Hi everybody, this is Mr Duncan in England.
Welcome to another Full English lesson.
For all those who cannot get enough
of that beautiful thing we call the English language.
It is very nice to see you here again.
Thank you very much for joining me.
Before we get under way with today’s lesson,
I would like to set a little brainteaser for you,
so as to give you something to ‘mull over’ whilst watching today’s lesson.
To ‘mull over’ is to think about or consider something carefully.
The question is…
What word can be used alongside the following 5 words?
The words are…
gate lamp office man box
I will give you the answer at the end of the video,
so get your thinking caps on!
Have you ever found yourself in a situation
where a person is doing something annoying and irritating and won’t stop doing it?
Maybe they are talking too much about their problems,
or they are doing something else that is getting on your nerves.
The feeling caused by the irritation can be described as an annoyance.
You might want to say something to that person, so as to get them to be quiet.
The only problem with doing that is you run the risk of upsetting or offending them.
The point at which you feel as if you must say something can be described as the breaking point.
You cannot stand it any longer.
You have to say something.
Phrases such as… ‘Please stop it!’
You have reached the end of your tether.
You cannot take anymore.
Please…
‘Cut it out.’ ‘Pack it in.’
‘Give it a rest.’ ‘Belt up!’
‘Pipe down!’ ‘Enough already!’
‘Put a sock in it!’.
Of course all of those phrases are normally used to show annoyance
and are normally used in the heat of the moment.
The person receiving the complaint will most likely feel annoyed or even hurt by your outburst.
But sometimes it is hard to hold your feelings back.
It is not unusual for a parent to tell their child off for doing something annoying.
Quite often it is the noise that a child is making that can
‘rile’ the parent to the point where they lose their temper.
The word ‘rile’ means anger.
That feeling of rage that grows inside you when something is getting on your nerves
can be described as ‘getting riled’.
Fortunately most of us are able to control our anger,
but sometimes, not often, but sometimes,
even the most mild-mannered person might become frustrated and lose their temper.
It’s time to take a look at another buzzword.
A buzzword is a word or phrase that is popular during a certain period
or is generally popular in everyday use.
Today’s buzzword is…
‘Hyperbole’.
The word ‘hyperbole’ is a noun that means exaggerate of over-state something.
To make a situation appear worse than it really is
or to over blow something minor, so as to make it appear more devastating that it actually is
can be described as ‘hyperbole’.
You might over-state your feelings or exaggerate your reaction to something
for extra dramatic effect.
News stories might use hyperbole to get a person’s attention.
Advertising often contains hyperbole, so as to make a bigger impression on the general public.
Social media has allowed hyperbole to slip into general use.
It might be stated that something is having a bigger effect on people than it really is.
“People are losing their minds over these new contestants on the latest season of Love Island.”
In logical terms, it would be fair to say that
people do not normally lose their minds over a TV show.
It is hyperbole.
You might hear a politician use hyperbole when stating a situation that needs putting right.
This can be applied to both the problem and the solution.
That is to say; the situation is made to seem far worse than it is
and the solution might appear; too good to be true.
They can both be exaggerated.
An overreaction or overstatement can be described as ‘over the top.
It is… exaggerated, overstated, overblown,
it is hyperbole.
Can you see the object that is next to me here?
It is a simple everyday item that can be found everywhere.
There might be one or more of these near you right now.
This is a button.
It is a useful thing for fastening your clothes with.
Buttons come in all shapes, sizes, and colours.
The word ‘button’ can be used in other ways too.
A control that needs to work instantly will often be in the form of a button.
It can be pressed easily.
An emergency button might be placed in a room, so as to activate a fire alarm.
This might also be called a ‘panic button’.
In order to activate the alarm, you will need to press the button.
You hit the button. You push the button.
An elderly person might wear an alarm button on their person,
so they can call for help in an emergency.
“If you need any assistance in the night, just press the red button.”
A computer will most likely have a power button on the front,
so as to allow you to ‘power up’ the device.
A lift or elevator normally has many buttons inside it.
However, these days the physical button is being replace by the ‘touch’ button.
Touch screens now allow you activate a function on a device
without having to press a real button.
A button might also be referred to as a key.
A computer keyboard has buttons that are pressed to perform an action;
although, they are more normally referred to as keys.
There are some phrases related to the word ‘button’ as well.
You might be ‘on the button’ about something.
This means that you are correct about something.
An accurate statement or answer can be described as being ‘on the button’.
“You were on the button about the improvements that need to be made.”
There is also an item that can be worn on a person’s clothing for a special occasion.
A flower that is place on the jacket of a person attending a wedding
or some other celebration is a buttonhole.
It is normally placed in the hole where a button might fasten in.
The flower is often a pink or white carnation.
If you want a person to stop talking, you might tell them to ‘button it’.
You are telling them to say nothing.
“Don’t tell anyone that I’m getting married, just button it.”
Then there is the phrase that means to purposely annoy someone
so as to make them angry; to push someone’s buttons.
You are doing something to wind a person up and make them angry.
You are ‘pushing their buttons’.
“If he was disagreeing with me so as to push my buttons, then he’s succeeded.
In American English a ‘button’ is a type of flat metal object,
which is pinned to a person’s clothing.
It is often called a ‘badge’.
This is a badge.
It can also be called a button.
Sadly we have come to the end of another Full English lesson.
Yes I know...
those 10 minutes go by so quickly don't they.
Before I let you go...
here is the answer to the brainteaser I set for you earlier.
I asked you to name the word that can go alongside the following five words.
The words were…
gate lamp office man box.
The answer is…
Post.
First there is gate post, which is the support that is normally driven into the ground
and is used to support a swinging gate.
Then there is lamp post, which is a long solid pole onto which a light is mounted at the top.
Then there is post office, which is a building where mail is handed in
and sorted for collection and delivery.
Then there is post man, or post woman, which is a person who delivers those letters to you.
Finally there is post box,
which is a safe and secure place where letters are placed for later collection.
That is it, it's time to go.
I hope you have enjoyed today's Full English
And I really do hope you will join me again very soon for another one.
This is Mr Duncan, in the birthplace of English
saying thanks for watching,
see you again soon.
And of course until the next time we meet here on YouTube...
you know what's coming next, yes you do...
ta ta for now.