Shadowing Practice: The Best Claire & Jay Moments (Mashup) | Modern Family | TBS - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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- Thank you.
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Ah.
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- It broke again.
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- Yes, I saw.
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We'll just need to double up on the cotton.
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Here, let me save you a step.
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- Thank you.
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Alex!
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Knock, knock!
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Dad, hey.
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What are you doing here?
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Manny needs that soldering iron I lent to Phil.
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One of the screws on his project keeps coming loose.
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Other than that, it's flawless.
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His latest test run, he dropped it off the roof.
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He walked downstairs and hadn't landed yet.
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I had nothing.
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I had to get in Claire's head.
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Sometimes the best thing to do in a race to the top is grease the pole behind you.
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Wow, so Manny's still working.
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Luke finished a couple hours ago.
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Is that why all these eggs are on the floor?
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Oh, well, you know, after so many landed safely, we thought we should test them, make sure we weren't working with a super -strong batch.
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Sounds like you knocked it out of the park.
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Oh, yeah, definitely.
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We did.
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Um, so, Dad, if I find out what Phil do with that soldering iron, I'll run it over.
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Great!
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Mm.
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We're gonna test it later today at the school.
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Fun.
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Maybe we'll meet you.
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We can come at any time, right?
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'Cause we don't have a.. a spring problem.
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Round five?
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- Perfect.
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That's a pretty nice piece of handiwork for a 13 -year -old.
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Yeah, Luke did pretty good, too, for a kid who still needs help getting out of his backpack.
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Still your grandson.
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I felt bad when I said that.
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Okay, let's do this.
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Watch out, kids.
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They're coming down.
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One, two, three.
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- Thank you.
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How'd we do?
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Both eggs are okay.
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- Great.
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So we both win.
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- Unacceptable.
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We're going up another level.
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- Absolutely.
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Come on, third floor.
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Meet us there, Alex.
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Let's go.
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- Wait.
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You don't have to do this.
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The assignment was for a one -story drop.
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We both get A's.
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- We're doing this.
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Thank you.
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Oh, I don't like this.
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The two of them talking up there, they're gonna figure out what we did.
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We did what we had to.
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We're gonna get caught.
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Look at them down there.
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They're not even paying attention.
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This is the best part.
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- Actually, Manny looks kinda upset.
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- Why would he be?
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He's about to kick Luke's butt.
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Oh, knock it off.
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Luke and Manny had as much to do with this project as they did with the Manhattan Project.
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You think that's what's going on?
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They're upset because we took over for them?
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Maybe they were supposed to learn from this and-- You ruined it.
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We should go talk to them.
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Boys, we need to talk.
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Oh, God, oh, God.
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Just stay frosty.
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So, uh, we realized a couple things up there, and I think apologies are in order.
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Okay, we admit it.
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We tricked you into doing our projects for us.
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- What?
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- This is the first I'm hearing of this.
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We knew you'd do all the work if you thought you were competing with each other.
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So I told you I thought Claire was helping Luke, and then you called Claire.
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- Which got me involved and...
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- All right, here's what's gonna happen.
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You're gonna get in the car, we're gonna drive home.
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and you're each gonna do your own projects.
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- Fine.
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Hmm.
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Hmm.
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This is your fault.
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What?
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Wait, we compete with each other.
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It's sick.
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It's so sick two 13 -year -olds know how to take advantage of us.
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And you know what?
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You made me this way.
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How do you figure that?
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- Oh, Dad.
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You pushed me into sports.
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You never let me win.
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You know, that's a.. it does something to a girl.
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For your information, you came out of the womb like that.
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I'm not entirely sure there wasn't a twin in there you bumped off.
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If you saw that in me, why didn't you discourage it?
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Why would I discourage something that I love?
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Really?
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You kidding?
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You're a fighter.
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The thing I love about you is you never give up.
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Todd!
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Even though I clearly designed a superior egg container?
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Out of your mind, old man.
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You want a way to find out?
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- Thanks.
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Kebab.
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You're all just playing for second.
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There's something wrong with that one.
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Save some of that charm for our commercial shoot today, Dad, huh?
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You see what our competition's airing?
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You see the lasers, special effects?
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I'll bet they spent five million bucks on that thing.
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Don't worry, Dad.
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The concept I came up with is so much better than theirs.
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We're scrapping it.
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What?
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I worked for two months on that.
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Sorry, we gotta go with what's proven.
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We're remaking my old commercial.
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30 years ago, my dad was in a local ad for Pritchett's Closets, and he has always been really proud of the slogan he came up with.
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I've never understood what it means.
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Pritchett's Closet.
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Choose one of our nine luxurious models, like the Monte Carlo.
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Or how about a custom design using our state -of -the -art technology?
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Come visit Pritchett's and go home with the closet of your dreams.
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Closet?
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You'll love it.
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The entire town went nuts for that ad.
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People stopped me in the street asking me to say the slogan.
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Are you sure they weren't asking you to explain it?
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What's to explain?
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Instead of like it, you'll love it, you used the word closet.
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Then why not like it, you'll closet.
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That makes no sense.
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Look, I know it was rough on you and Mitch having a famous dad.
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You know, getting your picture taken to restaurants.
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That happened one time, Dad, only because we were eating with Ralph Berman, garage door opener king.
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Hey, he was eating with us.
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The point is, that ad scored for us, and it will again.
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So we're gonna flush all my hard work, because you got freaked out by some commercial that's not even that catchy.
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"Closet's Closet's" Hey, Dad.
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I tried to grab you after the shoot, but you just flew out of there.
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I didn't want it to seem like I was hanging around for compliments.
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They're...
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There was some discussion after you left.
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Keep it moving, buddy.
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Um, a few people feel that you came across a little-- Sign says no menus!
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What'd you say?
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Uh...
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The group thinks that maybe It would be for the best if-- if-- someone else was our spokesman.
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It's called "Pridget's Closets." I know, but you were coming off just a tiny bit.
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Yeah, I'm kidding.
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It's mine now!
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I'm so tiny bit grumpy.
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Grumpy.
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There's nothing wrong with being a little gruff.
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That's how you are.
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No, no, no, no. What do you mean how I am?
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Is that what people think of me, that I'm some big grump?
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Dad, that cannot be a big shock.
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The kids call you Grumpa. Since when?
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Not to your face.
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Thank you.
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Coward.
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So if I get Grumpa, What do they call Phil's dad?
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You know, just.
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Fun -pa.
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That mound of human silly string gets fun -pa.
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It's not the issue, Dad.
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No, no, I know what the issue is.
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You're saying I'm not warm and cuddly enough to sell closets anymore.
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It's a day that every father knows may come, but hopes it never will.
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I wish your every father-- Stop hurting me!
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Thank you.
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Dad, I'm sorry.
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I didn't mean to upset you.
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Save it, Claire.
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I watched What we shot today.
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I'm not that cheery, likable celebrity I was 30 years ago.
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I am a little grump now.
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When did I turn that corner?
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You haven't.
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You haven't.
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I mean, you're creeping up to it.
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You got your blinker on, but...
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You haven't yet.
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I saw it happen to my dad, you know?
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One day, a happy -go -lucky rotary drill operator.
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The next he's throwing his Schlitz at the TV, 'cause some lady sportscaster came on.
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I swore I'd never be like that.
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You're not that bad.
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If you were, why would we all spend all our time over here?
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We just come here for the pool.
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That's not--that's not true.
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No, crazy.
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Dad, you are a long way from turning into Grandpa.
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You know, I was with him the first time he saw sushi in the grocery store.
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He grabbed the price check, Mike, and treated us all to a little lecture on Pearl Harbor.
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You just have to fight it a little.
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I appreciate it, honey.
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- Mm -hmm.
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I'm not sure some of this just isn't the natural order of things.
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Uh -huh.
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Give me a minute, Fred.
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A new girl just walked in.
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That's disgusting.
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She's my daughter.
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Sweetheart, you look terrific.
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Are you sure?
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'Cause I have another blouse in here.
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It's the only thing in here.
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That and a pair of glasses, in case I need to read something or look smarter.
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Relax.
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It's your first day.
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Impossible to blow it.
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What are those?
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Oh, cookies.
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I made them for the office.
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Huge mistake.
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Fred, two more seconds.
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I got a situation here.
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Put the cookies down.
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Why?
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Your management makes you look desperate.
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Make sure you look like you want everyone to like you.
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I do want everyone to like me.
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You want everyone to respect you.
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You got to be tough.
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Keep your distance.
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Well, baby, we are different kinds of managers.
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Yeah, I'm yours.
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Just leave the cookies.
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- The President and the President of the United States.
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Hey, you wanted to see me?
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Thanks for buzzing by.
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I hope you weren't in the middle of a thang.
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Okay.
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That did get a little away from me, but to be fair, I broke the ice.
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Everybody thinks you're a dummy.
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Not everybody.
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No. As a matter of fact, one of the guys in the break room asked me to lunch.
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- Don't say Todd.
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- His name is Todd.
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Oh, no. You cannot go to lunch with Todd.
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Why not?
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You can't be associated with him.
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Up until an hour ago, he was the office weirdo.
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But he was nice to me, and he helped me set up my computer.
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Yeah, that's his job. for now.
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What does that mean?
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I'm firing him as soon as I can find an IT guy who shows up on time
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and doesn't creep out the office.
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I can't cancel on the one person who is nice to me.
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You can, but you won't, 'cause you're the type of person who brings cookies to the office.
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Where are they?
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Okay, we're done here.
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It really wasn't bad.
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Todd is a very interesting guy.
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We'd get to know him.
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Did he tell you about his turtles, little Lulu and Stan?
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Ruthie and Stu.
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That's the name he picks.
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Turtle Stu.
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Idiot!
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Well, there was one little situation that came up, but I think I handled it pretty well.
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He's about to make, um, kind of a big-- Hold on, Margaret.
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Why can't I log in here?
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What's wrong with my computer?
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The whole system's down.
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No one can access files.
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We can't get online.
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Where's Todd?
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We can't find him anywhere.
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And his Yaris is gone.
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What the hell?
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I might know a little something about this.
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Thank you.
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What did you do?
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- You kinda told Todd that you were gonna fire him?
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- What?
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- I had to.
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Daddy's about to buy a house, but he was fine with it.
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He hugged me and thanked me and told me that he'd give him time to make a plan.
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- There she is.
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I haven't seen you since my big announcement.
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What do you think?
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I think that I gave my all to this company.
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And that if you were gonna hand over the reins to somebody, it should be me and not some hump from Chicago.
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Well, it just so happened-- I'm not finished, Dad.
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Thank you for saving me from wasting the next 20 years of my life talking about slats,
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rods, and hinges, from becoming the most boring person in the most boring industry on earth.
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Boring?
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Boring.
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Closets bring order to a chaotic world!
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- What happened?
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- I'll tell you what happened.
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I raised a mean, ungrateful daughter, and I'm glad I gave the business to Chuck Feeney.
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There is no Chuck Feeney!
Context & Background
The dialogue presented in this video features a lighthearted exchange between members of a family, focusing on a school project involving eggs and a friend’s technical needs. As we dive into this clip, we notice the humorous interplay between Claire, Phil, and the kids, highlighting the dynamics of family interaction and the competitive spirit in school activities. This context not only showcases the characters' personalities but also offers learners a glimpse into everyday family discussions and problem-solving scenarios related to school projects. Understanding the context behind these dialogues is essential for language learners to grasp the nuances of communication styles in English.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “Knock, knock.” - A classic way to initiate a light-hearted interaction or joke.
- “We just need to double up on...” - A phrase indicating that more of something is required to achieve a better result.
- “Sounds like you knocked it out of the park.” - An idiom meaning to perform exceptionally well or succeed dramatically.
- “Let me save you a step.” - Offering help to make a process easier or more efficient.
- “How’d we do?” - A casual way of asking about the outcome of an action or project.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively practice English speaking skills using the dialogue from this clip, follow this step-by-step shadowing guide.
- Select a shadowing app: Use a shadowing site or app tailored for language learners. Make sure it allows you to replay short clips easily.
- Listen actively: Play the transcript dialogue several times. Pay attention to intonation, rhythm, and emotion in the speakers’ voices.
- Break it down: Segment the dialogue into manageable parts. Focus on a few lines at a time to prevent feeling overwhelmed.
- Practice shadow speech: Repeat each segment mimicking the speakers' pace. Aim to match their intonation and emotional expression, which is a crucial aspect of shadowspeak.
- Record yourself: Use the recording feature of your shadowing app to compare your pronunciation and expression with the original dialogues.
By incorporating these steps into your study routine, you will enhance your ability to communicate effectively in English, making it easier to engage in natural conversations. Whether it’s for personal enjoyment or academic requirements, shadowing these scenarios can help to sharpen your language skills significantly.
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.