This is an All Ears English podcast episode 2063.
Create a big artsy comparison in English.
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Do you know how to use the suffix "-esque to make your own new word?
Today, find out how to do this and how to deliver it in a way that creates creativity and connection.
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Hey there, Michelle.
How's everything?
How you doing?
Hey, Lindsay.
How are you?
I'm good.
I'm feeling great, loving that it's getting a little cooler outside.
We're getting into fall, so it feels good.
Yes, life is good.
Yeah, yeah.
You know Lindsay, I feel like your hair is really Julia Roberts-like.
Ask um, has anyone ever told you that?
Michelle, that is a big compliment.
You know, julia roberts is amazing.
She's aged so well.
I'm not sure if i will age as well as julia roberts has.
Uh well, thank you.
No one's told me that before.
I've gotten a lot of compliments on my hair.
I do get a lot of compliments on my hair, but never julia roberts level compliment.
Oh no, it's like julia roberts, like like I don't know.
It's not quite my best friend's wedding, because it's not like giant like that, but it's like just like these, beautiful.
You know, I feel like your hair is very Julia Roberts-esque.
I love it.
I love it.
And that is a very interesting way that you delivered that phrasing, Michelle.
Is that what we're getting into today?
You said my hair is Julia Roberts-esque.
Maybe.
Yes, that is what we are getting into today, because we have a question from a listener.
That's going to be a lot of fun.
And guys listen, make sure you don't stop listening through this episode, because towards the end we are going to have a poll, for if you are listening on Spotify, you will get to participate in this poll.
So we want to hear from you.
We want to get your opinion.
We want to get an answer to a poll that we're going to put out into the world.
So if you're listening on Spotify, look out for that.
Answer the question and we will share the results in a future episode.
Yes, I love it.
It's so cool.
We have these amazing polls now and you want to make sure that your voice gets heard.
So listen to the rest of the episode and participate in the poll when we announce it.
And Michelle, what should our listeners do to make sure they don't miss a single episode of All Ears English this fall?
Well, guys, if you haven't done this already, shame on you.
No, I'm just kidding.
If you haven't done this already, make sure it's very easy.
All you have to do is hit the follow button wherever you are listening to All Ears English.
Make it easier on yourself.
We always say like for me, I know when I am going to listen to a podcast, or you know several podcasts that I follow.
And if I'm not following them, I might like forget or I might then I have to go look for it.
And why?
Why just do that extra step?
Just hit follow.
Yeah.
Yeah, this is the time to hit follow, create a new routine that feels more like entertainment.
Come and connect with us and enjoy learning English, guys.
Okay, Michelle, I'm ready for Pablo Gonzalez's question.
Should I read it?
All right, please do.
This is from Spotify.
Oh, awesome.
So Pablo says, I absolutely love your work.
Could you talk about the suffix ask and explain to us how to create adjectives?
The other day I heard the expression ask, rube goldberg ask, and it made me curious oh fun yes, that is fun.
Yes, this is a very uh specific, good question guys, we love these, so let's get into it, lindsay.
So when you hear ask um, what is that?
What does that mean?
When i said julia roberts, does that mean?
What does that mean?
Well yeah, good question, michelle.
So if i had to choose from other suffixes, i would choose a similar one ish ish right, so julia roberts ish, but we don't really use that in that way.
So ask just feels to me like a more elevated way yeah, to say ish right, a more elevated way to say ish, that could be that title um, but yeah exactly, it just means like a very, in a very strong way, similar to in a very strong way.
So you know, we tag this to a noun.
So julia roberts-esque um, and yeah, this is.
This is a fun way to show your personality.
You're creating your own words and that's what pablo's asking about, right?
Oh yeah, we use this ask at home all the time.
Who is Rube Goldberg, by the way?
I don't know who that is.
I actually didn't look at it.
Okay.
I'm gonna look at, I don't know why I didn't think to look him up now.
Oh, it looks like an American writer.
Okay, good.
So Pablo knows.
Oh, a cartoonist sculptor.
Oh, cool, cool, cool, cool.
Oh, so I wonder if that's being used in a way, like if you talk about an artist, right?
Yeah. you know, some famous artist-esque, it's in their style.
That could also be another way that it's used, right, Michelle?
Right, right.
Like it's the same idea of like being similar to.
Pablo Picasso-esque, yeah.
Right, like being similar to or in the style of, right?
Like, you know, or inspired by kind of in that way. yeah i like that so it's kind of more broad than just ish right it kind of encapsulates art and style in a way as well right yeah i love it for sure for sure yeah so um i mean the when i said your hair is julia roberts ask i mean i feel like it's just more interesting than saying oh your hair looks like julia roberts hair yeah that's boring right looks like of course i would understand it it would make sense we could connect in that moment michelle right but let's do something a little more artsy with our english right right right so again you don't need to say that every single time like we've talked about this you know sometimes we teach something and the the thing you don't want to use is then Every time you say something looks like something else, you say ask.
Don't get repetitive.
Yes.
No.
Right.
And with anything like you don't want to you don't want to be repetitive.
And that's why you're listening to this podcast, guys, because you want to be natural.
You want to be able to sprinkle these things in from time to time to have those natural connections.
So we're going to do some more examples in a second.
But guys, take a listen.
Recently we did.
Episode 2059 was should you take a ride on someone's?
So that was another good listener question.
We get such good listener questions, Lindsay, right?
Love the good listener questions Michelle, especially when it seems like this listener has been out in the world using English and the question comes directly from their experience.
That is the kind of question that we love.
For sure.
For sure.
So, all right, let's do some more examples.
What's the first one?
Okay.
So the first one is, wow, your outfit is so colorful.
It's very peacock-esque outfit.
I'm not sure if that would be a compliment or an insult.
Well, I think it depends.
Like if it was... Well, actually, because there is like a slang.
Have you ever heard somebody's peacocking?
Oh, yeah, of course.
Of course.
Yeah.
What does that mean to you?
To me, that means like somebody is like dressing in a way or doing something to get attention.
Like a peacock.
Right.
Totally.
So in that way, like you could, if you're trying to say like oh, you're trying to get attention, like in a negative way, but maybe the colors look like a peacock and they're beautiful.
That's what i was, that's where i was kind of going with it.
So yeah, but i think you're, i think i think you're right.
Actually, i think just using ask as the suffix points more to the look and feel of something rather than like, the meaning behind the reason you're doing something.
I think that works.
Yeah was just saying if someone's wearing that many colors, it could be a little chaotic and i don't know if it it depends on the personality it just could be overwhelming.
You know what i mean.
Like yeah, i think you would be able to tell if it was a compliment or an insult.
Yeah, like if somebody just like comes in with this extravagant outfit and and peacock colors and it just like maybe it's just like a little Over the top and you're like, wow.
Yes, but it's okay.
A little color is a good thing.
A little color in our lives.
Next example, Michelle, you want to read it for us?
Sure.
Your haircut is very Rachel from Friends-esque.
So cute.
Nice.
Okay.
And we know her haircut was very specific to that time period as well, right?
It was very, very 90s.
Yes.
Yeah.
What's the next one?
All right.
Her personality is very musical theater-esque.
Yeah, I could see that someone who's just really into theater and arts and dance.
And there's just a certain personality you see.
Yeah.
Right.
Yes.
Animated.
That's right.
Or if you're at a party, you could say these decorations are very New Year's Eve esque.
And to you, Michelle, what does that what does that mean?
What would those decorations mean?
Probably like a lot of streamers, maybe glitter and, you know, just very, very bold.
So maybe it's for a different kind of party.
But you're like oh, this is just a different way of saying oh, these decorations remind me of New Year's Eve.
Yeah.
New Year's Eve ask.
I would think of sparklers, maybe lots of sparkle, lots of gold and silver, maybe red and green, that kind of thing.
Yeah.
Love it.
Okay, Michelle, what else do we have to know?
Is this a positive or a negative thing?
What do you think?
Well, I think it depends on what it is.
I mean, we already naturally got into a little bit of this today because we were talking about the peacock right.
Like, is it nice to say somebody is like this or not nice, right?
So it really depends on what that thing is.
So what do you think, Lindsay?
I agree.
So think about the word you're using.
And you know, in general, I think it's really just, it's a way to be descriptive and to be interesting in what you're saying.
So be careful of what you're saying.
But generally, you know, yeah it yeah, I think it's going to be fine.
Our listeners will be good.
It's all about connection.
Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
So, and what about work?
Is it formal enough to use at work?
I mean, I think so.
I think, I think, as we say it all, there's English guys and on our business English podcast, you're having a lot of social conversations at work.
So what works in your social life can often work in your business life.
Yeah, I agree.
I think it's fine.
But I think the biggest thing to do is have confidence whenever you use it, right?
You're not going to say like, oh, you know, your haircut is very Rachel from Friends-esque, right?
Like you can't... That's like a huge part of this.
This is one of those... If you're going to make up a word in a way...
You have to say it with confidence.
So it just wouldn't match if you were kind of hesitant about it.
I totally agree.
Yeah.
Like you have to sound confident, maybe even like a little giggle, like oh, it's Julia Roberts ask you know?
Just almost kind of highlight the word.
Yeah, this word is the equivalent of someone that has a big personality.
If you're comparing words to people, someone that kind of comes in and just kind of flows with life and moves and makes big gestures.
That's what this word is in the world of words, if that makes any sense.
It's a big gesture word and it's artistic and it's interesting.
But to do that, we have to match kind of the way we're coming in with this word.
Yeah.
And also, you know, I don't know that you can just throw it on anything.
I mean, I think, if you're talking about a celebrity, a person, an artist, you know, I think that's pretty common.
But like I said, you know, you can't just like throw like any word in front of it necessarily.
You can't just be like, oh, this is very bed-esque.
I mean, like you can't. just because my bed is nearby.
Like you know, sometimes this is one of those you got to listen out for it.
But don't you know, be bold, be daring, try it.
Why not?
I would say, as you get to know this word, here's a connection tip for our listeners.
Start with art and art and music and maybe literature, right?
You know, that novel is very Jack Kerouac-esque, right?
It feels like something written by Jack Kerouac.
Okay, it's in the same style, same time period, or in the same thing in terms of an artist, a painter.
Or, you know, start with that and then move into other more less traditional ways of using it.
That's what I would do.
That's a really good tip.
Yeah.
And you know, I mean as far as if you should ever avoid this.
You know, if you think it might insult the person, maybe don't say it.
So be careful with your comparisons because maybe...
You know, somebody would feel bad if they were compared to something, you know?
So just think before you say it.
Yeah.
What are some other ways, like other things that mean the same thing, Michelle?
Yeah.
Well, you could say reminds me of.
So you could say like, oh, this party reminds me of New Year's Eve.
And that's why, when I look at these examples, it makes sense for the art world art and literature and music right.
Another one would be just like, as we said earlier, or in the style of.
Okay.
Good stuff.
Yes.
All right.
It's time for something exciting.
What's happening now.
All right.
So guys, we told you, for if you were listening on Spotify, you will now be able to participate in a poll for this episode.
And you can answer, and then we will see your results and we will let everybody know the results in a future episode.
What, you know, what the most people answered.
So Lindsay, would you like to read the question?
OK guys, here's the poll, and the poll will be posted on the morning of this episode coming out.
East Coast time.
Right.
So that doesn't mean 1 a.m.
East Coast time.
It means, well, I don't know, maybe around 10, 9 or 10 East Coast time around.
Depends on your schedule, Michelle.
But it'll be posted in the morning.
If you don't see it exactly when you're listening, come back. and do the poll, right?
So here's the poll.
That means I fell asleep, you know.
She fell asleep.
She slept on it.
Oh, no.
Here's the poll.
Has anyone ever told you that you look like a celebrity?
Yes or no?
Michelle, I would like to know your answer to this poll.
Oh, man.
I don't want to say it because...
I don't want everybody to be like, no.
Well, yes, people have told me.
OK, you don't want to tell us who it is now.
Well, I'll say, OK, one person once told me Jennifer Aniston.
And I know that it's not true, but I love Jennifer Aniston.
And I oh, you know what it was?
It was when I was first setting up my email address, my very first email address with my brother.
I remember it was a hotmail.
And you had to answer questions about it.
And my and like one of the questions you had to answer was like, what celebrity do you look like?
And my brother said Jennifer Aniston.
And I was like, and like, I think I've loved her ever since.
And I don't think I actually look like her.
But I think like our hair color is similar.
Basically.
Yeah.
And then like, um, from how I met your mother, the redhead.
Oh, she's I like her a lot.
I like her personality.
I know who you're talking about.
I don't even know her.
I don't even know her actress name or her name on the show to be on now or something.
I don't know.
I think on the show she's Lily.
Lily, yes.
Is it Allison something?
I don't know.
Sure.
Yeah.
But anyway, I've gotten those.
But I don't know.
Do you see anybody else?
No, not at the moment that I can think of.
But if I thought about it, I could probably come up with something.
I think about this a lot.
I don't know why, but I find my head going to...
Who would play that person?
Like people I meet, like who would play you?
Who would play you in a movie?
You know what I mean?
I don't know why I think about that.
I just do.
It's funny.
Yeah.
What about you?
Do people tell you?
I've gotten the Julia Roberts on the hair, especially from you, Michelle.
I've said that before, right?
Yeah, I think so.
I think someone said Natalie Portman once, but I don't feel it.
I'm not feeling it.
So...
If we could all be as beautiful as celebrities, right?
It would be amazing.
Dan gets Aaron Rodgers, the football player.
Oh, yes.
I can see that.
Yes.
I like it.
Very interesting.
So anyway, guys, answer on the Spotify poll yes or no, and we'll be curious to hear.
All right.
Let's do a role play, Michelle.
Here we are at a party.
So here we go.
All right.
This place is amazing.
Yeah, and it's very Broadway theater-esque, don't you think?
For sure.
It reminds me of an old-time theater.
Yes, and the food is great, and it's just like the food at that new restaurant.
I think they catered it, actually.
Oh, wow.
I knew it.
Yeah, they wanted to do this party in the style of their heritage.
I love that.
Nice.
All right.
So here we used it's very Broadway theater-esque and it's a little trickier, Michelle the pronunciation.
Right, because we don't always have time to say esque, and yeah, it's all clear.
Yeah, it's true.
Yeah, you kind of have to be very clear with this.
You can't really mumble it.
You do, because if you don't it'll sound like it's broadway theater.
Ass, don't you think it doesn't work?
You actually do have to slow down guys, when you deliver this.
Yeah, that's true.
That's true.
So make sure you take your time.
So then I said it reminds me of an old time theater.
And then I said, yes, and the food is great.
It's just like the food at that new restaurant.
Good.
Makes the same thing.
Yep.
And then I said, yeah, they wanted to do this party in the style of their heritage.
So maybe they're I don't know.
Also on that same theme of something being similar to something in a similar style.
Michelle, what's the takeaway for today?
Where should we leave our listeners?
We've given them a big word or a big suffix, a big way to, I don't know, just be descriptive in what they say.
Yes.
Well, I just realized we didn't go over the spelling.
So let's just one more time before we hit the road.
It's E-S-Q-U-E.
So it's not E-S-K.
It sounds like E-S-K, but it's E-S-Q-U-E.
Oh, I'm really glad you said that, Michelle.
Yeah, guys.
So E-S-Q-U-E.
And, you know, any final notes for our listeners?
Anything to keep in mind?
Well, I think this is just a fun way to make your own words.
I mean, there are lots of ways to do this.
Like we've talked about ish, of course.
And so give it a try.
But again, have that confidence when you say it and consider if that person would want to be compared to that person or that thing.
And then, as Lindsay said, I think that one of the biggest takeaways was Lindsay's idea was that start with doing like art.
You know people those kinds of things when you're using ask.
And then you can branch into other like less, I don't know, less, what's the word you used?
Less artsy.
Less kind of.
Yeah, less typical ways of using it, I guess.
Right, right.
More experimental, we could say.
Yeah.
Right.
Because really, when you're using an experiment and suffix like this guys, you're kind of making little experiments.
You're kind of creating your own word.
So it is OK to add this to the end of a word that you've never heard anyone use it with.
It just has to be delivered in a way that you're committing to what you're saying.
Right, Michelle, or saying coming in with a big gesture and building confidence from that.
I mean, confidence comes from experience.
Right.
I love that.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
All right.
Well, give it a go.
This was a great question.
Love these kinds of questions.
Really specific.
Lots of fun.
So guys, go out and give it a try and let us know how it goes.
All right.
And thank you to our listener, Pablo, for the great question.
All right, Michelle.
Thanks, Pablo.
And remember to listen to answer the Spotify poll.
Yes.
Talk to you soon.
Have a good one.
Bye.
Bye.
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