- Today we are going to challenge each other
with some British idioms.
Today's lesson is going
to be a very difficult lesson for us
because we have some different British idioms
that we are going to ask each other
and see if we can figure out what they mean,
and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna do bad.
- Yeah, me too.
We're gonna try to do our best to guess them.
- Alright, so do you wanna ask me one of yours first?
- Yes.
It's a kerfuffle.
- A kerfuffle.
- I would say that's,
isn't that kind of like a commotion
or like a kind of a fight
or a dispute about something,
that they're a kerfuffle?
- I thought you said you were gonna be bad at this.
- I think I've heard of kerfuffle.
- Oh, yeah you're right.
- (laughs) Yes.
- Yeah it is. - It's like I'm British.
- It's a really good word though,
kerfuffle, I really like it.
- A kerfuffle?
What does it say?
- It says, a skirmish or fight
caused by different views.
- Okay, yeah.
Nailed it.
(laughs)
Alright, your first one is
maybe you'll get it if you work through it.
All mouth and no trousers.
If you're saying somebody's
oh, you know,
he's all mouth and no trousers.
- Is this similar to like if somebody's
bark is louder than their bite,
something like that?
- Kind of, like yeah. - So does it mean--
- It's similar.
- Somebody's like, just all talk,
but they're not really?
(chuckles)
- Yeah, no that's exactly what it says,
all talk, no action.
Are you all mouth no trousers?
- Oh yeah, like I think many times
like I'll say things, but.
Okay, I like this one.
Knees up.
- Knees up.
Can you give me a sentence?
- This party is knees up.
(laughs)
- Knees up?
Is it, it's really cool, it's great,
it's happenin'?
It's knees up?
- Yeah, kind of. - This lesson is knees up?
- Yeah, I hope we're using that the right way,
it just says adjective for liveliness.
Like, dancing, like your knees are up
when you're dancing, maybe.
- I guess that makes sense, yeah.
Okay, your next one, blinding.
- Like if something's very bright
or something? (chuckles)
What's a sentence?
- Okay, the Prime Minister
gave a blinding inauguration speech.
- So this could either be very good
or very bad I feel.
- I mean, or you could say like,
I'm trying to think of something more recent.
The royal wedding was blinding?
- Yeah, it's not making it any easier.
Well I'm guessing it means like amazing
or something really cool? - Maybe I'm using it wrong.
- Excellence, it says. - Oh.
An adjective for excellence.
- Interactive english is a blinding channel.
- We're very modest today.
We're so blinding.
- We're so blinding. - We're so freakin' blinding.
- This one I really like.
I gotta say, I think British idioms are better
than American idioms.
- The ones we've done thus far, yes.
- Yes.
Okay, so one is to know your onions
or to know one's onions.
- To know your onions?
I'd just say, is it like to know your stuff,
to be informed
and you're aware of what's goin' on?
Like, hey, you know,
this guy doesn't know his onions.
- Yep.
- Really?
- That's exactly what it is. - Alright,
well that was pretty easy based on the context.
- But how much better is to know your onions
than to know your stuff?
- That is much better.
- It's so much better. - Yeah.
Okay, the next one
I think you'll get the next one
'cause this is, this is a little bit a review,
for you, alright?
And it is-- - Oh gosh.
- Chuffed.
- (laughs) I remember this one - Chuffed.
'cause we did this one with Allie.
- Yeah.
- But do I remember the meaning is the question.
- We did another idiom challenge with
Allie, from Papa Teach Me,
long time ago, we'll link it.
- He said chuffed to bits. - I think the idiom he gave,
chuffed to bits, yeah.
- I think it means, like
like excited or happy or delighted?
- Yeah.
- Oh okay, thank god.
- Yeah. - I was like
is my memory that bad?
(laughs)
- No, yeah to be very pleased about something.
- Okay.
- The sentence was, I just, it's like,
Reginald was chuffed about the football match
and I just thought like-- - Very British and simple.
- Reginald, yeah, is such a,
seems like such a stereotypical
British name. - Reginald.
- Reginald was chuffed.
- This one I think you should know
because I've heard it around,
at least I know it.
- Okay.
- But I still really like it.
- I might surprise you and be very wrong.
- Lets hope so
'cause it's funnier that way.
It's miffed.
- Miffed?
- Miffed.
- If you're miffed,
you're a little upset,
pissed off about something, you know you're miffed.
- Yeah, you're right.
I'm sorry I'm laughing,
I'm laughing because, because the example is,
he got all miffed about the football match.
- Sure people in the UK get miffed.
- Reginald, stop getting-- - About the football match.
Miffed about the football match.
- I imagine people were very miffed
at the last World Cup.
They were not chuffed at all.
- Reginald is miffed. - People were not chuffed.
Reginald especially, super miffed.
- Okay, we need to stop with this name okay.
- This, go away. - How can you see?
It's so small.
- Yeah, well I don't want you to see,
'cause you're trying-- - Well I can't.
To cheat here.
- I am-- - You're trying to cheat.
Okay, corker.
- What?
- Corker.
- Like, like does he have to something
he would like put a cork in it or something?
- No.
- Oh, a corker.
- Corker, I, this I don't think
you'll get it, do you,
would you like a sentence?
- Yes.
- You're probably still not gonna get it,
but it's a good sentence.
- What is it?
- Great job, Jim.
You're a real corker.
Maybe you will get it.
- Like a good person
or a good sport or something good?
- Yeah, I mean, kinda,
it's, this says-- - Good lad?
- Unless, unless this source is wrong.
Someone or something that is outstanding, a stand out.
Yeah, that Reginald,
he's a real corker.
There's like a Reginald watching this right now,
like, screw you guys. - I'm sorry,
we're not picking on you. - Sorry, you know.
- We actually do like the name, it's really--
- I am somebody who should not
be making fun of anybody's name.
- I mean, to be fair-- - Yeah.
- Me neither, because nobody's heard of my name.
- So we're with you, Reginald.
- We understand.
- We know (chuckles).
- Names are hard.
Numpty.
- A numpty?
- Yes, it's an adjective.
- Okay.
- I think.
- Well let me take a guess
and then you give me a sentence.
A numpty, I'd say somebody
who is lazy, kind of like a bum,
sloth, they're not working hard,
they're a numpty.
- You are--
- Stupid numpties.
- You are kind of wrong,
but also kind of, I mean you're right
on the connotation of the word.
- Why wouldn't, okay, alright.
It's not a good word.
- Not a numpty,
it's an adjective, so--
- Oh, if somebody's a numpty?
Okay, so-- - Well no--
- Can you give me a sentence?
- That's somebody's a numpty, somebody's--
- Somebody's numpty.
- We're still struggling
with the concept of adjectives today.
- Numpty.
- You and your numpty friend should apologize.
- You and your stupid-- - That is such a good one.
- You and your stupid friend should apologize?
- Yeah.
- Is it?
- Yeah.
(laughs)
- We're gonna bring some of these idioms
back to America and start saying,
hey numpty, what are you doin'?
Numpty friend, that numpty shirt.
(laughs)
This is another, this is a good one.
I like this one too.
British idioms are much better.
- They're much better.
- Doofer.
- A doofer?
- A doofer.
- Is it like a doofus?
- D-O-O-F-E-R, doofer.
- Like a doofus?
- No.
- Can you?
- I'll give you the saying,
it's to say like, you know,
what is that doofer?
- What?
That made it harder.
- What is that doofer?
- Is it a thing?
A doofer is a thing?
- Kind of, but there's a little more to it.
What do you call that doofer over there?
- Thing?
(laughs)
- Or could be a thing.
- Thingy?
- It says, it's an unnamed object,
so if you don't-- - Oh, so like a thing?
- Yeah, a thing, like if you don't know the name
of something, like,
oh, what's, what's that doofer?
Thingamajig, whatchamacallit.
I think a lot of people in the US
would say a thingamajig,
or a thingy.
Whatchamacallit, I think of the,
the candy bar.
♪ How's it go ♪
♪ Whatchamacallit ♪
- What is that?
- It's the song
that was like the old commercial.
♪ Ahh ahh ♪
♪ Thingamabob, gobbledygook ♪
♪ Whatsitsface ♪
♪ Whatchamacallit ♪
- You don't know your onions, apparently.
- Apparently about Whatchamacallits.
Okay, oh I think you know this one.
Odds and sods.
- No, I'm like, odds and sods,
can I have a sentence?
- Okay, You lot got first picks
and left with nothing but odds and sods.
- That you like, odds and sods,
like empty handed?
I got all a bunch of of rubbish.
- See, that's why I think
this particular sentence wasn't the best.
- Did you wanna give me another sentence?
- Like at the flea market,
you, you, you could find a bunch
of odds and sods. - Doofers?
Is it a doofer?
- Unnamed. - It's an unnamed thing.
It's just a bunch of,
like a bunch of knickknacks?
- Yeah, miscellaneous things.
- Okay.
- But what I didn't want it to think,
it's like it's not something
that's not valuable,
it's just like,
yeah, miscellaneous things.
- Okay.
Another good one, I thought, an earwig.
- What?
- An earwig.
- Earwig?
- Yeah an earwig.
- An earwig.
- I think it's a verb.
Earwig. - To earwig?
- Earwig.
If, do you want a sentence?
- Yes. - I think you'll,
you might be able to get it based on the context.
Don't earwig on my personal phone calls.
- Oh, is it like to eavesdrop? - Don't earwig.
Yeah, it says to eavesdrop.
I don't know,
it's like, like kind of like wiggling your ear,
like kind of like an earwig
or something instead
of like a wig you put on your head.
- That's how I imagined it.
- That's what I first thought of when I heard it.
- A little wig for your ear.
Okay, the next one from me is spawny.
- Spawny.
Somebody who thin and lanky
and gangly, like they're spawny.
- No.
- Spawny, I don't know,
can you give me a sentence? - It's an adjective.
That was a spawny outcome for you.
- Okay, a positive, great, unexpected?
- That's a good connotation-- - That's, that was--
- It's the right kind of connotation.
- You know, that was a spawny outcome,
that was surprising?
- Getting closer.
- Should I keep guessing?
I don't know.
- Lucky.
It means lucky.
- Oh, okay.
Maybe you'll get this one.
Well I don't wanna give you a hint.
Eating irons.
- What?
- Do you want me to give you a hint
before I give you the sentence?
- Yeah.
- Eating irons,
it's basically exactly what it sounds like.
- No it can't be.
Eating iron?
- Eating irons.
- I don't know, eating spinach?
- Eating irons, like no. - Spinach is iron.
- Somebody would ask or something like,
don't we have any clean eating irons?
- Oh, is it like utensils?
- Uh huh, yeah, cutlery, eating utensils.
- I wonder how common this one is.
- Eating irons.
- I just assume somebody is eating iron,
so that's why I was like, what?
Like is it vitamin deficiency thing?
Okay, the next one is steaming.
- Steaming if you're steaming? - Steaming.
- Steaming?
If you're steaming,
then you're really mad,
you're angry, you're upset?
- No, but that's a good guess.
- Okay, can you use a sentence?
- Steaming, the drunk Reginald
hobbled out of the pub.
- Is that really the sentence?
(laughs) - Yes.
- Reginald, he's everywhere.
In that case, it'd be like an adverb of degree,
like a very, very,
a very drunk Reginald?
- I think you were right,
even in the beginning,
now I see the second part of the definition.
So it says,
the state of extreme drunkenness
or extreme anger,
so maybe you were right in the beginning,
but steaming I think does add excessiveness
to whatever is that you're doing.
- Okay.
- This one I think you
will get, some of you
may even know about it.
The fuzz.
- I have no idea.
- Really?
- Yeah, how would I know the fuzz?
- Because there was a movie called Hot Fuzz.
- Oh, I haven't seen it.
- Don't let the fuzz catch you.
There's any problem, call the fuzz.
- The police?
- Yeah.
- Oh.
- You've never heard that?
I think that's been used,
I've heard that quite a bit. - I mean I may have heard it.
- In like movies and shows,
like people thought the fuzz, the cops.
- Now I'll know.
- Now you know your onions. - Mmhm.
Wag, wag off.
- Okay, I'm gonna say to wag off is to like,
just gonna go out there and say it,
talk back to somebody,
to talk a lot?
- No.
- Talk trash?
- No.
(laughs)
Maybe it is connected,
but it means something else. - To wag off.
Wag off?
Like get outta here?
Go away?
- No.
I'll give an example,
I had nothing to do, but wag off at work.
- Just do nothing of importance?
I don't know, you're bored, you wag off,
you screw around, you don't do much?
- Kind of.
- Wag off?
What are you doing?
- To waste time.
- What are you doing?
- It kind of means to waste time.
- To waste time?
Okay, I kinda got that.
To waste time.
Wag off.
Georgie, you waggin' off?
- Oh, always.
- You just wag off all day.
The next one, honk.
It's a verb, honk.
It's not a car.
- Oh, I was like,
that's easy, that's a real word.
I have no idea, what,
what, I mean, can you like give me some kind of hint?
- I can give you an example sentence.
This is good.
- Reginald.
- Reginald coughed so hard,
he honked all over the pub.
- Ew.
Does it mean to throw up?
Ew. - Uh huh, to vomit.
- Ew ew ew.
- I'm gonna check where we got these,
'cause we got these off of,
like a site, just to challenge each other.
- Wait, sorry.
The cat honked.
She drooled.
- I wonder if, yeah, I wonder if the person who kind of
wrote that like, blog post.
- If their name is Reginald. - With all of these,
it was Reginald.
- You should know this one,
I believe because I've heard it before,
but this one goes, warts and all.
- Just, you're not feeling good about your appearance,
like warts and all, or like just--
- You don't know this?
I've heard it in the US too, I thought.
- I've never heard of warts and all.
Sentence?
- Alright, I'll keep the cat, warts and all.
- Like you'll keep,
you'll, for something for better or for worse?
Like, you'll keep it with all the defects
and problems that something might have, warts and all?
I've never heard warts and all.
- Really? - No.
I think you'll get it,
I think people have said it in the US before.
An idiot box,
(giggles)
or the idiot box.
- I don't think I've heard it,
but it's good, it sounds good.
- Most homes have an idiot box.
- Oh, like a panic room?
No.
- What?
Why would that be an idiot box?
- Well you're acting like I'm supposed to know,
is that, am I the idiot box?
- Alright, no.
I think I'll spend the night
in front of the idiot box.
- Oh, a TV.
- Uh huh, yeah.
- Oh.
- It's the idiot box.
So if you learn some new idioms,
just like we did,
we want you to do two things:
please hit that like button down below,
also, write to us in the comments
and tell us which one was your favorite
or if you know of some other British idioms,
we'd love to hear em',
because yeah, we think they're just better
than the American idioms.
- They're way funnier.
- Thank you guys so much for watching
and we'll see you next time.
- Bye.