Confused by modern idioms? - 6 Minute English
Summary
TLDRIn this episode of 6 Minute English, hosts Rob and Sam discuss the evolution of modern idioms influenced by the internet, TV, and movies. They explain idioms like 'spend a penny' (go to the toilet), 'Groundhog Day' (repetitive situations), 'break the internet' (online excitement causing website crashes), and 'first-world problems' (minor issues compared to global struggles). The episode highlights how language evolves through media and social trends, while classic idioms like 'throw in the towel' from boxing remain part of everyday speech.
Takeaways
- π 'Spend a penny' is an old-fashioned idiom meaning 'go to the toilet'.
- π Language evolves quickly, with new idioms frequently emerging from the internet, TV, and social media.
- π The idiom 'throw in the towel', meaning 'give up', originates from the sport of boxing.
- π€ 'Groundhog Day' has become an idiom meaning 'a situation where the same events repeat', similar to dΓ©jΓ vu.
- π Many modern idioms, such as 'break the internet', have emerged from the digital age and internet culture.
- π Social media platforms like Twitter have contributed to idioms like 'first-world problems', referring to trivial issues in comparison to more serious global problems.
- π½οΈ Movies often contribute to idiomatic expressions, as seen with 'Groundhog Day' becoming part of everyday language.
- π 'Ubiquitous' is used to describe something that seems to be everywhere, like modern idioms in daily life.
- π Native speakers typically develop full knowledge of idioms by the age of 30-40, though many are learned through cultural exposure over time.
- π The idiom 'throw in the towel' comes from boxing, where a coach would throw a towel into the ring to surrender.
Q & A
What does the idiom 'spend a penny' mean?
-'Spend a penny' is an old-fashioned British idiom meaning 'to go to the toilet.' It comes from the time when public toilets required a penny to unlock the door.
Why did Rob say that Sam is showing his age when using the idiom 'spend a penny'?
-Rob said this because the idiom 'spend a penny' is old-fashioned and not commonly known or used by younger generations today.
What is the origin of the idiom 'throw in the towel'?
-The idiom 'throw in the towel' originates from boxing. It means 'to give up' or 'surrender' and comes from the practice of a coach throwing a towel into the ring when a boxer can no longer continue.
How has language changed with the influence of the internet and media?
-Language has evolved with the influence of the internet and media, leading to the creation of new idioms like 'break the internet' and 'first-world problems,' which reflect modern-day experiences and cultural shifts.
What does the idiom 'Groundhog Day' mean and where did it come from?
-The idiom 'Groundhog Day' means a situation where the same events repeat in exactly the same way. It comes from the movie 'Groundhog Day,' where the main character relives the same day over and over.
What does it mean to 'break the internet'?
-To 'break the internet' means to cause so much excitement online that many people rush to a website at once, potentially overwhelming it and causing it to crash.
What is the meaning of the idiom 'first-world problems'?
-'First-world problems' refers to trivial problems that are insignificant compared to more serious issues faced by people in poorer parts of the world. It originated from a hashtag used on Twitter.
Why did Gareth Carrol become interested in modern idioms?
-Gareth Carrol became interested in modern idioms when he realized that he didn't understand many of the expressions his students were using in everyday speech, prompting him to explore where these idioms come from.
What does the term 'ubiquitous' mean, as used in the context of idioms?
-'Ubiquitous' means something that seems to appear everywhere. In the context of idioms, it refers to expressions or phrases that become widespread and commonly used in many contexts.
At what age do native speakers typically have a full knowledge of idioms?
-Native speakers typically develop a full knowledge of idioms by the age of 30 to 40, as idiomatic expressions take longer to fully learn and integrate into everyday language use.
Outlines
π¬ Introducing Modern Idioms
In this episode of 6 Minute English, Rob and Sam discuss the evolution of language and the introduction of modern idioms, many of which have emerged from the internet, TV, and social media. Sam uses the phrase 'spend a penny,' meaning 'go to the toilet,' an idiom from a time when public toilets required a penny to enter. This leads to a conversation about how language evolves, with old phrases fading and new ones, like 'raring to go,' taking their place. Rob also quizzes Sam about the origin of the idiom 'throw in the towel,' which comes from boxing, meaning 'to surrender.'
π¬ The Influence of Movies and the Internet on Modern Idioms
Dr. Gareth Carrol, an expert on idioms, is introduced as the author of a book on modern expressions. He shares that one of the most significant sources of new idioms is movies, citing 'Groundhog Day' as an example. The film's concept of repeating the same day became a metaphor for recurring situations. Dr. Carrol explains how expressions like these become ubiquitous, embedded in daily language, with many students recognizing the idiom but not its origin. Movies like 'Groundhog Day' contribute to modern idioms, paralleling older phrases like 'dΓ©jΓ vu.'
π The Role of the Internet in Creating New Idioms
Dr. Gareth Carrol discusses how the internet has given rise to a plethora of modern idioms. The phrase 'breaking the internet' is now widely recognized, meaning causing so much online traffic that a website crashes. The internet and social media have also popularized terms like 'go viral' and 'first-world problems.' Carrol highlights how Twitter played a major role in the creation of these idioms, which reflect the fast-paced nature of online communication.
π₯ Recap of Idioms: Old and New
Rob confirms that Sam's answer to the quiz question was correct: 'throw in the towel' originates from boxing, where a losing boxerβs coach throws a towel into the ring to signal surrender. The episode recaps several idioms discussed, including 'spend a penny,' 'Groundhog Day,' 'ubiquitous,' 'break the internet,' and 'first-world problem.' The hosts reflect on how language continuously evolves, with older idioms coexisting alongside new ones, many inspired by modern technology and cultural shifts. The program concludes with a farewell as their six minutes come to an end.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Spend a penny
π‘Throw in the towel
π‘Groundhog Day
π‘Ubiquitous
π‘Break the internet
π‘Go viral
π‘First-world problems
π‘Idioms
π‘DΓ©jΓ vu
π‘Language evolution
Highlights
Introduction to the 6 Minute English podcast from BBC Learning English.
Explanation of the idiom 'spend a penny' meaning 'go to the toilet'.
Discussion on how language changes and new idioms are created through internet, TV, and social media.
Introduction of the idiom 'raring to go'.
Presentation of a question about the origin of the idiom 'throw in the towel'.
Mention of Dr. Gareth Carrol's book on the origins of modern idioms.
Explanation of how the movie title 'Groundhog Day' became an idiom.
Description of the idiom 'ubiquitous' meaning something that appears everywhere.
Discussion on how the internet has contributed to the creation of modern idioms.
Introduction of the idiom 'breaking the internet'.
Explanation of the term 'first-world problems' as trivial issues in comparison to global challenges.
Insight that a native speaker's full knowledge of idioms develops around the age of thirty to forty.
Reveal that 'throw in the towel' comes from boxing, where a coach would surrender by throwing a towel into the ring.
Recap of the idioms learned in the podcast.
Conclusion of the 6 Minute English podcast.
Transcripts
Hello.
This is 6 Minute English
from BBC Learning English.
I'm Rob.
And I'm Sam.
Can you wait
a second, Rob?
I have
to spend a penny.
What!
You're going shopping
now, are you?
We're just
about to start the programme!
No, no, I have to ... you
know, 'spend a penny'.
Haven't you heard that
expression before?
Spend a
penny means 'go to the
toilet'.
It's an old idiom
from the days when it
cost a penny to unlock the
door of a public toilet.
OK, I see.
Well, you're
showing your age there,
Sam - most young people
today wouldn't know what
that phrase meant, and
there aren't many public
toilets left
nowadays anyway.
Language changes fast,
and new words and phrases
are being created all
the time.
In this
programme, we'll be
learning some modern
idioms - new expressions
that have been introduced
to English through the
internet, TV and social
media.
And of course,
we'll be learning their
meanings a well.
Great, I'm 'raring
to go' - another idiom
there.
But first, as
usual, I have a question
for you, Sam.
Many
well-known idioms come
from the world of sport,
for example 'throw in
the towel' which means
'give up', or 'surrender'.
But which sport does
the idiom 'throw in the
towel' come from?
Is it:
a) football?
b) tennis?
or c) boxing?
I think I know this one.
It's c) boxing.
OK, Sam.
I'll reveal
the answer at the end
of the programme, so
just hold your horses
for now!
Ah, another idiom there,
Rob - hold your horses
meaning 'stop and think
for a moment'.
That's an
idiom that Gareth Carrol
might teach his university
students.
Dr Carrol is
the author of a new book,
'Dropping the Mic and
Jumping the Shark: Where
Do Modern Idioms Come From?'
He became interested in
idioms when he realised
that he didn't know many
of the expressions his
students used in their
everyday speech, modern
idioms like 'jump
the shark'.
Here is Gareth Carrol
telling BBC Radio 4
programme, Word of Mouth,
about one source of
many modern idioms -
the movies.
So, Groundhog Day I think
more or less has the
meaning of 'dΓ©jΓ vu' now,
and it's completely
embedded in the language ...
actually, that's probably
one of the first phrases
that got me thinking about
these modern idioms in
the first place because
it is so ubiquitous,
it's used in a huge
range of contexts, and
one of the things
that made me sit up
and take notice is,
I had a number of
students who know the
phrase, Groundhog Day,
but had no idea
it was a film.
In the film Groundhog
Day, the main character
wakes up to live
the same day over
and over again.
Gradually, the movie
title itself became
an idiom, Groundhog
Day, meaning 'a situation
in which events that
have happened before,
happen again in exactly
the same way'.
It's
similar in meaning to
another expression -
dΓ©jΓ vu.
When phrases the movies
develop into idioms
it's often because
they are ubiquitous -
they seem to
appear everywhere.
And one of the ways
they appear everywhere
is, of course, the
internet.
Here's
Gareth Carrol again,
telling more to
Michael Rosen,
presenter of BBC
Radio 4 programme,
Word of Mouth.
The vocabulary of the
internet, even the
word 'internet', is
relatively modern ...
the idea of breaking
the internet is
now a phrase I think
people would use and
recognise, so something
that causes such a
stir online that
metaphorically so many
people rush to a
website that it
threatens to bring it
down, something
like that ...
In the early days we
had 'go viral' which
has stayed with us,
hasn't it?
Yeah, so the idea of
something going viral
is certainly very much
in the vocabulary
now ... But things like
Twitter have leant
sort of phrases, so
the idea of first-world
problems, meaning sort
of ironically things
that we complain
about but actually,
compared to other
parts of the world,
may well be
relatively minor, that
started life as Twitter
hashtag, for example.
Another modern idiom
is breaking the
internet - causing so
much excitement about
something online that
too many people visit
the website at the same
time, making it crash.
Social media outlets
like Twitter have also
created their own
idioms, including
first--orld problems -
a trivial problem that
does not seem very
important when
compared to the serious
problems faced by
people in poorer parts
of the world.
If you don't know some
of these idioms, don't
worry.
Unlike general
vocabulary, a native
speaker's full
knowledge of idioms
takes longer to
develop, usually at
around the age of
thirty to forty.
Meanwhile, you can
still rely on classic
English idioms, like
'pull my leg', 'kick
the bucket', and 'throw
in the towel' - which,
I think, comes from
the sport of
boxing.
Rob?
Yes, in my question
I asked which sport
gave birth to the
phrase 'throw in the
towel', and Sam's
answer was correct!
Well done!
The idiom
'throw in the towel'
comes from boxing
where the coach of
losing boxer would
literally throw a
towel into the ring
to surrender.
OK, let's recap the
rest of the idioms,
old and new, that
we've learnt today.
To spend a penny is
an old-fashioned way
of saying 'go to
the toilet'.
Groundhog Day describes
a situation in which
events that have
happened before, happen
again exactly
the same way.
If something is
'ubiquitous', it seems
to appear everywhere.
The modern idiom 'break
the internet', means
to cause so much
excitement about
something online that
you make the
website crash.
And finally, a
first-world problem is
a problem that does
not seem very important
when compared to the
serious problems faced
by people in poorer
parts of the world.
Unfortunately for us,
our six minutes are up!
Bye for now!
Bye bye!
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