Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles Hey friends, welcome back to a new lesson. Sometimes we need to say certain things that may sound offensive or a little rude to the other person, right? So in today's class we are going to take a look at “polite ways of saying, not so polite things” yeah, like I just said, we need to say some things and sound more sensitive when we talk about it, so other people don't feel that we are being insensitive or we are being too rude or maybe too upfront, right? So let's take a look at few things that we need to be a little more sensitive about. The first one is “passed away”, now a passed away means the death of someone, right? So when you make an announcement to your family you don't say, my grandfather died, right? Though it's true, he is no longer alive… you don't say he died you say he passed away, it's a more polite way of saying he died, okay? So remember don't say he died, you say he passed away, alright? Now there's another slang way of saying this and that is, “he kicked the bucket”. Well I would suggest you do not say it this way, don't use the slang by saying, he kicked the bucket… because some people may feel that you are being insensitive and you're making fun of someone's death, alright? So well be aware that this slang he kicked the bucket means someone passed away, alright? So remember when you talk about someone's death or when you want to say someone died, just say he passed away, okay? Now let's move on to the next one, “he didn't make it”. Now sometimes people meet with a fatal accident and by the time they rushed to the hospital, the doctors tried really hard to bring the person back alive and the person gives up, right? Or sometimes you are fighting a terminal illness and the medication just stops working and that time when we lose the person we say, ‘he didn't make it’, okay? That means he died. Maybe it was a very fatal injury or an illness and you don't say that, ‘oh, he didn't survive it, you know the medication didn't work…’ you just say, he didn't make it. So we rushed him to the hospital, it was too late and he didn't make it, alright? Well friends the next one “put to sleep”. Now we mainly use this when we talk about animals or probably a pets that are suffering, right? So sometimes when say for example a dog grows really old he's 14-15 years and his body just gives up he cries in pain and your vet feels it's better to put him to sleep, that means to terminate his life, right? So that he no longer suffers or cries in pain, alright? Now put to sleep, the correct verb that we use for this is “euthanized” okay, euthanized means put to sleep. So you can choose whatever you feel, if you don't want to be too harsh and say we euthanized our dog, you can say we put him to sleep. That means you willingly terminate his life, alright? So we you don't say we kill them because that's not what you're doing, you are just freeing him from the pain and suffering by terminating his life alright, that means you put him to sleep or euthanized your pet. Alright friends, so remember this is more polite way of saying that you have terminated your pet’s life. The next one “differently abled”. Now we use this when you want to say someone is disabled, alright? But you don't say he's disabled or you may not want to say he's physically challenged, okay or you don't want to say he is mentally challenged or something like that they are different people who have certain inborn, you know, disability and when you talk about them, you can just say he is differently abled, rather than saying he has this disability or he is disabled, we just call them differently abled means they are differently abled, it's the same meaning as disabled, okay friends? So when you say someone is disabled or is mentally challenged or physically challenged, maybe visually challenged, you say, okay he is differently abled and it's a very subtle and polite and most importantly a non-offensive way of talking about these people, alright? Now let's take a look at the next one, “lost one's marbles”. Now sometimes certain situations or events in our life, kind of tip you off, right? And you just lose your mental balance and I mean in the real sense. So when a mentally… a doctor who deals with mental patients, wants to say that someone has gone mad or crazy, you don't say he's gone mad or he's crazy okay, we just say, he's lost his marbles. It's a very polite way of saying someone in the real sense, has lost his mental balance. Okay friends, but remember when you talk and when you use this expression, be a little serious, don't start laughing because it's really not funny. Be a little sensitive and say, yes he lost his marbles, okay? So this is a more polite way of saying someone is cracked or he's mad and he's crazy… don't use those expressions. The next one, “exotic dancers”. Well we all know what dances mean but when do we say exotic dancers? There are a lot of strippers or who do strip shows, right? So you cannot call them, ‘oh, so you're a stripper, huh?’ No, they do not like to be called that way, what they like to be called or known as is an ‘exotic dancer’. So an exotic dancer is not someone who does you know like, salsa or jive, it's just that he's a stripper or she's a stripper and we do not use the word stripper we just call them exotic dancers. Alright friends, so well a little respect to them also, remember to call them exotic dancers. The next one, “powder my nose”. Now imagine you are at a dinner with friends, with colleagues or family okay, and you need to use the washroom… so you may feel a little odd or embarrassed you know, well you don't want to say I want to go to the washroom, so all you need to say is, ‘I'm just going to powder my nose’, okay? Powder your nose doesn't mean literally this, but it means you need to use the washroom, okay? And well know this remember, so all you need to say is, ‘powder my nose’, so I'm just going to powder my nose, I'll be back in a minute. That means you want to go to the washroom. Okay, so well a nicer way of saying use the washroom, ‘I'm going to powder my nose’. The next one, “doing time”. Well doing time means you you've been in prison. So when you talk about someone who has been in prison and you don't want to say it very upfrontly or boldly or maybe directly, all you can say is, ‘he has been doing time’ and it means he has been in jail. Well we have a more polite expression here because when you use the word jail or prison, it may be a little offensive to the people whom you're talking about or maybe people whom you're related to, so the better and the nicer way to say is, ‘he has been doing time’. So doing time means nothing but serving or serving time in prison or has been in prison, okay? The last one, “light-fingered”. Well sometimes there are people who are very, very smart and they walk into a store, they'll keep the storekeeper busy and all they do is just slightly flick things away, alright? So a person who's a thief, is very light finger because even though you're front of him and you're busy talking to him you have no idea it takes him a second to just steal things away and that is why we call them light-fingered. Well that doesn't mean his fingers are light in weight, just means they are so quick with their fingers that you don't even know when they have stolen something from your store. So when you want to say someone is a thief or has a habit of stealing things, do not say he's a thief, okay? What you can say is, be careful of him he's light-fingered, okay? Okay friends, so these are some expressions that you could go ahead and use and remember they save you because you actually say impolite things or not so polite things in a very polite way, okay? And well this brings me to the end of this lesson, I hope you enjoyed watching it. Go ahead and use these expressions when you have to, I'll be back soon with a new lesson till then take care and bye.
A2 polite washroom exotic disabled challenged powder Polite English Phrases To Say Rude Things. | English Speaking Practice Lesson To Speak Confidently 9 0 林宜悉 posted on 2020/03/20 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary