Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English
We Speak. I'm Feifei...
Rob: ...and hello, I'm Rob.
Feifei: Rob, I'm having a bit of trouble with
my computer...
Rob: What, again! What's the problem
this time?
Feifei: Well, I've written the script for
this programme, but it won't save. And I
can't print it out - this computer just
does not work. Can you fix it?
Rob: Let me have a pop at it.
Feifei: A pop? Are you going to make it
explode? That's a bit extreme, Rob.
Rob: Don't worry, Feifei. If I have a pop
at something, I just mean I'll try and do
it - so I'll have a go at doing something,
like fixing your computer...
Feifei: Right! OK, Rob, have a pop then.
But just don't delete all my work.
Rob: Don't worry, Feifei, I would never do
that, would I? Let's hear some more
examples of the phrase while I sort this out...
I'm going to have a pop at doing this
online application for a passport -
apparently it's really easy.
We had a pop at making a cake but we
baked it for too long and it burnt!
Why not have a pop at yoga? I've heard it's
good for your mind, body and soul.
Feifei: This is The English We Speak from
BBC Learning English and we're talking
about the phrase 'have a pop', which
means to try something. So, Rob, you've
had a pop at fixing
my computer... any luck?
Rob: Ermm, not exactly. Everything seems
to have disappeared from the screen.
Feifei: Let me look... no! You have deleted
my script. Hmm, Rob, did you know that
'have a pop' has another meaning?
Rob: Oh yeah, what's that?
Feifei: To 'have a pop' also means to
criticise or even to try and hit someone.
And I'm going to have a pop at you
for losing my script.
Rob: Hold... hold on, Feifei. If we don't
have a script, we won't know what will
happen next.
Feifei: I think the listeners know, Rob,
don't they? Bye.
Rob: Bye. Ouch!