AEE 2393: Sweeten Up Your English with These Expressions
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This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 2393. Sweeten up your English with these expressions. Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 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, USA.

To get real-time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android. Start your seven-day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward slash app. Today, our listener asks us how to use the expression, take the cake. Find out how to use this and get four more sweet English phrases.

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Hello, Michelle. How's it going today? Good, Lindsay. How are you? Good. I'm happy to be recording with you. What are we talking about today? I heard we were talking about cake. Ooh, Lindsay, what's your favorite kind of cake? Oh my gosh. I think you asked me this recently actually on the show, but I'll say something different. I like carrot cake because I love the frosting. All right. And...

you don't like it no well carrot cake i will yeah is that a cringe sound yeah it was a cringe i am not setting foot near a carrot cake you don't like the frosting though the cream cheese frosting michelle oh it's not your thing okay interesting okay that's okay yeah that's one like you know there i don't know yeah i mean listen i'm not gonna like

lose my mind if I have something like like if I have an olive I'm gonna get very upset if I have some carrot cake I'm you know it's okay like I but yeah actually I'm getting a birthday cake made for my daughter's birthday yeah coming up and so it's going to be a cookie dough cake

Oh, yeah. That's fun. Interesting. All sorts of new flavors, new cake flavors. But we do have a great episode inspired by an expression. Should we read the question first and then we'll see what the expression is?

All right. Absolutely. Let's do it. All right. So this is from a listener in Japan, Mao Taka. Here we go. Tell me about it. You're definitely the best podcasters. This is in a review, by the way, a five-star review. So thank you to Mao. Thank you, Mao. They said, I'm looking forward to checking if this podcast is updated after every day of work. Oh, I

i love that that is so great today i got a new interesting expression from your episode lindsay said take the cake i'm curious about other expressions in which some sweets are used thank you for giving us thought-provoking opportunities oh amazing amazing yeah thank you so much mel this is a great great question this is going to be a lot of fun so um

before we get into that recently, we did another cake expression. Maybe that's the one that, uh, maybe that's where you said, yeah, probably could be. So that episode guys check out 2365. That was, can you have your cake and eat it too? Yeah. And keep in mind guys, what you're learning over there are totally different expressions from what you're learning here today. So who knew there would be so much to say about cake.

I mean, it makes sense, right? Cake is great. So, yeah. So, Lindsay, what does it mean to say something takes the cake?

It means it's the most of something or the best, right? It's used for extremes, the best, the worst, right? And it can be emphatic. You can emphasize things, right? It's not used when you're just apathetic about something. You don't really care or you're not really sure if there's much of a difference between this and that.

Right? Yeah, exactly. You have a strong feeling for something. And it can be used positively or negatively. So let's do some examples. Okay. Lindsay, you want to do the first one? Yes. You have to see my doctor. He really takes the cake when it comes to good bedside manner. I love him. Yeah. So we can use this again to apply to people,

categories of like professionals, right? The best dermatologist, the best doctor, so many different things. What else Michelle? What's another example?

All right, so I've had some pretty bad experiences with the train system here, but this one really takes the cake. So here's an example of something negative, right? You're saying this is by far the worst train experience I've had here, right? Exactly. The first one was saying that something is good. The next one was saying that this is not a good thing. I mean, do you think that are you more likely to use this in a positive or negative way? Or you think it really just can be either one?

um that's a good question so i i think when you use it in a negative way it's a little sarcastic right it's kind of saying this is the the best the worst of the worst like it's it's the best of the very dramatic most worst of the worst the most yeah it's dramatic it's a little sarcastic i say both michelle what about you

I think so too. I think so too. I think it can just be used when you want to feel, when you want to be a little bit dramatic. Yes. Let's do a couple more examples. Just to give it a whirl. So we go, you've always been a good cook, but this meal takes the cake. Yum. Yeah. So someone's just cooked a really great meal and you want to say, this is by far the best one you've cooked, right? Yeah. Or I've had some pretty bad dates before, but this one takes the cake.

okay so maybe this was the worst date ever right right right so it's extreme i mean and it's often used i think to talk about a past experience and relating it to the most extreme version of that experience so it's often in a way i mean you're comparing it to something in a way because you're not if you've only done something once

it has to be used when you're really kind of have some context, when you have some extra experiences. Yeah, exactly. Right. If it's the first time you're doing something and it's a good or a bad experience, you can't say it takes the cake because there's nothing to compare it

too. This is about comparing X to Y and Z and the others, right? And even if you have done, even if you are doing something for the first time and you say it takes a cake, you're still using it to relate it to other experiences you've had. There's still some sort of tie in, I believe. It has to be in context. I love that, Michelle. Good point. Yes.

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Okay, Michelle. So our listener, Mao, did ask for a couple of other examples of sweets, right? Expressions that have to do with sweets. And as I traveled...

When I lived in Japan, I noticed that there's a big culture around cake shops, sweet shops, especially, I mean, amazing. You went there too, Michelle. You must have seen in the huge subway stations in the basement, they usually have department stores. And you walk in there and there's, did you see that? Do you remember that? Yeah, I love Japan. I

I want to go back so bad. I know, me too. But you walk in there and you see these amazing cake shops with just the most intricate details and so beautifully presented. So I think there's a big culture around desserts and sweets, sweet shops in Japan and the world. I think also probably other parts of Asia too.

and and obviously in in europe right um so we're we're really missing the game here when i you know we just we have our whoopie pies and our you know i don't know i just think the presentation of desserts can be so beautiful sometimes yeah oh my gosh absolutely for sure so let's talk about

some of these expressions. Um, and we have talked about other, I think way back, we did another episode about, uh, you know, cake walk and things like that. You'd have to take a look for that one. But so I tried to put some new ones in. So what's the first one, Lindsay? Okay. Cherry on top, right? So this is the best and the worst part, an additional thing, something that tops it off at the end. For example, I love the dinner and the cherry on top was when they came around and gave us free dessert at the end.

So it's like everything was good and then something additional was added that was good or could also be bad. Right. I feel like you use this one more in a good way. Generally. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Me too. I would say, Lindsay. So but why do we say cherry on top? I mean, what does that come from?

what does it come from ice cream sundaes yeah did you did you used to go to friendlies did you have that brand yeah okay so that is a northeastern thing I think or an East Coast thing um we used to go and get these beautiful ice cream sundaes and the place to go was friendlies and you'd get your ice cream your whipped cream your fudge sauce and then your cherry on top right on top yeah so oh actually that makes me think of have you ever heard you know kids would say

pretty please with a cherry on top sure yeah that's that's perfect that ties that in right yeah exactly when you're begging for something from your parents yes all right that's good so that's a cherry on top what's the next one the proof is in the pudding have you heard this one Lindsay of course Michelle can you explain what this means because it's a little bit

advanced the concept, I think. It is. It is. When I was looking it up, you know, I know sometimes we have expressions where I know how to use it in context, but it's a little bit tricky to actually explain it. But so let's give it a try. So it's something that can only really be known once you actually try it or experience it, right? So like, so for example, our results speak for themselves. The proof is in the pudding. You know, you can trust our company.

Yeah. So instead of trying to convince someone with statistics and fancy language, you would just say, just try the thing. Right. And we're not literally talking about pudding. Right. I mean, I guess we could be a special recipe, but it's not about pudding. It's not about food here. Right. Just to be clear, it's about some product or something that

that's doing well, that is successful, that people like. - Yeah, right, exactly, exactly. And then there's Sweetie Pie. - Sweetie Pie. Not to be confused with Whoopie Pies, which I mentioned earlier. Do you know what a Whoopie Pie is, Michelle? - Of course. - Okay, I wanna make sure. I wanna make sure 'cause it's a main thing. Yeah, yeah, okay, okay, good.

So perfect. So sweetie pie though, that's a term of endearment. I mean, it can be used for kids, maybe your partner. So you could say I teach first grade. A couple of my students are such sweetie pies. Oh yeah.

And you might say this to your kid, right? Or to your pet or something. Yeah. It's just a term of endearment, right? As you said, a way of addressing someone that you feel affection for. Love that. Yeah.

All right. And this next one. This one I bet you have daily bouts with this with your kids. You want to make sure you avoid this for them, right? Oh, God. Just this morning, my daughter found a thing of gummy bears that I didn't want her to find. And she said, I just pulled it.

hold it I just want to hold it it's like seven in the morning and then she I heard her go oh can I just have Juana and I come and she's already eating it oh no come on all right so the key phrase here is sugar high and especially for parents right I guess sugar really affects kids body they're so small I guess it really just wires them right

Um, so you have to really, there's usually a crash, right? So, yeah, but it's not just kids. It's adults too. Right. We get this. Maybe we don't notice it, but we do. At least I do. Um, in the afternoon, for example, if I have like a carb heavy lunch, um, I, I feel that

Right. Maybe I have a lot of energy and then maybe I crash. Crash. Yep. Yep. Exactly. So a lot of times for kids, especially it basically means they're acting a little crazy. So you could say when my kids have donuts, they run around the rest of the day from the sugar high. Yeah. I feel like the common lore here is that people send their kids off to their grandparents and the grandparents load them up and then send them back on their sugar highs. Does that happen to you? Yep.

Yep. Well, it's just, yeah, they'll be around. And especially Dan's parents. I love them. This is not a negative thing, but there's a lot of, oh, here's that. And Dan and I are always like, stop, don't do it.

spoil them they've earned that right i guess as grandparents but that must be a little frustrating for you for sure um yeah and sweets are used a lot in english right michelle i mean we could do more episodes on this if we wanted to there's a ton a ton of these kinds of expressions so we'll have to come back to this one day guys hit follow to make sure you don't miss it but lindsey let's do a roll

play all right so here michelle we are talking about beach vacations that we've taken nice i could use a beach vacation right now sounds very nice all right here we go you have to go to rahul with beach i've been so i've been to so many beaches in the area but this one takes the cake okay i'll have to try it yeah i mean don't take my word for it the proof is in the pudding well i trust your opinion

And you have to try this restaurant we love there. The owner is a total sweetie pie, but beware they have ice cream so your kids will probably have a sugar high after. That's okay.

Yeah. The food options are the cherry on top for the town. Great. Yeah. Rehoboth beach. Now that's in Delaware, right? Delaware. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. I know. I just chose it. Yeah. That's like a favorite for people in the mid Atlantic, I think usually. Right. Whereas when I grew up in the Northeast, so we used to go to Cape Cod all the time. Oh, I love Cape Cod. Yeah.

Yeah. Like have you ever been to Cape May? Um, that's in New Jersey. I accidentally drove to Cape May once. I thought I was on, how does that happen? I thought I was on 95 heading towards Washington, DC. I was going down the state of Jersey. Yeah. It was not good. Oh yeah. Oh my gosh. That's hilarious. Well, Cape May is beautiful.

beautiful yeah it's on the very bottom of New Jersey right like yeah I don't know it's just gorgeous um it's very sweet town um so many great ideas yeah for our listeners who are living in the US guys these are places you could visit little beach towns little experiences because there's so much literature written about beach towns in the US right coastal towns so many movie references so check it out yeah

Okay. All right. Let's go through this role play. I realized that I took all the expressions in this role play. I said, okay, I didn't get anything. I know. I didn't give you anything. My gosh. How rude. Okay, here we go. I said, I've been to so many beaches in the area, but this one takes the cake. So I'm saying it's good using this in a positive way. And I'm comparing it to other beaches.

Yes, exactly. So that's a positive use of that. And then you said, yeah, don't take my word for it. Proof is in the pudding. So what are you saying there exactly? You're saying, you know, I feel so confident about this. You don't have to, you just have to try it. And I know that you're going to like it because it's in the pudding.

It will sell itself in a sense, right? Yes. You have to actually go there to experience it and then no more needs to be said. Exactly. Good. And then you said, and you have to try this restaurant we love there. The owner is a total sweetie pie. And just meaning he's,

nice he or she is nice and sweet right love that but then i said they have ice cream so your kids will probably have a sugar high after love it and then you said yeah the food options are the cherry on top for the town so so you're saying the ice cream is like the foundation of the right yeah and then the and then on top of all that you get good food options and robo the beach yeah

Absolutely. So perfect. So sounds like I really, I really in this role play, I love using all of the dessert expression. Sounds like I need to go get an ice cream. And it sounds like I need to try Rehoboth Beach. Geez, it sounds great. I guess.

So, Lindsay, yeah, anything that you want to leave our listeners with? Yeah, I think it's fun to look at, you know, look at sweetening up your English, right? Maybe that'll be our title today. Sweeten up your English with new expressions. Don't just settle with the common idioms that you read in your textbook, guys.

look to what are you excited about? Are you interested in sweets and do you enjoy sweets? Maybe there's other ways you can add additional phrases and maybe we'll do another episode, right? I love it. It just makes your English more interesting, more intriguing, more expressive. All right. Absolutely. Oh my gosh. This was fun, Lindsay. Let's go get some ice cream. Yes, please. It has to be chocolate, Michelle. All right. We'll see you in the next episode. All right. Bye. Bye.

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