from dan saying can you close the door?
Yeah, and i was like the door is closed, oh no, you might have to soundproof your basement pretty soon.
Exactly, i know we have an unfinished basement, so i'm starting to think maybe we Oh man,
So all of these are about protecting something.
And then what I mentioned earlier what I love about this episode is you can kind of make up your own thing as well.
I'm not sure if I have any examples of that, but I do feel like I spontaneously add proof to the end of a word when I want to say avoiding, like I'm avoiding something or I'm protecting something.
You know what I mean?
Yeah.
Yeah, it is definitely one of those where you can kind of play with the language.
And so, yeah, it's really it's really useful.
But OK, so we're going to do a role play.
Of course, we wouldn't use all of these at once.
I mean, who knows?
But yeah, we're not we're not using bulletproof, but I believe we're using everything else.
So let's go through.
Um, so here we are business partners and we're going through our building before it opens.
Okay.
All right.
Here we go.
Let's do it.
Okay.
Okay.
So let's go through this.
Yes.
Craig sent me a foolproof checklist.
So this will be easy.
Great.
Okay.
So number one, how is the child proofing going?
Great.
I have Dino working on that.
We're even uh, we even are using shatterproof glass to make sure no one gets hurt when kids are here.
Great.
Oh, which reminds me we should have one soundproof room so people can focus when it gets loud outside.
Great idea.
I'll look into that.
We're also using waterproof tools.
Perfect.
Nice.
You're going to be so safe and protected.
Yeah well, I mean yeah, when you have a business or a spot you're opening right, you really have to go through for safety and get it approved.
Or it makes me think of all the dystopian future movies that I feel like are always on planes when you watch them.
You know, you've got like everything is protected from the environment outside because it's become unsustainable to live on Earth.
And so everything is like waterproof, soundproof, bulletproof.
Does that ring a bell?
You know what those movies are talking about?
They're so depressing, actually.
But yeah, it makes me, it reminds me of kind of a future world where we have to kind of protect ourselves ourselves from everything, in a way.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh my gosh.
All right.
Let's go through this, Michelle.
So we're going through our new place and I say Craig sent me a foolproof checklist.
So again, what does that mean?
It's not that our, not that we're fools, right?
It's just that it's going to be easy.
Like it's that you can't, you can't have an issue with it.
You can easily do it.
Exactly.
What else?
And then I said, how is the child proofing going?
So meaning I'm preparing the place to make it safer for children.
Right.
And I say, Dina is working on that.
And I say, we're even using shatterproof glass to make sure no one gets hurt when kids are here.
Right.
Wow.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I said great, which reminds me we should have one soundproof room where people so people can focus when it gets loud outside.
So, right.
You can't hear anything.
Nobody can hear you.
Perfect.
And then I said, great idea.
I'll look into that.
We're also using waterproof tools.
So that's interesting.
Waterproof tools.
I don't know.
I just made that up.
Yeah, I love it.
So again, you guys can make things up too.
So try to think of a way you can sneak this in by adding a noun plus proof.
What is the thing you're trying to protect?
You know, yeah.
So there's a lot of, see if you can hear native speakers kind of making this up.
They do sometimes spontaneously insert this into their language.
Yeah.
Yeah, absolutely.
You will hear this a lot in many different contexts.
So definitely listen out for it.
And, you know, try and use some examples in your life.
So guys, check out if you haven't already check out episode 2499.
That's English vocabulary for your most jarring moments.
Sounds like a good episode.
What's the takeaway today, Michelle?
What do you have for our listeners?
Yeah, well, have have some fun with this.
I mean notice how you, like Lindsay said.
I'm glad you brought that up, that you can kind of play with it and make your own words.
But in general this is about you know, some protecting something, making sure something doesn't get ruined.
And we give you so many different examples of that, things that you will definitely hear in day-to-day life.
Really,
Yes, I love it.
So go check it out.
Listen to native speakers being creative and then be creative yourself so you can truly find a word that expresses exactly what you want to say.
Right?
Love it.
Perfect.
All right, Lindsay.
Well, thanks for talking about this with me today.
And yeah, we'll see you in the next one.
All right.
Sounds good.
See you soon.
Bye.
Bye.
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