It's a tough call.

They're so different.

Mmm.

Something funny?

No.

No, no, no, nothing's, you know, it's just that both those belts look exactly the same to me.

You know, I'm still learning about this stuff and, uh...

This... stuff?

Choosing just one scene from our favorite movies to turn into lessons like this one is a tough call.

That means it's a very hard decision to make, just like the belts they're trying to decide on.

And if you're new here, you should know this is exactly what we help you do.

Have fun learning with your favorite movies and TV series so you can finally understand fast-speaking natives without getting lost, without missing the jokes, and without subtitles.

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Now let's step into the world of high fashion with the amazing Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in this powerful scene.

Oh.

Oh.

Okay.

I see.

You think this has nothing to do with you.

You go to your closet, and you select, I don't know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back.

But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue.

It's not turquoise.

It's not lapis.

It's actually cerulean.

And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns.

And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent, wasn't it, who showed cerulean military jackets?

I think we need a jacket here.

Really impressive speech by Meryl Streep here, right?

Anyway, you want to stick around to see the second part of this scene.

We'll see it later in today's lesson.

For now, though, there is a lot of advanced English we can learn in this first part, so let's get into it.

I should also tell you that we are saving all the advanced words and expressions you learned today on the RealLife app so you can practice them over there.

Just click the link in the description below to unlock this lesson with the Devil Wears Prada completely for free on the RealLife app and continue watching it over there.

As I said before, a tough call is a difficult decision.

Just like with the word decision, we use the verb make with the expression tough call, to make a tough call.

Check out this example of how to use this expression with the TV show The Office.

Now, I don't know if you noticed, but why does Miranda Priestly, Meryl Streep's character, have this reaction when she hears the word stuff?

Let's see it again.

What is stuff?

What do we usually call stuff?

Stuff is a vague word we use when we don't want to be specific.

It can be anything.

But when Andrea casually calls high fashion stuff, this makes Miranda react strongly.

You see, fashion for Miranda isn't just stuff.

It's an industry, art, and a billion-dollar business.

By using such a generic word, Andrea unintentionally dismisses something Miranda deeply values.

By the way, the verb to dismiss is a nice one to learn.

It means to treat something as unimportant, to ignore it, or not pay enough attention, as Andy did by not caring so much about the difference between the two belts.

When something has nothing to do with you, it means it is not connected to you in any way.

So, Miranda is saying to Andy that even though she believes fashion doesn't affect her, in reality, the clothes she wears are influenced by the high fashion industry.

Let's see how she explains that.

Pay attention to the advanced vocabulary she uses.

And you select, I don't know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back, but...

So, here Miranda describes Andy's sweater as lumpy.

Based on how it looks, can you guess what lumpy means?

Badly shaped, of bad taste, funny-looking.

Lumpy can describe anything that is uneven or not smooth.

It may also refer to some shapeless, baggy clothes.

And a couch can also be lumpy and uncomfortable to sit on.

What you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise, it's not lapis, it's actually cerulean.

Now, these are three shades of blue.

You don't have to memorize these words, but you may hear them in some context, so it's important you at least know they refer to types of blue.

Hey, just a quick question.

What do you do to remember all the new words and expressions you are learning?

Like, in this lesson, we've already covered phrases like have nothing to do with, a tough call, the word lumpy, and we'll go through many more in the rest of the lesson.

Will you be able to remember and use them when you need them?

I'm saying this because I know it's quite frustrating when you get into conversation in English and right when you need to use a certain expression you've learned before, it doesn't come to you.

I've been there myself.

Your brain simply goes blank and that totally ruins the flow of your conversation, right?

That is exactly why we created the RealLife English app to help you become a confident and natural English speaker by practicing with these lessons the way they were meant to be.

On the app, every lesson like this one with movies, TV series, and podcasts, it comes with a full transcript and flashcards of the most advanced expressions.

By practicing just 10 minutes a day, you'll be able to remember the new words and expressions you are learning forever.

This happens because of the spaced repetition technology we developed, which lets you review words just when you're about to forget them.

Can you imagine being able to use all this vocabulary when you speak?

This is what you can get with the RealLife English app.

And you can unlock this lesson with the Devil Wears Prada for free, which comes with all the resources I mentioned, by clicking the link in the description below.

You can also look for RealLife English in the App Store or Google Play, but the link below will take you straight to this lesson, which is free if it's your first one.

And I'll see you there.

Okay, now we know different shades of blue.

We know that lumpy is uneven and badly shaped.

But what is to be blithely unaware?

Let's hear it again.

When you are blithely unaware, it's as if you choose to be unaware.

You don't follow the trends, like in this case, or you just don't bother to learn more about the situation.

And again, Miranda says Andy has no idea how much history and influence are behind the fashion choices around her.

For example, those cerulean gowns from the designer collection that later influenced the mass market.

By the way, this is a gown, a long elegant dress usually worn for formal occasions like weddings or red carpet events.

Now, are you ready for the second part of the scene?

Let's watch it.

And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers.

And then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic casual corner where you no doubt fished it out of some clearance bin.

However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs.

And it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when in fact you're wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff.

And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers.

And then it filtered down through the department stores and then...

Miranda explains how fashion trends started at the top and gradually influenced mainstream clothing.

We first see how cerulean spread within high fashion, showed up or it appeared in eight different collections.

And then mass market brands and department stores start selling similar colors and styles.

You know, those large stores that sell different types of products like clothes, furniture and electronics all in one place.

And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers.

And then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic...

Miranda uses the phrasal verb filter down to show this gradual spread from a higher to a lower level, from designers to department stores.

And then it trickles down to even smaller retailers like Casual Corner, a US chain retailer located in shopping malls and so accessible to average consumers like Andy.

So both phrasal verbs filter down and trickle down are about movement, this slow spreading from the top levels to lower levels, like when you are making coffee.

Let's check a few examples.

Casual Corner where you no doubt fished it out of some clearance bin.

However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs.

According to Miranda, Andrea likely grabbed something randomly from the clearance bin.

She uses the phrase fish out to emphasize that Andy pulled the sweater from a messy pile, contrasting it with the careful and deliberate selection that happens in high fashion.

This is a clearance rack.

A clearance bin or a clearance rack is a section in a store where discounted or out-of-season clothes are placed for sale.

Casual Corner where you no doubt fished it out of some clearance bin.

However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs.

And it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when in fact...

Miranda shows Andy that fashion isn't just about clothes, it's an industry that creates countless jobs.

When something is so large that you can't count, we use the word countless.

And it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when in fact... you're wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room.

If you're exempt from something, you don't have to do it or aren't affected by it because of a special condition, status or reason.

So, to exempt means to free a person from some obligation to do something, like to pay taxes or take a test.

Andy thinks she's outside of fashion.

She's not affected by it.

But she isn't.

As Miranda illustrated, even her simple sweater is the result of a fashion trend.

That's an amazing job you've done today.

Now the test part.

Let's watch the scene without subtitles and see how much you understand.

And there are some questions to the words and expressions from today's lesson.

Let's do this.

It's a tough call.

They're so different.

Something funny?

No.

No, no, no, nothing's...

You know, it's just that both those belts look exactly the same to me.

You know, I'm still learning about this stuff and...

This stuff?

Oh, OK, I see.

You think this has nothing to do with you.

You go to your closet.

What does the phrase it has nothing to do with you mean?

It is not related to you?

You know nothing about it?

You can't work here.

You go to your closet and you select, I don't know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back.

But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not...

When your sweater is lumpy, it is dirty and untidy, shapeless and not smooth, weird and funny looking.

You're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of Cerulean gowns.

Then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent, wasn't it, who showed Cerulean military jackets.

I think we need a jacket here.

And then Cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers.

And then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic casual corner where you no doubt fished it out of some...

What does it mean when products trickle down to stores?

People are tricked into buying more stuff?

Products are being delivered to the stores.

Products gradually enter smaller stores.

Casual corner where you no doubt fished it out of some clearance bin.

However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs.

And it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when in fact you're wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff.

What is the word to use if you are free from paying taxes?

You are exhorted, exempted, accepted.

That's it for today.

Now remember to go and practice what you learned today on the RealLife English app.

You'll find a special link right in the description below.

That'll take you straight to this lesson over there.

And here's another great lesson for you to watch next if you are staying on YouTube.

Not tights.

Not socks.

And I never want to see those shoes again.