Skip to main content

From Formal English to Informal Conversation: A Curious Situation

This 7 minutes lesson offers a good mix of vocabulary, from casual to formal, and from everyday language to more specific terms. It can be helpful for English learners to understand every nuance in the spoken English. A conversation scene from 'No Hard Feelings' is used.

In today's lesson:

  • "court order for asset seizure". - What does it mean?
  • "radio silence". - Why does he say that?
  • "closure". - What do you think this word means?
Today, we learn English with a tow truck driver, Gary, who comes to Maddie's house to take her car away. Maddie comes out and tries to stop him. Let's watch and learn!

"court order" means a legal document that tells someone to do something. In this case, it's a command from a judge.

"asset" means something valuable that a person owns, like a car, house, or money.

"seizure" means the action of taking something by force or with legal authority.

Putting it together: "court order for asset seizure". This means that the judge said that someone's valuable things should be taken away. Imagine, Maddie owes a lot of money to the government. The government can go to a court and ask for an order to take Maddie's car to pay off the debt.

"property taxes" are money you pay to the government when you own a house or land.

"negotiate" means to have formal discussions with someone in order to reach an agreement with them.

"am supposed to" expresses obligation or expectation, but in this case, Maddie used the phrase sarcastically to emphasize the impossibility of the situation.

"bartending" means working as a bartender, serving drinks in a bar.

"went radio silent on me" means that Maddie stopped communicating with Gary completely and suddenly. It's like she disappeared without a trace, as if her radio had suddenly stopped working.

"county"  is a region or area of a state in the US. Counties often have their own government and handle things like roads, schools, and public safety for the people who live there.

"ghost" here means to end a relationship with someone suddenly by stopping all communication with them. 

"intense" means very strong or powerful. Maddie tells Gary about her strong emotions or feelings.

"freak out" is an informal term that means to become extremely emotional.

"big dummy" is a casual and informal way to call someone silly or stupid. It's often used in a playful or affectionate way between friends.

"Jets" is the name of a sports team. 

"I swear to God" is a strong way to emphasize that something is true. People say this when they want to be very convincing. It's important to note that this phrase is often used in casual conversation and might not be appropriate in all situations.

"closure" is a feeling of peace and finality after something upsetting or difficult has ended. For example, if a relationship ends, getting closure means accepting the situation, so you can focus on the future.

Popular posts from this blog

Game Of Thrones: 15 advanced words to your vocabulary

 Learn English with Game Of Thrones. An English advanced vocabulary lesson. 15 new words and phrases. Hi, welcome to English Watch And Learn. Today's vocabulary is "wash down", "sibling", "apparently", "mercy", "linger", and many others. We learn them with the Lannister family gathered for breakfast at Winterfell, the day after Bran Stark fell from the tower. Let's go. (Game Of Thrones: S01E02 - 06:41-07:38.) New words and phrases "wash down" is a phrasal verb that is informal here and means to eat food with a drink that helps swallow it. "sibling" means a brother or sister "apparently" used to say that something seems to be true, although it is not certain "mercy" means kindness that makes you forgive someone, usually someone that you have authority over "linger" means to take a long time to leave or disappear "pray" means to speak to a god in order to express love or ...

Practical English Conversation: Honeymoon Work Problem

This English lesson focuses on real-life language use (upper intermediate vocabulary). We'll explore a conversation between two just married people, analyzing how characters talk and what motivates them. You'll also pick up new words, idioms, and grammar. You learn some American cultural aspects, and practice listening and speaking English. The scene from “The White Lotus” is used. In today's lesson: "disposable garbage". - What do you think this phrase means? "stay in the mix". - Why does she say that? "electric RV". - What does it mean? Today we learn English with Shane, a rich young man, and Rachel, his new wife. Rachel is thinking about a new work assignment, but Shane is upset that she is going to be working on their honeymoon.  Let's watch and learn. " buffet " means a special kind of meal where you can choose your own food. There are lots of different foods on a table, and you can serve yourself, take what you want and put ...

Improve Your English with Movies: Passengers

Hi, I’m Jainie, and in this lesson, we’re learning English with Passengers! I’ve picked out some of the most challenging scenes from this movie to explain any tricky words and phrases. By the end, you’ll be ready to watch the whole movie on your own. I highly recommend checking it out after our lesson – it’s a fantastic way to practice your English! 1. Be Ready to Watch Movies in English: Passengers. Part 1. Awakening In the future, humans travel to other planet colonies for a better life. The journey is long, so the passengers are put into a state of sleep. On one such journey, something strange happens that will change the future of the passengers. Vocabulary and Phrases perfectly normal to feel confused This is a way of saying, "It’s okay to feel confused". "Perfectly normal" reassures someone that it’s expected to feel a certain way. It often used to comfort people who might feel unsure or out of place. ...