Shadowing Practice: Better English Conversations: Increase Your Advanced Vocabulary - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
C2
Hello, lovely students, and welcome back to English with Lucy.
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Hello, lovely students, and welcome back to English with Lucy.
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I warn you, this video is going to be ridiculously advanced.
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We're going to cover loads of C2 level vocabulary to talk about feelings and emotions.
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C2 is the absolute highest level of English.
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And while it may be challenging,
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it's not going to be boring.
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You're going to learn through a story about when I was house hunting.
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It was an absolute rollercoaster and you definitely don't want to miss the really embarrassing moments I share.
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And before we get started,
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I want to let you in on a little secret.
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You might be aware of my beautiful British English programmes.
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I released B1, B2 and then C1.
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And I said that I would never create a C2 programme.
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However, I've changed my mind and it's now in development.
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It's a mammoth task.
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C2 is an amazing level.
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It has so much vocabulary.
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I want to get every part of it just right.
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I'm aiming to release it in very early 2026.
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In the meantime, I've put together a free special bonus lesson to go with this video,
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and it's packed with advanced C2 level vocabulary and natural expressions to help you articulate complex thoughts and the emotions behind them.
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You can download that lesson for free when you sign up for my C2 program waiting list.
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If you would like early access and updates and the free lesson,
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scan the QR code there or use the link in the description box,
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join the waiting list and download the lesson.
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Right, let's get on with the story.
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You'll hear the story in four parts and we'll go through some vocabulary after each one.
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Here's the beginning.
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On the morning of the viewing,
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I woke up absurdly early, jittery with anticipation.
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I'd lost count of how many houses we'd seen,
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but it was well over 15.
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I hadn't experienced that euphoric moment of walking through a door
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and just knowing that the the house was the one and I was growing despondent.
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The pressure to finally secure our dream home was becoming intolerable.
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And I was completely torn over the house we were viewing that day.
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On paper, it had great bones but would need a lot of renovation.
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It was also a little over our budget and we'd have to rein in our spending considerably if we went for it.
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Okay, let's look at some advanced vocabulary related to emotions and feelings.
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Our first word is jittery,
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jittery, which means nervous and anxious.
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An example, most people feel a bit jittery before a job interview.
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Next, we have euphoric, and this means extremely happy and excited.
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For example, Josh was euphoric when he heard he'd been accepted to his dream university.
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Our next word is despondent,
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which means sad and with no hope.
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For example, Penny was despondent for days after the publisher rejected her manuscript.
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Next, intolerable.
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Intolerable, that's such a good word, isn't it?
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If something is intolerable, it is too difficult or unpleasant to accept or tolerate.
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An example, she found the tension at work intolerable and handed in her notice.
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After that, we had the phrase to be torn,
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meaning to be unable to decide between two options.
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We often say you're torn between something.
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For example, I was torn between staying with my family and pursuing a career abroad.
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And finally for that part,
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we have the phrasal verb to rein in.
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And this means to control or limit something.
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I talked about reining in or limiting our spending,
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but it's often used with emotions too.
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For example, Luke tried to rein in his anger,
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but couldn't stop himself from shouting.
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Okay, how many of those words were new for you?
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Now let's move on to the second part of the story.
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It's so cringeworthy.
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We arrived early, brimming with cautious optimism.
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I spotted the house straight away and marched assuredly up the path.
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After getting no answer to my knock,
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I inexplicably thought it was a good idea to try the handle.
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The door swung open and in I went.
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I called out a tentative hello,
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but was met with the kind of silence that makes your skin prickle.
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Then came the creak of footsteps and a man in a dressing gown materialised at the top of the stairs.
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You've guessed it, I'd walked into the wrong house.
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It was mortifying.
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My husband, Will, was still loitering by the gate,
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desperately trying to stifle his laughter.
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All right, let's move swiftly on to look at some of the vocabulary.
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First, the verb, to brim.
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This means to be full of something, often positive emotions.
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I said we were brimming with cautious optimism.
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We were full of optimism,
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but didn't want to get too excited.
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Another example, Carrie was brimming with excitement.
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Next, assuredly.
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It means to do something in a confident, certain way.
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Ben spoke assuredly with calm authority.
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Another adverb now, inexplicably.
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Inexplicably.
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This means in a way that can't be understood or explained.
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Why did I think it was a good idea to walk into a house uninvited?
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I can't explain it.
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Another example, I was inexplicably calm despite the chaos around me.
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Next, we have the word tentative.
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Tentative.
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I use this one a lot.
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It means not done with confidence or certainty.
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For example, I gave a tentative smile but still felt very nervous.
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Next, we have the word to prickle.
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I love this one as well.
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I love how it sounds.
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If part of your body prickles,
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you feel a slight stinging or tingling sensation.
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It's a physical response to fear or excitement.
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We usually say our skin or our scalp prickles.
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Your scalp is the skin on your head.
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It's like your hairs stand on end, but it hurts.
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An example, the back of my neck prickled with fear.
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Next up, mortifying, such an expressive word, mortifying.
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This means extremely embarrassing to the point that you, oh, want to die.
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For example, it was mortifying to trip over on stage in front of the entire audience.
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And the last one, to stifle.
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To stifle.
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In this context, it means to stop a physical reaction or sound from happening,
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like a laugh, a scream, or a cry.
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For example, Will tried to stifle a chuckle,
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but it escaped as a loud snort.
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Okay, we're halfway through.
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You've already learned lots of juicy C2-level vocabulary.
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Just a quick reminder, if you want that bonus lesson for free
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that goes with this video covering lots of high-level language for decisions,
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emotions, and thought processes, join the C2 program waiting list.
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I'll send the lessons straight to your inbox
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and you will also stay up to date as my full C2 program develops and comes together.
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Scan the QR code there or click on the link in the description box.
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Okay, so what happened next?
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Let's find out.
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Needless to say, I was on edge by the time we reached the right house,
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but immediately upon walking in the door, my nerves dissipated.
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In fact, I was a little stunned.
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The entrance hall was jaw-dropping with high ceilings and gorgeous Victorian tiles.
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But it was the kitchen that really blew me away.
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I couldn't believe how spacious it was compared to the pokey one I was used to.
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And I was completely bowled over by the view out to the garden.
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Okay, so the house viewing is going well,
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But are you ready for more vocabulary?
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First, we have the phrase to be on edge.
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To be on edge.
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If you're on edge, you're nervous, tense, or excited.
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These are all very similar emotions, aren't they?
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I was on edge the entire morning while waiting for my exam results.
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Next, to dissipate.
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Dissipate, beautiful word.
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This means to gradually disappear here.
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For example, my anxiety dissipated once I started speaking.
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Next, I said I was stunned when I went into the house.
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And this means extremely surprised or shocked.
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And it can be a reaction to something negative or positive.
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For example, Clark was stunned when they announced he'd won.
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After that, we had jaw dropping.
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This is your jaw here.
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If it drops, jaw dropping.
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It's so visual.
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If something is jaw dropping,
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it's extremely impressive and surprising.
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It makes your jaw drop.
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An example, the hotel had jaw dropping views of the lake and mountains.
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And we'll round off this section with two phrasal verbs.
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The first one is to blow somebody away.
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If something or someone blows you away,
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they greatly impress or amaze you.
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For example, I was blown away by the film.
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It was visually stunning.
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And the next phrasal verb is to bowl somebody over.
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It's similar to blow away,
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and it means to strongly impress or surprise someone.
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For example, I was bowled over by their generosity.
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Okay, do you want to know if we bought the house or not?
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Let's finish the story.
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I felt a little giddy when we left.
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I just knew the house was meant to be.
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Will was on the fence,
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worried about the sheer scale of the renovation needed.
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But seeing me beaming from ear to ear,
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he caved and we put in an offer that very day.
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We were on tenterhooks, anxiously awaiting word from the owners and were both crestfallen when they rejected our offer.
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Long story short, our second offer was accepted and we were absolutely elated
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that this beautiful ramshackle house was going to be ours.
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Okay, let's look at our last pieces of vocabulary now.
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I said that I was giddy when we left the house.
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Giddy means so happy or excited that you behave in a way that shows that.
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For example, you might skip a little,
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you might talk really quickly in an excited way,
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or you might have a huge smile on your face.
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For example, Julian was giddy with excitement about having a whole month off work.
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Now, while I was giddy,
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my husband Will was still on the fence.
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And this idiom means unable to decide on something,
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most often between two options.
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For example, she's still on the fence about whether to accept the job offer.
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Maybe she will, maybe she won't.
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She's not ready to decide yet.
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she can't decide.
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Next, we have the idiom to beam from ear to ear.
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To beam means to smile widely.
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And in this case, your smile is so wide it goes from one ear to the other.
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Not literally for most people.
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An example, Nathan was beaming from ear to ear when he told us he was engaged.
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After that, we had on tenterhooks,
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often to be on tenterhooks.
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This means to be nervous or worried while waiting for something to happen.
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Note that many people get this word wrong.
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They say on tenderhooks, but it should be tenterhooks.
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It's a common egg corn.
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It's a word or phrase that is commonly said incorrectly because people have misheard it.
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An example, we were on tenterhooks all weekend waiting for the email.
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Our penultimate word is crestfallen.
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And this means sad and disappointed because you failed unexpectedly.
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An example, Carrie looked crestfallen when she wasn't chosen for the team.
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And our final word, love this one, elated.
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Elated.
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It's a good one to end on.
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It means extremely happy or excited,
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usually because of good news or a success.
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For example, we were absolutely elated to hear that our offer had been accepted.
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And with that, we have reached the end of the video.
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These words were really challenging.
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Let me know in the comments how you found them.
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And remember, if you are interested in learning more about my beautiful British English C2 programme coming in early 2026,
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Sign up to the waiting list to be the first to hear more about it,
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and you'll also receive my free bonus lesson.
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I will see you in the next video.
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Bye!
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About This Lesson
Welcome to a dynamic English speaking practice session where you will enhance your vocabulary and ability to express complex emotions. In this lesson, inspired by an engaging story about house hunting, you will encounter advanced C2 level vocabulary that describes feelings and emotions. By focusing on authentic language usage, you will not only improve your vocabulary but also develop a deeper understanding of how these words function in context. Whether you are preparing for IELTS speaking practice or simply wish to learn English with YouTube, this lesson will provide you with the skills needed to articulate thoughts with nuance and clarity.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Jittery: Meaning nervous and anxious. Example: "Most people feel a bit jittery before a job interview."
- Euphoric: Extremely happy and excited. Example: "Josh was euphoric when he heard he’d been accepted to his dream university."
- Despondent: Sad and with little hope. Example: "Penny was despondent for days after the publisher rejected her manuscript."
- Intolerable: Too difficult or unpleasant to accept. Example: "The pressure to meet deadlines became intolerable."
- Tormented: Suffering mentally or emotionally. Example: "He was tormented by doubts about his performance."
- Renovation: The act of improving or updating something. Example: "The house needs extensive renovation before it’s livable."
- Anticipation: The act of looking forward to something. Example: "There was a sense of anticipation in the air before the event."
Practice Tips
To maximize your learning and improve your English pronunciation, I recommend using shadowspeak techniques while engaging with this video. Listen carefully to the speed and tone of the speaker, and repeat phrases immediately after, mimicking their intonation and rhythm. Due to the advanced vocabulary, it's crucial to practice at a comfortable speed initially before progressing to the original pace of the video. This approach not only enhances your pronunciation but also builds confidence in using advanced expressions in conversation. Make sure to incorporate the key vocabulary into your daily speaking exercises as you engage in English speaking practice sessions with peers or language partners. The goal is to use these new words naturally and fluently in your conversations, preparing you not just for tests like IELTS but for real-life interactions.
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.
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