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  • Hello and welcome to The English We Speak. I'm Feifei.

  • And hello, I'm Rob.

  • Rob, I'm having a bit of trouble with my computer...

  • What, again! What's the problem this time?

  • Well, I've written the script for this programme, but it won't save. And I can't print it out - this computer just does not work. Can you fix it?

  • Let me have a pop at it.

  • A pop? Are you going to make it explode? That's a bit extreme, Rob.

  • Don't worry, Feifei. If I have a pop at something, I just mean I'll try and do it - so I'll have a go doing something, like fixing your computer...

  • Right! Okay, Rob, have a pop then.

  • But just don't delete all my work.

  • Don't worry, Feifei, I would never do that, would I? Let's hear some more examples of the phrase while I sort this out...

  • I'm going to have a pop at doing this online application for a passport - Apparently it's really easy.

  • We had a pop at making a cake but we baked it for too long and it burnt!

  • Why not have a pop at yoga? I've heard it's good for your mind, body and soul.

  • This is The English We Speak from BBC Learning English and we're talking about the phrase 'have a pop', which means to try something.

  • So, Rob, you've had a pop at fixing my computer... any luck?

  • Ermm, not exactly. Everything seems to have disappeared from the screen.

  • Let me look... No! You have deleted my script. Hmm, Rob, did you know that 'have a pop' has another meaning?

  • Oh yeah, what's that?

  • To 'have a pop' also means to criticise or even to try and hit someone.

  • And I'm going to have a pop at you for losing my script.

  • Hold... hold on, Feifei. If we don't have a script, we won't know what will happen next.

  • I think the listeners know, Rob, don't they? Bye.

  • Bye. Ouch!

Hello and welcome to The English We Speak. I'm Feifei.

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