Shadowing Practice: Idioms - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Let's not beat around the bush,
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get the hell out of here.
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If English is not your native language,
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you may think it's difficult to learn.
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Well, as someone who grew up speaking English, let me just say...
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Yes, yeah, you're absolutely right.
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English sucks.
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It's confusing, there are too many rules and too many exceptions,
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I before E except on Tuesdays and during full moons or something,
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the birth of my channel literally begins with a video of how I hate pronouncing the word rural.
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And now, I'm gonna complain about idioms.
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Idioms are a group of words established by a usage as having meaning not deducible from those of the individual words,
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blah blah blah.
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Basically, figures of speech, alright?
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Raining cats and dogs, meaning it's raining heavily.
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It's raining a lot, but it has nothing to do with cats and dogs.
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Who thought of this morbid metaphor?
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They could have chosen rocks,
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barrels, tires, anything else that was heavy and not alive.
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If someone told me it was raining tables and chairs outside,
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I'd be like, Oh man,
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that's some heavy rain, I should probably stay inside.
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But if I found out cats and dogs were falling out of the sky,
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I'd be like, what the f* are we waiting for Jeremy?
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We gotta save him!
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Idioms help us express simple feelings in a more illustrated and colorful way.
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And yes, I did look into the origins of these sayings,
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but personally some of them just don't make sense upfront.
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Turn a blind eye, or refusing to acknowledge something which you know to be real.
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Pretend something didn't happen.
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Like when you catch your sibling trying to sneak out of the house after being grounded,
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and then they threaten you not to tell on them or else they'll punch you in your sleep,
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you turn a blind eye.
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Also, that's blackmail.
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Okay, I get the blind eye part,
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but why do you need to turn it?
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If you're already blind, you won't be able to see anyway whether or not you're turned.
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That's redundant.
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Either turn or be blind.
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They both accomplish the same level of visual ignorance.
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If it was turn an eye blind, now that makes sense.
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Ah, it's just more morbid.
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Eat your heart out to feel great sadness,
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often used as a taunt towards someone to encourage jealousy or regret.
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My goodness, another gruesome idiom.
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It's bad enough that I have to take my heart out to be able to eat it,
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but then I gotta eat it.
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This expression is often used with the name of someone famous as if to make them feel jealous of your accomplishment.
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Hey, what do you think of my painting?
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Wow, look at that.
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Eat your heart out, Michelangelo, am I right?
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I'm already dead.
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In a pickle, to be in a troublesome situation.
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Look, you could have picked a ditch,
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a well, a chimney, anything that could contain a body, but a pickle?
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Hey, I got your message.
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Ran as fast as I can.
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What's wrong?
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Just help me out, no questions asked.
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It's all downhill from here,
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used to signify that the situation will only get worse from that point on.
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But going downhill is the best part!
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Think of all the things and activities you do going downhill.
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Skiing, sledding, biking, hell, walking.
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None of these are fun going uphill.
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I guess in its defense the idiom could mean being out of control while going downhill,
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but honestly you could be out of control at any level of steepness.
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I've fallen up the stairs just as much as I've fallen down them.
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Tickled pink.
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To be delighted.
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Yo, Reggie, got anything good for your birthday?
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Yeah, actually, my parents finally got me a switch.
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Wow, you must be tickled pink.
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Yeah, you're right, I guess it only works for white people.
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Which I don't understand, because when you're dead,
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you shouldn't be able to feel anything, let alone embarrassment.
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Ugh, Cindy, look at her top.
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I wouldn't be caught dead wearing something so ugly.
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Ugh.
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Oh, don't worry.
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I'll make sure they don't find your body.
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Happy as a clam, an exaggeration of happiness.
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The complete idiom is actually as happy as a clam at high tide,
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because that's when they're least likely to be attacked by predators,
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but many go with a shortened version in reference to how clams look like they're always smiling.
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Uh, nope, I disagree.
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It's just the angle of which you're looking at them.
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If you look at them from this angle,
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it looks like they're frowning.
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And rightfully so, because I like clam chowder,
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and being delicious is not a compliment you should be smiling about.
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Goody Two Shoes.
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Used to refer to someone who always does everything right and follows the rules,
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to the point of annoyance.
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Often used negatively.
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Well, I did you guys a favor and read the story of Goody Two Shoes to see why.
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Let me summarize it for you.
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Marjorie, meanwhile, and her brother were two homeless orphans.
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Marjorie grew up only wearing one shoe.
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One day they meet a rich gentleman who buys her new clothes and a new pair of shoes.
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She was so excited and grateful that she exclaimed it to everyone she met,
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earning her name, Goody Two Shoes.
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She believed the rich man was good and wise because of his great learning,
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and so she learned to read and helped teach all the children in the village to learn as well.
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She prevented a man from being robbed and murdered because she warned him after overhearing some men plotting about it.
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She saved numerous animals from being abused by people.
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She was so wise and good that some idiots accused her of being a witch and put her under trial.
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She proves everyone wrong and continued being the goody two-shoes badass that she is.
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Why is this used to make fun of people?
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I strive to be a goody two-shoes and you should too.
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Piece of cake or pie.
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An easy or simple task.
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There's nothing simple about a cake.
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There's so many different ways to make a cake.
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I guess if you don't care how it tastes,
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baking a cake or pie can be simple.
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But if the quality doesn't matter,
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then you could easily just use any other food as the idiom.
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Wow, that cake looks amazing!
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Did you really make that?
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Ah, yeah, it was a piece of steak.
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What?
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Eat your heart out, Duff Goldman.
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Is that.. a famous chef or baker?
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That's a no-brainer!
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Okay man, I just wanted to know if you made it.
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And Bob's your uncle.
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Okay, weirdo.
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Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?
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No way, you're pulling my leg!
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Yes, but I'm telling the truth,
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If you've been on the fence about it,
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Enjoy the new school year!
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Good luck!
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I mean, you suck.
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Context & Background
In the world of English learning, idioms are an essential part of grasping the language's nuances. The speaker in this revealed transcript discusses his experiences with English language idioms, emphasizing their often confusing nature. Idioms can make English challenging due to their metaphorical meanings that are not easily interpreted from individual words. This can be particularly daunting for non-native speakers. However, grasping these phrases is crucial for effective communication and can enrich one's language proficiency, especially in contexts such as IELTS speaking practice.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- Raining cats and dogs: This idiom refers to heavy rainfall. It adds a vivid image to the conversation, making it more engaging.
- Turn a blind eye: This means to ignore something or pretend it didn’t happen, often used in everyday situations like catching someone in a lie.
- Eat your heart out: Used to express jealousy or regret, often in a playful taunting manner. It encourages emotional expression.
- Beat around the bush: To avoid getting to the main point of a conversation. This expression can be useful in both casual and formal discussions.
- Get the hell out of here: An informal way to express urgency or surprise, commonly used in casual conversations with friends.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
The shadowing technique is an effective way to master nuanced English phrases, particularly idioms. Here’s how to approach the content from this video using the shadow speech method:
- Listen attentively: Begin by watching the video closely. Pay attention to the pronunciation and intonation of the speaker as they discuss idioms.
- Repeat immediately: After hearing a phrase, pause the video and repeat what you heard. Focus on mimicking the speaker's rhythm and accent, particularly with idioms like "raining cats and dogs."
- Practice with variations: Once you're comfortable, try using the idioms in sentences of your own. For example, during a heavy rain, say, “It’s really raining cats and dogs out there!”
- Record your voice: Use a voice recording app to capture yourself using the idioms. Listening back will help refine your pronunciation and clarity.
- Engage in conversation: Practice these idioms in daily conversations or find a language partner to enhance your speaking ability, integrating expressions into casual dialogue.
By utilizing the shadowing technique, you can effectively enhance your command of English idioms, improving both your vocabulary and conversational skills, perfect for those aiming high in evaluations like the IELTS speaking practice.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to signify · Used to refer |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | has been brought · being grounded · is often used |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has been brought · I've fallen · you've been |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who grew · someone who always |
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.