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2547 - Teasing? Direct? How to Know Based on the Context

듣기/Video/All Ears English/2547 - Teasing? Direct? How to Know Based on the Context

2547 - Teasing? Direct? How to Know Based on the Context

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0:00Hey, Michelle. How's it going today? Hey, Lindsay.  Um, I I ate four bagels yesterday. Oh, wow.  
0:09Michelle, you've reached a new low. Just kidding.  I did I didn't eat I didn't eat four bagels, but  
0:18like sometimes I would like to. I know. I mean, I  I know you're a fan of bagels. People love bagels.  
0:23I'm kind of neutral about bagels. I just sometimes  for me really I'd rather have a donut. You're not  
0:28putting the right stuff on it. What should What  should I put on my bagel? Like what what would be  
0:33the best? Oh, well, you got to do uh Well, I like  like Okay. And I like an everything bagel and I  
0:41like it. Oh my gosh. Have you ever had uh like  Have you ever had white fish? Oh, that's such a  
0:46famous Yeah, I think that's it's pretty famous in  New York, right? The white fish white fish salad  
0:50with locks on top. Okay. Yeah. Like tomato, onion.  Oh my gosh. Okay. When I when I go to New York,  
0:57I'll get um like a locks uh like just locks a  bagel with locks and cream cheese. Cream cheese.  
1:03Yeah, that is so that's really good. But it's not  so much for the bagel. Like it could be on a piece  
1:08of bread. I know I should never say that in front  of you, Michelle. But it's more the salmon and  
1:12the cream cheese together. But anyways, bagels  are famous in New York. People love them. So if  
1:18you guys are in New York, get yourself a New York  bagel. Right, Michelle? That's right. Exactly. So,  
1:24why did you say you've reached a new low? Well,  I'm sort of being a little bit sarcastic here  
1:31because I know that you love bagels and I've  heard about them a lot and but then you're  
1:35saying yesterday you ate four of them, which is  a lot of food, right? And they're giant. I mean,  
1:39the especially the New York ones. They are giant.  They really are. They're very blown up. Right. And  
1:45so, I'm kind of saying you went really far with  your addiction to bagels. A little too far. Yes.  
1:51Exactly. because if so I can't imagine anybody  going through four of them. So that's just a lot  
1:56to eat. Um so yeah, I mean this is an expression  about actually being worse than before. So like  
2:04you said, Lindsay, it can be humorous. It can also  be serious depending on the context. So again,  
2:10right, the expression is reach a new low. So,  we're going to get into that more in just a second  
2:16here. But first, we want to say a huge, huge, huge  thank you to our reviewers. Oh my gosh, it's all  
2:22about our listeners on this show, Michelle. And  today, I want to announce those amazing listeners  
2:26who took the time to review us in the Android app.  So, a huge thank you to Jan Sidu, Myeria Waringer,  
2:34Lemis, Gabrielle Spagari, Mi Torabi. Thank you  to David Rodriguez, Lorenzo, and Moana Mosafari.  
2:44Most of these are five star reviews, Michelle, and  it's just it's amazing to hear from our listeners  
2:49over here. Yes. Thank you so much, guys. You  make our days really. It's so meaningful and  
2:54we really appreciate it. Yeah. So, wherever you're  listening, whether it's in the Android, iOS app,  
3:00Apple Podcast, Spotify, take a minute now to  go and leave us a rating and review. Write us a  
3:05little note. Tell us what you love about the show.  You could ask your episode idea, your episode  
3:10question there, but send us a signal and we'd like  to know what you think of the show. All right,  
3:16love it. All right, thank you again everyone.  So, let's get back into reach a new low. So,  
3:23okay, so this basically means like we were saying,  you become worse than in the past. So something's  
3:30happened generally something an event where  you made me wor you made that made you worse  
3:36in some way. Yeah. Yeah. And it doesn't have to  be a person even. It could be a situation. Um,  
3:43and I thought of this episode because my kids,  um, one of them has finished off Halloween candy,  
3:51but my son still has a bag of his and he he's  he dropped some on the floor and started to want  
4:00to just eat it off the floor or like lick it off  the floor and even though he has more candy and I  
4:06said, "Okay, we've reached a new low." Yeah. When  Yeah. When you're licking candy off the floor,  
4:11no matter how perfect you've reached a new low of  of like kind of being addicted to something in a  
4:17sense, right? Yes. Yes. Exactly. So, um you  know, this was used in a humorous or teasing  
4:24way. Um but what about in the role play from the  beginning? Like we again I'd overeaten and you're  
4:32teasing me about it. Um I'm teasing you about  it. It's light-hearted, right? This is quite  
4:36light and fun and sarcastic and I'm poking fun at  your addiction to bagels here, right? Yes. But,  
4:44you know, you want to be careful with like that  with like eating and that kind of conversation  
4:49because that could be a sensitive topic. So, you  know, like if somebody maybe somebody does have a  
4:54large appetite and if you don't know them that  well and you're not teasing them and you say,  
4:58"Wow, you've reached a new low." Like they could  get pretty offended. So, I would say that right%  
5:04that's really important, Michelle. Yeah. So, I  know that you don't have issues with eating and  
5:08so it's okay for me to tease you. I know you have  an obsession with bagels and it's kind of a fun  
5:13back and forth, right? But if anyone is struggling  with eating issues, I would steer clear of this,  
5:19right? Because it would be taken literally, right?  It would be taken seriously, not facitiously or  
5:24sarcastically. Right. Right. So that person might  be insecure about it and they you're binge eating  
5:29or have some sort of disorder or whatever it  is. And if you just go, "Wow, you reached a  
5:33new low." It's not going to be taken the same  way as if Lindsay who knows me well, who knows  
5:38about the bagels. I know my son well, we're just  joking around. We like there has to be a certain  
5:42level of familiarity um to be able to use that  in that context. Super important. So that's where  
5:48the nuance is in today's episode is it's the same  phrase, but if you use it in the wrong situation,  
5:54right, it could be taken literally and directly  and really harm someone, right? Really hurt  
6:00someone. Whereas if it's used in the right way  with the right person at the right time, it's fun.  
6:04It's playful. It's teasing. That's real nuance.  A line. A fine line. Yeah. Very interesting here.  
6:10Well, let's do some more examples that don't deal  with bagels or candy. So, okay, the first one is,  
6:15I always thought he was rude, but he reached a new  low when he asked me to drive him to the airport  
6:21when I had the flu. And so, this is a little more  straightforward and direct. Like, you're actually  
6:27saying he's a pretty bad guy, right? He like he we  you thought he was rude, but then it became worse,  
6:34right? Yeah. Or not thought at the very least  not thoughtful, right? Yes. He's not, you know,  
6:39thinking about you. He's a little self-centered.  Um, or I can't believe we stayed up binging that  
6:45show until 4 a.m. Seriously, we've reached a new  low. So, this is us just kind of making fun of  
6:51ourselves, right? Um, we're a little addicted  to Netflix or something. Yes. Exactly. Exactly.  
6:59And I'm sure everybody can relate to that moment  of even if maybe it's not watching TV, but even  
7:05reading. I just finished a book and I would stay  up late reading it. And my friend just finished a  
7:11the book and she did say that she stayed up till  4:00 a.m. reading it because she was so addicted  
7:15to it and uh I can't read that book because I  can't stay up till 4:00 a.m. I mean I can but like  
7:21I I should not. Yes, exactly. Or here's another  one. This restaurant was going downhill, but their  
7:28atmosphere has reached a new low. I don't think  I'll be coming back. So, and here we're saying  
7:34are we teasing the restaurant Michelle here? No.  No. This is the more straightforward one. It's  
7:40getting worse. It's getting even worse. Exactly.  And here's the next one. Okay. Your outfits have  
7:46reached a new low. This is supposed to be formal  night, right? So maybe for many many times in a  
7:52row you were showing up too casual and again this  time you showed up really casual, but you were  
7:57supposed to be formal. So it's reached a new low.  Right. Well, that reminds me of Dan because we've  
8:03gone on cruises and he kind of they always have  like a formal night on cruises and he's decided  
8:08that he's not packing a suit on a cruise. So,  his form his formal night is like a Hawaiian  
8:15shirt and shorts and it's like no no is Dan one of  those guys that wears shorts in the winter time?  
8:22Because there was an article, I didn't read it,  but there was a headline I saw somewhere about  
8:25dudes in the US who who won't wear pants like  they'll wear shorts and sandals in the winter.  
8:31Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's just for like  on vacation when it's warm. No, he he wears pants.  
8:38Um, so funny. So, so, but yeah, you can see it's  used with the truth um or sarcastically. It could  
8:45be self-deprecating, but again, you have to be  very careful if you're teasing someone with this.  
8:50If you're using it in a teasy teasy teasing  way. Um, yes. And what else is interesting,  
8:57I thought I what I said to my son was I I I  realized this. I actually said, "We've reached  
9:03a new low." I I don't think I said you've reached  a new low. So, I guess I meant it as a family,  
9:10as a whole, and not to single him out. So, kind of  a more humorous way that we say, you know, this,  
9:18but like if you want to back off a little bit,  you could say, "We've reached a new low." Well,  
9:22that would be a whole other episode. Michelle,  guys, hit the follow button on the show. We're  
9:25going to have to cover this topic. We haven't  covered this yet. This is a great one. How we  
9:30instead of um when we want to say something  directly to someone, instead of saying you,  
9:35we say we, but we actually mean you. And it may  be possible that it was a little bit of that too  
9:40at the same time. I'm not sure, but I know I do  this. Um instead of saying you, I'll say, "Oh,  
9:46we because I'm trying to soften it a little bit."  Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting. You're you're trying  
9:51to shift it a little bit so it's not so direct.  So very interesting there. We we'll definitely  
9:56have to cover that guys. Hit follow. Yeah, it's  going to be a great year guys. So make sure you're  
10:00following the show and we'll follow up with that  episode pretty soon. All right, Michelle. So where  
10:05to for here from from here? What else would if  you want to convey this idea? What else could  
10:10you say? Yeah. So in a a similar expression  would be to stoop to a new level or a new low,  
10:20right? To stoop, right? So go down. Um so for  example, when she started personal insults, she  
10:27really stooped to a new level or you could say to  a new low, right? So you kind of cross a line and  
10:34now things get really bad, right? Yep. Um and this  isn't really about playing playing with someone or  
10:40being sarcastic. This is just directly like you've  gotten really bad, right? Yes. Yes. Yes. Um or I  
10:47stooped to a new low when I spilled wine all over  my boss. Now, this is tricky because you didn't do  
10:51it on purpose, right? Yeah. But you're just kind  of saying like I I got even more accidentrone.  
10:58Maybe you're very clumsy. Right. Right. So, this  might be in more of a you're self-deprecating,  
11:04you know. Oh my gosh, I really stooped to a new  low. Yeah. It's it's a little bit playful. it is  
11:11the way it's being used um is kind of playing  around with the words, right? Yeah. Yeah. So,  
11:17that's interesting. Um here's another one. To  have outdone oneself. Um so, this is, you know,  
11:25really kind of in this sarcastic way. So, it's  like to to have done even more than in the  
11:30past. You're like you've gone really far. So, for  example, I think this place has hit a downward Oh,  
11:37wait. Nope. I'm in the wrong one. Um, I didn't  think I could be any more irritated at him,  
11:42but he's outdone himself this time. So, yeah.  Yeah, he's gone further than you thought he could  
11:47even go, right? Yes. Yeah. Or, oh no, I burnt the  cookies. I've outdone myself. Although, I think  
11:54I've heard this used though in a genuine way,  like if someone makes a really good dessert. Oh,  
11:59you've outdone yourself. This is the best dessert  I've ever uh tasted from you. Right. Right. So,  
12:06it could be used in more of a genuine positive  way. And depending on the tone and the context,  
12:12it could also be used in kind of a teasing  way. So, here you're being self-deprecating.  
12:16I've outdone myself. Like, I've outdone myself  this time. Like, oh, last time I dropped it on  
12:22the floor. This time I burnt them. Oh gosh. You  know, wow. This is a very high level episode. I  
12:28love it. It's because we're trying to figure out  which deliveries are genuine, sarcastic, teasing,  
12:34or direct, right? And there's so much nuance  here because there's context, there's vocabulary,  
12:39there's personal history between you and the  person. Wow, there's a lot here. Um, there is  
12:44a lot. What's another one, Michelle? One more.  Last one we'll do is to hit a downward spiral.  
12:50This is about go, you know, think of an actual  spiral you're going down. Um, I think this place  
12:55has hit a downward spiral. It's probably going  to close. So, this is a more serious context.  
13:04But what about the next the next example? Okay,  here's the next one. Okay, my shoe choice has hit  
13:10a downward spiral. Will you go shopping with me  this weekend? So, here I'm making fun of myself,  
13:15right? I am just saying I have just lost my taste  in shoes. I don't know what to do. Um, it's okay  
13:22to make fun of yourself pretty much anytime,  right? Especially if you're asking for help.  
13:26Exactly. And you could have said, "Okay, my shoe  choice has reached a new low, right?" So, so you  
13:33could use that as well. Um, but yeah, it's uh I  would say that's true for my shoes actually. Oh,  
13:39yeah. Are things getting worse when it comes  to shoes for you, Michelle? It's not getting  
13:43worse. It's just that there is not I realize I  only realize in certain certain situations like,  
13:48oh, I don't have shoes for this occasion. I  don't have anything. And um you know, so but I  
13:56don't realize it until it's that moment. It's the  moment before you got to leave. Yeah. Walk out the  
14:00door. I get it. I get it. Yep. Shoe shopping is  hard. I mean, if your feet don't fit most shoes,  
14:06it can be really challenging. For sure. I've been  trying to buy a pair of boots for the last like  
14:10three winters and I just give up every time. I  just say, I'll just wear shoes in the snow. You  
14:15sound That's so me. Like I I would totally do  the same thing. I just give up. Um all right.  
14:21We have a great roleplay planned for our  listeners today, Michelle. Let's do it. So,  
14:24what's our scenario here? All right. So, here we  are best friends and we are looking at Instagram  
14:30together. Okay. All right. Here we go. Okay. Here  we go. Oh, geez. My time limit came up, meaning  
14:36we've been doing this for two hours. Yikes.  Okay. We've hit a new low. Definitely. But I  
14:43actually think we hit a downward spiral back when  we started looking up fashion pictures. Oh, yes.  
14:49Also, that's when I realized my fashion sense has  stooped to a new level. We should go shopping. Uh,  
14:56yes, but not at the mall. It's not nice anymore.  You're right. It was getting bad, but now that  
15:01terrible store that opened has outdone itself.  Definitely. Yeah, that's a good example. Um  
15:07because and everyone on this podcast can probably  relate to this feeling of as you get sucked into  
15:12social media. You there's always a moment where  you realize what's happening and you've hit a new  
15:19sometimes you've hit a new low, right? Because  you've been there for a couple hours and you're  
15:23just scrolling and scrolling and scrolling. It's  terrible. And yeah, sometimes like for example,  
15:29I have an alert come up on my phone when I've  been on, but every Yeah, it would be good if  
15:34I paid attention to it, but it's just oh, I just  swipe it away. Okay. Like I usually I just fill my  
15:41feed with uh like dog videos like border collies  and huskys and things and those are less harmful  
15:46for me, I guess. But but it's still really it  just it feels icky just the scrolling, you know,  
15:51and everyone knows exactly what we're talking  about. That is a new that's a great example  
15:56of this. So, it's a great way to encapsulate  this this phrase. So, basically I said, "Yikes,  
16:01we've hit a new low when I real when you said we  had been on for 2 hours scrolling." Um, and then  
16:09I said, "Definitely, but I actually think we hit  a downward spiral back when we started looking up  
16:14fashion pictures." So, like the downward spiral,  it's like it got worse and worse and worse. So,  
16:20I'm saying the start of that was not now that  we've reached two hours. Yeah, it's bad. But it  
16:26was an hour ago when we started looking at fashion  pictures that we couldn't stop. And it's funny how  
16:32the technology just facilitates that because if  you click on one thing, the algorithm learns that  
16:38you want that and you gives you more of that. So,  you go down that rabbit hole, right? So, it really  
16:43becomes a downward spiral literally created by  technology. Interesting, right? Yeah. Um, and then  
16:49I said, "Oh, yes." Also, that's when I realized my  fashion sense has stooped to a new low. Right. So,  
16:55meaning it's never been this bad. Yeah. Yeah.  Exactly. And then you said we should go shopping.  
17:01Um, and then we were talking about the mall, but  it's not nice at the mall. So, I you said it was  
17:07getting it was getting bad, but now that terrible  store that opened has outdone itself, so it's even  
17:13worse. Even worse. Oh my gosh. Michelle, this has  been an interesting episode. I think our listeners  
17:19are really going to want to gain this skill of  sensing when is it okay to say something sarcastic  
17:23to whom and when do we need to be more direct,  right? Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. There's a there are  
17:30a lot of layers to this episode. There's more than  just, oh, here are the expressions, right? There's  
17:35really a lot here. Personal relationships, um,  using it seriously or in more of a comical way.  
17:42um a lot a lot of layers that you have to think  about when you're using these expressions. So,  
17:46I would say that's the takeaway for today. You  know, re really consider who to like to whom  
17:52you're talking to and um what you're trying to  say. And then um yeah, and give it a go. Um also  
18:00head on over to episode 2530. That was give in  versus give up in English. Like Lindsay gives  
18:06up every year on her boots. Exactly, Michelle.  All right, guys. And don't forget to leave us  
18:12a review wherever you're listening, whether  it's in the app or in the podcast. Leave us  
18:16a review and rating. Let us know what you think  about the show. All right, Michelle. Good stuff  
18:21today. I will talk to you very soon back here on  the podcast. All right, bye, Lindsay. Bye, guys.