Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.
00:07
Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English
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We Speak. I'm Feifei...
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Rob: ... and hello, I'm Rob. Feifei, why's
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your hair wet - it's not raining, is it?
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Feifei: No, Rob. I've just been for my
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swimming lesson. It was a bit scary,
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actually.
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Rob: Why's that?
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Feifei: Well, for the first time, I swam into
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the deep end and couldn't stand up.
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The lifeguard had to jump in and save me.
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Rob: Oh dear, Feifei. It sounds like you
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were out of your depth!
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Feifei: Yes, I suppose I was.
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Rob: Well, I'm out of my depth too.
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Feifei: What - you're learning to swim too?
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Rob: No, no. I'm struggling to complete
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this project about statistics that the boss
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has asked me to do. I know nothing about
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statistics and numbers - it's just too
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difficult and I just can't do it. So
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I'm out of my depth.
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Feifei: Ah, I've got it. When you are out of
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your depth, it can mean you are in a
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difficult situation that you cannot cope
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with - it could be because a task exceeds
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your knowledge or ability. so it's a bit like
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drowning in a situation - but not literally.
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Rob: Exactly. Let's hear some examples...
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I'm so out of my depth in this new job.
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I haven't got a clue what to do!
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When everyone started talking about
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politics I knew I was out of my depth,
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so I politely made my excuses and
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went home.
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He was clearly out of his depth in the
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match - he lacked any skill and couldn't
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even pass the ball!
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01:40
Feifei: This is The English We Speak from
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BBC Learning English and we're talking
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about the phrase 'out of your depth'. It
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describes a situation that is too
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difficult for you, and you do not have
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the knowledge or ability to cope with it.
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Well, Rob, I may be able to save you! I love
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statistics and can help you out.
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Rob: Oh that's great. And I can help you
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improve your swimming.
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Feifei: Oh yes? How can you do that?
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Rob: You can borrow my arm bands so
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you'll never sink, even in the deep end.
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You'll never be out of your depth again!
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Feifei: Thanks, but I think I should learn to
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swim properly. Anyway, when do you need
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to complete this project for the boss by?
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Rob: Errr... now.
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Feifei: Oh. Come on then. We had better
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go and get on with it, otherwise the boss
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will throw you in the deep end! Bye.
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Rob: Bye.
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