Learn slang expressions to describe someone negatively
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| INTRODUCTION |
| John: How to Describe Someone Negatively |
| John: I'm John. |
| Sydney: And I'm Sydney! |
| John: In this lesson, you'll learn how to describe someone negatively. |
| John: Be careful not to use these in front of the person you are describing! |
| SLANG EXPRESSIONS |
| John: The expressions you will be learning in this lesson are: |
| Sydney: stuck-up |
| Sydney: lame |
| Sydney: that was cold |
| Sydney: flaky |
| John: Sydney, what's our first expression? |
| Sydney: stuck-up |
| John: meaning "snobbish, unfriendly because one believes they're superior." |
| Sydney: [SLOW] stuck-up [NORMAL] stuck-up |
| John: Listeners, please repeat. |
| Sydney: stuck-up |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| John: If someone is "stuck-up," then they are snobby and believe that they are better than other people. Generally, a stuck-up person seems like they don't want to talk to certain people or are difficult to approach. |
| Sydney: Everyone uses this phrase, but you should be careful calling other people stuck-up, as it is an insult. |
| John: Now let's hear an example sentence. |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "She's so stuck-up. She refuses to eat non-organic food." [SLOW] "She's so stuck-up. She refuses to eat non-organic food." |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "She's so stuck-up. She refuses to eat non-organic food." |
| John: Okay, what's the next expression? |
| Sydney: lame |
| John: meaning "bad, weak, poor." |
| Sydney: [SLOW] lame [NORMAL] lame |
| John: Listeners, please repeat. |
| Sydney: lame |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| John: The word lame literally means "to be unable to walk because of an injury." But when it's used as a slang expression, it means "bad, weak, or poor." If something is lame, then you probably don't like it or you think it is boring. |
| Sydney: This term is used by people of all ages and it's not vulgar, but best avoided in formal contexts. |
| John: Now let's hear an example sentence. |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "That's a lame excuse for being late." [SLOW] "That's a lame excuse for being late." |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "That's a lame excuse for being late." |
| John: Okay, what's our next expression? |
| Sydney: that was cold |
| John: meaning "not nice; harsh." |
| Sydney: [SLOW] that was cold [NORMAL] that was cold |
| John: Listeners, please repeat. |
| Sydney: that was cold |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| John: This expression has nothing to do with the temperature. It's used in response to one's harsh comments or expressions. You may have heard that a nice person in English has a "warm" heart. In contrast, we use the word "cold" to describe someone who is mean or callous. |
| Sydney: For example, if you say to a friend that something bad has happened to you, but they respond with, "I don't care," you could tell him or her, "That was cold." |
| John: Now let's hear an example sentence. |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] You were so insensitive to Jenna crying yesterday. That was cold. [SLOW] You were so insensitive to Jenna crying yesterday. That was cold. |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] You were so insensitive to Jenna crying yesterday. That was cold. |
| John: Okay, what's the last expression? |
| Sydney: flaky |
| John: meaning "someone who constantly cancels plans, often at the last minute." |
| Sydney: [SLOW] flaky [NORMAL] flaky |
| John: Listeners, please repeat. |
| Sydney: flaky |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| John: Many people have a friend who's "flaky." You make a plan a week in advance, you show up to the venue, and your friend suddenly texts you, "Sorry! I can't make it." This person would be considered "flaky;" one who constantly cancels plans, often at the last minute. |
| John: Now let's hear an example sentence. |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "Jennifer is really flaky, she always cancels our plans!" [SLOW] "Jennifer is really flaky, she always cancels our plans!" |
| Sydney: [NORMAL] "Jennifer is really flaky, she always cancels our plans!" |
| QUIZ |
| John: Okay listeners, are you ready to be quizzed on the expressions you just learned? I will describe four situations, and you will choose the right expression to use in your reply. Are you ready? |
| John: A child doesn’t want the socks she got for Christmas. |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| Sydney: lame |
| John: "bad, weak, poor" |
| John: A girl has no friends because she thinks she’s better than everyone else. |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| Sydney: stuck-up |
| John: "snobbish, unfriendly because one believes they're superior" |
| John: A girl cancels her plans with her friends for the second time that week. |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| Sydney: flaky |
| John: "Someone who constantly cancels plans, often at the last minute" |
| John: A girl is kicked out of her friend group after lying to them. |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| Sydney: that was cold |
| John: "not nice; harsh" |
Outro |
|---|
| John: There you have it; you have mastered four English Slang Expressions! We have more vocab lists available at EnglishClass101.com so be sure to check them out. Thanks everyone, and see you next time! |
| Sydney: Goodbye! |
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