This is an All Ears English podcast episode 2573.
Is this episode a slap on the wrist?
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Forward slash app of their actions.
Or do they often get off easy?
Today let's open up a big connection topic with some key justice vocabulary and how to expand this topic for a vibrant conversation.
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Hey there, Aubrey, what's going on today?
I'm great, Lindsay, how are you?
Good, glad to be on the microphone here, but I have a question for you.
So do you know anyone who's gotten a slap on the wrist when the consequences probably should have been more severe?
Yeah, I would say Sean Combs, aka P Diddy Puff Daddy, whatever he went by.
I watched part of his documentary.
And I'm convinced that he got a slap on the wrist.
I think he got four years and something.
Maybe the sentence was eight years, but four years of it was like court time.
So they So he has four years in prison.
And based solely on the documentary.
I'm no criminal justice expert, but I feel like his sentence should have been stronger.
What's the word?
Should have been stronger.
Yeah, should have been stronger.
Okay.
That's a good example, right?
I mean sometimes, when you have money and power and fame, you can get away with a lot of things, right.
Right.
Exactly.
So today, this is interesting.
Michelle was talking about getting a ticket for going too slow.
I thought this was hilarious.
Yes.
It cracks me up that she got a ticket for going too slow, but she called it a slap on the wrist.
And when I heard that, I was like, oh, that's such a great expression.
And we have a lot of interesting ways that we talk about a lighter consequence than we deserved.
Yeah, yeah.
I love it.
It's a great story, guys.
If you're a regular listener, you probably know what episode that was from.
But we'll share it at the end.
If you missed it, stay to the end.
And we'll share details about that episode if you missed it, because it is a really funny story.
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So what does it mean then when Michelle said a slap on the wrist She got a slap on the wrist.
The first one we're talking about, we actually have five expressions for you today.
The first one is a slap on the wrist, which means a very mild punishment for a mistake or offense not serious enough to discourage the behavior.
If you just get a slap on the wrist, whatever you did, you would probably do it again.
Yeah, for sure.
So for example, he violated company policy, but all he got was a slap on the wrist.
Or many people think the fine was just a slap on the wrist.
So this means they think it was not a severe enough punishment.
Yeah, or sometimes you hear that people will get community service for something.
That to me feels like a slap on the wrist.
Absolutely.
Or what is it called when you are homebound?
Oh, house arrest.
House arrest is a slap on the wrist.
Yeah, it seems like it.
Okay, I can hang out at home and watch Netflix.
Great.
Darn.
That's what we're all doing now all the time anyways, right?
Exactly, right.
Sorry.
Second one is get off easy.
Same.
It means to receive a lighter punishment than expected.
So maybe he got off easy with just four years in prison.
That's Sean Combs.
Okay.
Yep.
And considering the damage they caused, they really got off easy.
So to get off easy.
This is another get phrase, which there are millions of them in English.
Yes, absolutely.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
And so we also, you know, when saying we let someone get off easy, we drop get and we'll say we let them off easy.
So, for example, the judge let him off easy because it was his first offense.
We probably wouldn't say let him get off easy.
Right.
It's so wordy.
Too much.
Yeah.
Because let and get they rhyme.
It's very awkward to say all those words in one sentence.
Yeah.
Let him off easy.
Yeah, pay the price would be the next phrase.
This is where we suffer negative consequences for an action or a decision.
Right, so the consequences were maybe.
Maybe did fit the crime here.
So, for example, she ignored the warning signs and eventually paid the price.
So this could be a health thing.
This has happened to me right, i sort of ignore warning signs and eventually i pay the price.
It's true.
I know when something's gotten so much worse, right?
And then you finally go to the doctors.
Yeah.
Yes, absolutely.
If you cut corners now, you'll pay the price later.
And so many things are true.
Even with learning a language, if we're not building our foundation in the right way, we'll pay the price later.
We'll have real gaps in our skills.
Yes, right.
Or whether that's just like much slower progress, that might be the price we pay.
Absolutely.
Yeah, that could be too.
What else, Aubrey?
So face the consequences is next.
So this means to accept the results or punishment for one's actions.
For example, he knew he'd have to face the consequences of his choices.
Or they broke the rules and now must face the consequences.
Yes.
Good phrase.
And I like this next one.
Get what's coming to you.
Yeah.
Yeah, this is sort of the opposite of get off easy or a slap on the wrist, right?
It means to actually receive the punishment you deserve, the outcome you deserve, and it's usually negative.
And a related phrase that feels like it ties in with this is sometimes we say, oh, he had it coming.
Oh, yes.
Similar, right?
Yes, very similar.
He got what was coming to him.
Instead, we'll shorten that all and I'll be like, he had it coming.
Yeah, he lied for years and finally got what was coming to him.
Sometimes this is very satisfying when you see that someone has been doing something like lying or breaking the law or something.
And finally,
Yes, right?
Or if you keep cheating people, you'll get what's coming, right?
You see people doing things they shouldn't.
This is like we were talking about Bernie Madoff not that long ago.
Eventually, he got what was coming to him.
I know.
He ran his scam for a long, long time.
And then finally the recession just crashed it all down.
Crazy.
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All right, Aubrey, role play time.
We're co-workers talking about our co-workers, our other co-workers, maybe?
Exactly, yes.
I'll start us out.
Did you hear what happened to Mark?
Yeah, honestly, I think he got off easy.
I agree.
I'm surprised he was only given a warning.
That's basically a slap on the wrist.
Well, hopefully it doesn't happen again.
If it does, he's going to get coming to him.
I wonder what, I wonder what Mark did.
I know.
I'm curious too.
I left it vague here.
I'm like, I don't know.
I don't know what he did, but he's got it coming.
Yeah.
We don't know.
It was bad.
Yep.
Yep.
And it's hard because in a company, this can be very political, like how people get punished, right?
Are they favored by management?
That's so true.
Sometimes something will happen where you think they definitely should have been fired, like they should have been let go.
And if that doesn't happen, it seems like they get on a slap on the wrist, especially if you see someone else get a more severe consequence for the same misdeeds.
Maybe
That seems crazy.
Really infuriating for sure.
So we started off by saying, you know, I said, you said, do you hear what happened to Mark?
And you said, yeah, honestly, I think he got off easy.
So obviously he didn't get the worst punishment.
Right.
Whatever happened to him, it was too light in your opinion, right?
Yes.
And then I said, I agree.
I'm surprised he was only given a warning.
That's basically a slap on the wrist.
So we both agree that whatever he did should have received a stronger punishment.
Exactly.
And then we're saying we hope it doesn't happen again.
And I said, if it does, he's going to get what's coming to him.
So we're basically saying like he has it coming to him.
He deserves a stronger punishment.
Like maybe we think he should have been fired or.
Something, you know, whatever.
Like what else can happen besides being fired?
Maybe a leave of absence?
An unpaid leave of absence?
Yeah, basically.
So he must have maybe hacked into a system or something.
Who knows?
You can't have like what?
Maybe sexual harassment?
Like there are all kinds of things that could happen that we would think would be more serious than a warning.
Yes, for sure.
Aubrey, what's another great episode of All Ears English that our listeners should not miss?
Yes, and this is the one where Michelle told the story of getting a ticket for going too slowly.
So this was 2549 Let's Talk Cars Part 1, Why This Builds Connection With Americans.
And that was a three-part series that was amazing.
You don't want to miss it.
Yes.
Any final takeaway for our listeners today, Aubrey?
Yeah, I think this is such a fun connection topic to talk about whether you think people got too serious of consequences or got off easy.
And these are great phrases to be able to talk about that.
It's a good call.
And then you know, if we really want to, that conversation could bridge into your justice system in your country.
I know that justice systems vary a lot across the world.
Values around justice significantly vary in different cultures.
So this could open up a really, really interesting conversation.
If you like to go deeper, which I love to go deeper, have that conversation with a native speaker.
Absolutely.
And use these phrases.
You could say you know.
In general, do you feel like people face the consequences for serious crime in your culture?
Or do you think they often get off easy?
Yeah, I mean, it could bridge into a conversation around corruption.
I mean, there's a lot we can do here, but we want to be able to talk about these topics because this is the stuff of our lives, right?
This is how we really express our true personality in English.
Absolutely.
Awesome.
So use these phrases.
We're excited for you to have those interesting conversations.
Sounds good, Aubrey.
Talk to you soon.
Bye.
Awesome.
See you next time.
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