Hello everyone!
Welcome to Idiom 100, where we learn 100 commonly used idioms by native English speakers.
All of the explanations are in English, but don't worry.
Hang in there, study hard, listen carefully and soon you'll be using these idioms in your daily conversations.
Is everyone ready? Let's begin.
Hello everyone!
Today's idiom is: catch my drift.
Catch my drift.
Alright, so let's think of the words in this idiom.
So, we have 'catch', right? Catch, catch, like catch a ball.
And we have drift and to drift means to kind of move slowly.
Like if you're on the river or in the ocean. If you're on a boat in the ocean, you're kind of drifting along, moving slowly, okay?
So, catch my drift.
Okay, so let's imagine a picture and you're thinking, 'I want Christmas Day off from work.'
Okay, and you're thinking this, 'I want Christmas Day off,' in a little bubble, your thought bubble.
And your bubble kind of goes along, it drifts over to your boss.
And your boss catches the drift, 'I want Christmas Day off.'
'Ah okay, you can have Christmas Day off.'
Yeah, catch my drift.
He caught it and he understood, okay?
Catch my drift.
So, let's imagine this as we listen to some examples.
Do you want to go shopping and eat out this weekend?
Oh, I'd rather not. It's before pay day and I'm low on cash and... Catch my drift?
Alright, so she was thinking kind of, 'I can't afford to go shopping,' and send, drift and catch my drift. Yeah, do you understand?
Alright, let's listen to another example.
My parents are coming over for the weekend and I wanted to spend time with them, but I couldn't get off of work, and hmmm...
Okay, okay, I catch your drift, I will fill your shift for you.
Alright, so she didn't want to say and ask, 'Please give me the time off.'
So, she was kind of, 'My parents are coming...' and in her thought, maybe, 'Please, give me time off,' and send
and he caught her drift, right? Catch my drift.
So, if you could guess it, 'catch my drift' means to understand a hint or understand what you want, but you didn't exactly say it.
Okay, so maybe you're giving a hint at what you want and they can understand.
Alright, and you can use this as like a... to show that you want something and you don't want to say it directly.
So, you can say, for example, 'I love pizza, but today I think I'll have a salad and tonight I'll just have some fruit. Catch my drift?'
Yeah, so maybe you wanted to say, 'I'm on a diet. Don't give me chocolates,'
but you don't want to say it directly, so you give some small hints and then say, 'Catch my drift. Yeah, do you understand?'
Alright, and you can also say it as the receiver, yeah.
Someone else is hinting to you and you can tell them, 'Okay, I catch your drift. I understand you.'
Okay, so let's try using this phrase next time you don't want to be too direct.
And you can be kind of natural and use this idiom in saying, 'Catch my drift?' or 'Okay, okay, I catch your drift.'
And I'll see you next time! Thank you.