Native English Expressions | Ep.36

Do you feel lost when listening to native speakers? It’s likely because textbook English isn’t enough. Welcome to Native Expressions Ep.36.

Real conversations are full of idioms, phrasal verbs, and cultural nuances. This series curates authentic expressions directly from podcasts and YouTube videos to help you sound more natural and confident.

Native Expressions Ep.36 | 1 – 10

off air

: private. speaking when a radio or TV program is not being recorded or broadcast.
The two women talked about their shared interests off air before the recording began.

needlepoint

: Stitching. a type of sewing where you make patterns with thread on a cloth.
She became famous for her skill in needlepoint and started a popular show.

responsible for

: causing. being the person or thing that makes something happen.
The artist is responsible for making this old hobby popular again among young people.

craze

: trend. something that is very popular for a short time.
The host mentioned that the recent craze for sewing is thanks to the guest’s influence.

bump

: increase. a small or sudden rise in amount or level.
There was a significant bump in the number of people sewing during the 2020 pandemic.

pick something back up

: restart. to start doing an activity again after stopping for a while.
Even though she started in college, she decided to pick it back up during a long break.

not to date oneself

: avoid age. used when you are about to say something that shows how old you are.
She said, “not to date myself,” before mentioning she had been doing the hobby since 2009.

look for stuff

: search. to try to find things that you want or need.
After she got married, she started to look for stuff to buy for her new home.

shop online

: buy online. to get items using the internet instead of visiting a store.
While living in the city, she preferred to shop online because it was more convenient.

a better way

: improvement. a much easier or smarter way to do a task.
Because finding items was difficult, she believed there had to be a better way to find them.

Native Expressions Ep.36 | 11 – 20

call to order

: phone. to make a telephone call to buy a product.
The customer was disappointed to find that she had to call to order from the local shop.

would rather

: prefer. to want to do one thing more than another thing.
She would rather use a website than talk to a stranger on the telephone.

jump off a cliff

: hate. a funny way to say you really do not want to do something.
The young woman felt she would rather jump off a cliff than have to call a store for an order.

FaceTime

: video call. to talk and see someone on a phone screen at the same time.
She wondered if she could FaceTime the shop because she did not want to visit in person.

audio messages

: voice recordings. sound files you send to someone instead of typing.
Since she hated talking on the phone, she asked if she could send audio messages instead.

voice memo

: recorded speech. a short recording of your voice saved on a phone.
The buyer preferred sending a voice memo to explain exactly what she wanted to buy.

traditional stores

: physical shops. regular stores that you visit in person to buy things.
Even in the famous traditional stores, she could not find any designs that she liked.

shut something down

: close. to stop a shop or a business from being open.
The hobby became popular again after the pandemic began to shut everything down.

paint one’s own

: make yourself. to create a design using your own paint and ideas.
She was very creative, so she decided to paint her own patterns for her project.

there you go

: that is it. a phrase used to show how a result happened simply.
She put her designs on a new website, and there you go, her business started.