Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.
00:10
Feifei: This is The English We Speak,
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I'm Feifei...
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Rob: And hello, I'm Rob.
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Feifei: Rob, it's very kind of you
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to bring me to this cafe and
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to buy me a milkshake -
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I love milkshakes.
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Rob: Did I say I was paying? Anyway,
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I wanted to talk to you about work...
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Feifei: ...mmm, strawberry, my favourite.
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Rob: Errr, yes, me too... But back
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to talking about work - you know
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we're moving the desks around?...
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Feifei: ...Why do milkshakes taste
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so good?...oh look I've finished mine.
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Rob: ...as I was trying to say, it looks like
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you've got the short straw.
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Feifei: Oh, that's why I've drunk
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my milkshake quicker than you -
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I had a short straw!
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Rob: No, Feifei. Forget the milkshake -
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if you get - or draw - the short straw,
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it means you're the person in a group
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who gets the most unpleasant
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outcome in a situation.
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Feifei: Right, and why have
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I got the short straw?
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Rob: Well, I'm afraid they're moving your
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desk to just outside the toilet!
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Feifei: We'll see about that - let's hear
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some examples of other people who've
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got the short straw...
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It looks like I've got the short straw - I'm
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doing the late shift whilst everyone else
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goes to the pub!
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Oh dear, Tom's got do the washing up
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after our dinner party - looks like
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he's got the short straw.
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We were given free tickets to the theatre,
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but I got the short straw because my seat
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was right at the back and
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I couldn't see a thing!
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01:53
Feifei: This is The English We Speak
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from BBC Learning English
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and we're talking about
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the expression 'to get the short straw',
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which describes a person in a
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group who gets the most
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unpleasant or difficult outcome in
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a situation. You can also say
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'to draw the short straw'.
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And Rob, you're saying I've got the
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short straw in the office reshuffle?
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Rob: Yep - that's why I thought
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I'd take you for a milkshake as
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a way of making you feel
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better about it.
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Feifei: You mean, as a way of saying sorry
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more like. I've seen the new
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office plan and you were
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supposed to sit by the toilet
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but you changed the name
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to mine - what a cheek!
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Rob: Well... errr... How about if
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I pay for your milkshake?
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Feifei: Maybe, if you buy me
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another milkshake.
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Rob: Oh OK then - remind me
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what flavour?
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Feifei: Strawberry - with TWO long straws.
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