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Spoken English Course Day 16

Spoken English Course Day 16

Date: Mar 12 2011

Topic: Idioms and Slang

Author: andylu2

Lesson

Hi guys,

Sorry for the late lesson.  I was at a really cool internet conference today and it took longer than I thought.  I met a lot of really interesting people though and got some great ideas for teaching.  Right now, I'm in the middle of watching an NBA basketball game.  It's half time so I thought it would be a good time to put up a lesson.  I hate commercials!

The phrase today is "get the monkey off your back

This phase is used when you are have had a lot of opportunities to do something but kept failing.  When you finally succeed at whatever you were failing at before, you "got the monkey off your back".

For example, in sports, some football player maybe didn't score a goal for 10 games.  The pressure was starting to get to him.  Finally, in the 11th game, he scored a goal and "got the monkey off his back".

In dating, if you kept asking girls for dates and they kept saying "no" but one day one girl agrees to go on a date with you, "you got the monkey off your back".  

It's a kind of way of saying "the pressure is off now because I proved to myself and others that I really am capable of this thing".

It's used quite a lot and is a useful phrase for your vocabulary.

Check out the first free daily English speaking course that I've been doing daily.  I think you'll really benefit from them.

Also, check out my favorite free spoken English PDF email series and amazing spoken English course that goes with it.

Thanks for all the "likes" and comments guys.  Really appreciated! Cool

Comments

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United States

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02:55 AM Jan 24 2015 |

1 person likes this

zongxian

Malaysia

im a chinese but this phrase very useful to me .thank you~~

10:45 AM Jan 13 2015 |

1 person likes this

silently007

Pakistan

I want To speak with you.

11:15 AM Mar 14 2011 |

1 person likes this

osa5ma

Bahrain

who want speak with me

11:14 AM Mar 14 2011 |

1 person likes this

osa5ma

Bahrain

thank you so match  but what can I do

11:13 AM Mar 14 2011 |

1 person likes this

andylu2

andylu2

Canada

Hi Criz,

You have the right idea of the meaning for sure. 

I'll try to help with a more native type sentence.

"He finally passed his exam after failing a bunch of times.  He's so relieved now that the monkey is off his back."

09:57 AM Mar 14 2011 |

Athob

Saudi Arabia

Hi this first time insert here Iwant learn English .Can you help me?

09:45 AM Mar 14 2011 |

1 person likes this

Jungmi

Jungmi

South Korea

Hey Andy,

Really cool phrase again! 

06:37 AM Mar 14 2011 |

eme soul

eme soul

United Arab Emirates

I like this idiom ,thank you brother

10:19 AM Mar 13 2011 |

lynn629

lynn629

China

got it, it means u tried for many times, though always failed, at last it really works.

 you got the monkey off ur work.

 

Thanks, andy! 

09:51 AM Mar 13 2011 |

BittersweeT

Germany

mm.very helpfull.in azeri it has an equivalent and i wanted to find.now i learned.thaaank you again!

09:33 AM Mar 13 2011 |

miss_eos

miss_eos

Viet Nam

I know how relieved it is to get the monkey off your back. And I can always pull it off if I really go the distance in the things i wanna do.

04:19 AM Mar 13 2011 |

majidsukabumi

Indonesia

HI..!

I am new comer here…

03:29 AM Mar 13 2011 |

1 person likes this

alpha girl

alpha girl

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Hey Andy,

When I want something I never give up if I fail,because I know after some trying I can get the monkey off my back:D

Is this sentence true?

Thanks againCool

02:59 AM Mar 13 2011 |

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