BOX SET: English vocabulary mega-class! Learn 10 single-word expressions in 26 minutes!

Hello and welcome to The English We Speak

with me, Feifei

And me, Roy. Have you seen Rob's

new video on social media?

Yes, it's amazing!

He has charm and style - he just has...

Ooof!!!

Yes! Oomph! Rob has oomph and charm -

not as much as me of course,

but he has some! Wow, Roy! For once

you actually got the correct word! Oomph!

I didn't say oomph - I said ooof!

I was complaining because I hurt my back

earlier putting your cases in your car

for you to go on your workcation.

Well, one can never be too prepared

when going to the beach. Besides, I need

lots of different outfits for when

I take pictures. My photos have to have real...

Oomph - yes, I get it. Your photos need to have

energy and be exciting.

Exactly! Well, let's talk more about

my oomph right after these examples.

The business owner showed real oomph

in her presentation when she was

pitching the idea.

I really like the way Eric speaks - he has

real energy and oomph.

The dancer showed real oomph in his

performance - an energy I haven't seen

in a long time!

You're listening to The English We Speak

from BBC Learning English,

and we're talking about the word 'oomph'.

If someone or something has 'oomph',

they have real energy and excitement.

Some people argue that it is important

to have real oomph when making

presentations. I'm really good at

talking to a room full of people,

which means I must have real oomph!

You're clearly mistaken! I am the one

with the oomph! I could sell

anything to anyone.

Well, if I bought what you were selling,

I could resell it for double the price -

that's how much oomph I've got!

No, Roy. You don't have oomph.

You have a puppy-like charm.

It's OK to be envious of my oomph!

Puppy-like?! I don't chew slippers

or chase sticks! I have oomph! Energy!

Excitement! People have told me that!

And who said that?

Rob. But ironically, he said it when

he hurt his back helping me with your cases.

Well, I think we all know what he really said!

Bye, Roy.

Bye.

Hello, and welcome to

The English We Speak with me, Feifei

and me, Roy. I am so hungry!

I haven't had anything to eat all day!

Where are the pizzas?

What are you talking about?

You sent me a message saying

you had lots of pizzas, so

I'm ready to eat!

No Roy, I said I had real pizzazz!

I was saying how glamorous I was.

Pizzazz is spelt P-I-Z-Z-A-Z-Z!

It doesn't look anything like 'pizzas'.

I thought you were writing 'pizzas'

with extra 'Z's to be cool!

Now it makes more sense!

Pizzazz relates to be being glamorous

or having vitality.

Anyway, I would never buy you pizzas!

I have too much pizzazz too eat pizzas.

If I were feeling generous,

I would buy you a glass of water

from the tap.

Errr... but that's free.

Exactly! Well, why don't you go and eat

while we listen to these examples?

Have you seen the latest episode?

That new actress has real pizzazz.

I think the colour scheme on your painting

is so vibrant. It has real pizzazz.

The moment I listened to the song

for the first time,

I couldn't stop dancing to it!

The tune has real energy and pizzazz.

You're listening to The English We Speak

from BBC Learning English,

and we're talking about the

expression 'pizzazz'. If someone or

something has 'pizzazz', they are

glamorous or have real energy.

Roy, what are you eating?

I'm just about to eat a slice of pizza -

I am so hungry!

I would offer you a slice

but I know you don't think it has real pizzazz.

Well, I could make an exception this time.

Go on, I'll have a slice of your pizza.

But I only have one slice.

You should give it to me.

I'll tell everyone how much pizzazz you have!

Oh, that's really kind of you Feifei,

but I don't need you to say that.

I already have pizzazz!

You can see that in that picture of me

dressed like a flamingo on social media.

I'm not sure if that's what

I would call glamorous, Roy.

So, are you really not going to

give me your pizza?

No.

Well, I'm going to make

my own pizza then - and it will have

more pizzazz than yours! Bye.

Bye.

Hello and welcome to The English We Speak

with me, Feifei…

…and me, Roy.

In this programme, we have a word that is

used to say that something is amazing or extremely good.

Speaking of which, have you seen

that new blockbuster that everyone’s talking about -

‘Unicorns Eat Bananas in the Stars’?

What kind of title is that?!

That film sounds awful!

It’s not! ‘Unicorns Eat Bananas in the Stars is fire!

Fire? The unicorns that eat bananas in the stars

are on fire?! What is this film about?

No, Roy! Don’t be silly, the banana eating unicorns

aren’t on fire! That would be ridiculous.

I said the film is fire. I mean that the film is amazing!

Ahhh of course! We use 'fire' to describe

something that is really good! For example,

your T-shirt is fire, Feifei!

Oh thanks, Roy! I bought it this week!

It's official merchandise for the film!

Anyway, let’s listen to these examples…

Have you checked out my new phone? It’s fire.

It can do so many cool things!

I went to a concert to see ‘Rob’s Rolling Biscuits'

last night. Their new song is fire.

That new series everyone is talking about

is fire! It’s got dragons, zombies and

vampires in it. I love it!

This is The English We Speak from BBC Learning

English and we’re talking about the word 'fire',

which is used to say that something

is amazing.

I might have to go tonight and watch the film

at the cinema.

You definitely should. It’s straight fire!

We sometimes put the word ‘straight’

in front of ‘fire’. Straight here means ‘very’.

So I probably should have said your t-shirt

is straight fire, then.

Only if that's what you really think.

You haven’t even seen the film yet!

What about my T-shirt? Do you think it’s fire?

Honestly, no. It looks like it needs to be

put in a fire. You should just burn it.

The film on your T-shirt is not fire!

That film is terrible.

OK, maybe I’ll buy a new one today.

Bye, Roy.

Bye.

Hello and welcome to The English We Speak. I'm Feifei

And hi, I'm Rob. Hey, Feifei.

Err, why the long face?

What's wrong with my face?

I mean, why are you looking so... grumpy?

Grumpy!?

Yes... moody.

Moody! There is nothing wrong!

This is my normal face. Why are you

throwing so many insults at me?

Oh come on, you do look

a bit bad-tempered.

I'm not bad-tempered.

But I'm getting angry now.

Oh great! Then I can describe you as 'mardy'.

Mardy? I hope that's not another insult.

It's not an insult - but 'mardy' does

describe someone who is in a bad mood,

moans a lot and gets annoyed easily.

So, thanks for demonstrating that, Feifei!

My pleasure! Let's hear some examples...

There are no desks for Pedro to work at today

so he has to sit on the sofa.

No wonder he is so mardy.

My boyfriend is always so mardy.

Nothing seems to please him.

Maybe I shouldn't have

come home drunk last night!

Steer clear of me today.

I only had four hours sleep last night

and I'm really mardy today.

This is The English We Speak from

BBC Learning English and we're talking

about the word 'mardy', which describes

someone in a bad mood. As I was saying, Rob,

I am not mardy!

If you say so, Feifei.

But I know something to make you mardy.

Oh yes?

You're going to have to record

this programme again.

What? Again? Why?

You forgot to explain that 'mardy'

also describes someone who is

sulky or grumpy.

Hmm, you're just being awkward.

I'm not going to start this programme again.

I'm too busy.

Right, I'm off to get a coffee. Goodbye!

Who's mardy now? Or he is just acting? Bye!

Hello and welcome to The English We Speak.

I'm Feifei.

And I'm Roy!

I'm really impressed, Roy.

Neil said you have real clout!

What?! You mean that Neil wants to

hit me? Is he angry with me?

Oh, no, Roy. 'Clout' can mean 'to hit someone'

as a verb, but it can also be used

as a noun to mean

'your influence or fame on social media'.

Neil was talking about how much

clout you have with all your followers.

Ahh... that kind of clout. But I don't

have that many followers.

Sometimes people get my name confused with

Rob! It's Rob who has the clout!

He has lots of followers and

some real influence on social media.

He's using it to sell biscuits

his mum made.

Hmmm! I'm going to try and find

some more followers while we listen

to some examples.

Esmeralda has some real clout

on social media. She has so many

followers who watch all her vlogs.

We've decided to hire an influencer

with real clout to help us launch

our new project.

Derek used his clout to sell the

new perfume to his millions of followers.

This is The English We Speak

from BBC Learning English,

and we're talking about the informal

expression 'clout', which means

your level of fame or influence

on social media. It can also be used

in another situation, can't it?

That's right!

It can also be used in business or politics

to refer to the level of power and influence

a person has. For example,

My boss used their clout to get the deal done.

That's right. So Roy, did you have any success

in getting any more followers?

Do you have some more clout?

Yes! My mum just followed me

and as soon as I posted my new photo

someone liked it.

Liking your own photos doesn't count

as clout. You can't influence yourself.

Right, I'm off to get a photo with Rob,

so I can get more followers.

That sounds like a great way to increase your clout.

It does. Bye Roy!

Bye Feifei!

Ohhh... Welcome to The English We Speak

with me, Jiaying

and me, Roy. What are you doing?

You look really relaxed. Shouldn't you be working?

I am working! I’m just enjoying

the chilled vibe of working from home!

Chilled vibe? Is that some kind of juice?

No, Roy!

We use the expression ‘vibe’

to talk about the mood of or a feeling

you get from a place or person.

If something or someone has a good vibe,

then it means they're cool.

Ahh... for example, that online concert

we went to had a really good vibe!

Yes, now you’re getting it!

Yeah – you can listen to calming music

or play a game to relax –

things that have a good vibe!

Exactly – we can talk about how to

improve our vibe after these examples.

Derek has such a good vibe!

Everyone who speaks with him

just feels so chilled out!

That place has got a really bad vibe.

When I walk into the building,

I get really anxious and stressed.

I’m so happy after watching that film.

It was such a nice story

and had a really chilled vibe!

You’re listening to The English We Speak

from BBC Learning English,

and we’re talking about the expression 'vibe'

which means 'atmosphere'

also referred to as 'an aura'.

You can also ask for a ‘vibe check’

if you want to know if something

or someone has a good vibe.

So, Roy – what sort of things can you do

to improve your mood and vibe?

Well, like I said, watching films

or listening to music that chill you out can help.

Or, speaking to people who have a good vibe!

I also try to avoid things that have a bad vibe!

For me, I like to try and improve myself every day!

What, like exercising or reading a book?

Exactly. I try to go to bed every day better

than when I woke up, by learning something new.

An improved Roy every day.

And that vibe can affect other people too.

It's especially important for me to think this way

after a year like this.

I agree. So, can I get a vibe check?

How are you feeling, Roy?

I'm feeling chilled out. I've got a good vibe.

You certainly do. Bye Roy!

Bye!

Hello and welcome to The English We Speak.

I'm Feifei.

And I'm Rob.

So Rob, you don't look so happy.

I'm OK.

I thought you were off to a rock concert

for your birthday this weekend.

Yeah. I was. I love rock music.

Oh. What happened?

Well, I booked my ticket a month ago.

It wasn't cheap. Three of my friends

said they were coming too. But they just

told me they forgot to book the tickets,

and now there are none left.

Oh, what a pain. I’m sorry.

Yeah, I’m a bit miffed.

I'm not surprised. Um, Rob, sorry to mention

this while you’re feeling upset…

Yes...

Do you mind if I used 'miffed' as our word today?

Yeah, OK then.

OK. So, as you might have worked out,

to feel 'miffed' is to feel frustrated or annoyed,

usually because of the behaviour of other people.

It's what Rob is feeling right now

because his friends didn't book tickets to

a concert with him. Let's just give him a minute

while we listen to these examples.

You know what? I've been working really late

all week to finish this proposal but

my boss hasn’t said a word of thanks.

Yeah, you could say I'm pretty miffed.

Laura met this guy on holiday. She told me he was

really special and that they seemed serious

about each other, but he hasn't called in weeks.

She's really miffed about it.

You'd think that when you order a vegetarian pizza

it would come without meat. No wonder

Martin was miffed when it arrived with ham on it.

This is The English We Speak from

BBC Learning English.

So, feeling any better yet, Rob?

Well, I just got a message. Get this:

Apparently, my friends were joking.

Err, I knew.

What?

Well, I told them to say that, so we had the

opportunity to talk about ‘miffed’.

Seriously?

Yeah, you don’t mind, do you?

Of course I mind. You made me feel, well... miffed!

Sorry about that.

And I’m miffed with you now!

Rob, you know what?

What?

I got a ticket too. It is your birthday after all.

I wouldn’t miss it!

Really? OK, all is forgiven!

Bye.

Bye.

Welcome to The English We Speak. I'm Feifei

and hello, I'm Rob. Hey Feifei, listen to this. [MICROWAVE 'READY' SOUND]

OK, interesting. Has your ready meal finished

cooking in a microwave?

Well yes, actually, but I wanted you to name that sound.

Um, well, it's a 'ping' sound, obvs.

So, what's that got to do with today's

piece of authentic English?

Well, we can use the word 'ping' to describe

something else.

I know that, Rob. 'Ping' is a short, sharp sound

like a microwave makes, to alert you

that the food in it is cooked. But the word 'ping'

is also an informal way of describing

sending an email or a text message.

So if I 'ping' you an email

I basically send you an email.

Exactly. and [EMAIL ALERT SOUND]

Oh. Someone's pinged me a text message.

It says, ''Let's have some examples, Rob.''

That was me, Rob! Come on then.

I need to know the details of the contract.

Could you ping them over to me

as soon as possible, please?

My friend's just pinged me to say

she can't go out tonight so I suppose

I'll have to stay in and watch TV.

I'll ping you over the address of the party

and hopefully I'll see you there later.

This is The English We Speak from the BBC

and we're finding out about the word

'ping' which is an informal way to describe

sending an email or a text message. And Rob,

I'm going to ping you something.

Oh yes? What's that?

I'm going to ping you an email containing a recipe.

A recipe? What would I need that for?

You need to start cooking some real food.

You can't live on unhealthy microwave dinners!

Oh right. And I'm pinging you a message right now...

Send!

[TEXT ALERT SOUND] "If you'd invited me for dinner,

I wouldn't have to eat microwave dinners."

OK Rob, I get the hint. How about tonight?

Great! But can you remind me where you live?

I'll ping you my address. See ya.

Don't forget. Bye!

Welcome to The English We Speak

with me, Jiaying

and me, Roy. I really like your jumper

is that a vampire on the front?

Yes, it is! I slay!

I'm sorry? You do what?!

I said that I slay!

When you look this amazing,

you are going to slay!

Whoa! Wait there a second. Are you saying you are

going to kill vampires? I thought they weren't real!

No, Roy. I know that 'slay' can mean 'kill',

but it can also mean 'to be amazing' or 'impressive'.

For example, I read a great book last night. It slays!

So, you're not 'Jiaying the vampire slayer' then.

That makes more sense.

Well, your jumper is awesome, so, yes, it slays.

Exactly. Well, let's talk about more things that slay

after these examples.

He looks amazing today!

He's wearing a really smart suit - he slays!

Their house is incredible - decorated with true style

and taste. And don't get me started

on the furniture - it slays!

She really slayed last night at the award ceremony.

She looked amazing!

You're listening to The English We Speak

from BBC Learning English

and we're talking about the word 'slay'.

If someone, or something, 'slays', they look amazing

or very impressive.

Yes! For example, last night I watched a great film

about vampires. It slays!.

I think that was why I was so scared earlier.

Well, don't worry. Hey, do you know what else slays?

My amazing smile!

Your teeth - they're really sharp! You have fangs!

Wait! Are you a vampire?

Of course I'm not! Fooled you!

They're not my real teeth - they're just a toy!

But they look really realistic. They slay.

Wow, that's the second time

you've tricked me today. You're hilarious.

What are you drinking?

Just a fruit smoothie. It's delicious. It slays.

It's really red! Are you sure that's a fruit smoothie?

Definitely - what else could it be? Mwahahahaha!

Bye, Roy!

Bye.

Hello and welcome to The English We Speak

With me, Jiaying - ohhhh...

And me, Neil.

You look tired today. Are you OK?

I am. Did you watch the stream of the new

'Fishing Dragons' game last night?

No. It was too late for me.

Was the game any good?

It was lit!

What do you mean 'lit'?

The stream was on fire?

Or the dragons catch fish 

by lighting them on fire?

What are you talking about?

I said ‘lit’ – which means that

something is amazing.

I said that the game was amazing!

Ahhh – that’s what you meant by ‘lit’!

And do the dragons catch fish with fire?

Of course not!

They use the power of their minds!

Let’s talk more about it after these examples.

John’s new car is lit! It’s so amazing!

I joined a virtual dance party last night

and it was lit! There was a DJ

and everyone had an amazing time.

Erica said that new film was lit

but I thought it was a bit disappointing.

I didn’t like the plot or characters.

You’re listening to The English We  Speak

from BBC Learning English

and we’re talking about the expression ‘lit’

which is used to say

that something is amazing.

Yes, that’s right! For example,

that video game we played is lit!

You can also say that something is 'fire'

with the same meaning.

For example,

‘That new song I listened to was fire’

or ‘That new song I listened to was lit’.

Which is why some people send 

a fire emoji on their phones.

Is that why you sent me a message

just now saying ‘my food’

and then a fire emoji?

Do you think my cooking was amazing?

Not this time! I’m afraid to say that

your food really was on fire!

Have you seen that thing in the bin?

What – the black mess?

Is that my food? That looks disgusting.

Yeah – the taste definitely isn’t lit.

Bye, Neil!

Bye.