Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English
We Speak with me, Feifei...
Rob: ...and me, Rob. Thanks for joining
me in the kitchen today, Feifei, for the
unveiling of my new cake.
Feifei: It's just a cake, Rob, but if it's
good, I'm happy to try a slice.
Rob: Well, let's get it out
of the oven now...
There we go...
Ta da!
Feifei: Err... looks great, Rob,
but let's try it...
It's a bit stodgy,
heavy... even lumpy.
Rob: Right. So you don't actually like it!
I followed the recipe exactly, although
perhaps I forgot
to do something to the flour. I seem to ...
Oh I seem to have a memory like a...
Feifei: A sieve.
Rob: That's it! I didn't sieve the flour - that
explains the lumps.
Feifei: No, Rob, I meant you have
a memory like a sieve. When we say
someone has a memory
like a sieve, we mean they have
a very bad memory and forget
things easily! Your memory
is bad, Rob - you can't forget things
when you're cooking.
Rob: Well, I'm not the only one.
Listen to these examples.
I've been making my own lunch to take
to work, but I've got a memory
like a sieve and I keep
leaving it at home!
My husband's got a memory
like a sieve - he keeps going out and
leaving the iron switched on.
I've got a memory like a sieve - I left
the house without my keys
this morning and now
I'm locked out!
Feifei: You're listening to The English
We Speak from
BBC Learning English, and
we're talking about the phrase
'to have a memory like a sieve'.
It basically means bits of information
fall through your memory
and get forgotten, just
like flour falling through the sieve
that Rob should have used
when baking a cake! So
are you going to try again, Rob?
Rob: No, I think my baking days are over,
but luckily I bought one from the shop just
in case.
Feifei: That's OK. A shop-bought cake will
do - so get it out and I'll put the kettle on.
Rob: Great... err...Now where did I put it?
I know it's around here somewhere?
Feifei: Memory like a sieve again, Rob?
Rob: Looks like it. I've got a lot
on my mind, Feifei.
Feifei: Don't worry, I've found it - it's
here in the fridge with the milk!
Rob: Honestly, I'd forget
my own name sometimes!
Feifei: Bye, Rob.
Rob: Ah that's it! Bye!