This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 2492.
Four English idioms to fight fire with fire.
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When someone does something you don't like, what can you say about your response in English?
Today, get four fiery idioms for situations that are lighthearted or a bit heavier in English.
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Hey there, Aubrey.
How's it going?
I'm great, Lindsay.
How are you?
Good.
What are we getting into today?
Well, I have a question for you to start this out.
All right.
Would you consider yourself a vindictive person?
Oh my gosh, that word scares me sometimes, or at least the meaning of it.
So I would say no.
It's kind of a scary word.
Yeah, it's a scary word.
No, I don't really go out of my way to kind of get back at people or bring a sense of like, make things even.
I don't, uh, I try to just stay away from someone if I've had issues with them.
So me neither.
I'm not one that seeks revenge.
I don't think I'm vindictive.
I might hold a grudge, but I'm not trying to like get back at them.
Right.
Right.
They wouldn't know because you're not interacting with them.
Yeah.
I'm avoiding them at all costs.
Absolutely.
Love it.
Love it.
So today's episode is inspired by a question from YouTube.
And by the way, YouTube is a great way to consume All Ears English.
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Hit the subscribe button and watch five days a week.
Yes, exactly.
Especially if you prefer watching a video.
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So this question comes from Mauroa9748, and they said, chopped liver, great vocab.
So I guess we covered that in an episode and he was responding to that.
And then he says, how about two can play that game?
Yeah, two can play at that game, which I love this phrase.
We are going to dive into that one today and three related phrases that are sort of about this, like seeking revenge being vindictive.
Oh, my gosh.
There are certain people that tend to be that way, right?
I mean, we see it in politics nowadays.
But yeah, generally, I would suggest staying away from all this.
I think if you watch reality TV, that's sort of what makes good TV is when people are vindictive more than the average person.
Oh my gosh.
So I think not everyone would want to be on a reality show.
Not everyone likes to watch them, but there's definitely quite a bit of that on those shows.
Yeah.
Did you watch reality TV shows from the beginning, Aubrey?
Like what was it?
Road Rules, all the early ones.
Did you watch those?
I didn't watch any of those early ones, but sometimes I will now.
I'll watch like Love is Blind or The Ultimatum or like Perfect Match.
Yeah, and i kind of love it.
I find it very entertaining, but it is also it does it's kind of brain numbing like i feel like i'm dumber after watching.
Yeah, it's true, it's true, i know it's so funny.
Yeah, it's like it's like junk.
It's like junk food kind of right totally.
Yeah, love it.
I can't watch it if my partner's around.
He's like mortified, he's like embarrassed for me and will make fun of me, so i can only watch it like when he's out of town.
Oh, that's hilarious.
I love that.
That's so funny.
Yeah, All right.
So the listener asked.
So the first one of our four that we're talking about today is the one the listener asked about.
Two can play at that game.
Okay.
Yeah, so we can dive into this one first.
But guys make sure, if you're not following All Ears English, be sure to hit follow wherever you find your podcast.
We teach such fun vocab idioms that can really make speaking English more fun.
Absolutely.
Hit that follow button.
All right.
So what does this first phrase mean then, Aubrey?
I'm sure our listeners might have heard it on TV.
For sure.
Yeah.
So it's said to indicate that you intend to do to someone what they did to you, whatever they do, right?
If you're like, well, two can play at that game, you're saying whatever you did, I could also do.
It is sort of a threat, right?
It is sort of a threat.
Yes.
Yes.
Oh my gosh.
So for example, she stopped texting me back on purpose.
All right.
Well, two can play at that game.
So that means that you are now going to stop texting her back.
You're saying that you can do the same thing she's doing to you, right?
So sometimes it is sort of, angry and vindictive this way, sort of showing a desire for revenge.
Maybe you'll say, I can't believe he didn't invite me to his New Year's Eve party.
Well, two can play at that game.
See if he gets invited to my birthday.
You're saying I'm not going to invite him now.
Yes, I love it.
Yeah, it's funny because I remember hearing two can play that game.
But we have we're adding at that, which is maybe the textbook game. more dictionary.
Oh, I'm curious.
I feel like I've only heard to can play at that game, but it's possible in different regions.
It's different.
Do you usually say to can play that game?
I don't know that I say this very much.
It just wasn't as common where you live.
It's pretty common where I grew up and where, and I do hear it.
I feel like I also hear it on podcasts and things, but it is usually with the app to can play at that game.
Okay, so that's probably the safe one to go with.
You may regionally hear certain prepositions getting dropped, but go with at that game in general.
So can it be positive or friendly at all?
Can this be used at all if we're not some rageful, vindictive person?
Yeah, so that's what's interesting about this one.
It can be like playfully competitive or more teasing.
So for example, you could say, he brought in homemade brownies for the office.
Two can play at that game.
I'm going to bring in my famous cookies next week.
So this is more sort of like teasing, playful.
There's not really like vindictive anger here.
No, there's nothing you're trying to get them back for.
You're just gonna say, hey, I can do that too.
Exactly.
Like, oh, he's getting all these bonus points.
Well, two can play at that game.
Yeah.
There might be a competitive edge there because you're trying to say, oh, people love his brownies.
Well, they're going to love my famous cookies.
Right.
But playfully competitive, right?
Totally.
Or how about this one?
She got me such a nice birthday gift.
Two can play at that game.
I'm going to find her a present she'll love.
So this is this is more rare for sure.
Like it makes sense.
People could use it this way to complain at that time.
I'm going to get her an amazing present.
It is definitely more commonly used in sort of the like angry, negative, vindictive.
Most of the time you hear it.
That's how it's going to be used.
Yes, I love it.
So that is one option we have if we want to fight fire with fire, right?
Then we have another option.
And this one is kind of new to me, actually.
So this is Turnabout is Fair Play.
This one's a little older, actually.
Like you would hear this in maybe older movies.
I know my parents will say this.
I would maybe say it, but it's a little less common.
It's maybe... being phased out with some of these others that are more trendy, right?
But this means it's fair to do something back to someone if they did it to you.
But it is usually more lighthearted.
It's usually not like this angry, well, turnabout's fair play.
No, it's usually maybe about prank.
Like someone might say, she pranked me last week, so I pulled one on her today.
Turnabout's fair play.
Yeah, this is very light, very light, right?
Yeah.
Or he always borrows my charger without asking, so I took his today.
Turnabout is fair play.
It rhymes too.
It does.
Fun to say, right?
But I do agree with you that I don't hear it as often as I used to.
I feel like I heard it more often growing up.
You know, my parents both said it, but I don't hear it as much anymore.
Interesting.
Okay.
So that's one option.
And the third option for our listeners today is to fight fire with fire, which is what we're talking about in the title of this episode.
Tell us about this one.
Yeah.
So this means to respond to aggression, hostility or maybe like unfair tactics by using similar methods.
It can also be more playful depending on your tone and the context.
So, for example, I feel like we hear this in sports a lot.
You might say the opposing team started playing dirty.
So our coach told us to fight fire with fire.
So he's saying use the same tactics on them.
If they're going to do it, then we're going to do it.
Hmm.
Or he made fun of my dress in the group chat.
So I fought fire with fire and posted his high school yearbook photo.
Ooh, no one wants their high school yearbook photo posted.
Right.
But these aren't like so angry and awful, right?
They're just a little more playful, like teasing, but it can be more serious, right?
It could be more about aggression.
We will hear this in politics, right?
This politician was trying to not sling mud, right?
It was trying not to get personal.
But then, If the other one does, I say well, I have to fight fire with fire and I'm going to use the same tactics.
Yeah, that's something we hear in the political conversation right now.
How do people respond to what's going on from the other side?
Good question.
Yeah, interesting.
All right.
Number four.
Yeah.
So this is give someone a taste of their own medicine.
This is very common, right?
It means to treat someone the way they have been treating you, but usually negative, right?
If someone's nice to you, you're not going to say, oh, give them a taste of their own medicine.
No, it's about negative treatment that you are going to give back to them.
Yeah.
And I'd say this one is pretty linguistically nostalgic.
You'll hear it in movies, historical movies, stories.
It's kind of everywhere, isn't it?
Right.
I'm going to give you a taste of your own medicine.
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
So for example, my brother always mocks my dance moves.
So when he started dancing at the party, I did the same to him, just giving him a taste of his own medicine.
That's totally something my brother would do.
Or maybe he always hides my snacks as a joke.
So I gave him a taste of his own medicine and hid his chips today.
Oh, that's never good.
But these are very pretty lighthearted, right?
It's not so negative.
But it can be for more serious things as well.
I could hear this in politics as well, right?
We're just giving that campaign a taste of their own medicine, if you're sort of using the same tactics.
Right.
100%.
So good.
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All right, Aubrey, role play time.
So here we are roommates, maybe college roommates or something.
Yeah, exactly.
You saw pizza.
You're like, this is college roommates.
Where else do you order pizza at 3am?
Right?
Exactly.
Right.
All right.
I'll start us out.
I saw you ate the slice of pizza I was saving.
I may have.
I was hungry.
Well, two can play at that game.
I'm helping myself to your snacks.
Turnabout is fair play.
Just don't eat the last of my Oreos.
Oh, I'm eating the Oreos.
I gotta fight fire with fire, so you'll leave my leftovers alone next time.
I promise I won't eat your pizza next time.
Thank you.
I had to give you a taste of your own medicine so you could feel my pain.
Oh, my gosh.
Do you have that in your house where like people consider certain food their food?
Or do you just like is anything fair game in your fridge?
So this is really interesting.
This wasn't an issue until I had teenagers that are working and they'll either bring food home from work or they'll go get their own food.
And because they've bought it with their hard earned money, they really care.
They're like, nobody eat my leftovers, right?
Yeah.
So now we have to suddenly be it's almost like roommates.
We're having to be more careful.
Okay.
Interesting.
Okay.
Which deservedly so I could understand.
So I try not to eat anyone else's food.
Now in my house, it's all fair game.
That's what I always say.
Whatever is in the fridge and your leftovers, I'll eat your leftovers.
You know, if my partner goes out for dinner and brings home, I'll try that leftover, you know.
That's how it was for us once upon a time.
But there have been times like that.
Maybe I'll buy like a package of cookies I love and they'll just know like those are moms.
Don't eat them.
And if someone eats them, I'm like so mad.
Yeah.
So funny.
Fridge etiquette, right?
Family fridge etiquette.
That's what it is.
All right.
Let's go through the role play and then we'll wrap up for today.
So you said well, so again I eat your pizza.
And you said two can play at that game, and then you're going to go eat my Oreos now.
Yep.
I'm going to eat all your snacks.
And you said, okay, turnabout is fair play.
And this is often where we'll say a phrase like this.
It's sort of acknowledging like someone has a right to do something because we did it to them right.
Okay.
Turnabout is fair play.
Mm hmm.
Good.
And then you said, oh, I'm I'm eating the Oreos.
I got to fight fire with fire.
So you'll leave my leftovers alone.
Yeah.
So you had told me I'm like, oh, I'm eating them because I fight fire with fire.
I need to eat something that you treasure as much as I wanted that pizza.
Yeah.
You need to choose the right thing.
Right.
Otherwise, it won't.
Otherwise, you won't feel my same sting.
You won't.
Yes.
Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
And then I finished it with.
I had to give you a taste of your own medicine so you could feel my pain.
So I'm same thing.
I'm just saying like I needed you to.
You know I needed to do a similar action so that you would feel like I did.
Yeah.
And again, this is still a pretty lighthearted disagreement.
It's not a serious fight, but again, most of these expressions could be placed into a more serious scenario.
Absolutely.
If this were a role play about someone cheating on another person's boyfriend, this suddenly would be like a very serious tone and you could use all of these same phrases, but like it would be dark.
That would be dark.
Yes.
Oh my God.
Hopefully we're not in those situations too much.
No, exactly.
I didn't even want to read a role play about that.
No, thank you.
We'll keep it light here in All Ears English.
Guys, go check out 2481.
Truth be told, these idioms will improve your English.
So you learned four idioms about truth.
Really good one to add to today's playlist.
Absolutely.
Idioms are so fun.
They make language fun.
I love whenever someone throws an idiom into a conversation.
I'm often like I see what you did there and I like it.
Yeah, it's so true.
It's so true.
Any final takeaway, Aubrey, other than that?
Yeah, this is interesting.
If someone is acting in a way that frustrates you, it is good to call it out, right?
So that resentment doesn't build up.
Being vindictive can really hurt the connection, but also being frustrated about someone's actions but never saying anything.
Imagine we're roommates and you're stealing my pizza and I never say anything and I just start resenting you and I move out.
Not better.
Yeah, that will fester inside you and it will create a bigger problem.
It's better to be in that relationship where you can say something, call people out on things.
Yes, and these more playful phrases are great to be able to call someone out but be sort of joking and lighthearted about it.
Excellent.
I love it.
Such a good connection skill in the end, right?
Because in the end, it's about how we respond to what happens, right?
It's not what happens.
Good stuff.
Exactly.
Yes.
All right, Aubrey.
See you next time.
Have a good day.
Thanks for being on the show today.
Thanks, Lindsay.
See you next time.
Take care.
Bye.
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