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  • 5 expressions to level up your English.

  • Let's go. Alright, so these five expressions were delved

  • into more deeply on the Aussie English podcast recently, we're going to go through them one by one.

  • I'll show you them on the screen and you can click the link above each one if you would like to

  • check out the full episode on the podcast.

  • Let's go. So, number one

  • , "belly of the beast, belly of the beast".

  • You're often going to hear this as to be in "the belly of the beast".

  • If you're in "the belly of the beast", this is to be in the middle of a very

  • dangerous or bad situation, maybe a dangerous place.

  • So, literally and figuratively, when Pinocchio's dad was swallowed by the whale, he

  • was in "the belly of the beast".

  • We can also use this to mean that you are in the location where work takes place.

  • So, if you're in an office of a building that is owned by a company and that's where all of the

  • work takes place, you could say that you're in "the belly of the beast".

  • If you are in a submarine and you go to the engine room, you could say,

  • I'm in "the belly of the beast", to be in "the belly of the beast".

  • Pete's been in "the belly of the beast" all day.

  • "To have balls", now, this is kind of a crass, informal expression,

  • but you're going to hear this a lot down under and you're probably going to hear this everywhere

  • else in the Western world, as well, that speaks English.

  • So, if you "have balls", this is the idea that you are incredibly brave,

  • that you are courageous.

  • Right. And "balls" here is referring to testicles.

  • So, we can mostly use this on, guys.

  • It's a little weird if you say this woman has balls, although people can say that at

  • times to really over-emphasise how brave, courageous and

  • even blokey a woman can be.

  • Right. So, if you've got a woman that you know who is really "ballsy", "she has a lot of balls",

  • she "has balls", she is incredibly courageous, she's incredibly

  • brave. She's as brave as any guy out there.

  • She's got a lot of "balls".

  • We can also use this expression to mean to have the audacity to do something.

  • So, imagine I walk into my boss's office, although I'm my boss, so I guess

  • this would be a conversation with myself.

  • Hey, Pete, what is going on?

  • Not much, mate, but we'd actually say, what's going on?

  • I have a boss. I walk into his office, and I tell him, I think I'm doing a badass job.

  • I think I'm doing really well at work, give me a raise.

  • He might be like, you're right.

  • But geez, to come in here and say that that takes a lot of "balls".

  • Here's your raise.

  • Number three, "to have a bone to pick with someone, to have a bone

  • to pick with someone".

  • If you "have a bone to pick with someone", this is that you have a grievance, you have an

  • issue with someone that needs to be resolved.

  • It needs to be talked out.

  • It needs to be discussed and solved.

  • Right. You need to sort that out.

  • You "have a bone to pick with someone".

  • So, maybe I walk into my boss's office, tell him I want a raise.

  • And he says, before I give you a raise, "I've got a bone to pick with you".

  • Pete, you came to work the other day and you didn't have any pants on, again.

  • This is like the fourth time it's happened this week.

  • You can't come in here with no pants, it's scaring the other employees.

  • So, if you want a raise, you gonna have to start wearing some pants.

  • That's not a true story.

  • I promise you.

  • I always wear pants.

  • I'm not wearing any pants.

  • Number four. Number four is to "cheat death".

  • If you "cheat death", you escape a dangerous situation with

  • your life. You don't die.

  • Right. So, death gets cheated.

  • The man death, the ominous black thing that comes and picks you up

  • when you cease to exist, when you cease to live.

  • You've cheated him.

  • You have beat him, right, you've "cheated death".

  • You have escaped with your life.

  • So, imagine I'm riding my bike down the street and a car clips me on the

  • side. I lose control, but then I regain control and I'm like, oh, my God.

  • Thank God I survived.

  • I didn't die. Not today, death.

  • I've "cheated death".

  • I've "cheated death". I survived.

  • Number five, guys, is "to be caught with your pants down, to be caught with your

  • pants down". This isn't a throwback to the previous example I gave you about not wearing pants at

  • work. If you are "caught with your pants down", this means to be caught

  • unawares, to be caught in a compromising situation.

  • Right. That you would otherwise not like to have been caught in.

  • So, for instance, imagine that I go to the toilet and my son suddenly barges

  • in, throws the door open and is like, hey, dad, let's go outside and play soccer.

  • I'm "caught with my pants down", both literally and figuratively.

  • I'm caught sitting on the dunny, sitting on the toilet, my pants are literally down, so

  • I'm in a compromised position.

  • This is not something that I like other people to see me doing.

  • Right. I have been "caught with my pants down".

  • So, guys, that is it for today.

  • "Belly of the beast, to have balls, to have a bone to pick with someone, to cheat death and

  • to be caught with your pants down".

  • My challenge for you is to use one in the comment below.

  • If you want to learn more about each of these expressions, make sure to click the link that came up

  • above or go down into the description.

  • And if you want to keep learning Aussie English, check out this video here.

  • See ya!

5 expressions to level up your English.

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