What does 'talk shop' mean?

34,806 views ・ 2020-03-09

BBC Learning English


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

00:09
Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English
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We Speak with me, Feifei...
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00:13
Neil: There you go, Feifei - one
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skinny cappuccino for you...
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00:16
Feifei: Thanks, Neil. It's good to get away
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from the office, and I like this cafe... it's
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very stylish, for you!
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00:24
Neil: I will take that as a compliment.
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Now, shall we get down to business?
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Feifei: 'Get down to business'?
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Do we have to talk about business?
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I thought we'd forget
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about work, relax, talk about...
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your holiday plans. Where are
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you going this year?
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00:38
Neil: Sorry, Feifei, we need
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to talk shop for a minute.
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00:41
Feifei: Shoppping! I'd love
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to talk about shopping.
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00:43
Neil: No. Talk shop.
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00:45
Feifei: Which shop?
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00:46
Neil: Our shop - I mean our work.
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To talk shop means to talk about work,
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even when you're
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not at work!
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00:53
Feifei|: Oh right! And do we talk shop
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to just anyone?
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Neil: No, Feifei, just to the people we
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work with - I don't think
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anyone else would be
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interested. Let's hear from some more
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people who are 'talking shop'...
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01:08
We went to the pub to celebrate
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Rob's birthday, but inevitably
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we started talking shop!
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I bumped into my boss on the train
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home tonight and he talked shop
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all the way to my stop.
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We've been at work all day, let's all have
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some fun and not talk shop - please!
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01:30
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 phrase 'talk shop'. It means
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to talk to people you work with
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about work, even when
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you're not at work. So come on then, Neil.
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Let's talk about work, if we have to.
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Neil: Thanks. I brought you to the cafe so
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we could talk about all the scripts
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I've got to write.
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Feifei: You want me to write some scripts
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- that's why you bought me a coffee?
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01:56
Neil: Of course not. I just need some
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ideas for some authentic
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English phrases to write
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about. That's why I needed to ...
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02:01
Feifei: ...talk shop.
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02:03
Neil: Exactly.
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02:04
Feifei: No! 'Talk shop' - that's
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an English phrase you can write about.
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Neil: Brilliant, Feifei! Wow, these
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scripts just write themselves.
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Fancy another coffee?
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02:13
Feifei: Only if we stop talking shop!
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02:15
Neil: Bye.
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