Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles Feifei: Hello I'm Feifei and welcome to The English We Speak - and joining me is Rob. Rob: Hello everyone. Feifei: So Rob, I hear you have a new a hobby? Rob: Yes that's right - it's very exciting - let me show you... Feifei: Arghh! Bees! I don't like them - shut the door! So you're new hobby is bee keeping? Rob: Yes I'm a bee keeper - and I love it - but there is a sting in the tail. Feifei: Of course there's a sting in the tail - bees sting - and it hurts, that's why I don't like bees. Rob: They only sting when they're angry Feifei - and anyway, when I said 'there's a sting in the tail' I wasn't referring to the bees. I meant something unpleasant comes with something that is meant to be pleasurable. Feifei: Yes, as I said - looking after bees means you're likely to get stung. Rob: That's true - but what I meant was bee keeping is fun but I wasn't expecting it to cost so much money - I had to buy all these hives and these special protective clothes. Feifei: Yes, you do look silly! So you're saying bee keeping is fun but the unexpected cost of it is the sting in the tail? Rob: Exactly. Let's hear some examples while I go and get some honey... Examples: We had a great holiday but it had a sting in the tail - when we got home we discovered our house had been broken into. I love her new book - the story is funny and romantic - but there's a sting in the tail when someone dies. Yeah, we all got a pay rise this month, but there's a sting in the tail - we're expected to work longer hours. Feifei: So that's 'a sting in the tail' - a phrase that means something unpleasant and sometimes unexpected happens when doing something good or fun. Rob: OK Feifei, one of the good things about bee keeping is you get this delicious honey - and that's free - go on Feifei, try some. Feifei: Hmmm honey, delicious! Oh no, you've brought something else with you... it's a bee! Rob: Don't panic - I'll try to catch it... ouch! That hurt. Feifei: Oh dear - it looks like bee keeping has more than one sting in the tail! Rob: Very funny! Feifei: Bye!
B1 UK feifei sting rob tail bee keeping A sting in the tail: The English We Speak 1333 72 Samuel posted on 2017/10/24 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary