FLUENT WITH eo@ FRIENDS Vocab Review MP3 & PDF s01e03 - The One with the Thumb Justin 4) Okay, for the vocabulary section of this review, I’m going to go through the whole episode and choose about 30 words that | think are really important, and we're going to go through the context and give you a chance to practice your vocabulary.Page (in the Power Lesson) Loosely translated Loosely means approximately, in a relaxed way. For example: Hardcore believers argue that you shouldn't use the term “Oh my God” loosely. Loosely Translated is a common collocation and very useful because a lot of things, you can't really translate exactly. Pagel To cushion the blow Joey says, “Oh yeah, cushions the blow.” Cushion the Blow: a cushion is an object that’s the opposite of hard, like a mattress or a pillow. To cushion something is to make the impact of something less strong. A blow is astrike, like a punch. So to Cushion the Blow is to decrease the strength of impact of something Page 2 To go off Chandler says, “Yeah it’s like when you're a kid and your parents put your dog to sleep, and they tell you it went off to live on some farm.” “To go off’, in this sense, means to leave a place, or to go somewhere else. Also, it means to explode or get angry. For example, “the gun went off accidentally” or “my boss went off on me after | made amistake’. Page2 To put the dog to sleep To put the dog to sleep is to euthanize or to put to rest a suffering pet.Page 3 To take a puff Chandler says, “All right, now try taking a puff.” To take a puff is to inhale smoke from a cigarette. You can also say, “take a drag.” Page3 Here Later in this scene, Joey has a cigarette in his hand. Chandler comes along and he says, “It's fine, it’s fine, look, do you want to get this part or not? Here.” Here in this sense it means to give to me. “Here, give it to me.” “Here, let me have it.” Page 6 Hold on Ross says, “Hold ona second, all right? Just think about what you went through the last time you quit.” Hold on means to wait a little bit. You can also say “hold up” or “wait”. Page 6 To put it out When Chandler's smoking they say, “Put it out.” Put out your cigarette. Put out means to extinguish a fire, or like a cigarette. Page7 All over (somebody) Monica says, “l mean, why should I let them meet him? I mean, | bring a guy home and within five minutes they're all over him. | mean, they're like coyotes.” All over somebody means to consistently attack somebody. In other situations it can also mean to be extremely romantically interested in somebody.Page 7 Fair share (of something) In the same scene, Paula says, “As someone who's seen more than her fair share of bad beef.” To see more than your fair share of something it means that you've had a lot of experience in something. Pages The odds Paula says, “Well, do you realize the odds of that happening are a little slimmer if they never get to meet the guy?” The odds are the probability or the likelihood. For example, what are the odds of an untrained person coming back alive from Mount Everest? To beat the odds is to do something successfully even though it was considered impossible. Page 8 Slim With the odds and chances we also use slim. Slim chance. This adjective is the opposite of fat, as it is in this case, it's collocated as a slim probability or chance, meaning small. For example, there's a slim chance I'll see him at the convention. Page 8 Let it go Joey says, “Let it go, Ross.” Let it go means to forget about something, something negative usually. For example, still stuck on your cheating boyfriend? Let it go.—— Page 9 To bash Monica says when Alan leaves, “Okay, okay, let's let the Alan bashing begin. Who's going to take the first shot? Hm, come on.” So, when she says Alan bashing, to bash is to criticize someone harshly. To bash is the act of attacking someone verbally. To take a shot nage And to take a shot is to criticize or make a hostile remark towards somebody. Remember the expression cheap shot? Which is an unfair attack on somebody. Also, to take a shot means to take a try. Page 10 Crooked Joey says, “No, it was great the way his smile was kind of crooked.” Crooked means to be not straight, bending, curved. Page 10 Yardstick Ross says, “So, | think Alan will become the yardstick against which all future boyfriends will be measured.” Yardstick is a stick for measuring, used here figuratively. So, he'll be the standard for future boyfriends. . Page Tl A thing or two about Chandler says, “Yep, we sure showed them a thing or two about softball.” I'll show you a thing or two. To show somebody a thing or two about something is a sarcastic way of saying a lot. He knows a thing or two about computers, for example. Now, after a watching a few episodes of Friends you probably know a thing or two about Friends.Page 13 I'll tell you about it Phoebe is talking to the homeless woman. “Okay, all right, I'll tell you what, you buy me asoda and then we're even, okay?” So, first of all, Pll tell you what is a phrase we use before suggesting and conceding something, and emphasizing what comes next. For example, I'll tell you what, first we go to the bank, and then we head to the airport. How does that sound? Another example, I'll tell you what, he’s the best doctor in the country, so don't get surprised if he charges a lot. Page 13, Soda Asoda in this case, is a drink, like Coca Cola or Sprite or Dr Pepper. It’s carbonated. | grew up in Northwest USA saying pop, but when | moved to Colorado | started to say soda, too. . Page 14 Cut it out When Phoebe was going to show everybody the thumb that she found in her soda, everybody else says, “Oh hey, don’t do that, cut it out.” So, in this sense, cut it out means stop it, this is what we say to someone who's doing something they're not supposed to and we want them to stop. Cut it out. Page 14 Big deal Chandler says, “So, | have a fly. Big deal. Like Joey's knuckle cracking isn’t annoying.” Big deal usually means a problem worth considering. It’s big enough that we can’t overlook it. But here, which is a common use of big deal, Chandler uses it ina sarcastic way, “Big deal, I'm not bothering you.”Page 16 I've had it Chandler is frustrated about people complaining about his cigarettes. He says, “Hey, you know, I’ve had it with you guys and your cancer and your emphysema and your heart disease. The bottom line is smoking is cool, and you know it.” I’ve had it in this case means | can’t tolerate it anymore, | can't stand this anymore. . Page 16 The bottom line The other expression is the bottom line. The bottom line is in summary, the most important thing. In the business world, this is often a synonym for profit. Page 19 Let your guard down This is when Monica is telling everybody that she’s going to break up with Alan and Phoebe is very disappointed. She says, “You know, you let your guard down. You know, you start to really care about someone.” To let your guard down is to stop being prepared and watching out for things that might hurt you. It's a boxing metaphor, when a boxer lets his guard down, he's open to receiving punches. Pi 20 Can't stand “ Monica just broke up with Alan, and he says he likes her, but he’s kind of relieved. And she’s confused, but he says, “Yeah, well, | mean, | had a great time with you, | just can’t stand your friends.” So, in this sense, when he says, “I can’t stand them’ it’s to not be able to tolerate something or somebody. Page 21 Rough Ross talking to Monica after Monica broke up with Alan, “You had a rough day, huh?” So, rough in this context means difficult or tough.