Feifei: Hello I'm Feifei and welcome to The English
We Speak - and joining me is Rob.
Rob: Hello everyone.
Feifei: So Rob, I hear you have a new a hobby?
Rob: Yes that's right - it's very exciting -
let me show you...
Feifei: Arghh! Bees! I don't like them - shut the door!
So you're new hobby is bee keeping?
Rob: Yes I'm a bee keeper - and I love it -
but there is a sting in the tail.
Feifei: Of course there's a sting in the tail -
bees sting - and it hurts, that's why I don't like bees.
Rob: They only sting when they're angry Feifei -
and anyway, when I said 'there's a sting in the tail'
I wasn't referring to the bees.
I meant something unpleasant
comes with something that is meant to be pleasurable.
Feifei: Yes, as I said - looking after bees means
you're likely to get stung.
Rob: That's true - but what I meant was bee keeping is
fun but I wasn't expecting it to cost so much money -
I had to buy all these hives
and these special protective clothes.
Feifei: Yes, you do look silly! So you're saying
bee keeping is fun but the unexpected
cost of it is the sting in the tail?
Rob: Exactly. Let's hear some examples
while I go and get some honey...
Examples: We had a great holiday
but it had a sting in the tail - when we got home
we discovered our house had been broken into.
I love her new book - the story is funny and romantic -
but there's a sting in the tail when someone dies.
Yeah, we all got a pay rise this month,
but there's a sting in the tail -
we're expected to work longer hours.
Feifei: So that's 'a sting in the tail' -
a phrase that means something unpleasant and
sometimes unexpected happens
when doing something good or fun.
Rob: OK Feifei, one of the good things about bee
keeping is you get this delicious honey
- and that's free - go on Feifei, try some.
Feifei: Hmmm honey, delicious!
Oh no, you've brought something else with you...
it's a bee!
Rob: Don't panic - I'll try to catch it... ouch! That hurt.
Feifei: Oh dear - it looks like bee keeping
has more than one sting in the tail!
Rob: Very funny!
Feifei: Bye!