So, hello Alex! Say "hello" to Brasil!
Hi Carina! Hi Brazil!
Is it your first time on a Brazilian YouTube channel?
Yes, this is definitely my first time
on a Brazilian YouTube channel.
And where are you from?
I am from the UK!
But do you live in the UK now?
No, right now, I'm living in Mexico.
Around me here is Mexico. This is how Mexico looks like.
Alex is here to help me explain some very common
expressions in English
and he's going to give us some examples and so on..
So, the first one, Alex, is "24/7".
What does it mean? And When do you use it?
Alright, 24/7 is... an expression that we use,
when we want to say that something is happening
or avaiable all the time. Literally all the time.
24/7, I mean, you can guess, that makes 24 hours,
7 days a week. So, I could say...
That shop is open 24/7. Or, you could use it
in another, kinda more informal situation like,
that guy plays videogames 24/7.
Ok, so could you say like "full time" as well?
Yeah, "full time" is another... It's kind of a synonym.
So, the second one is "sick and tired".
And Alex is going to explain this to us now.
Yeah, you're right!
"Sick and tired" doesn't exactly mean the sum of its parts like,
sick means you're unwell, tired means like sleepy
or exhausted. If you put them together,
in this expression, it kind of means
that you're just fed up with something,
like something is getting on your nerves
or you've been putting up with it for a long time
and you just want to go away or you wanna change,
like you're sick of your job, you're sick and tired of...
always arguing with your family,
or with your girlfriend or boyfriend...
I'm sick and tired of this.
So, what does it mean?
Okay, "like the back of my hand" is an expression that we...
We use as a follow up to say how well you know something.
It means you know it very, very well.
It's no really used to say how well you know a person
like, I couldn't say "I know HIM like the back of my hand".
But we use it for places, you know, I could say...
"I know the city like the back of my hand."
And, obviously, we use the back of our hands
as an example because, it's something that
we carry around with us everyday.
It's something so familiar to you,
you almost forget that is not a part of you.
Something like that.
So, expression number 5...
So, what does "give me a hand" mean?
Now, "to give me a hand", it should not be taken literally.
You are...
You are giving somebody some help,
or a bit of advice, or...
usually some kind of a physical help.
Like you need...
You need help with something that's too much
for you to manage. "Could you please give me a hand"
is like "could you please give me some help" that's all.
And the fifth one...
What does "ring a bell" mean?
Yeah, this one can be a little bit confusing
for some English learners.
"To ring a bell" is something that...
...is done by something that somebody says.
Somebody will say something and you can say...
"Hmm, that rings a bell." Bacause it means...
It rings like a bell in your head and,
it reminds you of somenthing. You think you have that memory,
but you're not saying... Yeah, exactly!
You're not saying "I remember for sure",
It's more like kinda a vague recollection like,
"hmm, that kind of rings a bell."
Someone mentions the name of a song, or the name of a movie,
or the name of a book. Or maybe a story in the news...
"Yeah, I think I read something about that,
or I think I might have seen that...
it rings a bell!"
You're not sure, but you think you remember.
Yeah, so in portuguese...
Expression number 6 is...
When do you use this kind of expression?
Okay, "I'll keep you posted" that's an...
An expression that we use, when...
Maybe you're making plans with a friend or..
you're trying to make plans, or they want you to
update them on a certain situation
as it develops. Basically,
"I'll keep you posted" means I'll let you know,
when I know something more.
You know, maybe about my availability,
about my plans,
or about when there're developments in a
certain situation.
Either a social situation or...
a bigger situation like a new story or something.
I think probably journalists say this to one another
like, I'll keep you posted, when there's more news
or something like that.
Okay, so, "under the weather" is an expression that confuses
a lot of English learners, because if you try to do a
literal translation, you will have no clue
what this means, right?
What it actually means is when you're feeling
a little bit ill, or... you're lacking energy,
you're just not feeling well.
It's not used for when you're feeling seriously ill.
For example, if you called your boss and said
I'm not coming to work today, because I'm feeling a bit
under the weather...
I don't think that would take you very seriously.
We kind of use it to say "I'm just not feeling 100%".
That's basically what it means. "I'm feeling under the weather",
or "I am under the weather today."
And it's funny because you said "ill".
So, this is something that English people say,
usually say, right? Because Americans would say "sick".
I think we use "sick" as well in the UK, but "sick" means like
you kind of...
You feel nauseous,
and "ill" just means you have some kind of ailment.
Like if I had a cold, or the flu,
I wouldn't say that I felt sick, because that's something
I associate with like...
I feel like I'm gonna throw up or something like that.
But, Ill is just for general ailment.
Okay, "without any further ado" this is...
probably not something you're gonna hear
in everyday speech very much.
But, people do... kind of just throw it in
sometimes when they're feeling like...
There... is kind of a playful phrase,
bacause, maybe it was more commonly used,
a bit earlier in our history, you know, if...
People introducing shows, people introducing...
people who are gonna give a speech
or something like that.
It's a kinda of a phrase that means...
Okay, "without any further delays".
That's another way of saying this, right.
'Cause "without any further delays" or "without wasting
any more time" is just a way of saying that...
That's a bit of... Kinda of a...
pompous ceremony. It's the way you're speaking.
Alright, "to cut to the chase" is a pretty long phrasal verb
that means...
Basically, to...
get right to the issue at hand.
Like let's no waste anymore time,
let's cut to the chase. Let's deal with what we're here
to deal with. You know, another way of saying it is...
is actually a direct translation of what you'd say in Portuguese:
"ir direto ao ponto" which means to get right to the point.
It means the same thing.
Okay, "rule of thumb" is...
Kind of like... A default rule that you have for...
doing a certain thing or dealing with a certain thing.
Like, when you don't know many details about
a certain situation, you apply your rule of thumb.
Okay? That's your basic rule what you think applies
at most situations.
So, an example might be...
Maybe in cooking or something, you're gonna cook rice, alright?
And many people have lots of different methods
for cooking rice. People would say:
"Okay, well, my rule of thumb is that I put two pots of water
and one pot rice, or something like that.
That's a rule of thumb for making rice.
Maybe other people have different rules of thumb
and it normally is quite a personal thing.
I have my rule of thumb, somebody else has a different
rule of thumb. It is like a personal habit
or personal kind of rule that you follow.
So, thank you very much...
Alex, for helping us with these expressions...
Sure! Thanks very much for having me, Carina.
And if you wanna have a class with Alex,
you can find him on Cambly.
It was a pleasure to be part of this class with you
and Brazil, I hope I see you soon! Take care!