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  • Okay. Hi. James, from EngVid. I've just been shocked. And it's bringing out my animal nature.

  • Today's video is on expressions -- some people say "idioms" -- but expressions using animals.

  • Now, in English, you will find there are a lot of expressions and animals, and people never really think about it.

  • In fact, I think in your own language, the same thing happens.

  • You have expressions with animals, and you use them every day.

  • What I want to do today is give you about six of them from different animals,

  • and I want you to get the understanding because this will help you when we do other ones later or for ones you already know.

  • Animals are usually used to show human behavior. Huh? Well, yeah. When we say, like, "crazy like a fox,"

  • we mean really smart and intelligent, stealthlike. Not stealthlike, but you know, clever.

  • "Clever" means to have good skill. So we're talking about human characteristics or things that human have.

  • And we're showing animals that depict -- and "depict" is another way for saying "show"

  • -- show how or in the best way to illustrate to other people.

  • I must be a visual person because I like these visual words. Okay. But they show that in

  • the best way for people to look at the animal and understand instantly.

  • And that's one of the best reasons for using these kinds of idioms because what you really mean, people understand,

  • even if you don't use it perfectly. I mean, like, "Smells like a rat."

  • I said that today, and I meant "smell a rat," and that's one of them you're going to learn today.

  • Because as soon as you know, you know, "Oh, that must be bad." Even though I didn't say it correctly,

  • we'll get it better than some other idioms you might try to use to express yourself.

  • So if you keep in mind that animals are used to show human behavior, then, you'll

  • basically understand why we use animal idioms, and it will be easier for you to remember. Okay?

  • You like that? Yeah. Because you're crazy like a fox. Okay.

  • Where should we start? What the? Whoa. Okay. Apology time. Sorry. The EngVid art department is not here.

  • Usually these would be drawn much better, but our monkey looks like something on LSD.

  • Okay? The rat looks like it got rabies, which is a disease. And the pig looks like it's been going on, like -- I don't know.

  • I don't want to say somebody's diet because somebody will get angry because it means the pig looks fat.

  • Like it's been on the -- okay, whatever. Whoever's diet, okay?

  • But let's get to the board and talk about the animal expressions, okay?

  • I did two for each. And when you think about them, remember what I said.

  • Animals show human characteristics or actions or behavior, okay?

  • And this will help you remember.

  • Well, I like this one, "Monkey see, monkey do." No. 1. What does that mean?

  • It means to copy. If you watch monkeys or apes [makes monkey sounds], you know, Tarzan's ape,

  • they copy humans all the time, and we love them, right? You see them walking and talking and trying to act like us.

  • And because of that, we use the idiom, "Monkey see, monkey do,"

  • to talk about a person who is copying you or copying someone else, especially babies and children.

  • If you take up a cigarette and smoke, if you look down, a baby will pick up a pen or a pencil and pretend to smoke.

  • And the mother might say, "Monkey see, monkey do." Okay?

  • In a way, it's an insult. Remember this. Because monkeys are considered lesser humans -- well, less than humans.

  • So if someone says "monkey see, monkey do," they're not really giving you a compliment.

  • They're saying, "That person's an idiot, and so are you. Monkey see, monkey do."

  • Okay? So don't use it on people unless you're using it in a funny way with a good friend --

  • like he's copying you; you're like, "Monkey see, monkey do." --

  • or you want to insult somebody, "Monkey see, monkey do." Understand? Cool. And that's why

  • we use it for children, because children don't know any better, so we say they're not as smart as adults.

  • All right. That's the first one.

  • Now, monkeys are not only -- they are very intelligent. That's why they can copy humans.

  • But our second one is "monkey business." If I say, "When I leave, Mr. E,

  • I don't want no monkey business going on around here." It means I don't want any illegal --

  • trust me on this -- illegal or unethical behavior. It seems monkeys aren't just eating bananas these days.

  • They're running businesses. When we say "no monkey business," it's because people are playing around.

  • Usually playing around with the rules or the law.

  • And sometimes, it's unethical, even in relationships, or illegal, right? Stealing money from a company is monkey business.

  • And even though it sounds funny, it's very serious. They're saying,

  • "There's a lot of monkey business going on here. Things that are not right." Okay?

  • Someone's playing in a bad way.

  • So you notice using the monkey in many idioms is to show there's intelligence, but it's

  • either in a negative way, or you're not intelligent. So watch when people use monkey idioms. All right?

  • No. 2. As you can tell -- well, I didn't draw it. Mr. E, did you draw is? Somebody doesn't like rats.

  • So, "I smell a rat" because this rat doesn't look as happy as the other animals.

  • When you smell a rat, it means you smell something's wrong. Rats are dirty, disgusting animals.

  • Rat lovers, hold up. "Hold up" means "wait," okay? Hold your peace. I'm not -- I have nothing against --

  • well, I do. I don't want rats in my house, okay? But when we say, "I smell a rat,"

  • it means (a) you think somebody who may be telling secrets, your secrets to someone else, right?

  • But specifically, "smell a rat" is you smell something is wrong because rats are typically bad.

  • Most people don't like rats. So if somebody is "ratting" --

  • one we even use is "to rat you out," which is to tell your secrets to other people, your bad behavior.

  • Smelling a rat is not good. So when someone calls you a rat or uses an idiom or an expression using a rat,

  • they're saying something negative about you or the situation.

  • I smell a rat. I smell E. I think E did that picture because that rat got a red eye.

  • Look closely. Okay.

  • "The rat race." Rats tend to run around because they've got no job. They just run around, run around.

  • They have no job. They've got nothing to do. They're crazy. Well, not crazy.

  • They're just running around your house eating everything. We refer to the "rat race" here

  • as any behavior that keeps you very, very, very busy in activity, but not necessarily getting anywhere.

  • It's called a "rat race." Get a job. Pay your bills. Die. That's it.

  • That's the rat race. You go, "What is the significance -- 'significance' means 'importance' -- of my life?

  • What am I trying to accomplish?" So when you're in the rat race, you don't have time for that.

  • All the rats are running in the same direction, and so are you. We're out to get our cheese and get the heck out.

  • We poop it out, and we die.

  • The rat race is what you do with your life unless you take time to think about it.

  • So once again, it's kind of negative because people you might -- sorry, I'm going fast.

  • You might say the rat race is what everybody does, but people who, you know --

  • it's not just reading, but take time to enjoy life go, "No. The rat race is getting caught up in money and business."

  • And you should be careful about that. Okay? So that's the "rat race."

  • We've got two more. And I love these two and so will you. "To pig out." Notice our svelte pig.

  • "Svelte" means "skinny." Quite clearly, this pig is not skinny. "To pig out" means

  • to eat a lot of food in a short period of time. Generally, we pig out on holidays.

  • When you go home for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Thanksgiving, Valentine's, or family dinners,

  • you might "pig out," which means to eat a lot of food in one sitting or at one time.

  • I like to pig out when I go home to my mom's because she's a very good cook. You might

  • pig out at McDonald's, right? And that means to eat a lot in one sitting. So don't try

  • to pig out too much, or you'll get like this pig -- fat. It's not a pretty sight, is it? Okay.

  • I've got one more to do, okay? I'll come back to a couple things, here. Okay. "To hog something."

  • When you "hog something," it means to keep to yourself for a long time when you should share some with other people.

  • You could "hog" the road, which means your car takes up two lanes.

  • You know, if you've got two lanes of traffic, okay. If you "hog" the road, you drive here because nobody can move.

  • But when you hog a pen, maybe everybody should use the pen for five minutes,

  • and you keep the pen for 30 minutes. You're "hogging" it.

  • Like all pigs, you keep too much for yourself. Okay? Cool?

  • I just want to go over the "rat race" one more -- "smell a rat" one more time to make sure you understand, okay?

  • "To smell a rat" means to know or think something is wrong.

  • "I smell a rat. I smell someone has told my secrets out, right?" You're smelling a rat.

  • If you watch many old gangster movies, they go, "I smell a rat. Someone's been talking. Someone in our group or organization." Right?

  • Or -- you know, maybe you go into a negotiation, and

  • you're like, "I smell a rat. Something's wrong. I don't like this. This doesn't seem right." Okay?

  • Something doesn't seem right when you smell a rat.

  • Usually, we use it for a person who is telling your secrets, right, to somebody else that you don't want told, okay? Cool?

  • All right.

  • To go over very quickly. Monkeys -- positive or negative? Yeah, I like monkeys, but nobody likes them.

  • "Monkeying" is usually to do someone playing around when they shouldn't play around or someone of lower intelligence, right?

  • "Monkey see, monkey do" -- you're not so smart, that's why you copy someone else. Right.

  • "Monkey business" -- you're intelligent, and you're up to something you shouldn't be.

  • Illegal activity or unethical activity. Okay? That's my ethical voice. You like that? Okay.

  • "Smelling a rat" -- rats are dirty. Okay? If you smell a rat, something's wrong.

  • Somebody has told your secret to someone else. Another word is "to leak." I didn't want to use that,

  • but leaking your secrets. Leak -- think of this. You have a tap with water, okay?

  • Here's the water. And if it's coming out -- a leak -- the water's coming out, and it shouldn't come out, okay?

  • That's where your rat is. They're telling your secrets and letting them out.

  • The "rat race" is what most of us engage in. "Engage" means "take part in."

  • We are usually working and just basically eating, sleeping, working, and doing things that don't really make us better,

  • and we don't have time to think about it. And when you're in the rat race,

  • you have to keep working and working hard or you go nowhere. But the real funny thing --

  • or the very funny thing about it is the rat race, you're not going anywhere.

  • You're just running with the other rats.

  • The pig looks in shock. Pigs usually look happy. This one is shocked, like, "This is what I look like on EngVid?" Okay. All right.

  • Because he has pigged out, you can see the swelling.

  • If I'm a doctor, "You can see the swelling of the big area here. It's just -- the food is accumulating here." All right?

  • If he hadn't "hogged" the food, which means keep all the food to himself,

  • he wouldn't have pigged out, and he wouldn't be in this state here. Okay?

  • He looks like a pig. And pig here usually means ugly or disgusting, usually because you're overweight or -- grotesque.

  • I don't want to go there. That's another word for another time. Anyway.

  • Mr. E, that's why he was shocked, saying, "What the? What the?" With animal expressions, right?

  • So we've got our animal expressions down. Rats, monkey, and pigs. You should know.

  • They're in the Chinese zodiac, but they're no good, no-good animals.

  • And I've got to get going because I'm almost over time. So time flies.

  • And we'll talk about birdie games another time I'm sure.

  • So where are we? www. "eng" as in "English," "vid" as in "video,".com,

  • where myself, Mr. E, and seven, eight, twenty teachers by now are looking forward to helping you.

  • And there's no monkey business there. I'm telling you right now because we don't hog the whole show.

  • No, no, no, no I share with the other teachers.

  • In fact, you won't smell a rat when you go there. Promise. Have a good one.

Okay. Hi. James, from EngVid. I've just been shocked. And it's bringing out my animal nature.

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