AEE 2637: Can't Get Over It? How to Talk About Sunsets, Concerts, and More

This is an All Ears English podcast episode 2637. Can't get over it? How to talk about sunsets, concerts, and more. Welcome to the All Ears English Podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times.

Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection. With your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl. coming to you from Colorado and New York City, USA.

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One of the greatest moments in life is when you are in awe of something and you can't get over it. Today, get the phrase you need to talk about this like a native speaker in English.

If your English sounds correct, but not quite right, you're not alone. Sometimes it's not grammar. It's word choice, tone, timing. You might rely on safe phrases, not because you want to, but because nuance feels risky.

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Get your level at allearsenglish.com. One more time, go to allearsenglish.com slash f-l-u-e-n-c-y-s-c-o-r-e. Hey there, Michelle. How's it going? Hey, Lindsay, I'm good.

How are you? Michelle, have you ever been through a bad breakup in your dating life? Yeah, I mean, not like a evil breakup or anything, but I've been through breakups and it's painful. Yeah.

How long about you? Yeah, for sure. Oh my gosh. Yeah, absolutely. In the dating world, it can be tough. It can be tough, especially if you take it really personally, you know, but for you, Michelle, how long does it usually take to get over a breakup?

Would you say? I mean, I think I can take a good, it could take six months. It could take a, right. It depends. And more so is like, you know, how how do you get over it and i think it's i i honestly think the only thing is just time keeping busy and time what do you think yeah i think we talked about i think aubrey and i talked about this a little bit recently on the show you know getting into a new hobby just like making sure that your life is full of really great things so you're not thinking about the person all the time right yes yes exactly

So today we're going to talk about an expression with get over. And this is really, really useful. So this is I can't get over something. So for example, I can't get over how beautiful this beach is.

So it's interesting because this is not necessarily what we were using for the breakup idea, right? I can't get over him. Yeah. We're not really talking today so much about breakups, right?

This isn't the context of talking about a breakup. It's more about something that brings awe to your mind. Like you can't understand, like you just can't conceive of how beautiful something is or how something something is. Yeah.

Something, something is. Yes. You can't stop thinking about it. It could be short term. It could be long term. It just has really impacted you. It has affected you in some way.

So and again, I can't get over someone maybe used after a breakup. So but more we're going to talk about it in another context today. Yes. But guys, make sure you hit the follow button wherever you're listening to All Ears English.

Don't miss anything from us. And let us drop into your queue. Yeah. So again, this is normally used to describe something that is surprising, amazing.

Michelle, can this be good or bad, would you say? Or is it more just for good things or what? I think it could be either. What do you think? Yeah, I agree.

It's just it's more like something that's kind of shocking. Right? Right. You can't believe how you feel about it in a way. Yeah. Yes, that's absolutely right.

Yeah. So it could be good. It could be bad. So really, Michelle, this is something that makes you feel a strong emotion, right? That's right. Exactly.

So let's do some more examples. Okay. So here's one. I can't get over how unique your house is. Yes. I have some friends and they live in a house with so much character and charm and it's really beautiful.

So that's something I might say. Oh, that's very cool. Yeah. Every time you walk in, right? Even if it's not the first time you're walking in. Yeah, it's true.

There's always something new to notice. Yeah. something to feast your eyes on, right? Feast your eyes on. I love that expression. Or I can't get over how good that concert was.

So maybe you already left the concert. You said that was great. And then you get back home and maybe you're having ice cream and you're like, oh, I can't get over how good that concert was. You're reflecting on it again, right?

Exactly. Exactly. Lindsay, is there a really good concert you've been to? I know you've been to a lot of concerts. Yeah. I haven't been to too many concerts, but I went to see Madonna last year and I love that.

That was amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That was my favorite. Lady Gaga was good. Not too many. I'm not a big concert goer, Michelle, actually. No. Oh, okay.

What about you? I know you've been to Adele. Adele was really good. Yes. Yeah. Well, of course, I'm going to say Pink was amazing. I've seen Beyonce. She was amazing.

Oh, wow. um so yeah so definitely very that's a that's a really good one to use it about is concerts because that's an interesting thing was with concerts you feel so like connected to if it's a good concert you feel so connected to that performer um and to your experience it's really it can be like a very emotional and moving experience to go to a concert surprisingly yeah surprisingly moving i feel like when i buy concert tickets i just think about the prices I'm like, Oh my God. You know, and I don't, cause you know, whatever, I'm just going to a concert.

I don't value them that much, but then I get there and something like the Adele performance or, and you're just, you're, you're really sucked into it. And it's incredible. Like your whole, your whole body and mind are both there. They're both present.

Right. And then you feel this incredible support for that person. And so what happens to me is I'm always like, Well, I'm, you know, like, I mean, I sometimes I buy a cheap shirt outside of this outside of the concert.

Yeah. But I'll like buy and I'm like, and I'm gonna just like wear this with pride and everyone will see and it's like, you like kind of get sucked into this moment. And then and then when it's actually time for you're like, I don't want to wear the shirt. That's funny.

That's so funny. So you have a lot of t-shirts of, of like, not that many, but not that many, but I did. Yeah. It's like, you just have this feeling like right afterward.

That's this dopamine effect, I guess. And you're like something. I want everyone to know how amazing this was. No, I totally know what you're saying. There's totally something there.

It can bring you to tears, the music, the performances. I mean, yeah, I definitely was brought to tears at Adele's concert in Vegas. I mean, it was just incredible.

Um, and I'm, I'm not even like, I like Adele, but my partner's more the Adele fan and, you know, but I was like, wow, she's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Um, and then Michelle, we said on the negative side, it can be used to say you're outraged by someone, right. Or something. So what would that look like? Yeah.

I can't get over his audacity. He's so rude, right? You're, you're outraged. You're, you're shocked. Yeah. Mm hmm. Right. And audacity. What does that mean?

That's a great word. Yeah, I think we've done a whole episode about audacity. I think so. Yeah, I should see if I can find it. But well, number one, it's the software that we use.

Yeah, right. It's also audio recording software. So thank you. It is. It is. And it's just like, like, I'm looking it up like, yeah, like boldness. right boldness audacious right you're bold maybe you're noisy you're not afraid you're confident but it can be in kind of a negative way if it becomes rude right yes yes um that's exactly right so um yeah so there we go audacity so lindsey is there something what's something that you can't get over good or bad

Well, on my last road trip, the one where I drove across the country, I think actually to create the Connected Communicator back in 2016, I couldn't get over the Texas sunsets.

The Texas sunset is like something very special. I think our listeners that... live in Texas, know this. The sun becomes really huge. I think it's just, I don't know, something about the positioning or something about Texas.

And it's just magical. The way the sunsets look in Texas, it doesn't look that way anywhere else. It's incredible. Um, so Texas sunsets, I couldn't get over them.

I love it. Um, I can't get over how expensive groceries are. I mean, you know, every time I go, I'm like, really? So yeah, for sure. No, I think, I think inflation hit us hard a few years ago and it hasn't gone away completely, right?

Prices never go down. That's just the reality. Like it's just not going to happen. So we're still shocked by those inflated prices that maybe went up three years ago, but we're still shocked by it, right?

Yes, that's true. Good stuff. All right, we'll take a quick break. Shopify is made for entrepreneurs like you. All right. So Michelle, when would we maybe use this in natural conversation?

Well, I mean, you just did, right? To describe a place, right? Scenery is a really good time to use this. I can't get over this Texas sunsets, right? Totally.

Or if you're eating something that tastes amazing, right? Yeah. I just can't get over how good this is, right? I just keep eating it. Or it could be after you've had the meal.

I can't get over how good that food was. Yeah, exactly. I'm excited because I'm going tonight out for Middle Eastern food with my friend, having a mom dinner. Yeah, it's nice because we're always, whenever we hang out, we're with the kids.

So tonight we're going on a... on a mom date um but i have a this place is supposed to be really good so i'm excited oh wow what kind of middle eastern food is it like uh beirut oh wow okay that's well you should tell us about that on the show when you come back yeah

um or someone's actions right so like you know how nice someone is how rude someone is right um how funny someone is how nice it was of somebody to do something for you like i have i have an extremely generous kind friend who i'm always saying oh i can't i can't get over how sweet she is she's just like so friendly and giving so That's amazing. Yeah. So it's just when you are surprised about how you feel about something kind of, right?

So for better or for worse. So other ways to say this, you might say I'm amazed by something. Like I'm amazed by how funny this comedian is. I just wasn't expecting it.

Or I can't believe how. I can't believe how fast this year went by. Yes. Perfect. Let's do a role play to show our listeners how to do this in action.

All right. So here we are vacationing at the beach. Oh, let's imagine we're on a Caribbean island. I love it. Okay. All right. I can't get over how blue this water is.

I know. It's gorgeous. I'm amazed by how busy it is here, though. Same. I can't believe how many people are on vacation at this time of year. Yeah. That's the only problem when you go to these beautiful places.

Sometimes it can be really touristy, you know? Yeah. Yeah. So I said, I can't get over how blue this water is. That's a common thing that people comment on, right?

When you're at the beach, oh, how blue the water is. Because a lot of places like, I don't know, at least on the East Coast, the water is this... greenish yeah blue black it's blue i think people often say like i can't get over how clear this water is right like green blue or clear yeah a caribbean look right yeah yeah that's that's the the best um yeah you see that it's really beautiful yes i went to um panama a few years ago to the san blas islands and it was

Yeah, it was just like that. It was incredible. It's like a series of like 100 different islands off the coast of Panama. And just I've never seen water that clear before.

I haven't spent a lot of time in the Caribbean. I really haven't done a lot of Caribbean vacations. Have you, Michelle? No, not too many. I mean, and it's always like with a cruise for a short time.

But I haven't spent a lot of time there. Yeah. So it's kind of crazy when you see that for the first time. It's amazing. You can see straight down, right?

Incredible. So then I said, I know it's gorgeous. I'm amazed by how busy it is here, though. So it's interesting because, yeah, that's not necessarily a positive thing.

So you can be amazed by something that is... Sort of annoying or... Yeah, right. Exactly. Just I'm amazed by it, right? Yeah, sure. Yeah. Just because you say the word amazing, it doesn't mean...

Or amazed doesn't mean it's necessarily always a good thing. It has to be a good thing, right? Right. Exactly. And then I said, Sam, I can't believe how many people are on vacation at this time of year.

Yes. All right. Good stuff. Yeah, guys, I was able to find that episode about audacity, because that's a good word for today. A good bonus word. So guys, check it out to hear more.

This is a little ways back, but definitely worth listening to. It's episode 2436. That was the audacity. Have the nerve to connect in English. Yes. And for a takeaway, I love any episode that gives us words to...

express when we are just taken aback by life a little bit, right? Like I said, the Texas sunset, like I'll never forget how that looks. It's really unique and incredible. An amazing Middle Eastern meal, right?

We hope that your Middle Eastern meal tonight is worth saying this, right? And so these are like the great moments of life and you need something to say in those moments to build connection. And this is one of them. All right.

Yes, exactly. Exactly. Good stuff. Anyway, well, I'm glad that we talked about this today, Lindsay, and I'll talk to you next time. All right, Michelle, have a good one.

Bye-bye. All right, bye. Thanks for listening to All Ears English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com forward slash fluency score.

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