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  • Rob: Welcome to The English We Speak.

  • I'm Rob and I'm live here with the hero of

  • the day, Feifei.

  • Feifei: Thanks Rob. Hello everyone.

  • Rob: Now, let's talk about that fantastic

  • performance.

  • BBC Learning English FC were two goals

  • down, and then you came along and

  • scored three times in the last ten

  • minutes. How do you feel?

  • Feifei: Well, it was really all down to the

  • team.

  • I was just the right person in the right

  • place today.

  • Rob: A very modest answer, but the crowd

  • are going wild about you. Just listen

  • It's fair to say Feifei, you played a blinder!

  • Feifei: Just doing my job. Though, as a

  • proud BBC Learning English FC player,

  • there is one thing I would like to say to the

  • audience.

  • Rob: Of course, go ahead.

  • Feifei: I'd like to explain that phrase you

  • used - 'to play a blinder'. 'To play a blinder'

  • is a phrase used to describe an amazing

  • display of skill, usually in sports, but also

  • in other areas in life.

  • Rob: Yes, not only did you play a blinder in

  • the football game today, Feifei, you

  • played a blinder with that definition!

  • Listen to the crowd

  • Feifei: I'd like to add a little more, Rob.

  • Why do we use the word 'blinder'?

  • Well, imagine you're watching a dazzling

  • performancesomething so good it

  • seems to shine brightly. The idea

  • is that it's so shiny, so dazzling, it could

  • cause someone watching to go blind.

  • Rob: Like looking at the sun. Thankfully,

  • it's just an expression. If you're watching

  • or listening to this show, we're sure your

  • eyesight won't be affected! Let's have

  • some more examples.

  • Theresa played a blinder today in the final.

  • What a simply amazing performance on

  • the tennis court.

  • Did you see Mexico beating Germany in

  • the World Cup? Mexican forward

  • Hirving Lozano played an absolute

  • blinder!

  • Darren, what an awesome presentation!

  • You played a blinder. I'm pretty sure we've

  • just won some new clients.

  • Rob: You are listening to the English We

  • Speak from BBC Learning English. Please

  • notice that in the last example, we weren't

  • talking about sport. You can also play a

  • blinder in a work or business context, or

  • anything that involves skill and

  • performance.

  • Feifei: Well, Rob, I think we've both played

  • a blinder today.

  • Rob: Thank you, thank you. Which

  • reminds me

  • Hang on a second

  • let's bring back the cheering crowd!

  • Feifei: I love it. Wouldn't it be great if we

  • could have people cheering us just like

  • that in real life?

  • Rob: And wouldn't it be fantastic if, in real

  • life, you were actually good at football!

  • Feifei: Hey, come on! We both know

  • I played a blinderat least in the

  • programme!

  • Rob: OK.

  • Both: Bye.

Rob: Welcome to The English We Speak.

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