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In today's episode, we answer a listener question about the phrase christen.
How do native speakers use it to talk about doing something for the first time?
Plus, what are other ways to express this idea and connect?
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Hey there, Michelle.
How's it going today?
Hey, Lindsay. Good.
Lindsay, what's the most recent purchase you made?
Oh my gosh, the most recent purchase I made, I just recently bought a Christmas gift for my partner, and that was something.
So yeah. Okay. So it's not something that you've tried yet, whatever.
I had to order it and it's coming today.
I think. Yeah. Yeah.
Oh, okay. Well, that sounds exciting.
So my parents got my son a basketball hoop for his birthday.
He hasn't used it yet because it needs to be put together a little bit more, but I'm sure he's going to be excited to use it for the first time oh yeah um yeah so today we are we have a great question from a listener but before we get into that we want to say thank you so much to those who have reviewed
us oh my gosh we love our reviewers we love our listeners guys if you love allers english go ahead and write us a review whether you're in the ios android app or apple podcast or spotify i do want to announce a special thank you to anonymous on december 13th tusan st1 from croatia on apple podcast on december
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guys let us know what you think and give us your give us your episode idea right we love your ideas oh this episode today is based on a is it based on a question it is actually yes from youtube guys if you aren't watching over on youtube you and you want to see us here we are over on youtube i'm waving
hello um yeah so yeah and sometimes people submit their questions there so that's really great um lindsey would you like to read the question absolutely so again this is from Louise Zambra.
Now we'll drop 2437 long name, but good question.
Yes. All right. He says, hello guys.
Great podcast. I have an interesting question.
Could I use the word christen for conveying the fact of using any item for the first time and how common is this term?
What's a good question, Michelle?
This is a good one.
Yep. Yeah. This listener clearly has been absorbed in English, native English and heard something and is coming to us with that question.
Yeah, I love it. So, Lindsay, do you hear christen being used like this?
I do. For the first time.
Yeah, I absolutely think that native speakers, not just religious native speakers, not at all.
Just native speakers of English do use this word christen to christen something.
100%. Yes. Yes, exactly.
I mean, it does have also a religious context dealing with baptism, I believe.
and I think, you know, getting someone started on the religion when they're when they're baby, right?
Right. Yeah, exactly.
I believe it's related to that.
But I think when people say this, they don't really think about that meaning.
No, it's interesting because, right.
Like, sometimes you have these words that are used in multiple ways and it seems like you would think of that first thing, right?
Like, oh, religious, but you don't say it and think of religion.
I really don't think so either michelle i think we use it in a more modern context and we're going to show our listeners how to do it today yeah so where do we start yeah so it can definitely be used to talk about using something for the first time and i think it's pretty common um i mean not every
day would you use it yeah um i don't know that it's used all the time but it's it's fine to use um do you feel comfortable using this you don't so you said you don't think about the religious aspect not really i think when i use it it's something that i'm doing for the first time i'm usually it's using
something like unboxing it you know it's fresh and it's new and you're you're starting you're using it for the first time so no i don't think about church when i when i say this word so so yeah well today we're going to give you some examples and also other ways to talk about using something for the first
time um yeah lindsey can it be used about anything, anything, good question.
What do you think? I mean, I think something, I mean, I don't know that I would just, first of all, it's one of those terms that, you know, we say to our listeners, don't use this all the time, over and over.
I wouldn't say that this is something to mix it up a little bit.
It almost has kind of a spunky humorous sound to me like, oh we're gonna christen the blah blah blah right it's not that's how i hear it with a little bit of intonation um yeah a little bit of personality behind it i don't know what do you think yeah i agree there's a little bit of we're excited about this new
thing and we're gonna christen it right we're gonna use it for the first time it's fresh it's new we're excited that it is the first time for sure yeah yes exactly so let's uh you know it can be used for a lot of things let's give some examples.
So here we go. Come on, let's christen the new wine glasses, red or white.
Yeah. And this is a good example because the other piece of this meaning is maybe you're making an event with people.
That's a very good point.
Yeah. And I think your example is perfect.
Let's christen these wine glasses.
Let's christen our new outdoor fireplace, right?
And that means we're coming together as a group.
We're going to create an event.
And it's somewhat connected to socializing sometimes, I think.
Not always, but sometimes.
Don't you think? Yeah.
I think that's a really good point is about making something more of an event.
Like, I don't know that I would say, oh, I'm going to christen my new book light.
Right, right. And read by the phone, you know, like, I don't know.
It just doesn't. Yeah.
I think it is more of an event, which is why it might not be used as frequently.
way or you you wouldn't say this for everyday items like you just ordered uh like i just ordered dental floss on amazon right you wouldn't be like i'm gonna christen this new new pack of dental floss now no right right that's hilarious that's not right so there is something of there's some specialness
here there's an event there might be other people involved helping you celebrate in a way.
Yeah, yeah. That's good.
I'm sorry. I'm still like laughing.
That's funny. All right.
Or you could say, Oh, I just got a new bike.
I'm excited to christen, but it's been too snowy to go out.
Yeah. And here, you know, there's not necessarily a bunch of people standing around watching you use the new bike.
So this is slightly different, but it still works.
Yeah. Yeah. It's more, it's like a little special, right?
It's, it's not, you know, it's not dental floss like it's not but yes but I mean you can think of it I mean you could use it in a humorous way that in that way like so just a little story my friend came over the other night and they decided to make a key lime pie which is like one of my favorite things
in the world and yeah and they didn't have we didn't have a juicer and so my friend went out and he got us like you just like a manual one and we could have said oh let's christen the new juicer you know in that kind of way but again that was an event it's kind of funny and so it can be used about something
small but only in that kind of i guess in that would fit into the event column you know yeah i completely agree that's a good example uh it's just something you're excited about for one reason or another it's not a daily use thing that you just it's just very it's not mundane okay it's special.
And then an iPhone, if you get a new phone, most of us end up having to buy a new phone every couple of years.
You just got one? Yeah.
Because your battery stops working and all these things, right?
It's just how it goes.
So for example, I got the new iPhone.
I just set it up so I have to christen it and finally make my first phone call.
If you make phone calls anymore, right?
Who makes phone calls anymore?
True. Maybe it doesn't even make phone calls.
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Okay, Michelle, we are back from break.
So where to now? What should we talk about here?
Okay, well, let's talk about other ways that we can use this.
So the first one is to break something in.
So this one is often used about clothes, maybe something you have to put on, right?
But it can be used about other things.
So you could say the seats in my new car are a bit stiff, but I think I just have to break them in more.
Right. I mean, this really works great for anything leather.
I mean, we know that leather needs to be broken in.
It's not always the most comfortable when you first buy like a leather jacket or leather shoes, a leather couch.
Maybe it's a little bit stiff.
Leather needs to be broken in, but it goes beyond just leather, obviously.
Different materials, a pair of jeans, right?
Yeah, whenever you wash your jeans, you feel like you have to break them in for the first time, right?
A pair of shoes. Yeah, it's true.
I think a lot of times this can happen talking about shoes that because some somebody might say oh these shoes they're not really that comfortable oh maybe I just need to break them in more right you use them or get them to be a little more flexible um yeah yeah that's why when I bought my new ski boots
my father -in -law who's a hardcore skier he's like a nine you know eight to four skier uh he does like heli skiing and crazy things he said wow your boots should be painful for the first three years of the life them oh my gosh three years to break in your boots more or less two or three years to break
it so they're just painful all the time and i'm still not sure if i'm breaking them in or if i need to if i got the wrong size oh that's interesting hmm they'll have to let us know they're supposed to be really really tight right so they support you but yeah i like things that are broken in that's why
i don't really like buying new things because you have to give up the comfy thing right yes exactly exactly for sure All right.
What's the next one, Lindsay?
Because I give it a try.
Give it a try. Should we open up the game and give it a try?
It's supposed to be so much fun.
So maybe you got a new game, just trying something, right?
You've just bought something.
You want to try it out.
Exactly. Or give it a whirl.
A little bit different.
So let's give the new vacuum a whirl.
Yes. Or test something out.
So let's test out the new TV.
Right. So I just bought a new computer, a new laptop, and I still haven't turned it on yet.
But I will be doing that tonight to give it a whirl, to give it a test or test it out.
Okay. So that's good.
Yeah. That's a good example.
I mean, which one of these do you use the most?
Would you say? Ooh, that's a good question.
I really like give it a whirl.
I think it's cute. It's fun.
Give it a whirl. It's fun to say.
Give it a whirl. But I like break it in too because you know when something or breaking in a good pair of gloves so they feel you know the expression it fits like a glove yeah yeah that's only after you've broken in your glove right right yeah i just love that feeling that you put something on and you
know it belongs on your body these jeans fit my body these shoes fit my feet no matter how weird the feet are you know everyone's talking about park and stocks oh yeah those really molds your feet don't they yeah oh Oh, yeah.
They're the best. Yeah.
So should we do a role play?
Of course, Michelle.
Here, what's a scenario?
We are friends and you, I don't know, I am visiting your new office.
Okay, here we go. All right.
Yeah. All right. This place looks great.
Thanks. I haven't christened all the tech in here.
So I hope everything works.
I'm sure it will. Did you test out the computers at least?
Oh, yes. I did give them a try.
Good. Oh, this new chair looks so comfy.
Mind if I give it a whirl?
Sure. Take it for a spin.
Oh, wow. So comfortable.
Did you break it in yet?
Oh, no. Let me sit.
Okay. Oh, yeah. That's also like office chairs are really nice when they fit you well.
Oh, God. So good. Yeah.
All right. What did we say here?
You said, I haven't christened all the tech in here.
So this is like an event, really.
You have a lot to do.
So you could use christened.
Exactly. Perfect. So that's the original question of the episode today.
And then you said, I'm sure it will.
Did you test out the computers?
So did you try them out?
Did you test them out?
And then you said, yes, I did give them a try.
And then you said, good.
Ooh, this new chair looks so comfy.
Mind if I give it a whirl?
And I love that one.
So much personality in that phrase, Michelle.
Yeah. Yes. Um, it's a little childlike.
It's, it's like cute.
You know, it just, it gives, I don't know.
It makes me think of actually spinning around in the chair.
Totally. Yeah. And then you said, sure, take it for a spin, which is a bonus um that can also sometimes be used um for especially cars um bikes things like that but this is a creative use of take it for a spin i love it when we take an idiom that usually applies to one context and we bring it into another
context right and that's what we're doing here because you're just talking about trying a chair right right uh and literally you might be it's kind of a bit of a pun around right because you're spinning around in the chair but but you're also trying it out.
And normally, again, that applies to test driving a car, test driving something like a bike, as you said, Michelle, right?
Exactly. Yes, exactly.
And then you said, did you, oh, no, I said, did you break it in yet?
So maybe it's like a leather chair.
And so I'm saying, oh, did you like really have a chance to sit in it yet?
Break it in, get comfy.
Perfect. Love it. All right.
This has been Good, Michelle.
Is there another episode our listeners could find to go to right now to keep learning with us?
Absolutely. Head on over to episode 2328, which was, do you mind if we teach you new phrases today?
Love it. Love it. Go check that episode out.
And while you're at it, hit the follow button, right?
Hit the follow button so that we drop into your queue five days a week in January 2025.
Michelle, where should we leave our listeners today?
What's a final thought getting something new and trying it out is very exciting and so we want to have some variety to talk about this christen is a great one to use especially for an event not for dental floss um but now when you floss when you open that new floss tonight i'm gonna think about it michelle
i'm gonna think about it enjoy christening the floss so it's so um you know we gave you lots of different contexts and when is best to use them and for what um but yeah so give these a try.
Especially this time of year, I probably did a lot of shopping around the holidays.
So it might be a good time to use this.
Well, shopping and socializing.
And just to take the socializing piece one step further, this can also be used to invite people over.
Come over and help us christen our new kitchen.
We just got a kitchen renovation.
Come over and help us christen this beautiful bottle of wine that we bought in France.
So you can use it to, again, to spice up your invitations, especially around the holiday season, right?
Or yeah, Valentine season is coming up lots of exciting opportunities there to use that phrase.
All right. Yes, definitely.
All right. Well, this is a really fun question.
Fun episode. Thank you to our listener.
And thanks to everyone for their reviews.
And we'll see you in the next time.
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