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