DON'T SAY 'GOOD' | 10 MUST-KNOW Advanced English Phrases

Hi there, this is Harry and welcome back  to advanced English lessons with Harry,  

where I try to help you to get a better  understanding of the English language. If you're  

preparing for some proficiency exams, or you're  preparing for an interview, or if you just want  

to improve your conversational English, business  English, you've come to the right place. And if  

you need to contact me, well, you can get in touch  www.englishlessonviaskype.com. But more about that  

later. So in this particular advanced English  lesson, we're looking at informal ways to say  

'good.' Okay. So when something is good, how many  different ways can we think of to say that.So I've  

got a list of 10. I'll go through them with you or  give you examples. And then hopefully, you'll be  

able to practice them. And you know, the drill  by now practice, practice, practice. And then  

if you need any more help you come back to me.  Okay, so let's get started. As I said, there are  

10 of these advanced, informal ways to say good.  First killer. Now, that sounds very strange word  

we're talking about. Good, but we use it in the  following way. It's a killer app. So for example,  

if you hear a really good story, or for me when I  hear a funny story from a comedian, Oh, that's a  

killer. This is really going to kill you when you  listen to it. Okay, so the story or the anecdote  

from the comedian, it's a killer. It's really,  really good. Or imagine you're at a cosy little  

cafe in the heart of London, one of those hidden  gems that's always buzzing with chatter, and the  

smell of fresh coffee. The barista brings over  two massive slices of their famous chocolate fudge  

cake, it looks absolutely divine, you turn to your  friend and say this cake, It's a killer. Haven't  

had anything this good in ages. Your friend nods  in agreement, mouthful of cake. It's a killer,  

indeed. I reckon I'll need a good long walk after  this to burn it off. Number two. Now this one,  

I'm just going to warn you here. I never ever use  this expression. I have seldom heard anybody using  

it. But you will find it in dictionaries,  and you will find it in grammar books. So  

I'll give it to you anyway. And the expression  is like a boss, like a boss. Okay, now what it  

really means is you do something as well as you'd  expect a boss to do it. And I'm not sure it's so  

relevant today because why should bosses be any  better, or any different than the rest of us, but  

you could use it, Oh, I really closed that sale,  like a boss. Or I really dealt with that client,  

like a boss. So you reference it to being as good  as the boss would do if the boss was involved in  

that sale or dealing with that particular client.  But as I said, I don't use it. I don't think I've  

ever used it. And I don't hear many people using  it. But it is referenced in the grammar books in  

the dictionary. Next, one top-notch. Well, we  use this a lot, particularly when we're talking  

to about food. So you go to a restaurant or your  son or daughter goes to a restaurant and you're  

texting them as I do with my kids. And they asked  them what they did for the weekend and said, Oh,  

we went to this new restaurant and how was the  food's are top notch. Top-notch means the best  

possible really, really good. How was the service?  Oh, the service was top-notch. So something that  

is top-notch is up there and the highest level  really, really good, like top-notch. Cracking.  

Cracking is another way to say good, okay. So I  went to a football match two local teams, they  

weren't really so big. Nobody had heard of them.  But the game was cracking. It was a cracking game,  

meaning really exciting, really physical. You're  never sure who was going to win. And at the end of  

the day, the result was three goals to two. So  lots and lots of entertainment, but a cracking  

game of football a really good game of football.  Next expression now you're talking Wow. Now,  

when we use this now you're talking means when  somebody is really excited that there's something  

really interesting. Yeah, so perhaps you're having  a meal with your family and it's a nice meal,  

but it's quite an ordinary meal. And when people  are finished, you say okay, let's have dessert,  

and they say okay, what's for dessert? You say,  Well, I got your favourite dessert. I've made the  

apple crumble that you really like, Oh, now you're  talking! That's a really really great dessert.  

Just what we need to finish off a nice meal. So  when something is really good, or you hold it  

in high esteem, you can say something like that.  Now you're talking that's really really good top  

drawer. Next, to die for. Well, lots of things  can be to die for. So if you've visited many  

European In cities and like me, you like to visit  the coffee shops or the patisseries, or the the  

cake shops, where then when you come home, you're  really excited to tell your family and friends  

about the places you visited. And you could say,  well, there was this particular cafe in Vienna.  

And I mean, really, the, the smell of the coffee  was so interesting and exciting. But the cake,  

they have a special cake in that particular shop.  And it's a cake to die for meaning you really,  

really will never taste anything better. So the  coffee was great. The ambience of the cafe or  

the coffee shop was really good, but the cake was  to die for simply to die for really, really good.  

Next, we can use the expression something rocks  or someone rocks. So if someone rocks is really  

up there, he's really good. He's a great cool guy.  Yeah, he rocks. He really rocks meaning he's he's  

the best Yeah, okay. That's the you know, the guy  in that shop where we get the mobile phones from  

is a such an interesting guy. He knows everything  about the phones, nothing's too much trouble.  

Yeah, he really, really rocks. Or something can  also rock Yeah, something rocks. For example,  

it could be a new pub in the city that has a, it's  a sports bar, it's got these great big screens,  

or all of the premiership football games are shown  every weekend, every time you go in there, there's  

a great atmosphere, it really rocks, that bar  really rocks, it's the in place to go to. Next is  

a little bit more formal, and more businesslike.  And we use this expression up to the mark. So when  

something is up to the markets, where it should  be in terms of service it where it should be in  

terms of the decoration, for example. So if you  were talking about a hotel is that oh, yeah, that  

hotel is really up to the mark. I mean, it's, the  rooms are superbly fitted out really comfortable.  

The restaurant is really good. It's top-notch. I  mean, it's as good as any restaurant you'll find  

in the city. And for a restaurant in a hotel. It's  I mean, that's really saying something. So yeah,  

it's up to the mark, up there with the best  hotels that you're likely to find in this city.  

So if you're trying to organise a weekend away  for some business associates, or indeed maybe  

you're going to have your staff and you will bash  or annual party there, well, yeah, this hotel is  

up to the mark, really, really good. There are a  very common then expression that I'm sure all of  

you have heard of. And you've used this time and  time again, out of this world, and it's a quite  

well-used expression. So when something is out  of this world, it really means it's on another  

planet. But it's so so good. So it's better than  most things you'll experience on this particular  

planet. So the food could be out of this world.  The beaches were out of this world, the holiday  

package was out of this world, so you can use  it to describe simply, anything that you feel  

was really good. Right up there. And then finally,  to be the business. Yeah, it's the business. Yeah.  

So we use it in that sense. And it's all about  the intonation with this particular expression.  

Yeah. Have you tried the, the new hairdressers  that got the Turkish guys have opened a barber  

shop just off the main street while I'm in the  service is excellent. It's really good value.  

It's the business meaning it's really, really  cool. It's good, good value for money. The guys  

are good. They really look after you. They really  know how to give you a good haircut. Haircut. It's  

the business. Okay, so they're the 10. Particular  informal ways to say good, let me give them to you  

one more time quickly. Killer. It's a killer. Like  a boss. As I said, I don't use it so often, but it  

is there in the dictionaries. Top-notch right up  there. Top notch. Cracking. A cracking restaurant.

Now you're talking Yeah, this is it. Now you're  talking really, really good. Something to die for.  

Now the cake is to die for . Something rocks  or someone rocks really, really good. It's up  

to the mark. Yep, that's there. It's up to the  mark. It's out of this world. And then finally,  

it's the business. Yeah, it's the business the  real deal. Okay, so try to practice them. Try  

to use them try to understand them. If you  don't come back to me. I'll give you some  

more explanations and some more examples, but  they're things that you can use it in a formal  

way to say good so as always, if you find that  that you like this particular lesson, and please  

like the video and if you can subscribe to the  channel. because it really really helps okay Well,  

this is Harry thanking you for watching me and  listening join me again for the next lesson