Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Noun Phrase 19.
The noun phrase today is sob story.
Okay.
Let's take a look at the note.
A sob story is a very sad story, especially about one's personal difficulties, usually
told to someone in order to get sympathy.
Yeah.
There could be many reasons why they want sympathy.
Sometimes it is to borrow money, Sometimes it is because they are not paying money that
they are supposed to be paying.
Sometimes it could just be used for an excuse why they didn't get something done or sometimes
it could be that maybe they want a personal favor from somebody.
But whatever it is , it is a sob story.
And we usually use it, especially when a person has been using sob stories a lot.
You know, it is more believable if it is the first time you ever heard it from them.
But if they for , you know, almost no excuse seem to come up with some sob story for something.
Then you start to question it.
Then that is when you start to use the term.
So let's continue.
Let's look at some examples here.
Every time my co-worker wants to borrow money, she gives me another sob story.
Okay.
That is a perfect example because we often use it about borrowing money.
Let's look at number two.
Jane's tenant give her a sob story about why she hasn't paid her rent for several months.
All right.
Another good example about why you didn't pay money.
All right.
And remember of course the whole idea of a sob story comes from of course, sob by itself
means to cry . So we say to cry noisily while taking short breaths.
Yeah.
It is often the type of crying that maybe some children will do.
(sobbing sounds )You know if you have ever seen a child that sometimes can cry for long
periods like I don't know.
Maybe 20 minutes , 30 minutes, an hour . Where you know they keep taking short breaths in
between (more sobbing sounds) So that is what sobbing really is.
But we just use the term sob story.
Anyway, I hope you got it.
I hope it is clear.
Thank you for your time.
Bye-bye.