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cover of episode Learn the English Phrases "to lay low", "to lie low", and "a low blow"

Learn the English Phrases "to lay low", "to lie low", and "a low blow"

2025/1/15
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Bob's Short English Lessons

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Bob the Canadian: 我在这节英语课中讲解了三个英语短语:"to lay low","to lie low"和"a low blow"。 "to lay low"和"to lie low"都表示躲藏的意思,通常用于描述罪犯为了躲避警察而隐藏起来。例如,在追捕罪犯的电视剧中,经常会听到这些短语。这两个短语的用法相同,都表示躲藏。 "a low blow"在拳击中指击打腰部以下,引申为不友好或不善良的行为。例如,如果我借给兄弟100美元,并告诉他一年后还款,如果我第二天就向他要钱,那就是一种"a low blow"的行为,因为它不友好也不善良。 总而言之,"to lay low"或"to lie low"表示躲藏,例如,如果偷了东西,警察在追捕你,你可能会躲在表哥家,选择"lay low"或"lie low"。"a low blow"则指任何不友善或出人意料的行为。

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In this English lesson, I wanted to help you learn the English phrases to lay low or to lie low. This is one of the situations where we use lie and lay in the same way, and it means to hide. Usually you will hear these phrases if you're watching a show where the police are chasing some criminals.

And the criminals might decide to lie low or to lay low. Sorry, lie low, lay low. I should say them in the right order. Lay low sounds kind of funny when you say it, though. It kind of rolls off the tongue in a funny way. Anyways, the criminals might decide to lay low or to lie low. That means they're going to hide somewhere where the police can't find them.

The other phrase I wanted to teach you today is a low blow. So a low blow in boxing is if you punch below the waist. Like if you punch below the belt, it's considered a low blow. But we also use this phrase to talk about

Any behavior or action that's not really nice. So for instance, if I lent my brother $100 and told him you can pay me back in a year, and then if I asked him for the $100 back tomorrow, that'd be a low blow. Like I'd be doing something that's not very nice and not very kind. So to review...

to lay low or lie low means to kind of hide out. Maybe you've stolen something and the police are after you, so you hide out at your cousin's place. You decide to lay low, you decide to lie low. And a low blow is any time you do something to someone that's just not very nice and not something they were expecting. But hey, let's look at a comment from a previous video. I'm just going to read the beginning of this comment from Know That for the sake of time. It's a great comment, but

But I'll read the... We'll get the gist of it from Know That. Every now and then you squeeze the recording of your videos, lessons for us into your lunch break, Bob. I was wondering if you plan these, let's say trips, or if you do them more spontaneously, depending on what's on your to-do list for the day. And then you can read the rest. But my response, sometimes it is on a whim. Sometimes it is intentional. Sometimes it is just convenient. There isn't a rhyme or reason most of the time. Sometimes it just depends on the weather. So...

Thanks, Know That, for that comment and that question. Yeah, sometimes it's just, you know, how I'm feeling that day. Or maybe I'm doing an errand, so I just jump out of the van and do an English lesson as well. Today I came out this way because it's just a nice area to do it. I know that...

Some of you like seeing views of the farm and some of you like seeing little glimpses of Canadian life. You like seeing trucks drive by and you like seeing what's happening in my local town. So yeah, sometimes I do it intentionally. If you watch my members only video on my other channel today, I did that intentionally. There's a new bakery in town so I decided to walk past it

I didn't go in. But I do know that sometimes some of you like seeing just a little glimpse of Canadian life. There's a glimpse of Canadian life coming towards me right now. There's someone walking. Three dogs. So I think I might actually move into this driveway.

and let them go past. So I'm not afraid of dogs, but do you remember that one video where a dog almost bit me? That wasn't very enjoyable. Hi, how you doing? Good. There, you can see the dogs going by. If I sounded extra cheerful with my hello, that's because I recognized that person. It's a former student of mine. So I didn't want to say her name, but she was a good student. Very, very smart. Anyways,

Yes, location. I try to get a little bit of variety in as well for my own sake. It's kind of fun to make videos in different locations. Me standing at home with a tree in the background is only exciting for so long. So sometimes it's nice to get out. Anyways, thanks for watching. Thanks for learning a bit of English. I'll see you in a couple 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.