This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 1375 on the quest for a desk or any other item.
How to say it in English?
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Are you feeling stuck with your English?
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Coming to you from Colorado and New York City USA, you looking for something?
I need a new desk.
Lindsay is on the hunt for a puppy.
Listen in today to find out how to articulate when you are looking for something.
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Hey, Lindsay.
How's it going?
Hey, Michelle.
Going great.
Going great.
How about you?
What's going on?
Everything is good over here, but I think I need a new desk.
I'm on the hunt for a new desk because I'll tell you the truth.
I don't even have a desk.
Really?
Okay.
How do you do your work at home?
Do you work at the kitchen table?
Sometimes I work at the kitchen table, but now I am kind of confined to my bedroom because my husband is with the baby.
So, yeah, my desk is my bed.
Oh, man.
Oh, wow.
That's tough.
Yeah.
That's difficult.
OK, well, that's fine.
So we all just we just make it work as we can.
Right.
Exactly.
But I think I've been thinking about like just actually getting a specific desk for my bedroom because yeah, this is this is not going to work.
So I am on the hunt for a new desk.
Yeah, that's a good idea.
You're on the hunt.
I was on the hunt for a new desk back in October when I moved here to Colorado.
I had to get it.
And I like big desks.
Like I like big, long desks where I could put a lot of stuff on them.
I don't like to feel cramped with a small desk.
It makes me feel like there's no space in my mind.
You know what I mean?
Yeah.
So it's not easy to go find the right desk.
Yeah.
No, yeah.
I wouldn't even be able to fit a very big one in here if it was going to be in my bedroom.
So it's like I feel like I need a dedicated space.
And also they say that if you work at your bed that you can have trouble sleeping.
Oh, yeah.
We were just talking about sleeping in the last episode.
And I think that you know.
Then your mind starts to associate – like it can't separate work and sleep.
So I want to like get – away from the bed.
Yeah, I know.
Guys, check out that episode we did yesterday, 1374.
We talked about ways to talk about relaxing without using the word relax.
So check that out.
Good stuff.
Awesome.
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So cool.
For sure, for sure.
Okay, so yeah, Lindsay, we were using this phrase on the hunt.
So today we're going to talk about searching for something and expressing yourself in that way.
So...
We don't only want to use phrases like, oh, I'm looking for or I want to find, right?
Yeah, exactly.
We want you to be more interesting, right?
And as Michelle said, the colorful language is what makes you connect, right?
People want to connect with people who are speaking in a colorful way.
And we know you guys want that too.
You may have learned textbook English before, but now it's time to learn real English.
And this is what that is.
For sure.
For sure.
So we are going to do that with you today.
So we'll teach you some new ways to talk about.
Maybe you need to buy something or you're just looking for something.
Right.
So let's talk about i'm on the hunt.
Would you say that lindsay, i'm on the hunt for something?
I mean yeah, i would, i would.
I would say yeah, like i, just to let people know.
You know, maybe on social media you might tell your friends i'm on the hunt for a new desk.
Let me know if you hear about any deals.
Right yeah, Yeah.
So, yeah, you could say that.
You could say I'm on the hunt for a new pair of shoes, or I'm on the hunt for a gluten-free cookbook, right?
Something like that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Are you going gluten-free now, Michelle?
I know Jessica said on a previous episode that she's going gluten-free because actually, like it, helps her stomach.
So it's kind of a health issue.
Interesting.
Yeah.
No, I'm not going gluten-free.
But yeah, if it's something that helps with your health, for sure.
But I think, yeah, I'm not going to do it for a dietary reason or anything like that.
But yeah, that's good.
I hope Jessica can feel good from that.
Yeah, for sure.
So what are some other ways?
So there are definitely other ways.
And this first other way is the one I would be more likely to say personally.
So yeah, yeah.
So tell us about it.
And why would you be more likely to say it?
Why do you like it all right so to say i'm in the market for i don't know why.
I think it's because when i was a kid, i heard my mom saying this a lot, and so i started saying it myself, honestly.
I mean, we learn our language patterns from our parents right, um?
So right now i'm as i said in the previous episode, i'm in the market for a puppy, and you're in the market for a desk, And you know you could say I'm in the market for a new car, right.
That's really common.
Okay.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.
And then this next one is really a little bit different, but I like it as well.
I think it has a little bit of personality.
It kind of sounds mystical for me, to me.
So on a quest for...
I like that.
Okay.
Give us an example.
How would we use that?
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Wow, this is something I would totally say.
I'm on a quest for the best French fries in the city.
That is something you would say, Michelle, because we know that French fries are your thing.
Yeah, absolutely.
But they for sure are my thing.
So, yeah, I don't know.
I would have to find the best ones that are out there.
You know they would have to be the crispiest ones and the hottest ones, and you know the skinniest ones.
So that's what I'd be looking for.
Maybe we should find like the best French fries in New York City and get that person, that chef on the show, to interview him or her about how he makes those fries so amazing.
Yeah.
That would be awesome.
I love that idea.
But so guys, this kind of goes into this idea of like shopping, of course, or looking for something right.
So a lot of these phrases can be used for buying something, whether it's food, whether it's a product, whatever it is.
I mean, Lindsay, what kind of a shopper are you?
I know you don't like shopping.
Yeah.
What kind of a shopper am I?
I am a shopper only when it's necessary.
I actually, you're right.
I don't like shopping.
I don't, you know, I, well...
For me, it's I'm a hit or miss shopper.
And if I say, okay, I need to buy some new clothes, I can get a little excited about going out.
But if I don't find what I want right away, I get really annoyed.
And I get really irritable.
And I get in a bad mood.
So it's like and I start to feel like, oh, my gosh, why don't they have any clothes I like?
Why does nothing fit me?
Right.
All this stuff.
I have this whole narrative because I have.
You know, like as a kid it was hard to find stuff that fit, because maybe I was a little self-conscious.
I don't know.
Like all this stuff that comes up from childhood.
I think shopping is kind of triggering for me shopping for clothes for some reason.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, I hear you on that.
I think I've talked about before, like my shoe shopping woes and how that is very triggering for me because I'm nothing.
Yeah, your mom would beg you to go shoe shopping.
Yes.
You have a good memory.
Yeah, definitely.
So, yeah, guys, I mean, we've done a lot of episodes talking about shopping.
Like some of them are 793 was shop purchase buy.
What's the difference?
And then we did 1063, which was is it a good buy?
How to weigh your options, your shopping options in English.
But yeah, I mean, shopping is not only clothes, right?
I mean, when we, when we do talk about shopping, I think like the first thing that comes to mind is clothing, don't you think?
Oh, for sure.
But there's a lot more to shopping than just clothes.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, I mean, food shopping for certain.
That's the most, that's the most exciting one.
Well, it's always exciting to get food.
It can be if you go to like a luxury grocery store.
It's kind of fun.
Things are really like beautiful um, but for me it's kind of just a just a necessity of the week, right to go food shopping.
I don't know, do you really think it's that much fun to go food shopping?
Michelle, you know what i like you can say yes, it's okay okay okay, i find something very comforting about the grocery store for some reason.
But but um, you know, this is such a weird thing.
Um, whenever i go traveling, one of the things we like to do is go to the grocery store.
Or yeah, you know, see the shops wherever do you?
You know what i mean.
Like, when you're traveling, you like to go to the grocery store and like see the different snacks, see the different foods, and like just see it in a different language.
There's something fun about that.
Oh my gosh, 100%.
I remember my first few weeks in Japan just being, I had to go to the grocery store.
There were like tiny little shops, tiny little like mini grocery stores, near every subway station in Tokyo right,
You were in Tokyo, so you know.
I mean, going in there and I was living there.
I was like, I have to eat.
And I live by myself in this tiny apartment.
I have to figure this out.
And I couldn't read anything.
Everything, of course, was in kanji.
And I remember I really misunderstood how to make curry with the little blocks.
I did it completely wrong.
I didn't know what to do with it.
So...
It was a disaster.
And I remember just feel like the smells are different.
Everything is so different.
So I agree with you, Michelle.
It's a really cool way to get to know a new culture by just going to a grocery store or any place where it's a normal habit of the locals.
Yeah, right.
Actually, you remind me of a story.
When we were traveling.
Once we were in France and we were looking for something to eat and the restaurants.
We kind of missed the restaurant window for some reason.
We were looking for something and then we got to that place.
I don't know if this ever happens to you when you travel, like where you you like, can't figure out what you want to eat, and you've been walking around all day.
Oh yeah, yeah.
So we actually just decided to go to the grocery store and get some food just to.
We had a little kitchenette And we, but the problem was we couldn't read.
I mean, I know a little bit of French, but we couldn't really read it and I couldn't read the instructions.
So then we had to ask the people at the front desk like take out what we bought and ask them how to make it.
And it's so funny.
You got to ask them that in French.
Oh my gosh.
Wow.
That's challenging.
Yeah.
I mean, for me, when I go to Paris, it's all about sidewalk cafes Michelle, like sitting there drinking wine and coffee and just oh love it.
I need to go back to Paris.
I love it.
Anyways.
Yeah.
But yeah.
So, Lindsay, so you retail therapy is not really a thing for you.
It's not it's not therapeutic, although sometimes, like I said, hit or miss.
This is a phrase we use in the U.S., sometimes it is therapeutic if I have a really good hit day.
Like if I actually like everything fits, I just see things.
I just feel like when I go to shops, I just don't like what I see.
I just don't like styles very much.
You know what I mean?
And so if I have a day where I like everything I see and everything fits and it just works, that can be great.
But I don't know.
Shopping is not really a hobby for me.
Yeah, no, me either.
But you know what's terrible?
Those times I don't know if you ever have this happen where you have the time to shop and you're at a store and you're looking around and you're like wow, everything here looks really good, but you are not in the mood.
And there's some great sale going on and you're just not in the mood to get anything and you're just like, if I have to go in a dressing room right now, I'm just going to explode.
Exactly.
It's a project.
You have to be in the right mindset to try things on and get into it and really have the right clothes to be always trying things on.
It's a big thing.
I don't know.
But a lot of people around the world do love shopping as more of a hobby.
Yeah.
And that's interesting.
I've never felt that way.
That's funny.
That's funny.
Yeah.
Well, guys, let us know.
First of all, let us know if you're on the hunt for something, right?
Maybe it's online right um whatever, whatever it is that you're looking for, let us know if you're on the hunt for something and you know kind of your shopping habits and i'm curious um, i don't know, i never thought about this.
If there's like a cultural piece to this yeah, i do think there is.
I think certain cultures tend to shop as more of a hobby more often.
It's also personal too, i'm sure.
Yeah,
Yeah.
Yeah.
Awesome.
So guys, you know, today we have given you a lot of ways to talk about searching for something we did on the hunt, on a quest for
Yeah.
And then what was the third one?
Oh, we did in the market for which Lindsay liked.
So we gave you some really key vocabulary for today which is going to sound so much better than just oh, I'm looking for or I need.
These are really going to up your English level and really impress people when you speak to them and help you with this connection.
These phrases usually include shopping, but sometimes you can say I'm on the quest for love, or something like that.
Right, right, right.
We can make it more… non-literal.
It doesn't have to be about a physical object.
It could be about, I don't know, some thing you're trying to discover or find in the world.
Yeah, I love that.
Exactly.
Exactly.
So we kind of use it in the shopping context.
But think about, think of these three ones that we talked today and think well, how else might I use them?
What else am I looking for?
Maybe whether it's job related or relationship related or whatever, whatever it is, and think, like you know, could I imagine myself saying these phrases instead of something else?
I love that.
And I hope that you find your desk, Michelle, to be able to work, have a dedicated workspace.
You need that.
That's right.
That's right.
So I can get off of the bed.
At first, it seems so exciting.
Like, oh, I'm working like I'm I mean, I'm not sitting on the bed.
But at first, it seems kind of like, oh, it's a novelty.
You're like, yeah, I'm like in my bedroom and so easy, whatever.
And then you're like, oh, my gosh.
Yeah.
And then you feel just really lazy and it's like, oh, wow, it's difficult.
So I hope that you can find that dream desk you're looking for.
And yeah, let us know.
Keep us updated.
Thank you, Lindsay.
Have a good one.
We'll talk to you soon.
All right.
Talk to you soon.
Bye.
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