Learn with Mr Duncan's Full English #42 - 'Sit on the fence' - 'Food for thought' - Uses of 'Nest'

Hi everybody, welcome to  another Full English lesson.

With me Mr Duncan.

It is a windy day here in the UK,

but I hope you are feeling cosy and warm

and you are okay...today!

Before I begin I would like to  give you a little brainteaser,

so as to warm up those sleepy synapses.

What word can be used alongside  the following five words?

The words are…

bag stalk counter runner baked.

I will give you the answer at  the end of today’s video lesson…

so get your thinking caps on!

As you know I love food.

And I couldn’t resist mentioning  an expression that is used

before we think about something we’ve just heard.

The phrase is…‘Food for thought’.

A thing heard or read that  resonates or lingers in your mind,

or has the possibility to  change your view of something

might be described as ‘food for thought’.

“That speech of yours has given  me lots of food for thought.”

The thing said has given you something  new or challenging to think about.

It has fed some new information into your brain.

It has made you think deeply  about a certain idea or topic.

You might even change your opinion because of it.

That new idea or opinion has given you  something to chew over in your mind.

It has given you some ‘food for thought’.

Can you see what is behind me?

It is something that is hidden  away, so it might be hard to see.

Oh there it is.

This is a nest box.

It is an artificial space  where bird eggs can be nurtured

until the chicks growing inside  them are ready to hatch out.

So this nest box will allow a pair  of birds to add their own bedding,

such as grass and moss to the inside of the box.

The word nest can be used in many ways.

To hide something away in a  safe place as a verb is nest.

You nest; you place something  away for safe keeping.

You can have a nest egg, which is a sum of  money that is saved over a number of years.

The money is often invested  so as to gather interest.

You want your money to be worth more  in the future for when you retire.

So a nest egg is something that  will be used at a later date.

A large quantity or number of animals living in  a certain location can be described as a nest.

A collection of furniture that belongs together  

and is easy to pack away and  store can be described as a nest.

For example, you can have a nest of tables.

All the different sized tables  can be store inside each other.

A place where a person likes to rest and  relax so as to feel cosy and safe is a nest.

Hopefully soon there will be a family  of birds nesting inside this nest box.

A pair of birds will build a nest together  and raise their own brood of chicks.

I wonder what type of bird  will be living in there.

Could it be a pair of blue tits perhaps?

We will have to wait and see.

It’s time to take a look at another buzzword.

A buzzword is a word or phrase that  is often used during a certain period,

or is generally popular.

Today’s buzzword is… ‘Generic’

The word ‘generic’ can be used  as both an adjective and a noun.

As an adjective; ‘generic’ means to belong to a  group with no precise or exact classification.

The thing in question is named by its group,

without naming a singular characteristic.

We are using its generic name. The overall  characteristics are being identified generically,

as belonging to a certain group or ‘genus’.

Certain types of medicine with no clear brand  name are often referred to as ‘generic’.

Something with no clear  individual identity is generic.

As an insult, a person might  describe an uninspiring idea  

that lacks originality or thought as ‘generic’.

As a noun, ‘generic’ refers  to an unbranded product

and is normally associated with types of medicine.

Can you see what I’m doing over there?

I'm sitting on the fence.

I am enjoying the view and  taking in some fresh air.

There is a phrase that exists  in English which refers  

to the position in which I’m sitting right now.

To; ‘sit on the fence’. This phrase  refers to a person who cannot,

or will not express their own opinion or take  any particular side in a dispute or argument.

To remain neutral without  expressing your personal opinion  

can be described as ‘sitting on the fence’.

You might be willing to listen to the discussion,  but you are unwilling to get involved directly.

We often use this expression negatively  

when describing a person who seems  unwilling to express their own thoughts.

“You two can argue all day, but if you  don’t mind I would rather sit on the fence.”

“There you go again, avoiding the  problem by sitting on the fence.”

“You will have to get involved at some  point; you can’t keep sitting on the fence.”

To sit on the fence is to remain  neutral. You don’t want to get involved.

You would rather keep your opinion to yourself.

You abstain, withhold, hold back, decline.

You keep your feelings to yourself by not  expressing an opinion, decision or choice.

You have chosen to ‘sit on the fence’.

Well that's almost it from me for today.

I hope you have enjoyed this Full English lesson.

However I still have some unfinished business  to sort out concerning the brainteaser

that I gave you at the start  of today’s video lesson.

I asked you to name the word that can  be used alongside the following 5 words.

bag stalk counter runner baked.

The answer is… Bean.

You can have a ‘bean bag’,  which is a type of chair.

You can have a bean stalk, which is  the main support body of a bean plant.

Then there is ‘bean counter’, which  is a slang term for ‘accountant’.

Then there is ‘runner bean’,  which is a type of creeping plant.

And of course there is ‘baked bean’,

which is a delicious type of food that  goes well with tomato sauce on toast.

Oh, delicious

That's it, it is time to say goodbye.

See you again very soon for  another Full English lesson.

This is Mr Duncan in the birthplace of English,

that is of course England saying...

Thanks for watching, see you again soon,

and of course until the next time we meet,

you know what's coming next...

ta ta for now.