5 British Idioms in 5 Minutes
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Tom, the English Hipster, introduces British idioms to help learners sound more natural in everyday conversations. He explains common phrases such as 'feel under the weather' (to feel ill), 'call it a day' (to stop for the time being), 'play it by ear' (to decide later), 'in a tick' (very soon), 'easy peasy' (very easy), and 'spend a penny' (to go to the toilet). Tom encourages viewers to practice these idioms, share the video, and leave comments if they've missed any other British idioms.
Takeaways
- 🇬🇧 British idioms can make your English sound more natural and authentic.
- 🌧️ 'To feel under the weather' means to feel ill or sick.
- 🛑 'Call it a day' means to stop what you're doing and resume later.
- 🎶 'Play it by ear' means to make decisions later based on new information.
- ⏳ 'In a tick' means very soon or very quickly.
- 😊 'Easy peasy' refers to something that is really easy.
- 💰 'To spend a penny' is an old-fashioned, polite way of saying you need to go to the toilet.
- 🤔 Using these idioms can make your English sound more British and natural.
- 📆 Many of these idioms are commonly used in daily British English conversations.
- 👍 The speaker encourages viewers to subscribe, like, and share to help others learn English.
Q & A
What does the idiom 'feel under the weather' mean?
-The idiom 'feel under the weather' means to feel ill or sick. For example, if someone says 'I'm not coming to work today because I feel under the weather,' it means they are feeling unwell.
How is the phrase 'call it a day' used in British English?
-'Call it a day' is used to indicate stopping what you're doing for a temporary period. It’s commonly used at the end of a working day or after completing a task, meaning to stop now and continue later.
What does 'play it by ear' mean?
-The idiom 'play it by ear' means to not make a plan in advance and instead decide nearer the time or when more information is available. For example, if planning a picnic, you might say 'Let’s look at the weather and play it by ear,' meaning you'll make the final decision based on the weather later.
When do you use the idiom 'in a tick'?
-'In a tick' is used to say something will happen very soon or quickly. For example, 'I'll be there in a tick' means 'I’ll be there very soon.'
What does 'easy peasy' mean, and how is it used?
-'Easy peasy' means something is very easy or simple. For example, after completing a test, you might say, 'That was easy peasy,' meaning it was very easy.
What is the meaning of the phrase 'to spend a penny'?
-'To spend a penny' is a polite, old-fashioned British idiom that means to go to the toilet. It comes from the old practice of paying a penny to use public restrooms.
Outlines
🇬🇧 Introduction: Learn British Idioms
The speaker introduces themselves and sets the stage for the lesson by discussing British idioms. They express excitement about teaching common idioms used in everyday British English, which can help learners sound more 'British' if used correctly.
🤒 Idiom 1: Feeling Under the Weather
The first idiom discussed is 'to feel under the weather,' which means to feel sick or unwell. The speaker gives an example where someone might call into work and say they can't come because they feel 'under the weather,' meaning they are ill.
🛑 Idiom 2: Call It a Day
This idiom means to stop working or doing something for the time being. The speaker explains that people often use this phrase at the end of a task, like writing an essay, to indicate they are done for now and will continue later. It's commonly used at the end of a workday or task.
🎶 Idiom 3: Play It by Ear
The idiom 'play it by ear' is explained as making decisions as the situation unfolds rather than planning ahead. The speaker gives an example involving a picnic, suggesting waiting to see the weather before deciding when to go. The idiom is used when someone prefers to wait for more information before making a decision.
⏳ Idiom 4: In a Tick
The phrase 'in a tick' means very soon or quickly. The speaker illustrates its use in British English by saying one could tell a friend, 'I’ll be there in a tick,' which means they will arrive very soon. This idiom is a casual and natural part of everyday British conversation.
😎 Idiom 5: Easy Peasy
This playful idiom means something is very easy. The speaker explains that it’s often used in a light-hearted way to describe simple tasks, such as saying a test was 'easy peasy.' They repeat the phrase several times for emphasis, showing how fun and common it is in British English.
🚻 Idiom 6: Spend a Penny
The idiom 'spend a penny' is an old but polite way of saying someone needs to go to the toilet. The speaker explains the phrase originated from a time when public toilets in the UK charged a penny for entry. Though old-fashioned, it’s still a polite way to excuse oneself for a bathroom break.
💬 Conclusion: Share Your Favorite British Idioms
The speaker wraps up by inviting viewers to share any British idioms they know or think were missed. They encourage viewers to leave comments and spread knowledge of British English idioms. The speaker also thanks the audience and promotes the channel, encouraging viewers to like, subscribe, and share.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Under the weather
💡Call it a day
💡Play it by ear
💡In a tick
💡Easy peasy
💡Spend a penny
💡British idioms
💡Temporary break
💡Natural English
💡Everyday language
Highlights
Introduction to British idioms, designed to make English sound more natural and British.
Explanation of the idiom 'to feel under the weather,' meaning to feel ill or sick.
Definition of the idiom 'call it a day,' which means to stop working or end a task for the day.
Clarification of 'play it by ear,' meaning to make decisions spontaneously or based on available information later.
Use of 'in a tick' to mean 'very soon' or 'very quickly' in British English.
Description of 'easy peasy,' a fun idiom used to express that something is very easy.
Explanation of the idiom 'to spend a penny,' which is a polite way of saying 'to go to the toilet.'
The historical context of 'spend a penny,' referring to when people had to pay a penny to use public toilets.
Alternative modern phrasing, like 'I'm going to the loo,' as a more contemporary way to say 'going to the toilet.'
Encouragement for viewers to leave comments if the speaker missed any important British idioms.
Appeal for viewers to share the video with others learning English, emphasizing the community aspect of learning.
Promotion of the speaker's channel, encouraging subscriptions and likes to help spread the educational content.
The speaker’s persona, 'Tom the English hipster,' providing a relaxed and approachable tone for learning.
Highlight of the practicality of these idioms for making learners' English sound more British.
Invitation to help more people learn English by sharing the video with friends and other learners.
Transcripts
East dreamers how's it going I hope
you're well check it out guys what do
you think I've got my uh Flags going on
today I'm going to teach you British
idioms so these are phrases and idioms
that we use in everyday language here
that are going to if you use them
they're going to make your English sound
so so British so if you're ready let's
do
[Music]
this
a classic British idiom to feel under
the weather this means to feel ill or
sick so uh you might say um I'm not
coming to work today because I feel
under the weather and it means I feel
sick I feel ill call it a day this is a
really great phrase this just means to
stop what you're doing for a temporary
period of time so at the end of a
working day you might say oh I'm going
to call it a day just means I'm going to
stop now and maybe I'll continue
tomorrow or I'll continue at a later
point we usually use it at the end of
doing a task so let's say you're trying
to write an essay you might say oh I've
been writing all day I'm going to call
it a day and continue tomorrow so I'm
going to call it a day just means I'm
going to stop now and I'll continue
later here's one that I personally use
quite a lot play it by ear play it by
ear now this means that you don't make a
plan but you decide something nearer the
time or near the time so for example if
I said to you uh what time shall we have
a picnic tomorrow you might say well
let's look at the weather and play it by
ear let's look at the weather and play
it by ear and that means let's not make
a plan now because we don't know what
the weather will be like so when we look
at the weather then we'll know okay
let's make a decision then so we play it
by ear so we don't make a plan we decide
later when we have more information the
weather things like that okay so let's
play it by ear let's play it by ear
let's not make a decision now let's make
it later when we have more information
in a tick in a means very soon or very
quickly so we use it um if someone asks
you to do something you could say okay
I'll do it in a tick it means I'll do it
very soon maybe you're meeting your
friend and you say to them I'll be there
in a tick and that means I'll be there
very soon really natural British English
idiom in a tick means very soon or very
quickly here is a super British idiom
easy peasy this one it's a fun one it
just means something is really really
easy um so for example if you um have a
test and you can say oh that was easy
peasy that was really easy or uh
learning English is easy peasy learning
English is really easy easy peasy I like
it easy peasy say it a few times easy
peasy easy peasy easy peasy easy peasy
easy peasy really easy to spend a penny
now this one is quite old but it's also
very polite so sometimes it's still
quite useful to use it so to spend a
penny means to go to the toilet and
that's because I think in the past in
public when you wanted to go to the
toilet you had to spend a penny you
literally had to pay one penny piece and
you were able to go to the toilet so
we've taken the phrase now to mean that
you want to go to the toilet but but you
don't have to pay the one p the one
penny don't worry so um I might say to
you guys okay just give me 5 minutes I'm
just going to spend a penny and that
means wait 5 minutes I'm just going to
go to the toilet so it's a really polite
slightly oldfashioned way to say go to
the toilet alternative maybe more Modern
English might be I'm just going to go to
the L that could be a polite way to say
the same thing but spend the penny kind
of it's polite it's a good phrase
guys have I left any British English
idioms out which ones have I forgotten
please let me know in the comments below
and you can also teach uh your other
eatly dreamers as well thank you so much
for hanging out with me guys remember to
subscribe to my channel hit the like
button share this with anyone that you
know that's learning English and let's
help as many people as we can learn
English together thank you so much for
hanging out with me this is Tom the
English hipster saying
goodbye
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