hey Michelle how you feeling today honestly how are you feeling honestly how am I feeling
um I feel like I've been combating a cold all month I mean battling actually battling you've
been battling a cold all month me too actually I currently have a cold everyone's getting sick
these days it's crazy yes yes absolutely it's that time of year so one of the words I used to
talk about having a cold was battling yes am I fighting some sort of battle with the cold
I don't know yeah it seems like you are right but you're not literally up there with like
shoulder pads or not shoulder pads you know knee pads and like uh you know any kind of a uniform
battling you are just struggling let's say you're struggling with that cold right you're fighting it
off that's another good one fighting it off good so that's what we're going to talk about today
because we have an excellent listener question question and before we get into that guys we
also want to remind you we have a great episode 2099 was how to switch topics like a pro for
better connections so listen to that one that's going to be huge for you and your conversations
yeah we're highlighting that one in particular because guys we know that the way to move to the
99% fluency level this is the way natives speak they move between topics all the time there are
people in my life that are constantly weaving from one topic to the next back to the other one
we need to be ready to follow those right and so that episode will get you started definitely all
right well so this uh question is from Aisha um and it's from the IOS app so this listener is an
IOS app user guys if you don't have our app yet go on over and get it at alls english.com apppp
um this app is really amazing you can get the transcripts right on your phone and follow along
as you listen and you can also get a personalized power list of vocabulary words so go on over and
get that um really good stuff good stuff so I'm going to read Aisha's question and we will dive
into it today Michelle here we go you ready okay this is the best ESL podcast out there thank you
so much that's amazing I've been listening to allers English aee from way back and every time
I do I always learn interesting and relevant native Expressions that is so great Michelle
we love that Aisha says big shout out to Lindsay Michelle Aubrey and Jessica they are doing a great
job for ESL Learners very nice all right I'd like to ask a question can you make an episode on the
figurative use of words like combat battle and Tackle I've seen and heard this usage multiple
times and I'd really appreciate it if you could teach it on the podcast thank you Aisha thank you
thank you to Aisha for being a longtime listener yeah definitely thank you so much and I love this
question it's very specific um and I I just feel like these are these make for the best questions
so age um so Aisha mentions wanting the more of a figurative use of combat or a combat battle
and tackle and so first we're kind of going to go over more of I mean it more of the literal sense
when you hear these words what you think of so uh combat Lindsay what is combat yeah so combat is
just it's basically War right there's more combat these days in in certain parts of the world sadly
um and the that's how we use it literally we hear it on the news right and the next one Michelle is
Battle right and that's more about like to to fight but like when we think of a battle
we think of a larger war and then smaller battles right like Lindsay like in the Civil War you were
you went to college and the area where there may have been some battles yeah I went to college in
fredicksburg Virginia which was one of the battle grounds literally our um our tennis facility we
it was called the I think it was called like the Battleground or the I don't remember what
it was called but like they took the name that that particular piece of land like that field
was used in the Battle of Fredericksburg which was a major battle in the Civil War so we have
larger War smaller battles yes yes that's all that matters yes and then tackle I think is different I
think of the I of course think of football I mean so this is more like to you know when players are
playing and they like knock each other to the ground that's to tackle them yeah do you watch
football no do you okay I was like I was thinking oh my gosh does she become a football fan no it it
was it was actually it's actually funny because my son um sometimes when Dan and I are going on
a date or something that he can't go to like he gets upset so so we tell him um it's become a
running joke oh we're going to go watch the news we're actually just even if I go to like a back
to school night I always say oh no it's going to be really boring I'm just gonna watch the news
that's so cute that's so funny and so he's always like oh no I don't mind I don't want to come with
you yeah yeah but then yesterday he was like well I like some news he he goes I like to watch
football and basketball he's never watched them in his whole life and it was funny but anyway maybe
I'll get him into basketball but I do not watch football um yeah so uh so let's talk about this
way that I think Aisha really wants here more of a different usage so what is the first one
Lindsay all right so if we use the we if we want to take the word combat we want to turn that into
a verb right and that is how we actually use that figuratively we actually change the pronunciation
is the first thing we need to know we say combat right which is to prevent or to stop something so
take note guys the pronunciation the emphasized syllable does change between the noun and the
verb so if that's the one thing you take away today that's important if you're going to use it
as a verb figuratively so for example the school board is taking steps to combat student cheating
using Ai and I think all schools are doing this right now they're scrambling to figure out what
to do right yes yeah it's a it's a tricky one because man this is the future and we don't
know what's going to happen we don't know what's going to happen yeah that's right okay what else
Michelle okay so then we have battle so to fight off something or just kind of a fight
something difficult so if you use it as a noun you could say something like well this is this
is very timely it's a battle to get my kids out the door every morning literally this morning it
was a battle yeah I heard you had a hard time getting on the microphone today for yes it it
was not according to plan but that's okay um so a battle right it was a it was it was not easy I
mean it wasn't like a I don't mean that it was a physical fight of course not of course not no but
uh more of just like a a struggle figurative use it's a figurative use right and we're glad you're
here Michelle we're glad you're here thank you and what are you so but it can also be a verb like I'm
battling a cold yeah for sure and that's what I'm doing right now I'm battling a cold um or I feel
like I'm going into battle when would we use that again not literally right but figuratively give me
an example of when that would make sense Michelle it's it's it's like um when you are going into a
difficult situation or maybe it's something that uh a you know maybe you're going to have a debate
or something like that you know that something isn't going to be easy so I could say like every
night I just sorry to use all the kid references but I feel like I'm going into battle every night
to try and get my kids to sleep like I feel like I'm going into battle do you ever hear that chunk
interesting yeah for sure I I've heard it before I'm thinking I'm trying to think of other con so
certainly preparing for what your kids are going to throw at you is a good example right yeah uh
meaning what they're going what you're going to encounter with your kids I'm thinking about what
else it could be like maybe if you have to if there's a big snowstorm and you have to drive
across L and you're going to go now you're going to go and put all these things in your car extra
windshield wiper fluid gloves boots everything you might need in case you get stranded you might say
I feel like I'm going into battle but I'm going to get in the car I have to drive to the airport
in New Mexico for example right ex exactly exactly or maybe if you are meeting with a coworker about
something that is going to really take a while to figure out um you know maybe that it's a little
bit of a tense topic you could say oh I have this meeting I feel like I'm going into battle
this is not going to be easy I like it I love I love this question from Aisha because it lets us
be precise in our language this is incredibly precise language guys you know so write this
down and yep we're going to keep going in just a minute right Michelle yes okay here we go let's
go into the next one which I love tackle tackle what about that yeah generally I mean there can
be more uses of this as well but we're you know we're trying to keep it to what we hear the most
guys so tackle is often to work on something so maybe to uh do something that can be challenging
or problematic or something that's just GNA it's not going to be something that takes one second
so for example I would say it a lot like this and if you saw my room right now you would know that
this is a true statement I guess all these things are inspired by my life I can see um I guess it's
time to tackle the pile of laundry next to my bed so do I mean I'm going to jump on it and roll
around maybe I mean maybe I don't know what you're GNA do I mean maybe but uh but generally
what I would imagine what I would assume is that you're going to start to fold that laundry and put
it away yeah yeah exactly and I'm looking at it right now and it's staring at me and it's saying
hi Michelle waiting for you to jump in there yeah but I could also say before I'm going to
do that like oh God I feel like I'm going into battle so yeah yeah yeah use it as well this
one I like I think this is the one to tackle is the one I use figuratively the most yeah I
just think I'm G I need you know I have some tasks on my whiteboard I have to tackle some
of these things this weekend just to get them off my plate right very common around household chores
you know your to-do list can really kind of start to bother you if you don't tackle it tackle your
to-do list get things done right yes yes or maybe that's just us As Americans we we obsess over our
to-do lists yeah I mean would you say that these are synonyms all of these or I mean I in some ways
yes but no I don't think they're exactly the same I think they're I think they're obviously in the
same category right same ballpark same idea but they're not exactly the same the closest ones I
would say battle and Tackle um would be closer than you know combat and battle true but yeah
not cinnamon not cinnamon not synonyms um but not totally different either yeah yeah I agree
um I think yeah tackle is really about getting things done um and so that sounds like that's
the one you use most frequently Lindsay tackle yeah Michelle probably for me yeah I think maybe
I use battle a lot as well I don't know they're all that's a great part about this question I
think is these are all pretty frequently used um for sure and then there are even expressions like
half the battle which I think we've even done on this show I love that expression actually I love
that expression have we done an episode on that I think we have I'm going to look into it and if not
we're going to do it so this idea it's this idea of we talk about um endowed progress you know if
I have to write a term paper for school you know just doing an outline is half the battle because
that's getting over the mental hump of getting started and knowing what I'm going to write right
Michelle exactly exactly I'm just doing a quick search to see if I can find it but I know it
sounds so familiar um maybe we'll come back to it we'll come back to it another time opportunities
yeah oh yeah it's oh I found it it's episode 1410 vocabulary is half the battle for Connection in
English love but maybe we will revisit it now that it's like almost four years later anyway um okay
great so so um should we do a role play yeah let's jump into a role play Michelle so here we are
talking about our days all right so maybe it's the end of the day and we're coming together all right
so yes here we go hey uh how's it going Michelle oh I've just been tackling some work today so I
feel pretty productive oh that's good you same working my company is running a fundraiser to
combat chronic illnesses so I'm working on that oh wow amazing oh man about to head home getting on
the bus at this time will be a real battle Yeah so definitely this language is Salient like it's in
our vocabulary right because we have challenges in life right yeah and so it's this is great I mean
so first here Michelle what did you say first role I said I've been tackling some work today so been
working on something that I my working on my to-do list exactly exactly and then I said same working
right my company is running a fundraiser to combat chronic illnesses now this is about maybe raising
money to fund science so we can reduce chronic illness right yes exactly exactly um and then I
said getting on the bus at this time will be a real battle love it Michelle what's a takeaway
for our listeners today how should we think about these three Expressions well I think we have to
consider the literal and figurative uses um I love this question because it's interesting you think
of in some ways when we talked about it they seem like very old timey words well unfortunately not
so much but like um now we really use them in a different way to talk about our days what we need
to do things that we've been trying to prevent they're just very Dynamic words that can help
you in your connections and your life talking about day-to-day things um very useful Lindsay
anything you want to add yeah guys talk you know uh life is not all about sharing the the positive
all the time that wouldn't be very human and so there are things in life that we all battling
and tackling whether it's that pile of laundry on Michelle's bed right now or whether it's something
big like maybe there's illness in your family right there are times and places to talk about
each of these things with the right people at the right time for connection so don't be afraid
to share things using this precise vocab right definitely all right well this was good and we
will talk to you guys on the next episode thanks Lindsay thanks talk soon Michelle [Music] bye