Yes, it's me Rima once again back with you and today's lesson is all about phrases with
the word dead. Now English we know is a funny language okay. So there's a lot of words,
lot of phrases which have the word dead in it. But they actually have nothing with really
being dead. That’s right and that's what I'm gonna explain to you. I’m gonna take
you through these phrases which you can use as and when they are needed to be used but
you don't have to worry about having to fall dead.
Okay the first one on my list is dead end. Now dead end actually does not mean that anyone
or anybody is dying or dead. It actually means being stuck
or no hope or no more progress. So if I had to use dead end in a sentence, I would say
something like, the detective followed all the clues possible but they all led to a dead
end, which means they all got him to a point and then got him stuck with no hope of any
more progress. I could also dead end in a sentence if I was to talk about say you know
I was to talk about my life, when I'm going through a really, really bad phase of my life.
I could say something like; my life is at a dead end, which means there is no more hope
for progress in my life. So that's what dead end means and I hope you are able to use this
with absolute ease. It sounds really good, it sounds like you really know your language.
The next one on my list happens to be, dead beat. Now this has nothing to do with musical
beats, okay. It actually means either someone who is very useless or someone who is very
tired. So if I had to talk about somebody who is absolutely useless, somebody who never
went to work. somebody who is lazy, I could say, please avoid the man who lives down the
lane, I’ve heard, he is a dead beat, which means I've heard he's somebody who is not
really worthy of your trust and time because he doesn't do anything, you know, anything
solid for work or he is fairly useless like that. So that’s the meaning of dead beat
in one context. And the second meaning is somebody who is very, very tired. so after
a long day, I could say something like, I’ve had such a long day, I am so dead beat, which
means I am very, very tired and I can bear to do another thing today. So those are the
two meanings of dead beat. One meaning someone who is useless, you know or someone who is
tired.
The next one on my list is, very, very interesting. Dead meat. Now if you are hungry and if you've
started fantasizing about all sorts of meat because after all meat is dead, please don't
go there because dead meat actually does not mean anything related to food. Dead meat means
someone who is in a lot of trouble. so If I had to use dead meat in a sentence, I would
say something like, one day Larry told me, my girlfriend actually knows what I'm up to.
She knows I’m lying. I’m dead meat, which means Larry was in so much trouble that he
was good as dead meat, that's right. So that is the meaning of dead meat and that’s how
you use it in a sentence. Someone who is in a lot of trouble and mostly this trouble is
self-created.
Next one on my list is, dead to the world. Now dead to the world could be somebody who
has cut off from the world or somebody who is sleeping very soundly. That’s right now
those are the two meanings of dead to the world. One is someone who has cut off completely
from the world or the other one, where someone is sleeping very soundly. so if I had to use
it in a sentence, you know with respect to the first meaning, I would say something like,
when jenny lost her mother, she was dead to the world for almost the next months, which
means Jenny decided to cut off from the world. She absolutely detached from the outside world
in order to grieve. And the second way you could use dead to the world in a sentence
could be like I was so tired yesterday; I slept as if I was dead to the world, which
means I slept very soundly. I was almost as good as dead, that’s how deeply and soundly
I slept. So that is dead to the world for you.
Moving on, I have as good as dead. Now this one can get a little confusing because you
know it's saying as good as dead. Now are they trying to say that dead people are good
or good people are dead? No, no, no I'm just trying to mess with you and confuse you. Actually
as good as dead means someone who is very absent or who is never present. So I could
use this in a sentence by saying, when jenny was growing up, her father was so absent that
he was as good as dead. He was never there. So do you get it? Do you get the drift? That’s
how clearly and simply you can use it in a sentence. So as good as dead actually means
someone who is very absent, who is never ever present, that he might as well be dead. So
that is as good as dead.
Moving on, in the dead of the night. That’s right, now this is something that you get
to read a lot in books, especially mystery books, you know. Books which have a lot of
suspense and thrill. You know something like, in the dead of the night, she awoke and she
heard a loud scream. I'm sure you've read that before, haven't you? So in the dead of
the night means in the absolute stillness and quiet of the night. so what they are trying
to say by using this phrase dead of the night, is that nights are generally dead, as in they
are not like dead as there is no life in the night. It just means that it is so absolutely
quiet, still and pitch dark, that the night might as well be like a dead night and in
the dead of the night, when you suddenly hear a sound. Yeah well I'm sure you get surprised
and shocked and even like taken aback. So that's what in the dead of the night means.
So it sounds like a line from a mystery novel.
And moving on I have oh, this ones' my favourite, dead on my feet. So imagine I come to you
and say, no not today I can't take a lesson for you today, I am dead on my feet. Well
my expression says it all because dead on my feet means very, very tired. Exhausted,
even. so well you know dead on my feet is used because it's as if that your entire body
has actually died because you are so tired and you are just dragging that dead body on
your feet, which is why you call yourself, dead on my feet. That means very, very tired.
So when Susan had a long day and came home to her twins, she had to actually apologize
to them and say I'm sorry, kiddos I'm dead on my feet. So well that's what dead on my
feet is.
And the last one on my list for today, dead set against. Now take a guess, what does this
mean? Does it mean that we are talking about game set and match? So that set or does it
have anything to do with war and battle which is why it has got against. Dead set against,
which means completely against. Now the person could be against anything. An idea, an event,
another person. So Susan was dead against Renee’s opinion. So well, so she's against
an idea here. I am dead against having the birthday party late at night. So that means
that I'm dead against the idea of having that event. So dead set against means completely
against. I am dead set against people who decide to make racial remarks. So well I'm
against people who decide to make racial remarks. so that's what dead set against means and
this is my list of phrases which have the word dead in it but have nothing to do with
death really. It’s just the way you know these phrases are used and the word dead actually
plays a very important role in conveying the meaning.
So I hope you enjoyed this lesson. I hope you can use these phrases in your vocabulary
and make it part of your daily talk. And in case you want to know more about these phrases
or you want to say something to me, make sure you type in the comment box below. If you
want to listen to new lessons in English you know many more such exciting lessons, make
sure you subscribe to our channel. And it's time that Rima says bye coz she's dead serious
about getting home on time. Bye.