Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Noun Phrase 115. The noun phrase today is
rat race. Okay. Let's take a look the note. If we say that someone is in or lives in
a rat race, it is a disapproving term. It means that a person seems to be in a
constant struggle competing with others to maintain or improve one's position in
life or in one's career or in the workplace. It suggests that one is in an
exhausting struggle. Often making one feel that they are going in circles. Like
they're not really getting anywhere, going in circles and rarely reach their
goals. The term derives from... so it comes from, derives from rat cages in which rats
run in circular paths trying to get their prize of cheese considered to be a
meager reward. It's a reward, but it's not really a whole lot. Not for all the
effort they're putting into it. This race often leaves them exhausted and may make
one wonder if it was worth the effort. This idea compares the struggle of daily
lives you know, of the daily lives of people to this experiment. Yeah. So you
know basically your only reward is like a meager amount of salary just like a
meager amount of cheese that the rat gets, when he's running around crazy
always busy competing with others. He doesn't really have time to think about
what he's doing and all he gets is that meager reward. You know, getting ahead is
slow at best and sometimes you know you don't feel like you're moving at all. You
feel like you're going in circles. All right. So anyway let's take a look. We got
two examples to kind of you know show the way we would use this. All right. Here's
number one. I decided to get out of the rat race and move to the countryside. I
make less money, but I find life more rewarding. And some people say this.
Some people do it. Even though I think most people don't leave the rat race. But,
but if they do, you know, maybe they don't mind. Maybe they just prefer a
slower pace of life or something like that. Maybe being more content with less.
Or number two here. I never imagined this career was going to be so competitive. I
feel like I am trapped in a rat race. So whatever the career is when he was
always competing, you know, always rushing around. Never having time to think. You
know getting ahead is slow. So that's the way we use it. So we often talk about it.
But it's always in a disapproving way that you know somebody's in a rat race.
Or trapped in a rat race or that you feel like they're in a rat race. Anyway, I
hope you got it. I hope its clear. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.