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Catch Word #277 – Hit the fan
Intermediate
Catch Word

Catch Word #277 – Hit the fan

Release Date: 24 May, 2024

In this Catch Word episode, Andrew and Suzanne introduce two expressions to help you describe challenging situations in English: “To hit the fan” and “Everything’s gone south.” These phrases are helpful for expressing when things aren’t going well. By listening to this episode, you’ll learn what they mean, how to use them, and where they come from. Join Andrew and Suzanne to master these expressions and boost your English skills!

What You Will Learn

  • What “To hit the fan” and “Everything’s gone south” mean.
  • How these expressions are used in everyday conversations, especially at work or in personal situations.
  • Discover why English speakers use these expressions and how they reflect everyday experiences.
  • Get advice on using these expressions correctly in your own English conversations.

How This Episode Will Help You

  • Add useful expressions to your English vocabulary.
  • Practice using these idioms naturally, making your English sound more fluent.
  • Understand the cultural context behind these expressions, helping you connect better with English speakers.
  • Practice talking about these topics with our community on Discord.
  • Use the study guide to learn even more related expressions, test your knowledge with a quiz, and practice using the new vocabulary in various contexts.

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

~28 minutes
Catch Word #277 – Hit the fan
Intermediate
Catch Word

Catch Word #277 – Hit the fan

Release Date: 24 May, 2024
~28 minutes

In this Catch Word episode, Andrew and Suzanne introduce two expressions to help you describe challenging situations in English: "To hit the fan" and "Everything's gone south." These phrases are helpful for expressing when things aren't going well. By listening to this episode, you’ll learn what they mean, how to use them, and where they come from. Join Andrew and Suzanne to master these expressions and boost your English skills! What You Will Learn

  • What "To hit the fan" and "Everything's gone south" mean.
  • How these expressions are used in everyday conversations, especially at work or in personal situations.
  • Discover why English speakers use these expressions and how they reflect everyday experiences.
  • Get advice on using these expressions correctly in your own English conversations.
How This Episode Will Help You
  • Add useful expressions to your English vocabulary.
  • Practice using these idioms naturally, making your English sound more fluent.
  • Understand the cultural context behind these expressions, helping you connect better with English speakers.
  • Practice talking about these topics with our community on Discord.
  • Use the study guide to learn even more related expressions, test your knowledge with a quiz, and practice using the new vocabulary in various contexts.
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.

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  1. What metaphor was used to explain the meaning of “to hit the fan”?
  2. What are some situations where the expressions “to hit the fan” and “everything’s gone south” can be used?
  3. How does Andrew suggest using the expressions “to hit the fan” and “everything’s gone south” in conversation?
  4. What problems did the friend encounter while working on the app project in the second example conversation?
  5. True or false? We can use “everything’s gone south” for predictable and unpredictable things that happen.

Answers:

  1.  “To hit the fan” was explained with the metaphor of throwing pieces of paper at a spinning fan, causing chaos and problems to spread.
  2. These expressions can be used to describe situations where things are falling apart, deteriorating, or experiencing a sudden negative turn, such as projects, relationships, or plans.
  3.  These expressions are commonly used in informal settings such as casual conversations, discussions with friends, or office environments where informality is accepted.
  4.  The problems included being behind schedule, encountering bugs, going over budget, and facing competition from a similar app launched by a competitor.
  5.  True

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Culips is podcast for English language learners who want to get awesome at English. We think it is important to learn English how it is really spoken and that’s why our lessons are always focused on real, current English. Learn to speak like a native and understand everything with Culips!  Test
Culips is really different than other English courses and podcasts. Our hosts are kind, funny, and professional. Our podcasts and lessons are designed to help you become fluent in conversational, North American English.  Here are some things you might not know about our hosts:
  • 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.
At Culips, we make English understandable through our five different series: Chatterbox Listen to real English conversations between native speakers as we talk about current events, share funny stories, or interview fascinating guests. Become a fluent listener, get exposure to Western culture, and learn the ins and outs of natural English conversations all at the same time. Catch Word Learn natural English expressions, idioms, and phrasal verbs. We teach you everyday English vocabulary that native speakers actually use. Sound like a native speaker with Catch Word. Simplified Speech Do you get stressed out by English? Do native speakers talk too fast? Don’t worry! We’re here to help. In Simplified Speech, we use 100% natural English, but we speak more slowly than we do in our everyday lives. This series is great for all levels of learners but is specifically designed with high beginner-intermediate students in mind. Real Talk In our In our Real Talk series we teach you the practical English you need know when visiting or living in an English speaking country. Each episode examines a specific situation such as ordering at a restaurant, renting an apartment, or getting a refund. Speak Easy Speak Easy is the show that teaches you how to pronounce English the way native speakers do. Learn tips and tricks that will make your English pronunciation clear and understandable with Speak Easy.
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