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  • Hello I'm Feifei and this is The English We Speak.

  • And hello, this is Rob. And it's an important day in the office today, isn't it Feifei?

  • Err, is it?

  • Yes, it is! Remember that big project we've all been working on?

  • Errr. A big project?

  • Yes, well it's crunch time.

  • Oh great – I'm starving. I'll get my crisps.

  • No, I didn't say 'lunch time'.

  • I know. You said 'crunch time' – time to start crunching these delicious crisps. I love crisps.

  • No, no, no – I didn't mean it's time to crunch crisps.

  • Crunch time is an important or critical time when a decisive or difficult decision has to be made.

  • And it's crunch time for our big project.

  • If you say so, Rob. Why don't I finish these crisps while we hear some examples of the expression 'crunch time'?

  • We've reached crunch time in our relationship – I'm going to ask my boyfriend to move in with me. I wonder what he'll say?

  • The team are doing well but come crunch time, will they score that vital goal?

  • It's crunch time for us tomorrowthat's when we find out if our building plans have been approved.

  • This is The English We Speak from BBC Learning English.

  • We're finding out about the expression 'crunch time', which describes an important moment in a situation where a difficult or decisive decision has to be made.

  • But, Rob, I'm still not clear why it's crunch time for our big office project?

  • Come on, Feifei, you knowthe project we've been working on for months.

  • Oh, you mean the biscuit project?

  • Exactly! We have to decide today which biscuits we're going to buy for our meetings.

  • And if we don't order them today, we won't have anything to eat in tomorrow's meeting.

  • So, Rob, your crunch time is just about what you'll be crunching tomorrow.

  • You really need to change your priorities.

  • I think I've reached 'crunch time' in this programme.

  • What's that? You've got a big decision to make?

  • Yes - to finish this programme or finish my crisps?

  • Shall we just eat the crisps?

  • OK. Bye.

  • Bye. Pass them over then!

Hello I'm Feifei and this is The English We Speak.

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