Shadowing Practice: 16 Impolite Phrases Only American Say (When We’re Mad) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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In your vocabulary, of course you need polite phrases to order coffee or offer help, but what about impolite phrases you can use when you're mad, frustrated, or upset? Natives have a lot of these in our vocabulary, and you should know some too. Today you'll learn 16 impolite phrases Americans use when we're mad. Welcome back to JForrest English. Of course, I'm Jennifer, and now let's get started. Imagine you're trying to finish a report and your coworker is whistling, and it's really annoying. This is where you could use an impolite phrase and turn to your coworker and say,"Cut it out." Cut it out. Cut it out.
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Now, by saying this to your coworker, you mean stop doing something annoying. So again,"Cut it out. I'm trying to finish this report." Notice grammatically this is the imperative. You're giving it as an instruction. And"Cut it out" it is the annoying behavior. When I was a kid, my parents used this with my brother and I a lot, and I'm sure as a parent you might use it with your kids. So if your kids are fighting in the back seat, you might say,"If you don't cut it out, we're not getting ice cream." Again, it represents the annoying behavior, your kids fighting in the back seat, and there's a consequence if they don't cut it out. Don't worry about taking these notes. I summarize everything in a free lesson PDF. You can find the link in the description. Before we go on, just know these phrases are not slang. They're grammatically correct phrases that natives use in our vocabulary. And these phrases don't contain swear words, which are considered very impolite in most situations. These phrases can be considered rude, impolite, depending on context. Pay attention to the examples that I give and also the dynamics of the relationships that I provide. Our next phrase is"knock it off." This is an alternative to"cut it out." Cut it out, knock it off, they mean the same thing.
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Knock it off, mullets. So if the person beside you at the movies keeps talking, you could turn to that person and say,"Knock it off with the talking." Now notice here, I said"knock it off," it is the action, but I still provided"with the talking." I defined it just in case it's not extremely obvious. You could say,"Knock off the talking," and the talking represents the something, but it is more common to use the phrase as"knock it off,""cut it out." If your coworker keeps complaining about an unexpected assignment, you can use this phrase,"Give it a rest." Give it a rest. Give it a rest. This means stop talking about or doing something annoying. And you might even add,"Oh my God, give it a rest," to sound more dramatic.
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Or seriously, you need to give it a rest. That also sounds more dramatic. And here again, it,"give it a rest," it represents the something annoying, in this case complaining about an unexpected assignment. Give it a rest.
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Let's say you're playing chess with a friend, your friend lost and got upset, and is still upset an hour or two hours or even the next day. You can say,"Let it go." Let it go.
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Stop being upset about something that happened in the past. So you could say to your friend,"Look, you lost the game fair and square. Let it go." Let it go.
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Notice here I used"fair and square." This means that your friend lost according to the rules. It was fair. This happens a lot in workplace situations. For example, you could say to your coworker,"Jamie deserves the promotion. You need to let it go." So Jamie got the promotion. You didn't. You're mad. But this happened last month. You need to let it go. And it again represents what you're upset about, the lost promotion. Let's say you're going through a difficult breakup and your friend knows it's a sensitive topic, but they keep asking you about it. You can say,"Drop it." Drop it. Drop it. Drop it.
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This means stop discussing a subject. And in this case, the subject is your difficult breakup.
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So you could even add,"I said I don't want to talk about my breakup. Drop it." Or if your husband or wife keeps saying,"Let's go, let's go to the party. Let's go, let's go." You can say,"I told you I don't want to go. Just drop it." Again, stop discussing this subject, which is going to the party. Let's say your colleague is trying to take control of a project even though you are the lead on that project. You might say to your colleague,"Back off." Back off. This means stop pressuring, criticizing, or threatening someone. So in this case, pressuring in the sense of your colleague is trying to tell you what to do or take control of the project.
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He resigned to get force him to back off. You could say,"Back off. I'm the team lead. You need to back off. It's my decision to make." And in a general sense, if someone is trying to tell you how to live your life, we use this expression a lot. It's my life. Back off. Let's say a more junior employee made a mistake and that mistake caused problems. You could say,"I can't believe you screwed up the presentation." I screwed up.
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So here the expression is,"Someone you screwed up." So to screw up, this means make a mistake or cause a problem. You could say,"This is the third time she screwed up this week." So notice here you're talking about someone else. Maybe you're discussing the performance of someone on your team with your coworker or your boss. Or you say,"The intern really screwed things up. So I'll just do it myself." And screwed things up, things is just general, whatever you were working on. If you say to someone,"You're screwed." You're screwed.
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This means you're in serious trouble and you might be even satisfied when you say that, depending on the context. So if the client finds out the data isn't on a secure server, you're screwed. You're screwed. You really screwed up by not putting the data on a secure server. So remember, screw up, make a mistake. You're screwed. You're in trouble. You're screwed.
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You could use this to refer to a general situation. So if your car breaks down, stops working, and your phone is dead as well, so you can't call for help, you might turn to the passenger and say,"We're screwed. We're in serious trouble. We're screwed." Or you could say,"Screw it." Screw it. So screw it. This means I don't care about the consequences. So you might say,"Screw it. I'm ordering dessert." You're eating dessert even though you're trying to lose weight, even though you're on a diet. So the it sounds like your health, your diet, your fitness goals. Screw it. I'm ordering dessert.
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I thought,"Screw it. I'm eating ice cream." Or screw it. I'm taking the rest of the day off. If you're just having a really bad day at work, someone screwed up the project, you might need to just leave. Screw it. I'm taking the rest of the day off. I don't care if I get in trouble. This morning my husband said to me,"Screw that." Screw that. Which means I refuse to do that or no, I'm not doing that. But he wasn't talking to something I requested.
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He was talking about a situation. For example, this flight is cheaper, but there are two stops. Screw that. Screw that. Let's not book this flight.
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Screw that. So you can use this as a very strong no. So you might say,"We just got a last minute invite to Jamie's wedding in Australia," and you live in New York, and you say,"Screw that. I'm not flying halfway around the world." So a very strong no. But if Jamie is talking to you directly, it would be very rude to say that. So if Jamie says,"We'd love to have you at our wedding," you would say something like,"Thank you so much for the invitation, but unfortunately we can't make it." So absolutely, you can use this impolite phrase to describe a situation, but will you say it to the person? No, unless you're very rude. Let's move on to mind your own business.
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You may have heard this. It's very common. This means stop asking about or interfering in my personal affairs. At work, if that same coworker who is trying to take control of your project says to you,"You should have done more promotion before the launch," you can say to that coworker,"Mind your own business." This is my project. I told you before, mind your own business.
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Or maybe your brother comments on the expensive watch you just bought, but in a negative way. You could say,"It's my money. Mind your own business." Or if you find out your friend was gossiping about your divorce, maybe you would say to another friend,"She should mind her own business." So notice one's business has to match the subject. She, her business.
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You, your business. You might say to someone,"What's your problem?" What's your problem? This means why are you behaving in a rude, aggressive, or inappropriate way?
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What's your problem? What's your problem?
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I only asked a simple question. Maybe you would say this to your husband or wife if they're being a little grumpy or if your friend gets road rage when someone cuts them off. Now, road rage is when you become extremely angry. You could say to your friend,"What's your problem?
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You need to calm down." Or you could say,"Sarah criticized every idea I had. What's her problem?" So here, her problem, it belongs to Sarah. Notice the pronunciation of this phrase.
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You've got to be kidding me. You've got to be kidding me. The word gotta is slang, so that's why I didn't write it. But in spoken English, that's how it's pronounced. You've got to be kidding me. So this is when something is extremely frustrating, surprising, or ridiculous.
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So you get to the airport and your flight is delayed by two hours. You look at the board and you say,"You've got to be kidding me." Or your boss emails you to tell you to work late tonight and it's Friday night and you read the email and you just reply out loud, not to your boss, just in your office where no one can hear you. You've got to be kidding me.
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You've got to be kidding me. This next phrase is a useful one. Give me a break. Now, give me, it can sound more combined. Give me, give me a break. Give me a break.
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Give me a break. This is when you think someone's excuse or behavior is ridiculous.
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Eleanor, give me a break. You could use this to start and say,"Give me a break." There's no way you finish all that work in 10 minutes. So you don't believe what someone said. Or you need to get gas and you get to the gas station and gas prices are up again. And as you're pulling in, you say,"Give me a break." Again, give me a break.
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This next one was my favorite word when I was 16. Most teenage girls have this in their vocabulary.
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Whatever. Whatever. But you can absolutely still use this as an adult. And if you're male or female, this is used to dismiss what someone has said or show that you don't want to argue. So you just want to end a discussion. So if you're going back to a teenager, a parent says,"If you want to go to the party, you need to clean your room first." And then the teenager says, "Whatever," and walks away. Typical teenager parent interaction in North America. Here's one where you don't want to argue. If your friend insists their restaurant choice is better, you can say,"Whatever. We'll just go to that one." So you're using whatever to let your friend know that you're not happy, but you don't want to argue. It's not worth it.
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It's like, whatever. This last one is very dismissive if you say,"Not my problem." Not my problem. Not my problem.
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You're saying,"That's not my responsibility, so I don't care." And that's why it's very dismissive.
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You can start this and say,"Not my problem. You should have checked the schedule." So if your coworker says,"I have to work on Friday, but I have family visiting," and they want you to work on Friday for them and you say,"Not my problem. You should have checked the schedule." Or if your classmate or coworker forgets their part of a project and asks you to do it, but you say,"Not my problem. You had all week. I did my part. You need to do your part. Not my problem." Now you can sound natural when you're expressing anger or frustration. Do you want me to keep helping you expand your vocabulary? Put yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Put yes, yes, yes in the comments below. And of course, make sure you like this lesson, share it with your friends, and subscribe so you're notified every time I post a new lesson. And you can get this free speaking guide where I share six tips on how to speak English fluently and confidently. You can click here to download it or look for the link in the description. Here's another lesson I know you'll love. Watch it now.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “16 Impolite Phrases Only American Say”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: screwed, screw, phrase, cut, coworker. This video has 32 sentences and 2321 words to shadow. The speech runs for 15:58. The speaker talks at a steady 145 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 86% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 8 of its 32 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| annoy verb | /əˈnoɪ̯/ | To disturb or irritate, especially by continued or repeated acts; to bother with unpleasant deeds. |
| impolite adjective | /ɪmpəˈlaɪt/ | Not polite; discourteous; not of polished manners; wanting in good manners. |
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| rude adjective | /ɹuːd/ | Lacking in refinement or civility; bad-mannered; discourteous. |
| breakup noun | /ˈbɹeɪk.ʌp/ | The act of breaking up; disintegration or division. |
| dessert noun | /dɪˈzɝt/ | The last course of a meal, consisting of fruit, sweet confections etc. |
| colleague noun | /ˈkɒliːɡ/ | A fellow member of a profession, staff, academic faculty or other organization; an associate, a workmate. |
| teenager noun | /ˈtiːnˌeɪ̯d͡ʒə/ | A person between thirteen and nineteen years old (inclusive). |
| dismissive adjective | /dəsˈmɪsɪv/ | Showing disregard, indicating rejection, serving to dismiss. |
| frustrate verb | /ˈfɹʌsˌtɹeɪt/ | To disappoint or defeat; to vex by depriving of something expected or desired. |
| grammatically adverb | In a grammatical manner. | |
| sling noun | /ˈslɪŋ/ | An instrument for throwing stones or other missiles, consisting of a short strap with two strings fastened to its ends, or with a string fastened to one end… |
| criticize verb | /ˈkɹɪtɪsaɪz/ | To find fault (with something). |
| consequence noun | /ˈkɑn.sɪ.kwəns/ | An effect; something that follows a cause as a result. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| back off verb | To move backwards away from something. |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| break down verb | To stop functioning. |
| calm down verb | To become less excited, intense, or angry. |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
| walk away verb | To withdraw from a problematic situation. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You're giving it as an instruction.
- This means I don't care about the consequences.
- I'm taking the rest of the day off.
- I'm taking the rest of the day off.
- I don't care if I get in trouble.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are considered · is delayed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | words, which are · subject, which is |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might use · might even add · might say |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | keeps talking · keep asking · stop discussing |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 80 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, frustration /fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/, interaction /ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, unexpected /ʌnɪkˈspɛktɪd/, confidently /ˈkɑnfɪdəntli/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, imperative /ɪmˈpɛɹ.ə.tɪv/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like phrase, annoy, impolite.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.