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.
You guys, welcome back.
Thanks for being here with me.
I am in Italy right now.
I'm gonna be here for a few more weeks, but I'm excited because my boyfriend and I just signed the lease on an apartment.
So yeah, that's exciting because obviously we had to leave our apartment when we started traveling about a year ago and and now we had to find a new one, but rents are insane right now.
So yeah, i'm glad we were able to find something.
It's a very, very small apartment.
It's incredibly small.
I don't know how we're gonna fit all of our stuff in there um, but um yeah, i'm happy.
Anyway, today we're gonna talk about being curious, so i hope you're ready and let's listen to the story.
Whatcha doing?
What?
Nothing.
I don't mean a pry, but who are you texting?
What do you care?
I'm texting someone.
Yeah, okay, but who?
Just a friend.
Do I know them?
Uh, no.
What's their name?
Stop asking me all these questions.
You're making me uncomfortable.
Oh, come on.
I just want to know who it is.
Don't you think your big sister should know?
Well, aren't you curious, George?
Oh, please.
This is driving me crazy.
You've never kept anything from me.
Just tell me the first letter of his name.
I'm not telling you anything.
Hey.
No, I'm in my room.
My sister's here and she won't leave.
Sam, do you mind?
Can you leave me alone for five minutes?
Fine.
Just tell me his name and I'll leave.
You want to know his name?
Yes, please.
What's his name?
Nanya.
Nanya?
Yeah.
Nanya Business.
Ugh.
Fine, fine.
I'm leaving.
So today the story was pretty short, but packed with new expressions.
So let's begin with number one, pry.
I don't mean to pry, but are you texting someone?
If you're prying, does that mean you want to share some private information with someone or that you want to get some private information from someone?
If you're prying or trying to pry, what you are doing is you're trying to get some private information from someone else.
You're trying to get them to tell you something that you want to know.
And if you're prying, does that mean that you're trying to get information that concerns you or not?
No, usually when you're prying, you're trying to get information that concerns the other person.
So it's personal information that has to do with the other person and you just want it because you're curious and you want to get that information.
Why would you say I don't mean to pry or I don't want to pry before starting asking questions?
So this is really funny.
Usually, when you want to ask an uncomfortable question or I would say, a very personal question to someone else, you can start off by saying I don't mean to pry but And then you ask that very personal question.
And what you're saying is that I'm not trying to be nosy.
I'm not trying to be rude.
But I just want to know this thing.
And I've always found it very ironic.
Because the moment you say I don't mean to pry.
Really what you're saying is like okay I'm prying.
Like I want to get in your business.
And I want to know more about you.
And I don't care if you like it or not.
But yeah usually...
If you are about to ask a very personal question, you don't know how the other person is going to take it.
You might want to preface the question by saying I don't mean to pry but, And then you ask the question.
It's at least considered like somewhat polite to do that before you know, instead of asking someone directly like
Oh, have you and your boyfriend broken up?
You would be like, hey, I don't mean to pry, but are you guys still together?
And that somehow, I guess, makes the question sound a little less rude.
Do you think it's a good idea to use this expression before asking personal questions?
So like I said, people do it all the time.
And I think it is seen as somewhat polite to introduce such a personal question with this expression.
Personally, I don't like to say it.
So if I have to ask a personal question, and I'm super curious and I'm super nosy, so I will ask a lot of very, very personal questions.
But you know what, like I, I share everything about my life with people.
I don't I don't think I really keep anything to myself and um, I like when people open up and I like when people share, you know, their stuff with me, and so I like having these very deep, very honest conversations.
And so I feel a bit like a hypocrite if I start off by saying hey, I don't mean to pry, but blah blah, blah.
Because really, I want to pry.
Like, I want to find out more.
And it's because I'm nosy.
And it's because I like having these open conversations.
So I never start off by saying that.
But Again, if you are someone that cares a little bit more about what people think about you and you don't want people to think that you're rude yes, if you do absolutely want to ask personal questions, it's a good idea to say hey, I don't mean to pry but and then ask the question.
Expression number two, be a curious George.
Well, aren't you a curious George?
If you say that someone is a curious George, does that mean you think they're too curious or not enough?
Oh yeah, if you call someone a curious George, you think that they are really, really curious.
And by curious, I mean nosy.
Who is curious George?
So Curious George is a cartoon character.
It's a monkey.
And to be honest with you, I'm not entirely sure what he does.
I just know that he's got a friend that's like a ranger or an explorer or something along those lines, I think, if I remember correctly.
And yeah, and it's just a monkey and monkeys are known for being curious.
And so and it's the name of this monkey is George.
That's why he's called Curious George.
And that's where the expression comes from.
Would you consider yourself a curious George?
Absolutely.
I like to know everything about the people that surround me.
I don't know.
There's just something about knowing about what a person's life is like that I find so interesting.
So yeah, I'm always asking questions.
And if I'm not asking questions to you directly, I'm asking other people questions about another person.
But yes, I am definitely a curious George.
Expression number three, keep something from someone.
If you keep something from someone, do you tell them or not?
No, if you keep something from someone, that means that you're not telling them.
If you keep something from someone, do you not share that information on purpose or because you forgot?
No, you didn't forget anything.
If you're keeping something from someone, that means that you're not sharing that information on purpose.
You know what you're doing.
You don't want this person to find out.
So you make this very conscious decision of keeping this thing from them, of hiding this thing from them.
Do you think that keeping something from someone is just as bad as lying?
All right, so...
My heart wants to say no, but I think it's because, although I don't lie as much anymore, I do from time to time.
You know, keep something from someone.
So I may not be totally open about certain things.
I might, you know, just because I don't want them to get mad or I don't know.
Well, you know why you would keep something from someone.
But in reality, I think it is pretty bad.
Yeah, I mean, in a way, you're still not being honest.
So maybe it is just as bad as lying.
I don't know.
I don't know.
What do you guys think?
Expression number four.
Do you mind?
My sister's here and she won't leave.
Sam, do you mind?
In this case is the, do you mind?
Used to ask a favor or to ask for privacy.
In this case, the do you mind is used to ask for privacy.
So this girl wants to be by herself.
She doesn't want her sister around.
So she's going to say, do you mind?
It's also something that you can say if someone is like trying to read your texts, or trying to read what you're writing in your diary, or something.
You might look at them and be like, do you mind?
Like, Just can you not like look at my stuff?
Just mind your own business, you know?
So if you use the do you mind this way, what tone will you use?
Will you sound nice and polite or slightly irritated?
You will definitely sound slightly irritated.
I mean, obviously you're frustrated.
You want privacy that this person is trying to get in your business and you don't like it.
So you're going to look irritated.
You're going to show them with your eyes or with your tone that you're irritated and they're going to.
They're going to know.
They're going to know what they need to do.
Have you ever wanted to tell someone, do you mind because you wanted some privacy?
Um, yeah, lots of times actually.
I don't think, um, I think the do you mind, it can come off as a little bit rude.
Um, I will usually say like, hey, like, can I just be by myself?
Or like, I would rather do this alone.
But I mean, whatever works for you.
Sometimes you need privacy and you got to ask for it whichever way you feel comfortable.
All right, expression number five, Nanya, Nanya business.
I love this expression.
This is really funny.
It's not really an expression.
It's more like a joke, I guess.
So is Nanya a real word?
And Nanya is spelled N-O-N-Y-A.
I repeat, N-O-N-Y-A.
So is Nanya a real word?
No, Nanya is not a real word.
It doesn't mean anything.
It's just a joke.
So what is Nanya used for?
I think, you know, the best way to understand how this joke works is by reading the story again.
So what's happening is that this person wants to the sister, the big sister wants to get some information and she's asking her little sister all these questions, right?
And obviously, the little sister doesn't want to answer any of those questions.
So if you're in that position and someone's asking all these questions at one point, if the right question comes along, so a good question would be like okay, what's his name?
Or what is this thing?
Or what are you doing?
Then you can answer with this made-up word, which is nanya.
And what you want for the other person to do is you want them to ask you.
You want them to be confused because obviously this is a made up word.
And you want them to ask you like, Nanya?
Meaning like, what do you mean?
Like, Nanya what?
What's Nanya?
And then what you want to do is finish off the joke by saying, none of your business.
And what this is is basically a shortened version of the expression none of your business, meaning it's not your business.
Don't ask me all these questions.
Obviously, it's probably going to work only with people that don't know about this joke, because otherwise they're going to know and they're not going to repeat or they're not going to ask clarification when you tell them, nanya.
But trust me, if they don't know, this could be really funny.
So is nanya used in a jokey manner or is it used in serious conversations?
No.
So this Nanya Nanya business joke is used only in a jokey manner.
So with I don't know, a friend or in informal conversations.
It's just something funny.
It's a funny comeback if you want to let the other person know that you don't want to share that personal detail with them.
But yeah, if the police are questioning you, yeah, maybe don't answer with none yet.
I don't think they're gonna find it funny.
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.
