Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English
We Speak with me, Feifei...
Neil: There you go, Feifei - one
skinny cappuccino for you...
Feifei: Thanks, Neil. It's good to get away
from the office, and I like this cafe... it's
very stylish, for you!
Neil: I will take that as a compliment.
Now, shall we get down to business?
Feifei: 'Get down to business'?
Do we have to talk about business?
I thought we'd forget
about work, relax, talk about...
your holiday plans. Where are
you going this year?
Neil: Sorry, Feifei, we need
to talk shop for a minute.
Feifei: Shoppping! I'd love
to talk about shopping.
Neil: No. Talk shop.
Feifei: Which shop?
Neil: Our shop - I mean our work.
To talk shop means to talk about work,
even when you're
not at work!
Feifei|: Oh right! And do we talk shop
to just anyone?
Neil: No, Feifei, just to the people we
work with - I don't think
anyone else would be
interested. Let's hear from some more
people who are 'talking shop'...
We went to the pub to celebrate
Rob's birthday, but inevitably
we started talking shop!
I bumped into my boss on the train
home tonight and he talked shop
all the way to my stop.
We've been at work all day, let's all have
some fun and not talk shop - please!
Feifei: This is The English We Speak
from BBC Learning English,
and we're talking about
the phrase 'talk shop'. It means
to talk to people you work with
about work, even when
you're not at work. So come on then, Neil.
Let's talk about work, if we have to.
Neil: Thanks. I brought you to the cafe so
we could talk about all the scripts
I've got to write.
Feifei: You want me to write some scripts
- that's why you bought me a coffee?
Neil: Of course not. I just need some
ideas for some authentic
English phrases to write
about. That's why I needed to ...
Feifei: ...talk shop.
Neil: Exactly.
Feifei: No! 'Talk shop' - that's
an English phrase you can write about.
Neil: Brilliant, Feifei! Wow, these
scripts just write themselves.
Fancy another coffee?
Feifei: Only if we stop talking shop!
Neil: Bye.