Learning is a lifelong effort. "Consider a language ... language serves to describe a combination of colored squares on a surface. The squares form a complex like a chessboard. There are red, green, white and black squares. The words of the language are 'red', 'green', 'white', 'black', and a sentence is a series of these words. They describe an arrangement of squares in an order." -- Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher (20th century)

The Flatmates episode 48 (including Video/Vocabulary)


Episode 48: Strawberries and cream
John: Oh Helen! Fancy bumping into you at Wimbledon!
Helen: And I was having such a nice time too.
John: Bet you're here on one of those cheap afternoon tickets, aren't you?
Helen: Yeah but for a fiver they're such a bargain.
John: I wouldn't know. I've been here all day - in the Centre Court posh seats - not much change from fifty quid. Well, I won't keep you. I need to get on with my horrendously expensive strawberries and cream before they get warm.
Helen: Oh, look out!
John: Arrghh! I'm covered in strawberries and cream!
Man: I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going.
Helen: Look on the bright side John. At least with all that red and white, you look ...

Vocabulary:

a strawberry (noun) - a soft, juicy red fruit that grows on a low plant with white flowers

a cream (noun) - the thick part of milk that rises to the top, the part of milk that contains fat

fancy (adjective) not plain or ordinary very expensive and fashionable, of the highest grade or quality

bump into ( verb phrase) -  to meet (someone) by chance, to see and usually talk to (someone you did not expect to see)

cheap (adjective) - not costing a lot of money

a bargain (noun) - something that is bought or sold for a price which is lower than the actual value, something bought or sold at a good price

 a fiver (noun) - five pounds (money)

a pound (noun) - a basic unit of money in the United Kingdom and some other countries

Centre Court or Center Court (noun) - may be used generically as the British English term for the main court at any tennis complex.

posh  (adjective) - very attractive, expensive, and popular, British English: typical of people who have high social status

fifty quid (noun) -  fifty pounds (money)

horrendously (adjective) - very bad or unpleasant

berry nice (British expression) - The usual expression is "very nice" but because the man spilt strawberries (or berries) on John, Helen is making a joke because "berry" and "very" sound similar.

pretty in pink (British expression) - Usually you say to a girl or woman wearing pink clothes that she looks "pretty in pink". Helen is making a joke because John is covered in pink not because he is wearing pink clothes but because the man spilt strawberries on him.

a real smoothie (British expression) - This has two meanings. One is a kind of drink made of fruit, cream, juice mixed together. The other meaning describes someone who is very smooth, sophisticated or suave. So Helen is making a joke here because John looks like a drink (with all the strawberries and cream spilt on him) and she is also being sarcastic (making a joke by saying something that is the opposite of the truth) when she says he looks smooth because, of course, he doesn't look smooth at all!


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