Learn slang expressions related to time
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| INTRODUCTION |
| John: Expressions Related to Time |
| John: I'm John. |
| Sydney: And I'm Sydney! |
| John: In this lesson, you'll learn expressions related to time. |
| John: These expressions are often used when talking about time. |
| SLANG EXPRESSIONS |
| John: The expressions you will be learning in this lesson are: |
| Sydney: a jiffy |
| Sydney: in a New York minute |
| Sydney: once in a blue moon |
| Sydney: to have a ball |
| John: Sydney, what's our first expression? |
| Sydney: a jiffy |
| John: meaning "a short amount of time." |
| Sydney: [SLOW] a jiffy [NORMAL] a jiffy |
| John: Listeners, please repeat. |
| Sydney: a jiffy |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| John: A "jiffy" is technically an amount of time: 33.3564 picoseconds. But in general, it's used to mean "a moment or a short amount of time." So if someone tells you that they'll be "back in a jiffy," then they'll be back in a moment. |
| Sydney: This term is used by everyone, but it should be avoided in formal situations. |
| John: Now let's hear an example sentence. |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "I'll have it done in a jiffy." [SLOW] "I'll have it done in a jiffy." |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "I'll have it done in a jiffy." |
| John: Okay, what's the next expression? |
| Sydney: in a New York minute |
| John: meaning "to do something very quickly." |
| Sydney: [SLOW] in a New York minute [NORMAL] in a New York minute |
| John: Listeners, please repeat. |
| Sydney: in a New York minute |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| John: Life's pretty fast-paced in the Big Apple. Everyone is racing to get to work, school, or the next big event. That's how the phrase "in a New York minute" got its name. You can use this phrase when you tell someone you'll do something very quickly or that something happened fast. |
| Sydney: For example, if you're late to drinks with friends you can say, "I'll be there in a New York minute." |
| John: Now let's hear an example sentence. |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "She was there faster than a New York minute when I told her tickets were selling out soon!" [SLOW] "She was there faster than a New York minute when I told her tickets were selling out soon!" |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "She was there faster than a New York minute when I told her tickets were selling out soon!" |
| John: Okay, what's our next expression? |
| Sydney: once in a blue moon |
| John: meaning "rarely, once in a while." |
| Sydney: [SLOW] once in a blue moon [NORMAL] once in a blue moon |
| John: Listeners, please repeat. |
| Sydney: once in a blue moon |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| John: Each season normally has three full moons. But occasionally, four full moons will appear in a season. This "extra" full moon is called a blue moon. This only happens once in a while, so when you say something happens "once in a blue moon," you mean it doesn't happen very often. |
| John: Now let's hear an example sentence. |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "I still see him once in a blue moon." [SLOW] "I still see him once in a blue moon." |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "I still see him once in a blue moon." |
| John: Okay, what's the last expression? |
| Sydney: to have a ball |
| John: meaning "to enjoy oneself, to have a great time." |
| Sydney: [SLOW] to have a ball [NORMAL] to have a ball |
| John: Listeners, please repeat. |
| Sydney: to have a ball |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| John: If you're "having a ball," that means you're having a great time. A ball is literally a sphere that you play with, like a soccer ball or tennis ball. But in the past, people would have formal dance parties, known as "balls." |
| Sydney: Nowadays, parties are rarely referred to as balls. |
| John: Now let's hear an example sentence. |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "Thanks for inviting me. I had a ball." [SLOW] "Thanks for inviting me. I had a ball." |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "Thanks for inviting me. I had a ball." |
| 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: She finished her meal very fast. |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| Sydney: in a New York minute |
| John: "to do something very quickly" |
| John: Her mother told her she would be there very soon. |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| Sydney: a jiffy |
| John: "a short amount of time" |
| John: A girl goes to a party and makes lots of new friends. |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| Sydney: to have a ball |
| John: "to enjoy oneself, to have a great time" |
| John: A man only goes to the dentist once every five years. |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| Sydney: once in a blue moon |
| John: "rarely, once in a while" |
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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