Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
John: How to Describe Someone Negatively
John: I'm John.
Sydney: And I'm Sydney!
John: In this lesson, you'll learn how to describe someone negatively.
John: Be careful not to use these in front of the person you are describing!
SLANG EXPRESSIONS
John: The expressions you will be learning in this lesson are:
Sydney: stuck-up
Sydney: lame
Sydney: that was cold
Sydney: flaky
John: Sydney, what's our first expression?
Sydney: stuck-up
John: meaning "snobbish, unfriendly because one believes they're superior."
Sydney: [SLOW] stuck-up [NORMAL] stuck-up
John: Listeners, please repeat.
Sydney: stuck-up
[pause - 5 sec.]
John: If someone is "stuck-up," then they are snobby and believe that they are better than other people. Generally, a stuck-up person seems like they don't want to talk to certain people or are difficult to approach.
Sydney: Everyone uses this phrase, but you should be careful calling other people stuck-up, as it is an insult.
John: Now let's hear an example sentence.
Sydney: [NORMAL] "She's so stuck-up. She refuses to eat non-organic food." [SLOW] "She's so stuck-up. She refuses to eat non-organic food."
Sydney: [NORMAL] "She's so stuck-up. She refuses to eat non-organic food."
John: Okay, what's the next expression?
Sydney: lame
John: meaning "bad, weak, poor."
Sydney: [SLOW] lame [NORMAL] lame
John: Listeners, please repeat.
Sydney: lame
[pause - 5 sec.]
John: The word lame literally means "to be unable to walk because of an injury." But when it's used as a slang expression, it means "bad, weak, or poor." If something is lame, then you probably don't like it or you think it is boring.
Sydney: This term is used by people of all ages and it's not vulgar, but best avoided in formal contexts.
John: Now let's hear an example sentence.
Sydney: [NORMAL] "That's a lame excuse for being late." [SLOW] "That's a lame excuse for being late."
Sydney: [NORMAL] "That's a lame excuse for being late."
John: Okay, what's our next expression?
Sydney: that was cold
John: meaning "not nice; harsh."
Sydney: [SLOW] that was cold [NORMAL] that was cold
John: Listeners, please repeat.
Sydney: that was cold
[pause - 5 sec.]
John: This expression has nothing to do with the temperature. It's used in response to one's harsh comments or expressions. You may have heard that a nice person in English has a "warm" heart. In contrast, we use the word "cold" to describe someone who is mean or callous.
Sydney: For example, if you say to a friend that something bad has happened to you, but they respond with, "I don't care," you could tell him or her, "That was cold."
John: Now let's hear an example sentence.
Sydney: [NORMAL] You were so insensitive to Jenna crying yesterday. That was cold. [SLOW] You were so insensitive to Jenna crying yesterday. That was cold.
Sydney: [NORMAL] You were so insensitive to Jenna crying yesterday. That was cold.
John: Okay, what's the last expression?
Sydney: flaky
John: meaning "someone who constantly cancels plans, often at the last minute."
Sydney: [SLOW] flaky [NORMAL] flaky
John: Listeners, please repeat.
Sydney: flaky
[pause - 5 sec.]
John: Many people have a friend who's "flaky." You make a plan a week in advance, you show up to the venue, and your friend suddenly texts you, "Sorry! I can't make it." This person would be considered "flaky;" one who constantly cancels plans, often at the last minute.
John: Now let's hear an example sentence.
Sydney: [NORMAL] "Jennifer is really flaky, she always cancels our plans!" [SLOW] "Jennifer is really flaky, she always cancels our plans!"
Sydney: [NORMAL] "Jennifer is really flaky, she always cancels our plans!"
QUIZ
John: Okay listeners, are you ready to be quizzed on the expressions you just learned? I will describe four situations, and you will choose the right expression to use in your reply. Are you ready?
John: A child doesn’t want the socks she got for Christmas.
[pause - 5 sec.]
Sydney: lame
John: "bad, weak, poor"
John: A girl has no friends because she thinks she’s better than everyone else.
[pause - 5 sec.]
Sydney: stuck-up
John: "snobbish, unfriendly because one believes they're superior"
John: A girl cancels her plans with her friends for the second time that week.
[pause - 5 sec.]
Sydney: flaky
John: "Someone who constantly cancels plans, often at the last minute"
John: A girl is kicked out of her friend group after lying to them.
[pause - 5 sec.]
Sydney: that was cold
John: "not nice; harsh"

Outro

John: There you have it; you have mastered four English Slang Expressions! We have more vocab lists available at EnglishClass101.com so be sure to check them out. Thanks everyone, and see you next time!
Sydney: Goodbye!

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