[0:00]Do you know where the bathroom is? Uh, yeah. Right out there. Oh, uh, just a second.
[0:11]Hi. Hi.
[0:17]Do you mind? Oh, you, you want to use the bathroom. Yeah. Um, thanks. Yeah.
[0:29]Oops! I guess that's not the right bathroom for her, is it? In today's lesson, we'll learn English with Anne Hathaway's new Netflix movie The Idea of You. So here's what's happening in the clip we just saw: Solène, who is simply taking her teenage daughter to a music festival, accidentally walks into a private trailer from one of the famous bands who are performing at the festival. And that's where she meets the pop star singer Hayes Campbell for the first time. Let's see what happens next and then start learning with the clip. It's a super funny scene, packed with those little conversational gems that will really help your English sound natural. And by the way, after that, we'll watch another really great scene, and at the end of the lesson, you'll have the chance to test your comprehension by watching everything without any subtitles! And I bet that you'll be able to understand the scenes 100%. So, let's do this!
[1:31]Are you a part of that ASMR community that gets off on listening to people pee? No, I wasn't. Because I don't think you can just go around assuming... Because I don't think you can just go around assuming... It's actually my trailer. What? It's not literally mine. You know, I don't own it. This is your trailer? Yeah. I'm in a band. We're performing on the main stage in an hour. I'm Hayes Campbell. August Moon? Yeah. Well, I absolutely know who you are. Ooooh, that's getting interesting! Okay, so now we're going to analyze all the advanced English expressions that you just saw highlighted in blue in the subtitles. Now if your goal is to internalize these expressions, and never forget them, and actually be able to use them when you speak, then you'll want to practice with this lesson with The Idea of You on our own app. It really helps you become more confident and natural because on there, you don't just watch it passively. You can tap on the words, and later, also practice with vocabulary flashcards, which is a scientifically-proven method to expand your knowledge of words forever. Just click the link in the description below, and we will continue from there! Now let's break down all the advanced vocabulary.
[2:43]Are you a part of that ASMR community that gets off on listening to people pee? No, I wasn't... Have you ever heard about ASMR? This is a combination of pleasurable and relaxing sensations people experience when listening to certain sounds. ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, and videos like this seem to be pretty popular. Check this out:
[3:10]Are you a part of that ASMR community that gets off on listening to people pee? No. So, when someone “gets off on” something, it means they find pleasure in it. When we use this phrase, we want to say that it's unusual or not something most people would think of as fun. Check out these examples: I thought most people put up pictures of boobs. Who gets off on mathematical equations? Because I don't think you can just go around assuming... It's actually my trailer. What? It's not literally mine. You know, I don't own it. When Hayes says that he doesn't actually own the trailer, he means he's not a legal owner; he's just using it. To own means to possess. And speaking of things being personal, we use the phrase 'my own' to emphasize that something belongs specifically to us. For example, One day, I want to have my own house. This is your trailer? Yeah. I'm in a band. We're performing on the main stage in an hour. They're at the Coachella festival, which is a massive event with multiple stages. And so, their band will be performing (or singing and playing) their music for a large audience on the main stage. Hey, you know, if you wanted to, um... I don't know, hang out. Hang out? Yeah. Do you want a drink? I mean, I've got all the the sodas, the healthy ones, the not-so-healthy ones. There's kombucha. Which, in case you never tried it, it's like kind of a... a salad dressing. Hayes invites Solène to spend time with him: to hang out. If you're casually spending time with your friends, you're hanging out. Do you want a drink? I mean, I've got all the the sodas, the healthy ones, the not-so-healthy ones. There's kombucha. Which, in case you never tried it, it's like kind of a... a salad dressing. It's funny that he's comparing kombucha to a salad dressing. Kombucha is a fermented tea with a unique, sour-sweet taste. Salad dressing, on the other hand, is a topping for salads. It's typically made from a mix of oil, vinegar, and herbs. What unites them is probably this vinegar sourness. I know Ethan loves kombucha, while Izzy actually agrees with Hayes: To him, it does taste like salad dressing. Me? I just find the taste weird, but I might enjoy it if it's really cold. Now, how about you? Have you ever tried kombucha? I'm actually with my daughter for the... August Moon meet-and-greet, and uh, I'm driving so I don't think it's... Your daughter, she's an August Moon fan? She was. Ouch. Very sorry. I do think she will be, um, a future nostalgic fan, but at this moment, today, right now, you are so “seventh grade.” A meet-and-greet is an event where fans have the opportunity to meet a celebrity. They're designed to give fans a more intimate (VIP) experience, allowing them to get autographs, take photos, and sometimes have brief conversations. Your daughter, she's an August Moon fan? She was. Ouch. When it hurts, like if you hurt your finger or a toe, in English, you say “Ouch.” Remember that viral 'Charlie bit my finger' video? Ouch. Charlie! That really hurt. But when Hayes says it, he's actually referring not to physical pain, but to his feelings being hurt after hearing that Solène's daughter isn't their fan anymore. He then says, “Truth hurts.” It's a funny way of admitting that the truth might cause you pain, but at least it's honest. a future nostalgic fan, but at this moment, today, right now, you are so “seventh grade.” Damn. Truth hurts, doesn't it? A “nostalgic fan” is someone who likes something from the past because it reminds them of good memories. Nostalgia is that warm feeling you get when you remember the “good old days.” However, Solène's daughter now thinks the band August Moon is “so seventh grade.” That is, she thinks it's music that younger kids (from the seventh grade in school) listen to. My daughter's father bought the tickets for the meet-and-greet, and he was supposed to be here with her. Anyway, uh, canceled last minute. Now I'm here. I just... So her father, not your husband? Well, he was my husband, but now he's just her father. Canceling last minute is like when plans are canceled at the very last possible moment, and you don't have time to adjust or make other plans, so it often leads to frustration or unforeseen change of plans. But that reminds me, you two, our wedding band canceled last minute, and I need you to find a replacement. You can count on us. Following their bizarre trailer meeting, Solène and Hayes find themselves unexpectedly drawn [attracted] to each other. Despite the initial awkwardness, they begin spending more time together. In a moment of vulnerability, to deepen their connection, Hayes asks Solène about her ex-husband. Let's watch this conversation unfold. And by the way, if you are new here, you should know that every single week we create lessons just like this one with your favorite movies and TV series to help you understand fast-speaking natives: without getting lost, without missing the jokes, and without subtitles. So subscribe to this channel and hit the bell down below so you don't miss any of our new lessons. Now, let's watch the second clip, learn the key vocabulary and practice pronunciation together.
[9:01]This is very good. Thank you. This Daniel guy, ex-husband, what happened to him? Really? Not even a softball question to warm us up a little bit like, “Hey, Solène, what's your favorite color?” Hey, Solène, what's your favorite color? That's actually a very personal question. Solène. Mm-hmm. Hayes. We're just talking. We're two people with trust issues who need to open up a little. I mean, what's the worst that can happen?
[9:33]If you're about to ask someone a personal or difficult question, maybe you want to start with a softball question. Let's listen to this part again: This Daniel guy, ex-husband, what happened to him? Really? Not even a softball question to warm us up a little bit like, “Hey, Solène, what's your favorite color?” So, a softball question is an easy question that's usually asked to make someone feel comfortable before getting into a tough conversation. It's like asking something simple, like “What's your favorite food?” or “Where did you grow up?” And, um, college? Where did you study? Why don't we stop all the softball questions and ask some real questions, okay? Like why won't Marty Huggins here take a lie-detector test? Yeah! Now, have you been paying attention to how they pronounce words? There was a lot of connected speech in a couple of phrases we just heard. Connected speech, by the way, refers to how natives cut, reduce and link words together when they speak. Listen to Hayes' question: This Daniel guy, ex-husband, what happened to him? What happened to him? becomes [Wha- happen-tuh-im]. Let's break it down: The T sound at the end of 'what' is a stop T. We don't hear the full T sound here, just a pause: [Wha-].
[10:52]Then the D sound at the end of happened gets morphed, disappearing into the T sound in “to”, so what we hear is [happen-tuh]. And what happens often to the pronouns like her, him, them is they lose their initial sound; in this case, “him” drops the H sound and connects to the previous word. [happen-tuh-im]. Now listen and try to repeat: What happened to him? [wha- happen-tuh-im]
[11:22]Now let's have a look at the next phrase: Not even a softball question to warm us up a little bit... “Warm us up” becomes [war-muh-sup]. In this phrase all consonants at the end of the words get linked to the vowels of the following words: [war-muh-sup]. Listen again, and repeat: Not even a softball question to warm us up a little bit... [war-muh-sup]
[11:48]We're two people with trust issues who need to open up a little. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? In the scene, Hayes says they both need to “open up a little” meaning they need to be more honest with each other. It's like letting someone see your true self, sharing your inner thoughts. Oh, you want to know the worst thing that can happen when you open up to someone? Please tell me. Okay. I'll tell you. Daniel, he was very intelligent, outgoing, very driven...
[12:23]and we really liked each other. So we got together, fell in love, got married, got pregnant... Although not in that order. Solène describes her ex-husband, Daniel, as both outgoing and driven. Outgoing means friendly and sociable, someone who enjoys being around people. And someone driven would be very motivated and determined in achieving their goals. We, you know, put our heads down. He was crushing it at work. The gallery had finally opened, Izzy was at school, but there was, uh, distance. It's-- we had-- there was a drift.
[13:04]But I thought, you know, “Okay, that's normal.” That's normal. You know? So you didn't get a fairy tale. Grow up. To put your head down, in this context, means to focus on work. It's a phrase you can use when you need to concentrate and block out distractions. Like in this example from the show Top Chef: Right now, I just have to put my head down and push to get food on a plate. He was crushing it at work. When someone is crushing it at work, they're doing an amazing job and on their way to success. Solène says Daniel was “crushing it at work,” meaning he was doing really well in his career. The gallery had finally opened, Izzy was at school, but there was, uh, distance. It's-- we had-- there was a drift. A drift in a relationship means there's a growing distance between people over time. In a more literal sense, drift refers to slow but steady movement when things are carried away by wind or water. For example, a boat can drift down a river. You can also use the phrase “drift apart” when talking about your relationship becoming colder. Like in this example: Even though I was dumb enough to let us drift apart, you've always been special. Thanks, Em. But I thought, you know, “Okay, that's normal.” That's normal. You know? So you didn't get a fairy tale. Grow up. In this part, Solène recalls telling herself to be realistic about their marriage and not expect everything to be perfect. The phrase “Grow up!” is often used in that context when someone is overly naive and lacks maturity in dealing with challenging situations. And then one night, we were out at dinner with his work friends, and, um, I was repeating some stupid gossip about, uh, someone we all knew, who cheated on someone else, and the whole table went silent. Gossip is when people talk about someone else's personal life, often behind their back, like spreading rumors. Solène says she was gossiping at dinner, repeating rumors about someone they knew who had cheated on their partner. To cheat on someone means to be unfaithful to your romantic partner, to have a secret relationship with someone else. And I look at Daniel, and he won't look at me. He wouldn't look at me. So we got back to the house, paid the sitter, and I asked him. He said her name was Ava. She was a... young lawyer at his firm. Now, can you tell me why she uses “will” in this sentence? This is a special and very common use of will in its negative form: won't, to describe refusal or a deliberate behavior. So, “He won't look at me” is the same as “He chooses not to look at me.” Or, “He doesn't want to look at me.” Right after that, Solène switches back to the Past Tense, using “He wouldn't look at me.” Check this out:
[16:25]He wouldn't look at me. “Wouldn't” still implies refusal, it still means he didn't want to look at her, but now it's part of the overall past narrative, more distanced. We use Present Tenses in storytelling to engage the listener more. And here she again distances herself. This kind of tense shift is intentional and expressive to make the storytelling richer. So we got back to the house, paid the sitter, and I asked him. He said her name was Eva. She was a... young lawyer at his firm. Now, can you tell me why she uses “will” in this sentence? When people need to go out, whether for a date night, work event, or just to have some time to themselves, they may hire a babysitter to look after their children. So, when Solène says “we paid the sitter,” she means babysitter. The thing that I'm the most angry about is I was so nice about it. I offered to forget it. I said that, for us, for our family, for the good of our family, I would-- I mean, people make mistakes-- I'll forget. I'll-- And then he said... he didn't want to move past it. He was in love. For the good of means doing something because it's the best thing for a situation or for everyone involved, even if it's hard. Solène says she was willing to forgive Daniel for the good of their family, meaning she wanted to do it for the sake of keeping the family together. And my lab restored. So that I can continue my research to help the human animal, to chart a new future for the good of mankind. And then he said... he didn't want to move past it. He was in love. So... that, in my experience, is the worst thing that can happen when you open yourself up to someone.
[18:57]When sharing something that you've learned based on what you've been through in life, you may say “in my experience.” It's like saying, “From what I've seen.” Now, that second scene was pretty intense, right? Well, now we will watch both clips again and check how much you can understand them without subtitles. And to make it more challenging, I prepared some quiz questions for you. It's time for the TEST!
[19:28]Hi there. Are you a part of that ASMR community that gets off on listening to people pee? No. What does the phrase “gets off on” typically mean?
[19:53]What? It's not literally mine. You know, I don't own it. This is your trailer? Yeah. I'm in a band. We're performing on the main stage in an hour. I'm Hayes Campbell. August Moon? Yeah. I absolutely know who you are. Hey, you know, if you wanted to, um... I don't know, hang out. What does “hang out” mean?
[20:32]Hang out? Yeah. Do you want a drink? I mean, I've got all the the sodas, the healthy ones, the not-so-healthy ones. There's kombucha. Which, in case you never tried it, it's like kind of a... a salad dressing. Why does Hayes compare kombucha to “salad dressing”?
[21:09]I'm actually with my daughter for the... August Moon meet-and-greet, and uh, I'm driving so I don't think it's... Your daughter, she's an August Moon fan? She was. Ouch. Very sorry. I do think she will be, um, a future nostalgic fan, but at this moment, today, right now, you are so “seventh grade.” Damn. Truth hurts, doesn't it? What does “truth hurts” mean here?
[21:48]This Daniel guy, ex-husband, what happened to him? Really? Not even a softball question to warm us up a little bit. What do we call an easy or harmless question before asking a hard one?
[22:08]Not even a softball question to warm us up a little bit. I'll tell you. Daniel, he was very intelligent, outgoing, very driven. We, you know, put our heads down. What does “put our heads down” mean?
[22:38]He was crushing it at work. The gallery had finally opened, Izzy was at school, but there was, uh, distance. It's-- we had-- there was a drift. And then one night, we were out at dinner with his work friends, and, um, I was repeating some stupid gossip about, uh, someone we all knew, who cheated on someone else, and the whole table went silent.
[23:29]And I look at Daniel, and he won't look at me. He wouldn't look at me. So we got back to the house, paid the sitter, and I asked him. He said her name was Eva. Amazing job today, guys! Now remember to go and practice what you learned today on the RealLife English app. You'll find a special link right in the description below that'll take you straight to this lesson over there.
