Learn the English Phrases BELOW THE BELT and ABOVE BOARD

In this English lesson I wanted to help you

learn the English phrase below the belt.

When someone says something to you that's not very nice,

especially if it's really, really nasty.

You might say that it's below the belt.

When you describe an insult or an action as being

below the belt, it means it's really, really hurtful.

It's really, really negative.

I think the phrase below the belt comes from,

for guys especially, if you get kicked down there

below the belt, it hurts quite a bit.

And so I think this phrase is a similar idea.

If someone says something that's just really rude

or really nasty, or they do something that's really rude

or nasty, we would describe it as being below the belt.

It's definitely not nice to do things that are kind of

below the belt to people.

It's just not a good thing at all.

The second phrase I wanted to teach you is the phrase

above board.

When something is above board, it means it's done

in the right way, and it's done legally, and it's done well.

Let's say that two teams are trading players.

If they do everything above board, they will announce

the trade, and they will follow all the rules.

Let's say the Toronto Raptors are trading one

of their players with another team in the NBA.

They wanna make sure everything's above board.

They wanna follow all of the league rules,

when they make the trade,

they don't wanna do something illegal or sneaky.

So they wanna make sure it's done, above board.

Anyways, to review.

When someone says something that's insulting or does

something that's not very nice.

If it's really, really nasty and mean,

we say it's below the belt.

And when you do things above board,

it means you take the time to do them properly.

You follow the rules, you do it the right way.

So that yes, (chuckling)

hopefully so that you don't get in trouble

for doing it the wrong way.

But anyways, let's look at a comment from a previous video.

This comment is from Daniel.

I've noticed you are a sport enthusiast, Mr. Bob.

Please tell us your favorite sports and teams.

I guess hockey is the favorite one of most Canadians.

And my response, I have come to love watching

NBA basketball, I like the Toronto Raptors.

Hockey is very popular in Canada,

but I don't actually watch it.

Don't tell any of the other Canadians that.

Yes, I have become, just during COVID, during this pandemic,

Jen and I have become Raptors fans.

We started watching them actually, I think

the year before the pandemic, they were in the playoffs

and they actually won the championship.

But we weren't really fans.

We just jumped on board, because they were

doing so well that year.

But then during, I forget at what point,

but at a certain point in the winter

we started watching Raptors games quite regularly.

We would watch one a week and then maybe two.

And now the Raptors are actually in the playoffs.

(rumbling of large truck engine)

Sorry, bit of a loud truck there.

And we have watched, I would say a couple games a week

for most of the season.

We are a little bit sad right now though,

because, yeah, they just lost three games in a row,

against Philadelphia. And it's a best of seven series.

So if they don't win four straight,

their season is going to be over.

Actually, Jen and I had tickets to go and

see a Raptors game way back in January.

We bought tickets and we were gonna go see a Raptors game.

It was going to be the first time

we had seen the Raptors live.

and then COVID came back and there was another wave.

I don't know if it was the fifth, or fourth, or sixth wave,

(chuckling) and we weren't able to go.

The tickets were canceled and refunded.

So we're thinking maybe next year we will go and

see an actual game.

Go see a live Raptors game in Toronto.

That would be super, super fun.

But anyways, not a hockey fan.

When the Maple Leafs, when the Toronto Maple Leafs

do well at the end of the season,

sometimes I will watch a bit, but normally not.

So again, don't tell the other Canadians.

See ya in a couple days, with another

short English lesson. Bye.