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  • I'm having a hard time reading this book, E. It's all upside down.

  • Oh, you're having the same problem.

  • Hi. James from engVid.

  • E and I are having a problem because he's looking at himself in the mirror, and his

  • head is in the wrong place.

  • His head should be here, but it's on the bottom.

  • And I'm reading this book and I don't understand the words, because the words are in the wrong

  • place; they're all upside down.

  • You know what?

  • That's probably one of the phrases that we use in English that confuses many people who

  • are learning the language, because the words are all, well, kind of topsy-turvy.

  • You know?

  • Don't make sense.

  • Today's lesson, I'm going to show you five common things that we say, and they are direction

  • related, which they do give us an idea of what direction things are going in, except

  • we often say it without thinking that you won't understand because we use them only

  • in this manner, in a certain way.

  • Let's go to the board and take a look.

  • E's having problems because his picture or his mirror is upside down.

  • My book was upside down.

  • What does that mean, exactly?

  • Let's start with the first thing.

  • I've got one "inside-out".

  • Here's my shirt.

  • I was going to wear it, but you can see it.

  • This is the right way to wear the shirt.

  • When it's inside-out, you will notice...

  • There we go.

  • Now it's the wrong way because you can see the label.

  • Have you ever worn your shirt inside-out by accident, and someone has to go: "Ahem.

  • Your shirt's inside-out"?

  • You're like: "Oh god!

  • It is!

  • It's terrible!

  • I never thought about it!" it means the in part is on the outside.

  • Funny enough, this is usually when people wear their clothes incorrectly, but we have

  • another way of using it.

  • When you say: "I know something inside-out", it means: I know everything about it because

  • I know every small part, from the inner part - the smallest part to the bigger part.

  • So, I say: "I know this book inside-out."

  • I know everything about this book.

  • So, listen for context, because if they: "Hey, son.

  • Your underwear is inside-out", it doesn't mean: You know everything about underwear;

  • it means you should take it off and put it on properly.

  • Okay?

  • But if you know a book inside-out...

  • You see this?

  • This is the outside of the book; this is the inside of the book.

  • So, when saying: "I know this book inside-out", it means I know all of the information on

  • the inside, right to the outside.

  • Cool, huh?

  • One thing and you've learned two things.

  • Let's see what else we can learn.

  • So, listen for that when English people speak.

  • They go...

  • If they say to you: "I know everything about this company inside-out; I know everything

  • about this company, from the floor, who cleans it, how they make the money - I know everything."

  • But if my shirt is inside-out, I need to go home and change.

  • I like that one.

  • Let's look at number two.

  • Round and round you're calling me, doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo.

  • Dah-dah-dah-dah.

  • Dah-dah-dah...

  • Yeah, it's an old song.

  • Yup.

  • Anyway, that's a song.

  • "Round and round", it means to go in a circle, moving in a circle.

  • If you say: "We've had this conversation for, like, 20 minutes, and we're just going round

  • and round the same things", it means the conversation isn't getting any...

  • Nothing new is coming; we're just talking about the same things again, and again, and

  • again.

  • Like a CD.

  • Hopefully you know what a CD is, because everyone streams now.

  • Or a DVD, it goes around and around.

  • So, a lot of times, in English, people go: "We've been through this before; we just go

  • round and round the same conversation."

  • It means: Nothing is new; we just move in a circle, like my poor dogs who are confused

  • and going in different directions.

  • And they're like: "Round and round.

  • No, that's not round; it's the..."

  • Yeah.

  • You got it.

  • Okay.

  • Number two.

  • So, things, when you hear a Canadian or a Canadian English person...

  • English speaker go: "Why are we going around and around the same thing?"

  • They should say "round in a circle".

  • They won't say "circle", usually; they'll just say "round".

  • Another variance or another one of these is "around".

  • They go: "We go around and around" Same thing.

  • Around and round, because they're both talking about circles.

  • Cool?

  • All right.

  • Number three: "tip top", "tip-top".

  • Used by British people more, I would say, from England, but people know what it means

  • when someone says: "something's in tip-top shape".

  • The "tip" is right here.

  • Or to make it even easier, if you go: "What is that, James?"

  • When you look at a pen, that end on the pen, this very thing here is the tip of the pen,

  • so it's the end - the tip.

  • Or: "tip of my tongue".

  • Tip - the end.

  • So, this is the tip of the arrow.

  • Next is the "top".

  • Think the pyramids.

  • You know.

  • Pyramid.

  • The top of the pyramid.

  • So, "tip and top", if you notice, it's the very end of something.

  • So, in this case, we mean the very best, because the best is up here and the best is here.

  • So, when someone says to you: "This room is in tip-top shape", it is in excellent shape.

  • If I say: "I feel in tip-top shape", I am feeling very healthy and very strong.

  • Okay?

  • "Tip top".

  • Moving on to number four.

  • This is the problem that E had.

  • E said: "It's all upside down."

  • He's looking at himself, and he notices his head is here when it should be here; tail

  • is here.

  • I'm going to teach you a fancy word for "inverted".

  • This...

  • Oh, I should have taught you another one; it's in the back of my head now.

  • "Right side up".

  • That's for another day.

  • This pen is in the correct position.

  • When it's inverted, the pen is this way.

  • Another way of saying this is: "upside down".

  • Now, right now, the pen is in the correct position and I'm upside down.

  • I'm just kidding.

  • I'm not.

  • I'm standing up.

  • It's just a joke.

  • Take your computer: "Now James is inverted; now James is back again!"

  • Okay?

  • So, "to invert" something means to change its position from one position to the opposite

  • position.

  • So, a lot of times, English people say: "Oh god, everything's just upside down", which

  • means it's not in the correct order.

  • It's, like, normally we come to work and we have coffee, then we have a meeting, and then

  • we go to do our jobs, and then we have another meeting.

  • But now we started with a meeting, we did our jobs, then a meeting, and then coffee.

  • It's upside down.

  • It's been changed to its opposite side or its opposite way.

  • Okay?

  • So, if your life is upside down, it means-and this is kind of a separate meaning-everything

  • is in the wrong order or everything is out of order.

  • Cool?

  • So, listen when people say: "It's all...

  • I'm...

  • My life is upside down."

  • It's not in the right or correct order.

  • Cool?

  • All right.

  • "To be inverted".

  • Yes, my stickmen have become acrobats.

  • He's flippity.

  • Flippity flop.

  • Flip flop.

  • "Flop" is like: "Ugh" - flop.

  • So, he didn't quite make it; he flopped - failed.

  • "Flip flop".

  • If you're from Brazil...

  • Hi, Brazilians, I love you guys.

  • Peace out.

  • You guys have these shoes.

  • You know?

  • I forgot what you call them, and you put them on your feet, and you call them flip...

  • We call them "flip flops".

  • This is a bit different.

  • "To flip flop", here, is you make a decision and then you change your mind.

  • You suddenly change your mind; you reverse the decision.

  • "Okay, so let's go for dinner.

  • I would like to have McDonald's."

  • Just before we get to McDonald's: -"I mean, no, no, I want chicken.

  • Let's go to Popeyes."

  • -"What?

  • What?

  • How can you flip flop?"

  • And you go: "No, no, no.

  • I want pizza."

  • It means to continually change your mind on a decision.

  • Some people flip flop all the time - it drives you crazy.

  • It's like: Just make a decision and stick to it.

  • A lot of governments flip flop, don't they?

  • Say: Yes.

  • You know what I mean.

  • Every country, your government says one thing and then they do another.

  • They flip flop.

  • It's like they cannot make a decision.

  • We, at engVid, can make decisions, and we've decided to teach you.

  • Okay.

  • We don't flip flop.

  • All right?

  • So, anyway, I hope you like these five.

  • We're going to have a couple more; you know, there's a bonus round.

  • See if you can remember.

  • Are you wearing your shirts inside-out?

  • Don't do that.

  • Okay?

  • I'm sure you're in tip-top shape, because you're in the hands of myself and our crew.

  • Ready?

  • [Snaps]

  • So, we have, as usual, our bonus - a smart...

  • A little quiz and some homework.

  • But before I get to that, I'll just say welcome back, and let's look at the first bonus word

  • I want to give you, or phrase: "topsy turvy".

  • Do you remember we talked about "upside down" means things were inverted?

  • These are similar.

  • Sometimes you'll see people use "topsy turvy" and "upside down".

  • They're not exactly the same.

  • While "upside down" means...

  • For instance...

  • Or, for example: The pen is upside down.

  • Okay?

  • And that's a very common to say...

  • Common thing to say: The phone is upside down or the book is upside down.

  • No one would look at this book when it's like this and say: "It's topsy turvy."

  • They would say: "It's upside down."

  • But sometimes "topsy turvy" and "upside down" can be used...

  • Are interchanged; people use them.

  • When there's some confusion.

  • Remember I said: "My life is upside down"?

  • My life isn't actually upside down; I wasn't dead and then I was born - it doesn't change

  • like that, but it's confusing; it's a mess.

  • "Topsy turvy" means more to being mixed up or a mess; everything's messed together.

  • But because of that, sometimes people say: "topsy turvy" and they mean upside down, but

  • not in this thing.

  • So, when a book is upside down or a pen is upside down, you don't say "topsy turvy".

  • But if things are confused, or messy, or mixed up, you might see people saying: "It's topsy

  • turvy" or "upside down".

  • Or in a rollercoaster: "It's topsy turvy.

  • It's, like, it's all over the place."

  • Okay?

  • My next one is...

  • Well, for some of you smokers out there, you know what Zig-Zag is.

  • Mm-hmm, you make your own cigarettes and probably something else, right?

  • Mm-hmm.

  • You need a good education.

  • You're going to need it.

  • "Zig zag", though, when we talk about in English, we mean to go suddenly to the left and to

  • the right.

  • So, you "zig zag" - you don't go in a straight line; you move back and forth.

  • You're zig-zagging, like the letter Z.

  • That's why we have a "z" and a "z": "to zig zag".

  • Left turn, right turn; left turn, right turn.

  • Cool?

  • So, right now, I'm zig-zagging, as I come to the camera.

  • Okay?

  • Going right and left.

  • Speaking of which, let's go right to the questions.

  • I'm sorry, it's been a long day.

  • Okay, anyway.

  • Oh, isn't that interesting?

  • When you look at this particular quiz, I'm going to write...

  • Well, I have written out what peopley...

  • "Peopley" like "sheepily".

  • What people have actually say...

  • Would actually have to say if they didn't use the phrases.

  • I gave you these phrases, like "topsy turvy" and "zig zag", because really, if you don't

  • use them, you have these long phrases that you have to say instead.

  • And we like just saying the short phrases because the meaning is understood by most

  • people-right?-and it's quick.

  • The very first one is this one: "We made sudden turns to the left and to the

  • right, going through the streets of Toronto."

  • I bet you can think of an easier way of saying that.

  • Yeah, we talked about "zig zag", right?

  • I'm sorry.

  • "Zig zag", "to zig zag".

  • So, we zigged...

  • You go: "We zig zagged through the streets of Toronto."

  • We went this way, we went that way, we went this way, and we went that way; not a straight

  • line.

  • Cool?

  • "Zig zag".

  • Let me clean that up a little bit.

  • To zig zag.

  • Or: "We zigged and we zagged.

  • We zigged and we zagged."

  • You can say: "We zigged and we zagged", but not: "We zagged and we zigged".

  • You can't say that.

  • Through the streets of Toronto.

  • What about this one?

  • "They went in circles arguing about the same things.

  • They went in circles arguing about the same things."

  • [Hums] Yeah, it's still bad, even when I'm just doing the music sound.

  • "They went round and round".

  • Right?

  • "They went around and around".

  • I know this is three words, and three words; but as you can see for the next one, they

  • get longer and we only need a few words.

  • I love this one: "She didn't realize her shirt had the inside

  • on the outside and the outside was on the inside."

  • I just want to hang myself.

  • I don't think I would ever say that, because in English, I know

  • the phrase is...

  • What's the phrase?

  • Yes: "inside-out".

  • So much easier.

  • Right?

  • Let's just do this.

  • Say: "inside-out".

  • "Her shirt was inside-out."

  • Done.

  • Cool?

  • Just put a little hyphen, there.

  • Okay?

  • So: "Her shirt was inside-out."

  • What's the next one?

  • "I don't trust them because they constantly change their minds on important decisions."

  • They constantly change their minds on important decisions.

  • What would that be?

  • Remember, if you go to Brazil you wear these?

  • "Flip flop".

  • Remember we talked about "flip flop"?

  • The guy was in the air, jumping, doing a flip, and then he flopped.

  • "They flip flop on their decisions."

  • And now, the last one: "I feel in excellent shape."

  • And I said they usually say this more in England, but they will say it in Canada and America.

  • "I feel in excellent shape."

  • What would that be?

  • Yeah, "tip-top shape".

  • A little joke for you: In Canada, we have a store called: "Tip Top" suit people, and

  • they are not the very best.

  • No offence, Tip Top, but you know you're not.

  • But, you know, it does mean the very best.

  • So, we've gone through and you've done your quiz; I'm sure you did rather well.

  • I do have homework for you.

  • "Boooo".

  • Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever.

  • Get over it.

  • You need to work.

  • I want you to write at least two sentences with these new phrases.

  • Taught you about seven phrases, so you have a choice between seven.

  • You know, you could say...

  • I use this one.

  • You could be romantique and say; "I zig zag through the streets of Rome with my love."

  • That's, like, a French accent.

  • Okay, well, whatever.

  • You get the point, okay?

  • Anyway, I'd like you to do the other quiz lined up for you.

  • And where are you going to go for that quiz?

  • You have to go to www.engvid.com; eng as in English, vid as in video, and I know I said

  • wwww, but it's just www.

  • Okay?

  • Do the quiz.

  • And before you go away, hit "Subscribe".

  • If you like this lesson, also pass it on to a friend.

  • I always and I should always say: Thank you for watching.

  • Don't forget to hit "Subscribe"; there's a button somewhere, here.

  • And if you see the little bell, hit that and you'll get the latest video that I have coming

  • out every time to either your laptop, your cellphone - wherever you want to get it.

  • Cool.

  • Anyway, it's been a pleasure.

  • Thanks a lot.

  • And we'll see you soon.

  • Ciao.

I'm having a hard time reading this book, E. It's all upside down.

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A2 初級

5個常見的英語方向短語。UPSIDE DOWN, INSIDE OUT... (5 Common Direction Phrases in English: UPSIDE DOWN, INSIDE OUT...)

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    Summer 發佈於 2021 年 01 月 14 日
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