AEE 1515: How to Use Body Movements to Describe a Feeling in English
All Ears English- 2,103 views
- 2 Feb 2021
Click here to subscribe to the transcripts
This is an all year English podcast, episode one thousand five hundred fifteen, how do use body movements to describe a feeling in English?
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast downloaded more than 150 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American hosts. Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York Radio Girl coming to you from Colorado and New York City U. S a and to get Real-Time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try our Iooss app.
Start your seven day free trial at all is English dot com forward slash bonuses.
In today's episode, you get a chance to expand your vocabulary, get four ways to describe your experiences using body movements.
Hello, Michelle.
How's everything going today? Hey, Lindsay. I'm good. I'm good. How are you? Good. I'm feeling good. I'm glad to be here. Oh my God. This episode is coming out in February. I cannot believe we are rolling right through 2021. Michelle, I know it is wild.
It is wild. So I am excited to talk about today's topic. Lindsay, you actually came up with this topic and I love it. I think you have done an Instagram post about the election with the word nailbiter. Do you remember that?
Oh, yeah, I remember that for sure. So I remember we did an Instagram update the right when we were in the middle of not quite knowing what the results were going to be. That was a very stressful three or four days. And I did an Instagram update saying, guys, we are in the middle of a nailbiter right now. The results are coming in a hundred votes at a time. Do you remember that that week?
I don't think I can ever forget that week. Yeah.
It was like it was so crazy because I went from being depressed to then the next day I was like a dancing to, like, really cocky. Like, yeah, we won music to being like, wait a second.
I just. Yeah, my emotions. It was a roller coaster, you can say. Absolutely.
At guys, we know that not everyone shares the same political views. We all have different feelings about the U.S. election, but we want to share today this important term that something is a nail biter. So let's talk about it a little bit, Michelle. OK, absolutely.
So, yeah, we are going to get into this and a lot of other cool terms that deal with kind of body parts, really.
So, Lindsey, I'm excited to talk about this.
So before we get into it, guys, we are hopefully going to have our Android app coming very, very soon, right, Lindsey?
Yes, it's definitely coming this year. But we are targeting the March area of the year, right? More or less. March, April. That's what we're looking to do. So that's in a couple of months, guys.
So this is for our Android users. I know you guys have been waiting for a couple of years to be able to finally use the English app because inside the app you get to basically save your vocabulary words, make your own personal list and you get to see transcripts in real time. It's coming soon. But for now, if you have an Iommi device, you can download it now at all. Is English dotcom bonuses. All right.
Hey, what is very, very exciting, Lindsey and again, I am an Android user, so I'm especially excited you are going to be all over that official practicing your vocab all the time.
I just know it.
I know it'll be cool to really get to see it a lot. So anyway, so again, let's get into nailbiter. So you talked a little bit about why you used it.
So, I mean, Lindsey, what does it mean?
So it means it's something that causes you to want to bite your nails. And, you know, we've talked about our habits, you know, New Year's episodes. We've said what now, what habits we want to break. And Nail-biting is, unfortunately, I'm ashamed to admit, sort of a habit I have had over the years.
You know, if you're nervous, you might be a nail biter. Are you a nail biter as a person, Michelle, too?
Yes, I am. I am teacher. I'm terrible. Well, I, like, kind of pick up my cuticles.
That's what I do.
OK, that's a bonus episode. A cuticle is what it's like, the skin or skin around your nail.
Yeah. Yeah. So I don't really bite my nails. I might pick up my cuticles if I'm nervous, so. OK, yeah.
So anyway so then so we could call a person a nail biter but then an event. A situation. Right. Right. Michelle's what we're coming in on today. Right.
Right. Exactly. So like other things that might be described as a nail biter could be like a sports game. Right. You could say like if it's really close, you could say the last ten seconds were a real nail biter, right? Oh, for sure.
Or the end of a movie when you're just not sure what's actually going to happen. You know, that could be considered a nail biter if by that time you're invested in the characters. Right.
Know you really know what you want to have happen, right? Yeah.
Yeah, definitely. Yeah. That's that's a good one. Yeah.
I've seen now nowadays there are a lot of shows that are now. Because I think that's the whole idea is to get you wouldn't want to move on to the next one, right? You can't stop. So, like, if the show doesn't leave you in a place where you're about to bite your nails or you are biting your nails, you might not turn to the next one.
So for we have higher expectations now as consumers of TV, right. Especially after the pandemic, we've all probably OD'd on TV a little bit too much. Yes. Yes. We have expectations. Yes, yes. Yes, exactly.
So, Lindsay, is this formal or informal to describe something as a nail biter? I think of this is pretty informal, Michelle. Yeah. What do you think?
I think so, too. But I don't think it's I think it's more towards that side.
But I don't think this is something where it's like if you say it in a formal situation, it's terrible. Right? I think that it can be used.
Yeah, I think it's diverse. I think it's just like it's local. It's natural. It's native. That's what it is. Really. Yeah. Yes, it is. Definitely for sure.
I love that. And I you know, the image of it. I mean, yeah. These ones that we're going to teach today are they really have an image to them. Right.
You can picture it in your head. So should we get into the other ones.
Yeah. So what do these have in common? I mean, what is what how are we extending off of nailbiter? Are we look like this has to do with the body? Like an expression has to do with the human body, is that right? Exactly.
Yeah. You mentioned a couple good ones that you had thrown out, so I snatched them up. And let's look at them, Lindsey. So what's the first good one?
All right. So expressions that have to do with the body. This is a head scratcher, right? So, of course, we're on video today on YouTube, guys. By the way, you can come over and subscribe if this is a good one.
See our. Are you over there once in a while, but. Yeah.
So what do you do when you're confused, Michelle? You said you, Mike.
That's exactly.
So that one's pretty self-explanatory. It's a head scratcher. You just a little confused. Yeah. Right. What is going on?
OK. Right. Right, right, right. Exactly. I mean, Lindsay, do you actually scratch your head if you're confused or do you think it's more of just like this? Do you think it's like kind of theatric that people do that? I think it's kind of theatrics a little bit.
I think when I'm confused, I kind of furrow my brow like like and maybe I look up when I'm thinking, I'm not sure what I do.
I tend to, like, get a little annoyed when I'm confused. I just have this visceral reaction of annoyance, almost anger when I'm confused about. Oh, no.
Yeah, I hate to be confused. Yeah. Yeah, me too. Especially when you're confused and you have to ask someone for clarification and like you don't you still don't kind of get it.
And it's like it's like right now I'm trying to find a productivity. I'm trying to find a like a task manager app where I can instead of using a Google document to list all my tasks, I can have them on a calendar to know what I have to do by one. And these apps are kind of complex.
So I go in, I do a trial. I'm like, oh my God, I have no idea what to do.
First is overwhelming. Yeah. You know, down the trial and I go away sometimes I think it's better to just keep things simple. I mean, like, for example, for on my end, like, I, I think I've talked about how I write in a journal, just like what I did not like deep feelings or anything, but like I started getting myself so overwhelmed about it because I wanted to also I wanted to get an app because you could put in pictures and things like because I didn't want to write it anymore, because I have terrible handwriting, can't read a thing.
So there's no point to writing in the journal if you can't read it.
So anyway, I, I decided that I was going to like write it on Google Drive and then I thought, well, if I have an app I can, you know, do special things.
And then I tried the app and it was a head scratcher also. And I was like, just forget it. So now I'm back on Google Drive.
And that's just sometimes simple is just the best, even though it may not have all of the bells and whistles, other bells and whistles.
Good phrase, guys. I'm sure that I'll be in the app right this time around. The bells and whistles. What does that mean, Michel, as a ball of fancy extra stuff?
Yeah, guys, the extras.
Are you talking about bells and whistles when you buy a car or when you buy some piece of machinery, the extras that you don't really need. But they're kind of cool. They're kind of fun. Yeah. Extra features.
Do you want to be one of the first to find out when we launched the Android app, get on the early insiders list, go to all ears, English dot com forward slash android to be one of the first to know. And you also might get invited to participate in beta testing with us. Go to all ears, English dot com forward slash android to get on the early insiders list. See you there.
OK, let's get back to talking about the human body, how we express this in our words, OK? OK, let's just give it one example for head scratcher, because I'm not sure if we did so anyway.
The example could be I don't get why that senator said that. It's a real head scratcher.
Yeah. So we had a lot of those in the last three or four years. We like hearing weird things come out of Washington and we don't understand what is going on and why people are doing certain things.
Yeah, I just thought of another one, actually. Was that Michelle, should I say, banging your head against a wall, bang your head against the wall. Right. What does that mean? That's like when you're frustrated with someone. So you could say, oh, we had some real head scratcher moments and there were some moments where I wanted to bang my head against the wall zigzag.
You're like, oh, it just keeps happening. Why? You make no sense. It just makes no sense.
All right, let's talk about your knees, the knees.
All right. Let's go to the joint and the human body. Right. So a knee jerk is this I guess this is used as an adjective, right? Mm hmm.
Well, you kind of use a total like I think we use it together with the word reaction.
I don't know that we use that necessarily on its own. So we use a knee jerk reaction so we would use it. Yeah.
So what kind of reaction is it? It's a knee jerk reaction. So first of all, let's go back to it as a noun. Michelle, what does the knee jerk?
Well, it's kind of like when the doctor, you know, then what? They're testing the reflexes and you jerk your knee like you can't help it because they've touched it, you know, in a certain way. They've banged on it with that thing. Yeah.
With a little hammer bone. Yeah. I don't even know. I don't know that they do that. An adult I don't really like I don't tend to go to the doctors for like a yearly checkup. I should. I know but I don't do that. Do you go for yearly checkups like. Just like general doctor checkups.
Wait I, I try, I actually I'm not very good about it but I did recently just have a checkup.
Did he do the whole like hammer on your knee or is that just a kid's thing. No, I think they did. I think he did that. I think I mean if he didn't then it was a new doctor. If he didn't do it, then maybe the last doctor.
But I absolutely, as an adult have had that done. Interesting.
OK, OK, so they still do do it for adults. So, guys, now let's take this word, make it into an adjective describing a reaction. It becomes a knee jerk reaction. And so what does that mean, Michel? We're not talking about our knees anymore, right?
Well, I mean, we yeah, not specifically, but it's the idea of like when they put that hammer on it and you can't help it. So a knee jerk reaction is a reaction that you have that you can't help. Right? Exactly.
It's like you aren't focusing or deciding or thinking in a certain way. You're using it like you just you can't help it. So you might use it when you're, like, sharing how you felt about something in the moment. So you could say something like, oh, my knee jerk reaction was to get angry, but I took a deep breath and realized I had to calm down. Oh, for sure. This is why we meditate, right?
Literally like that is exactly what meditation does in your brain, is that it creates that space between the stimulus and the response, the right thing that comes at you, the event that happens and how you respond to it. So I find when my meditation practice is strong in moments of time, you know, different months or weeks or seasons, but my knee jerk reactions are less. I will just I have that freedom. It's like freedom. I don't respond in a certain way so quickly.
I think about it. I stop, I pause. But when I'm not practicing, well, it's faster. It's a lot faster. It's interesting, Michel, that is interesting.
So, yeah, it gives you more space to truly react rather than just, you know, be kind of more startling, startled, because the damage that we could do, we could do a lot of damage with our words if we're not careful, you know.
Yes, yes, yes.
I always say like I always hear, like never make a big decision when you're angry.
Oh, for sure. Yeah, for sure. Absolutely. Or even like try not to say anything when you're angry, just like button your lips and to count to ten.
Right, exactly. OK, so knee jerk reaction. What's the next one, Michelle?
Well, I just wanted to give one other time when it might be used so it could also be used when, you know, maybe you're asking someone about how you feel, how they feel about an idea or an option or something in the past. So what something that you could say for that, Lindsey.
Oh, so for example, when you heard about the new project, what was your knee jerk reaction? OK, so now here you're using it.
You're asking someone what it was, how they reacted quickly, OK? Right, right. Right, exactly.
It was your first your first reaction.
So so anyway, the way that I personally use this the most is just to explain kind of to excuse myself when I reacted. I say I'm sorry. It was a knee jerk reaction. I didn't mean to say that. Right. That's the most common usage for me personally. I would say that's interesting.
Yeah, I feel like I, I would use it more like in the first way that we said it, like, oh my knee jerk reaction was blah blah blah. I don't know if I would say, oh sorry, that was my knee jerk reaction. But that's interesting. We both have different ways of using it. Why not, guys?
Why not. Why not? I love it. And the next one, Michelle is a head turner, OK?
Head back to the head, what does this mean if you say a person is a head turner or some event is a head turner, it's usually that something is either very appealing or attractive or interesting. Right. Something that makes you want to turn your head to look at it. So maybe it's stimulating. Nice to look at in some way that you're like, huh? Right. Definitely.
I mean, this is used a lot to talk about people, I would say. Right? The person is a head turner.
When you say like attractive people, that's attractive people, attractive things, items. Right. So, like, if you see something nice, you could say something like, oh, that dress is a total head turner.
I love it. Yeah, like a beautiful evening gown. A red evening gown. Right. That is going to cause people to turn their heads as they pass that person on the street. No doubt that's a head turner, OK? Absolutely.
That's another way that you might use it.
I mean, I guess you could say when something interests you, like the buildings in New York are so big, like the Empire State Building is definitely a head. Turner is more like it brings your head up.
Right. Right. That's true. It's a head raiser.
I remember my first job in New York was actually in the Empire State Building. And it was so it was cool. Yeah. I worked for a language school that was inside the building and one of the I don't know, halfway up the building, it was it was a cool place to work for your first job.
Oh, right. Yeah. Crazy stuff.
So anyways, is this formal or informal, Michelle, would you say?
I think this is maybe a little bit more informal. What do you think?
Yeah, I think so. I think all of these are somewhat on our informal guys. Just because you're talking about the body and these are idioms in a sense.
Yeah, OK. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So should we do a role play? Yeah.
Our listeners, we know you guys love role play, so let's get into it.
All right. Here we go. So here we are talking about our favorite TV show. All right. So, hey, did you catch the the finale?
Yes. Oh, my goodness. What a nail biter. Lindsay, seriously, I didn't get why Tom left home in the last scene. I just didn't get it.
Yeah, it was a real head scratcher to me, too. My knee jerk reaction was that he did it because he felt he had to move on.
Well, that's probably right. You know, or the hat that he was wearing, honestly, was a real head turner for me. I know.
Yeah, that was a super interesting costume choice.
All right. I wonder what TV show we're talking about here. Not sure which one. I made it up. It's a, you know, Tom and his he wears funny hats and that's it. All right.
So I said, oh, my goodness, what a nail biter when you asked me about the show. Yeah, right, right, right.
It's suspenseful, right? We don't know what's going to happen. And then you said I didn't get why. I didn't get why something happened in the last scene. I said it was a real head scratcher to me, too.
And when you just for our listeners, if anyone's a little bit more intermediate here, if you said I didn't get. You mean you didn't. I didn't understand. Right, exactly. Very natural way to say you don't understand something. So I don't get it. Yeah. Yeah, I don't get it.
My knee jerk reaction was that he did it because he felt he had to move on.
So you mean that's the first thing you thought or the first way you reacted, right, Michel?
Exactly. Exactly. And then you change the topic to the costume. Then you said that it was wearing was a real head turner.
So it was I mean, in this way, it almost sounds like you said it in a more of a sarcastic way.
Not like, oh, that was it almost sounded more like you were just saying it was interesting or it was unique.
Yeah. Funny maybe. Yeah. Yeah. Is that in different ways. Yeah.
I mean anything strange that's going on could be considered a head turner. I've mentioned in the past episodes the guy in Union Square, New York that. Yeah, where's the cat on his head. He walks around with a big cat on his head.
That's definitely a head turner, right, Michelle for sure. Right, right.
Right, exactly. Lochhead Turner is when you're walking around New York City, for sure.
Oh, my God. Absolutely. So, Michelle, what else how should we finish off this episode for our listeners?
I just wanted to say real quick real that a lot of times you might notice guys, if you like, have the transcripts and you're looking at the role play. Sometimes you use real with these words. Right? Like you could say something is a real nail biter and it makes it more intense. Right. Where the real head scratcher or a real head turner. So maybe we'll do another episode about how that word kind of makes things more intense and makes things more natural, too.
I think that we just add those in naturally. Sometimes we write our role plays guys, and then we make them sound a little more natural by adding extra words. Or at least I do that. And real is one of the things I might add. So let's talk about that another episode, Michelle, for sure. Absolutely.
Let's do it. That'll be fun. So, Lindsay, what's the takeaway for today? All right, guys, up today. You've gotten some interesting vocab specifically about body movements that express a way of thinking, an idea, OK, so just try them out.
These are things you'll never find in your textbook. Yeah, try them out again. Keep in mind, your goal is always connection, no matter what vocab you are using.
OK, that's you. Absolutely.
I love it that this is super fun. And guys, let us know on the blog. Do you have similar expressions in your language and your first language. Right. Do they use. We also use body parts like this. I'm sure they do. I can't wait to hear about them guys and go, if you have an iOS right now, you can try the app. If you're on Android, got to wait a little longer, but it is coming to go to all areas, English dot com bonuses on your iOS device to get the app and review some of the words that we've learned today in today's episode.
OK, guys. Awesome.
All right, Lindsey, this has been I was trying to use one of the expressions, but I can think of it.
Anyway, thanks for listening. I'll talk to you soon. Have a good one. Bye bye.
Thanks for listening to all ears English. If you are taking Eilts this year, get your estimated Vänskä with our two minute quiz. Go to all ears English dotcom slash my score. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit. Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.