Learn the English Phrases "a real headache" and "a splitting headache"
04:25 Share

In this English lesson, I wanted to help you learn the phrase, a real headache. Now, this can have two meanings. The actual meaning is that your head hurts and maybe you need to go to a pharmacy to get some medicine so that you don't have a headache anymore. Maybe you have a real headache, an actual headache. But we also use this to talk about a situation that isn't easy.

Right now, I don't think I want to go to the United States because I think crossing the border would be a real headache. I think they might ask me too many questions. If you didn't know, the US and Canada aren't getting along very well right now. So I'm not sure I want to cross the border because it might be a real headache.

You might go for an interview for a job and you might say, oh, the job interview was, it was a real headache. Like they asked me questions for two and a half hours. So sometimes when it's not an actual headache, we still use the word real to describe a situation that is kind of annoying and kind of difficult. The other phrase I wanted to teach you today is a splitting headache.

This is an actual headache. If you have a splitting headache, you will probably go to the pharmacy and get some acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help with your headache because you have a splitting headache. Sometimes people go out and they drink too much. They have too many alcoholic beverages and the next morning they wake up with a hangover and they have a splitting headache. So to review, a real headache can be an actual headache or it can be a difficult situation and

A splitting headache is when you have, your head just feels like, it just feels awful. It's not very nice at all. But hey, let's look at a comment from a previous video. This comment is from Unsel. "I've noticed there usually aren't many people around in the videos you film in town. Is that because of the time and place you choose to shoot or are those calm, peaceful streets just part of the vibe where you live?"

Thanks for filming outside, even with the strong wind. It's always such a joy hanging out with you. Thank you so much for this useful lesson. Have a great day, bye. And my response, I'll try to find a place today in town with more people. A lot are still in their cars because it is early spring. The warmer weather will come soon. And you've probably, thanks Unsel for that comment. And you've probably noticed as I stood there, there were a lot of people driving by and there still are, but there aren't a lot of people walking by.

That gentleman does have the window of his truck open. And I'll show you what Canadians do sometimes. Sometimes Canadians at this time of year, we don't start spending time outside, we just stay in our cars. So this is the Tim Hortons drive-through and you'll see that there are quite a few people lined up to buy some food.

to buy some coffee maybe some donuts and those kinds of things if you look way over there you'll see people going from their car into the tim hortons restaurant but yes i would say that it's still maybe a little bit too chilly for people to actually be outside oh there's someone over there so i'm gonna guarantee you that that person oh i thought she was maybe gonna go

into the drugstore, into the pharmacy because maybe she has a headache. But no, it's still a little... Oh, she did. She did go. Ah, I should have kept the camera there. Anyways, Unsel, you wanted to see more people? I think I showed you three. But yeah, I think it's mostly due to the weather.

Like in the middle of the day a couple days ago, it was 20 degrees and there were a lot of people outside. At school, a lot of the students went outside at lunchtime, but right now I think it's still a little bit too chilly for that. Anyways, thanks for watching everybody. By the way, the blue van has to go to the garage. It has...

Something's dripping. That's what I noticed. So it's going in next week. I don't know why. That's just a random fact. Anyways, have a good day. I'll see you in a few days with another short English lesson. Bye. Hi, Bob the Canadian here. Thank you for listening to this English podcast lesson. If you would like to support me in the work that I do as an online English teacher, please visit patreon.com slash bobthecanadian.