Explore idioms like 'put your mind to something' and 'beats me', learn about 'shrug', 'paragon', and 'iron out', with a story of DIY blunders in fixing a leak in a basement.
Fully concentrate on tasks to achieve success through 'putting your mind to something'.
'Beats me' signals lack of knowledge or puzzlement in a casual manner.
Deep dives
Putting Your Mind to Something
Putting your mind to something means fully concentrating on a task or goal. This phrase is highlighted as an effective way to achieve success by dedicating full focus to a specific objective. The importance of persistence and dedication, illustrated through personal experiences with overcoming challenges by putting one's mind to them, is emphasized.
Beats Me - Expressing Uncertainty
The colloquial phrase 'beats me' is used to express not knowing or having no idea about a particular matter. It signifies a sense of puzzlement or lack of knowledge in a light-hearted or exasperated manner. Anecdotes are shared to demonstrate situations where the phrase 'beats me' is fitting, such as when discussing lost items or encountering unexpected problems.
Shrugging Indifference
The gesture of shrugging, involving lifting one's shoulders to express indifference or lack of knowledge, is elaborated on. Through examples involving interactions with children and personal experiences, the physical display of shrugging is linked to conveying a sense of uncertainty or not caring about a subject. The physical act of shrugging is depicted as a non-verbal response to questions or situations where certainty is lacking.
E329: 🎙️ Hello and welcome to The English Like a Native Podcast. My name is Anna, and you're listening to Week 38, Day 4 of Your English Five a Day. This series is focused on your vocabulary expansion. So, stick around as we dive deep into five items of vocabulary before bringing them all together in a little story.
🤷🏿♂️ First, we have two idioms, "to put your mind to something" and "beats me". Our third item is the verb "shrug", then we have the noun "paragon". Lastly, we dive into the phrasal verb "iron out".
🛠️ Tune in for some pronunciation practice and a quick quiz to encourage you to recap the words we've covered. In today's story section, Dave and Harry, self-proclaimed DIY enthusiasts, attempt to fix a mysterious leak in their mum's basement. Despite their confidence, their efforts result in a flooded cellar. Have you ever caused more damage than you intended while trying to fix something?
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