Catch Word #275 – Debbie Downer
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were feeling excited and enthusiastic, only for someone to say something that made you feel bad? In this Catch Word episode, Andrew and Kassy introduce several useful expressions that you can use to describe these situations. They provide detailed explanations, different usage scenarios, and offer advice on when to avoid using these phrases. You’ll also hear four example conversations featuring these new expressions, which will help you learn how to use them naturally and sound more like a native speaker.
What you will learn
- New Expressions: Learn expressions that communicate the feeling of someone making you less happy or excited.
- Usage and Context: Understand how and when to use these expressions through detailed explanations.
- Practical Examples: Listen to four dialogues that use these new expressions, teaching you to apply them in real-life situations.
- Do’s and Don’ts: Learn important advice on situations where these phrases might not be appropriate.
How you will improve your English with this episode
- Bigger vocabulary: Add expressions and phrases to your English vocabulary.
- Improved understanding: Learn about subtle emotional nuances in English conversations.
- Natural conversation skills: Practice these expressions through examples, making your English sound more fluent and native-like.
The best way to learn with this lesson
Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member.
Become a Culips member now: Click here.
Members can access the ad-free version here: Click here.
Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Catch Word #275 – Debbie Downer
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were feeling excited and enthusiastic, only for someone to say something that made you feel bad? In this Catch Word episode, Andrew and Kassy introduce several useful expressions that you can use to describe these situations. They provide detailed explanations, different usage scenarios, and offer advice on when to avoid using these phrases. You’ll also hear four example conversations featuring these new expressions, which will help you learn how to use them naturally and sound more like a native speaker. What you will learn
- New Expressions: Learn expressions that communicate the feeling of someone making you less happy or excited.
- Usage and Context: Understand how and when to use these expressions through detailed explanations.
- Practical Examples: Listen to four dialogues that use these new expressions, teaching you to apply them in real-life situations.
- Do's and Don'ts: Learn important advice on situations where these phrases might not be appropriate.
- Bigger vocabulary: Add expressions and phrases to your English vocabulary.
- Improved understanding: Learn about subtle emotional nuances in English conversations.
- Natural conversation skills: Practice these expressions through examples, making your English sound more fluent and native-like.
Sign in to access Quiz
Sign inHosts: Andrew Bates and Kassy White
Music: Something Elated by Broke for Free
Episode preparation/research: Andrew Bates
Audio editor: Marshall Vaillancourt
Transcriptionist: Heather Bates
Study guide writer: Alina Morozova
English editor: Andrew Bates
Operations: Tsuyoshi Kaneshima
Image: Matthew Henry (Unsplash.com)
Popular Podcasts
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about our English learning platform.
- They are Canadian and American
- Have master’s degrees and work in professions related to English education (Andrew is a university English professor, Suzanne is a pronunciation coach and voice actor, and Morag is a writer).
- Actively study second languages as adults. Our team understands the ups and downs of studying foreign languages as adults who live busy lives.

