AEE: How to Get the Hang of Idioms
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This is an All Ears English podcast. How to get the hang of idioms. 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 host, Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz, and Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, USA. Hey.

Do you struggle to get the hang of idioms? You're not alone. Today, you'll learn four idioms for getting used to something. Listen in to use this vocabulary to connect with friends about something new in their life.

hello Aubrey how are you today I'm great Lindsay how are you excellent excellent so today I am excited to bring an amazing episode of the business English podcast over here on to all ears English what are we featuring today on the show yeah we taught some amazing idioms in a recent s episode of business English so many idioms that we use at work we also use in daily conversations

And these are amazing for connecting over something new that your friend is doing, maybe a new job, a new hobby. So we want to make sure that you don't miss out on these idioms.

Yeah, it's so true. It's very weird if we only use, you know, textbook business idioms at work. That never happens, right? And vice versa in our daily lives, we can use business idioms in our daily lives over here on All Ears English. So we're going to go ahead and jump into this episode for our listeners. Anything else we want to let them know before we go ahead and play the episode?

Yeah, well, we want to make sure that you guys follow the Business English Podcast. If you missed this episode, you are missing a lot of amazing vocabulary that we use not only at work, but in everyday conversations. So be sure to follow the Business English Podcast and we'll stick around to the end because we're going to share our favorite idiom from the episode. All right. So here is an episode from our Business English Podcast. Here we go.

hey lindsay how are you great michelle how are you how's it going good good thanks lindsay when's the last time you learned something new for work oh learn something new oh my gosh i'm always learning new things uh but i can't think of anything specific i know sometimes it's hard on the spot right um i know i put you on the spot that's okay i'm always learning new marketing things so

Yesterday was the last time, Michelle. Okay. Yeah. I mean, do you tend to... Do you remember if you did anything to get a feel for how it worked? Maybe there's something you were specifically learning maybe on the computer or... Yeah. So learning how to mobile optimize different pages, different web pages is something. So even just today, I was learning how to work with the mobile optimization to get a feel for how...

the display would look on mobile versus desktop. So yeah, you just got to try things out, Michelle, try things out. Yeah, definitely. Um, and one thing you guys should try out right now is if you haven't already, you should hit the follow button wherever you are listening to the business English podcast. So you never miss an episode. Love it. So hit follow now guys. So do you use this expression, Michelle, get a feel for something?

This one is really common, I think. Yeah. Yeah. But what does it mean? Oh, my gosh. It basically means to begin to understand something, like to get familiar with it. Right. Right. Right. Right. So it doesn't mean you have to know everything, but you're starting to get a sense.

Yes. Yeah, exactly. All right. So here, let's do some examples. Here's the first one. We just switched our company over to digital records, but I'm still getting a feel for the system. Yes. Or I think my new job, I, sorry, I think, wait, I think I think I like, I think I like my new job, but I'm still just getting a feel for everything.

Yeah. Okay. Or I'm trying to get a feel for how Hadley works. Do you have any insight? Nice. Yeah, I think you're right. I think it is super common. It's another way of saying trying to understand something, right?

Right? Yeah. To me, this is really useful because you're in this in-between space. You're working on something. The wheels are in motion. You're in the process. And so this can really express that type of a feeling. Feeling. Yeah.

yeah really use it to show that you're working towards something now it can be working towards something very specific learning a system or learning a person or learning how you feel about something that's interesting too right we're going to talk about that a little bit a little bit more later in the episode i love that all right so let's see

things that we're trying to get a feel for right now I'm trying to think well when I visited New York this past weekend I mean I know New York so this might not be the best example but I was trying to get a feel for how things have changed since the pandemic I guess that works yeah trying to get a feel and what was I doing to get a feel for it I was walking the streets as you do in New York to learn anything right

walking the streets of Chelsea and trying to get a feel for what was different and what was still the same. Right, right, right. And for me, you know, I had a big move this year and I am more in a suburban situation now. So I'm trying to get a feel for life in the suburbs. And there are things that I...

there are things that I like and there are things that I miss from city life. You know, I would say the number one thing is the grocery situation. I'm always thinking, when can I get to the grocery store when I used to just hop out my door and I lived right next to someone. So I'm trying to get a feel for how my grocery shopping works, you know, how to plan for things. Yeah. Yes. Interesting. Love that. And again, it's like, it's a process. It shows that you're in a process of learning something.

learning about something. It's not the final piece of information. You're on the road to learning more, right? - Right, right, right. So it's almost like, oh, there's an expression, the verdict's still out.

We could do a whole episode about that, but it's saying we don't know yet. We don't know yet what will be the final opinion, right? From the suburb life or this kind of a system or whatever. Right. The verdict's still out. I also say more often I say the jury's still out, but I guess people do also say that the verdict is still out. Essentially, it means the same thing, right? The jury is deliberating. Right, right. That's true. Interesting. Oh, we should do an episode on courtrooms

expression. Oh, that would be fun because we did one on accounting expressions. So there's definitely a lot to be done there for our listeners. Love that. Guys, hit follow to catch that episode. So there are other ways to say this though, Michelle. You don't always have to say, you know, get a feel for something. You could say related things. So yeah, one thing you could say is to feel something out. Mm-hmm.

Right. So instead of get a feel for something, you could say feel something out. So I want to feel out how much Sheila is open to learning for the new project. Yeah. And what would you do to figure that out? Like, what would that mean exactly in terms that maybe you would drop some questions?

Yeah, right. Right. Yeah, exactly. Maybe I'm going to ask some questions. Maybe I'll, maybe I'll take her to lunch and I'll talk about the new project and see if she sounds interested. Right. It's kind of what we do when we interview people, fill someone out, right? We get a sense of you ask open ended questions like, um, we were working on our business course, our new professional, uh, English level one that's coming out in the spring.

And we were talking about why do interviewers ask the question, tell me about yourself. It feels like such a vague, broad, lazy question, but it's actually pretty strategic for them, for the interviewer, because they want to know how you describe yourself. It says a lot about you, how you answer that question.

doesn't it right yeah well they're trying to feel you out they're trying to understand you also another time when you feel someone out is when you're dating right you're trying to get a feel for the person what are they like do you like them are they nice to waiters and waitresses right yeah learn about them yeah you kind of need the time in the same space physical space just to see how they interact with the world another way to do that is to go traveling together

Oh, we've talked about this on the show. You know, take that before you marry someone, travel internationally with them, right? And see what happens. Yep. Yep. And then there's also get a sense of. Now, Lindsay, I think you mentioned this one already. So I want to get a sense of how our clients feel about the changes we have been making. Yes. I love that one. Get a sense of. Again, it's not getting the exact answer. It's getting around the answer, getting in the ballpark of the answer. Okay.

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or get the hang of something this is more learning something how to do something a little bit different a little different let's get the hang of this new software before we move on okay so just to make sure that's clear that's learning how to do something and these other ones are learning about someone or something okay right right right Lindsay which will does do any of these feel the most natural or common to you yeah I think

I think feel something out is good because this is actually how we gather information. Most of the time, we're not asking direct questions and getting direct answers. We're asking indirect questions or listening more to gather info and then come to a conclusion later on.

Yeah, definitely. So any other thoughts on why this is useful for business? I mean, it's not only getting a feel for something you're learning, like we were talking about, learning about a person, learning if something will be okay with a person, learning how your coworkers think and work. I think it's very important to get a feel for the people you work with.

yeah i think the importance of when you're new at a job feeling out the workplace um listening more than you speak we've talked about that on this show before is this the right place for me right getting a sense is this the right corporate environment is this what i want you have to listen for the cues that are going to be maybe under the surface not in the direct words people are saying

right yeah very good point uh should we do a role play we shall Michelle Michelle let's do it so here you are new at the office and I am showing you around perfect new office situation here we go

I know it feels like a lot, but you'll easily get the hang of things over time. Thanks, Lindsay. Right now, I'm just trying to get a sense of how to get around this building. Oh, it's so confusing. I know. If you want to take a walk with me during lunch, I can help you get a feel for how to find your way. Thanks. I'm still feeling out my new smartwatch, too. Maybe the GPS will help me.

Well, that's an awful scenario. Imagine your first day at work, first week, and you still haven't figured out the building, not to mention the workplace. And then you're like, your worst fear is your co-worker is going to find you lost in a corner somewhere. Well, I had to go for something at my son's school, and his school is kind of...

big circle and I'm still trying to feel out how to get around. And I had to find the teacher's lounge and I had to ask for directions on the way. And I'm just kind of circling around and it's like, oh God. It's like one circle is okay, but two or three, you start to get a little embarrassed. Is it me? You're like, oh, it's probably me. Right. Exactly. Yeah. That's where that's so funny. Oh, see, it's just this, this, and this.

and this and this. And you just say, oh yeah. And you have no idea what they're talking about. Yeah. They use those trigger words like, oh, it's just over here. It's just that way. They make it sound so easy. Right. I love that. I think we did do an episode on just once. We may do a new one soon. Who knows? We'll see. Yeah. All right, Michelle, let's break this down here. So what did I say first?

You said, I know it feels like a lot, but you'll easily get the hang of things over time. So this is specifically about learning. Okay, good. Yeah. And then I said, and then you said, thanks, Lindsay. Right now, I'm just trying to get a sense of how to get around this building. So it's not even so much as work. It's actually, I just can't get to get to the door of the workplace. Right.

and then you said if you want to take a walk with me during lunch i can help you get a feel for how to find your way yes again it's not like she's going to sit and lecture you on all the turns to make but you're going to sense out and get a feel of the layout of the space of the land yep yeah and then you said thanks i'm still feeling out my new smartwatch too maybe

maybe the GPS will help. So you just got a new smartwatch and you're trying to kind of make a joke about like, yeah, oh, I'm going to actually need a GPS here.

you might who knows who knows right um great what was another episode our listeners could go to right away to keep listening yeah guys check out episode 380 that was accidents happen how to say you made a mistake at work I really like this one because it matters so much what we say we all make mistakes so what are we going to say because that's going to determine our reputation at work how much do people trust us

And how much do they respect our competence, right? Yeah. Yeah. Very important. All right. Takeaways for today. What do you think? All right, Michelle, this is all about just really understanding that most of the time we learn things not by being told them, but by figuring them out. We figure them out. We use our senses, our sense of smell, touch, taste,

to figure out what we think of something and what is the geography of something. So we need words to express that. - Definitely. All right, well, that sounds good to me, guys. We hope you gave you a sense of how to use these expressions and try them out in the business world and in your personal life. Go for it. - All right, sounds good. Michelle, I'll see you back here very soon. You have a good day. - You too, bye Lindsay. - Bye.

All right, Aubrey, we are back. What did we think about that episode? Oh, so many good idioms. I think my favorite is to get a feel for something. I use this a lot, right? Oh, you know, I've started something new and I'm just barely getting a feel for it. It means I'm getting used to it, especially if it's a pretty big change.

Yeah. Personally, I like get the hang of it, right? Getting, you know, asking someone how it's going. If they're learning something new, Hey, are you getting the hang of this? How's it going? Can I help that sort of thing? I love that. And this is for any new hobbies, new job, right? If you run into someone and they share that they're doing something new, this is the perfect thing to say, Oh, are you getting the hang of it? What a great way to connect, to go a little deeper, you know, to let them be open if it's kind of a difficult transition.

I love it. So guys, go ahead over right now and open your search bar. Look for business English, right? You'll see the yellow come up. If you want to get more of these business English episodes, Aubrey, what kinds of things, what kinds of topics do we cover over on the business English podcast? We share so much interesting vocabulary, slang, phrasal verbs, idioms, all

all of which that we use a lot at work, but also in everyday conversations. We also share a lot about American business culture and just culture in general. We recently talked about, should you talk about dating at work on that podcast? That was really interesting.

great question and then we cover all the fundamentals of a workday meetings which we know is a big challenge uh presentations interviews we go into different contexts around these situations for you including socializing and small talk which is a huge piece of it because we need to build those relationships right up right exactly yes so be sure you're following the business english podcast as well as allers english so you don't miss any of our amazing episodes yep so go ahead and search for the podcast now and hit follow

All right, Aubrey. Well, thanks for being on the podcast today and I'll see you next time. Awesome. See you next time. Take care. Bye.

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