This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 842.
Don't take it down a notch.
Listen today.
Welcome to the All Ears English Podcast, downloaded more than 50 million times.
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With your American hosts Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Boston and New York City, USA.
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Today you'll get one super versatile phrase that you can use in at least four different contexts to articulate your thoughts and get your point across in English.
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Hey, Lindsay, how's it going?
Hey, Michelle, not too bad.
How are you?
Pretty good.
Pretty good.
I have a question, Lindsay.
Yes.
Okay.
I'm ready.
All right.
Well, have you ever had a noisy roommate, like a roommate who's a musician or someone who had parties?
I've had all of the above.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I had my roommate Allie, who used to live here, and she was totally a musician, very inspiring musician.
She played the drums.
She played the guitar, electric guitar.
Yeah.
Occasionally she would have parties that got a little loud because all of her friends were also musicians.
But, you know, I mean, she was great.
So I got over it.
It was fine.
Well, that's good.
That's good.
I mean, do you ever have to ask her to take it down a notch or turn it down a notch?
Yeah, I did.
I remember texting her a few nights when it was like 2am and they were just being really loud in the kitchen.
And I just said like, hey, you know, it's late.
Can you can you take it down a notch?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
All right.
Well, what does that mean?
That just means can you just bring it down?
Well, in terms of the music, see, that's why I love this phrase.
It's so diverse for different contexts.
I mean, in that case, it just means bring the volume down.
Yeah, and I imagine like for a volume, I could even see it being turn it down a notch.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, when we're literally talking about the –
Would you say that that would be just when we're literally talking about the actual like turn thing for the volume?
Like, on a stereo, for example?
Or are you talking about, like, in a metaphorical sense, too?
I'm also talking... I think also... I think both.
But, I mean... Can you turn it down?
I guess, yeah, I don't know.
I mean, I could hear it in either way, but now I'm questioning myself.
Yeah.
Thinking too much.
Yeah, there are a few ways to say it.
I mean, today we're looking at take it down a notch, but there are other verbs we could use there, right?
Yeah, right.
Okay, so yeah, well, we'll get into it.
So but guys, before we get started, remember you guys, come over and subscribe to get the transcripts and see every word that we say, right.
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Yeah.
Okay.
Awesome.
All right.
So to take something down a notch.
So this is a really versatile phrase.
And it can be used in a lot of places.
And that's why it's so good for you guys.
Right?
So Lindsay, what do you think when you hear this phrase, take it down a notch?
I think just the idea of reducing or lowering or lessening something, or also like relaxing, you know, bringing the energy level of something down a bit.
Okay.
Again, it's pretty diverse.
Yeah, yeah.
Okay.
So there's a few different contexts in which we can use this.
So what's one of them, Lindsay?
Well, one of them is volume.
So, as we were talking about you know, let's imagine you're in the house and your roommate is playing with his band in the room next door.
You know, you could we could say something like this.
Hey, guys, can you take it down a notch?
I'm gonna I'm going to bed soon.
Yeah, I'm still thinking of like, I think of, I just feel like I would say turn it down a notch for all that stuff.
But like maybe we're just different.
Like I think of take.
I think of it as a little bit different, but I guess it can be used in both ways.
Yeah, I think maybe that's where we're just a little, we're different.
I think so too.
But it's good to talk about, isn't it?
Yeah.
I mean, I think that take it down a notch.
I think both could work in both situations.
So we can.
When it comes to the volume, I think we can tell our listeners like another option is turn it down a notch.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
So just add that one in, guys.
That could be a possibility.
But we'll stick with take for now.
But what's another time?
And I think this one is my favorite one that we're going to talk about this context.
What is it, Lindsay?
Okay.
Well, intensity.
So the context is intensity.
So for example, during our Boston adventure weekend, Friday and Saturday were super intense.
Okay.
So we had challenges all day with native speakers around the city, but on Sunday morning we took it down a notch with a group discussion about Goodwill hunting in the park.
So um Michelle, last time you missed that because you went home early, but basically Sunday morning was a lot more relaxed.
And by that time we know each other better as a group and we can take it down a notch in terms of the intensity.
And then we ramp it back up a little bit because the natives come and join us for the discussion on accents and the barbecue.
But basically the most intense parts of the weekend are Friday and Saturday, and then we take it down a notch.
Right, right.
Okay.
Yeah, I love that.
That to me sounds like really natural.
Yeah.
So if you guys want to hear more about the Boston Adventure and what exactly we do, go to allearsenglishcom forward slash Boston.
We're going to be launching more dates for the summer and spring and summer.
Okay.
2018.
All right.
Cool.
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So what else?
Okay, the next one is frequency.
So Lindsay, how often do you go to the gym?
Well, I used to go seven days a week, but I took it down a notch this spring.
And now I just go five days a week.
Yeah.
That's not true.
Yeah, that still sounds like a lot to me.
That is not true.
Although yesterday I did a great Zumba class.
That was really fun.
Yeah.
All right.
Yeah.
So, you know, decrease the frequency.
So, yeah, I like that.
I like that.
And then what's the last one, Lindsay?
So speed.
So that's again why I love the phrase take it down a notch, because you have all these different contexts.
Intensity, you know, volume, speed is the last one.
So, you know, you could say, hey, you're speaking too fast.
Can you take it down a notch?
Right, right, right, right.
I like it.
I think, yeah, I also think of like...
Yeah, I guess this would go in the intensity category.
I also think of two people are having an argument.
Like, let's say, like, take it down a notch.
Like, you're getting too riled up, something like that.
Yeah, like an attitude or something?
Yeah, or like, if things are, like, getting too excited, like, things are getting heated, right?
Maybe two people are having some sort of confrontation.
I could see either one of the people saying or a third party saying, like guys, let's take it down a notch.
Like
So maybe something like drama.
Yeah, I think so.
I think so.
Interpersonal drama.
Now that I think about Turn It Down a Notch, I'm thinking about the same Sorry, now that I'm thinking about Take It Down a Notch for volume, I think.
I think, yeah, it is used.
But when I think of it, I'm thinking of like, in this kind of same situation, like people are at a bar and like one table is getting like a little rowdy or a little loud or something.
And then I could see like the bouncer going over and saying, take it down a notch.
So in that way, it would be about volume two.
So I definitely can see what you're saying with that one.
Yeah, I mean, I think turn it down is a good alternative.
But yeah, for this episode, I think that take it down a notch is more, diverse is more.
What's the word flexible in these different situations?
Yeah, I love it.
I love it when we can give our listeners one phrase that could actually be used in all these different contexts.
I think it's so cool, guys.
So cool.
Okay.
So, all right.
So, these are really good guys.
So, let's just review them one more time.
So, again, we have volume.
What's the next one, Lindsay?
Okay.
So, the next one was intensity.
Okay.
All right.
And the next one was frequency.
And then speed.
And then we added drama.
Yeah, drama.
Yeah.
All right.
Awesome.
So what are some action steps that we can give our listeners, Lindsay?
I mean, it's really just like anything, guys.
When you learn a new word on this show, now you're aware of it.
So part of the battle is becoming aware that the word exists, that the phrase exists, right?
Michelle, it's like once you know of a certain kind of car, you start seeing that car everywhere, right?
Have you ever had that experience?
No.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh, of course.
Yeah.
So that's what we're talking about with this word.
So start listening for this phrase.
This take it down a notch on TV and the movies on the subway.
If you live in the US and you want to eavesdrop on people, and then choose one of these contacts.
You have four and then try to use it, you know, and then continue to try to use it.
Maybe you could ask for, ask a friend for some feedback.
Did that make sense?
What I just said, you know, there's nothing wrong with that.
Don't be, don't be afraid to ask for help.
Right.
Awesome.
I love it.
I love it.
So you guys, you'll definitely hear this around.
Let us know.
You know like send us a message if you hear it somewhere, and let us know how you heard it.
We'd love to hear.
Yeah, exactly.
I love it.
So guys, the thing that you should not do is don't just ignore this, you know.
Just don't keep your learning here in the podcast.
Bring it out into your life. out into the world, right?
Even if you don't live in the U.S. or an English-speaking country, there are things you can do.
You can go find a native tutor at italki, right? allearsenglish.com forward slash I-T-A-L-K-I.
Work on it with that tutor.
There's a lot of ways to add these phrases to your vocabulary.
Awesome.
Yeah, I love it.
All right.
Yeah.
So good, guys.
Great question.
Wait, was it a question?
Yes.
No.
No, it wasn't a question.
It wasn't a question.
No, no.
It was actually.
There was a.
We got a question on our blog where someone just asked I don't remember who it was, but they just sent us a list of phrases that they were confused about.
So it actually was a question.
I'm so used to the questions I got.
I'm like, thank you for the question.
But thank you.
Actually, it really was.
Okay.
What was wrong?
Okay.
Well, anything else you wanted to add, Lindsay?
Well, I just want to remind our listeners guys, if you are getting ready for the IELTS exam, a lot of people have to take this exam.
If you're going abroad to live or study, then go to IELTS Energy Podcast.
Type it in your search bar.
Hit subscribe.
It's got some really good ways to get to seven or higher.
Okay, cool.
All right.
Awesome.
Well, this has been great, guys.
Short but sweet.
But we will talk to you soon.
And thanks for hanging out today, Lindsay.
All right.
Sounds good, Michelle.
Talk to you soon.
Bye-bye.
Bye, guys.
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