What does 'make a song and dance (about something)' mean?
59,846 views ・ 2019-02-18
Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.
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Feifei: Hello, this is The English We Speak
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and I'm Feifei.
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Rob: And hello, I'm Rob.
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Feifei: Hey Rob, watch this...
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Rob: Yeah very impressive, Feifei. But why
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are you singing and dancing?
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Feifei: Well, I booked a holiday in a lovely
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hotel with a fantastic swimming pool.
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Rob: Right. And you're celebrating by
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singing and dancing? Very strange!
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Feifei: No Rob, of course not! There's a
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problem - the swimming pool is
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closed for refurbishment
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and I want to cancel my holiday but the
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hotel won't let me.
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Rob: Oh right. So you're singing about it?
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Feifei: No. Neil told me to call the hotel
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again and make a song and dance
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about my reservation
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- so I'm practising before I do.
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Rob: Hold on Feifei. Don't waste your
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time. What Neil means by 'to make
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a song and dance
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about it', is to make lots of unnecessary
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fuss about it - basically, to overreact.
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Feifei: Got it! So, overreact - yes,
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I can do that!
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Rob: Well, go and make that phone call
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while we listen to some examples...
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My boyfriend makes such a song and
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dance about doing the housework -
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but to be honest, it's
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not that hard!
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Don't make a song and dance about it -
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I only asked you to move seats
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so I could see the screen.
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I can't believe they lost your suitcase at
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the airport; you should make
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a song and dance
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about this and get a proper apology.
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Feifei: This is The English We Speak from
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BBC Learning English and we're learning about
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the phrase 'to make a song and dance
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about something' which means
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to make a lot of unnecessary
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fuss about something. And Rob,
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that's what I did when I called the hotel...
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Rob: So, you overreacted?
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Feifei: Yes.
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Rob: You made lots of fuss?
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You made a scene?
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Feifei: I did, and guess what?
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Rob: What?
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Feifei: They apologised and offered me a
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free holiday when the swimming pool
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has reopened
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and said I could bring a guest for free.
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Rob: Brilliant - a free guest!
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So, when shall we go?
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Feifei: We Rob? No, I'm taking
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my best friend Maria.
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Rob: What?! I'm not your best friend?! All
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that time we've worked together.
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All the things
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I've given you...
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Feifei: Calm down, Rob.
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Don't make a song and dance about it.
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I'll send you a postcard.
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Rob: Oh thanks.
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Feifei: Bye.
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Rob: Bye.
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