Hello and welcome to the English Like A Native podcast.
My name is Anna and you're listening to week 34, day four of Your English Five A Day, the second season.
I'm here to help you to build a habit of dipping into the English language on a regular basis.
Because by doing something small but regular, you can achieve quite a lot.
So let's start today's episode, as we always do, with a snapshot of what's to come.
After months of unpaid overtime, the straw that broke the camel's back came when management introduced a fun dress code that banned jeans.
By Friday I was close to the edge, muttering about workplace scum who clearly hadn't read their own code of conduct.
Then our team staged a coffee-fuelled revival, blasting music and wearing the brightest, most ridiculous trousers we could find.
Because if you're going down, you might as well go down in style.
OK, let's dive in to the vocabulary, starting with the idiom, the straw that broke the camel's back. the straw , that broke , the camels , back .
The straw that broke the camel's back.
This phrase, this idiom means the final small problem in a series of problems that causes a sudden breakdown or reaction.
Like imagine you're literally loading up a camel with bags and bags of stuff.
And then finally you put on one piece of straw.
The piece of straw in itself is light, easy to carry, but on top of everything else, it's the final straw.
It's the straw that broke the camel.
The camel can no longer function.
And I'm sure you must have experienced this yourself in life.
Maybe you've witnessed somebody else have a moment where they finally cannot cope with.
One additional task or one additional bit of responsibility is given to them and they're done.
Or maybe you yourself have got to the point where something has broken you, where you've given up, where you've decided you can't do it anymore because of that additional thing, that additional small problem that you just can't cope with.
I've certainly had it many times.
I'm quite easily overwhelmed.
But there are times when I'm feeling overwhelmed and then someone just says oh Anna, this is broken.
Or my child suddenly breaks the zipper on his coat and we're meant to be going out and we're already an hour late and everything's going wrong and the zipper's broken and we can't go out and he's having a meltdown because his coat won't do up.
Then I might say okay, I can't cope.
Let's just...
Here's another example.
The broker vase was the straw that broke the camel's back in their relationship.
Okay, next we have the noun scum.
Scum.
We spell this S-C-U-M.
Scum.
This is not a very nice term.
It's an offensive term for a person who's regarded as unpleasant, immoral or worthless.
Somebody you have no respect for.
Somebody who in your eyes behaves in an awful way.
Who you completely disagree with.
You have no time for.
They are scum.
So be very careful when using this word.
If you ever need to use this word, it's not a swear word.
So it's not an explicit word, but it is quite offensive.
So I would be very careful with it.
Here's an example sentence.
Only a piece of scum would steal from their own family.
Next, we have the noun phrase code of conduct, code of conduct.
Three words, code, C-O-D-E, of, O-F, conduct, C-O-N-D-U-C-T, conduct.
Code of conduct.
A code of conduct is a set of rules about how people should behave.
When you join my community, in the welcome area you will find a code of conduct, a set of rules about how you should behave within the community, what's expected of you within the community.
And there is usually a code of conduct that you can read when joining any group or organisation or company.
Here's an example sentence.
Our workplace has a strict code of conduct everyone must follow.
Next, we have the idiom close to the edge.
Close to the edge.
Four words.
Close.
C-L-O-S-E.
To the edge.
E-D-G-E.
Close to the edge.
If you are close to the edge...
It means you're very near to losing control emotionally or mentally.
You're trying to hold it in and present yourself in a calm way.
But you can feel those emotions bubbling up, the anger or the upset.
Then you could say that you are close to the edge.
Here's an example sentence.
After weeks of stress, she felt dangerously close to the edge.
I was recently scoring a squash match and I already felt quite nervous about it.
And I certainly wasn't feeling mentally clear.
I had a bit of brain fog.
I was tired and trying to score a fast game that was an important game.
It was a competitive match.
It felt like a big pressure when I was a bit groggy and I was very nervous.
But I did my best.
And during the match, I had one particular person who kept second guessing everything I said.
And there came a point where I nearly lost it.
I feel like I'm going to shout at this person and be slightly offensive and tell them that they can just score the match.
I was very close to the edge.
In the end, I decided to hold it together, to smile politely and carry on, but I was very close to losing control.
I was close to the edge.
Okay, last on our list today is the noun revival. revival.
We spell this R-E-V-I-V-A-L.
Revival.
A revival is the process of becoming active, successful or popular again.
So that's the important thing.
A revival is coming back.
Coming back to being popular, successful or active.
For example, the old theatre's revival has brought new life to the town centre.
Okay, so that's our five.
Let's do a quick recap.
We started with the idiom the straw that broke the camel's back, which is that final small problem or thing in a series of things that causes a sudden breakdown or reaction.
The straw that broke the camel's back.
We have the noun scum, which is an offensive term for a person regarded as unpleasant, immoral or worthless.
Scum.
We had the noun phrase code of conduct, which is that set of rules that tells a person how to behave in a certain circumstance.
A code of conduct.
We had the idiom close to the edge, which means you're very near to losing control of your emotions or losing it mentally.
You're close to the edge.
And finally we had the noun revival, which is that process of becoming active, successful or popular again.
A revival.
Fantastic.
Let's now do this for pronunciation purposes.
Please repeat out loud after me.
The straw that broke the camel's back.
Scum.
Scum.
Code of conduct.
Close to the edge.
Revival.
Revival.
Fantastic.
Okay, what's that offensive term we use for a person that we think is immoral or worthless?
Scum.
That's right.
And if I'm having a particularly stressful day and I'm encountering issue after issue after issue, and then one final little thing breaks me, what's the idiom we could use to describe the situation that's just unfolded?
It was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Yes, very good.
And if you join my Elan community, there's a set of rules that I would like you to have a quick look at about your behaviour within the community.
What do we call that set of rules?
A code of conduct.
Very good.
If something in the past was very popular and then it fell out of popularity but now is becoming popular again, what do we call that process?
A revival.
Very good.
Finally, if you're feeling really stressed and you think any minute now I'm going to lose control of my emotions, I'm going to cry, I'm going to shout, I'm going to throw all my things on the floor.
What could we say to describe how close you are, how near you are to losing control?
Close to the edge.
You're close to the edge.
Very good.
Okay, let's now revisit our snapshot.
Listen carefully.
After months of unpaid overtime, the straw that broke the camel's back came when management introduced a fun dress code that banned jeans.
By Friday I was close to the edge, muttering about workplace scum who clearly hadn't read their own code of conduct.
Then our team staged a coffee-fuelled revival, blasting music and wearing the brightest, most ridiculous trousers we could find.
Because if you're going to go down, you might as well go down in style.
Okay.
I want you now to listen out for our target vocabulary once more as we head into story time.
Rhonda Matthews stepped through the school gates for the first time as headteacher.
Her heels clicked against the cracked tarmac.
Graffiti sprawled across the main building like angry scars, and broken glass glittered in the morning sun where someone had smashed a ground floor window overnight.
This wasn't just a challenging posting.
It was educational warfare posting.
Three weeks into term and she was already close to the edge.
The previous head had lasted 18 months before suffering what the local authorities delicately termed stress-related exhaustion.
Rhonda suspected it was more like battlefield trauma.
Morning, miss, came a sneering voice from behind the bike sheds.
A group of Year 10s lounged against the wall, school ties loosened like nooses, blazers hanging open in deliberate defiance.
Their ringleader, Stevie Brennan, had already earned three suspensions this term.
His file read like a charge sheet.
Good morning, Stevie, Rhonda replied, calmly, though her pulse quickened.
Lovely day for learning.
The boy's smirk widened.
Is it though?
He flicked his cigarette onto the ground, grinding it under his trainer.
Heard you're planning some big changes.
New code of conduct and all that.
Word travelled fast in Field Mill Comprehensive.
Rhonda had spent the weekend drafting new behaviour policies, knowing that without order there could be no revival.
The school had been failing for years exam results in the bottom 5 nationally, teacher turnover higher than a call centre and a reputation that made parents cross the street rather than admit their child attended.
Changes are coming, yes, she said, stepping closer.
The other students shifted nervously, but Stevie held his ground.
Starting with respect.
For teachers, for property, for each other.
Stevie laughed, a harsh sound that echoed off the concrete walls.
Respect?
From our scum, you mean?
That was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Not just the word itself, but the way it was said.
As if he'd already accepted society's verdict on him and his classmates.
As if failure was their birthright.
Rhonda felt something shift inside her chest, the fear transformed into fierce determination.
"'No one in my school is scum,' she said quietly, but her voice carried across the courtyard.
You're 15 years old with your whole life ahead of you.
You're bright enough to challenge me, bold enough to lead others.
The question is, what are you going to do with that intelligence and leadership?
For a moment, Stevie's mask slipped.
She saw beneath a bravado to the confused, angry child underneath.
The old ways aren't working, Rhonda continued.
For any of us.
But I'm not giving up on this place.
And I'm certainly not giving up on you.
She paused, holding his gaze.
The question is, are you ready to stop giving up on yourselves?
The bell rang, piercing the tension.
Students began filtering towards the main building.
Stevie hesitated, then shouldered his bag.
We'll see, he muttered.
But Rhonda caught something different in his voice.
As she watched him walk away, Rhonda allowed herself a small smile.
Every revolution began with a single conversation.
The real work was just beginning.
And that brings us to the end of today's episode.
I do hope you found it useful.
If you did and you're watching on YouTube, please take a moment to click the like button And if you're streaming from any other platform, I'd greatly appreciate if you take just a moment to leave a rating or review.
Until tomorrow, take care and goodbye.
