This is an All Ears English podcast episode 2324.
This is indisputably the best way to talk about your opinions in English.
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast.
Downloaded more than 200 million times.
Are you feeling stuck with your English?
We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection.
With your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, USA.
And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglish .com forward slash subscribe.
When you are asked about your opinion, there are a lot of fun vocabulary phrases that you can add to emphasize that you're confident in your stance.
Listen in today to find out what they are in English.
Are you in charge of hiring at your company?
When you're hiring, it feels amazing to finally close out a job search.
But what if you could get rid of the search and just match?
You can with Indeed.
In the minute I've been talking to you, 23 hires were made on Indeed, according to Indeed data worldwide.
In my experience as a business owner, hiring is hard.
But when you get the right person on your team, your possibilities as a company are limitless.
So ditch the busy work.
Use Indeed for scheduling, screening and messaging so you can connect with candidates faster.
And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed .com slash AEE.
Just go to indeed .com slash AEE right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast.
Indeed .com slash AEE, terms and conditions apply.
Need to hire? You need Indeed.
Hey Michelle. How's it going?
Good, Lindsay. How are you?
I am feeling great.
I'm feeling great. Yeah, Michelle, I have a question for you.
I'm going to ask you this question because you may have a stronger perspective.
Okay, what do you think is hands down the best TV show of all time?
I think I know what you're going to say.
Okay, so no, you may think you know.
But I okay. So a long time ago, I remember there was an actual countdown.
It was a special TV special and they they talked about what is the best show of all time.
And do you want to know what it was?
What was it? It was Seinfeld.
Yeah. So yeah, this is I thought and I remember my mom was angry because she loves Seinfeld too.
But she thought that I Love Lucy was actually the best show of all time.
Yeah. So that that was it was it had more recently we talked about, you know, staying power, yeah, staying power, standing the test of time, right?
Yeah. But she felt that that was just such more of a classic.
And just so she was she even though she loved Seinfeld.
So I think that TV shows are just different in what their strengths are.
And obviously I love friends, too.
But I don't think it's the best show of all time.
It's my favorite. But I would say Seinfeld is the better show.
That's how I feel. For sure.
Now, that makes sense.
I could see how your mom was feeling upset because maybe at that time when this ranking was done, Seinfeld was still kind of new or trendy or current.
But this is a long time ago.
It is so classic. You know, one of the most famous shows of all time.
So I can I can get how she was feeling.
I get it. Did you watch I Love Lucy or did you?
I was in a few episodes maybe in the past or links clips to them.
But no, I never got into it.
But Seinfeld. Oh, yeah, I mean, Seinfeld is a piece of work for sure.
Yeah. You have art, a piece of art.
It is. It really is.
So today we are going to answer a great listener question dealing with this expression hands down.
And this is from Sophia.
Lindsay, would you like to read the question?
I would love to, Michelle.
We love our listener questions.
So here we go. Hey, Allers English team.
I'm Sophia. Just wanted to say thanks for all the awesome content you guys put out.
I have a quick question about the phrase hands down.
Could you break it down for me with some examples?
Thank you so much. Best, Sophia.
What a great question.
Great, very specific.
Really great question.
Thank you, Sophia. Guys, make sure that you hit the follow button to make sure that you never miss any episodes from us.
We also do bonus episodes that you'll get notifications for.
So make it easy. Get the episode sent to you every day with a little bow.
It'll be. Yeah, you got it.
You got it. And, Michelle, we did.
We did attack this question, this phrase from a different angle a long time ago, and we're coming back for another round today with a very different episode today.
But our listeners could go back after they finish up today and check out the other episode.
And what was that? What number was that?
All the way back. So, guys, this is episode twenty three, twenty four.
That was over a thousand episodes ago.
One hundred thirty eight was one handy phrase to show confidence in your suggestion, so that's a long time ago.
But I actually do remember that one.
Yeah, I remember all of them, Michelle.
All of them. I think the best way to get to this episode, by the way, guys, is to go to allersenglish .com and type in eleven thirty eight in the search bar.
That's the best way to find it.
It will take too long.
Yeah. So absolutely.
So go ahead and listen to that one.
So today we're going to answer your question because it's been over a thousand episodes, but we're going to give you also some new ways to share a similar idea, ones that were not done on the previous episode.
So you definitely do want to listen to that one to get kind of the basics.
Yes. So basically, what does hands down mean, Lindsay?
All right. So it means to basically say that you feel a certain way and you are confident in your opinion without question and there's no competition, there's no questioning it.
You are sure. OK. Yep.
Yeah. Yep. Exactly.
Exactly. So if we say that movie was the best comedy I've seen all year, hands down or Lindsay asked me, what do you think is hands down the best TV show of all time?
Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting where it comes from.
What what's hands up mean?
Like, is that challenging the suggestion or the winning the winning item?
What does that even mean?
We don't have the etymology today, but our listeners could look it up.
Guys, you can also don't say hands up like that.
Yeah. Right. We don't.
But but but think about it, guys.
If you're watching us on YouTube, Lindsey, what about when people go like.
Wait, hold on. Hold on.
I'm not seeing you.
OK. Oh, yeah. Could it could be that I mean, a shrug.
Right. It could. It could be that I'm thinking maybe it could just be like a unanimous vote.
No one's. Oh, no, because it would be hands up.
Everyone's voting for it.
That makes no sense.
OK. Well, all we know is here my hands are out of the picture.
I'm thinking like when you shrug and you're like, I don't know.
Right. So maybe that's hands up.
So anyway, well, whatever.
Who knows? But this is an important even though we don't know exactly where it comes from or why this phrase was created.
We don't need to know that to use it to connect right, Michelle.
Yeah. Yeah. So today we're going to talk about additional ways you can express a confident opinion.
And these were not used in the other episode, like I said.
So, Lindsay, what's the first word we can use?
I like this easily.
So, for example, this is easily the best chocolate cake I've ever had.
Yes. Hmm. I love chocolate lava cake.
I love it when the law is in the middle.
Oh, gooey and warm.
So good. So good. Um, next one is really high level.
Yes. This is a high level one, guys.
So indisputably. I'll say it again.
Indisputably. This one is going to be great for our high level C1 students who just joined our C1 course.
Everyone, if you're in that course, I want you to write this one down because this is advanced English.
This will get you a band seven or higher on IELTS.
It is fantastic. Articulate.
Yeah. So what's an example?
How would we use it?
We are indisputably much better at sales calls than the other team.
It's a mouthful. I will say that word is a mouthful.
Disputably. Yeah. So if something is indisputable, it can't be disputed.
It can be argued the other way.
There's no argument.
This is what it is.
So it is the same idea as hands down, but so much more high level.
Yeah. I don't know.
There are times when we need a more articulate phrase, a more formal sounding articulate phrase.
And it depends on who you're in front of and who you're talking about.
Maybe talking to. Sorry.
Maybe you're in a job interview and you're using this to talk about your numbers and your last company that you achieved for sale, your sales department, right?
Yeah. We were in had indisputably the best sales team in the entire region.
Right. But in front of your friends, maybe you're not going to worry about that deeper vocabulary.
You're just going to use something like easily.
We easily had the best sales team.
OK. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.
Yeah. So the next one is by a mile.
So this one is a slightly different but similar idea.
So you could say I like living here much more than my old place by a mile.
So you're just saying the the intensity with which you like it is is big.
Yeah. Right. Right.
So I could say hands down.
Yeah. Here maybe I'm stressing more the intensity or comparison.
Mm hmm. Love it. What if you could hear your favorite song for the first time again?
Introducing the all new reimagine Nissan Kicks with an available Bose personal plus sound system that uses speakers in the headrest to create a 360 degree listening experience.
You've never heard anything like this.
Reimagine your music and your drive.
Experience the all new reimagine Nissan kicks for yourself at Nissan USA dot com today.
Available feature Bose is a registered trademark of the Bose Corporation.
OK, Michelle, we are back.
Another one we could say is what.
So have you ever heard this one?
This is when I was doing research and I saw this and this is adorable.
No, this is totally new for me.
I don't know. It kept on coming up in my research.
That's as sure as eggs is eggs.
I sure as egg, that's even not even correct grammar.
I know. I'm looking it up again here.
Yeah. Well, this is sure.
Yeah. Hold on. Let me look at as sure as eggs.
Yeah, as sure as eggs.
And apparently it's a song to assure the egg.
Gosh, this might be more British.
So it says the definition says British English without any doubt.
OK, love it. So as so, I would challenge our listeners, ask a British English speaker about this phrase, right?
Ask them about it. And they can be very cute.
Yeah. We just want to build your awareness that it exists.
But yeah, here we focus mostly on American English, but ask this is a conversation starter, right?
Absolutely. It's fun.
And then we'll do one more, which is irrefutably.
So the other one was indisputably.
Here we have irrefutably.
This could make a poem here.
These terms rhyme. I love it.
And they're both mouthful.
So they're both C1 level, high level vocabulary.
She is irrefutably our strongest employee.
Nice. Wow. If our listeners can get some of these high level vocabulary words in their back pocket, very useful, don't you think?
Yeah. Oh, for sure.
Lindsay, which one of these do you feel most connected to, which is your favorite?
I like easily. I use easily a lot.
You know, this is easily the best chocolate cake I've ever had.
I easily live in the best neighborhood in Denver.
Right. Obviously, that's my opinion.
But I like to express my opinion in a strong, definitive way.
Otherwise, yeah. The point of having an opinion.
Exactly. Be confident in your in your opinions.
Yeah. Lindsay, just before before we start to head out and do a role play, let's do a couple of conversation questions.
So let's try and use a word in each one.
Wow. OK, good fun. OK, so, Michelle, what is your favorite sport?
Oh, my favorite sport is basketball hands down.
I actually just took my son to a Knicks game and that was really fun last week.
Oh, very nice about you.
Well, for me, skiing is easily my go to sport because it's the way I want to spend my time on the weekend with my family, you know, outdoors.
Yeah. So it's easily the best, easily the best for you.
OK, Lindsay, what is the most rewarding part about your career?
Wow. Indisputably, it is exactly what we're doing right now, Michelle.
Recording the podcast.
And actually, that's true.
That's true. Yeah, that's true.
It's my favorite thing about what we do and all.
We do so many things.
We build courses, we do marketing, we do so much here, but it actually comes down to just being on the microphone.
Yeah, I love it, too.
Yeah, irrefutably, it's my favorite part as well.
And just also, you know, hearing from our listeners, just knowing that, you know, like we had that reviewer, Amir, who had said that we are his fuel.
I mean, that to me, that's indisputably.
When I hear that, that's like, yeah, it's huge.
Yeah. We're very heart centered here at Allers English.
Yes, aren't we? Yeah, we are for sure.
And that comes to the next question is who is the best singer of all time?
I know who you're going to say.
I know who you're going to say.
You know it. Yeah. Oh, you answer, though, first, please.
This. OK, so the best singer of all time.
All right. You know what?
I'm going to all agree with you.
I know what you're going to say.
Let's say at the same time.
One, two, three down with Houston.
If you were going to say Adele, if you thought I was going to say Adele, but no.
Adele is somewhere in the top five, I think.
But hands down, Whitney Houston's a great Freddie.
Freddie was a Freddie Mercury.
Mercury could be in there somewhere, too.
Incredible. Well, Mariah Carey, not so much anymore.
But she was amazing.
And then I still think Whitney takes the top.
Takes the top spot.
Yeah. Yeah. I agree.
Nowadays, I would say also Kelly Clarkson has moved up there.
Really interesting.
OK. Yeah. I mean, that's I think she's thought of as having the best.
Interesting. So I mean, what I love about today's episode in these phrases is that we can this is another way to assert who you are.
Right. Another really useful way to say, yes, hands down, I live in the best neighborhood in Denver.
That means I like to walk.
I like an urban environment.
This says that says so much about me as a person more than my opinion about the it shows so much more than just what you're saying.
Yeah. Whitney Houston.
Right. So there's so much that you can say by being strong when you deliver your opinion.
Yeah, it just makes it.
Yeah, it's a different sound when you add it.
It gives a different feeling, this feeling of confidence when you can add in one of these.
So should we do a role play?
Yeah, let's do it. So here we are friends talking about what we'll do over the weekend.
All right. We're not going to use all of them today, but we'll use a bunch.
Here we go. A lot already.
All right. So where should we go for brunch?
Oh, we have to try jelly toast.
I've heard it has the best brunch in town, hands down.
Oh, really. OK, hopefully we can get a reservation.
I'll give them a call.
What should we do after that?
We have to check out the new Tom Hanks movie.
He's easily the best actor of our time.
Agreed. By a mile. Wasn't he in a movie The Green Mile?
Oh, that's true. Yeah.
The Green Mile. Yeah, you could have done a little pun there, Michelle.
That's true. That's true.
I cut fun fun. All right.
Cool. So that's funny because there is a brunch or a breakfast restaurant in my neighborhood called Jelly.
So that's fun. Get out of here.
Yeah. Right down the street.
Yeah. Oh, well, I have the most fun for a role place coming up with names of restaurants and stores.
So yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's so funny.
That is weird. But I'm a brunch person.
Yeah. The brunch spot, though.
It's it's not a bougie brunch spot.
It's more of a breakfast spot like you walk in.
It's pretty cool. They have the walls covered in old school cereal boxes from the 90s.
Oh fun. You know, but it's not a place like you're going to wait in line.
It's a place to be seen.
It's not like that.
Well, a lot of brunch places are like that.
Right. Right. Right.
Right. Right. It's more casual.
It's more give more of a diner feeling to it.
Oh, I love that. Oh, I love that.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Cool. So all right.
So I said you said we have to try jelly toast.
I've heard it has the best brunch in town hands down.
OK. And then you suggested seeing the new Tom Hanks movie.
And you said he is easily the best actor of our time.
Mm hmm. And then I'm totally on board with that statement.
And I say agreed by a mile.
Right. By a green mile now.
By a green mile. Yeah.
Cool. Michelle. So where should our listeners go?
Remind them about that other episode.
What is that number?
Right. So that's eleven thirty eight.
So that's one handy phrase to show confidence in your suggestion.
So to get more on this topic, definitely listen to that episode.
And what's our takeaway today?
This is a great way to connect with people because you're showing confidence.
You're showing that you have a strong opinion.
And it's just a good way to either share that opinion with someone or to agree with them.
Right. Yeah. And I would also say reserve this for when you feel very strongly about your opinion.
And don't say it for everything.
Right. If you don't know very much about a topic or right.
Kind of on the fence.
It just doesn't feel right using these definitive statements.
But when you do feel strongly and you want to say something a bit more about, you know, that this could say something about you to and your taste and your knowledge.
Right. It can be a really powerful tool to show people who you are and not to bring something up at the very end of the episode.
But I'm going to do you think I feel I'm just noticing hands down to me.
It sounds more when you're talking about things being good.
Like, do you say that's the worst, the worst steak I've ever had hands down?
I guess you could. Mm hmm.
I think it's usually yeah.
It's usually about like, again, like people being the being the best people have voted for it.
Yeah. Like to me, it's more positive sounding.
I would say I would say a lot of these.
Yeah. But some of these can go the other way.
Right. Right. Yeah, it would be or indisputably.
Right. We're actually the worst.
Right. Exactly. So it doesn't seem hands down for for the positive things.
Yeah. I think that's fair.
I think that's fair.
Love it. All right.
Good stuff. We are discovering English together here on All There's English.
And guys, hit the follow button right now so you don't miss our next episodes.
All right. Good stuff.
All right. All right.
Thanks, you too. Bye.
Bye. Thanks for listening to All Ears English.
Would you like to know your English level?
Take our two minute quiz.
Go to all ears English dot com forward slash fluency score.
And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything.
See you next time. People are driven by the search for better.
But when it comes to hiring, the best way to search for a candidate isn't to search at all.
Don't search match with Indeed.
The hiring process can be slow and overwhelming.
Simplify hiring with Indeed.
Indeed is your matching and hiring platform with over 350 million global monthly visitors, according to Indeed data and a matching engine that helps you find quality candidates fast.
Ditch the busy work.
Use Indeed for scheduling, screening and messaging so you can connect with candidates faster.
Join more than 3 .5 million businesses worldwide that use Indeed to hire great talent fast.
Listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed .com slash podkaz13.
That's Indeed .com slash podkaz13.
Terms and conditions apply.
The most wonderful time of the year.
Although let's be honest around the holidays, things really add up.
But here's the good news.
Only at Verizon. You can get a single line for $50 per month when you switch and bring your phone.
So while ice skating for two is definitely costing more here at Verizon, you can save gifts for your third cousins.
Steep a single line with Verizon.
Not so steep. A real tree.
Pricey. A single line with Verizon.
Less pricey. Flights to see Mima and pops.
Those are up. A $50 per month single line.
That's down. Even a trip to the San Francisco holiday market will cost you more.
But with Verizon, you can switch and bring your phone for just $50 per month for a single line on unlimited welcome with auto paid plus taxes and fees.
All this to say, during the holiday season, when everything is costing more, you can get more for less right now at a local Verizon store.
$15 monthly promo credit supplied over 36 months with a new line on unlimited welcome.
In times of congestion, unlimited 5G, 4G LTE may be temporarily slower than other traffic.
Domestic data roaming at 2G speeds.
Additional terms apply.
