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  • Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English

  • We Speak with me, Feifei...

  • Neil: ...and me, Neil.

  • Feifei: In this programme, we have

  • an expression you can use

  • to describe someone who talks

  • confidently about a topic, but might not

  • actually know that much about it.

  • Neil: Which reminds me, Feifei.

  • Did I tell you that I've started

  • a new evening course?

  • Feifei: No. What's it in?

  • Neil: Well, see if you can guess...

  • My lords, ladies and gentlemen.

  • It is indeed an immense

  • honour and privilege to stand here

  • before you on this great occasion

  • and humbly offer

  • my thoughts...

  • Feifei: Er... Neil. What are you

  • going on about?

  • Neil: Public speaking! It's my new course.

  • Feifei: Right. Well, you can certainly

  • talk the talk.

  • Neil: Oh good - that's the whole point.

  • Feifei: Hmm. That's not really

  • a compliment. When we say

  • someone can talk the talk, it

  • means they talk a lot about a subject,

  • but they might not really know

  • that much about it - even

  • if they sound confident.

  • Neil: How dare you! Well, let's hear some

  • examples of this expression in action.

  • Oh no, not another meeting chaired

  • by Binh. He can certainly talk the talk

  • but he actually

  • knows nothing!

  • OK, go in there, talk the talk, and get out

  • before they realise we don't have

  • a clue about marketing!

  • It's one thing talking the talk, but we need

  • action. We need someone

  • who can walk the walk.

  • Feifei: You're listening to The English

  • We Speak from BBC Learning English.

  • In this programme,

  • we're looking at the expression

  • 'talk the talk'. It refers to people

  • who talk confidently

  • on a topic without necessarily

  • knowing much about it.

  • Neil: That's right, Feifei. You know,

  • you're really quite knowledgeable

  • about the English

  • language, aren't you?

  • Feifei: Thanks.

  • Neil: I mean, you don't just talk the talk

  • - you can walk the walk too.

  • Feifei: Absolutely! As you heard in the

  • earlier example, and just then

  • from Neil, the opposite

  • of 'talk the talk' is 'walk the walk'.

  • Neil: That refers to someone who shows

  • their abilities through action -

  • not just talking.

  • Feifei: Like you, Neil.

  • Neil: You know what? I think I'll give up

  • that public speaking course

  • and join a hiking club -

  • to learn how to walk the walk.

  • Feifei: Ha! Good idea.

  • Neil: Bye!

  • Feifei: Bye!

Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English

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