What does 'something to chew on' mean? The English We Speak
46,766 views ・ 2018-10-22
Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.
00:06
Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English
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We Speak. I'm Feifei.
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Neil: And I'm Neil.
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Feifei: Hey Neil, would you like to try
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one of my homemade cookies?
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Neil: Well, we shouldn't really eat while
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we're presenting but... go on then...
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Feifei: I made them last night and I
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thought I'd try them out on you! You've got
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a sweet tooth so I know you can't resist!
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Neil: OK then... Mmmm.
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Feifei: Well, what do you think?
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Neil: Well, they're... OK. Perhaps not the
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best I've ever had.
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Feifei: Oh, so you think my cooking
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isn't great?
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Neil: Let's say it's something to chew on.
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Feifei: Right! So you're saying my
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homemade cookies are chewy?
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Neil: No, I'm not. In fact they're... crunchy.
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But when someone says they need to
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chew on something, it's an informal way
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to say they need to think about it
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before making a decision.
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01:02
Feifei: Well, Neil, I will chew on response
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to your insult about my cooking while we
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hear some examples...
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01:11
Our extension plans are great but we
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need to chew on it before we give them
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the go-ahead.
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Hmm, it's very expensive to fly to
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Australia for a holiday.
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Let's chew on it shall we?
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My boyfriend asked me to marry him and
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I said I'd chew on it.
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He didn't seem that pleased!
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01:37
Feifei: This is The English We Speak and
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Neil has been using the expression
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'to chew on something' or
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'something to chew on' which
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means to think about something before
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making a decision. And Neil, I've made
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a decision about what to say to you!
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01:53
Neil: Oh yes?
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01:54
Feifei: If you don't like my cooking,
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I will not be inviting you to
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my dinner party tonight.
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Neil: Oh Feifei! Ah well, at least
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I'll avoid your cooking.
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Feifei: I'm not cooking. We're getting
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a takeaway curry and lots of wine.
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02:08
I suppose you could
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come... if you pay for the take away?
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02:12
Neil: Hmm that is something I don't need
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to chew on. The answer's 'no' - I'll stay at
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home and... bake my own cookies!
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02:18
See ya.
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02:19
Feifei: Bye.
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