This is an all English podcast episode 1531, it's not worth the hype. How to say that something is overrated in English.

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Sometimes there is a thing that everyone is raving about and you try it a kind of food, a bottle of wine or even a movie, and you just don't get it. Learn how to say this in English today.

Hey, Michelle, how's it going today? Hey, Lindsey, I'm good, I'm good. How are you good guys today? We're on YouTube and you know, if you want to watch this over there, you can actually see us on camera recording this episode. If you are on YouTube, make sure you hit record, subscribe and not record. We hit record. You guys hit 65. That's right. That's right. Yes. So we are on camera today.

So, Lindsay, I have a question.

Are you a harsh critic? Oh, I'm a harsh self critic, Michelle.

I'm a harsh self critic. But in terms of I've gotten a little harsher. I've gotten a little pickier when it comes to like media, movies, books. Right. But not too harsh.

What about you? I don't think I'm too harsh, but I I do feel like I've been getting a little bit more cynical, like, you know, things that, you know, but but now that like so, you know, I'm down and I will be kind of sarcastic and like, you know, talking about movies and different things that we don't like or if they're really cheesy.

But then we always say, like, you know, when our son is old enough to understand that, then we have to be we like can't act like that anymore.

We're going to have to be like, oh, yeah, you're going to have to be completely genuine all the time. That's funny. Exactly. Exactly. But no, I don't think I'm too bad. I mean, but sometimes I do find certain things are like really overrated. Do you ever find that, Lindsay, that, like, you think something like everybody loves it and then you're like, yes, yes.

There I was just saying that there's a ski resort out here. I'm not going to name any names, but there's one that I think is extremely overrated.

Oh, yeah, OK. Yes, yes, yeah.

It's like it's kind of hard when you're the one that thinks something is overrated because you're like, what's why am I like am I just mean like what is it? But I don't know. Yeah, Lindsay. I mean, what is overrated. What does that mean?

So it's it's when you believe that the value that others place on it is not equal to what it actually is in your experience.

Right.

So everyone else thinks something is so great, such great reviews and they just they just praise this thing. And you were so ready to experience it, whatever it was, a ski mountain, a meal, a restaurant, a drink, you experience it and it didn't meet your expectations.

So you said it's overrated, right? Exactly. Exactly. Yes.

Perfect definition, Lindsay. Yeah. I mean, did you watch the Queen's Gambit? Yes. Is that is it still. Yeah. I don't know if we finished the whole season or what happened. We kind of dropped off, but yes, I did watch it. Did you catch it? Oh, I did.

And if you didn't finish the whole thing, you must have thought it was over, right? Yeah.

Oh, I never really got that into it, but I know a lot of people loved it, so I'm not sure if it was over or it just appealed to certain tastes.

I did like the historical part of it. How set in the 50s. That was cool.

That was cool. And it did inspire me to play chess even more. So it definitely got me more into chess, which I love.

But I mean, overall, I liked it, but I was fine. Like it was no big deal. I mean, whatever, like something where I'd be like, oh my gosh. But then it's always disappointing when you're on the other end. Linzey, have you ever done that? You told someone you have to watch this. Oh my gosh. It's the best thing. And that happened to me. Yeah, that's happened to me. Like even recently.

I forget what it was. And I told my my mom and my friend, you have to watch this. And then I said, tell me when you watch this. And I never heard anything. And so I was writing to my mom, like, what did you think? And she just writes back like, yeah, it's very unsatisfying.

It's very unsatisfying when that happens because you start to identify with this thing and, you know, they're going to love it. But it just shows that there are just so many different kinds of people in the world, which is really a good thing. Right? I think it's a good thing. It's good that we don't all love the exact same thing. There's that's diversity of thought, right?

That's true. That's true. So now let's talk more about how we use it.

You know, so like we said, it could be about a TV show or a celebrity even or art or, like you said, food or a ski resort, whatever it is.

So let's give a few example. OK, so. All right. So let me see, where are the examples here, Michelle? Why don't you throw out the first one and I'll figure out where we are is I thought the Queen's Gambit was good, but it was a bit overrated. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

OK, or how about this one? She won six Grammys. I mean, she's good, but not that good. I think she's a bit overrated.

OK, yeah. When the last one is I don't know why everyone's talking about that book. I think it's pretty overrated.

Yes. Did you get into Harry Potter? I read the first. I can't remember if I read four or five and I actually really, really liked it, but sometimes I would get frustrated because it would take them forever to get to Hogwarts. Did you read it?

No, I tried. I just couldn't get into it. I don't know. Everyone was just raving about it and I just couldn't get there.

No, I mean, I, I did like it, but sometimes I just was like, let's let's let's get it going. Let's get it going. It would take so long before they got to actual school and the good stuff started. So interesting. Interesting. Yeah. That's what always frustrated me about it but I never finished it. But I wish I do like Harry Potter.

Some people love it. Love. Oh yeah. Or Game of Thrones.

People are crazy about Game of Thrones also never got into that one.

So I don't know if it's overrated. You know what I did? I watched the very down and I watched the very last episode of Game of Thrones just. Oh, no, like with no context of what was going on. And it was hilarious. We're like, wow, that's such a ridiculous thing to do.

Just watch something that you don't that you know, you're never going to watch the whole thing of and watch the very last episode and just kind of imagine what's going on. And then everybody else is probably like, oh my gosh. And you're like, Oh. Pillar is oh, man. So what is something that people say necessary bodily function that people say is overrated sleep? Have you ever heard somebody say, like, sleep is overrated anyway? I have seen people say that it's crazy.

It's not. It's important. I think it's not it is not overrated.

And I'm learning that more and more. I actually just. Have you heard of Master Class?

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Online classes. Mm hmm. Yeah.

So I'm taking well I finished it but it was basically this man.

Maybe we'll do an episode about it, talking about I mean he's a he's a scientist and he was talking all about sleep and I was like really. It scared me.

So sleep does not overeat like how important it is for the body to restore itself. Yeah.

Oh my gosh. And it went into all the science and what's going on in your brain anyway. Maybe we'll do a whole episode on it because it was very interesting.

Maybe we should have that guy on the show. I mean, that's pretty cool. Oh my God. Yeah, that would be amazing. Yes, yes. Yeah. That's something that you can say, though, if you don't get a good night's sleep, sleep is overrated anyway, but it's not. But anyway, Lindsay, before we keep going, we want to tell you guys about our upcoming webcast, and it is with Jessica and Aubrey. And it's about business, English.

What's the topic, Lindsay?

Yes, it's how to get a promotion in English. So they're going to give you guys the vocab, the strategies, everything you would need to ask for that promotion and really just to move up in your company and in your career because we know that's what you guys want. OK, so go and sign up now. Grab your spot. All ears, English dot com slash promotion. We're not recording it. And if you don't come, you will miss it forever.

We don't tend to recycle these things to too much guy. So go and grab it all in English. Stockholm's promotion. Very cool.

OK, yes. Don't miss it. So yeah. I mean why do you think I mean we kind of touched on this already. I mean the idea of everybody having different tastes. Right. It's like. Yeah. Different take, you know, one person loves it, one person thinks it's overrated. I mean, what do you think about that, Lindsay?

Yeah, I think that's exactly it, Michelle. And it's a good thing. I mean, I always feel like chocolate is the best flavor. The more chocolate, the better. Chocolate brownie with peanut butter is the best. Right. But then someone else might try that and they'll say, hey, man, I kind of would prefer vanilla. Right? So it's just take what you taste is taste.

Yeah. Yeah, it is. Yeah it is. That is so it is the best. But yet people have different taste. I mean the key I think is to try and understand that your judgment isn't the only one that matters. So like if somebody is like be careful when you're I don't know. I guess it's kind of a missed connection if somebody says like they loved something and then you just say, yeah, oh, that was awful, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It can be. Yeah. So you have to be careful. You're saying you have to be careful how you respond when someone says that if you didn't like that. What you mean. Right.

Right, right. Exactly. Like I mean especially I mean maybe if they're super close to you but if you know it's somebody else, you know, maybe you don't want to trash something they love.

Yeah, that's true. That's true. Yeah. You want to be careful the way you talk about it. There are certain maybe we can do another episode, another day on how to respond gingerly, gingerly, if if you didn't love that thing to not hurt the person. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah, that would be a good one. So, I mean, I think that the word is really useful. But, you know, you don't want to sound snobby or rude.

Yeah. Try not to offend someone, maybe not at work in a certain way, like. Oh yeah. Her presentation was overrated. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Be careful about that.

Be careful about anything that the person did or performed or worked on. Of course. Yeah, for sure.

Right, right, right. Right. But it can be useful to express your own personal taste and opinions. But Lindsey, there are other ways that we can express this idea of something being overrated. What can we say?

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Yeah, you could say it's not worth the hype now when we say hype, how do you spell that? Let's help our listeners envision this. The best way guys to understand how to spell things, of course, is to get the transcripts. But let's spell this word for our listeners just in case, just to help. Are you ready?

Ayesh y p e that's why p e I think you, Lindsay.

So well done, Michelle. So well, thank you. Yeah. Not worth the hype. So all the activity, the energy, the craziness. Right. What's an example of that one, Michelle.

All right. Yeah, I ate one Brownie. I'm done already. They're not really worth the hype.

Oh, man, what a disappointment. Brownies are the best. Yes, exactly. Exactly. And the next one is not all it's cracked up to be.

I love this one, Lindsay Tanner.

Oh, all the time. I say this a lot. I guess when we're in college, we envision our life after college being just amazing. Total freedom. Right. And then we get there and we're like, oh, shoot, I have to pay the rent. I have to get a job. I have to be an adult. Right. Not all it's cracked up to be. So here's an example. This cheese isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I don't get why people are always so crazy about it.

Yeah, yeah, yep, yep, yep. Cheese is also amazing. All right.

I'm trying to think of something like a food that everyone's, like, crazy about that I just don't find it. So I don't think it's that big of a deal. I can't think of any good examples, but there is one. Hmm. Oh, well, I don't know, anyway, it'll come to me, let's do a real play. Let's do it. All right, so we're watching the Emmys together.

Lindsay, what are the Emmys? Actually, I guess there are awards for TV shows, is that right? Yes, exactly.

OK. OK, yeah. So it's one of the big award shows in the US that is like celebrating television. Yes. So yeah. So we're watching this show together. Yes. Oh wow.

Janice Trayner just won another award, Michel. Really.

I mean, she's good I guess. But don't you think she's kind of overrated?

Maybe, but I really like her. Yeah. Oh, that new guy is going to sing the theme song now. I can't remember his name.

Yeah, honestly, I heard him saying he's not all he's cracked up to be. Really.

I guess I'll listen and decide for myself in general. I think these awards aren't worth the hype. I mean, maybe I won't watch this next year. Do you think that about the Emmys?

I think that I'm not a big awards show person. I used to be, but now I just kind of skim through or read about it because I. I don't know. It's just not something that I want to spend three hours or four hours watching as a big commitment. There's the whole ceremony in the red carpet and all that mess. That's not worth it.

And it's a lot of like self-congratulatory, like celebrity. I don't know, it just humble brag, like really like I don't know. Sometimes when I think about, like, awards, I'm like, really we're all just people. Like, obviously people need to be recognized. But sometimes these awards are just, whoa, it's just so much and there's. Oh yeah.

Yeah. Not to mention that the academy quote unquote is mostly white men deciding who are the best actors, which doesn't make sense.

It doesn't reflect society. So there's that too.

Yeah. Anyway, I get frustrated not to be saying anything. All right. But it's true. It's true. It's important to point that out guys. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's frustrating and upsetting.

But yeah. Anyway, let's go through the role play here. We're having fun. Do you like the name Jonas Trayner. I made that up. No.

Yeah, that's kind of cool. That's kind of cool. OK, I like it. Michelle Good. All right. So what did I say though? All right. You said really.

I mean, she's good, I guess. But don't you think she's kind of overrated? Right.

And that's a great that's a great chunk right there for our listeners.

Guys, you said don't you think she's kind of overrated? You're asking me to chime in on that. Right? Right, right, right. Exactly.

And then I talked about this. You talked about the singer. You said he's not all he's cracked up to be.

Yes. Yes.

OK, and then I said you said, I think these awards aren't worth the hype, know. They're just not worth the hype.

I love them. I love that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's that's a good one as well. Yeah. But again, guys, watch out. These can be kind of rude sounding if you're not talking to the right person. They are a little bit more on the negative side of the conversation. But guys, even negative negative stuff connects people. So, you know, completely. Oh I thought of it.

I know what it is, Michelle, that I think is not worth.

I get to hear what it is. It's shrimp, the shrimp like as a dish anyway. Anyway, it's prepared any kind of shrimp, shrimp scampi, shrimp and Thai food. I just it's not worth the hype. It's overrated. Do you feel that way or.

I don't I don't even eat shrimp. You don't. I don't. I don't. I don't like it. I don't like that either. Really. But yeah, you can you can also say, guys, this is another bonus like to just say I don't get it.

Yeah, I don't get it. That's a great one too. That's a great one. I just I don't get it. Everybody loves shrimp but I don't get it. Yeah. Yeah. I guess shrimp kind of absorbs flavors and I think that's why people love it. But I still don't get it. I don't know that kind of stuff grosses me out.

Shrimp grosses me out. I don't know.

Okay. All right, Michelle, what's the takeaway for today? Guys, these are great connection words, as we said, but definitely, you know, try and have a positive attitude. Be careful when calling somebody favorite thing in the world overrated or, you know, not all it's cracked up to be. Right. You don't want to ruin something for someone right before they can form their own opinion as well. Right. So we want to be careful about that.

Sometimes it can be frustrating if you're like, oh, like I really want to see that movie. I'm so excited. And someone says it's not true. Yeah. There can be kind of frustrating. Exactly.

Michel, there's a lot of angles for follow up that we could do here. Guy So hit subscribe on English to come back and catch maybe catch a follow up on this topic. If you're lucky around, you know how to break the news that you don't love something as much as the other person does.

That would be really cool. Right? I did what I got to write that down. Yes.

And guys, don't forget, sign up for the Web class right now. Don't miss your chance. Get on the list. Show up. Don't miss it's not being recorded. Go to all your English dot com slash promotion. If you have career goals, if you have career dreams, you need to be at this web class. All right. Awesome.

OK, fantastic. Well, this was very fun at Lindsay and I will talk to you soon. Good stuff, Michelle. Talk to you soon. Bye bye.

Bye, guys. Thanks for listening to all ears English, would you like to know your English level, take our two minute quiz, go to all ears, English dot com forward slash fluency 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.