Welcome to a new episode of English Vocabulary Booster.
My name is Lara and I'm a SALSA-certified English teacher.
Learning new vocabulary usually takes a long time, but we'll do it in a way that's easy, quick and efficient.
In every episode, we'll learn how to use five new English words or expressions, so that you too can start speaking like a native.
So let's get learning.
Hello, you guys.
What is up?
I hope you're doing well.
I am doing pretty good.
I'm excited because my boyfriend and I are going to be leaving Valencia in just a matter of days.
So yeah, it's just we have so much to do still, but it's pretty exciting.
I don't know if you noticed, but I haven't been posting a new episode every week.
And that was not by mistake.
It was planned.
I think over the next few months, I'm going to be posting a new episode every other week.
Just so I have time to focus on other things like social media, the course that I'm working on at the moment.
You know, it's a lot of different things that I got to take care of.
I got my part time job and I'm a one woman show.
So really, if I give a little bit of time to something, I got to take away time from something else.
So it's all about balance.
But yeah, just so you know, over the next few months, this is how it's going to go.
Having said that, I think we are ready.
And today we're going to talk about favors.
Hey man, listen, I need you to do me a solid.
Um, okay.
What do you need?
Is it money?
I can lend you some money.
No, it's got nothing to do with money.
I need you to break up with Angela for me.
What?
Why would I do that?
She's your girlfriend.
No, no way.
I'm not doing this to her.
Hey, dude, you owe me and you know that.
Remember when your mom called me looking for you and you were out with Lucy?
Hmm?
Have you forgotten about that?
Huh?
Well, now I need you to return the favor.
Seriously?
That's how you're going to convince me?
By telling me I have no other options?
Oh, come on, dude.
I'm begging you.
Just this one time.
I don't know, Sam.
Pretty please with a cherry on top?
Ugh, fine.
Just this once.
I'm not doing this ever again.
Alright, fine.
Yeah, that's cool.
Hello, Angela?
Hi, it's Luke.
So, uh, I don't really know how to say this, but Sam said... Uh-huh.
Oh.
Okay.
Uh, yeah, I guess I'll tell him.
Alright, yeah, you too.
Bye.
What'd she say?
Why didn't you say anything?
She said she wants to break up with you.
Uh-oh, did not see that one coming.
All right, let's begin with expression number one.
Do someone a solid.
I need you to do me a solid.
If you need someone to do you a solid, what do you want them to do?
To help you or to do something they're forced to do?
If you need someone to do you a solid, that means you need them to help you.
You want them to help you.
A solid is basically another way of saying a favor.
Is it a formal or informal expression?
It's definitely informal.
So yes, it's the same as saying do me a favor, but you would use that in an informal context or an informal situation.
Don't tell your boss, hey, do me a solid.
Although you probably wouldn't be asking your boss for a favor anyway.
But you know what I'm saying.
When was the last time you asked someone to do you a solid?
I think it was maybe a couple weeks ago.
So my sister Lorena, she was coming to Valencia to visit me.
And I had just spoken to Marcos, to my boyfriend.
And just in case you're new to the podcast, Marcos is Spanish.
I'm Italian.
And every now and then I find out that he hasn't tried some of the, you know, famous Italian foods.
And so I had recently found out that he had never tried bachi de dama.
If you don't know what they are, they're like little kind of like little cookies filled with hazelnut cream.
They're really, really good.
Anyway, I wanted him to try them, but I couldn't find them anywhere here in Spain.
And so I called my sister and I told her, hey, can you do me a solid?
I need you to bring bachiridama when you come here.
And so she did.
And poor Marcos only saw half of them because I ate the other half.
No, I'm just kidding.
A little less, but I did eat a few myself.
Expression number two, owe someone.
You owe me and you know that.
If someone owes you, does that mean you did them a favor in the past or that they did you a favor in the past?
If someone owes you, that means that you did them a favor in the past.
And if someone owes you, does that mean you expect them to do you a favor, since you helped them in the past?
Or you don't care if they do?
Yes, you do care.
If you say, if you tell someone, hey, you owe me, that means that you expect them to do you a favor.
Because you did them a favor in the past.
So now you're kind of telling them I did you a favor, now it's your turn to do me a favor.
You owe me. you have to do this thing for me.
It's not the nicest thing to do or say, but some people do think this way.
Some people, when they do a favor, they kind of expect you to do something for them later on.
Have you ever told someone they owed you?
Absolutely not.
I hate this concept.
I think it's It's a terrible thing to say.
I would never want someone to do something for me that they don't want to do.
So I would never kind of make someone feel forced to do something by telling them that they owe me.
You know, if I really want them to do something, I might say like please come on, I really need this.
But I would never tell them you owe me because I feel like that's really –
I don't know.
It takes the pleasure out of doing favors, because the nice thing about favors is that you don't expect anything in return.
But if I start saying you owe me, that means that every time I do you a favor, I'm going to owe you in the future.
And I just think it's a terrible thing.
So no, I've never said that to somebody.
Expression number three, return the favor.
Well, now I need you to return the favor.
When would you return the favor?
After someone helped you or after you helped them?
You would return a favor after someone helped you.
So they helped you.
Now you want to do something for them to sort of like thank them and show them gratitude.
So you would return the favor.
It doesn't necessarily have to be the same favor.
Say you just lent me a sweater.
I can, for example, I don't know, walk your dog, whatever.
It just means you did something good for me.
I'm going to do something good for you as well.
That's what returning the favor is.
Did you ever do something for someone because you felt like you needed to return the favor?
Yes, a few weeks ago, I was back at home and I needed to get a copy of my ID.
And my aunt knows some people that work in that department.
That sounds really sketchy.
I'm making it sound like my aunt is in the mafia.
She's not.
She just has a lot of connections.
So anyway, she wanted to help me.
So she came with me.
And she didn't help me all that much in the end.
I could have done it by myself.
But, you know, she took the time to be there with me.
And so I definitely felt like I had to return the favor.
And a few days later, she said that a friend of hers needed help with her English.
And so I was like, well, I kind of feel like I owe her.
I know it's not the best mentality, but that's what I felt.
And so I decided to return the favor and help out her friend.
Expression number four, beg.
I'm begging you, just this one time.
I'm begging, begging you.
Do you know this song?
I bet you do.
It's by the band Monoskin, and they're from Italy, so I am really proud.
It's probably one of the few times where you know it's happened that someone from Italy, an artist, has been recognized worldwide.
So
Anyway, this has nothing to do with this except for the fact that one of their songs titled Begging.
So when do you beg someone?
When you want something from them or when they want something from you?
You beg someone because you want something from them.
You want it desperately.
If you beg someone, do you ask them to do something in a calm way or in an urgent and anxious way?
If you beg someone, you ask them to do something or to give you something in a very urgent and anxious way.
So listen to these two people.
Who is begging someone and who is simply asking for a favor?
Number one, mom, could you give me $20 to go to the movies?
Number two, mom, can you please give me $20 so I can go to the movies?
Please, please.
Come on, mom.
Everybody else is going.
Come on.
All right, it's definitely the second kid, the one that's asking for this money in a very urgent way.
They're being very insistent.
So that is what begging is like.
You can even say like, I'm begging you.
But you can also beg without using the word beg, if that makes sense.
Have you ever begged someone to do something for you?
I mean, as an adult, I don't really think so.
But when I was a kid, oh boy, I used to beg my mom all the time, especially when I wanted a toy.
And I remember this one toy specifically.
It was a little robot.
It was a toy, okay?
It wasn't a real robot.
Its name was Emilio.
If you're from Italy and you were born in the 80s slash 90s, you know what I'm talking about.
And I was obsessed with this little robot.
And every time for Christmas, for my birthday, I would beg my mom to to get one for me, and she never did.
And to this day, I don't know what it feels like to live with a robot that brings you your slippers.
Okay, I'm being overdramatic, but seriously, I begged my mom so much to get this toy for me and she never did.
Expression number five, pretty pleased with a cherry on top.
Pretty pleased with a cherry on top.
When would you use the expression pretty pleased with a cherry on top?
When you think the other person is going to give you what you want or when you think they won't.
You use the expression, pretty pleased with a cherry on top, when you think the other person is not going to give you what you want, and so you need to convince them.
So it's basically after begging someone for so long, you play this last card that you have.
You know, you put on the cutest face that you possibly can.
You know, the big eyes, the cute little pout.
And then you tell them, pretty please with a cherry on top.
And that basically makes it really hard for people to resist.
So it's going to be almost impossible to say no to something.
Is pretty pleased with a cherry on top something that's usually said by kids or by adults?
It's definitely something that's said by kids.
I mean, even adults can use this expression, but it's sort of a joke.
But no, it's usually kids.
Is the expression pretty pleased with the cherry on top, usually used the first time you're asking for something or after multiple times you've asked for something.
So I feel like I've already answered this, but basically you would use this expression after you've already bet someone.
Maybe you've gotten on your knees and you're just like, okay, this is my last chance.
I'm going to try one more time.
And then you put on the cutest face with your cutest voice.
You say...
Pretty please with a cherry on top.
The voice is really important, you guys.
Because that's what might make the difference.
So yeah, and then you see what happens.
So now you know.
Next time somebody doesn't want to do what you want them to do, then you know what to say.
And that is it for today.
And remember, if you want to access the transcript, as well as lots of other resources, visit enboocom.
That is E-N-B-O-O-O dot com.
Have a great day.
