This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 50.
I have so much on my plate. How to say that you're busy in English.
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Hey Michelle, did you have a busy week last week?
Oh, yeah. It's been a busy couple weeks.
And on top of it, I was sick. Oh, my gosh.
Yeah, yeah. But it's all good. It's all good.
All good things. How about you? Yeah, really good.
Let's see. I just started a Tai Chi class.
So I'm taking Tai Chi now. Oh, that's fun.
Yeah, it's pretty funny. It's pretty fun and funny at the same time.
So I don't know. It's very slow moving. It's one of those practices that helps you get rooted in your body, which I like.
Oh, that's cool. I like that. Yeah. I feel like in our culture, in our busy lives, it's so easy to get to start spinning in our heads, you know?
Yeah. Yeah. Especially because we're online all the time.
It's just so heady sometimes. I just want to be more in my body sometimes.
So practices like that, yoga, meditation really helped me a lot.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I like it. Good. Good.
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So Michelle, in the past, we've talked about being busy, right?
Mm hmm. And what have we said in other episodes about how like Americans being busy?
What have we talked about? Yeah, that, you know, in the US, it's almost like cool to say you're busy.
Exactly, exactly. But yeah, but today, we're actually going to be talking more specifically about how to say that you are busy if you decide you want to say that we haven't done an episode yet on just how to just kind of in a factual way to state that you have a lot going on in your life.
Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So this is a good one.
We're filling in a gap here. So we're taking a question from Fernando today.
Michelle, could you read the question? Yes.
Thank you. Okay. Hello, Lindsay. Now talking about business-related topic, a business-related topic.
Recently, I had two situations. One of them was, number one, ultimately, lately, I have the busiest days on earth.
What are the natural sentences to express that?
So I guess there's not a second one that we're doing right now.
Yeah, not today. Another day. I've saved the other one for a different day.
Okay. Well, stay tuned. stay tuned stay tuned thank you fernando good good question exactly it's a good question and actually i wrote in i changed his question and wrote lately because why ding ding ding we have a warning a warning a warning today um what is what do we want to say about the word we're not talking about ultimately today but we're going to make a quick note before we answer his question what is wrong with saying ultimately in that sentence So ultimately, so that's a direct translation from Portuguese.
Probably. Yeah, probably. Probably because, yeah, in Spanish, what is it, Lindsay?
Yeah, we say ultimamente. As far as I know, that means lately.
And I'm assuming it's a similar word in Portuguese.
But I could be wrong. You can write to me, guys, and tell us if we're wrong here.
So what should we be careful of here, Michelle?
So be careful because in English, the word ultimately is different.
So it means finally or in the end or the most important thing, right?
So, for example, you have a lot of places you could live and everyone has their own two cents that they want to share.
But ultimately, you need to make the decision for yourself.
Exactly. So it doesn't mean lately. Okay.
It's a completely different meaning. It's actually kind of not the opposite, but it's very different.
So this is just a warning against the temptation, especially if you speak Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, the temptation to just take a word.
It sounds like it could work in English and just stick it in there.
Sometimes we can do that, but many times we can't and we get stuck and we get in trouble.
Okay. Right. Exactly. Exactly. Okay. So let's answer Fernando's question.
Okay, Michelle. So let's go. Let's go ahead and do it.
So we've done a lot of episodes on talking about the fact that everyone in the U.S. is so busy.
You guys could check out episode 290, right?
And that one was Get Off the Hamster Wheel, the epidemic of busy in the United States.
Right. I remember that one. Do you remember that one?
And then we talked about another one. What was the other one we did, Michelle?
We've also talked about how common it is to say that you're busy, even if you're maybe not so busy, because it creates social and financial status, like the illusion of success.
And that was 677. Yeah. And I'll leave the links, guys. in the blog post for this episode to those ones, but you can also come back to allearsenglish.com, type in the search bar those episode numbers.
Or in your iTunes, you can also type those in.
So you can get those right away. But before, you know, before you go ahead and you learn how to say that you're busy, maybe you want to ask yourself, are you actually busy, right?
Because I find it annoying. I find it annoying that everyone always says I'm so busy, even when they're not.
I mean, how do you feel about that, Michelle?
Yeah. Yeah, well, I think also sometimes it's people get overwhelmed, you know, easily.
And so maybe to them, you know, maybe to them, they're honestly very busy.
Maybe, you know, it's all relative. So, you know, people, somebody could honestly feel that they're busy and say it.
It depends. Yeah, like, yeah, it's all relative for sure.
You're busy might not be the same as someone else's busy.
Yeah, that's a good point. And I mean, I wonder if in a place like Brazil, because Fernando here is from Brazil, I believe, if it's a similar thing, like if everyone's running around saying that they're busy, and if busy means signifies a higher cultural status, or, you know, I think probably as economies start to grow, that's the kind of the culture that starts to build around the economy.
I'm guessing, you know, I could see that from the US.
But okay, anyways, for today, let's assume that Fernando is actually busy, and he wants to say that he's busy.
So let's give them some easy ways to say that.
So these phrases are about what, Michelle?
Are these just about work or are they general?
No, these are about like your life in general.
So it could be family life or work life or other things, right?
So if you want specific ones for the office, we're going to give you a few at the end.
So listen up. Exactly. But these are more just like if you run into someone on the street and they ask you about your life, okay?
So it's not specifically about any one aspect of life.
So what's the first one, Michelle? Abercrombie's Viral Denim Sale is back.
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Exclusions apply. See details online. first one is I have I have so much going on lately I've got a lot or I've got a lot going on right yeah or you could say I have had so much going on lately or these days yeah I've got a lot going on right I have had yeah you could say that Yeah.
So there are a lot of ways we can play around with the grammar here, whether we want to say the present perfect or just the present.
Just it's these are all fine, guys. Don't don't get stressed out about that.
OK, the point is you're saying so much going on to have a lot going on, have so much going on.
Do you use this one, Michelle? Yeah. Yeah, me too.
Me too. I find it really common. Yeah. What's the next one?
The next one is, things are crazy. I have so much to do.
Okay, good. Good. And the next one, I've been crazy busy lately.
This one drives me nuts because it's kind of a cliche.
And I find it really obnoxious. That's funny.
Yeah, no, I'm okay with it. But yeah, I hear it.
Crazy busy. Crazy busy. Yeah, that's funny.
Oh, I like this one. I'm all over the place these days.
But there's a warning, right? So like...
I actually like that one, but you should be careful because it might make you sound like you don't have control.
And this might not be professional. So you probably wouldn't want to say if your boss says, how's everything going?
And you say, I'm all over the place these days.
They might kind of question how you handle stress.
Right. So, you know, just be careful. That might be like a fun thing to say with friends like, oh, I'm all over the place.
Oh, my God. Yeah. You're right. Exactly.
Right. If you run into your boss in the hallway at work and he knows you have five projects on your plate and you say, I'm all over the place, the boss would probably worry.
Are those projects going to get done? Right.
So we want to be tactful about where we're using these phrases.
Exactly. Okay. And another good one. I bet you know this one too, Michelle.
Okay. The next one is things have been insane.
Yeah. Common. Yeah, definitely. Definitely common.
Yeah. Yeah. And I like the last one because I just alluded to this one earlier, but we would say I have a lot on my plate.
Right. I have a lot on my plate these days.
Right. I have a lot on my plate. I like that one.
I love that one. It's kind of an idiom. And yeah, it's creative.
If you guys, you know, especially if you're taking the IELTS exam, if an opportunity were to come up where you're talking about talking about how busy you are for based on a question.
This would be great to use because I guarantee you other students, other candidates are not going to use it.
And that's what gets you that seven when you use phrases that are natural and that other candidates do not use.
So keep that in mind. Write that down and go over subscribe to IELTS Energy if you are taking the IELTS.
OK, so Michelle, let's go into the ones that are more work specific.
Okay, nice. All right. So the ones that are more work specific.
So the first one is, I'm just swimming in work these days.
Great. Just swim. And there's another one that I have heard a lot in ESL textbooks, but I never use, which is to be snowed under.
I think that's right. Snowed Under. Is that right?
Snowed Under? Snowed Under? No, maybe that's not it.
Maybe there was another one. I don't know.
Maybe. I don't know that one. But anyways, forget about that.
All right. I like this one. I like this one.
I'm just swimming in work these days. Yeah, this one sounds funny to me.
I don't know why. But if you hear it, then I'm sure.
Yeah, I don't. Yeah. I mean, I think you could definitely use it.
I'm swimming in tasks like kind of like language that paints a picture a little bit creative kind of fun.
Yeah. Another one. I have so many odds and ends to take care of.
Okay. Yeah. So many odds. So this is more related to tasks at work.
Like let's say you're in the break room at work and you're talking to a colleague, right?
This is more about work, right? You're at your tasks, the things you need to do.
I have so many bits and pieces, so many odds and ends to take care of.
Right, right, right. That's good. How about the next one?
The next one is we've been spread pretty thin these days with so many assignments.
Yeah. What do you think about that one? Um, yeah, I mean, it's very, very specific, but, um, where, yeah, where, um, it's good.
I like spread thin. Yeah. That's, you know, saying that you don't have a lot of time for any one assignment.
Exactly. Exactly. So you're, you're all over the place and you have too many things to do.
So those are great ones for the office for Fernando.
If Fernando, if you were asking about business phrases specifically for the office, then write those ones down.
Okay. So now, Michelle, let's zoom out.
And we're two friends again. We're not at work, but we are talking about our work lives.
And that's the difference, right? We're just friends that are talking about our careers.
Okay? Correct. Okay, let's give it a go.
So, Michelle, give me the update. What's been going on?
Wow, Lindsay. I have had so much going on lately.
Things have been insane. I know. Things have been crazy busy for me lately, too.
Well, give me the highlights. How was that conference last week?
Oh, it went well, but I was lucky because I was spread so thin with all of the other work I had to do that I had no time to prepare.
Tell me about it. I have a lot on my plate too.
I'm lucky I can even finish these episodes for today.
Yeah, I love that. Okay, cool. So what do we use here in this conversation, Michelle?
OK. All right. So I said, oh, I have had so much going on lately.
Things have been insane. Yeah. And then the next one.
Things have been crazy busy for me lately, too.
Right. OK. Yeah. And then I said I was spread so thin with all of that other work I had to do.
Yeah. And then I want to add a bonus phrase before we go into the last one.
I said, tell me about it. I like that one.
Oh, I like that. Yeah, yeah. It's like, tell me more.
Yeah. Or in my mind, it also means I understand.
Oh, yeah. Right. Sorry. Yeah. That's how you are using it.
Yeah. Oh, I get it. I know. Like, I maybe I connect with you.
Yeah. Actually, this phrase can be used in two ways.
And the first way is the one that Michelle had said.
Tell me. It could mean, oh, you know, I say like, oh, I went to I went skiing last weekend.
Oh, tell me about it. Right. Tell me about the skiing or oh, I'm so exhausted.
Tell me about it. Tell me about it. Okay.
It means I understand and me too. So that's really an interesting phrase, guys, that you can play around with in the literal sense or kind of in the way of sympathizing with someone.
I love that. Cool. Okay. What's the last one, Michelle, that we used?
The last one you said, I have a lot on my plate too.
Okay. Awesome. So these are really nice.
I feel like this is a pretty typical conversation.
And it's a common topic of conversation, right?
As we've talked about in other episodes.
Right. Right. Definitely. It's a good one.
Yeah. Any final words of wisdom, Michelle?
Anything we want to say at the end today?
So, yeah, I mean, these, you know, before you use these phrases, think about it.
Are you really busy? So a lot of people are really busy, but sometimes they're not so busy.
So if you're not so busy, you shouldn't feel bad if you're not busy.
You don't have to say that you're busy just because everybody else is saying it.
Yeah. I mean, that's just that's just my opinion.
Those are just my my like my thoughts there.
And, you know, our thoughts is if you agree with that, Michelle, I'm not sure if you agree.
But like, essentially, I just feel like I never hear anyone say, no, not so busy, not much going on.
You know what I mean? And it's so funny because, you know, there are definitely times when we're not that busy, but we don't say it.
Right. It's almost like there's a cultural no-no to not talk about when we're not busy.
Like it's bad to not be busy. Yeah. Yeah, no, I agree.
But yeah, I don't think. Yeah, I think instead of saying like, I don't think anyone would ever just say, oh, no, I'm not busy right now.
Oh, how are things with you? No, I'm not busy.
Like you would probably just say things are good.
Like, yeah, you know, you don't have to like specifically say, oh, I'm not busy.
You just don't have to mention being busy.
Yeah, that's true, too. So now you guys, I'm not busy.
I'm Michelle and I'm not busy. No, like, yeah.
I'm Michelle and I have nothing going on.
Yeah, and I'm just hanging out on the couch.
No, you don't have to go out of your way to say that, but you just keep it neutral.
I don't know. That's my opinion. Yeah, that's good.
I like that. So guys, remember, go ahead on over, subscribe to the transcript.
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Michelle, thanks for hanging out. All right.
Okay. Thank you. Have a good one. Take care.
Bye. Bye. Or tap the link in the show notes.
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