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  • Feifei: Hi! Err, Neil.

  • Neil: Yes?

  • Feifei: What are you doing?

  • Neil: Oh, I'm just standing here,

  • I'm... Actually, I can't remember

  • why I came in here.

  • Feifei: You seem miles away! We're

  • in the studio, and we're about

  • to record an episode

  • of The English We Speak.

  • Neil: Of course we are, sorry.

  • I had a brain fade there.

  • Feifei: Anyway - let's get on

  • with the programme. And the phrase

  • we're going to teach is...'brain fade'!

  • Imagine that.

  • Neil: Haha, well - let's explain it.

  • 'Brain fade' is a slang term meaning

  • a short period when you

  • can't think clearly or remember things.

  • Feifei: For example: when you walk into

  • a room and forget why you went there.

  • Neil: That's a brain fade.

  • Never happens to me!

  • Feifei: And how about this: when you

  • can't remember where you put your keys?

  • Neil: Ah yes, I do know that one.

  • Now you mention it, where are they?

  • Feifei: Haha. We often use it with 'have':

  • to have a brain fade.

  • Let's hear a few more

  • examples of this phrase in context.

  • I saw an old colleague on the street

  • last week. Completely forgot her name!

  • A serious case of brain fade

  • Really embarrassing.

  • I'm sure I did terribly in the exam.

  • I had a major brain fade.

  • I hate doing job interviews. It's not that

  • the questions are difficult, I just get brain

  • fade as soon as I walk into the room.

  • Can't even remember my own name!

  • Feifei: You're listening to The English

  • We Speak from BBC Learning English.

  • The expression we're looking at

  • in this programme is 'brain fade'.

  • Neil. Neil?

  • Neil: Good. Err. Give me a second.

  • Feifei: What now?

  • Neil: I took my glasses off while

  • we were listening to those examples.

  • And you know...

  • I can't see them anywhere.

  • Feifei: Neil.

  • Neil: Yes?

  • Feifei: They're on your head.

  • Neil: That's a relief. Another brain fade,

  • I'm afraid. I think I just need

  • a good night's sleep.

  • Feifei: You do that! That's our phrase,

  • brain fade. Let's hope we made it easy

  • to remember!

  • Both: Bye.

Feifei: Hi! Err, Neil.

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