Inglés coloquial: cómo entender la música y las películas

en inglés
by

Rokeby Lynch

Author’s note
Este curso fue creado para enseñar las frases más comunes que se utilizan en
el cine y en la música. Por lo tanto, en este libro se utiliza lenguaje sexista,
negativo y, ocasionalmente, homófobo, así como frecuentes referencias a las
drogas y la actividad delictiva.

©Rory Lynch 2016

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
UNIT 1 – FUCK
UNIT 2 – COOL
UNIT 3 – SHIT
UNIT 4 – BRO
UNIT 5 – CRAP
UNIT 6 – DATING
UNIT 7 - PUSSY
UNIT 8 – ASSHOLE
UNIT 9 – RANDOM
UNIT 10 – CRIME
INTRODUCTION

Why We Wrote this Book

We repeatedly encounter students who have an excellent level of English, but
when watching movies in original version they are completely lost. They
can’t understand how this is possible because they have an ‘advanced level.’
But that’s the problem: the system of levels from Cambridge and similar
institutions has a defect. It works well for grouping students together in an
academy or for giving a general idea of level; however, it is a system based
on linguistic ability in academic contexts that are different from the real
English spoken in streets, bars and shops, from New York City to Sydney,
London to Glasgow.
Real English is the type of English used in music and film.
How this Book Works
This book teaches you what no academy will ever teach you and no system of
levels will ever test you on: the colloquial English of film and music. 100 key
phrases can significantly improve comprehension of film and music in
English.
However, let’s be realistic: learning the words and grammar in this book is
not a magic solution. The strategies in this book are about increasing your
ability.
What Level do I need?
Approximately upper intermediate.
What is the format of ‘How to understand film and Music in English?’
This book is divided into ten units, each of which has a section on
vocabulary, a section of advice, grammar or cultural context, and two pages
of exercises.
UNIT 1 Crime
1.1 Snitch… Soplón

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: There are two types of snitch. The first is a

criminal who’s been busted by the police, is facing jail time, so he therefore
gives the police information on another criminal to get a lenient sentence.
The second type of snitch is allowed to carry on his criminal activity so that
he can provide the police with a constant flow of information.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Hay dos clases de snitch. El primero es un

criminal que ha sido detenido (busted) por la policía y está cumpliendo una
condena en la cárcel, así que da a la policía información sobre otro criminal
con el fin de ser indultado. Al segundo tipo de snitch se le permite continuar
con su actividad criminal para que pueda así suministrar a la policía un
constante flujo de información.

‘Snitch’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, so we know about snitches in the criminal world, but what
about snitches in the classroom… because whenever I’ve done any work
with kids I’ve noticed they’re all snitches these days – they always tell the
teacher who did something bad. What happened in your day, Dave?
DAVE: Can you not use the term ‘in your day’? It makes me sound like an
old cunt. (cabrón)
ROK: Whoops. Okay.
DAVE: Anyway, when I was young – which wasn’t very long ago –
everyone kept their mouth shut. And anyone that talked was a snitch and they
paid the price.
ROK: And what was that?
DAVE: I seem to remember in my boarding school we had those old
fashioned metal beds with the iron headboard.
ROK: And?
DAVE: And… what do you think?
ROK: I dunno. (una contracción de 'don't know')
DAVE: We used to put the snitch behind the headboard and squeeze him
against the wall. That’s what a snitch deserves. (merece)
ROK: Well, I’ll remember not to snitch on you.
DAVE: Yes, Rokeby…you remember! In the meantime, second phrase
please.
1.2 Pig… Policía (peyorativo)

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: If you’re ever committing a crime and one of

your criminal friends says “I can smell bacon,” you better start running
because he’s not talking about fried pieces of meat, he’s saying… the pigs
are coming. The police are known by criminals in most English speaking
cultures as pigs, and not surprisingly, it’s not a pleasant term; it won’t win
you any friends in the law enforcement community.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Si alguna vez estás cometiendo un crimen y

uno de tus compañeros criminales dice: “I can smell bacon”, será mejor que
empieces a correr porque no está hablando de piezas fritas de carne, está
diciendo the pigs are coming. En la mayoría de las culturas de habla inglesa
la policía es conocida por los criminales como pigs, y no es de extrañar que
no sea un término agradable. No te hará ganar ningún amigo en la comunidad
de las fuerzas del orden.

‘Pig’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Tell me, Rokeby, do you think it’s fair to call the police pigs?
ROK: No, is the simple answer to that. Though, it depends why they’re
called pigs. If they got the name because they’re supposedly the scum of the
earth – worse than rubbish, then I think that’s entirely unacceptable. (la
escoria de la tierra) What about you – have you ever had any dealings with
the police which justifies the term pigs?
DAVE: No, thankfully, but there was a kid at my school who was always
saying, “fucking pigs that… and fucking pigs this.” (malditos / putos)
ROK: Why?
DAVE: Cos he said that they beat his dad up. He said they came round his
house and took his dad down the station because they thought he was a
suspect they were looking for – a suspect who’d attacked another officer. (un
sospechoso)
ROK: So what happened?
DAVE: According to him, they beat the living shit out of him and then
realised that it wasn’t him. (darle una paliza)
ROK: Oh dear.
DAVE: Yeah, err...he wasn’t very complimentary about the police and I can
assure you he never used the word police – only pigs. He was also a
pathological liar, though.
ROK: I see. And I also see it’s the end of class. Thanks for coming
everybody, and one last thing: ask yourself – why a film star should receive
20 million a movie, when nurses, cops and teachers receive fuck all? Ciao my
friends…see you next week. (polícias)
1.3 Doing time… Cumplir una condena en prisión

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: One thing that’s certain when you’re a criminal

is that if you end up in prison you never say you’re serving a sentence, what
you say is that… you’re doing time. There are many varieties of the
expression, for example – “Johnny’s doing a ten stretch,” or “Tony’s doing
time, he’s doing six years.” Often, criminals translate the amount of time
they’re doing into coins. Doing a dime (10 cents) is doing ten years, doing a
nickel (5 cents) five years.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Una cosa segura cuando eres un criminal es que

si terminas en la cárcel nunca dices que estás cumpliendo una sentencia, lo
que dices es you’re doing time. Existen muchas variaciones de esta expresión,
por ejemplo: “Johnny’s doing a ten stretch” o “Tony’s doing time...he’s
doing six years”. A menudo, los criminales traducen la cantidad de tiempo en
monedas. Doing a dime (10 céntimos) es cumplir diez años, doing a nickel (5
céntimos) cinco años.

‘Doing Time’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, Dave, explain the saying we taught our students earlier – if you
can’t do the time then don’t commit the crime.
DAVE: Yeah, it’s basically saying – the high probability is that if you
commit a crime then you’re gonna get caught and you’re gonna end up doing
time. So you better be prepared for that when you execute the crime. If you’re
not prepared to do the time, don’t commit the crime.
ROK: It’s a total cliché, though. (tópico)
DAVE: Yeah, of course it is, but clichés are clichés for a reason
ROK: Which is?
DAVE: They’re almost always true.
ROK: Yeah, I suppose so, but I bet it’s little consolation for the criminal
who’s just got busted when someone says, “If you can’t do the time, don’t
commit the crime.”
DAVE: Of course not. Doing time is a bitch and there’s no consolations for
anybody. (putada)
ROK: Which I suppose proves the whole wisdom of the saying – if you do a
crime then you gotta be prepared to do some time; you knew what you were
doing and you knew the consequences – that’s what happens. (sabiduría)
DAVE: Yeah, but as you well know, Rokeby… human psychology doesn’t
work like that.
ROK: You’re damn right there, Dave. Okay, next word.
1.4 Joint / In the joint... Prisión / Estar en prisión / Local

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Question: What would you be doing if you

were smoking a joint in the joint? Well, if you were smoking a joint in the
joint you’d be smoking a marijuana cigarette in prison. Yes, prison is the
joint... or sometimes, prison doesn’t even have a name, you just say “He’s…
inside.” Also, while we’re talking of the subject and just to confuse things
further – a joint is also a marijuana cigarette and sometimes the joint refers to
a bar or disco.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Pregunta: ¿Qué estarías haciendo si estuvieses

smoking a joint in the joint? Bueno, estuvieses fumando un porro (smoking a
joint) en la cárcel (in the joint). Sí, la prisión es the joint. En ocasiones, la
prisión ni tiene nombre, únicamente dices: “He’s… inside” (adentro).
Además, cuando se habla del sujeto, y para confundir un poco más las cosas,
a joint es también un cigarrillo de marihuana (porro) o un local tal como un
bar o disco.

‘Joint’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, Dave, did you see that program on doing time in foreign jails? The
worst joints in the world.
DAVE: Fuck, yeah… that was some nasty shit man… did you see the one
on Venezuela? (algo muy muy malo)
ROK: Yeah.
DAVE: Tell them the story.
ROK: Well, it was about two British guys who got conned into one of these
free trips by some smooth talking Russian gangster. (hacerle la barba)
DAVE: One of those – sun, sea, girls, a few grand in cash and then you
carry a package back to England – trips. (mil euros)
ROK: Yeah; so, after their holiday, it was time to do the job and carry their
package, and basically the gangsters load these guys up with something that’s
like a bullet proof jacket… full of coke. And so what happens? (chaleco
antibalas - cocaína)
DAVE: They get busted in the airport and then they spend some hard time
in the joint – Caracas style. A truly hellish jail. ( arrestado - una sentencia
dura – infernal)
ROK: Yeah, I think we can say to any criminals: you should try and avoid
the joint anywhere… but definitely give those Venezuelan joints a miss. But
don’t give Venezuela a miss…great country. See you next week.
1.5 Hustler… Estafador, trafagón

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Hustler isn’t just a famous American

pornographic magazine. A hustler is someone who spends their time out on
the streets engaging in all sorts of different activities to earn money. Often,
many of these activities are illegal such as drug dealing, pimping and selling
stolen property – but not always. What defines a hustler is constant
movement, energy, and street contact.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Hustler no es sólo una revista norteamericana

famosa de pornografía. Un hustler es alguien que pasa su tiempo afuera en las
calles participando en todo tipo de actividades para ganar dinero. A menudo,
muchas de estas actividades son ilegales como tráfico de drogas,
proxenetismo y venta de artículos robados, aunque no siempre. Lo que define
a un hustler es su constante movimiento, energía y contacto callejero.

‘Hustler’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Is it true that you were a bit of a hustler when you were at university,
Dave?
DAVE: Well, of course it depends what you mean by hustler. If the question
is… was I a pimp, dope dealer and criminal, then the answer is no, but if
you mean did I engage in all different activities and selling stuff, then yeah, I
suppose I was a bit of a hustler. (chulo – traficante)
ROK: The second one… so tell us what you did.
DAVE: Well, in the spirit of the hustler there was no real fixed business. I
was a bit of a spontaneous entrepreneur. (emprendedor) It was around
about that time the rave scene started so I made my first money organising
raves. Huge parties in abandoned warehouses.
ROK: Wow, that sounds like authentic rave… not the crap raves I went to.
(malísimos)
DAVE: Yeah, err… that was the real deal. Then for a while I sold t-shirts
with cool stuff on them like Lego and Star Wars figures, and then I got into
the limo business. (cosas)
ROK: Hey, that really is true hustler territory.
DAVE: Well, I’ll admit, that limo hire has often been associated with
criminal enterprises but this was a legitimate business of my uncles.
ROK: Wow, man… Respect. You really worked your way through college
and made money. Personally, I just got drunk on government money. Okay,
hustler, let’s move onto our next phrase.
1.6 Punk… Gilipollas / Putón

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: I’ve met non-native English speakers who’ve

seen the word punk used in gangster films and always presumed the term was
somehow related to punk rockers. However, the musical and cultural
movement of punk has nothing to do with the gangster use of the word at all.
The initial meaning of punk is a man forced to have sex with another man in
prison. Therefore, when used as an insult the speaker is essentially calling the
other person weak and pathetic. Then, punk is often mutated into longer
phrases such as “Punk ass bitch.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: He conocido a angloparlantes no nativos que

han escuchado la palabra punk en películas de gangsters y siempre han creído
que el término se relaciona con los rockeros punk (punk rockers). Sin
embargo, el movimiento musical y cultural del punk no tiene nada que ver
con el uso gangster de la palabra. El significado inicial de punk se refiere a un
hombre que es forzado a tener sexo con otro hombre en prisión. Así pues,
cuando se usa como insulto el hablante está básicamente llamando a la otra
persona débil y patética. Además, punk varía a menudo a frases más largas
como “Punk ass bitch”.

‘Punk’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: So, Rokeby, tell me about that fight you saw when you were in New
York last summer.
ROK: Whoah, it was excellent. Well, sorry, it wasn’t excellent because
violence is never excellent, but in terms of the word punk it was very
illuminating. I was in a bar drinking a beer when these four black guys stood
up at the same time, clearly angry. (hombres) The tallest of them was
fucking huge and he shouted to the youngest, “You little punk, you better be
here by 5 PM with my dog or you’re dead.”
DAVE: With his dog?
ROK: Yeah, it seemed to be a dispute about a dog. Anyway, the small one
got all offended at being called a punk and said something like, “if you don’t
stop bugging me about your dog I’m gonna get Charl over to talk to you.”
(molestándome) Then this sent the guy really mad, “Why, you little punk ass
bitch, I’m gonna …” it was intense, man: to see this guy hit the younger one
on his jaw. In fact, it was so intense that I dropped the glass I was holding.
Everyone stopped and turned, the two guys fighting stopped, and I said sorry.
Then the big guy said, “nigger, what the fuck sort of an accent is that?”
DAVE: Err…Rokeby … sorry to interrupt but… I think we should just
confess that this story is not true.
ROK: I think you’re right. The last bit rather destroyed the credibility, didn’t
it? Why would he say ‘nigger’ to a white guy?
DAVE: End of class?
1.7 Pimp… Chulo / Proxeneta

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: A pimp is a prostitute’s controller or

representative and someone who lives off their earnings. Almost always
pimps are men; if a pimp is a woman, however, she is known as a madame.
In recent years pimping something has come to mean decorating or making
something look better – a definition made popular by Pimp My Ride on
MTV.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Un pimp es el controlador o representante de

una prostituta y alguien que vive de sus ganancias. Casi siempre los pimps
son hombres; sin embargo, si un pimp es mujer se le conoce como madame.
En los últimos años pimping something ha venido a significar decorar o hacer
que algo se vea mejor, una definición popularizada por Pimp My Ride de
MTV.

Pimp’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Tell me Dave, do you think it’s possible that a pimp could ever be a
nice guy and actually good for the woman who he’s pimping?
DAVE: Well, I’m no expert on the ins and outs of prostitution but I can’t see
why a woman would need a pimp unless she was living a violent, dangerous
street existence – in which case it’s pretty unlikely the pimp’s gonna be a
nice guy. (bastante)
ROK: Yeah, I suppose, by definition – a pimp offers protection, and if he’s
strong enough and rough enough to provide it, the odds are against him being
a nice guy.
DAVE: Will you make a habit of repeating the point I just made or was it
just this once?
ROK: Fuck you!
DAVE: It was a bit redundant. You just reformulated my own words.
ROK: Whatever, Dave.
DAVE: Yes, anyway, what happened to the heyday of pimps in the
seventies: black dudes who wore hats with feathers in them? (apogeo – tíos)
ROK: It’s like all these things – the old-school criminals – including pimps -
got replaced by a newer breed of professional criminal. A dude with a feather
hat would be laughed off the street. But maybe you could try and revive the
fashion, Dave.
Or maybe we could just do the next word.
ROK: Okay.
1.8 Busted… Arrestado / Descubierto

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Busted is a common word that means caught

and arrested by the police for doing something illegal. If you’re a drug dealer
and the police raid your house, you’ve been busted. If you’re a thief and the
police find what you stole and arrest you, you’ve been busted. Recently,
busted has crept into use for any situation in which you get caught doing
something wrong. If you’re having an affair and your wife catches you for
example – you’re busted.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Busted es una palabra común que significa

descubierto y arrestado por la policía por hacer algo ilegal. Si eres un
traficante de drogas y la policía hace una redada en tu casa you’ve been
busted. Si eres un ladrón y la policía encuentra lo que has robado y te arresta,
you’ve been busted. Recientemente, busted ha deslizado su uso hacia
cualquier situación en la cual eres descubierto haciendo algo malo. Si estás
teniendo una aventura y tu esposa te descubre, por ejemplo, you’re busted.

‘Busted’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Okay, Rokeby, tell us a story about a foolish criminal getting busted.
ROK: Okay, that’s easy, there was someone on the news the other day that
got busted after an incredible string of events. This guy in Phoenix robbed a
store called Baseline and then went straight to the KFC and robbed that. As
he drove off a cop saw the stolen car and started chasing him.
(persiguiendo)
DAVE: What happened then?
ROK: The dude escapes, but the idiot clearly wasn’t happy with what he got
so he goes and robs another store. (tienda)
DAVE: So basically he got busted because he got greedy. (codicioso)
ROK: Yeah. He robbed another store straight after, they called the cops, and
he drove off in his car, but he immediately smashed into a lamppost just as
the cops arrived. (chocó – farola)
DAVE: Was he busted on the spot? (inmediatamente)
ROK: No, he pulled his gun out and started threatening the cops.
DAVE: That wasn’t a bright idea. (buena idea)
ROK: Then they shot him in the leg and arrested him.
DAVE: Totally busted.
ROK: And why is it you only hear these stories in the US; you never hear
them in Britain?
DAVE: Well, that’s simple – we just don’t have as many guns.
1.9 Dope… Droga

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: There are so many slang words for drugs we

could create an entire separate book on drug slang. One universal word,
however, is dope. Whether you’re talking about pot, speed, coke, or
performance enhancing drugs in sport, they are all referred to as dope. Dope,
which originally was a shortened word for dopamine, is the most common
term for drugs to be found in movies and music.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Existen tantas palabras del slang para referirse

a las drogas que podríamos crear un libro entero por separado sobre esto. Sin
embargo, una palabra universal es dope. Ya sea para hablar de marihuana,
speed, cocaína o las drogas dentro del deporte, a todas se les llama dope.
Dope, que originalmente era una abreviación de dopamina, es el término más
común para drogas que encontramos en el cine y en la música.

‘Dope’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Let’s have a bit of a debate, Dave. Now, I don’t wanna misrepresent
you, but I’d say that you basically think dope is acceptable?
DAVE: Hey, dude, you’re opening a can of worms there. (caja de Pandora)
That’s a very broad statement... first of all – as you just said – dope can
mean all drugs... there’s no way I would agree with heroine and stuff like
that. (una afirmación demasiado amplia)
ROK: But marijuana, yes.
DAVE: Well, how about we switch the focus of the conversation from dope
to alcohol. You’re a heavy drinker. A very heavy drinker. Do you approve of
that? (cambiamos el tema)
ROK: You know I don’t. And you know I disapprove of all forms of dope
including marijuana.
DAVE: But why marijuana?
ROK: Because I think it soon becomes habitual; what begins as an
interesting mental adventure soon becomes a road to nowhere.
DAVE: And you don’t see alcohol like that?
ROK: Yeah, but alcohol is inherently sociable... marijuana makes everyone
paranoid and esoteric. At least if you numb yourself with alcohol you have a
laugh. With dope... you sit isolated and paranoid.
DAVE: Err... I dunno what happened to you when you smoked dope but
that’s not my experience. And I’d say that almost all violent crime is related
to alcohol – that’s not very sociable. So, let’s agree to differ.
ROK: Ok. Next word. What is it Dave?
DAVE: Hooker.
2.0 Hooker… Prostituta

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Hooker is a very common expression for a

prostitute. It is more common in police and criminal circles – an almost
professional term, which is why you never hear the insult “She’s a hooker,”
whereas you do hear: “She’s a whore.” Hooker is a word that you are
unlikely to use but is certainly necessary for watching any kind of cop or
street movie.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Hooker es una palabra muy común para

referirse a una prostituta. Es más común en círculos policiacos y criminales, y
es casi un término profesional, por lo cual nunca escuchas el insulto “She’s a
hooker”, cuando sí escuchas “She’s a whore”. Hooker es una palabra que
seguramente es poco probable que utilices pero que ciertamente es necesaria
para ver cualquier película de policías o sobre la calle.

‘Hooker’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So Dave, let’s talk about hookers.

DAVE: Yes, let’s... you first. Where have you seen the most hookers you’ve
ever seen in your life?
ROK: Well, there’s two places that come to mind. The first is Bangkok and
the other is Madrid.
DAVE: Madrid. That’s not really a place I associate with hookers.
ROK: You’d be surprised. I was. It was an encounter that was forced on me
because the youth hostel in Madrid is smack bang in the middle of Casa del
Campo – a park that doubled up as the city’s red light district.
DAVE: A park that’s also a red light district?
ROK: Yeah, this was back in 2000 before they started to remove the hookers
from the area. It was crazy, there was one between each tree… and there were
one hell of a lot of trees. (un montón de)
DAVE: And were you ever tempted to pay for sex?
ROK: Absolutely not. Though, there were definitely some who were very
attractive. I used to have a coffee in a bar each morning and they’d come in
between clients. I got to know a few of them, but… no... I was never tempted.
Vocabulary Exercises

1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A 1. Snitch --- a. Doing time.

2. Pigs --- b. A man who’s constantly out on the street
selling or making money.
3. Punk --- c. A term that originates from unpleasant sexual
activity in prison.
4. In the joint --- d. Police.
5. Hustler --- e. An informer.

B 1. Doing time --- a. A boss for prostitutes.

2. Pimp --- b. In the joint.
3. Busted --- c. Caught.
4. Dope --- d. Drugs.
5. Hooker --- e. Whore.

2) Read the following story and choose a phrase or word to fill the space.

1. I’m sorry to tell you that we’ve discovered your wife is secretly
working as a _______________________________ . We caught her selling
herself on 69th street.
2. You are so _______________________________ . The teacher
found the book you were copying from. She’s going to officially accuse you
of plagiarism.
3. Man, that guy gets wasted every day. The only thing that interests
him is _______________________________.
4. The Russian guy is the hooker’s
_______________________________. He controls her every movement.
5. He’s been _______________________________for five years.
He’s got another 5 years to go.
6. If you can’t _______________________________ don’t commit
the crime.
7. His brother is pathetic. He’s nothing but a little
_______________________________.
8. I’m sure there’s a _______________________________ in our
gang. The police seem to know everything we gonna do before we do it.
9. MC Dob doesn’t have a real job. He sells different stuff everyday.
In my opinion he’s nothing more than a
_______________________________
10. Don’t use mobile phones when you buy coke. The
_______________________________ are monitoring our calls.

Answers

Snitch - - An informer.
Pigs - - Police.
Punk - - A term that originates from unpleasant
sexual activity in prison.
In the joint - - Doing time.
Hustler - - A man who’s constantly out on the
street selling or making money.

Doing time - - In the joint.

Pimp - - A boss for prostitutes.
Busted -- Caught.
Dope - - Drugs.
Hooker - - Whore.

1. I’m sorry to tell you that we’ve discovered your wife is secretly
working as a hooker. We caught her selling herself on 69th street.
2. You are so busted. The teacher found the book you were copy
from. She’s going to officially accuse you of plagiarism.
3. Man, that guy gets wasted every day. The only thing that interests
him is dope.
4. The Russian guy is the hooker’s Pimp. He controls her every
movement.
5. He’s been in the joint for five years. He’s got another 5 years to
go.
6. If you can’t do the time, don’t commit the crime.
7. His brother is pathetic. He’s nothing but a little punk.
8. I’m sure there’s a snitch in our gang. The police seem to know
everything we gonna do before we do it.
9. MC Dob doesn’t have a real job. He sells different stuff every day.
In my opinion he’s nothing more than a hustler.
10. Don’t use mobile phones when you buy coke. The pigs are
monitoring our calls.
UNIT 2 Cool
2.1 Cool… Guay / Chévere

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Okay… How do you translate cool? I want you

to think of as many translations for the word cool as you can. Okay, now I
want you to forget whatever you just thought. Why? Because I can tell you
for free that guay or other foreign words are weak compared to the word cool.
There is only one translation of cool and that’s… cool.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Okay... ¿Cómo se traduce cool? Quiero que

pienses en todas las traducciones posibles de la palabra cool. Okay, ahora
quiero que te olvides de lo que hayas pensado. ¿Por qué? Porque puedo
decirte que guay o chévere se quedan flojas comparadas con cool. Sólo hay
una traducción de cool y es… cool.

‘Cool’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: So, Rokeby what’s the coolest type of phone on the market?
ROK: Well, personally, mobile phones drive me mad… but I suppose the
coolest is the iPhone. But it’s not cool at all in my opinion.
DAVE: Why?
ROK: Because its main selling point, what’s supposed to be really cool about
it – the fact you can have internet everywhere – is bloody annoying.
DAVE: Bloody annoying? Bloody cool!
ROK: Come on, Dave, you know I love the internet…but the last thing I
want is internet everywhere; it’s like The matrix – constantly connected.
Think of the train for example – sometimes it’s just cool to look out the
window. Some of the greatest moments in life are the moments when
nothing’s happening.
DAVE: Fucking hell…Bla bla bla, Mr Philosopher. If I have to choose
between internet anywhere and staring outta the window at a bunch of
buildings I’ll take the internet. (out of) And just think of all the cool apps you
can get.
ROK: Fuck Apps. And fuck iPhones.
DAVE: So we’ll have to agree to disagree then – are you cool with that?
ROK: Yeah – I’m cool with that.
2.2 Awesome… Genial / Grandioso

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Awesome is one of many slang words that

originated from the surfing communities of California. It’s a word that’s
used for something that’s really really cool or amazing. If you use it
authentically you never use it softly. You never say “That’s awesome.” You
say… “That’s AWESOME!!!!!”
SPANISH EXPLANATION: Awesome es una de muchas palabras del slang
que se originaron en las comunidades surf de California. Es una palabra que
se utiliza para algo que es muy muy cool o espectacular. Si la utilizas
auténticamente nunca la dices de manera suave. Nunca dices “That’s
awesome”. Dices “That’s AWESOME!!!!!”

‘Awesome’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Now, Dave, you’re always cool, calm and collected. (tranquilo) I
can’t really imagine you getting excited enough to say, “whoa, that’s
awesome.” Am I right, or is there something that makes you say… “whoa…
that’s awesome.”
DAVE: Three things.
ROK: Yeah, what’s that?
DAVE: Juliana from Medellin. Her ass (culo). Awesome.
ROK: Yeah…what else?
DAVE: New Cheetos Mega… awesome.
ROK: Wait… I think you better explain what they are….
DAVE: Cheetos Mega… they’re chips…or… ‘crisps’ in British English.
They’re like super large Cheetos and they’re totally awesome.
ROK: Okay, and number 3.
DAVE: Barack Obama. Awesome.
ROK: What? His ass.
DAVE: No, though, I imagine his ass is totally awesome. Don’t make fun of
the man – the totally awesome figure that is Barack Obama.
ROK: Wouldn’t dream of it. The big O. A living icon. First black president
of the United States… soon not to be president. I don’t agree with his
politics…but you can’t deny his achievement.
DAVE: Awesome.
ROK: Truly awesome. But not as awesome as the party Dave and I are going
to now. Call a cab Dave.
2.3 Down With That… Estar de acuerdo

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: If cool is universal and awesome is a surfer

word I’m down with that is the first term in this category that comes from
hip-hop culture. To be down with something is to agree with something or to
consent to something. If you suggest to a friend to go to the cinema and he
says “I’m down with that…” it means he thinks it’s a good idea. Unlike
awesome which requires a loud exclamation, I’m down with that is usually
said in a mellow, unconcerned way.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Si cool es universal y awesome es una palabra

del surf “I’m down with that” es el primer término en esta categoría que
proviene de la cultura hip-hop. To be down with something significa estar de
acuerdo o consentir algo. Si le sugieres a un amigo ir al cine y él dice “I’m
down with that” significa que cree que es una buena idea. A diferencia de
awesome, que requiere una exclamación fuerte, “I’m down with that”
normalmente se dice de forma tranquila y despreocupada.

‘I’m down with that’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, Dave, shall we go hang out on the beach? (pasar un rato)
DAVE: I’m down with that.
ROK: Excellent. And how about if we go and buy a couple of beers?
DAVE: I’m down with that.
ROK: And they’re on me. (te invito)
DAVE: I’m definitely down with that.
ROK: And then a spicy curry afterwards. (picante)
DAVE: I’m down with that.
ROK: And then we watch Star Wars
DAVE: I’m down with that.
ROK: And then we drink some more beers.
DAVE: I’m down with that.
ROK: And then you tidy up (ordenar) the lounge and wash the dishes
before my girl gets back.
DAVE: I’m definitely not down with that.
ROK: Surprise surprise. That’s the Dave for you: there for the fun, gone for
the tidying up.
DAVE: Guys, never be friends with a writer…they invent things. I stayed at
Rokeby’s house for a month last year and the place was the tidiest it’s ever
been. Ungrateful git! (ingrato) Move it on Rokeby…second phrase please.
2.4 Sweet … Guay / Qué bien

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Sweet is usually used for situations. In other

words, although you can say “That was a really cool book,” you can’t really
say – “That was a sweet book.” Sweet is for when something really good
happens. If someone tells you their boss has given them a raise, you’d say
“Sweet.” And notice how I say it: you don’t use an abrupt “Sweet,” you
always say “Sweeeet.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Sweet se utiliza normalmente para situaciones.

En otras palabras, aunque puedes decir “That was a really cool book”, en
realidad no puedes decir “That was a sweet book”. Sweet se dice cuando algo
realmente bueno sucede. Si alguien te cuenta que su jefe le ha aumentado el
sueldo, dirías “Sweet”. Y observa cómo lo digo yo: no pronuncias un abrupto
“Sweet”, siempre dices “Sweeeet”.

‘Sweet’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So tell us about something that’s happened to you recently, Dave,

something really good. And preferably nothing involving cocaine and
strippers.
DAVE: Well, Essien launched his internet radio station Happenstance Radio
recently and had 5 thousand visitors.
ROK: Sweet. And what sort of music do they play?
DAVE: Everything from smooth electronic to indie to house.
ROK: Sweet. And why aren’t they putting our podcasts on air?
DAVE: What?
ROK: Well it’s a radio station. They could our audios.
DAVE: Err…yes, but it’s a music station. How would you feel if you wanted
to listen to some music and then you have to listen to a class on the present
continuous?
ROK: Personally, I’d be happy, because I love languages; but I suppose
you’ve got a point. (tienes razón)
DAVE: But don’t worry; I’ll tell him to tell everyone about our podcasts on
the radio station…don’t you worry.
ROK: Sweet. Okay, Dave…now we’ve gotta go to Noelia’s party.
DAVE: Now that is sweet.
2.5 Wicked…(bad) De puta madre / Genial

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Wicked means really really good. But in

standard English it actually means very very bad, in the satanic sense. So the
question is… “Why does a word that means bad mean it’s really good?”
Probably the association is from lust and sin, the idea that what’s often bad is
the most exciting thing. By the way, wicked is mostly used in British slang,
but you can hear it all over the world. When do you use it most, Dave?

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Wicked significa muy muy bueno. Pero en el

inglés estándar en realidad significa muy muy malo, en el sentido satánico.
Así que la pregunta es ¿por qué una palabra que en realidad significa malo
quiere decir muy bueno? Probablemente se deba a la asociación con la lujuria
y el pecado, a la idea de que lo que normalmente es malo resulta ser lo más
emocionante. Por cierto, wicked se utiliza sobre todo en el slang británico,
pero puedes escucharla por todo el mundo. ¿Tú cuándo la utilizas más, Dave?

‘Wicked’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: I think without a doubt, when I listen to a good piece of music.

That’s a wicked track!
ROK: Track, by the way, is a technical word for ‘song.’
DAVE: Yeah. I think it’s one of the best words for a good song. You listen to
a good track and you just have to say, “that’s a wicked track.”
ROK: Wicked. And tell us about a wicked film you’ve seen recently.
DAVE: Recently, the most wicked film I’ve seen is Mike Leigh’s. You
should watch it…it deals with a subject close to your heart.
ROK: Enough said. And have you read any wicked books recently?
DAVE: I have, actually… The road by Cormac Murphy.
ROK: Excellent. You know, Dave, if we’re telling them about wicked, we
should tell them about bad.
DAVE: Good point. Yes. Bad, like wicked, is a word that usually means
something negative, but in the eighties… it began to mean cool.
ROK: Yeah. I bet that a lot of our students who watched the Michael Jackson
video didn’t realise that instead of singing I’m bad; he was actually singing
I’m cool.
DAVE: Yes. But our students should also know not to use the term. Because
concepts of cool are intimately linked with being alternative and
underground, the day Michael Jackson used the word it immediately became
uncool. By the way, a recent variation on the theme is sick. (de puta madre)
That can also mean cool if you live in LA.
ROK: Good summary, Dave. Time for the second phrase of the day.
2.6 Smooth… Con estilo y clase

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Smooth is something that is good but always in

relation to style, image and vibe, and, curiously enough, it’s almost always
used to talk about men. First of all, a man can be a smooth dresser. Being a
smooth dresser wouldn’t normally refer to hip-hop clothes, however; a
smooth dresser makes one think more of Armani. Continuing this association,
smooth is often used when talking about a certain style of approaching and
pursuing women. Smooth is charming, witty, stylish.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Smooth se refiere a algo que es bueno pero

siempre en relación con el estilo, la imagen y la vibra y, curiosamente, casi
siempre se utiliza para hablar de hombres. Por un lado, un hombre puede ser
un smooth dresser (alguien que viste con estilo o clase); sin embargo, ser un
smooth dresser no se refiere a ropa del estilo del hip-hop, más bien hace que
uno piense en Armani. Siguiendo esta idea, smooth se utiliza frecuentemente
cuando se habla de cierto estilo para acercarse o perseguir mujeres. Smooth es
encantador, ingenioso, elegante.

‘Smooth’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, Dave, to give examples of smooth, I’m gonna tell you some pick-
up lines men use to try and get women in bars and you’ve got to rate their
smoothness on a level from 1 to 10. (piropos)
DAVE: Okay. Sounds good. Hit me with it. (dime – tell me)
ROK: “Great legs, what time do they open?”
DAVE: Okay, that is totally not smooth.
ROK: “Excuse me; I think you owe me a drink.”[She says, "Why?"]
“Because when I saw you from across the room I dropped mine.”
DAVE: On a smoothness scale of one to ten, that’s a rating of about 1.
ROK: “Excuse me, but I’m new in town, can I have directions to your
place?”
DAVE: I like the directness, but definitely not smooth. Forget it.
ROK: How about…“You must be tired because you’ve been running
through my head all night.”
DAVE: The antithesis of smooth.
ROK: “If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put U and I together.”
DAVE: Next!
ROK: “Can I read your T shirt in brail?” (braille)
DAVE: Funny, but not smooth. And that’s all the smoothness for today.
We’ll see you next week brothers and sisters for more subsonic, underground
English. Until then…ciao.
2.7 The Bomb… De puta madre

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: The bomb is an example of a phrase from the

nineties that is not cool anymore but is still in use. It’s generally used by 30-
somethings who grew up when the word was in vogue, then had children, and
stopped their contact with cool counter-culture. The bomb is a general word
for anything you think is cool; however, don’t confuse it with the phrase it
bombed – which meant it was a disaster.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: The bomb es un ejemplo de una frase de los

noventa que ya no es cool pero que todavía se dice. Es utilizada generalmente
por treintañeros que crecieron cuando la palabra estaba de moda, luego
tuvieron hijos e interrumpieron su contacto con la contra-cultura cool. The
bomb es una frase muy general para cualquier cosa que te parezca cool; sin
embargo, no la confundas con la frase it bombed, que significa que algo fue
un desastre.

‘The Bomb’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: That 30 something vibe sounds like you’re describing yourself there,
Rokeby.
ROK: What do you mean?
DAVE: A guy who left the world of cool some time after he started having
children.
ROK: You cheeky bastard. I am the living epitome of cool, children or no
children. (cabrón descarado)
DAVE: Yeah right. Tell me when you last went to a party that was the bomb.
You know, a party with lots of girls, wicked tunes and you stayed up all
night. I bet it was some time in the nineties.
ROK: A party that was the bomb. What about the Weekend Club? That was
the bomb – and that was only a couple of weeks ago.
DAVE: That wasn’t the bomb… Admit it, the last party you went to that was
the bomb, they were singing Prince’s “and tonight we’re gonna party like it’s
1999” and that seemed like a long time in the future.
ROK: Dave. I will end this section like so many others…
DAVE: How’s that?
ROK: By saying… fuck you!
DAVE: How about by saying…let’s start the next class?
2.8 The dog’s bollocks … Cojonudo

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: This is one of my favourites: the dog’s

bollocks - the testicles (balls) of a dog. The dog’s bollocks cannot be used as
frequently as cool or wicked because it really is only for something that is the
absolute best. So, if you’ve been dreaming of summer holidays all year, for
example, and you finally made it to the sea, you’d lie in the water and say
“This is the dog’s bollocks.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Ésta es una de mis favoritas: the dog’s bollocks

(los cojones del perro). The dog’s bollocks no puede utilizarse tan
frecuentemente como cool o wicked porque realmente es para algo que es
absolutamente lo mejor. Así que si has estado soñando con vacaciones de
verano todo el año, por ejemplo, y finalmente llegas al mar, yacerías en el
agua y dirías “This is the dog’s bollocks”.

‘The Dog’s bollocks’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, Dave, bearing in mind the dog’s bollocks can only be used when
something is the absolute best, what would you describe as the dog’s
bollocks? (teniendo en cuenta)
DAVE: Okay, the dog’s bollocks…let me think. Extra mature cheddar. Good
weed from Amsterdam. How about Corona? The beer. Corona is the dog’s
bollocks. (marijuana)
ROK: Corona? The Mexican beer. Come on, man. Mexico: great women,
great food, great tequila… but average beer. Give me a good Estrella Dam
any day … now that’s the dog’s bollocks.
DAVE: Estrella isn’t the dog’s bollocks it’s the cat’s bollocks.
ROK: There’s no such phrase as the cat’s bollocks.
DAVE: Yes there is; I just invented it. It’s something that’s good, but not as
good as the dog’s bollocks.
ROK: But that’ll just confuse everyone; and anyway, why not stick with dog
but another part of the anatomy?
DAVE: What? The dog’s cock?
ROK: You’re disgusting.
DAVE: Why are a pair of bollocks – testicles – not disgusting but a cock is?
ROK: Good point, Dave, but you’ll have to carry on making it down the pub.
It’s time for us to go.
2.9 Kick ass… Super guay / Super

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: When Steve Jobs looked at his iPhone for the
first time he must have thought: “That is a kickass product.” Not only was he
saying it was very cool but he was specifically using the inherent
aggressiveness of kick ass: that, compared to any similar products, it would
kick their asses.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Cuando Steve Jobs vio su iPhone por primera

vez debió haber pensado: “That is a kickass product”. No sólo estaba
expresando que era muy cool, sino que estaba utilizando expresamente la
agresividad inherente de kickass; en otras palabras, que, comparado con
cualquier otro producto similar, el iPhone seguramente patearía sus
traseros.

‘Kickass’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, bearing in mind we already used the example of Apple…and you
said you liked the internet on the train. Would you say, Dave, that the iPhone
is a kickass phone?
DAVE: I wouldn’t actually. As far as I’m concerned it’s a bit overrated.
(En lo que a mí respecta - sobrevalorado)
ROK: I thought you were really into all the latest toys and gadgets.
DAVE: I am. But that’s all the iPhone is – a toy. The real smart device that is
truly kick ass is the Blackberry.
ROK: Really?
DAVE: Yeah, Blackberry is all about security. Your data is safe on a
Blackberry. That’s why Obama uses a blackberry.
ROK: Yeah, but why do you need to worry about your data Dave, the only
data you’ve got is dozens of chicks’ telephone numbers? Admittedly,
valuable, but hardly the stuff of national security. (Cierto es que)
DAVE: My data is important to me. That’s all that matters.
ROK: Fair enough. As far as I’m concerned, though, my shitty old Nokia –
the opposite of a smart phone – no internet, easy to use… that’s a kick ass
phone.
DAVE: That ain’t no kickass phones that’s a broke ass phone. (una mierda
de)
ROK: You cunt!
3.0 Fly… Guay / con estilo

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Fly is one of those terms for cool that truly
comes from hip-hop English, and is so cool that it doesn’t look right for a
white person to say it. Now, that might sound controversial but it’s a fact. A
lot of hip-hop English sounds silly when it comes out of a white person’s
mouth because it looks like they’re trying to be cool. Anyway, fly is usually
used more for compliments about style or image… “That car is fly” or
“You’re looking fly.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Fly es uno de esos términos para cool que

verdaderamente proviene del inglés del hip-hop, y es tan cool que no se ve
bien que una persona blanca lo diga. Ahora bien, eso puede sonar
controversial pero es un hecho. Mucho del inglés del hip-hop resulta ridículo
cuando es pronunciado por una persona blanca, porque pareciera que está
tratando de ser cool. Fly se utiliza normalmente para cumplidos sobre estilo e
imagen: “That car is fly” o “You’re looking fly”.

‘Fly’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, Dave, am I looking fly today?

DAVE: What, in a tracksuit?
ROK: Why? A tracksuit can’t be fly or what?
DAVE: Well, unless it’s some kind of amazing, limited edition tracksuit,
then no… not really.
ROK: But I was looking fly last Saturday, wasn’t I? You remember… that
Diesel top I was wearing.
DAVE: Yeah, but unfortunately, I remember you were wearing flip-flops
too. That kind of ruined the whole fly perspective for me. You looked quite
cool, though. (más o menos)
ROK: But I don’t want to look cool, I wanna look fly.
DAVE: Well, sorry to say it, Rokeby, but maybe it’s like what you said…
it’s a black-white thing.
ROK: Hey, I said that white people can’t use the term fly… but I didn’t say
they couldn’t look fly.
DAVE: I’ll tell you what. We’ll go shopping later. I’ll have you looking fly
by the end of the day.
ROK: Sounds good. We’ll have to get photos onto the website.
DAVE: Excellent. And that wraps it up for today, superfly guy. A big hug to
all our students, and we all hope that when you’re getting ready to go out this
weekend you all look in the mirror and say, “Damn, I look fly.” Bye
everyone.
Vocabulary Exercises

1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A
1) Cool a) A universal term for
something good.
2) Awesome b) A British slang term that
means bad and good.
3) Down with that c) It can never be said
quickly.
4) Sweet d) A hip-hop English term
that implies agreement.
5) Wicked e) Originally a surfer
word for ‘cool.’

6) Smooth f) A term that sounds better

when used by rappers.
7) The Bomb g) A popular nineties phrase that is
still used today.
8) The dog’s bollocks h) Cockney slang.
9) Kick ass i) Much better than the rest.
10) fly j) Charming, cool, stylish,
sophisticated.

2) Read the following sentences and choose the correct word. Explain
your answer.
1) Wow, James, that’s a wicked suit… you look really
_____________________________________ cool / fly / kickass
2) The Ferrari is a
_____________________________________ car
that goes much faster than the Porsche. cool / fly / kickass
3) You should have seen the way he talked to this girl he’d never even met.
She immediately gave him her number… he was very
_____________________________________ cool / the dogs bollocks /
smooth
4) I fucking love Colombian coffee. It’s
_____________________________________ kickass / the dog’s bollocks /
smooth
5) I like my new university. It’s really
_____________________________________ the dog’s bollocks / cool /
smooth
6) I had such a good time at the party. It was
_____________________________________ the bomb / bombed / was
kickass
7) “How about we go to the concert later?”
“_________________________________________ cool / the bomb / I’m
down with that.
8) Play that again. It’s a _________________________________ track.
Wicked /cool / kick ass
9) “Wow, the company’s just offered me a new contract with much better
pay.”
Wicked / the dog’s bollocks / sweet
10) “Wow, look at those giant waves. We’ll be able to do lots of surfing.”
Cool / the bomb / awesome

Answers
Exercise 1
1–a
2–e
3–d
4–c
5–b
6–j
7–g
8–h
9–i
10 – f

Exercise 2
1. Cool or fly
2. Kickass
3. Smooth
4. The dogs bollocks (kickass is ususally followed by a noun)
5. Cool
6. The bomb
7. I’m down with that
8. Wicked (but you could say cool or kick ass)
9. Sweet (or wicked)
10. Awesome (used by surfers originally)
Fundamentals - Strategy: Step by step

Like everything in life, the move towards watching movies in original

version should be taken step by step. In fact, a good first step doesn’t even
involve movies or songs – but books. The problem with English in films and
music is that it is delivered at such a rapid pace you have no time to process
it. Reading (presuming it is a contemporary novel that uses real language and
not a Victorian novel) allows you to absorb real language at your own pace.
A common problem with students reading novels, however, is a bad choice of
book. Do not choose difficult literary novels; choose best-selling novels with
a good story (and lots of colloquial English) that makes you keep on reading
even if it’s difficult.
Once you have a good book you must take the first step with original media.
Start watching films with subtitles in your own language. Depending on your
country this may be necessary or not. In countries like Spain where
everything is dubbed and there is no culture of subtitling it is necessary to
start with subtitles. Subtitles allow your ear to begin to adapt.
As with books, your choice of song, movie or series is important. Don’t go
for a ghetto drama set in the Bronx as your first original version series.
Choose something which isn’t full of subculture slang.
An important aspect of your strategy must be a multi-methodological
approach. Your gradual move towards original version media must take place
within a wider context of improving all aspects of your English. As well as
learning the vocabulary in this book you must continue studying grammar,
listening, and all the other aspects of language which will clearly benefit your
project.
Once you decide to start watching original version with no subtitles
remember that you don’t have to try an all or nothing approach. You can
watch part of the movie with subtitles and part with none. Also, remember
that the remote control was invented for a reason; take full advantage of your
ability to do what you can’t do in real conversation – pause, rewind and play
again.
The specifics of our advice are not important, what’s important is that you
understand that you don’t have to throw yourself in at the deep end and start
trying to watch original version media from day 1. Find your own rhythm and
your own method.
UNIT 3 Shit
3.1 Oh Shit… ¡Joder! / ¡Mierda!

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: It’s one of the most fundamental emotions:

something bad happens and there’s only one thing you can say, “Oh shit!”
Whether it’s Scheiße in German, merd in French or mierda in Spanish. Shit is
just one of those essential words for life. And the interesting thing is that it
has the same, dual meaning in all these languages: it is both a word you say
when something bad happens “Oh shit!” and when you encounter something
bad or inferior or worthless “That’s shit.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Esta palabra expresa una de las emociones más

fundamentales. Algo malo sucede; sólo hay una cosa que puedes decir: “Oh
shit!” Ya sea Scheiße en alemán, merd en francés o mierda en español. Shit
es una de esas palabras esenciales para la vida. Y lo interesante es que tiene el
mismo mensaje dual en todas estas lenguas: es una palabra que dices cuando
algo malo sucede, “Oh shit!”, y cuando encuentras algo malo, inferior o sin
valor, “That’s shit”.
Nivel de ofensa - 6.5

‘Shit’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Hey, Dave, how are you today?

DAVE: Yeah, I’m fine... but why are you being so polite, and asking me how
I am?
ROK: Because I’ve got some bad news for you. I’m afraid I’m gonna need
that 200 euros I lent you last month.
DAVE: Oh shit!
ROK: Sorry man. It’s just... I didn’t earn as much money as I thought I
would… and I need to buy a new monitor.
DAVE: What’s wrong with the one you’ve got?
ROK: It’s shit. The colours are all fucked up.
DAVE: Okay, but if I give you that back I’m gonna be fucked for money.
That means I’ll have to work next Saturday.
ROK: And?
DAVE: Well, apart from the fact my job’s shit and I hate it, I won’t be able
to record the next episode of English in Popular Culture.
ROK: Oh shit. Okay then... keep the money and I’ll just carry on using my
shit monitor.
DAVE: Cool. Well, now we’ve sorted that problem out, let’s move on to the
next phrase.
3.2 Shit-hot… Excelente

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Shit-hot is the first of several uses of shit that

mean totally the opposite of shit. Yes, you’ve guessed it – with a touch of
excellent English contradiction shit-hot is used to describe something – or
usually somebody – who is excellent. For example, shit-hot is used to
describe a brilliant athlete, director or writer. “Messi is shit-hot,” “Tayo is a
shit hot DJ,” etc., etc.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Shit hot es el primero de varios usos de shit que

significan totalmente lo opuesto a shit. Sí, lo has adivinado, con un toque de
excelente contradicción del inglés, shit-hot es utilizado para describir algo, o
a alguien, que es excelente. Por ejemplo, shit-hot es utilizado para describir a
un atleta, director o escritor brillante: “Messi is shit-hot”, “Tayo is a a shit-
hot DJ”, etc., etc.
Nivel de ofensa - 6

‘Shit hot’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Hey, I notice that you mention our friend, Tayo. It’s true... he’s a shit-
hot DJ.
DAVE: Not as shit-hot as his brother, Essien, though.
ROK: Hey, they’re different. Essien’s more about the radio – Tayo’s a live
performer jet setting around the world.
DAVE: I suppose so. And which other DJs do you regard as shit-hot? No
actually, tell us about rappers. That’s more your speciality. Which rappers do
you regard as shit-hot? You were writing about Wiz khalifa on our music
website. (considerar)
ROK: Yes, I was… and this reveals something about shit-hot. Because,
there’s loads of rappers who I regard as legendary and brilliant and genius
...but they’re not shit-hot.
DAVE: Why not?
ROK: Because shit-hot is always new, exciting, up and coming, as opposed
to established.
DAVE: You’re right. So who are the shit-hot rappers at the moment?
ROK: Well, as you mentioned, I was writing about Wiz Khalifa the other
day on our music website inglesmusica.com. He’s definitely shit-hot.
DAVE: Dave?
ROK: Yeah.
DAVE: Do you think we’re shamelessly trying to advertise our music
website.
ROK: Yes. But why not? It’s shit-hot. So let’s leave that as the last example
and bust a move. See you next week, guys and remember…don’t keep it
real…keep it royal.
3.3 Bullshit… Mentiras / Tonterías

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Okay, this is no bullshit... bullshit is in the top

ten most important words of the 100 in this book. Bullshit means, primarily,
lies. For example, George Bush said there were weapons in Iraq and it was
total bullshit. Secondly, it’s a word for something that is stupid, senseless and
incomprehensible: for example, having to give your fingerprint to enter the
United States is bullshit.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Okay, esto no es bullshit... bullshit está en el

top diez de las palabras más importantes de las 100 que hay en este libro.
Bullshit significa, primeramente, mentiras. Por ejemplo, George Bush dijo
que existían armas en Irak y esto fue total bullshit. Además, es una palabra
que se utiliza para algo que es estúpido, sin sentido e incomprensible: Tener
que dar tu huella dactilar para entrar a Estados Unidos es bullshit.

Nivel de ofensa - 7.5

‘Bullshit’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: So, Rokeby, we all know you’re a lover of Spain, and Latin culture
generally. But is there anything about Spain that’s total bullshit?
ROK: Err... yeah... my students.
DAVE: Your students?
ROK: Yeah. I love ‘em; but one thing that tires me is having to deal with all
the bullshit they believe with respect to learning a language.
DAVE: Like what?
ROK: Well, I mean, every new course I do it’s crazy; because in a group of
five or six you can have students believing totally different ideas. All of them
total bullshit. Then of course, when students quit the course because they’re
too lazy to study, that’s when you hear some incredible bullshit. Like, one
time a guy told me there was too much vocabulary on the course and that’s
why he was giving up.
DAVE: And what did you say to him?
ROK: I said, “Bullshit. You’re studying a language. You can’t give up a
course cos there’s too much vocabulary. That’s like giving up maths cos
there’s too many numbers. What fucking bullshit.”
DAVE: Okay, But... you still love your students right?
ROK: Of course; now that definitely isn’t bullshit. But I tell you when our
listeners hear phrase number 2, they’re definitely gonna think it’s bullshit.
It’s totally illogical. Are you ready people?
3.4 The shit ... El major

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: The shit is basically just another positive word

like shit hot. The only difference being that it is more common for objects or
events whereas shit hot is usually used to describe people’s talent. If you had
just bought the latest version of the fighting game Tekken and you really
liked it, you could say “Tekken 6 is the shit.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: The shit es básicamente otra nueva palabra

positiva como shit hot. La diferencia es que es más común para objetos o
eventos mientras que shit hot es normalmente utilizada para describir el
talento de la gente. Si recién hubieses comprado la última versión del
videojuego Tekken y te hubiese gustado mucho, podrías decir “Tekken 6 is
the shit”.
Nivel de ofensa - 6

‘The shit’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: So, let’s talk video games a bit, Rokeby. What computer or console
game would you describe as the shit?
ROK: It’s funny you should ask, actually, because I just got back into video
games after a 10 year break. And the fascinating thing is that a newer version
of a game I used to play is still… the shit.
DAVE: And what’s that?
ROK: Mario carts. Mario carts is the shit.
DAVE: Mario Carts. Isn’t that just shit. Not…the shit. Isn’t that like...with
cartoon characters?
ROK: That’s the amazing thing. Despite all the incredible Formula 1
simulations they’ve produced, and urban games like Grand Theft Auto, Mario
carts is still the shit when it comes to driving games.
DAVE: Well, I generally trust your opinion so if you tell me Mario carts is
the shit… I’ll take your word for it.
ROK: Cool. How unusually co-operative of you. You must be after
something. (querer algo)
DAVE: It’s funny you should say that because I have a proposition for you.
But let’s not bore the listeners; let’s discuss it over a beer. Bye everyone…
we’ll see you next week.
3.5 Get your shit together… Poner las cosas (tu
pensamiento) en orden / Ponerte a trabajar

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: To get your shit together is a very specific

phrase that means to get your life or mental state in order. A good example
would be a summer at university in which you’re supposed to be studying
hard on your thesis but you spend your whole time partying. At the end of the
summer you’re gonna say: “I’ve gotta get my shit together.” You are
resolving to stop the chaos, concentrate and do the thesis. To get your shit
together.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: To get your shit together es una frase muy

específica que significa ordenar tu vida o tu estado mental. Un buen ejemplo
sería un verano en la universidad en donde se supone que deberías estar
trabajando mucho en tu tesis pero pasas todo tu tiempo de fiesta. Al final del
verano dirías “I’ve gotta get my shit together”. Estás decidiendo detener el
caos, concentrarte y hacer tu tesis: to get your shit together.

Nivel de ofensa - 6

‘To get your shit together’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: So, tell us about a time in your life where you really had to get your
shit together, Rokeby.
ROK: Well, I guess the first thing that comes to mind is recent. Over the past
four or five years, I’ve been involved in a number of creative and
entrepreneurial projects – all of which have been very gratifying
intellectually, but not financially.
DAVE: So what happened?
ROK: What happened was that I was dragging myself deeper and deeper into
debt… and everyone around me. But I continued because I deeply believed in
what I was doing and that I was just on the point of success. However, in the
end I couldn’t deny the facts – I was fucking my family up because we had so
little money, and I had to get my shit together.
DAVE: So what did you do?
ROK: Well, I didn’t compromise my projects, I just had to accept that I
could only do that stuff part time, and that until it took off financially I had to
put the bacon on the table. (tenia éxito) So I got my shit together and got a
job.
DAVE: Excellent.
ROK: Now, let’s get our shit together and deal with the next phrase.
DAVE: Sounds good. Hit me with it.
3.6 Pick all your shit up… Recoger tus cosas

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Pick all your shit up could easily be substituted

for phrases like “Take your shit out of here,” “Clear your shit up” or “Give
me a second, I’ve gotta take all my shit to my car.” What you have to
understand is that shit doesn’t necessarily mean anything positive or negative,
it’s just a general word for things. Of course, an older person like Rokeby’s
mum – a very respectable woman – wouldn’t use that term for things – but
the rest of the population does.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Pick all your shit up podría ser sustituido

fácilmente por frases como “Take your shit out of here”, “Clear your shit up”
o “Give me a second, I’ve gotta take all my shit to my car”. Lo que tienes que
entender es que shit no necesariamente significa algo positivo o negativo, es
sólo una palabra muy general para hablar de cosas. Por supuesto, una persona
mayor como la madre de Rokeby, una mujer muy respetable, no utilizaría ese
término para cosas, pero el resto de la población sí.
Nivel de ofensa - 6

‘Pick all your shit up ’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Now, I know that in your house you were having a lot of problems
with mess, Rokeby, tell us more.
ROK: Well, we were very messy – everyone was leaving their shit all
around the house. (desordenados) The kids played and left the toys out, they
pain’ted and left the pencils out, they changed into their pyjamas and left
their clothes on the floor, and there was shit everywhere.
DAVE: But Rokeby, you weren’t totally innocent, were you?
Apparently...you leave shit everywhere.
ROK: You’ve been talking to my ex, Dave… who, in my opinion, was a
bigger contributor to the mess than me.
DAVE: Controversial!
ROK: Yeah, well, when I went to tidy everyone’s shit up, I just got on with
the job whether it was her shit or the children’s shit. But when she tidied up,
she’d leave everyone’s shit on the floor and go round the house launching a
CSI investigation into each object. You know: “Who left this here? Why’s
that there etc…” It was a very inefficient and conflictive way of tidying the
house.
DAVE: And what was the resolution?
ROK: Well… in the end we tried to have a system where everyone picked up
their own shit as they went along.
DAVE: Did it work?
ROK: No.
DAVE: Enough said. Let’s move on and move out. Goodbye.
3.7 Giving someone shit…Molestar / Reclamar a
alguien

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: You can either be getting a lot of shit or giving

someone shit. Giving someone shit is when somebody has a problem with
someone and is constantly telling them about it, but the person getting the
shit (the criticism or demands) doesn’t agree with it. A good example would
be at work – “My boss is giving me a lot of shit about the fall in sales.” Or at
home – “My wife’s giving me a lot of shit because I’m always working late.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Puedes recibir reclamos (get a lot of shit) o

reclamar a alguien (give someone shit). Giving someone shit es cuando
alguien tiene un problema con alguien y está constantemente hablándole de
ello, pero la persona getting the shit (que recibe la crítica o el reclamo) no
está de acuerdo con ellos. Un buen ejemplo sería en el trabajo: “My boss is
giving me a lot of shit about the fall in sales”. O en casa: “My wife’s giving
me a lot of shit because I’m always working late”.
Nivel de ofensa - 7

‘To give someone shit’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Excellent, Rokeby, so this gives us the chance for a bit of a gossip...
tell us who’s been giving you a lot of shit recently?
ROK: That’s easy. You. Well, not recently, but your first trip to Colombia.
You were giving me an inbox load of shit.
DAVE: But The Dave is the most chilled man on earth, I wasn’t giving you
shit. (tranquilo)
ROK: Yeah you were, but it was kind of my fault because I basically
volunteered to edit your book. But it wasn’t so explicitly stated. Anyway, that
was around the time of my previous story about getting a job. So I was
designing all of Pepsi’s English classes in Spain and Portugal, starting
Vocatic.com, writing my own book, and being a father ...I didn’t have time to
even answer e-mails.
DAVE: And I fell by the wayside. (me olvidaste)
ROK: Well, as I tried to explain…I was super busy. And then you started
giving me loads of shit and making me feel real guilty.
DAVE: Really?
ROK: Yeah. Pretty soon, though, you stopped giving me shit… and that was
it.
DAVE: Well, I have my own version of events, and I wouldn’t call it giving
you shit…but we’ll agree like gentleman to disagree.
ROK: Good. We show our pupils the fine behaviour of two English
gentleman and we move to part
3.8 Tough shit… ¡Mala suerte!

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: If you ask someone to do something and they

reply that they don’t want to do it or can’t do it for some reason and you
don’t care about their objection or you don’t believe their excuse, you say
“Tough shit.” It’s like in Spanish when you say “Pues mala suerte”, but a bit
stronger.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Si le pides a alguien que haga algo y responde

que no quiere o no puede, por cualquier razón, y no te importa su objeción o
no crees su excusa, dices “Tough shit”. Es como cuando en español dices
“Pues mala suerte”, pero un poco más fuerte.
Nivel de ofensa - 6

‘Tough shit’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: You’re always saying ‘tough shit’ in your office, aren’t you,
Rokeby?
ROK: Of course. I work with a lot of young teachers in their early twenties
who are still partly teenage in their mentality. You tell them they’ve gotta
teach an early class, and they say… “Oh no, I’ll have to get up early.”
DAVE: And what do you say?
ROK: Tough shit. And then I have to deal with students. You tell them to
study seven units, and they’re like... “But I wanted to go out.”
DAVE: And what do you say?
ROK: Tough shit. And then I have to deal with people who write for the
website and they say they can’t write me an article because “bla bla bla.” And
what do I say to them, Dave?
DAVE: “Tough shit.” Like I said… It’s a phrase you use a lot. Maybe you
need to chill out a bit. (relajarte)
ROK: Well, I’m just trying to explain the meaning… I don’t actually use that
phrase all the time.
DAVE: Yes you do. Remember that teacher who said he couldn’t do a class
because he was doing a charity run for the blind, and you said… “tough
shit”?
ROK: I know your game, Dave…trying to get revenge for the deaf story in
the other podcast. Well it won’t work.
DAVE: Maybe it will. Because there’s probably lots of students who won’t
understand your denial. (negación) All they’ll understand is you saying
tough shit.
ROK: Cunt! And with that very rude word, let’s end this week’s show.
Thanks for listening everybody; keep the faith, follow the course, and
memorise the words. Love ya…bye. (you)
3.9 Shite… Mierda

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: There’s a constant human need to start playing

with words. Bored with a lifetime of saying shit, you’ll eventually veer off
into the world of shite – which means exactly the same as shit except it’s
pronounced differently (it rhymes with bite). For those who are interested,
shite is more common in British English.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Existe una constante necesidad en el ser

humano de empezar a jugar con las palabras. Aburrido con toda una vida
diciendo shit, eventualmente cambiarás a shite, que significa exactamente lo
mismo que shit excepto que se pronuncia diferente (rima con ‘bite’). Para
aquellos interesados, shite es más común en el inglés británico.
Nivel de ofensa - 5

‘Shite’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: When do you use shite most, Dave?

DAVE: I think probably when I realise that ‘shit’ is a little strong. In front of
my mum or something like that. But it’s much more interesting when other
people use it.
ROK: Give us some examples.
DAVE: (Northern accent) “Come here you little shite.” “Stop talking shite.”
“Ay up, lad, this beer tastes shite.” (venga tío)
ROK: And for any listeners that don’t know, that was a northern accent.
Why the northern accent, Dave?
DAVE: I dunno…although it’s used all over Britain it’s the northerners who
love it most.
ROK: Finding its greatest incarnation in that fantastic expression...
DAVE: …What?
ROK: Bag of shite. But of course, they contract it and it becomes
baggashite.
DAVE: True.. true... Bag of shite. It’s the perfect northern expression for
something that is truly awful. You arrive on a cold winters morning to your
job cleaning the streets of Rotheram, and it’s grey and it’s raining. There’s
only one thing to say.
ROK: Bag of shite! Seriously, guys, we want you to learn English…but as
far as living goes…keep it Latin. Okay, next phrase.
4.0 Shitty... Feel like shit - Algo malo o jodido / Sentirse
mal

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Shitty cannot always substitute shit. You can’t

say “That’s a shitty film,” for example. Shitty has two very specific
meanings. One is when something bad, in the moral sense, has been done:
imagine you didn’t call a friend to explain why you couldn’t go to the party;
that was a really shitty thing to do. The second meaning is when you feel bad,
ill or hungover: “I feel shitty.” This is closely related to the very common
phrase – “I feel like shit.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Shitty no siempre puede sustituir a shit. No

puedes decir “That’s a shitty film”, por ejemplo. Shitty tiene dos significados
muy específicos. Uno es cuando algo malo, en el sentido moral, se ha hecho:
imagina que no llamaste a un amigo para explicarle por qué no fuiste a la
fiesta; eso sería algo shitty. El segundo significado es cuando te sientes mal,
enfermo o con resaca: “I feel shitty”. Esto está estrechamente relacionado con
la frase común “I feel like shit”.
Nivel de ofensa - 5.5

‘Feeling like shit’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: You look like shit today, Rokeby?
ROK: It’s funny you should mention it… yes...I feel like shit.
DAVE: Oh dear... what happened?
ROK: Usual story. Stopped on the way home for a couple of Estrellas and
ended up having – not a couple, more like a dozen. Then I proceeded to talk a
lot of bullshit with a random Scottish bloke I met in an Irish bar…and that
was it. (tío) Enough to fuck today up.
DAVE: And you always sleep badly after a drink up, don’t you?
ROK: Yeah. I fall asleep fine. Well, it’s less – fall asleep – and more like
pass out. (desmayarse) Then, I wake up three or four hours later and can’t
get back to sleep.
DAVE: So what do you do?
ROK: Get on the computer and start working.
DAVE: And what happens the rest of the day?
ROK: I feel like shit. I mean... like… total shit.
DAVE: Understandable. If I only slept three hours I’d feel like shit. I’d feel
worse than shit.
ROK: Trust me….I know. And the sad thing is…there’s only one cure…let’s
go for a drink, Dave. Students, I promise I’ll attend the class next week, and I
promise I won’t have a hangover. (resaca) See you then…big hug.
Vocabulary Exercises

1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A
1. Shitty a. Bad Luck!
2. Tough shit b. A word with both moral and
health connotations
3. Giving me so much shit c. Things
4. She’d leave all my shit on the table d. To sort yourself
out mentally in order to deal with things
5. To get your shit together e. To criticise, make feel guilty
or annoy

B
6. The shit f. Another word for shit
7. Bullshit g. The best – talent
8. Shit hot h. Lies
9. Oh shit i. Oh fuck
10. Shite j. The best – objects and events

2) Read the following extract from Rokeby being told off by his
girlfriend and choose the correct phrase when given two options.
Every time I ask you to do something you start complaining that I’m shit
hot / giving you shit 1) and that you’re too tired and you’re gonna be
exhausted. But I think you’re talking shitty/bullshit 2) and that’s why I
always say “I don’t care, it’s tough shit / shite 3) ”.
I know I shouldn’t say these things to you and afterwards I feel really guilty
and shit hot / shitty 4) but I’m sick of you not sleeping properly and
drinking too much and always feeling shite / feeling like shit 5) and I wish
you’d work more when you felt good because you’re a shithot / the shit 6)
editor and you shouldn’t waste your talent.
I’m gonna take you to this clinic I know. It’s shit hot / the shit.* 7) where
they’ll help you with your sleeping disorder and then you’ll start to feel
better. I’ve got this friend from the North of England and she had insomnia
and she said that life seemed like the shit / a bag o’ shite 8) and what was
worse was that she had a boss who was always shouting at her and getting
her shit together / giving her shit 9). Anyway, after she visited the clinic
everything started to go well and she really got her shit together / was
shithot 10) and got a new job.
Answers
Exercise 1
1. Shitty A word with both moral and health
connotations
2. Tough shit - Bad Luck!
3. Giving me so much shit - To criticise, make feel
guilty or annoy
4. She’d leave all my shit on the table - Things
5. To get your shit together - To sort yourself out
mentally in order to deal with things
6. The shit - The best – objects and events
7. Bullshit - Lies
8. Shit hot - The best – talent
9. Oh shit - Oh fuck
10. Shite - Another word for shit
Exercise 2
Every time I ask you to do something you start complaining that I’m
giving you shit 1) and that you’re too tired and you’re gonna be exhausted.
But I think you’re talking bullshit 2) and that’s why I always say “I don’t
care, it’s tough shit”. 3)
I know I shouldn’t say these things to you and afterwards I feel really guilty
and shitty 4) but I’m sick of you not sleeping properly and drinking too much
and always feeling like shit 5) and I wish you’d work more when you felt
good because you’re a shithot 6) editor and you shouldn’t waste your talent.
I’m gonna take you to this clinic I know. It’s the shit.* 7) where they’ll help
you with your sleeping disorder and then you’ll start to feel better. I’ve got
this friend from the North of England and she had insomnia and she said that
life seemed like a bag o’ shite 8) and what was worse was that she had a
boss who was always shouting at her and giving her shit 9) . Anyway, after
she visited the clinic everything started to go well and she really got her shit
together 10) and got a new job.
Fundamentals - Contractions

One of the great linguistic mysteries for the professionals who attend our
language training classes is the difference between speaking with a colleague
from France (or Italy or any other country) and a colleague from the UK. Our
students can never understand why it’s so much easier to talk with another
non-native (who isn’t speaking English correctly) than with an English or
American person.
The answer to this mystery is that the student is dealing with two languages:
Globish and English. The term Globish was coined by Jean-Paul Nerriere to
describe the simplified English spoken between two non-natives from
different countries. The distinguishing feature of Globish are its simple
forms: a more basic vocabulary, no idioms and few phrasal verbs. The most
important difference for us, however, is the minimal use of contractions.
The importance of contractions is constantly underestimated. They are the
biggest cause of difficulty with watching films in original version. Why?
Because students spend their whole life in their native countries learning
Globish – a simplified version of English with pauses between words that
simply don’t exist in native English. Native English not only cuts the
beginnings and endings off words but it removes virtually all pauses between
words. Few language students are exposed to this native English because
most English teachers speak Globish in order to make the class understand
what they are saying.
If you have spent your life learning English outside of a native speaking
country, you have been learning Globish – not English – and that the most
important element you are missing are contractions. And please, don’t think
that because you use you’re instead of you are that that constitutes the use of
contractions; there are dozens of contractions.
The most important contractions are…
You gotta – you have got to
Cos - because
Wanna – want to
Ain’t – isn’t or aren’t
 Gunna – going to
D’you - do you
Ya - you
I’d / you’d / we’d etc – i would or i had
The best way to start recognising the highly contracted form of English
spoken by natives is to start using it yourself. Write twenty sentences with
each of the contractions above and repeat them constantly. Also, remember
that even words that don’t seem contracted often become contracted in real
conversations by being compounded together. When saying simple sentences
like “I was walking down the beach and I saw my friend” say it as one long,
fluid sentence “I-was-walkin’down-the-beach-n’-I saw my friend.” Once you
begin to speak and recognise speech like this you will understand films and
songs much better.

Test your ability to contract with the following sentences.

1. I would like some tea please.

2. You will see what happens. He isn’t going to come.
3. The queen will not visit the palace this year
4. I had not thought about it much
5. She’s going to arrive late.
6. The driver could not find the house.
7. You have got to call Mum because it’s her birthday.
8. We’re not going to come to next week’s class.
9. Jodie did not want to consider the plan.
10. Do you think he will accept this?

Answers

1. I’d like some tea please.

2. You’ll see what happens. He ain’t gonna come.
3. The queen won’t visit the palace this year.
4. I hadn’t thought about it much.
5. She’s gonna arrive late
6. The driver couldn’t find the house.
7. You gotta call Mum cos it’s her birthday.
8. We’re not gonna come to next week’s class.
9. Jodie didn’t wanna consider the plan.
10. D’you think he’ll accept this?
UNIT 4 Bro
4.1 Buddy… Amigo

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Buddy, sometimes shortened to bud, is an

American slang word for friend that has little connotations of race, sex or
class. In other words, it is universally used. Examples of this use would be
“Me and my buddies like to drink at that bar on south Beach,” or “Most of
my buddies live in the Bronx.” Interestingly, the origins of this American
word date back to an English word, butty, which also means friend.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Buddy, a veces abreviado como bud, es un

término para amigo del slang norteamericano que tiene pequeñas
connotaciones de raza, sexo o clase. En otras palabras, es universalmente
utilizada. Ejemplos de este uso serían: “Me and my buddies like to drink at
that bar on south Beach” o “Most of my buddies live in the Bronx”. Resulta
interesante que los orígenes de esta palabra norteamericana datan de una
palabra inglesa, butty, que también significa amigo.

‘Buddy’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Hey buddy.
DAVE: Hey buddy.
ROK: How are you, buddy?
DAVE: I’m good, buddy, how are you?
ROK: I’m fine. Shall we stop saying ‘buddy’ now?
DAVE: Okay, buddy.
ROK: Hey... I just said...“stop saying buddy!” and you’re still saying it.
DAVE: Sorry buddy.
ROK: Fool. Seriously. Stop!
DAVE: Okay.
ROK: Good, okay, so what are we going to talk about to do with buddies?
DAVE: A simple question. Who’s your best buddy? Tom?
ROK: He probably would be if I didn’t have to work with him. I dunno.
Who’s your best buddy? I think I’m the only guy you know...all your
Facebook friends are girls.
DAVE: What ... and you don’t think a girl could be a best buddy?
ROK: Not in your case. But watch out! We might get in that old “When
Harry met Sally” argument.
DAVE: Clearly it’s time to move on. (terminar / cambiar el tema) Phrase
two please.
4.2 Homey… Amigo (íntimo o muy cercano)

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: In hip-hop English homey means a lot more

than friend. The word – a shortened version of home-boy, refers to someone
from your neighbourhood who you would trust with your life. That’s what
makes this word so uniquely ghetto and hip-hop and that’s why, unless you
come from the ghetto, we recommend you don’t use it. It may sound cool on
songs, but you’ll sound like a fool.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: En el inglés del hip-hop homey significa mucho

más que un amigo. La palabra, una versión abreviada de home-boy, se refiere
a alguien de tu barrio en quien confiarías con tu vida. Esto es lo que hace de
esta palabra ser singularmente de gueto y hip-hop y es por eso que, a menos
que vengas del gueto, te recomendamos que no la utilices. Puede sonar cool
en canciones, pero tú sonarás como tonto.

‘Homey’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, Dave, are you my homeboy?
DAVE: Well, homey, we met in a poor area of South London, we’ve known
each other for almost 20 years, we’ve smoked lots of herb, and we listen to
Hip-hop. So… perhaps.
ROK: And I did live in that tower block on one of the most dangerous estates
in New Cross (monoblock - un edificio residencial muy alto) I should
probably explain to the listeners that in America they have The Projects, and
in England, council estates, and its these areas of government housing that
are the most dangerous.
DAVE: But, despite all of that, we have to remember where we met.
ROK: At university. Yes, I suppose most homeboys don’t meet at university.
I’m not sure, but I reckon if we ask Doctor Dre or Eminem they won’t say
that their homeboys came from an art History course.
DAVE: It’s true, homeboy... I think we’ll have to stay with buddy.
ROK: Okay buddy, but we both know, in another deeper sense, you’re my
homeboy.
DAVE: Sure homey.
ROK: Wow, it’s obviously a day to love your friends. And let’s end today’s
class on that note. See you next week, homies…and don’t forget… love that
English.
4.3 Pal… Amigo / Compañero

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Pal is one of those paradoxical words for

friend. Yes, it means friend, but for some reason, it is often used when you’re
really angry with someone. So, for example, in many gangster and mafia
films, you’ll hear the criminal say: “Hey pal, you better get me my money
now or else.” However, if someone in an English speaking country refers to
you as their “pal”, don’t worry, they’re probably calling you a friend and not
about to shoot you.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Pal es una de esas palabras paradójicas para

referirte a un amigo. Sí, significa amigo pero, por alguna razón, a menudo es
utilizada cuando estás verdaderamente enojado con alguien. Así, por ejemplo,
en muchas películas de gangsters y mafia escucharás al criminal decir “Hey
pal, you better get me my money now or else”. Sin embargo, si alguien en un
país de habla inglesa te llama pal no te preocupes, probablemente te esté
llamando amigo y no esté a punto de dispararte.

‘Pal’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Hey pal, have you finished that report on our new project – Vocatic in
Chinese?
DAVE: Do you want the honest answer?
ROK: Er... not if it’s gonna make me angry. I’d rather you lie to me and we
continue the conversation on a good vibe rather than know the truth.
DAVE: Okay then... I’ve finished it.
ROK: Excellent. Can I have it then?
DAVE: What?
ROK: Well, if you’ve finished it then you can give it to me.
DAVE: Look pal, you just said that if I hadn’t finished it then you’d rather
not know. It’s one thing to ask me about it… now you’re actually asking me
for it.
ROK: Oh God, you see... this is the disadvantage of doing business with
your pals – they never respect deadlines. So you haven’t done it?
DAVE: Ha.... only joking... of course I’ve done it.
ROK: Excellent... you’re a real pal!
DAVE: And a good colleague.
ROK: And...a good colleague.
4.4 Crew… Pandilla / Grupo de amigos

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: The original meaning of crew is the team of

sailors responsible for sailing a ship. A crew in modern hip-hop English,
however, is a group of friends in the same gang or group. A crew could be
nothing more than your social circle, a group of DJs and MCs who work
together, or in gangster subculture - a team you put together to sell drugs or
rob a bank.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: El significado original de crew se refiere al

equipo de marineros responsable de navegar un barco. Un crew en el inglés
moderno del hip-hop, sin embargo, es un grupo de amigos de la misma banda
o pandilla. Un crew podría ser no más que tu círculo social, un grupo de DJs
y MCs (raperos) que trabajan juntos o, en la subcultura gangster, un equipo
que congregas para vender drogas o robar un banco.

‘Crew’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, tell me, Dave.
DAVE: What?
ROK: Apart from those of us who’ve known each other for years and years –
who’s your favourite member of our crew?
DAVE: Shit, man... that’s an easy one.
ROK: Why?
DAVE: Well, it’s G-Girl of course. She’s my favourite member of the crew
by a long way.
ROK: Really? Why?
DAVE: Why do you think?
ROK: I dunno.
DAVE: Cos she’s really sexy... that G-Girl is so hot, she’s smoking! (muy
guapa)
ROK: Yeah, Dave, but I didn’t ask you who was the hottest chick in our
crew, I said, “Who’s your favourite”? (la chica más guapa)
DAVE: And the difference between the hottest and my favourite is supposed
to be what, exactly? You think that my favourite member of our crew is the
one I can spend long hours chatting about politics and religion with, or the
one I can spend long hours chatting about I don’t care what - because she’s so
damn hot I’m hanging on every word?
ROK: Oh God... let’s just change the subject shall we. You know, Athene,
the consultant and translator of this series, is getting angry with all the macho
talk in these podcasts. So calm it down, Dave. And for our listeners out
there… we want you to know that from next week we’ll have a new, cleaner
version of the show. See you then.
DAVE: Fuck that!
4.5 Dog… Tío

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: One of the most fiercely-debated questions in

colloquial English is which came first: Snoop Doggy Dog ... or dog? You see,
the rise of the term, dog, to refer to someone in your crew seems to be almost
concurrent with the rise of hip-hop superstar Snoop Doggy Dog. However,
that controversy isn’t particularly important for our purposes – all you need
to know is that dog… or dawg… is a term that refers to your buddy, your
homeboy or your pal.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Una de las preguntas más debatidas en el inglés

coloquial es ¿Qué vino primero, Snoop Doggy Dog o dog? Verás, el aumento
del uso del término dog para referirte a alguien de tu crew parece ser casi
simultáneo al éxito de la estrella de hip-hop Snoop Doggy Dog. Sin embargo,
esa controversia no es particularmente importante para nuestros objetivos;
todo lo que necesitas saber es que dog, o dawg, es un término para referirte a
tu buddy, tu homeboy o tu pal.

‘Dog’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Hey dog, how you doin’ today? (¿cómo estás?)
DAVE: The Dave is fine, dog... and you?
ROK: Been better – been worse... what are your plans for the night?
DAVE: Well, I gotta date, dog... a hot date...?
ROK: Oh yeah...anyone I know?
DAVE: Yeah... your cousin.
ROK: Let’s not start that one again, shall we? And I’d like everyone to know
that despite what he said, Dave did not sleep with my cousin. In fact, you
know he didn’t because he’d be dead if he had.
ROK: I dunno why you’re so protective over her, dog.
DAVE: Because she’s sweet, innocent and everything the Dave is not.
ROK: You have an unhealthy attachment to your cousin, you know.
DAVE: Well, that’s the sort of comment I’d expect from you…me wanting
to protect my cousin is unhealthy.
ROK: You know what I mean, dog. You fancy your cousin…and that’s
illegal in several parts of the United States. (te gusta)
DAVE: Listen (shouts) DOG! And I mean that in the animal sense not the
hip-hop sense – let your filthy mind stop its evil imaginings and let’s proceed
to part 2, shall we? (sucio)
ROK: Okay. I still say you fancy her.
4.6 Bro… Hermano

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: The use of brother as a term for friend has a

history stretching back thousands of years. Whether or not they’ve been
shortening it to bro for thousands of years, though, is another question. Bro
can be either a term of serious affection – that’s to say – you really are
referring to a friend as like a brother, or just another form of greeting like
“Hey dude,” “Hey buddy,” or “What’s up homey?”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: El uso de brother como sinónimo de amigo

tiene una historia que se remonta a miles de años. Si se ha venido abreviando
o no a bro por miles de años es otra cuestión. Bro puede ser tanto un término
de afecto serio, es decir, en verdad te estás refiriendo a un amigo como a un
hermano, o como otra forma más de saludo como “Hey dude”, “Hey buddy”
o “What’s up homey?”.

‘Bro’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Yo bro, tell me a little bit about the Dave family.
DAVE: Well, my mother was from Sussex and my father was from Grimsby,
and they met at a dance in the mid-sixties. Apparently, when they first saw
each other it was love at first sight. And how about you, bro?
ROK: Well, my mother’s from Ireland and my father’s from the States. They
met in the summer of ‘71 when my father was back from the Vietnam war
and my mother was a student travelling round the states.
DAVE: Woah, bro... your dad was in Vietnam?
ROK: Yeah...
DAVE: That’s some heavy shit, bro. (muy fuerte)
ROK: Yeah, he volunteered.
DAVE: Like Oliver stone.
ROK: Like Oliver stone, except my dad didn’t become a famous film
director he was just a regular guy. Well he’s very cool, but you know what I
mean. He’s got some mental stuff from the war, though – guide books with
Viet Cong traps, fox holes and explosive devices, a purple heart, and some
very amazing photos. (cosas alucinantes)
Wow, bro, that’s amazing. But unfortunately that’s enough of family tales.
Time to go. We’ll see all of our lovely students next class; and remember,
guys, Rokeby and I are your bros…for real.
4.7 We’re tight… Ser amigos íntimos

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Tight means apretado in Spanish but if you’re

tight with someone it doesn’t mean you’re stuck in a small elevator with
them; it means you’re friends. Being tight, though, goes beyond simple
friendship – it’s like an intimacy, and it insinuates the loyalty and shared
background of being a homey. If you’re tight with someone you have a deep
friendship.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Tight significa apretado; pero si estás tight with

someone no significa que estés atorado en un pequeño ascensor con ese
alguien, significa que sois amigos. Being tight va más allá de la simple
amistad; es como una intimidad e insinúa lealtad y un contexto compartido al
ser homeys. Si estás tight con alguien tenéis entonces una amistad
profunda.

‘We’re tight’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Yo, Dave...are we tight?
DAVE: Of course we’re tight.
ROK: And, if you’re tight with someone what sort of a fight or argument
would you have to have that might lead you to not be tight with them
anymore?
DAVE: Well...if you’re tight with someone you should be able to survive a
normal argument. It would have to be something really dark.
ROK: Yes, which kind of raises the question – what’s the worst way a friend
could betray you?
DAVE: Well that’s easy – they sleep with your wife – that’s hands down a
guaranteed winner if you want to betray a friend.
ROK: That’s just sick. I have to say – and my friends will be glad about this
– that none of my friend’s wives have ever offered. But imagine if one did.
(aquí – ‘just’ es como ‘totalmente’)
DAVE: And she was really fit. (guapa)
ROK: Okay evil. Stop. Have you ever had any offers?
DAVE: Yeah.
ROK: From who?
DAVE: That is strictly confidential, Rokeby and although I’m definitely tight
with you…I can’t reveal names I’m afraid.
ROK: Well in that case, we might just have to review this whole – being
tight – thing because I think by definition, being tight with someone would
mean you’d tell them everything. Clearly issues to be discussed. Okay, next
word.
4.8 Dude… Amigo / tío

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Whether or not dude began in surfing circles or

not is unclear, but what’s indisputable is that it was surfers who made it
popular. Dude is now a universal word that has been adopted by English
speakers from Bombay to Birmingham to Boston. However, don’t forget, like
many of these words it doesn’t only refer to a friend – it can simply mean a
person. For example, “I was walking down the street the other day and I saw
this dude with no clothes on.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Si dude se originó o no dentro de los círculos

de surf es incierto, pero lo que es indiscutible es que fueron los surfers
quienes la hicieron popular. Dude es ahora una palabra universal que ha sido
adoptada por angloparlantes desde Bombay a Birmingham o a Boston. Sin
embargo, no olvides que, como muchas de estas palabras, ésta no hace
referencia únicamente a un amigo; puede significar simplemente una persona.
Por ejemplo: “I was walking down the street the other day and I saw this
dude with no clothes on”.

‘Dude’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Rokeby, who’s the coolest dude alive?
DAVE: The coolest dude in the world is the rapper, Wiz Khalifa.
ROK: What is it with you and Wiz?
DAVE: Well, look, I’m not saying he’s my hero, or I admire him, or that I
even like him, personally. But he’s definitely cool. You just have to see the
video Mesmerised.
ROK: And why do you say you don’t like him, personally?
DAVE: It’s not that. I just have a problem with him. All the dude ever talks
about is weed, shopping for designer clothes, champagne and bitches.
(marijuana)
ROK: Dude… and the problem with that is?
DAVE: Be serious, Dave. I mean, the guy needs to develop his themes.
Every single song he talks about weed.
ROK: Rokeby, he’s 23. From what I remember the only thing you talked
about when you were 21 was weed.
DAVE: Dude, that’s a lie. All I did was smoke weed. I didn’t talk about
weed all the time.
ROK: Okay, fair point, dude… let’s move on. So if Wiz is the coolest dude
on the planet, who’s the uncoolest dude?
DAVE: I’m not sure, dude, all I know is that our students are the coolest
students in the world. They’ve forgotten all that academy shit English and
chose to study the real thing. And we’re looking forward to seeing you all
next class. See you then, guys.
4.9 Cat… Tío

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Cat is only included in this book for historical

reasons. Trust me, you won’t get anyone – surfer, stoner, goth or rapper –
referring to each other as cat. The historical roots are interesting though, and
useful: if you watch any old films you will certainly hear people refer to each
other as cat, cool cat, or hip cat; and cat is almost certainly the origins of the
term dog. People got bored with cat so they started calling each other dog.
Cat, like many colloquial terms (cool for example), has its origins in the jazz
culture of the 1940s and 1950s.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Cat sólo se ha incluido en este libro por razones

históricas. Confía en mí, no encontrarás a nadie, surfer, stoner, goth o rapero,
que se refiera a otro como cat. Sin embargo, los orígenes históricos son
interesantes y útiles: si ves películas viejas seguramente escucharás a gente
llamarse una a la otra cat, cool cat o hip cat; y cat es seguramente el origen
del término dog. La gente se aburrió de cat así que comenzó a llamarse dog.
Cat, como muchos otros términos coloquiales (por ejemplo, cool) tiene su
origen en la cultura del jazz de la década de 1940 y 1950.

‘Cat’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, Dave, have you ever called anyone cat?
DAVE: Err..yeah.
ROK: Who?
DAVE: Err... my cat. But as you said, it’s a very important slang term
historically.
ROK: And, as the music expert amongst us, can you tell us why so many
slang terms come from the subcultures of jazz in the 40s and 50s?
DAVE: Well, you ask a profound question because it’s quite amazing, how
many slang terms – which are so common today – come, not just from the
jazz era – but from black culture generally. The principle answer I guess, is
that slang invariably comes from sub-culture and counter-culture, and in
modern times, black culture has been the predominant sub-culture of the
establishment.
ROK: Sounds like you’ve been reading your sociology textbooks, Dave?
DAVE: No, just good general knowledge, my friend. And in the case of cat,
incidentally, it started as a term for anyone who played jazz, then it became a
word for anyone that loved jazz, and then, when jazz became cool it became a
general word for anyone who was cool and fashionable.
ROK: Wow Dave, you’re one cool cat.
DAVE: Thank you. Phrase number 2 please.
5.0 My nigger… Mi negro (entre la comunidad afro-
americana)

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: In Latin culture there is confusion about the

terms for black people used in English. Common questions include “What’s
the difference between a negro and a black?” and “Why do black people refer
to each other as nigger when it’s supposedly a racist term?” Firstly, the best
way to refer to black people is black people, or, in the United States – African
Americans. Don’t use negro unless you’re an ethnologist. As far as nigger
goes – never use it under any circumstance. So why do black people use it?
Well, when a black person uses it it can mean friend, man or black person –
but for a black person to use it is acceptable. Live with the paradox!

SPANISH EXPLANATION: En la cultura latina existe una confusión acerca

de los términos en inglés utilizados para referirse a la gente negra. Una de las
preguntas más comunes es “¿Cuál es la diferencia entre un negro y un black
y por qué la gente negra se llama entre sí nigger cuando se supone que es un
término racista?” En primer lugar, la mejor forma de referirse a la gente negra
es black people o, en Estados Unidos, African Americans. No utilices negro a
menos que seas un etnólogo. En cuanto a nigger jamás la utilices bajo
ninguna circunstancia. ¿Entonces por qué la gente negra la utiliza? Bueno,
cuando una persona negra la utiliza puede significar amigo, hombre o
persona negra, pero para una persona negra su uso es aceptable. Aprende a
vivir con esa paradoja.

‘My nigger’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So Dave, When did you first become aware that a term which we
consider the ultimate taboo - was now being used by African Americans to
refer to each other?
DAVE: I think like a lot of British people – when NWA came out.
ROK: NWA meaning?
DAVE: The Hip Hop group – Niggaz with attitude.
ROK: And how do you think it such a strong word became a way for African
Americans to refer to each other?
DAVE: Well, there are complex sociological analysis (wow, these podcasts
are becoming like a bloody university lecture,) but at the end of the day, I
think it’s far more straightforward. As we’ve noted, a huge quantity of slang
comes from the African American community – mainstream culture then
adopts it… and it gets absorbed into the mainstream. Maybe they just got sick
of us stealing their cool words so they thought – wow, this is one word those
motherfuckers ain’t ever gonna steal.
ROK: Good theory; though, there are some white people who try and use it.
DAVE: And they do so very very dangerously. Not only for their sense of
cool, because they sound ridiculous, but for their health. If a white guy walks
up to a gangster and says, “My nigger” he’ll probably be dead within
seconds.
ROK: True. Thanks, Dave…and thanks to you all for listening, and
remember – the whole human race has its origins in Africa. See you next
week, guys.
Vocabulary Exercises

1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A
1. Buddy a. A word for friend that
sounds like a member of your family.
2. Homeboy b. An offensive word to be
avoided at all costs.
3. Crew c. A classic word for friend
– still used today.
4. Nigger d. A friend who you
would trust with your life.
5. Bro e. The group who you roll
with (roll with – hang out with).

B 6. We’re tight f. An expression that means

you’re friendly with someone.
7. Dog g. The original animal
expression for friend.
8. Cat h. The derivative animal
expression for friend.
9. Dude i. A word for friend,
originally used by surfers.
10. Pal j. A word for friend, but
sometimes used when you’re angry

2) Read the following sentences and choose the correct word. Explain your
answer.
1) Hey ___________________________, you’d better give me my wallet
back or I’ll kick your ass. buddy/ pal / nigger
2) Miles Davis was one of the great Jazz musicians. He was one cool
______________________ dog / cat / dude
3) We’re very very good friends. We’ve known each other for years and we
tell each other everything.
We’re_____________________________________ pals / buddies / tight
4) We’re good friends. We’re_____________________________________
pals / buddies / tight
5) Snoop Dog looked at Dr Dre and said, “ You the coolest
_____________________________________ in this town.” buddy / nigger
/ dude
6) MC Kocher looked at MC Conrad and said,
“hey____________________________________, what you doin’ tonight?”
dog / cat / homeboy
7) Wow, ___________________________________, those waves look
excellent. buddy / pal / dude
8) Hey, _______________________________ how you doin’? cat / tight /
bro
9) Me and my _______________________________ are tight. We’ve
known each other our whole lives. pals / dogs / homeboy
10) I know that she’ll tell me everything because we’re very close friends.
We’re _______________________________ buddies / crew / tight

Answers
Exercise 1

1. Buddy A. A classic word for friend – still

used today.
2. Homeboy B. A friend who you would trust with
your life.
3. Crew C. The group who you roll with
(roll with – hang out with)
4. Nigger D. An offensive word to be
avoided at all costs
5. Bro E. A word for friend that sounds like
a member of your family.
6. We’re tight F. An expression that means you’re
very friendly with someone.
7. Dog G. The derivative animal expression
for friend.
8. Cat H. The original animal expression for
friend.
9. Dude I. A word for ‘friend,’ originally
used by surfers.
10. Pal J. A word for ‘friend,’ but
sometimes used when you’re angry.

2) Read the following sentences and choose the correct word. Explain
your answer.

1) Hey ___________________________, you’d better give me my wallet

back or I’ll kick your ass. pal (aggressive)
2) Miles Davis was one of the great Jazz musicians. He was one cool
______________________ cat (cat started off in the jazz era)
3) We’re very very good friends. We’ve known each other for years and we
tell each other everything. We’re tight (tight = intimate)
4) We’re good friends. We’re buddies (a neutral word for friends)
5) Snoop Dog looked at Dr Dre and said “ you the coolest
_____________________________________ in this town.” nigger (two
rappers might refer to themselves in lots of ways; ‘nigger’ is one of those
ways.)
6) MC Kocher looked at MC Conrad and said,
hey____________________________________, what you doin’ tonight?
dog (it’s quite probable two cool MCs refer to themselves as ‘dog.’
7) Wow, ___________________________________, those waves look
excellent. Dude (it’s obvious – they’re surfers.)
8) Hey, _______________________________ how you doin’? bro (bro is
the only option that works here.)
9) Me and my _______________________________ are tight. We’ve
known each other our whole lives. Homeboy (it’s often an important part of
homeboy that you are from the same neighbourhood)
10) I know that she’ll tell me everything because we’re very close friends.
We’re tight (intimacy is an important part of being tight with someone)
Fundamentals 4
The Importance of Cultural Context

Language does not exist in a vacuum; it is a living embodiment of the past

and present. A Language is a product of a long history of people, ideas and
events known as culture. If you have a good understanding of North
American and British culture you will be amazed how much more of original
media you will understand. A good knowledge of culture can allow you to
immediately understand a situation and even though you may miss certain
words you will have an idea of what's going on.
A good example of this would be the confederate flag. Most students would
probably recognize this flag as something American, but some would not
understand either its history or its contemporary significance. The
confederate flag was the flag of the southern states in the American civil war
– the side that were fighting to main’tain slavery.
The confederate flag today does not necessarily stand for racism but it is a
symbol of a certain lifestyle and social class: the red necks. A red neck is a
working class American from the south who has little education or culture
and is normally violent, bigoted and lives in a small town. Now, if you're
watching a film and a character enters a bar where there's a confederate flag
behind the bar – you know almost immediately that either the owner or the
clientele are most likely rednecks. This immediately gives you a clue as to the
resulting interaction or likely course of events.
This is especially true in Visual mediums. Cultural signs take on a much
greater significance in films and television because they are intentionally
placed on the set for exactly the sort of reason we want: to help viewers
understand what's going on. They are signposts to understanding. Language
students can use their cultural knowledge to follow visual, non-linguistic
clues about context.
We recommend that you read (not just to increase your understanding of
music and film but to increase your general) a good history of Britain and a
good history of the United States. You’ll be amazed at what you learn and
how it also helps you to understand the Anglo Saxon mentality.
You should also keep yourself informed through the internet, magazines and
personal contact with native speakers of what’s going on in contemporary
culture.
UNIT 5 Crap
5.1 That sucks… ¡Eso apesta! / ¡Qué asco!

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Suck is the sort of word that only an advanced

student (or one familiar with pornography) knows, and is what you do with a
chupa-chups . The super advanced student, however, knows that when
something sucks, it has nothing to do with chupa-chups or sex – it means it’s
shit. Although you can say “This computer sucks,” or “The Hunagrian metro
system sucks,” the most common use is to describe a set of circumstances:
“This sucks,” or “That sucks.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Suck (chupar) es la clase de palabra que sólo un

estudiante avanzado (o uno familiarizado con la pornografía) conoce, y lo
que se hace con un chupa-chups. El estudiante super avanzado, sin embargo,
sabe que cuando algo sucks esto no tiene nada qué ver con chupar o con el
sexo; significa it’s shit. A pesar de que puedes decir “This computer sucks” o
“The Hunagrian metro system sucks”, su uso más común es para describir
una serie de circunstancias: “This sucks,” o “That sucks.”
Nivel de ofensa - 6.5

‘That sucks’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, Dave, I’m gonna go through a set of circumstances and I want
you to tell me if they suck or if they’re awesome.
DAVE: Cool.
ROK: Number 1. You go to a bar, meet a hot Brazilian chick and she takes
you home with her.
DAVE: Awesome.
ROK: Three days later, though, you notice some red spots around your penis
and you realise it’s infected.
DAVE: That sucks.
ROK: You go to the doctor and he says it’s a minor problem and that it’ll go
in a few days time.
DAVE: Awesome.
ROK: But he’s mistaken, and your cock drops off.
DAVE: That sucks. Big time!
ROK: Then, the Brazilian turns up at your work three months later and says
she’s pregnant with triplets.
DAVE: That sucks.
ROK: Then you wake up and it was all a dream. Your cock is still in its
rightful place and all is well.
DAVE: Awesome. But…can I ask you…don’t you ever worry about your
sub-conscious? I mean…how do you think up stuff like that? In fact, don’t
tell me…Let’s just do the next word.
5.2 Crap… Mierda

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Crap is vital English. It’s just one of those

words you have to know. It’s as essential to describe something bad as the
word bad itself. In fact, if I had to choose one of the words to stay with
forever, it would be crap. ‘Bad’ just doesn’t sound the same. An example: if
you say “The weather is bad in England,” it doesn’t transmit as vivid an
image as if you say “The weather’s crap in England.” Crap, trust me, is
essential.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Crap es inglés imprescindible. Es una de esas

palabras que tienes que saber. Es tan esencial para describir algo bad como la
misma palabra bad. De hecho, si tuviese que elegir una palabra con la cual
quedarme para siempre, sería crap. ‘Bad’ simplemente no suena igual. Un
ejemplo: decir “The weather is bad in England” no trasmite una imagen tan
vívida como decir “The weather’s crap in England”. Crap, confía en mí, es
esencial.
Nivel de ofensa - 3

‘Crap’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Okay, Rokeby, I’ve decided we’re going to compile a list of the
crappest films of all time. What’s your number 1 crap film?
ROK: It has to be Moulin rouge.
DAVE: Hey, didn’t you say that on another podcast?
ROK: I did. That’s a bit crap that I can’t think of something new to say, isn’t
it?
DAVE: Yes, but it’s true that Moulin Rouge is utter crap. In fact, Nicole
Kidman’s done a lot of crap films. Especially when she gets all arty.
ROK: What was that one that was like – a play – but filmed?
DAVE: Dogville.
ROK: Utter crap.
ROK: She’s done some good films though. I like Nicole.
DAVE: Me too, but even a great actor does a crap film every now and then.
What was that one by Tarantino with the cars chasing eachother.
ROK: I can’t even remember the name that’s how crap it was. It was fucking
crap. Anyway, as I don’t like talking negatively, tell me about a film that’s
definitely not crap.
DAVE: Anything in which Halle Berry looks hot.
ROK: I won’t argue with you on that one. And let’s finish there. Thanks for
attending class…and remember…crap is a relative term. See you next week
my friends.
5.3 Bollocks… Testículos / Tonterías / ¡Mierda!

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Bollocks is a bargain. One word – three

meanings. It can either mean testicles or bullshit or a general curse like “Oh
fuck.” In other words, you can literally refer to your testicles as bollocks and
say something like “I’ve got really itchy bollocks,” or you can say “I hate that
Rokeby – he’s always talking bollocks,” or, if something goes bad like you
miss a train or something, you can just say “Oh bollocks.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Bollocks es un buen negocio: una palabra; tres

significados. Puede significar ya sea testículos, bullshit o una maldición
general como “Oh fuck”. En otras palabras, te puedes referir literalmente a
tus testículos como bollocks y decir algo como “I’ve got really itchy (me
pican) bollocks”; también puedes decir “I hate that Rokeby – he’s always
talking bollocks” o, si te sucede algo malo como perder un tren, puedes decir
“Oh bollocks”.
Nivel de ofensa - 7.5

‘Bollocks’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, Dave, who do you think talks the most bollocks in the world?
DAVE: Well, there’d be a few good competitors. My first choice would have
to be politicians. By definition you can’t be a politician and not talk bollocks.
Talking bollocks is part of the job.
ROK: Except your man Barack Obama of course.
DAVE: Of course.
ROK: And then you’ve got anyone who works in PR. PR people talk so
much bollocks they got pubic hair coming out of their mouth.
DAVE: Of course. An oil tanker crashes off the coast of the Hebrides,
liquidates fish stock, covers thousands of birds in oil, and the PR man has to
try and make it seem not so bad.
ROK: By talking bollocks. And sorry, one last question – why are you
always scratching your bollocks.
DAVE: That’s bollocks. I’m not always scratching my bollocks.
ROK: Well in that case – massaging them. I dunno what you’re doing but
you’ve always got a hand down under.
DAVE: Stop talking bollocks, and let’s have the next phrase. What is it,
Rokeby?
5.4 Dumbass... Estúpido

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Dumb means stupid and ass means the part of
your body you sit on – your bottom; putting the two words together has
nothing to do with asses but simply allows the speaker to form a noun and
call someone a dumbass. A stupid person.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Dumb significa estúpido y ass significa culo.

Al poner estas dos palabras juntas el resultado no tiene nada qué ver con
culos, sino simplemente permite al hablante formar un sustantivo y llamar a
alguien dumbass: una persona estúpida.
Nivel de ofensa - 7.5

‘Dumbass’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, when was the last time you were called a dumbass, Dave?
DAVE: Well, as it’s an American term, Probably the last time I had an
American girlfriend.
ROK: Why – an American girlfriend? – Most of America speaks Spanish
you dumbass.
DAVE: No, not South American – North American... dumbass.
ROK: In case you didn’t know, Dave, the term American for North America
is a very Eurocentric idea.
DAVE: Really?
ROK: And they even teach kids in Spain and Latin America that there’s just
one super continent, America, whereas we’re taught there’s North America
and South America.
DAVE: Wow. But I don’t think I’m a dumbass for not knowing that.
Especially as it’s what we were taught in school.
ROK: True, perhaps it was a little strong...but we are looking for excuses to
use the term.
DAVE: Okay then, so...let’s find something you don’t know. And then we’ll
see who’s the dumbass. Okay... what am I thinking?
ROK: What are you thinking? So, unless I can read your mind like I’m
telepathic I’m a dumbass?
DAVE: Yeah.
ROK: Okay then, you’re thinking about... Marissa Miller’s ass.
DAVE: Wrong, dumbass... I’m thinking about what you just said about
America and resolving to never refer to the states as America again. Well, I’ll
refer to it as America but not as if it’s the whole of America.
ROK: Oh… cool. Maybe you’re not such a dumbass after all. And on that
positive note we’ll say goodbye. Thanks for coming to class and we’ll see
you next week. Keep that English Brooklyn, style, people…ciao.
5.5 Dodgy… Sospechoso

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Dodgy is British English. Its first meaning is

suspicious. So, for example, if you’re in a bad area of the city and you see
lots of junkies and hustlers you’d say: “There’s lots of dodgy people around.”
This notion of suspicious is also carried through to its second meaning –
something that looks stolen, or badly done, or like it won’t work. For
example: you hire a moped on a Greek island and the wheel is coming loose,
you say “The guy gave me a dodgy bike.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Dodgy es inglés británico. Su primer

significado es sospechoso. Así que, por ejemplo, si te encuentras en un área
zona de la ciudad y ves muchos yonquis y estafadores dirías “There’s lots of
dodgy people around”. Esta noción de sospechoso está encaminada también
por su segundo significado: algo que tiene aspecto de robado, mal hecho o
que no funcionará. Por ejemplo, alquilas una motocicleta en una isla griega y
la llanta se afloja; aquí dirías: “The guy gave me a dodgy bike”.
Nivel de ofensa - 5

‘Dodgy’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So Dave, you grew up in London, were there lots of dodgy people
around your area?
DAVE: Well, London’s the sort of place where even if you live in a nice area
they’ll be a very bad area close by. So yeah... although we lived in a nice part
of town there were some dodgy parts. There was a pub called The Dog And
Duck that had a crack house above it.
ROK: Maybe you should explain what a crack house is.
DAVE: Well, it’s quite simple. Get some crack, get a house, start selling
crack out of the house, and bingo: it’s a crack house. And of course – where
there’s a crack house you start getting all sorts of dodgy people hanging
around.
ROK: And did you ever meet any of them?
DAVE: Well, when we were teenagers and we were looking for someone
over 18 to buy us beer, we could always find someone around The Dog And
Duck.
ROK: Wasn’t that dangerous? If my teenage son was hanging around a crack
house with dodgy people, I’d be very concerned.
DAVE: Well, we never entered it... just asked people in that general area. But
you’re right: remember kids – don’t speak to dodgy people!
ROK: …Especially in the vicinity of crack houses. God damn, Dave we are
voices of the community. Let’s get on and do the next word. Which is…
5.6 Drag… Lata, fastidio

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Please don’t confuse the meaning of drag I’m

about to teach you with its other meaning – a man that wears women’s
clothes and lots of make-up and a big wig and parade around in a very
theatrical manner. The drag I want to teach you is a term you use when
you’ve been obligated to do something and you’re really not happy about
doing it. You say “What a drag!”, “¡Qué rollo!”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Por favor no confundas el significado de drag

que estoy a punto de enseñarte con su otro significado: un hombre que utiliza
ropa de mujer, mucho maquillaje y una peluca grande y desfila de forma muy
dramática. El drag que quiero enseñarte es un término que se utiliza cuando
has sido obligado a hacer algo y no estás nada contento de hacerlo. Dirías
“What a drag!” “¡Qué rollo!”.
Nivel de ofensa - 6

‘Drag’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, Dave, what sort of things make you say, “What a drag”?
DAVE: Well, what comes to mind first isn’t what makes me think, “what a
drag... but what made me think “what a drag:” virtually everything at school.
Going to church – what a drag, doing homework – what a drag, exams – what
a drag, school rules – what a drag.
ROK: Sounds like you weren’t a very cooperative pupil.
DAVE: Well, I don’t know if it’s changed now, but my school was just
incredible – the way they could take so many interesting things – physics,
history, languages – and turn them into something so boring. But anyway,
what about you. What do you find a drag?
ROK: Err... doing the dishes. Total drag. Err...waiting in any kind of queue –
total drag. Any kind of admin work – drag. God, life is full of many things
that are a total drag. You just have to learn to handle it I guess.
DAVE: And on that philosophical note – let’s go.
ROK: Yes, let’s, but while we’re talking about things that are a drag I’d just
like to remind our students that while we love to make languages interesting
– there’s another side to learning a language that’s a real drag – memorizing
vocab and repeating grammar like a chimp. I’m afraid there’s no way to
avoid it guys…you have to learn the foundations of the language. So my
advice is simple. Do that, and do it well, and then you never have to do it
again. Then you can just spend all your study time with me and Dave. Bye
guys. See you next week.
5.7 Hype… Bombo y platillo / Emoción,
expectación

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Hype is everything that the world of movies,

music and media is about. Hype is the excitement generated around a product
or artist – an excitement that might not be deserved. Sometimes it is simply
the result of a skilful PR machine or the media having nothing better to be
excited about.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Hype es todo lo que el mundo del cine, la

música y los medios envuelven. Hype es la emoción generada alrededor de un
producto o artista, una emoción que quizá no es merecida o justificada. En
ocasiones se trata simplemente del resultado de una agencia de publicidad
hábil o de que los medios no tengan nada mejor de lo cual estar emocionados.
Nivel de ofensa - 7

‘Hype’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: If I say hype, Dave, what do you think about?

DAVE: I think about...Spiderman.
ROK: There was a lot of hype, was there?
DAVE: Advertising, a countdown on the website, Macdonalds promotion,
toys, everything you can imagine. But like all these things it was just hype.
The actual film itself wasn’t very good.
ROK: And what about products... can you think of any hype that was
justified?
DAVE: Yeah, I think all the hype around the launch of PlayStation 4 was
justified. I remember being in FNAC just after it was launched and I was
truly amazed by the quality of the graphics.
ROK: Yeah, something like that is genuine hype. PlayStation users loyal to
the PlayStation creating a buzz on the internet about a launch. That’s the sort
of hype which any company wants.
DAVE: As opposed to the hype they create themselves: marketing
department hype which is false and nothing but hyperbole.
ROK: Do you think there’s any hype about the new online language school
we’re gonna build?
DAVE: I hope so... but it’ll be real hype. We haven’t got enough money to
have a marketing department to create false hype. Anyway, in the meantime
back to the podcast. Word 2. What is it?
5.8 Lame… Bajo / Poco convincente / Patético

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Lame is another word for pathetic. Often used

with respect to style and image, lame is usually something that tries to be
something it’s not, fails, and looks pathetic. An example of lame might be a
man who is unfaithful to his wife, she finds out, and then he returns home
from work with a box of chocolates to say he’s sorry. That would be very
lame.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Lame es sinónimo de patético. A menudo

utilizado en relación al estilo y a la imagen, lame es algo que intenta ser algo
que no es, fracasa y se ve patético. Un ejemplo de lame sería un hombre que
es infiel a su esposa, ella se entera y luego él regresa a casa del trabajo con
una caja de chocolates para decirle que lo siente. Eso sería muy lame.
Nivel de ofensa - 6

‘Lame’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Can you remind our listeners, Dave, what a chat up line is?
DAVE: Sure, a chat up line is what you say to a girl you’ve never met before
in order to try and sleep with her.
ROK: So, we were talking about some smooth chat up lines before, I
suppose the opposite to a smooth chat up line is… a lame chat up line.
DAVE: In fact, you could argue that the very concept of a chat up line is
lame.
ROK: Inherently lame.
DAVE: Exactly.
ROK: But what about super, stealthy, sly, chat up lines – which don’t seem
like chat up lines?
DAVE: Such as?
ROK: Okay, once, Essien told me he was in Madrid and he was starting to
get really frustrated by all the beautiful women around and not knowing any
of them. So he just started to ask the occasional one he liked for directions.
DAVE: He was stopping beautiful women in the street to ask for directions –
in the hope of picking them up?
ROK: Yeah. Pretty subtle, no?
Subtle... how about L-a-m-e… lame! And not only is that totally lame – it’s
probably illegal. If it isn’t it damn well should be. Come on, let’s go out to
that salsa club in Gracia…I’ll show you some smooth chat up lines.
DAVE: Sounds promising. See you next week, everybody. I’ll tell you what
happened at the club. Catch you later.
5.9 Wack… Falso / Poco convincente / Patético

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Whack is basically hip-hop English for lame.

Something that’s totally whack might be a fake Rolex. So, if a guy comes to a
party and tries to impress everyone with his fake Rolex you could say “It was
totally whack – you could see that shit was made in China.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Whack es básicamente un término del inglés del

hip-hop para lame. Algo totalmente whack puede ser un Rolex falso. Así que
si un chico va a una fiesta e intenta impresionar a todos con su Rolex falso
podrías decir “It was totally whack – you could see that shit was made in
China”.
Nivel de ofensa - 5

‘Whack’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, Dave, what are the whackest rap tracks of all time?
DAVE: Numero uno has to be from the whackest rapper of all time, Vanilla
Ice – Ice Ice Baby.
ROK: That’s not whack. I love that song. (SINGS) Ice ice baby.
DAVE: Oh come on, man. You remember the guy? He invented all these
stories about him growing up in the ghetto, when the truth was he was just a
white middleclass kid.
ROK: That was whack, but that was later discovered to be his record
company who circulated the stories without telling him first. And everyone
just said he was whack because he was white.
DAVE: That’s not true – no one ever said Eminem was whack.
ROK: That’s true, but I guess that’s because he grew up in a trailer with an
alcoholic mother; he had the authentic ghetto experience.
DAVE: But it’s not just that, Vanilla Ice was whack for all sorts of reasons.
ROK: But you can’t mess with Ice Ice Baby. It’s a brilliant track
DAVE: Well, I might stretch to saying it’s not totally whack... but I’ll never
say it’s brilliant.
ROK: You’re just a music snob, Dave. Now that’s whack.
DAVE: Thinking Vanilla Ice was cool when he came out was whack.
Thinking he’s still cool 15 years later…that’s even whacker. So let’s just do
the next word, shall we? Hit me with it.
6.0 Wank... Mierda

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Of course, wanking is a colloquial word for

masturbating, but if someone says something is wank they’re not talking
about sex they’re saying something is bad. Wank, though – which is a much
more British than American word – has a more focused application than shit.
It’s especially used for something that you see as pompous and inflated. You
could say “Ballet is a load of wank”. And don’t forget – load of means a lot
of or much.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Desde luego, wanking es una palabra coloquial

para referirse a la masturbación, pero si alguien dice que algo está wank no
está hablando de sexo, está diciendo que algo es malo. Sin embargo, wank,
palabra mucho más británica que norteamericana, tiene un uso más específico
que shit. Se utiliza sobre todo para algo pomposo e inflado. Podrías decir:
“Ballet is a load of wank”. Y no olvides: load of significa mucho.
Nivel de ofensa - 5.5

‘Wank’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Do you think it’s fair, Dave, to say that ballet is a load of wank?
DAVE: I think it’s perfectly fair. I mean, I respect it and everything, but in
the end it’s just a load of wank.
ROK: But maybe it’s not. I mean – have you ever been to ballet?
DAVE: Admittedly, no... but, I’ve seen it on TV and I can’t imagine there’d
be much about the live experience that would change it from being wank to
being cool.
ROK: It just seems wrong somehow to label something that’s supposed to be
high culture as wank.
DAVE: Yeah, well, get over it. And if you want to feel less guilty about
bashing a bunch of people jumping around a stage in tights you could always
bash Riverdance – that’s total wank.
ROK: Yeah, but it’s Irish wank- so leave it alone. Anyway, I bet you’ve
never even seen Riverdance.
DAVE: True, but the TV advert was enough.
ROK: Okay, well I think we should plan a night at the ballet followed by
Riverdance – then we can decide if it’s wank or not.
DAVE: I think I’ll give that one a miss. Anyway, let’s bust a move, dude…
it’s the end of class. See you next week, friends; and remember…if your boss
starts talking nonsense… tell him he’s whack and he talks wank. He’ll have
no idea what you’re talking about…but you will.
Vocabulary Exercises

1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A
1. Wank A. A hip hop term for
‘lame’
2. Whack B. Something that is in
bad taste, weak or pathetic
3. Lame C. A lot of excitement
which may be justified or may not be
4. Hype D. Something you really
don’t want to do
5. Drag E. A load of pompous
rubbish

B 6. Dodgy F. Suspicious or not

working properly
7. Dumb ass G. Shit
8. Bollocks H. Bullshit or it can be used as a
general curse
9. Crap I. Stupid
10. That sucks J. A state of affairs that really
are not good

2) Read the following story and choose the correct phrase when given
two options.
I was so angry the other day. I bought a new computer and it’s totally
bollocks/ crap 1. I was suspicious from the beginning because the guy I
bought it off looked really crap / dodgy 2. Really, I’m so fucking angry with
this situation – spending money and having a shit computer: it really sucks /
is bollocks 3. Everyone told me not to buy it off that dodgy guy. Tom was
screaming at me not to buy it but I thought he was talking bollocks
/dumbass 4. Now, I’ve gotta go to the shopping center and I really don’t
wanna go – what a bollocks / drag 5. I would ask my sister’s boyfriend to fix
it because he’s supposed to be an IT technician but in my opinion he’s a total
dumbass / bollocks 6.
What would have been best I suppose is if I’d listened to my step Dad and
bought a Mac but I thought that the whole Mac thing was just lame / hype
7. I thought this because I met a guy who worked for Mac the other day and
all his clothes and his style of speaking was totally fake: he was dodgy /
whack 8. Anyway, when I listened to his big clichéd corporate speech about
the product – I thought it was totally crap / lame 9. All I could think was,
“mate, everything you’re saying is total wank / hype.” 10.

Answers
Exercise 1

A
1. Wank A. A load of pompous
rubbish
2. Whack B. A hip-hop term for
‘lame’
3. Lame C. Something that is in bad
taste, weak or pathetic
4. Hype D. A lot of excitement
which may be justified or may not be
5. Drag E. Something you really
don’t want to do

B 6. Dodgy F. Suspicious or not

working properly
7. Dumb ass G. Stupid
8. Bollocks H. ‘Bullshit’ or it can be used as
a general curse
9. Crap I. Shit quality
10. That sucks J. A state of affairs that really
are not good

2) Read the following story and choose the correct phrase when given
two options.
I was so angry the other day. I bought a new computer and it’s totally crap 1.
I was suspicious from the beginning because the guy I bought it off looked
really dodgy 2. Really, I’m so fucking angry with this situation – spending
money and having a shit computer: it really sucks / 3. Everyone told me not
to buy it off that dodgy guy. Tom was screaming at me not to buy it but I
thought he was talking bollocks 4. Now, I’ve gotta go to the shopping center
and I really don’t wanna go – what a drag 5. I would ask my sister’s
boyfriend to fix it because he’s supposed to be an IT technician but in my
opinion he’s a total dumbass 6.
What would have been best I suppose is if I’d listened to my step Dad and
bought aMac but I thought that the whole Mac thing was just hype 7. I
thought this because I met a guy who worked for mac the other day and all
his clothes and his style of speaking was totally fake: he was whack 8.
Anyway, when I listened to his big clichéd corporate speech about the
product – I thought it was totally lame 9. All I could think was “mate,
everything you’re saying is total wank” 10.
Fundamentals - Phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs are like the maths or physics of any English course – an
annoying but essential part of learning the language. What’s more, there can
be no doubt that phrasal verbs are a significant cause of difficulty in
comprehending songs and films.
If it wasn't enough that the relatively straightforward ones such as carry on or
come across are problematic, then there's even more difficult ones where
words are inserted between the verb and preposition, such as tease out. This
phrasal verb means to extract something slowly; you may be a good student
and memorize the meaning totally, but the problem is that often the tease and
the out are seperated. For example...
Let's examine the text to try and tease the meaning and syntax out piece by
piece.
The problem is that if the sentence is delivered fast the student may only
catch tease which means something entirely different: to make fun of
(burlarse de alguien).
The solution to phrasal verb learning is the same as almost all the other
difficult features of English – a piece of advice which we find ourselves
repeating again and again at Vocatic: don't try and learn too much!
Information overload is the death of any language course, so separate phrasal
verbs into groups of five and stay with those five for a few days. And do not
try and learn more than 100 phrasal verbs.
Phrasal verbs are almost instinctive. Technically, they could all be
memorized, but the reality is that they are only truly mastered by natives who
grew up with them. Therefore, if you, as a non-native speaker, learn more
than 100, your head will be so full of come across, come up, come in, come
down, come by...you won't even have the meaning of come clear.
Start your phrasal verb learning with the twenty-five below (a list taken from
our book on common Spanglish errors.) After you've learnt this list check the
internet or any text book for a list of the 100 most common phrasal verbs.
Turn into - convertirse
Find out - averiguar / eneterarse/ descubrir
Go out - salir
Break up - romper una relación
Turn up - aparacer, llegar.
Grow up - crecer (en términos de pasar de infancia a adulto)
Carry on - seguir/ continuar
Carry out - realizar
Catch up - ponerse al dia
Work out - to end nicely (al final todo sale bien). Find the answer or solution.
Watch out - cuidado
Tell off - reñir
Set up - montar, iniciar
Slow down - Reduce speed
Sort out - resolve a problem
Rip off - timar, estafar. Charge excessively or obtain money unfairly.
Pick up - improve, Learn quickly by osmosis. Recoger.
Pop in - visit quickly. Pasar por
Look after - cuidar
Take care of - cuidar
Take care - good bye. Cuidate
Get along with - llevarse bien
End up - terminar (como vas a terminar muy feliz)
Turn out - resulta que.
UNIT 6 Dating
6.1 Stud… Guapo / Bueno
ENGLISH EXPLANATION: A stud is the male horse used to mate with
female horses to create new, well-bred horses. ‘To mate,’ in case you didn’t
know, is a biological word for animals fucking (and also a British English
word for friend). It is this original meaning of stud that gives us its slang use
in the world of sex and relationships for a man who is strong, beautiful and
irresistible. If a woman refers to you as a stud then you know you’re doing
something right. Unless of course you’re a woman. Stud is only used for
men.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Un stud (semental) es el caballo utilizado para

aparearse con yeguas y crear caballos de buena raza. ‘Aparearse’ en inglés es
‘To mate,’ - una palabra biológica para referirse a la cópula animal (y
también mate es una palabra del inglés británico para amigo). Es este
significado original de stud el que nos da su uso coloquial en el mundo del
sexo y las relaciones para hablar de un hombre fuerte, hermoso e irresistible.
Si una mujer se refiere a ti como un stud entonces sabrás que estás haciendo
algo bien. A menos, por supuesto, que seas una mujer. Stud únicamente se
utiliza para hombres.

‘Stud’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Now, Dave, when you think of stud you think of a particular type of
man, don’t you?
DAVE: Well, I don’t, because I don’t really think about men as sexual
objects.
ROK: You know what I mean, though, it’s like, Jonny Depp, although lots of
women think he’s very sexy, I doubt they’d describe him as a stud. And it’s
not just pretty boys… nerdy but interesting looking singers can’t really be
described as studs either.
DAVE: I don’t think a stud is at the other extreme either – a huge towering
muscleman. I think a stud has a masculine type of attractiveness without
being over the top.
ROK: So who do you think would be well described as a stud?
DAVE: That’s a difficult one because it’s not really the sort of word you use
in relation to famous people. It’s more something you say about someone you
know who all the ladies like.
ROK: But if you had to choose a famous person you’d say was a stud, who
would you choose?
DAVE: I’d say Brad Pitt was a stud… especially now he’s older.
ROK: So you think Brad Pitt’s a stud?
DAVE: That’s what I said. Wait…is this one of your infantile games to make
me say I think another man is a stud?
ROK: Of course not. Anyway, it’s not necessary; you already said that you
think he’s a stud. I admire the fact you can say and feel that so openly.
DAVE: Asshole. Next word please.
6.2 Hottie… Guapo (a) / Sexy

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: You should know by now that hot in English

doesn’t mean – as it does in other languages – someone who wants sex at that
moment; it’s someone who is attractive, sexy or beautiful. Thus, a hottie is a
noun derived from the adjective that you can use for someone that’s hot.
“Wow, what a hottie.” Hottie can be used for men or women.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: A estas alturas deberías saber que hot en inglés

no significa, a diferencia de otras lenguas, alguien que quiere sexo en el
momento. Se trata de alguien que es atractivo, sexy o hermoso (a). Sin
embargo, un (a) hottie es un sustantivo que deriva del adjetivo que puedes
utilizar para alguien hot. “Wow, what a hottie”. Hottie puede ser utilizado
tanto para hombres como para mujeres.

‘Hottie’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Well, Dave, it’s a debate we seem to have constantly in our podcasts
but I don’t think there’s any harm in repeating it again.
DAVE: What?
ROK: Which country – as a percentage of the total population – has the
highest quantity of hotties?
DAVE: Well, my first instinctive answer is Brazil.
ROK: Nahhh… Brazil has lots of hotties of course, but for me, Brazilians are
more for the burnt out (quemado) ladies’ man – you’ve already had your fill
of Latin or Scandinavian hotties, so you start going into more exotic and
unusual territory.
DAVE: What do you mean?
ROK: Well, we all have a clear idea of a dark Latin goddess or a
Scandinavian blonde but there’s no distinct Brazilian type. A Brazilian hottie
could be blonde, black, dark, light… and that’s very interesting but the
inconsistency means that…
DAVE: INTERRUPTS…What the fuck are you talking about? That’s
bollocks. Isn’t it that diversity, that inconsistency which is exactly the reason
why Brazil has the highest amount of hotties per capita in the world? Your
problem, Rokeby, is that you have mono vision: you’re just into dark Latin
women. You need to broaden your tastes. (ampliar tu gusto)
ROK: Well, I can’t really say any more than that, can I? Podcast over. And
just remember, everybody – that in the world of Vocatic…all women are hot.
See you next week, guys.
6.3 Macking the honeys… Ligar

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: The first meaning of honey is well known by

many students – it’s a term of affection for your boy or girlfriend. However,
if you say “She’s a honey,” then you’re saying she’s sexy. Honey is just
another word for hottie and has been popularised in numerous phrases such
as macking the honeys – which means to get a girl to have sex with you.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: El primer significado de honey es muy

conocido por muchos estudiantes; es un término de afecto como cariño que
podrías utilizar para tu novio o novia. Sin embargo, si dices “She’s a honey”
entonces estás diciendo que ella es sexy. Honey es otra palabra para hottie y
se ha popularizado en numerosas frases tales como macking the honeys: ligar
chicas.

‘Macking the honeys’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, Dave, we’ve had the debate about which country has the highest
amount of hotties per capita, now let’s move to a deeper question – what’s
the best way to mack a honey? I suppose you’re better at explaining macking
than me, though.
DAVE: Well, macking is what any self-respecting, healthy man is doing on a
Friday and Saturday night. But we only included the term because it’s used in
some important films. It’s actually a bit nineteen nineties.
ROK: Dave’s volunteering this information because he’s terrified of ever
appearing unfashionable. Continue, Dave.
DAVE: Okay, as I was saying, macking the honeys is what any self-
respecting man does on a Friday night. As opposed to what you do – put your
son to bed and sit on your sorry divorced ass, writing at the computer.
ROK: Well, at least I’m single… I have more potential for macking the
honeys than when I was married.
DAVE: Yeah…but you’re not taking it. If at least you could spend all that
time on the computer on Match.com that would be something.
ROK: But I know it’s possible to get women on the internet, but does that
count as… macking the honeys?
DAVE: This is a fiercely debated question amongst mackers. You see, it’s
clear that it can yield incredibly large volumes of women…but is it too
impersonal and not just not smooth enough to be counted as macking?
ROK: I think I’ll leave that debate to you. Let’s move on. Second phrase.
6.4 Making out – Besarse y enrollarse en alguna actividad
sexual ligera

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Making out is a very difficult phrasal verb

because it also means to lie. In girl – boy terms however, making out means
to kiss and engage in some light sexual activity. “Joe and I were making out
on his sofa.” Or you could say “We didn’t do anything serious – we were just
in his car making out.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Making out es una frase verbal muy difícil

porque también significa mentir. En términos de chica–chico, sin embargo,
making out significa besarse y enrollarse en alguna actividad sexual ligera.
“Joe and I were making out on his sofa”. O podrías decir: “We didn’t do
anything serious – we were just in his car making out”.

‘Making out’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Okay Rokeby, you’re on a first date… you meet a hottie – great
personality, smoking body… what are you expecting when you get back to
her place? Just to make out or to go all the way? (tener sexo)
ROK: So your question is: is it okay to have sex on a first date?
DAVE: No, because it’s obviously okay. My question is what you,
personally, expect…just to make out…or more?
ROK: Well, there’s two answers to that question – the first is that I don’t
believe in casual sex so I’d definitely stick to making out.
DAVE: And what’s the second answer?
ROK: Well, the problem with the first answer is that that’s the normal me.
That’s what I believe day by day – a fundamental part of my philosophy.
DAVE: I’m not getting you? What are you saying?
ROK: Then I have a drink.
DAVE: Arghhh…
ROK: And it all mysteriously changes. And the worst thing is that because I
never would go out and not have a drink – the whole thing is completely
academic and shallow. (superficial) I hate that shit.
DAVE: But I know you man… the fact is you don’t go sleeping around. You
keep things on the make out level, no?
ROK: Yeah… not for want of trying, though. I mean, I suppose I can keep it
under control but I’d like to live according to my principles whether I’d had a
drink or not.
DAVE: Hey man… that’s why drink was invented. To smash principles.
(romper) And I think we should go out and smash a few more right now. See
you next week, class… but remember – making out can be more erotic than
going all the way. Catch you later.
6.5 Guy… Tío

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: The word guy is really important for your

English. The main reason you need to incorporate this word into your
vocabulary is so you don’t make it blindingly obvious that you’re an amateur
English speaker. Imagine, for example, you’re narrating a story: “I was
walking down the street and a man was smoking a cigarette” or “…a boy was
smoking a cigarette;” it just doesn’t sound right. An English speaker with a
rich vocabulary will say: “A guy was smoking a cigarette.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: La palabra guy es muy importante para tu

inglés. La razón principal por la que necesitas incorporar esta palabra a tu
vocabulario es para no hacer enormemente obvio que eres un hablante del
inglés amateur. Imagina, por ejemplo, que estás narrando una historia: “I was
walking down the street and a man was smoking a cigarette” o “…a boy was
smoking a cigarette”; simplemente no suena bien. Un angloparlante con un
rico vocabulario diría: “A guy was smoking a cigarette”.

‘Guy’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, you know what, Dave? I think we’re giving out a lot of mixed
messages in these chats. Shall we just state categorically that whatever we
say – we are committed feminists?
DAVE: Yeah. I’m down with that.
ROK: Saying that, we do need to address the question of exactly how guys
are different from chicks.
DAVE: Oh…yeah… that old question. Well, I think we can still see a strong
difference between men and women, and main’tain our feminist credentials.
ROK: You think? Even if we claim that guys are inherently more rational
than chicks? (decir)
DAVE: Hey…rationality is seriously overrated. I’m sure everything seemed
entirely rational to that motherfucker, Hitler.
ROK: That’s an interesting point. You’re trying to say that it’s a weakness of
guys that they’re more rational?
DAVE: Yeah, but anyway, I’ll tell you another definite difference between
the genders: guys are far better historians than chicks.
ROK: Explain.
DAVE: In my experience, all arguments end up involving a version of events
that happened in the past. It could be a long time ago – the time you kissed
that ex-girlfriend for example, or ten minutes ago – who said they’d wash the
dishes; but whenever a chick gives her version of events they are nowhere
near the real version. I tell you, chicks are terrible historians. They remember
what their emotion tells them.
ROK: Err…I think we better move on, Dave, our feminist credentials are
getting tenuous.
6.6 Fag… Marica

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Fag is short for faggot. The term was originally
used as a derogatory term for homosexuals but has since seeped into common
usage for any perception of weakness or femininity. For example, if lots of
guys were drinking beer and one of them didn’t want to drink more he would
be called a faggot. If three youths were about to rob a store and one said he
was scared, the other two might call him a faggot. Faggot, to refer to
homosexuals, is a highly offensive term.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Fag es una abreviación de faggot. La palabra

fue utilizada originalmente como un término despectivo para homosexual,
pero desde entonces ha pasado a ser uso común para cualquier percepción de
debilidad o feminidad. Por ejemplo, si muchos chicos están bebiendo cerveza
y uno de ellos no quiere beber más sería llamado faggot. Si tres jóvenes
estuviesen a punto de robar una tienda y uno dijese que tiene miedo, los otros
dos lo podrían llamar faggot. Faggot, para referirse a homosexuales, es un
término altamente ofensivo.

‘Fag’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: You know, Rokeby, you’re such a fag every time we go out.
ROK: That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it? And stop telling everyone I’m boring
when we go out. (un poco fuerte)
DAVE: But you always wanna go home at 12pm. You’re living in Spain
where you’re supposed to stay out all night and party till the sun goes up.
ROK: Yeah, Dave, but the problem is that if I party till the sun goes up then I
party till my son wakes up. Do you know what it’s like to get home with a
hangover and then have to deal with children?
DAVE: No. Thank God!
ROK: It’s a bloody nightmare, and the worst part is that not only do you
have to do lots of logistical shit like cook and play with toys and deal with all
the demands of a six-year-old, you have to look at their unbelievable energy
and vigour contrasted with your own hangover state.
DAVE: Yeah, man, but you’re still a total fag.
ROK: And how do you work that out?
DAVE: Because you must wanna go back home. Haven’t you ever heard of a
babysitter?
ROK: Yeah, and haven’t you ever heard of no money? Are you gonna pay
for a babysitter all night?
DAVE: Err…
ROK: No, I thought not! But don’t worry, I’ll let you pay this weekend.
6.7 Chick… Chica

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Just as you need to enrich your vocabulary and

have another word for men and boys, you need to have another word for
females apart from girls and women. Admittedly, to refer to them as chicks
isn’t the most politically correct label, but this is a course in street English,
not aristocratic English, and most guys refer to women as chicks.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Así como necesitas enriquecer tu vocabulario y

tener otra palabra para referirte a hombres y a chicos, necesitas tener otra
palabra para mujeres además de girls y women. Cierto es que referirse a ellas
con el término chicks no es la designación más políticamente correcta, pero
éste es un curso en inglés de la calle, no inglés aristocrático, y la mayoría de
los hombres se refieren a las chicas como chicks.

‘Chicks’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Okay, so let’s talk about something that’s a little controversial.

Which do you go for, Rokeby, chicks in their 30s or chicks in their 20s?
ROK: Hey, you’re really trying to get me in trouble here – asking me first.
(causarme problemas)
DAVE: Hey, only if your answer’s going to be a resounding vote for younger
chicks. Anyway, stop stalling and get on with it. (buscar evasivas)
ROK: Okay, well, I’ll start off by saying that the best sex I’ve had has
always been with women my own age, or older. And, women in their thirties
make better company; but…
DAVE: …Ah ha, I was waiting for the but.
ROK: But…it would be dishonest to deny that from a physical point of view
a girl in her mid-twenties is a potent force. And even psychologically, I have
to say that sometimes I meet younger chicks and expect them to be a bit silly,
and they end up being interesting and challenging; they offer a different
perspective.
DAVE: Fuck me, it sounds like you’re in a job interview. So which do you
prefer? You gotta choose.
ROK: Honestly… I like them both.
6.8 Babe… Chica guapa

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Babe is just another word for chick with the
only exception that a babe is an attractive chick. If you went to a club last
night and you say to your friend “It was full of babes” it means there were
lots of attractive chicks. Babe has a similarity with honey in that if you say,
“She’s a total babe” you mean she’s really hot; whereas, if you say “Hello,
babe” to your wife it’s just like saying, “Hola cariño.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Babe es otra forma de chick, con la única

excepción de que babe es una chica atractiva. Si estuviste en una disco
anoche y le dices a tu amigo “It was full of babes” significa que había
muchas chicas atractivas. Babe se asemeja a honey en que si dices “She’s a
total babe” quieres decir she’s really hot; sin embargo, si le dices “Hello,
babe” a tu esposa es como decir “Hola cariño”.

‘Babes’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Is it true, Dave, that the only thing you live for are babes?
DAVE: No, Rokeby, it’s not true. You know it’s not true. I live for the
church, the community, and my mum.
ROK: Are you sure you’re not just saying that to get more babes?
DAVE: Explain.
ROK: Well, if you admit that the only thing you care about are babes then
you’ll get less babes. They’ll all see you as a potential liability in the fidelity
department.
DAVE: You know, you have a very devious imagination. (tortuoso)
ROK: Comes from dealing with you, Dave. Anyway, I’m a little worried that
these podcasts make us sound like a couple of guys who only care about
babes and macking babes. So, I’d like you to tell the listeners something
about yourself which they don’t know that has nothing to do with babes.
DAVE: Okay, well, I guess no one knows about my career as a tarot card
reader. I’m pretty passionate about it I have to say.
ROK: I’m sure. And the babes like it, true?
DAVE: Hey, are you suggesting that I only read tarot cards to meet babes?
ROK: Well, now you mention it… I’ve never seen you read a guy’s tarot.
DAVE: You motherfucker. I’m going – see you next podcast.
ROK: Whoops, looks like we’ve lost the Dave. Don’t worry, though, he’ll be
back for the next class.
6.9 Dumped or ditched – Ser abandonado por tu pareja

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: We all know the expression to break up, but

what do people on the street say? In colloquial English the focus doesn’t lie
on the fact that two people have broken up but on who left who. The act of
breaking up with someone – especially when it’s the choice of one, is known
as dumping somebody. As dumping is what you do with unwanted rubbish,
it’s not a very nice term. It is, however, very common. A similar term is to
ditch someone.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Todos conocemos la expresión to break up,

pero ¿qué dice la gente en la calle? En el inglés coloquial el foco no reside en
el hecho de que dos personas han roto una relación, sino en quién dejó a
quién. El acto de romper con alguien, especialmente cuando es la decisión de
uno, se conoce como dumping. Y como dumping (deshacerte) es lo que haces
con la basura inservible, éste no es un término muy agradable. Es, sin
embargo, muy común. Un término similar es to ditch someone.

‘Dumped & Ditched’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Is it true, Rokeby that you claim you’ve never been dumped by a
woman?
ROK: It’s true that I claim that, but it’s not true. I’ve definitely been
dumped. And how about you?
DAVE: Of course! But are there any particularly traumatic episodes where
you got ditched?
ROK: Well, I remember getting dumped many years ago and being
presented with a list of reasons why I was being dumped. A bit like ‘Ten
reasons why I hate you.’
DAVE: I like it. Fill me in. (Dime – tell me)
ROK: Well, the one that comes to mind first was, “you eat like a fucking
pig.”
DAVE: Excellent.
ROK: You see, this was many years ago and I was a little less refined than I
am now. If that’s possible.
DAVE: And why else did she say she was dumping you?
ROK: Well, there was a rather bad side effect from a medicine I was taking.
It did leave a certain function a bit difficult to perform. But I think I’ll stop
there, Dave. Or no woman will ever go out with me again. Why don’t you tell
us the whackest, most lamest excuse you can give someone for dumping
someone?
DAVE: Well, that’s easy. When you say – it’s not you it’s me. The
interesting thing I’ve found, though, is that even when you become mega
sophisticated and you’re aware of what’s lame and not…you just use more
sophisticated versions of the old, lame excuses.
ROK: Well, I’d like to explore the theme more, Dave. But unfortunately it’s
time for the next word.
7.0 Bitches… Putas

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Hip-hop English has a long history of referring

to women as bitches. In other words, it’s not that they’re particularly angry
or wanting to offend a particular woman, they’re just referring to women as
bitches as if it’s a normal term. It’s not, and it’s totally offensive, and
although we love slang and rude words this is one term we won’t accept. A
further worrying development is the use of bitch as an insult to another man.
Learn to understand this term but never agree with it and never use it.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: El inglés del hip-hop tiene una larga historia de

referirse a las mujeres como bitches (perras). En otras palabras, no es que se
esté particularmente enojado o con deseos de ofender a alguna mujer en
particular, simplemente se está refiriendo a mujeres como bitches como si
fuese un término normal. No lo es, es totalmente ofensivo y, a pesar que
amamos las palabras del argot, éste es un término que no aceptamos. Un
desarrollo preocupante es el uso de bitch como insulto hacia otro hombre.
Aprende a entender este término pero nunca estés de acuerdo con él y nunca
lo utilices.

‘Bitches’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Okay, Rokeby, what would you say if I said, let’s go out and drink
some beers, shoot some pool , dance the night away, and pick up some
bitches. (jugar al billar, bailar toda la noche, ligar)
ROK: Well, first I’d wanna know if ‘dancing the night away,’ means that
you and me dance together like a couple of gays, and then later we get the
girls; or if me and you dancing together is a part of the getting the girl thing.
Then, I’d wanna know what the hell are you doing using such an offensive
term as bitches when you’re talking about babes.
DAVE: Okay, so, what would you say if I said let’s go out and drink some
beers, shoot some pool, dance the night away and mack some honeys.
ROK: Well, I’d say, I’m down with that.
DAVE: Yeah, but I bet you wouldn’t turn up or something like that. You’re a
workaholic.
ROK: Hey, I’m not a workaholic I’m a recovering workaholic.
DAVE: Jesus, if this is a recovering workaholic I wouldn’t wannna see you
when you were a real workaholic.
ROK: Yeah, it was pretty intense. I used to basically work all day, all
evening, and then wake up in the middle of the night to work some more.
That’s the life of a writer. When he’s not going through a long period of
stagnation. (estancamiento)
DAVE: Yes, anyway, are you ready? let’s go out and get us some bitches.
ROK: But I don’t want to go out and buy some female dogs. Because I know
the only circumstance in which you would say get some ‘bitches’ was in its
zoological sense. I don’t wanna pet. Now, let’s go and mack those honeys.
DAVE: Done. Okay, everybody…time for the class to end.
Vocabulary Exercises

1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A 1. Stud a. To kiss and touch

2. A hottie b. To pursue and get women
3. Macking the honeys c. Man
4. Making out d. Beautiful, sexy man
5. Guy e. Babe

B 1. Dumped or ditched a. Gay

2. Fag b. Hottie
3. Chick c. A horrible word for ‘girls’
4. Babe d. A word linked to the end of a
relationship
5. Bitches e. Girl

2) Read the following story and choose the correct phrase when given
two options.
Shit, man, the other day I was in a cafe with some friends - so fucking angry -
because this guy I know was trying to be all hip-hop and said, “tonight I
wanna go out and meet some bitches / chicks 1. I told him he was a fucking
asshole and he shouldn’t refer to women like that and he said, “how should I
talk about them?” “Say, what everyone else says,” I replied, “I wanna go out
and mack some honeys / meet some girls 2. Anyway, I told the man / guy
3. to go fuck himself but then his sister arrived in the cafe. She was a total
hottie / chick 4. The most incredible thing is that she was single because
she’d just been pitched / ditched 5. by her boyfriend.
As the afternoon progressed I began to realise that I was in love with this
chick / girl 6. And although I had to spend a long time listening to her idiot
brother being offensive, not just about women but to gays by constantly
referring to them as fags / gays 7. it was worth it. In the end, I came up with a
really cunning plan; I told him that when I went to the toilet I heard the
chicks in the corner talking about him saying that he was a real man / stud
8. He totally believed me and said, “hey, guys, you wait, me and those
chicks will be macking the honeys /making out 9. within half an hour –
mark my words.” It was so funny... they were real babes / chicks 10. and
when he walked over to them he fell over a muffin on the floor. What a dick!

Answers
1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A Stud Beautiful, sexy man

A hottie Babe
Macking the honeys To pursue and get women
Making out To kiss and touch
Guy Man

B
Dumped or ditched A word linked to the end of a
relationship
Chick Girl
Babe Hottie
Bitches A horrible word for ‘girls’
Fag An offensive term for ‘gay.’

2) Read the following story and choose the correct phrase when given
two options.
Shit, man, the other day I was in a cafe with some friends - so fucking angry -
because this guy I know was trying to be all hip-hop and said, “tonight I
wanna go out and meet some bitches. I told him he was a fucking asshole and
he shouldn’t refer to women like that and he said, “how should I talk about
them?” “Say, what everyone else says,” I replied, “I wanna go out and mack
some honeys. Anyway, I told the guy to go fuck himself but then his sister
arrived in the cafe. She was a total hottie. The most incredible thing is that
she was single because she’d just been ditched. by her boyfriend.
As the afternoon progressed I began to realise that I was in love with this
chick. And although I had to spend a long time listening to her idiot brother
being offensive, not just about women but to gays by constantly referring to
them as fag. it was worth it. In the end, I came up with a really cunning plan;
I told him that when I went to the toilet I heard the chicks in the corner
talking about him saying that he was a real stud. He totally believed me and
said, “hey, guys, you wait, me and those chicks will be making out within
half an hour – mark my words.” It was so funny... they were real babes and
when he walked over to them he fell over a muffin on the floor. What a dick!
Fundamentals - Social Learning

There is a longstanding philosophy that human beings are happy when they
are creating and achieving. This is a philosophy we adhere to at Vocatic, with
one caveat: human beings are happy when they are creating and achieving -
together.
Vocatic doesn’t just invest in research into methodology and materials, we
have conducted extensive research into the psychology of studying. We aim
to understand what keeps students motivated and happy, and what makes
them bored and give up the course. Surprisingly, we haven’t discovered what
most people think is the solution to all educational problems: that 'fun' keeps
students motivated til the end of the course. We’ve discovered that what
keeps students motivated is when they are empowered, they work together,
and they see clear, visible results from their collaboration.
When we encourage students to work together, we're not talking about
working in pairs for five minutes during a language class. We're talking about
starting up a study group. Study groups, and other forms of social learning,
transform your project of understanding film and music in English into a
collaboration. Study groups aren't just a fun and extremely cheap way to
learn, they can be far more effective than other forms of studying.
Here's our recommendations for starting a study group. But please, be
creative and formulate a modus operandi that works for you.
1. Decide whether to make the group with friends, colleagues or the wider
community. (Or a combination of all the above)
2. Choose an objective: understanding music, film, series in original version.
3. Create an online space for members to sign up and communicate with each
other. Start a facebook group, a myspace page, a forum, whatever.
4. For the first meeting, everyone brings a file (video) with the first series or a
sample of whatever they propose the group should watch and study each
week. (If not a series then each member can bring a different film each
meeting) (Vocatic can offer you advice on where to download media, what
format etc...). The group watches the sample, discusses its merits (characters,
humour, potential etc...) and decides which series to follow (It can be
changed later).
5. Each week there is an appointed scout whose job it is to find the script and
subtitles on the Internet. This is very easy (subtitles.net for example.). The
scout prepares all the necessary vocabulary for the meeting (and discussion
points. Alternatively, this can be done as a group task. 8please remember not
to write down every single piece of vocabulary – choose the most important.
6. The group has its meeting, watches the episode, and discusses the
discussion points.
7. You grow and discover the world of original version together, strengthen
group ties and live in harmony.
UNIT 7 Pussy
7.1 Cock… Pene / Polla / Pija
ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Cock is probably one of the oldest words in the
history of human beings. No doubt, as soon as early hominids discovered the
power of speech one of the first thing man named was… his cock. Cock is
one of those words that sounds just perfect for what it is. So whether you’re
trying to boast about how big it is, that it’s infected, or that you want to put it
somewhere... cock is the word of choice.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Cock es probablemente una de las palabras más

viejas en la historia del hombre. Sin duda, en cuanto los primeros homínidos
descubrieron el poder del habla una de las primeras cosas que el hombre
nombró fue… su pene. Cock es una de esas palabras que suena perfecto para
lo que es. Así que ya sea que tratas de alardear de lo grande que es, decir que
está infectado o que quieres ponerlo en algún lugar… cock es la palabra.

‘Cock’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, Dave, let’s talk about cocks.

DAVE: Do we have to?
ROK: Afraid so…
DAVE: Oh great… and what aspects of cock are we gonna talk about?
ROK: It’s quite simple. Imagine you have an accident and because of some
medical complication the doctor says he has to amputate something.
Basically he gives you a choice – your cock or a leg. Which would you have
amputated?
DAVE: Shit, man… they’re gonna amputate… my cock or my leg?
ROK: Yeah.
DAVE: Bummer. (putada) And like, what does amputation mean? My
whole cock’s gone or they’ll be some kind of stump left? (muñón)
ROK: No man, nothing, flat as a pancake. (llano como una pradera)
DAVE: And does that include bollocks?
ROK: Fuck man, what do you think this is – a menu? Cock or leg… choose,
motherfucker!
DAVE: Hey, look, this isn’t like a Christmas turkey – ooo shall I have leg or
breast? You’re talking about my cock. But, if you insist I choose quickly…
I’m gonna go for a leg, and start praying for some serious developments in
prosthetic surgery. Now, can we change the subject, please?
7.2 Pussy… Vagina / Chicas

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Pussy! Somehow that sounded very satisfying.

Pussy is both a word for the female genitalia and a general word for women –
if you’re simply referring to them as sexual objects. In other words, you
could say “I really don’t care if a woman shaves her pussy or not” or “The
pussy in this town is awesome.” It should be noted that while pussy is not a
pleasant term for the vagina, it is a lot softer than cunt.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Pussy! De alguna forma eso sonó muy

satisfactorio. Pussy es una palabra que sirve para referirte tanto a los genitales
femeninos como a las mujeres en general, si simplemente te estás refiriendo a
ellas como objetos sexuales. En otras palabras, podrías decir: “I really don’t
care if a woman shaves her pussy or not” o “The pussy in this town is
awesome”. Cabe destacar que aunque pussy no es un término agradable para
vagina, es mucho más suave que cunt.

‘Pussy’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Right, let’s get straight to the point, Dave. Do you truly believe your
own theory that there’s a revival in favour of hairy pussys?
DAVE: I do; in fact, I’d like to be the first person to confirm this in the
media. Hairy pussys are back, everybody! One problem, though.
ROK: What’s that?
DAVE: Only nuns and female physics teachers know about it. Well, the truth
is, they never knew about pussys without hair so chances are that one day
they’d get lucky and fashion would turn around. Anyway, what I’m saying is
that this shift in taste is coming from guys. Every guy I know is saying it’s
sexy to see a bit of hair down below, but the women haven’t caught on yet.
ROK: And meanwhile, they’re all out spending their hard earned cash on
permanently removing their pussy hair. Hey, maybe there’s a business
opportunity in the future: hair transplants for women who’ve permanently
removed the hair… and want it back again.
DAVE: Or better we just stop it from happening. We gotta warn them –
don’t go shaving that hair, girls, cos in five years it’s gonna be like Brian
May down there.
7.3 Tits, boobs, rack… Tetas
ENGLISH EXPLANATION: For women wanting to use a slang term that
doesn’t have the connotation of lustful men, boobs is commonly used by
them. Apart from that, we have the classic term tits.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Entre mujeres que quieren utilizar un término

coloquial que no tiene la connotación de hombres lujuriosos, boobs es más
común. Además de eso, tenemos el término clásico: tits.

‘Boobs, tits, Rack’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: So, what do you say, Rokeby boy: false tits – do you like them?
Have you had much experience of them? Are they a sick product of our
image obsessed age or an excellent innovation for women?
ROK: Well, false boobs are something of a speciality of mine.
DAVE: What…you got a pair?
ROK: No, man… these are called beer tits… drink enough beer and surgery
is not necessary. But let’s get back to women, shall we?
DAVE: Sorry, yeah, carry on with what you were saying.
ROK: Well, I’ve known a lot of women who’ve had false tits, and I have to
say firstly that it really does boost a woman’s confidence when they suddenly
find themselves with a fantastic pair of boobs. (aumenta)
DAVE: And can you confirm that on an aesthetic level they look good?
ROK: Yeah. Years ago they didn’t, but now they can give you the perfect
breasts (but, of course that’s a relative term – perfect breast,) but by most
people’s definitions the false boobs I’ve seen have been pretty good.
DAVE: And you say they boost a woman’s confidence.
ROK: Sadly enough, yeah; men are simple animals. Large tits can keep a
man very attentive to a woman. Some women I know suddenly find more
men staring at them than before, and that they get more attention.
DAVE: Yeah, but they’re staring at her rack – not her.
ROK: Yeah, but the rack is attached… to her. Okay, let’s move on, dude.
7.4 Smoking body... Un cuerpazo

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: If you want to express to a friend that a woman

or man you’ve just seen is well formed, you might say she’s/he’s got a good
body; but if you want to go one step further into colloquial English you’ll say
she’s/he’s got a smoking body. The idea is simple – her/his body is so God
damned hot... it’s smoking.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Si quieres expresarle a un amigo que una mujer

u hombre a quien acabas de ver está bien formado, podrías decir she’s/he’s
got a good body; pero si quieres ir un paso más allá en inglés coloquial dirías
she’s/he’s got a smoking body. La idea es simple, su cuerpo es tan hot… it’s
smoking.

‘Smoking body’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Okay, Rokeby, so we’ve been inspired by our last chat and the brief
mention of beer tits, to shift the emphasis from female to male, and discuss
our own bodies.
ROK: One problem, though: the phrase is – smoking hot body and certainly
if I speak for myself – smoking hot body isn’t the phrase that comes to mind
when I look in the mirror each morning.
DAVE: Really? What phrase does come to mind?
ROK: Err... I dunno, less a neat phrase like smoking hot and more a stream
of adjectives: loose, white, hanging, hairy. My body is quite frankly a fucking
disaster. It’s like… too fat in some places and too skinny in others. If I could
pick up the fat and distribute it evenly round my body I’d probably have –
well, not a smoking hot – body… but a reasonable body.
DAVE: And what about a bit of liposuction to get rid of the fat?
ROK: I heard that shit is painful, man, you’re in agony for days afterwards,
and as well as that, it just seems sick – a long tube sucking all the shit out f
your body into a bucket.
DAVE: Hey… dude… if you wanna smoking hot body, you’re past thirty
and you’re gonna spend five hours in the gym, then you better start thinking
about some lipo.
ROK: Nah, I’ll give that a miss… thanks. I prefer to have what I got.
DAVE: Fair enough. I admire your acceptance. Personally, I might just be
checking in to the clinic next time I’m in Bogota.
ROK: Bullshit.
DAVE: Of course it’s bullshit. The only tube that’s going into my body goes
from a bong full of skunk weed to my lungs. That’s the sort of smoking I’m
interested in, and talking of that, I think it’s about time for a little smoke now.
See you next week, guys… Keep cool.
7.5 Cum… Correrte / Venirte / Tener un orgasmo

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: After you’ve had sex with your girlfriend and
you’ve just cum, you might wonder why she was so quiet during sex, and
wonder if she came. That’s right: to cum means to orgasm, and is the one
irregular verb that never features on the list of irregular verbs. I cum, you
came, she’s come. As you can see… it’s clearly irregular. Also, cum is a
noun for sperm.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Luego de haber tenido sexo con tu novia y de

haberte corrido, quizá te preguntes por qué estuvo tan callada durante el sexo
y si se ha corrido. Correcto: to cum significa tener un orgasmo y es el único
verbo irregular que nunca figura en la lista de verbos irregulares (cum – came
– cum). I cum, you came, she’s come. Como puedes ver, es claramente
irregular. Cum es también un sustantivo para esperma.

‘Cum’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Okay, Dave, you see yourself as the grandmaster Yoda of sex… how
important is it that a woman cums when you fuck her?
ROK: A good question… one which only a grandmaster Yoda of sex could
answer. Basically it all comes down to one question – how orgasmic the
woman is. Clearly, if a woman finds it easy to cum and she doesn’t cum, then
you got yourself a problem.
DAVE: Unless it’s a one off of course. (un acto excepcional)
ROK: True, if for whatever reason, your girlfriend doesn’t cum, and it’s a
one off… well, it could happen to anyone. But if it’s happening regularly…
you gotta problem which no doubt you’ll soon find out about.
DAVE: And what about the G-spot? Is it a myth…is there really some
magical place inside a woman where if you make the right contact she’s
guaranteed to cum?
ROK: Well, I believe that scientists have conclusively discovered that the G-
spot doesn’t exist, but I like to think of it in different terms – as a set of
conditions that need to be met: setting + foreplay + technique and that’s
pretty much the same thing. If you meet these conditions it’s as good as the
G-spot.
DAVE: And what about the male G-spot?
ROK: What the fuck is that?
DAVE: Well, apparently, for a man who likes a little bit of anal
stimulation… there’s some kind of magic spot up there that makes him cum
instantly.
ROK: Get the fuck outta here. End of part one, what’s the next phrase?
7.6 Go down on… Practicar sexo oral a una mujer

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Do you remember the expression “Yeah, I’m

down with that”? Well, one of the most important questions a new girlfriend
will ask herself about you is if you’re down with… going down on her. Yes,
my friend, pleasuring a woman down below with your tongue is known as
going down on a woman.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: ¿Recuerdas la expresión “Yeah, I’m down with

that”? Bueno, una de las preguntas más importantes que una nueva novia se
hará sobre ti es if you’re down with… going down on her. Así es, mi amigo,
practicar sexo oral a una mujer con tu lengua se conoce como going down on
a woman.

‘Go down on’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: I’ll ask you straight out Dave, do you like going down on a woman?
Do you like to drink from the furry cup? (practicar sexo oral)
DAVE: Rokeby, Rokeby, Rokeby…What sort of a question is that? That’s
like saying – do I like weed? Or more accurately, do I like pussy? Of course I
like going down on a woman. Don’t ever insult me by asking that question
again.
ROK: Well, I dunno, man, I’ve heard there’s some guys who don’t like
going down.
DAVE: Yeah, they’re called gays. That’s cos they like sucking cock – not
licking pussy. (lamer)
ROK: No man, it ain’t just gays who don’t like going down on women,
there’s some guys who don’t feel comfortable with it.
DAVE: Sounds like you’re talking from experience, Rokeby…don’t tell me
after all these years of friendship you finally decided you prefer cock.
Explain yourself, boy! This is all starting to sound suspicious.
ROK: Shut up. I’m just saying there are some guys who don’t like it.
DAVE: And you’re one of them.
ROK: Of course not. My tongue is more active than a chameleon’s,
motherfucker! It’s just that…
DAVE: INTERUPTS…Okay…okay…I think we’ve both answered the
initial question comprehensively. That’s the end of the class… but remember,
guys…going down is an art. Practice makes perfect. See you next week,
beautiful people.
7.7 Blow job…Practicar sexo oral a un hombre /
mamada

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Probably, if a woman starts blowing (soplar)

on your cock when she’s supposed to be sucking (chupar) it, then you might
be a little perturbed. The fact is, though, that the technical word for sucking a
penis is… a blow job. These days a lot of people, particularly in American
English, tend to remove the job and simply say “She blew me.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Probablemente si una mujer comienza a

soplarte (to blow) el pene, cuando se supone que debería estar chupándolo
(sucking it), te sientas un poco extraño. El hecho es que la palabra técnica
para chupar un pene es a blow job. Actualmente mucha gente, especialmente
en el inglés norteamericano, tiende a quitar la palabra job y simplemente
decir “She blew me”.

‘Blowjob’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, Dave, Let’s deal with some hypotheticals, shall we?
DAVE: Oh God, you’re not gonna talk about my cock being amputated
again, are you?
ROK: No, more like – your cock being underused. What I want you to
imagine is that you’ve got a girlfriend who’s near perfect. Funny, beautiful,
smoking hot body, generous, all the classic qualities of a total babe.
DAVE: Okay… what’s the problem? She sounds too good to be true.
ROK: Well, the catch is… she doesn’t like blowjobs. (mamadas) In fact, it
disgusts her, and basically you’re never going to have another blowjob again.
DAVE: So, having an affair is out of the question? (una aventura)
ROK: What…you’d have an affair just to have a blowjob? I guess that kind
of answers my question: would you stay in a relationship that had no
blowjobs?
DAVE: Hey, stop… you’re racing ahead here. Slow down. First of all, if she
was so perfect, that’d mean she’d be perfect at all sorts of other sexual acts…
so I could perhaps go without the blowjobs. Damn, I’d miss ‘em, though. Just
think, after years and years I’d probably want a blowjob so much I’d start
dreaming of it… it would become some kind of obsession.
ROK: It probably would, yeah. A blowjob would become this almost
mythical act. A blowjob could become a holy grail of eroticism that could
drive you to desperate measures and infidelities. Or not.
DAVE: Let’s hope we never find out. Next phrase, please, Mister Rokeby.
7.8 Doggy style… Estilo o posición de perrito

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: The missionary position is so called because

when the first missionaries arrived in Africa they insisted on telling the
natives that the only decent and Christian way to make love was… the
missionary position. There’s no such interesting tale for doggy style, though.
Doggy style is so called because it’s… fucking from behind in the style of a
dog.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: La posición de misionero se llama así porque

cuando los primeros misioneros llegaron a África insistieron en decirles a los
nativos que la única forma decente y cristiana de hacer el amor era la
posición misionera. No hay tal historia interesante para el doggy style. Se le
llama doggy style porque implica follar por atrás al estilo de un perro.

‘Doggy Style’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Okay, it’s time to answer some hard questions, Rokeby, questions
that could expose you as a mediocre lover………. Are you a two-stroke
man? (de solo dos posiciones (explicación debajo)
ROK: Okay, well, I’d like to answer; but unfortunately I don’t know what
the fuck you’re on about, so I can’t.
DAVE: Well, stroke – what does it mean? Of course there’s the stroke of
touching someone or a cat, but then there’s also the noun stroke which comes
from swimming to describe the different styles of swimming: breast stroke,
back stroke etc…
ROK: Okay… and its relationship with loving?
DAVE: Well, a two stroke man only uses two positions – missionary and
doggy style. That’s it, no crouching tiger, no Liberian lotus, just the two
positions.
ROK: Ok, I like it. An interesting term. But what about if she’s riding you –
does that count as a third stroke?
DAVE: Sorry, man… she’s basically fucking you, so it doesn’t really count
as a point on your lover’s curriculum.
ROK: Oh.
DAVE: Sounds like you’re looking for points. A sure sign of a two-stroke
man – nothing more than missionary and doggy-style.
ROK: I could begin a debate with you here, Dave…But…
DAVE: …But what?
ROK: I wouldn’t be doing myself any favours. Anyway, the class is over.
Now… I want all our students to remember that there’s a linguistic
equivalent to the two-stroke guy – a student who’s surviving on a very
limited vocabulary. You must be constantly adding new words to your
vocabulary. Okay, thanks for attending class… see you next week.
7.9 Jerk off… Masturbarse

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Students normally hate phrasal verbs, but jerk

off is a phrasal verb that I’m sure all of our students enjoy regularly. Yes,
what Woody Allen described as “Sex with someone I love” (masturbation) is
often referred to as jerking off. The reason for this phrasal verb will soon
become clear: jerking is basically to move rapidly and spasmodically.
Enough said. Also, be aware of the insult, “You’re a jerk off.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Los estudiantes normalmente odian las frases

verbales, pero jerk off es una frase verbal que estoy seguro todos los
estudiantes disfrutan regularmente. Sí, aquello que Woody Allen describe
como “Sex with someone I love” (masturbación) se dice a menudo jerking
off. La razón de esta frase verbal pronto se hará clara: jerking es básicamente
moverse rápida y espasmódicamente. Suficientemente dicho. También, ten en
cuenta el insulto “You’re a jerk off”.
‘Jerk off’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, every guy has one… and I wanna know yours, Dave.
DAVE: What, my cock?
ROK: Please… don’t make me puke. (vomitar) No, man, I wanna know the
craziest place you ever jerked off. Every guy has one and I wanna know
where yours is.
DAVE: Whoa… it’s a difficult one.
ROK: Why?
DAVE: It’s like, you know those things they send to other planets to map
every square kilometre of the surface? If they sent one down to earth to map
everyplace a guy’s jerked off, they wouldn’t find anywhere where he hadn’t
jerked off.
ROK: So what’s the craziest place?
DAVE: Well, man, I’d have to say it was probably on the N46 bus from
Catford to Brockley.
ROK: What… you jerked off… on a motherfucking bus?
DAVE: Yeah man, double-decker, upstairs. (un autobús de dos plantas)
ROK: Was there anyone else on it?
DAVE: Of course not. I was reading the paper, so I used it to hide my cock,
jerked off a rapid one, and returned to my paper. Nobody knew anything.
ROK: Until now. Because you just told 20,000 people. Next phrase.
8.0 Wank... Masturbar (se)

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Wank has three incarnations – all of which are

incredibly common in Britain and Australia but not so much in the States.
The first is straightforward: to wank – which is to masturbate. Then there is
to wank somebody off (for some reason you can’t wank somebody, when
doing it to someone else you have to add the off), which means to masturbate
somebody else. The final use has nothing to do with masturbation; if you call
someone a wanker – or more likely – a fucking wanker – you’re saying
they’re an asshole.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Wank tiene tres encarnaciones; todas son

increíblemente comunes en Gran Bretaña y en Australia pero no tanto en
Estados Unidos. El primero es sencillo: to wank es masturbarse. Luego está
to wank somebody off (por alguna razón cuando lo haces a alguien tienes que
añadir el off), que significa masturbar a alguien. Su último uso no tiene nada
qué ver con la masturbación: si llamas a alguien un wanker o, más bien, un
fucking wanker, estás diciendo que es un estúpido.

‘Wank’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Hey, Rokeby, you surprised me with the last word, so now I’m
gonna ask you… what’s the strangest place you ever wanked?
ROK: Look, bro, just because you were stupid enough to tell the world that
you jerked off on the bus from Catford to Brockley, that doesn’t mean I have
to be so stupid.
DAVE: You bastard.
ROK: Nah, man, I’m shitting you. (estoy bromeando) I’ve got no problem
telling the world; as we said… every guy’s gotta story of their craziest wank
and I’m no different.
DAVE: Spill the beans then. (dime todo)
ROK: Okay, I think the craziest place I ever had a wank has gotta be when I
was a teenager at school.
DAVE: Fuck me… during class?
ROK: Well, for the sake of the story I’d love to say yes, but no… it was
during sport time when everyone else was out. Still, pretty impressive…
DAVE: I guess so, Rokeby, I guess so. And now you’ve balanced my
confesion with yours…we can go home. Thanks for a great class, everyone…
and remember what Woody Allen said about wanking – it’s sex with
someone I love. (disclaimer: This story is for amusement and educational
purposes only. Rokeby has never carried out, considered, or will ever, engage
in masturbatory acts in any school he has studied in.)
Vocabulary Exercises

1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A 1. Cock --- Penis.

2. Pussy ---Sperm.
3. Tits, boobs, rack --- Well formed.
4. A smoking body --- Breasts.
5. Cum --- Vagina.

B 1. Going down on her --- To masturbate.

2. Blow job --- To suck cock.
3. Doggy style --- To fuck like a cat’s enemy.
4. Jerk off --- To masturbate (phrasal verb).
5. Wank --- To lick pussy.

2) Read the following story and choose the correct phrase when given
two options.
I was fucking this guy called Jack last night and I’ll confess that in the
beginning I was a little disappointed because his pussy / cock 1. was a bit
small. When he got going though I started to realise he was a master
technician. He flipped me over and we started doing it fag / doggy style 2.
and I was in total ecstasy. It was something to do with the angle. Then we lay
down again and he started to blowjob me / go down on me 3. It was fucking
great. The whole time he was paying me loads of compliments telling me I
had a smoking hot cock / body 4. And stuff like that.

Well, I thought it was time to reward him so I gave him a blowjob / pussy 5.
And he really appreciated it. But the main problem though was that no matter
how hard I blew him he just wouldn’t come / cum 6. After my mouth got
tired I simply decided to pussy / jerk him off 7. but the problem wasn’t
resolved. There I was doggy styling / wanking him off 8. and he just
couldn’t reach orgasm. After asking him what was the thing he found most
sexy in the world – he shouted out that he loved to eat cock / pussy 9 so I put
mine in his mouth, put his hand on my cum / boobs 10. and finally he came.

Answers
1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A Cock --- Penis.

Pussy --- Vagina.
Tits, boobs,rack --- Breasts.
A smoking body --- Well formed.
Cum --- Sperm.

B Going down on her --- To lick pussy.

Blow job --- To suck cock.
Doggy style --- To fuck like a cat’s enemy.
Jerk off --- To masturbate (phrasal verb).
Wank --- To masturbate.

2) Read the following story and choose the correct phrase when given
two options.
I was fucking this guy called Jack last night and I’ll confess that in the
beginning I was a little disappointed because his cock 1. was a bit small.
When he got going though I started to realise he was a master technician. He
flipped me over and we started doing it doggy style 2. and I was in total
ecstasy. It was something to do with the angle. Then we lay down again and
he started to go down on me 3. It was fucking great. The whole time he was
paying me loads of compliments telling me I had a smoking hot body 4. And
stuff like that.
Well, I thought it was time to reward him so I gave him a blowjob 5. And he
really appreciated it. But the main problem though was that no matter how
hard I blew him he just wouldn’t cum 6. After my mouth got tired I simply
decided to jerk him off 7. but the problem wasn’t resolved. There I was
wanking him off 8. and he just couldn’t reach orgasm. After asking him what
was the thing he found most sexy in the world – he shouted out that he loved
to eat pussy 9 so I put mine in his mouth, put his hand on my boobs 10. and
finally he came.
Fundamentals - Black is Beautiful

You may think that it's not necessary to know and use Afro-American
English. Perhaps you associate it with hip-hop or gangster films that you
don't like. The fact is, however, that unless you have incredibly basic English
you're already using Afro-American English. Take the word cool for
example. Cool, which is as fundamental to language today as ball or table,
yes or no, is an Afro-American word – though it is so mainstream now it is
almost impossible to imagine that it began as a sub-culture word.
Given the importance of Afro-American English linguistically and its
constant manifestations in songs, film and video it is important that you
understand some basic Ebonics (Ebonics is the technical term for Afro
American English.)
The most important reason you need a basic understanding of Ebonics is that
without it, you may waste valuable minutes or seconds of a movie wondering
how it’s possible native English speakers can make grammatical errors, or
debating whether or not what you just heard was correct.
You see, despite what your Cambridge book may tell you there are no 100%
rules of correct and incorrect in grammar. For example, it is common in
Ebonics to hear any of the following.
Him gonna take everything – he’s gonna take everything.
I don’t gotta do nothing – I haven’t got to do anything.
Can’t nobody touch that girl – Nobody can touch that girl
Here are some of the most important features of Ebonics
Befo’ – before
Can’t nobody… (double negative) – nobody can…
He be, they be, we be – I am, they are, we are, etc… (instead of adding am,
is, are etc… it is possible to simply say He be, they be, we be,)
We don’t gotta do nothing – we haven’t got to do anything (combining don’t
have with have got to.)
Ebonics speakers regularly produce sentences without the present tense is
and are. For xample“John trippin” or “They allright”.
UNIT 8 Asshole
8.1 Motherfucker… Hijo de puta

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: There really can be no better insult than the

accusation you fuck your mother; however, why this insult has no Latin
equivalent is a mystery. Its popularity in English culture could be because the
two words rhyme – mother fucker – and that’s what gives the insult the extra
power. But remember, motherfucker is the sort of word that might be used
simply if a friend takes a cigarette without asking (it’s not always a big
insult), or for emphasis: “You are a smooth motherfucker;” in this case it’s a
compliment.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Realmente no hay mejor insulto que acusarte de

follarte a tu madre; sin embargo, no tengo ni idea por qué este insulto no
tiene un equivalente latino. Sin embargo, es probable que su popularidad en
inglés es por el hecho de que las dos palabras riman – mother fucker – y esto
le da al insulto un impulso extra. Tambien motherfucker es la clase de palabra
que puede ser utilizada simplemente para un amigo que te ha tomado un
cigarrillo sin preguntarte (no es siempre un gran insulto), o para énfasis:
“You are a smooth motherfucker” (en este caso es un cumplido)

‘Motherfucker’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Okay, Rokeby, I don’t want to insult you, but I’d like to know why
you’re such a tight motherfucker? (tacaño)
ROK: I’m not tight… I’m always buying you drinks, you cheeky
motherfucker.
DAVE: Dude, the last time you bought me a drink, the Spice Girls were
popular.
ROK: Last time I bought you a drink was last week, you fuckwit. (idiota)
You’re always so fucking stoned, you don’t realise what’s going on in the
pub. (colocado)
DAVE: And what about when I asked you for that loan?
ROK: Mate, you asked me for ten grand for some stupid business idea you
had… the only ten grand I have is the ten grand I owe to the fucking bank.
What was so tight about that?
DAVE: Bullshit, man, there’s rumours flying around town you’ve got
motherfucking…shit loads of money.
ROK: What … Rokeby’s millions, and where are these millions supposed to
be…in my Swiss bank account?
DAVE: Don’t be silly, it’s more like Rokeby’s thousands.
ROK: Yeah, right, and I hope this is all a joke because if you really think I’m
tight I won’t ever buy you another drink in your life, motherfucker.
DAVE: Alright, alright…no need for that sort of language. Let’s do the next
word shall we?
ROK: Yes, let’s.
8.2 Asshole… Gilipollas / Estúpido

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Asshole – literally the little hole in your bottom

– can mean that particular part of the anatomy, or more likely… an idiot.
Asshole really has two uses – one for a man that’s not very nice: “He’s a real
asshole, he’s always making fun of Rebecca;” and two – for a man who is
really uncool or stupid: “He entered the club wearing a bright pink jacket –
he looked like such an asshole.” Note the difference in pronunciation ass and
arse in British and American English.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Asshole es literalmente agujero del culo y

puede referirse a esa zona particular de la anatomía o, más probablemente, a
un idiota. Asshole en realidad tiene dos usos: uno para un hombre que no es
muy amable: “He’s a real asshole, he’s always making fun of Rebecca”; y
dos, para un hombre estúpido o que no es cool: “He entered the club wearing
a bright pink jacket – he looked like such an asshole”. Nota la diferencia de
pronunciación entre ass y arse en el inglés de Gran Bretaña y en el de Estados
Unidos respectivamente.

‘Asshole’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Now, as you know, Rokeby, I believe it’s deeply important we all
know and recognise our faults, so can you tell us about a time where you
acknowledge that you were a real asshole.
ROK: I’m never an asshole… I’m a reasonable guy.
DAVE: Only an asshole would claim they were never an asshole. Come on,
man... I can start thinking of times you were an asshole, I assure you.
ROK: Okay, if you insist… I think a time when I was an asshole was when I
was a teenager.
DAVE: Explain.
ROK: Well, firstly, I looked like a total asshole. As a confused kid who
didn’t fit in anywhere I couldn’t quite decide on a look. I mixed and matched
styles – with a kind of black, gothic haircut with the most horrible glasses
you can imagine – I looked like a real asshole.
DAVE: And how else were you an asshole?
ROK: Well, in my behaviour. All I did, in fact all – any of us did – was to
take the piss out of each other. (burlarse) In other words, virtually all my
communication was negative and aimed at insulting someone. And I was a
real asshole in class. I never listened to the teacher, I constantly took the piss
out of him, I took nothing seriously, I laughed really loudly…
DAVE: Hey, let’s not go too far… that’s not being an asshole – that’s being
a healthy young teenager.
ROK: Not in my opinion. In fact the more I think about it – being a teenager
is like being an asshole for three or four years.
DAVE: I think we all tend to look back on most periods of our life and think
we were an asshole. And on that philosophical note… the class ends. See you
next week, guys…and remember – get rid of all the assholes in your life…
you’ll feel better for it.
8.3 Cunt… Gilipollas / Hijo de puta

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: A cunt is a horrible person. Like motherfucker,

though, you need to distinguish the everyday use of the word and the hard,
angry use of the word. You can call a good friend a cunt for doing anything
small that pisses you off: “You cunt” (light tone of voice), or you can tell
someone they’re the worst person in the world: “You cunt”!

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Cunt es una persona horrible. Sin embargo, al

igual que motherfucker, necesitas distinguir el uso diario de la palabra de su
uso fuerte y enfadado. Puedes llamar a un buen amigo cunt aunque sea por
haber hecho algo pequeño que te ha enfadado: “You cunt” (con tono ligero de
voz), o puedes decirle a alguien que es la peor persona del mundo: “You
cunt!”

‘Cunt’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, Dave, when was the last time you called someone a cunt?
DAVE: Probably about five minutes ago. You deleted my comment from
your facebook profile so I called you a cunt.
ROK: I don’t mean for something silly; I mean someone did something so
horrible the only thing you could say was – you cunt!
DAVE: O…that’s easy. I was at Castelldefels station the other day and I saw
this guy spray pain’ting racist graffiti on the wall and I shouted, “Oi you
cunt.”
ROK: In English?
DAVE: Yeah, I was a bit pissed and I couldn’t be bothered to translate so I
called him a cunt and he ran off.
ROK: And then what did you do?
DAVE: I honestly can’t say…because it was illegal.
ROK: What? Fuck off…go on…tell us.
DAVE: Sorry, Rokeby, my lips are sealed.
ROK: Go on, don’t be a cunt.
DAVE: I could get in trouble. It’s still on the wall.
ROK: Right, I’m off to Castelldefels station after this. I’ll tell you what I see
next podcast my friends. Time for the next word.
8.4 Shit for brains… Estúpido

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: It may not surprise you to discover that to say

someone has shit instead of a brain is not a compliment. The cool thing about
this phrase, though, is the delivery: for some reason it’s not necessary to say
“You’ve got shit for brains,” you just need to say: “Shit for brains!” And by
the way, shit for brains specifically means stupid as opposed to shit-head
which means asshole.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Puede que no te sorprenda descubrir que decir

que alguien tiene mierda en vez de cerebro no es un cumplido. Sin embargo,
lo cool de esta frase es la forma de decirla: por alguna razón no es necesario
decir “You’ve got shit for brains”. Sólo necesitas decir “Shit for brains!”. Y,
por cierto, shit for brains significa específicamente stupid, contrario a shit-
head, que significa asshole.

‘Shit for Brains’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, shit for brains, what shall we talk about?

DAVE: Fuck you, you can’t start off a conversation calling me shit for
brains.
ROK: I can if you forgot to press record on the last audio session which
means we have to do it all again.
DAVE: Whoops! No, I don’t believe you. I didn’t forget to press record.
ROK: Look at the computer, shit for brains, notice that the file is still on
number 53.
DAVE: That’s because that was the number of the unit we just did, shit for
brains!
ROK: Bullshit.
DAVE: Press play and you’ll see.
ROK: If I press play now while we’re recording then I’m gonna fuck up this
audio file and probably send the whole computer haywire, shit for brains.
DAVE: Shut up, man…. Let’s just stop this conversation shall we. We press
stop, then we check, and then we take appropriate action.
ROK: Which is?
DAVE: That if I’m right, I give you a bloody good slap, and if you’re right I
give you a bloody good slap for being so rude and calling me shit for brains.
ROK: That’ll never work shit for brains, because if you try slap me I’ll use
my kung fu and kick your ass.
DAVE: Shut up and press stop, will you. Well, that must be one of the silliest
podcasts of all time. Now it’s over. See you next week, class…and hopefully
by then, Rokeby and I won’t have done kung fu on each other.
8.5 Twat… Estúpido

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Twat is British slang and basically means

asshole. It is a mild term of abuse unless pronounced with clear anger. If a
friend tells you a story where they did something silly like “I was at my
girlfriend’s house and a pack of condoms fell out of my pocket,” you might
laugh and say “You fucking twat.” If you have a really stupid, horrible boss,
you might say more angrily, “My boss is a real twat.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Twat es un término del argot británico y

básicamente significa asshole. Es un insulto leve a menos que se pronuncie
con claro enfado. Si un amigo te cuenta una historia en la que hizo algo tonto
como “I was at my girlfriend’s house and a pack of condoms fell out of my
pocket” podrías reírte y decir: “You fucking twat”. Si tienes un jefe realmente
estúpido y horrible quizá dirías muy enfadado: “My boss is a real twat”.

‘Twat’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Tell me, Rokeby, why was Jo being such a twat the other day?
ROK: Well, it’s quite a complicated story. Basically, he rang me after
hearing a podcast we did for the first time. He was really angry.
DAVE: And what was your crime in the mind of Jo?
ROK: He claimed that I’d called his girlfriend a bitch when I was recording a
podcast. When in fact I did nothing of the sort.
DAVE: How can you mishear the word bitch? You either said it or not.
ROK: Well, as the controversy got deeper that was proved untrue. What
happened is that while recording I saw Jo had a semi-naked picture of his
girlfriend on his computer – as the screensaver. Just as I was about to take the
piss out of him, I suddenly remembered that his girlfriend is very sensitive so
I stopped mid-sentence… “Is that the pitch…” I was gonna say picture, but
when cut in the middle it sounded like ‘bitch.’…‘Pict.’…‘Picture.’
DAVE: What?
ROK: Well, I’d had an argument with her recently so I guess they all thought
I was insulting her.
DAVE: So what happened in the end?
ROK: Basically, the silly twat listened to the recording the next day and
admitted it was a mistake.
DAVE: What a twat! Next word please.
8.6 Douche… Ruin, Cabron

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: A douche is a device used to introduce a stream

of liquid into the body. It’s most common use is to clean out an exceptionally
dirty or infected vagina. As this is clearly disgusting, its use as a term of
abuse is clear. The slang usage of the term dates back to the 1960s but
douche or douche bag has become a lot more popular recently for a bad
person or a person whose motives are not pure.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Una douche (ducha) es un dispositivo utilizado

para introducir una corriente de líquido en el cuerpo. Su uso más común es
para limpiar una vagina bastante sucia o infectada. Como esto es claramente
asqueroso, esta palabra se utiliza como insulto. El uso de este término en
argot data de 1960 pero douche o douche bag se han vuelto mucho más
populares recientemente para referirte a una mala persona o una persona
cuyos motivos no son puros.

‘Douche bag’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Okay, Rokeby, if I say douche bag who comes to mind?

ROK: If you say douche bag, the first person that comes to mind is Ted
Haggard. That man is such a complete and utter douche bag he should appear
next to the term in any dictionary.
DAVE: What did he do?
ROK: Well, he was an evangelical preacher. (pastor) He used to have these
seminars which conservatives like George Bush attended in which he would
vigorously describe homosexuality as an abomination and actively campaign
against gay rights.
DAVE: What a fucker. (cabrón)
ROK: Well, of course. But that just made him a cunt. What made him a
douche bag was his extra curricular activities.
DAVE: Oh no… don’t tell me!
ROK: Yeah, he was gay himself and was caught paying for male prostitutes
and taking crystal meth. (metanfetamina de cristal)
DAVE: Motherfucker.
ROK: Yeah, that really is the ultimate douche bag. I mean…seriously… how
the fuck can someone look themselves in the eye and do that. And how can
you begin to reconcile your religious position with such hypocrisy?
DAVE: What a douche bag … that’s all I can say. And that ends another
class on English in popular culture. See you soon; ciao.
8.7 Slut... Puta

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: A slut is a female who sleeps with a lot of

men. Slut – or slag in England – is a serious term of abuse and not to be used
lightly. In real terms a woman might not actually be sleeping around to be
called a slut – she may just be perceived as a lustful woman. A guy whose
girlfriend slept with someone else might say: “Jane was a fucking slut.” She
may have only slept with one guy but in his opinion she’s a slut. Even if a
woman was faithful, if she had kinky sexual preferences a man could say
“She’s a real slut… she loves it up the arse.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: El término slut se refiere a una mujer que se

acuesta con muchos hombres. Slut - o slag en Inglaterra - es un insulto serio
que no debe ser utilizado a la ligera. En términos reales una mujer podría no
necesariamente acostarse con muchos para ser llamada slut; puede que sólo
se le perciba como una mujer lujuriosa. Un chico cuya novia se acostó con
alguien más podría decir: “Jane was a fucking slut”. Pudo haberse acostado
sólo con un hombre pero en su opinión ella es una slut. Incluso si una mujer
fuese fiel pero tuvo alguna fantasía sexual excéntrica (kinky) un hombre
podría decir: “She’s a real slut… she loves it up the arse”.

‘Slut’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Rokeby, do you think it’s sexist that a man who sleeps with lots of
women is called a stud – a positive term, while a woman who sleeps with lots
of men is a slut?
ROK: Of course it’s sexist, and wrong; but I dispute the fact that men who
sleep around are considered studs. I think men who sleep around are men
who are permanently locked into some kind of teenage mentality.
DAVE: I hope you’re not talking about me. Anyway, back to the topic at
hand. You see, what interests me with someone like you, who doesn’t want to
use the word slut because it’s sexist is… where’s your limit? I mean there
must be a point at which a woman, despite the fact the term is sexist, is being
a slut. For example, a woman who’s screwing two guys at the same time… is
she a slut?
ROK: Sorry, do you mean going out with two guys at the same time or
literally having sex with two guys at the same time?
DAVE: The second.
ROK: Well, I wouldn’t’ call her a slut. Sexually liberal, experimental, likes a
good, hard fuck, open-minded maybe… but not a slut.
DAVE: Okay, what if after fucking those two guys…she then fucks another
two guys immediately?
ROK: Okay…maybe…she might be moving towards that general area. But
still I wouldn’t call her a slut.
DAVE: What if it was your girlfriend and she told you she was off to her
weekly bible group meeting?
ROK: Dave, this is the plot of one of your porn films, isn’t it? Right. Next
word. (argumento)
8.8 Bitch… zorra

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Bitch is one of the most misunderstood terms

in colloquial English. If I say my ex-girlfriend was a bitch, I don’t mean she
was a prostitute or slut, I mean she was a girl who was not very nice. Bitch is
always a comment on the character of a woman – especially one who is
disloyal, devious, and gossips too much. “Josey’s a real bitch, she’s always
talking behind my back.” Bitch, though, can be just a general term of abuse
for a woman you’re angry with – “Fucking bitch.” As noted previously, bitch
has also become a term of abuse from one man to another.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Bitch es uno de los términos más

malinterpretados del inglés coloquial. Si yo digo que mi ex novia era una
bitch no quiero decir que fuese una puta. Quiero decir que no era una muy
buena chica. Bitch siempre representa una observación sobre el carácter de
una mujer, especialmente de una que es desleal, torcida o que cotillea mucho.
“Josey’s a real bitch, she’s always talking behind my back”. Bitch, sin
embargo, puede ser también un insulto general hacia una mujer con la que
estás enfadado: “Fucking bitch”. Como se mencionó anteriormente, bitch
también se ha convertido en un insulto de un hombre hacia otro.

‘Bitch’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Who’s the biggest bitch you know, Rokeby?

ROK: Well, nobody is the biggest bitch I know coz I like to think that if I
knew anyone who was a real bitch then I’d axe them from my life. (le
eliminaría)
DAVE: Okay, then, who was the biggest bitch you’ve known?
ROK: I think a woman who personifies the word bitch was an ex-student of
mine.
DAVE: Tell me the story.
ROK: Well, this girl – who was a complete bitch – started off our teacher-
student relationship very positively. In fact, a little too positively; one class
there was some sort of conversation question like – what sort of guys are you
into? And she was like, “You.”
DAVE: Wow!
ROK: Anyway, a couple of classes later I made some joke at her expense.
Just a very minor joke, and she clearly didn’t take it well. And although she
didn’t say anything at the time, she went round vigorously campaigning
against me – telling students I’d said things I hadn’t, recording what time I
arrived – so she could report me if I was late, and then sending an e-mail of
complain’t to my boss. She was a bitch. Devious, calculating, horrible.
DAVE: A total bitch. And that ends today’s class. And remember, people…if
you have a problem with somebody, speak to him or her face to face. Thanks,
guys…see you next week.
8.9 Cock-sucker… Cabrón / Estúpido

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Cocksucker seems like it should be a more

graphic version of calling someone a homosexual but it’s become a general
term of abuse – unlike faggot which usually has an accusation of femininity
or weakness. Therefore, if a friend uses the last bit of credit on my phone I
might say: “You fucking cocksucker, you used all my credit.” I’m not saying
he is a gay that sucks cocks, I’m just generally abusing him. Cocksucker, not
surprisingly, is a strong term of abuse and only to be used in moments of
serious anger – when someone uses your last bit of credit for example.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Pareciera que cocksucker es una versión gráfica

de llamar a alguien homosexual, pero se ha convertido en un insulto general
que, a diferencia de faggot, no conlleva una acusación de feminidad o
debilidad. Por lo tanto, si un amigo utiliza el resto del crédito de mi teléfono
yo podría decir: “You fucking cocksucker you used all my credit”. No estoy
diciendo que él sea gay o que chupe penes, simplemente lo estoy insultando.
Cocksucker es un insulto fuerte y sólo deber ser utilizado en momentos de ira
o enfado graves, como cuando alguien utiliza el resto del crédito de tu
teléfono, por ejemplo.

‘Cock-sucker’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Rokeby, which politician in the world do you regard as a complete

and utter cock-sucker? (total)
ROK: Err… I’d say that I pretty much regard conservativism in the United
States as a movement that exists for a whole bunch of cock-suckers to get
together and squeeze the life out of a great country.
DAVE: But, I thought that republicanism would be good for you, personally.
They believe in independence, strength, business etc.
ROK: That’s what makes me sick… that these cocksuckers say they’re all
about helping people to help themselves but they constantly cut funding to
education, healthcare and all the other things people need to function
normally and make changes in their life. The conservatives exist for one thing
– corporations.
DAVE: Come on man, it can’t be that black and white… they’d have no
popular support if they were so nakedly corrupt.
ROK: But that’s the worst thing about the people who support these
cocksuckers. They’ve convinced themselves that slightly lower taxes will
help them. That if they pay ten dollars a month less then it doesn’t matter
there’s neither health care nor schools.
DAVE: Well, I see you feel strongly about this. Let’s move on before you
get yourself excited.
9.0 Prick… Cabrón, pene

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Prick is another word for penis. When used

like this, though, it’s not very romantic or erotic, and the more common use
of prick is as an insult. If you call someone a fucking prick you are usually
saying that they are a cunt, i. e. not a nice person or that they have done
something very imprudent which has bad consequences for you. For
example: “You fucking prick… you’ve been downloading porn on my laptop
and now I’ve got a virus.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Prick es otra palabra para designar al pene. Sin

embargo, cuando se utiliza así no es muy romántico o erótico, y el uso más
común de prick es como insulto. Si llamas a alguien a fucking prick estás
queriendo decir que es un cunt o que ha hecho algo muy imprudente que ha
tenido consecuencias negativas para ti. Por ejemplo: “You fucking prick…
you’ve been downloading porn on my laptop and now I’ve got a virus”.

‘Prick’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Rokeby, tell us about a boss you had who was a real prick.
ROK: Hey, by definition – all bosses are pricks. If a boss isn’t a prick then
he’s going to be a good person; a good person isn’t gonna be good at
pressuring people and pissing them off and doing all the things a good boss
does. So, all my bosses have been pricks, because it’s a prerequisite for the
job.
DAVE: Well, that’s totally against modern management theory; a boss has to
get everyone on his side, he shouldn’t coerce he should encourage, he
shouldn’t demand he should persuade, so that kind of goes against your prick
theory.
ROK: Well, as we know, modern management theory – like all those
corporate training courses – are a load of bollocks and companies with that
approach are just gonna end up unproductive. A boss needs to be a prick.
Pricks get things done.
DAVE: Well, okay, putting the big debate to one side, tell us about a boss
you had who was even more of a prick than normal.
ROK: I think, probably the biggest asshole of a boss I ever had was in a bar
when I was a student. This guy, Tim was his name, insisted on everyone
calling him ‘skipper.’ He was a total prick who harassed all the waitresses,
never paid on time, and forced you to listen to the most boring stories in the
world – most of which were untrue. (patrón)
DAVE: Wow. Sounds like a prick.
ROK: Yep. That’s right. And that brings us to the end of today’s class. Just
remember everybody, if your boss is a prick… then focus on your English
and anything else that gives you a chance of getting a better job. Bye, guys…
see you next week.
Vocabulary Exercises

1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A 1. Motherfucker --- a. A fool and a part of human anatomy

2. Ass hole --- b. A horrible person
3. Cunt --- c. A fool
4. Shit for brains --- d. A person of low intelligence
5. Twat --- e. An oedipal insult

B 1. Douche --- a. A general insult

2. A slut --- b. An insult with an oral origin
3. Bitch --- c. A woman who’s not very nice
4. Cock sucker --- d. A woman who sleeps with lots of men
5. Prick --- e. Originally a word for a medical
instrument

2) Read the following sentences and fill the gap with an appropriate
word. Sometimes more than one answer is possible.

1. Man, your sister goes out with a different guy each week. She’s a
real ________________________
2. I fucking hate that guy. He’s a real ________________________
3. My boss is evil. He’s really horrible. A total
________________________
4. Wow, you look good. You are one smooth
________________________
5. Stop clowning around and being a ________________________ .
We’ve got work to do.
6. Fuck you, ________________________
7. Listen ________________________ you’ve broken it again. You
have absolutely no intelligence at all.
8. She’s such a ________________________. She’s always talking
behind your back.
9. Seriously, that’s lame. If you don’t stop sending her those stupid
facebook messages she’s gonna think you’re a real
________________________
10. You’ve configured it wrong again, ________________________

Answers
1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A Motherfucker --- An oedipal insult

Asshole --- A fool and a part of human anatomy
Cunt --- A horrible person
Shit for brains --- A person of low intelligence
Twat --- A fool

B Douche --- Originally a word for a medical

instrument
 A slut --- A woman who sleeps with lots of men
Bitch --- A woman who’s not very nice
Cock sucker --- An insult with an oral origin
Prick --- A general insult

1. Man, your sister goes out with a different guy each week. She’s a
real slut.
2. I fucking hate that guy. He’s a real Ass hole/ Cunt / Twat /
Douche/ Cock sucker / Prick
3. My boss is evil. He’s really horrible. A total Cunt.
4. Wow, you look good. You are one smooth Motherfucker (this is
the only one which can sometimes work as a compliment)
5. Stop clowning around and being a Twat / Asshole . We’ve got
work to do.
6. Fuck you, Motherfucker / Asshole / Cunt/ Shit for brains / Twat /
Douche / Bitch / Cock sucker / Prick
7. Listen, Shit for brains you’ve broken it again. You have absolutely
no intelligence at all.
8. She’s such a Bitch. She’s always talking behind your back.
9. Seriously, that’s lame. If you don’t stop sending her those stupid
Facebook messages she’s gonna think you’re a real Asshole / Twat (fool)
10. You’ve configured it wrong again, ________________________
Shit for brains (we presume that it’s a failing of intelligence that caused the
bad configuration).
Fundamentals - Using Music to Learn English

Of course, a seemingly straightforward way to improve your ability to

understand film and music would be to take media – songs for example - and
study them in intense detail, pulling out all the vocabulary, grammar and
cultural information you can.
We do not recommend this approach. When you start to dissect a song in
such minute detail – endlessly analysing, playing and replaying it, you can
destroy your relationship with a song and turn it from a useful tool to learning
a language to nothing but a means of learning a language. Music is too
important to downgrade its status to some kind of linguistic experiment. We
would not recommend any strategy where music is a dissected frog.
Secondly, and much more importantly (because it’s a free world and you
might completely disagree with the above advice) we return to the theme of
this book and most of our work on languages: the problem of information
overload. In 2010 we tried to introduce more music into our corporate
language training programs. The first track we chose was We Got The Jazz
by Tribe Called Quest. In a tribute to the linguistic diversity of Q-tip and
Phife, we pulled out over 50 words that the students were unlikely to know
(and this was an advanced group) and these weren’t Ebonics or obscure
words; they ranged from Street English to academic words.
Although a rap track is an extreme example it does tell us something about
using songs – the sheer volume can mean you try and learn a lot, overload
your brain, and end up with nothing.
In our experience it works much better to just focus on the chorus or a few
key lines. Although this may seem lacking in ambition it leads to a lasting
addition of vocabulary. The phrases are so much more memorable and clear
when they’re not surrounded by dozens of other words you’re trying to learn.
UNIT 9 Random
9.1 Nerd… Empollón

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Things which nerds love: computers, physics,

sudokus, maths, glasses, homework, stuttering, bad teeth, other nerds. Things
which nerds hate: being cool, hip-hop, fashion, contact lenses, beer, dates,
and social success. If you don’t understand what a nerd is now then you never
will. A nerd is the socially maladapted individual who at school – or in life –
prefers studying and text books to real life.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Cosas que los nerds aman: ordenadores, física,

sudoku, matemáticas, anteojos, deberes, tartamudeo, dientes feos, otros nerds.
Cosas que los nerds odian: ser cool, hip-hop, moda, lentillas, cerveza, citas y
éxito social. Si no te ha quedado claro ahora lo que es un nerd entonces
nunca lo entenderás. Un nerd es un individuo socialmente inadaptado que en
la escuela, o en la vida, prefiere los libros y estudiar que a la vida real.

‘Nerd’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Okay, Rokeby, one simple question: are you a nerd?

ROK: Well, I’m not a nerd but I think I’m a square? (empollón)
DAVE: And the difference is?
ROK: Well, a square is a generally, bookish person whereas a nerd is more
of a technical or scientific kind of person. Nerds tend to be quite untrendy,
uncool and have no fashion sense.
DAVE: Like you?
ROK: I’m not untrendy.
DAVE: Come on man, you’re the only guy I know who buys his trainers for
20 euros.
ROK: God, everyone attacks me for buying cheap clothes. And they cost
forty…not twenty.
DAVE: Yeah right. And your large collection of zip-up cardigans? Nerds
always wear cardigans zipped up to the top like their trying to suffocate
themselves.
ROK: Let’s focus a little less on the fashion shall we and focus on nerd
qualities… because I would argue – with your fetish for devices and
technology, you’re actually quite nerdy.
DAVE: You’re so wrong. Being into computers and iPads isn’t nerdy. Being
into the circuit board that runs the computer is nerdy. (gustar)
ROK: Good point. Do you think everyone has the meaning of nerd clear?
DAVE: I think so.
9.2 Jock… Atleta (coloquial)

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Nerds are always a part of any good American

high school film, but so are jocks, and usually the jocks are persecuting the
nerds. The jocks are the athletic, handsome, but stupid pupils who are on the
high school football team and go out with cheerleaders. They like drinking
beer, shouting, playing sport and playing cruel tricks on nerds.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Los nerds son siempre parte de cualquier

película norteamericana sobre el bachillerato, pero también lo son los jocks, y
normalmente los jocks persiguen a los nerds. Los jocks son los estudiantes
atléticos, guapos pero estúpidos que están en el equipo de futbol de la escuela
y salen con porristas. Les gusta beber cerveza, gritar, jugar deportes y hacer
jugarretas crueles a los nerds.

‘Jocks’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, so we’ve talked about nerds let’s talk about jocks. Were you a
jock when you were at school, Dave?
DAVE: Well, it’s a difficult question to answer because jock is so inherently
American, and I went to a traditional British school.
ROK: Okay, well let’s start with the first qualification for a jock. Did you
play a lot of sport and were you in the school team?
DAVE: Yes, I was certainly in the school team. I was a prop forward.
ROK: God, I don’t think any of the listeners will know what a prop is. You
better explain.
DAVE: A prop is a position in the game of rugby.
ROK: Which is interesting because probably, the equivalent to a jock in
English culture is a rugby player. We don’t really associate it with football
players. Anyway, now we know you were a rugby player, what other jock
qualities did you have? Did you drink lots of beer and persecute nerds?
DAVE: Well, I did drink beer but no, I didn’t persecute nerds. There did
exist a culture of mild to severe bullying, though.
ROK: Admit it… you were a total jock.
DAVE: If that’s true, we were missing one vital component, though…
ROK: What?
DAVE: The cheerleaders. There were no girls… it was an all-boys school.
ROK: What a nightmare.
9.3 Your ass… Tú

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: It’s quite easy for students to understand that

ass means bottom. What’s not so easy to understand is the substitution of the
word ass for you. In other words... if someone wants to say that they’re going
to beat you up and attack you (darte una paliza) they invariable say “I’m
gonna kick your ass.” If you’re about to have a race with someone and you’re
gonna beat them you say: “I’m gonna beat your ass.” Even if a cop is gonna
bust (detener) somebody he says: “I’m gonna bust your ass.” So be aware
then, when you’re watching a film and they start talking about asses, they
may not be talking literally about asses at all.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Resulta bastante fácil para los estudiantes

entender que ass significa culo. Lo que no resulta fácil de entender es la
sustitución de la palabra ass por la palabra you. En otras palabras, si alguien
quiere decir they’re going to beat you up (que te dará una paliza) dirán
seguramente “I’m gonna kick your ass”. Si estás a punto de correr una carrera
con alguien y les vas a ganar, dirías: “I’m gonna beat your ass”. Incluso si un
policía va a detener (bust) a alguien, diría: “I’m gonna bust your ass”. Ten
cuidado, entonces, cuando veas una película y comienzan a hablar de asses
(culos), quizá no estén hablando literalmente de culos.

‘Your ass’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, let’s start with a threat, Dave, and this is a real threat – not just
for the podcast: if you don’t give me back my leather jacket I’m gonna kick
your ass. (amenaza)
DAVE: Well, how about if you don’t stop hassling me about it… I’ll kick
your ass. (molestando)
ROK: And how exactly do you justify that from a moral perspective?
DAVE: By – if our listeners remember well – raising the question of my
laptop! The fact that you borrowed it, let your son play games on it, and still
haven’t returned it. (planteando el tema)
ROK: But you said you’ve got two.
DAVE: That’s true, but that was the one I used to plug into my big TV at
night to watch films. I really miss it… so your ungrateful ass could at least
compensate me with the jacket.
ROK: Well, I can’t really argue with that. Okay, I take it back, I ain’t gonna
kill your ass.
DAVE: No you’re gonna … what’s the opposite to kill someone’s ass?
ROK: Probably kiss ass, which I should stress doesn’t have a sexual
connotation but is when you’re really nice to someone – your boss or
someone like that – in order to gain favour. Hey, maybe that’s what you
should do, Dave.
DAVE: Yeah, except you’re not the boss of this podcast. Now shut your ass
up and move onto the next word.
9.4 Dough… Dinero (Pasta / Plata / Lana)

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: In Spanish it’s pasta and in English it's dough

or bread - a classic slang term for money. Invariably in a film, if they start
talking about dough or bread the subject being discussed isn’t an urgent trip
to the bakery to get three baguettes and a croissant, it’s money. Be aware that
although dough is a little old-fashioned, it’s so common in films you need to
know it.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: En español es pasta y en inglés es dough o

bread, un término clásico de slang para el dinero. Invariablemente en una
película, si comienzan a hablar de dough o bread, el tema discutido no es un
viaje urgente a la panadería para comprar tres baguettes y un croissant. Se
trata de dinero. Ten en cuenta que, aunque dough está un poco pasado de
moda, es tan común en las películas que necesitas saberlo.

‘Dough’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Let’s talk about dough, Dave.

DAVE: Whose dough? Cos I ain’t got any dough worth talking about.
ROK: What about Warren Buffet’s. The world’s second richest man.
DAVE: Yeah, he’s probably got a lot of dough, hasn’t he?
ROK: Yeah, 63 billion. No, that’s not true actually, in 2008 he lost a lot of
money in the crisis. 25 billion if I remember correctly.
DAVE: That’s still a lot of dough, though.
ROK: A lot of dough. But you know the crazy thing about this guy is that he
still lives in the same family house he bought in 1957. Check it out: the sultan
of Brunei, who has less money than Buffet lives in a 1368 bedroom palace,
Buffet lives in a five bedroom house.
DAVE: That’s either really cool or really lacking in imagination. Surely if
you’re that rich you’ve gotta start using your money imaginatively. How
about scandals – has he been involved in any hooker infested crack orgies?
ROK: Nah, he leaves that to the Dave. He was married to the same woman
for twenty years, they separated, and then he married his long-time
companion. They’re still married today.
DAVE: And what’s he gonna do with his dough when he dies?
ROK: Well, he’s 80 so it’s a good question. Basically he’s gonna give it all
away.
DAVE: I hope he gives it away to me.
ROK: Err… that’s unlikely Dave. You never know, though. And on that
optimistic note, we’ll say goodbye. But remember, my friends… dough isn’t
everything…but it helps; so keep on studying, keep motivated, and move
your career forward. See you next week, guys.
9.5 Grub… Comida

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: If he’s starving hungry and he starts asking for

food, it’s highly unlikely that a native speaker will start asking for food. Grub
and other words like chow or munchies are much more common. These
words are incredibly useful because we know that when you’re in England
you’ll be wanting order that great Anglo Saxon grub, the English breakfast.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Si se está muriendo de hambre y comienza a

pedir comida es poco probable que un hablante nativo de inglés comience a
pedir comida con la palabra, food. Grub y otras palabras como chow o
munchies son mucho más comunes. Estas palabras son increíblemente útiles
porque sabemos que cuando estés en Inglaterra querrás pedir ese gran grub
anglosajón, el English breakfast.

‘Grub’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: What’s your favourite grub, Rokeby?

ROK: Well, I like to keep an open mind and an open belly, but I’ve got to
say I’m a big fan of North American cuisine. (estomago)
DAVE: North American cuisine. There is such a thing?
ROK: Of course, man… the food in North America is awesome…. Thick
chunky steaks, excellent burgers, pizza, fried chicken, that’s my kind of grub.
DAVE: So you don’t believe in eating healthy then?
ROK: Sure, I believe in eating healthy, it’s just I don’t practice my belief.
Anyway, what about you? What’s your favourite grub?
DAVE: Oh man, I love it all: Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Greek, Italian,
Moroccan, Turkish, I don’t think there’s any country that doesn’t have good
grub.
ROK: Yeah, I know one.
DAVE: Which?
ROK: Catalonia. Good meat, but their vegetables suck. Man, as everyone
knows, we take pride in being situated in Catalonia, but fuck me – if anyone
gives me a plate with nothing but vegetables, I will vomit.
DAVE: Hey, that’s just coz you like American food. You don’t like healthy
grub and the vegetables are just too healthy for you.
ROK: That’s one way of looking at it. Other is… they taste like shit. Next
word.
9.6 Vibe… Vibra, ambiente

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Vibe is a very important word for talking about

the feeling and atmosphere of almost anything. Let’s begin with an example
from music: “I love Bukem’s new album… it’s got a real jazzy vibe.” This
means that it has a jazzy element to it. You could also use vibe to talk about a
party: “Everybody was talking to each other and there was a real good vibe.”
Of course, when you don’t like something you say, “It was a real bad vibe.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Vibe es una palabra muy importante para

hablar del sentimiento y de la atmósfera de casi cualquier cosa. Comencemos
con un ejemplo en la música: “I love Bukem’s new album… it’s got a real
jazzy vibe”. Esto significa que posee un elemento de jazz. También puedes
utilizar vibe para hablar de una fiesta: “Everybody was talking to each other
and there was a real good vibe”. Por supuesto, cuando no te gusta algo
puedes decir: “It was a real bad vibe”.

‘Vibe’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Would you say there’s a good vibe at your work, Rokeby?
ROK: Well, man, it depends which work you’re talking about? I’ve got
several jobs and the vibe is very different at all of them.
DAVE: Well, tell me a place with a good vibe.
ROK: Okay, well, a place I work in with a really good vibe is Pepsi… in
fact, they won employer of the year several years in a row. (consecutivos)
DAVE: And why’s it so good?
ROK: Basically, the people are great. They must have some kind of amazing
personality test because everyone is very nice. Very different types of people
but the one thing they have in common is they’re super nice.
DAVE: I think you just like the free chips and Pepsi. That’s the basis of the
good vibe if you ask me.
ROK: Well, that helps. I should just explain to the audience that while
people think coke is a much bigger company than Pepsi, Pepsi is actually
much bigger. Pepsi owns Lays, Walkers, Doritos, all sorts of chips and
snacks and chocolates. Anyway, the class is in the meeting rooms and after
the meetings there’s always lots of sample products on the desk.
DAVE: Which fall into your belly.
ROK: Which fall into my belly… But that’s not why it’s such a good vibe –
basically you can have a good laugh and it’s a pleasure to work there. That’s
a good vibe.
9.7 To go nuts… Volverse loco

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Going crazy is part of life, and not surprisingly

there are dozens of words to describe it. Today I’d like to focus on going
nuts. As in many languages going nuts is used in 3 ways. First, to describe a
literal episode of mental illness: “The old woman who lives at the end of the
street is totally nuts;” or an episode where people go a little crazy: “The
January sales started at 9AM – the shoppers went nuts, trying to get the best
bargains” or you can use it when someone gets very angry: “My mum went
nuts when she realised I ate all the lasagne.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Volverse loco es parte de la vida. Y no resulta

sorprendente que existan decenas de palabras para describirlo. Hoy quisiera
enfocarme en going nuts. Como en muchas lenguas going nuts se utiliza en
tres maneras. Primero, para describir un episodio de enfermedad mental
literal: “The old woman who lives at the end of the street is totally nuts”; o un
episodio donde la gente se vuelve un poco loca: “The January sales started at
9AM – the shoppers went nuts, trying to get the best bargains” o cuando
alguien se enfada muchísimo: “My mum went nuts when she realised I ate all
the lasagne”.

‘To go nuts’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, there’s a couple of meanings of to go nuts… one of which is to

go crazy with anger. So, Dave, I know you share a flat with someone and
have shared dozens of flats with people; what drives you nuts about
flatmates? (te vuelve)
DAVE: One thing that always drives me nuts is when people start controlling
the heating without asking other people. You see, I find that hot and cold are
really subjective and it drives me mad when people say it’s boiling or
freezing, and then immediately adjust the temperature. The correct way is to
say, “I’m boiling, do you mind if I turn the air on?”
ROK: And what else drives you nuts?
DAVE: People who do the dishes, and it all looks kind of clean but then they
leave little bits of rice and shit in the plughole. (desagüe) That drives me
fucking crazy.
ROK: I never would have thought you were so fussy about tidiness and
things like that. (exigente)
DAVE: Well, I’m not particularly anal about it but some things are common
sense and decency.
ROK: Fair enough… so what else bothers you?
DAVE: Well, something that used to bother me were people switching off
the lights. It used to drive me nuts. I just couldn’t understand the point in
driving people crazy to save .00004 cents, or when they said it all… ‘added
up’. My argument was like – I’d rather pay the four cents and relax and not
live under your reign of terror about the lights, please.
ROK: I notice that’s in the past tense though.
DAVE: Well, yeah, with global warming the issue was solved. Now people
who leave lights on drive me nuts. Okay, nice one, let’s do the next word.
9.8 Wasted… Pasado (de drogas o alcohol) / Colocado

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Wasted is a general word for being extremely

intoxicated. If you’re lightly intoxicated you can’t say “I was a little bit
wasted” the way you can say “I was a little bit stoned” or “A little bit drunk.”
Wasted is for when you are absolutely out of your head. “Whoah, did you see
Jenna at the party – she was totally wasted.” And you can be wasted on
anything - booze, coke, weed or smack.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Wasted es una palabra general para referirse a

alguien extremadamente intoxicado. Si estás ligeramente intoxicado no
puedes decir: “I was a little bit wasted” de la misma manera que dirías “I was
a little bit stoned” o “A little bit drunk”. Wasted es para cuando estás
absolutamente out of your head: “Whoah, did you see Jenna at the party – she
was totally wasted”. Y puedes estar wasted de cualquier cosa: booze, coke,
weed o smack.

‘Wasted’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Okay, Rokeby, tell us a story called, “The most wasted I’ve ever
been in my life.”
ROK: Fuck, where to start…so many incidents, so many possible stories.
DAVE: Well, that’s not true… by definition – you could only have been the
most wasted you’ve ever been in your life – once.
ROK: Wow, how very pedantic of you… but you’re right of course. Erm…
okay… the answer is complicated because although we said you can use
wasted for any intoxicant, it doesn’t seem right to use wasted with booze.
DAVE: Okay, bla bla bla… get on with it will you.
ROK: Okay, I dunno about the most wasted I’ve ever been, but I’ll tell you a
story from my stoner days.
DAVE: Oh good, I like stoner stories.
ROK: So, as you remember from back in the day there’s no greater
opportunity for meeting lunatics than when you have to score…which means
to buy drugs. Anyway, I was round this crazy dealer’s house and he made me
smoke a lot. I’m not joking… I was so wasted everything went green. I was
fucking wasted, and I can tell you for free I wasn’t enjoying it. I started to
feel anxious. And that’s when I saw it.
DAVE: What?
ROK: There I was staring at this psycho drug dealer – and the large tattoo on
his shoulder – when suddenly these two little red eyes appear. Then I saw the
head, and the long pink tail. It was a fucking rat. The sick fucker had a pet
rat. And I tell you, I’d never seen a rat before – they’re truly disgusting –
their long pink tails and their fire red eyes … yuk.
DAVE: And what must have made it worse was being so wasted. Nightmare!
Good story, Rokeby, but it’s time for the class to end. We’ll see you all next
week.
9.9 Booze… Alcohol

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: The only time people talk about alcohol is in

medical reports and customs laws. The rest of the time alcohol is known as
booze. This word is universal in the English speaking world and can be
transformed into either a verb: “We were boozing all night,” a different type
of noun: “We spent all night in the boozer” (here, boozer means a bar) or
“Joe’s a big boozer,” (boozer here is a person who consumes a lot of booze).

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Las únicas ocasiones en las cuales la gente

habla de alcohol son en reportes médicos y en leyes aduanales. El resto del
tiempo al alcohol se le conoce como booze. Esta palabra es universal en el
mundo de habla inglesa y puede transformarse ya sea en verbo: “We were
boozing all night”; en un tipo diferente de sustantivo: “We spent all night in
the boozer” (aquí, boozer significa un bar) o en algo como “Joe’s a big
boozer” (boozer aquí es la persona que consume mucho booze).

‘Booze’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: Now, then, Rokeby, you’re always repeating and repeating to me

how drugs are so bad, so now I’ve got an opportunity to go on about how
booze is so bad.
ROK: Well, that’s not really necessary. I’m more than aware of how bloody
awful booze is.
DAVE: Yes, but that doesn’t stop you consuming enormous quantities of it.
ROK: Well, you know what they say.
DAVE: No, I don’t actually.
ROK: Booze: it’s the curse of the Irish.
DAVE: And how would you describe your relationship with booze?
ROK: Well, I’d definitely say it’s love-hate. When I’m drunk I love it – it
seems like the best idea I could have possibly had… logical, necessary and
desirable.
DAVE: And when you’re not drunk?
ROK: Oh man, the next morning I hate it. My hangovers are like a form of
mental illness… and that’s when it seems illogical, unnecessary and utterly
undesirable.
DAVE: So why don’t you go on the wagon… get booze out of your life.
ROK: I might just do that, Dave, I might just do that. But I think to help me
on my way you should make similar gestures with some of your vices.
DAVE: Oh, this conversation’s gone in a direction I didn’t want. Next word
please.
10.0 Ride… Coche

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: A large part of English in popular culture is

actually American English. Now, as you know, the car is an essential part of
American culture, but you can’t refer to your transport as your car and still
have street-cred (credibility as a cool person). You have to refer to your car
as your ride. Arrive at a club in a wicked ride and you’ll have immediate
status and cool.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Una gran parte del inglés dentro de la cultura

popular es en realidad el inglés norteamericano. Ahora bien, como ya lo
sabes, el coche es una parte esencial de la cultura norteamericana, pero no
puedes referirte a tu transporte como your car y aún así tener street-cred
(credibilidad como persona cool). Tienes que referirte a tu coche como your
ride. Llega a una disco en a wicked ride y tendrás status inmediato y serás
cool.

‘Ride’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, Dave, tell us about the smoothest ride you’ve ever had.
DAVE: Well, Rokeby, as you well know, I’m a distinguished member of the
non-drivers club. A club to which both you and Jen belong.
ROK: And Sue?
DAVE: And Sue.
ROK: How is it possible that so many cool people could never get round to
driving a car and will never own a ride.
DAVE: Hey, man, it’s never too late to learn… but anyway, we were too
busy having a good time to bother about rides and driving and all that shit.
And what was the point in London?
ROK: True. There’s absolutely no point in driving round London in the area
where we lived. You’d spend about twice the time you ever would on public
transport.
DAVE: That’s right. But what about the future? Imagine you’ve got the time,
the money and the inclination to get yourself a dream ride – what would it
be?
ROK: I have to say I rather like Range Rovers. I’d feel vaguely rustic but
also military… and what about you?
DAVE: A beemer all the way. Status combined with functional German
engineering.
ROK: Fair enough. And that just about ends this class, and we hope you
enjoyed it. We did. And one last thing…if you’re listening to this podcast in
your ride… then beep the horn and let everyone know you study with Dave
and Rokeby. See ya later, guys. (tocar el claxon)
Vocabulary Exercises

1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A Nerds --- Good at sport but not clever

Jock --- bottom
Ass --- Money
Dough --- Food
Grub --- Very clever but no taste

B Vibe --- Car

Going nuts Very intoxicated
Wasted --- Alcohol
Booze --- Go crazy
Ride --- Atmosphere

2) Read the following story and choose the correct phrase when given
two options.
The thing I didn’t like about my ex boss was that he was very sporty, very
stupid and you could tell that when he was in high school he was a real nerd /
jock 1. I’m sure that he used to bully people because that’s what he does at
work. Every time he goes to the IT department he says the only thing they
love are computers and that they’re a bunch of jocks / nerds 2. Then, at
lunchtime he goes out and drinks loads of beer and returns to the office nuts
/wasted 3. He admits that he has a serious weakness for rides / booze 4. and
everyone knows he’s an alcoholic.
These past few weeks I’ve been going nuts /wasted 5. because I just can’t
tolerate him any more. All he talks about are shallow things... he’s always
saying that out of the whole company he’s got the best grub / ride 6. and that
everyone else is too poor to compete. It’s a real bad vibe / ride 7. The worse
part was when he invited me to his house to eat some grub / dough 8. and I
thought he was being friendly. In the end, though, all he wanted was a loan
and he asked me for some grub /dough 9. What a cheeky bastard. When I
said no, he said I’d better watch out because he was gonna kick my nuts / ass
10.
Answers
1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A Nerds --- Very clever but no taste

Jock --- Good at sport but not clever
Ass --- bottom
Dough --- Money
Grub --- Food

B Vibe --- Atmosphere

Going nuts --- Go crazy
Wasted --- Very intoxicated
Booze --- Alcohol
Ride --- Car

2) Read the following story and choose the correct phrase when given
two options.
The thing I didn’t like about my ex boss was that he was very sporty, very
stupid and you could tell that when he was in high school he was a real jock
1. I’m sure that he used to bully people because that’s what he does at work.
Every time he goes to the IT department he says the only thing they love are
computers and that they’re a bunch of nerds 2. Then, at lunchtime he goes
out and drinks loads of beer and returns to the office wasted 3. He admits
that he has a serious weakness for booze 4. and everyone knows he’s an
alcoholic.
These past few weeks I’ve been wasted 5. because I just can’t tolerate him
any more. All he talks about are shallow things... he’s always saying that out
of the whole company he’s got the best ride 6. and that everyone else is too
poor to compete. It’s a real bad vibe 7. The worse part was when he invited
me to his house to eat some grub 8. and I thought he was being friendly. In
the end, though, all he wanted was a loan and he asked me for some dough 9.
What a cheeky bastard. When I said no, he said I’d better watch out because
he was gonna kick my ass 10.
Fundamentals - Be Zen-like - accept the limits of your
knowledge

One of the most critically acclaimed series of recent years has been 'The
Wire'. This fascinating series is a crime show with a difference. Normally, a
crime show focuses on a different case each week, but The Wire focuses on
one case over the course of five series. With its hyper realistic format,
performances and brilliant script, it has taken the genre of crime series to a
new level. Never before has a show given such a perfectly balanced
perspective of both the criminal and the law enforcement mind.
Unfortunately, though, none of our students at vocatic will ever watch this
show in original version. Well, that's not strictly true...they may watch it...but
they will only understand a fraction of it.
How do I know this?
I know this because I’m a native English speaker and I only understand a
fraction of it...so how are my students going to understand it? Half of the
series is filmed on the street corners of Baltimore where the accent is almost
impossible to follow and new slang words are constantly emerging. It’s
almost as if you need a special phrase book on Baltimore English. Even a
simple word like alright is difficult; they remove almost everything from the
word and leave a simple sound.
It is vitally important that you accept the limitations of your knowledge from
the beginning. You will never understand everything in a film. The strategy
of this book and course is about increasing your understanding so that you
recognize most of the words you encounter – then you can fill in the blanks.
Knowing from the beginning of the course that you can’t know everything is
very important because it stops you getting depressed when faced with
difficulties. You already recognize that there will always be scenes you don’t
understand.
This is no excuse for not trying your hardest: Vocatic students never give up
and you must always believe that you can be brilliant. But, be Zen-like:
understand there are limits and accept those limits.
UNIT 10 Fuck
 10.1 Fuck… Follar / Coger

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: The primal and most important definition of

the word fuck is… to have sex. Sorry to be rude, but the facts are the facts.
And let’s clarify the obvious: it is not a romantic word or a functional word
or even a biological word like reproduce or copulate, it is an extremely
vulgar way of talking about sex. It is a very satisfying term, though.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: La primera y más importante definición de la

palabra fuck es... tener relaciones sexuales. Disculpen que sea grosero, pero
los hechos son los hechos. Y aclaremos lo obvio: no es una palabra
romántica, funcional o biológica como reproducción o copulación. Se trata
de una forma extremadamente vulgar de hablar de sexo. Sin embargo, es un
término bastante placentero.
Nivel de ofensa - 6.5

‘Fuck’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, Dave, give us an example use of the word, fuck.

DAVE: Okay, how about … Rokeby and his chick were fucking all night.
ROK: I like it. A little bit disrespectful to my chick, though, but I like it.
Rokeby and his chick were fucking all night. Or, we could use the more
common phrase… Rokeby and his chick were fucking like bunny rabbits.
DAVE: We could, but… the trouble with both sentences is that they’re not
very realistic.
ROK: What do you mean?
DAVE: A more realistic example would be… Rokeby and his chick were
fucking for… 1 minute 30 seconds.
ROK: Fuck you.
DAVE: Hey, don’t confuse the listeners… fuck you comes later in the series.
ROK: Okay, so let’s reach a compromise… Rokeby and his chick were
fucking for… one hour thirty minutes.
DAVE: Okay. Rokeby and his chick were fucking for one hour thirty
minutes… after he popped two Viagra.
ROK: Cunt.
DAVE: Love you, too. Okay, what’s the next word?
10.2 Fuck all … Nada

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Fuck all is one of my favourites. I mean, if you

try and analyse it then it makes no sense; it should mean fuck everything, but
somehow it seems to capture perfectly its true meaning: nothing. Fuck all
means… fuck all – nothing, nada, nicht, rien.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Fuck all es una de mis favoritas. Si intentas

analizarla no tiene mucho sentido. Debería significar fuck everything, pero de
alguna manera parece encerrar perfectamente su verdadero significado: nada.
Fuck all significa… fuck all – nothing, nada, nicht, rien.
Nivel de ofensa - 6

‘Fuck all’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Dave, what are you going to give your boss for Christmas?
DAVE: Fuck all.
ROK: What are you going to do on Sunday?
DAVE: Fuck all.
ROK: What do you think George Bush deserves for what he did when he
was president?
DAVE: Fuck all.
ROK: What have the government done for workers’ rights?
DAVE: Fuck all.
ROK: How many orphan children have you helped with your time and your
money?
DAVE: Fuck all.
ROK: How much of the work have you done that I asked you to do?
DAVE: Fuck all.
ROK: Ah ha… so you admit it. Therefore, how much am I going to pay you?
DAVE: Err…fuck all?
ROK: Exactly… Fuck all.
DAVE: And how much time have we got left for this class?
ROK: Fuck all. So, let’s wrap it up.
10.3 Fuck you... Vete a la mierda

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: Fuck you has nothing to do with sex and

everything to do with insults. Fuck you is like telling someone to go to hell…
twice! Quite simply, it is a brutal expression of a sudden negative feeling
towards someone. So… fuck you!

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Fuck you no tiene nada que ver con sexo y todo
que ver con insultos. Fuck you es como decirle a alguien “Go to hell” (“Vete
al infierno”) ¡dos veces! Es muy sencillo, es una expresión brutal de un
sentimiento negativo repentino hacia alguien. Por lo tanto… Fuck you!
Nivel de ofensa - 7.5

‘Fuck you’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Hey, Dave… fuck you!
DAVE: No, Rokeby, fuck you!
ROK: No, Dave, fuck you!
DAVE: Well fuck you and your little dog, too. (es simplemente una rima
– no tiene sentido) Anyway, Rokeby… you know, Maria - that ex of yours
who you’re still really obsessed with.
ROK: Yeah.
DAVE: Do you mind if I call her and ask her out?
ROK: If you’re trying to make me say fuck you then it’s worked. Fuck you!
I’m not giving my permission to ask her for a date.
DAVE: But it was over between you…three years ago.
ROK: Two years and eight months to be exact.
DAVE: Whatever. I think enough time has passed now. You’ve gotta let
someone else have a go. That’s just selfish to put a lifetime ban on a girl…
what if it’s our destiny to make babies? (prohibición)
ROK: Your destiny is to make babies with nobody… my answer’s no.
DAVE: Well, fuck you… now you said that, I’m gonna go out with her…
and we’re gonna make babies.
ROK: Well, fuck you! Good riddance! (adiós (enfadado))
10.4 to Fuck up…Estropear algo / Meter la pata

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: To fuck up is to mess something up, to break

something or do something which results in something not working. While in
mechanical terms it’s easy to understand – “Hey, you’ve fucked my computer
up,” it’s more complex in psychological terms. It means to say something
insensitive or to reveal a secret by accident. For example – imagine you’re
making love to your girlfriend and you say the name of your ex by accident:
you just fucked up!

SPANISH EXPLANATION: To fuck up significa estropear o romper algo o

hacer algo que dé lugar a que alguna cosa no funcione. Mientras que en
términos mecánicos es bastante fácil de entender, “Hey, you’ve fucked my
computer up”, es un poco más complejo en términos psicológicos: significa
decir algo insensible o revelar un secreto por accidente. Por ejemplo, imagina
que estás haciendo el amor a tu novia y dices el nombre de tu ex por
accidente: acabas de fuck up!
Nivel de ofensa - 6

‘Fuck up’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

DAVE: So, as ex-girlfriends seem to be the subject of the day, let’s continue
with the theme. Rokeby, tell us about someone fucking up.
ROK: Okay, the other day, listeners, Dave told Sue that he’d heard her ex-
boyfriend had a new girlfriend. Now, Sue’s definitely still in love with her
ex, and Dave definitely shouldn’t have told her which means he… ‘fucked
up?’
DAVE: Yes, I fucked up.
ROK: Wow, I’m impressed you admitted it. And when else have you fucked
up this week?
DAVE: When I told that girl you’re seeing that you were at the weekend club
when you’d told her you were at Tom’s house.
ROK: Yeah, you definitely fucked up, then.
DAVE: And what about to fuck up a system or machine, what example can
we give of that? What about the fact that every time you borrow my laptop
you fuck up the configuration?
ROK: No I don’t; that’s Sam when he plays computer games.
DAVE: What…you let your six-year-old son play computer games on my
laptop?
ROK: Whoops. Well, guys, as you can see, not only did I fuck up the
configuration – but because I didn’t want Dave to know Sam uses his
computer, and I let the secret out I…. fucked up. See you next week.
10.5 Fucked up… Estropeado / Retorcido / Loco / Una
persona con problemas psicológicos

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: An obvious meaning of fucked and fucked up is

its relation to the previous verb: estropeado. “The whole system’s fucked,” or
“You’ve done the list wrong, now the order is fucked up.” However, an
important secondary meaning, and one which can only be identified in
context is fucked or fucked up as psychologically damaged. It can mean crazy
or twisted (horrible/evil.)

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Un significado obvio de fucked y fucked up se

encuentra en su relación con el verbo anterior: estropeado. “The whole
system’s fucked” o “You’ve done the list wrong, now the order is fucked up”.
Sin embargo, un importante segundo significado, y al que sólo podemos
identificar en contexto, es fucked o fucked up como psicológicamente
dañado. Puede ser un sinónimo de loco. También puede significar retorcido –
twisted.
Nivel de ofensa - 6

‘Fucked up’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Dave, who was that ex of yours who was really fucked up?
DAVE: Which one, they all seem to be fucked up?
ROK: The one who was on prozac and valium.
DAVE: Oh…Jenny; yeah, she was really fucked up.
ROK: Didn’t she collect dead insects or something?
DAVE: Yeah. I hear she’s changed her name to Valentina.
ROK: Fucked up, man… that chick was totally fucked up.
DAVE: She was. And what can we tell our students to illustrate the other
meaning of fucked up? Twisted, dark, disturbing. (retorcido, oscuro,
inquietante)
ROK: What about that dream you were telling me about in which you and
your sister were… you know. That was fucked up, man.
DAVE: What, where we were…?
ROK: …Kissing?
DAVE: Ah man, don’t remind me. Shit, man… that was fucked up.
ROK: Or, as they like to say in a lot of movies: that was some fucked up shit.
DAVE: Okay, but let’s be clear…‘fucked up’ doesn’t have to always be so
darkly extreme. If your boss suggests you work an extra half hour for no
pay… you could say: That is fucked up. Okay, Let’s move on.
10.6 Fucked out of my head…Colocado/ Borracho /
Drogado

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: A stoner is a marijuana smoker. And to

understand the next meaning of the word fucked is very easy from the
following example: “I smoked some strong marijuana and then I was
completely fucked.” Yes, fucked amongst stoners, drinkers and drug users
means very intoxicated. And there’s no better person to talk to about being
extremely fucked than Dave.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Un stoner es un fumador de marihuana. Y para

entender el siguiente significado de la palabra fucked resulta muy sencillo el
siguiente ejemplo: “I smoked some strong marijuana and then I was
completely fucked”. Sí, entre stoners, bebedores y consumidores de drogas
fucked significa muy intoxicado. Y no hay mejor persona que Dave para
hablar de estar extremadamente fucked.
Nivel de ofensa - 6

‘Fucked out of my head’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: When was the last time you were completely fucked, Dave?
DAVE: Honestly?
ROK: Of course.
DAVE: Well, last night I was on the coke and I’ll admit – I was fucked out
of my head.
ROK: Coca cola?
DAVE: No.
ROK: Pepsi?
ROK: No! Cain! Only joking…I was drinking tequila. Drugs are evil, kids…
never touch them.
DAVE: Yes, they are. Err…anyway, you look good today, considering.
ROK: Thanks. You know, talking of getting fucked, you’re too conventional
these days. You should get a bit fucked from time to time. Like when we are
at university.
ROK: What… when I used to get fucked out of my head?
DAVE: Yeah. One thing we can say for certain, dear students, is that I’ve
seen this man out of his head. 6 AM in the morning, still dancing strong, eyes
the size of ping-pong balls.
ROK: Thanks for the graphic description; it’s clearly time to end this week’s
class. Thanks for coming, beloved students, and remember… Keep your
English passionate. Ciao.
10.7 The fuck… Coño / Diablos

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: People simply insert the fuck in order to add

emphasis. It’s like in Spanish when they put coño in the middle of a phrase -
¿Qué coño (diablos) estás haciendo? By itself, alone, it doesn’t really have
any meaning. It’s funniest and most authentic use is when you are totally
surprised by something and say …“What the fuck?”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: La gente simplemente inserta la frase the fuck

para añadir énfasis a una expresión. Es como decir coño en la mitad de una
frase: “¿Qué coño estás haciendo?” Por sí sola no tiene en realidad ningún
significado. Su uso más gracioso y auténtico es cuando te sorprendes
completamente por algo y dices “What the fuck?”
Nivel de ofensa - 7

‘The fuck’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Dave, can I ask you… what the fuck are you doing?
DAVE: Now, or in general.
ROK: In general. I mean, after you went out with Jenny, you get yourself a
really nice girl, Elena… and now you’ve left her. What the fuck are you
doing?
DAVE: I’m doing what the fuck I want.
ROK: And what the fuck is that?
DAVE: Having fun. Elena was nice… but boring.
ROK: In what way?
DAVE: Why the fuck do you suddenly want to know all about Elena?
ROK: Why the fuck do you always get defensive when I talk about her?
DAVE: I don’t… but let’s change the subject.
ROK: No.
DAVE: Yes.
ROK: No.
DAVE: I’m going then.
ROK: No, no, no… I’m only joking. Stay.
DAVE: Okay. But you shut the fuck up and concentrate on the class. Next
word, please.
10.8 Fuck me… ¡Joder! / ¡Hostia! / ¡Qué fuerte!

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: I understand that fuck me sounds like an

invitation to have sex, but it’s not. Okay, in certain situations it could be…
but generally it isn’t. Fuck me is used to express surprise. For example, if you
went to the gynaecologists for the first scan of your baby and the doctor told
you you were going to have triplets. You’d probably say “Fuck me.”

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Entiendo que la expresión fuck me pueda sonar

a una invitación a tener sexo, pero no lo es. Vale, en algunas situaciones
podría serlo… Pero en general no lo es. Fuck se utiliza para expresar
sorpresa. Por ejemplo, si fueses al ginecólogo para la primera revisión de tu
bebé y el doctor te dijese que tendrías trillizos, seguramente dirías “Fuck
me”.
Nivel de ofensa - 7

‘Fuck me’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: Okay, Dave, let’s expand a bit on the difference between “fuck-me”…
and “fuuu-uck me.”
DAVE: Well, as you said: if you say the first one to me then you’re a gay
asking to take it up the ass, and the other is… you’re surprised.
ROK: Thanks, Dave, I don’t think it was quite so necessary to insert the bit
about the ass, but you answered the question well. Yes. Fuck me refers, of
course, to sex, but the expression fuck me, spoken in that tone, is an
expression of amazement or surprise.
DAVE: Cool, so let’s see if I can get some amazement and surprise out of
you.
ROK: Okay.
DAVE: Before cheap alarm clocks were invented, people used to pay a
designated person in the community to wake them up. This person was called
“The knocker up” because he used to knock on people’s door.
ROK: Fuck me! Another one.
DAVE: If I left you at the bus stop, and travelled round the block at the speed
of light, you’d be an old man when I returned.
ROK: Fuck me. I don’t understand why…but… fuck me.
DAVE: On Christmas Eve 1995…. I slept with your cousin.
ROK: Fuck you…motherfucker!…
DAVE: Sorry guys, this class is over. Time for the Dave to make a quick
exit.
10.9 Fuckable… Follable / Cogible

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: If a book is very very good you call it –

readable. If you’re in a country with dirty water but you find some water you
can drink it’s – drinkable. And following the same logic, if someone looks
very sexy and you’d really like to have sex with them… they’re fuckable. As
you can see, it’s very straightforward.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: Si un libro es muy muy bueno lo llamas legible.

Si estás en un país donde sólo hay agua sucia pero encuentras agua que
puedes beber entonces es bebible. Siguiendo esta misma lógica, si alguien se
ve muy sexy y realmente quieres tener sexo con él o ella entonces sería
fuckable (follable, cogible). Como puedes ver, es muy sencillo.
Nivel de ofensa - 5

‘Fuckable’ in context with Rokeby and Dave’

ROK: Okay, Dave, who’s the most fuckable girl you know?
DAVE: That’s a tricky one. Especially as – once she hears me announce it on
iTunes that’ll be the end of my chances of fucking her.
ROK: I don’t know…maybe she’ll think it’s romantic.
DAVE: To be called the most fuckable girl I know?
ROK: Yeah, maybe, but I think we’d do better explaining the difference
between beautiful and fuckable.
DAVE: Sounds like you have an explanation ready.
ROK: I do. It’s about raw sexuality I guess. There’s something about that
person that makes you really think about having sex with them, as opposed to
someone who’s just beautiful in an aesthetic way.
DAVE: Good explanation. And I’m still managing to avoid telling everyone
who the most fuckable girl I know is.
ROK: No more. Go on…tell us.
DAVE: Well, if you insist. That girl you’re seeing at the moment is
extremely fuckable.
ROK: Cheeky bastard! That’s so typical of you…all the women in the world
and the one you want is mine. But I’ll tell you for free…the only thing we’re
sharing is a podcast.
DAVE: Who said anything about sharing? Anyway…Next phrase.
11.0 To fuck someone over… Joder a alguien

ENGLISH EXPLANATION: To fuck someone over is to betray someone’s

confidence or trust. It can range from something quite minor – you say you’ll
babysit for a friend then cancel at the last moment, or something very serious
– sleeping with someone’s wife (which, after what Dave said about my
girlfriend,) seems to be a possibility.

SPANISH EXPLANATION: To fuck someone over significa traicionar la

confianza de alguien. Puede variar de algo menor (dices que vas a cuidar al
niño de un amigo y luego cancelas en el último momento) a algo muy serio
(acostarse con la esposa (o) de alguien), lo cual, después de lo que Dave dijo
acerca de mi novia, es posible.
Nivel de ofensa - 5.5

‘Fuck someone over’ in context with Rokeby and Dave

ROK: So, Dave, tell us about a time where someone really fucked you over.
DAVE: Okay, that’s easy. Several years ago I had an internet marketing
business with someone. I was in charge of all the client side and the admin,
my partner was in charge of the site. I came back from holiday and he’d
taken the whole site down and started a business on his own.
ROK: He fucked you over good and proper, then.
DAVE: Good and proper.
ROK: And have you ever fucked anyone over?
DAVE: Never. The Dave is all about love.
ROK: It’s true, Dave, you’re all about the love. You’d never fuck anyone
over. Except…that…one time.
DAVE: When?
ROK: When you sold your computer to that deaf kid and you already knew it
would only last two weeks. I’d say you fucked him over.
DAVE: You cunt! Okay, I want everyone to know…this story is a lie. I never
sold a broken computer to a deaf kid. And for Rokeby to damage my
reputation like that. THAT…is fucking someone over! I’ll get my revenge for
that.
ROK: In the meantime, that’s the end of this week’s class. See you next
week, guys.
Vocabulary Exercises

1) Match the word or phrase in the first column with the definition or
synonym in the second column.

A
1. Fuck you a. To con someone
2. Fuck all b. Stoned and drunk
3. Fuck someone over c. Bugger all. Nothing
4. To be fucked up d. Psychologically
imbalanced / twisted
5. Fuck e. Sexual intercourse
6. Fucked out of my head f. Go to hell

B
7. Fuck me! g. To mess up
8. …The fuck… h. Wow
9. To fuck up i. Take me to bed and give me
a good seeing to
10. Fuckable j. Very sexy
11. Fuck me! k. …The hell…

2) Read the following story and choose the correct phrase when given
two options.

My ex-girlfrend was crazy: she was really fucked up / fucked all 1. As well
as that, she was very temperamental and she gave me fucked up / fuck all 2.
affection. She used to smoke pot all the time and was always fucked out of
her head / fucking people over 3. Everyone warned me about her. Dave
especially. One night he said “I’m going to prove to you that she’s horrible.
I’m going to try and sleep with her and I bet you she fucks you over / fucks
up 4.”
“Fuck you / Fuck me, 5. ” I said to the Jinxster. “You’ve always thought she
was fuck all / fuckable 6. – now you’re looking for an excuse to try it on
with her.
“Don’t be ridiculous. What the fuck are you talking about? That’s fucked
down / fucked up 7. You know I would never fuck you over / fuck you
up… 8. I’m your best friend.”
While it was true he wouldn’t fuck me over, I still didn’t agree to his plan. In
the end, though, it was unnecessary because I discovered the whole time she
was with me she’d been fucking off / fucking 9. her ex-boyfriend. When I
found out I was really upset and I went out and got really fucked over
/fucked out of my head 10.

Answers
Exercise 1

1–f
2 – c ‘bugger all’ is a British English expression for ‘fuck all’
3–a
4–d
5–e
6–b
7 – h or i
8 – k The fuck can be easily substituted with ‘the hell’. What the hell are you
doing?
9–g
10 – j
11 – h or i

Exercise 2

1. Fucked up
2. Fuck all
3. Fucked out of her head
4. Fucks you over
5. Fuck you
6. Fuckable
7. Fucked up
8. Fuck you over
9. Fucking
10. Fucked out of my head
Fundamentals - Classic American & British English

After a unit like that, it’s tempting to think that all the language of film and
music is sexual or violent; but it isn’t. There are a number of ordinary words
that constantly come up in any song, film or in real life. These words,
however, are largely ignored by language teachers because they are thought
of as colloquial. In our seminars and coursebooks we call these words Classic
American English. The most important are…

1.
Pretty: The translation of pretty as guapa is old fashioned. The much more
common use of pretty is quite.
“How are you today?” “Pretty good”
“Is DJ Maxi a good DJ?” “He’s pretty good, but I don’t like techno.”
“What’s the weather like in Ireland?” “It’s pretty cold.”

2.
Bunch of: At school they taught you that bunch of meant una rama. It does,
but it has a much more important use: a lot of. The United States is the land
of plenty, so there is constant need for this word of quantity and it is
constantly used in conversation. Usually it is contracted to buncha.
“A friend came over and we had a buncha beers.”
“There were a buncha people waiting in the queue. They weren’t happy.”
“Let’s leave now… we gotta buncha things to do.”

3.
Load of: Load normally means cargar. However, a load of is the British
version of a bunch of.

4.
Cute: Depending on who’s saying it and why they’re saying it, cute can
either mean sweet, adorable like a small kitten, or it can mean sexy and
attractive. Clearly, one knows by context.
“Have you seen Jamie’s brother? He’s so cute.”
“There’s no cute guys in this school.”
“That little cat is so cute.”

5.
Totally: although the meaning is usually clear – especially to the speakers of
Latin languages – totally can puzzle students when used in American English
as it is often used alone. Totally, when used alone, is a way of emphasising
your agreement with something.
“There’s no way I’d go to his party – he’s not cool.” “Totally.”
“That is the coolest car I’ve ever seen.” “Totally.”
“I wouldn’t kiss him if he was the last guy on earth.” “Totally.”

6.
Mate. This British English word for friend is often taught by teachers from
the UK but it’s worth mentioning just to make sure. Mate is a fundamental
word of British English and you must know it when watching any series or
film from the UK. It also forms part of important words such as work-mate
and flat mate.
“Alright, mate, how’s the new job?”
“Me and my mates are goin’ down the pub later…you wanna come?”
“My mates are the most important thing in the world to me.”

7.
I mean: Mean is very important in language classes for talking about the
meaning of words. In normal conversation, however, you’ll hear it used
constantly. It’s not that British and Americans are passionate linguists talking
about the meaning of the words, they’re talking about what they’re trying to
say or the intention of their actions.
“I mean…all I want is to be financially independent.”
“What do you mean…you’re not coming to the party.”
“All I meant was for him to have a good time.”

8.
Kinda or kind of: this common phrase means similar to… or… more or less.
It has nothing to do with kind – which means a nice person or kind – which
means type. It is a very common expression when someone says something
that is almost correct but not 100%.
“Do you think she’s completely stupid?” “Kind of…not completely, though.”
“Don’t buy her chocolates…it’s kind of insensitive as she’s trying to lose
weight.”
“Are you happy with your new house?” “Kinda…I just wish it was a bit
bigger.”
The end!