Name: _________________

Mind Your Language

Season 1 – Episode 8
“Better to Have Loved and Lost”
17 February 1978

Plot
Mr. Brown asks his students what they did for the weekend. Anna tells a sad story about
what happened when she was dating her ex-boyfriend named Kurt.

Ali and Su-Lee announce that they are getting married, but Mr. Brown gets shocked when he
finds out that Ali is already married and plans to take Su-Lee as his second wife to have a
baby (as he and his first wife, Rehana, have been unable to conceive a child). As for Su-Lee,
she tells Mr. Brown that she does not want to marry Ali anymore as she does not truly love
him, and so the wedding gets canceled. Later on, Ali announces that his wife is going to have
a child, so they go to the pub to celebrate anyway.

Questions
1. What is Giovanni drinking at the beginning of the episode?
2. How did Danielle spend her weekend?
3. What about Anna, did she spend the weekend with her boyfriend? What happened to her?
4. How did Taro spend his weekend?
5. Why did Ali and Su-Lee late for the class?
6. What is happening to Su-Lee next weekend?
7. What did Max do to pass his weekend?
8. Why does Ali want to take Su-Lee as his second wife?
9. What happened in Miss Courtney’s love story? When did it happen?
10.Why Ali doesn’t drink beer?

Vocabulary
1. Elope (intransitive verb) if two people elope, they go away secretly to get married
 Ana eloped with an Army officer.
o Set off (intransitive phrasal verb) to start a journey
 We set off early the next morning.
2. Catch up (transitive/ intransitive verb) to go faster so that you reach the person or
vehicle in front of you.
 If you hurry, you should catch up with them at the bridge.
3. Drag (transitive verb) to pull someone strongly and violently when they do not want to
go with you.
 He grabbed my arm and dragged me over to his bedroom.
4. Forbid (transitive verb) to tell someone that they must not do something.
 The law forbids the sale of cigarettes to people under the age of 16.
5. Toast (noun) an occasion when people all drink together and say someone’s name in
order to express their admiration or their good wishes.
 We drank a toast to a happy couple.
o Bread that has been heated until its outside is brown and hard.
 I ate a slice of toast.
6. Speed (v) to drive a car faster than the fastest speed legally allowed.
7. Naughty (adj) When children are naughty, or their behavior is naughty, they behave badly or do
not do what they are told to do
 That's naughty - you mustn't throw food on the floor!
o a naughty joke, word, or picture is sexual in a rude but funny way.

 Doctor: You look frail and exhausted! Did you

properly take 3 meals a day as I advised?
 Lady: OMG! I heard 3 males a day.
Quotes
Mr. Brown: What about you, Anna? Did you spend night we had been to the beer garden and we had
the weekend with your boyfriend?
Anna: Nein, I have no boyfriend.
Mr. Brown: Oh, that's a pity. Everyone should have
a boyfriend.
Ranjeet: I have no boyfriend.
Anna: It was about 5 years ago when I was going out
with this boy Kurt, I was young and innocent. One
been drinking a lot of schnapps. Afterward, I invited
him to my apartment for coffee.
Danielle: Ooh la la!
Taro: Japanese philosopher also says: "Man goes to
lady's apartment for a drink-o but usually end up
having a nibble."

(Giovanni comforts him.) Mr. Brown: Well, I think we'll leave your Japanese
philosopher out of it if you don't mind. Go on, Anna!
Mr. Brown: I was referring to the girls.
Anna: Well, we sat together on the bed and he was
Anna: I once had a bed experience with a boy. stroking my ends.
Mr. Brown: A bed experience? Mr. Brown: Which end?
Anna: Ja. (She puts up her right hand.)
Mr. Brown: You mean he tried to get you into bed? Anna: This end.
Anna: Nein, not bed sleep, bed, opposite of good. Mr. Brown: Oh, your hand. Ah, I see.
Mr. Brown: Oh, bad. Ranjeet: Oh dear, I am thinking I am too young to be
hearing anymore.
Anna: Ja, bed.
Mr. Brown: Well, you can leave the room if you
Mr. Brown: And what happened? wish to, Ranjeet.
Anna: I cannot tell you. It was too awful.  Ranjeet: Oh no, I stay. It is good to be knowing the
ways of the world.
Taro: Japanese philosopher says: "Confession is
very good for the soul." Danielle: What happened next, Anna?
Max: Yeah! Tell us what happened. Anna: Kurt was kissing me on my neck.
Mr. Brown: Well, you don't have to if you don't Danielle: Sacre bleu!
want to.
Anna: Then he was kissing me on my shoulder then
Anna: Maybe it is better I get it off my breast. he was kissing me all over the place. 
Mr. Brown: Chest. Danielle: Go on!
Anna: Ja. It was dreadful. I still blush when I am Anna: I was feeling all romantic. Then with all the
thinking of it. drink that I had drunk, and the warmth of his body by
mine on the bed, I did something I have always been
Mr. Brown: Yes. Perhaps you'd better not tell us
ashamed of.
then.
Mr. Brown: Well, what did you do?
Max: She must!
Anna: I fell asleep.
Ranjeet: Most definitely, I am all earholes.