AEE 2693: Back to the Future! How to Connect Over Classic Films

This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 2693, Back to the Future, How to Connect Over Classic Films in English. 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 host,

Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz, and Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, USA. To get real-time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android. Start your seven-day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward slash app.

Want to know a quick shortcut to connection? Make a reference to a favorite American movie, Back to the Future. Find out how to do it today. Fluency doesn't mean speaking perfectly.

It means speaking without tension, with ease, and in a way that will build connection, without translating, without second guessing. If English still feels heavy for you, you need clarity on how to get better, not more effort. Our free two-minute fluency quiz helps you understand what your English needs right now. Plus, you get your English level.

Take it today at allearsenglish.com slash fluency score. That's allearsenglish.com slash F-L-U-E-N-C-Y-S-C-O-R-E. Great Scott, Lindsay. Here we are again.

You sound like the doc. Is that the doc that said that? Doc Brown? Yes. How many times have you seen Back to the Future, Lindsay? Many times. I'm not as much of a nerd when it comes to Back to the Future as many people are.

What are you saying? I am a huge nerd. I've seen it so many times. But mostly when I was a kid, right? We had a limited number of VHS tapes or movies recorded off of television, and this was one of them.

Well, there's something comforting about it. You know, it's just I don't know, came out in the late 70s, 80s, I think. 80s, I think. Yeah. Yeah. And it's just like people know the phrases.

And that's why we're talking about this today. Our listeners need to know some of the phrases. Exactly. If you haven't seen it, you should definitely watch it.

And we quote it a lot. I hear it quoted. And so we're going to share some of the quotes and what they mean. And then yes, definitely go watch the movie.

And you can also be throwing these quotes into your conversations. Yeah. Or at the very least understanding why someone just quoted, you know, back to the future. And yeah, so good.

Because that's also fun too. If you're watching a TV show or having a conversation and someone makes a pop culture reference, it's fun to be in the know, to like know what they're referring to. For sure. For sure.

So yeah, definitely see the movie if you haven't seen it yet. It's with Michael J. Fox. And who else famous? I think Christopher Lloyd is Doc Brown. And I'm trying to remember the name of the woman that plays his mom.

Oh, his mom. I can't think what it is, but she's a pretty well-known actress as well. And yeah, great show, great cast. And there are three, part one, two, and three.

I like them all, but the first one, the original, is definitely the best. Yeah, for sure. So we kind of have two and we're just going to give you I like that. We just have we have a few.

Oh, we have more than two. We have five, don't we? How many do we have? We have five phrases, five quotes that you might hear that you could use. And this is gonna be interesting.

I'm excited to dive into these because a couple of these I did not realize were from this film. that are just more like used generally and i think a lot of people don't even know that the line originated from this film really interesting i mean it really permeated the culture i think for sure and that's why you said at the beginning of the episode great scott great scott this is a fun one doc browns he's like the professor who invents time travel he says this a lot whatever he's surprised he says great scott Yeah, it's really fun. So you'll hear people throw this just if they're shocked or surprised.

They'll say this. They usually know they're quoting Back to the Future. And if you say they're like, oh, Back to the Future, they're gonna love that you like caught the reference. Yeah, well, this is very timely, actually, by the way, because wasn't he supposed to have traveled to 2025 or 26?

I feel like that was the future. But he went to the future. Yeah. And it was this year. That's really funny. Anyways, let's do a role play, Aubrey. So, all right.

You want to go first? I might say, I just found out my cousin won a million dollars on a game show. Great, Scott. That's incredible. Yes. And I would be really tickled if you said that, right?

If you throw in a Back to the Future reference to respond to my exciting news, that's just really fun. I actually think I didn't know that that was Back to the Future either. I didn't know. I didn't know.

That's funny. But you've heard people say it. right? Yeah. Of course. Of course. Yeah. I just thought it was just one of the things people say. Well, guys, we're learning something new every day on the show, including your co-hosts here.

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Leave a comment right there on the YouTube video. Yeah. Now this next one, it's everywhere, right? Hello, anybody home? What's the right intonation here, Aubrey?

Right. So he says, hello, anybody home? Think, McFly, think. But often that will be shortened, right? They'll remove because McFly, Marty McFly is the younger character.

And this is Biff Tannen that says it. He's like the evil character, the bad guy in the film, right? And what it means is like, use your brain. The answer should be obvious.

So often we'll short it to my dad would say, hello, anybody home? And that meant like, are you thinking? Are you like looking? Right? Yeah. Or sometimes it's shortened to hello, McFly.

Right? I think yes. Any of this, there's all these little variations. And what we're really saying is like, use your brain. It's like a playful, lighthearted way of kind of pointing out to someone that they're like, maybe not thinking something through.

Yeah. And it's everywhere. I mean, I don't know whether this was specifically meant to be a reference to the Back to the Future or whether it was just said. But I remember a few times, even on the New York City subway, you know how the announcers on the subway are famous for being super mean?

Yeah. Yes. They would say when you live there, you probably experienced it. They would say like, hello, doors are closing. Hello. Right. And they would scream at you.

I'm really curious because now people will just be like, hello, that goes everywhere. I wonder if that was originally in this film or who knows it could have come from somewhere else. But either way, it did really permeate the culture. And we still will hear that.

But it was really big in like the 90s, I think. Yeah, it's still out there for sure. Let's do a role plan show our listeners because this one I think is the most common. Any permutation of this is super common.

All right. So here we go. Have you seen my sunglasses anywhere? You're wearing them on your head. Oh, wow. Hello, anyone home? Think, McFly, think. Yeah, yeah.

Hello, McFly. Hello. So good. So good. All right. This next one, I don't really know. So tell me about this. Okay, this is fun. So Biff, again, says in the film, why don't you make like a tree and get out of here?

And he's made fun of, it's called a malapropism when you use the wrong word, right? It's this unintentional humorous misuse of a word because he should say leave the expression is or leaf really right make like a tree and leaf was this like you know kind of a joke phrase in maybe 70s 80s we don't really use it anymore but so he should have at least said and leave or even leave and he says get out of here so it just makes him look unintelligent right to like mess up this expression yeah And he was kind of that character, like you said, the bully, the, you know, the villain of the show a little bit.

Right. So you want to poke fun at him. You want him because he was he also was meant to be a character that was not extremely intelligent. And so this is one way they showed that was having him mess up this expression.

Right. OK. All right. Let's do a reply. So, OK, it's midnight. I have work tomorrow. All right, everybody, make like a tree and get out of here. So we'll quote Biff's mistake, right?

People will still, you know, we don't really say make like a tree and leaf anymore. But I will hear this sometimes we're like referring to this funny joke of him messing this up in a movie.

I love this. And then this next one, oh, well, it's very inspirational. I didn't know it came from Back to the Future. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.

And I guess George McFly was Marty's dad. Is that right? Exactly. But when Marty goes back, goes to the past, they're like the same age. So they kind of become like buddies.

And George doesn't know that he's Marty's dad, right? Yeah. But what was interesting, I saw this on kind of like the list of the most often quoted phrases from Back to the Future. I was like, wait, is this really from Back to the Future?

So I looked into it a little bit. And this phrase was not a common established expression or idiom before Back to the Future. So it's this iconic pop culture quote that was written specifically for this film in 1985 by these screenwriters, Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis. And before that film, all we had that we would say was, where there's a will, there's a way.

And they didn't want to use that. They wanted to come up with something like new and specific for the film. And now I feel like I hear this everywhere. I say this.

It's crazy that it wasn't said before this film. That's really cool to know that, that it was sort of invented, created, put into the mainstream culture by Back to the Future. I love that. And it is so positive and encouraging.

Let's do a little role play where you might hear it. I don't know if I can get into that program. I mean, you've worked hard all year. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.

Yes. Yeah. So people definitely say this. They don't know that they're quoting Back to the Future, actually, because it's just been adopted into our language.

Yeah. Same with the hello thing. Hello. It is a little rude sometimes, by the way. We should go back to that and just make sure it's clear. Depending on your tone of voice.

You would say it to friends, right? Hello. Like it's very, you're mocking someone for not using their brain, for not noticing something. So it is kind of rude.

It would only be among friends. If they also tease you, then you could do it. Siblings. Yeah. Or, you know, New Yorkers on the subway. I mean, you know, the subway, the people that work on the subway are notorious for being a little gruff at times, but that's New York.

That's why we love it. Right. Exactly. Yeah. Have you ever felt exhausted after speaking English? Not because the conversation was difficult, but because your brain was working overtime to translate, checking grammar, searching for vocabulary.

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Go to allearsenglish.com slash fluency score. That's allearsenglish.com slash f-l-u-e-n-c-y-s-c-o-r-e. All right, Aubrey, we're at number five now. So what is it?

Yeah, this is our last one. So Doc Brown says this. He says, your future hasn't been written yet. No one's has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one.

And yeah, it means your future is not fixed, right? Your choices matter and they will affect what happens in the future. So it's rare that we'll hear this entire thing, but versions of it, right? You might hear your future hasn't been written yet, or your future's not set.

Your future is what you make it. And so some versions of that phrase might've existed before back to the future. But yeah, now that we use it, we're like, it was in the moon. Yeah.

Geez, I'm feeling inspired to rewatch Back to the Future. I feel like it's been too long. It's always a good idea. And I just saw it as a kid. And I would like to bring my perspective now to the movie.

Right. I just rewatched it with my kids. And in my opinion, it definitely holds up. It was just as entertaining as when I watched it as a kid. Oh, 100%.

All right. Here's a role play. I'm worried I'm too old to start over. No, you're not. Your future hasn't been written yet. Your future is whatever you make it.

So make it a good one. Yeah, this is funny. It's a little cheesy if you give the whole thing, right? Well, you know, the 70s, the 80s were a little cheesy, right?

It was a little cheesy. We just owned it. We're like, we're going to be cheesy and it's okay. Yeah, just own it. It's better. It's better than where there's a will, there's a way, right?

For the number four, at least. Yeah. We don't say that much anymore, right? I would, you know, you're going to hear it, especially maybe in older movies, but we don't say that much anymore.

All right, let's do a quick role play. So here, Aubrey, you are telling me about a major life change you're making. Yes. All right, I'll start us out.

I finally did it. I quit my job and started that business I've always been talking about. That's amazing. Oh, great, Scott. That's amazing news. Also, the local newspaper wants to feature my store in an article.

Oh, that'll be awesome for getting the word out. Just goes to show if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. Yes, I'm starving, actually. Want to go grab dinner?

Absolutely. Let's make like a tree and get out of here. Nice. I would seriously be just like tickled pink if someone used that phrase in a conversation.

Let's make like a tree and get out of here because that's very clearly a nod to Back to the Future, right? That person has seen Back to the Future and is intentionally quoting it. And also Great Scott. That's another one where most people who say that, they know that's from Back to the Future.

They know. Interesting. Okay, really good. So yeah, you said you quit your job and started a business and I said, Great Scott, that's amazing news. And you have to say this with some enthusiasm, guys, obviously.

You have to have some life in your voice and act a bit surprised, right? Because it is expressing a bit of surprise, a bit of enthusiasm. And it's interesting because the more serious you are about that, the stranger it will be because you're saying something that's so playful, right? So you kind of have to add that tone in your voice that's like, I know I'm quoting a movie and I'm being a little silly, right?

If you're like, great Scott, great. That's amazing news. Almost like if you imitate Doc Brown's voice or he's like an older scientist, right? Yeah. I think your version of it is better.

Say it again. Let's do that line again. When I say it, okay, you be me and I'll be you. I finally did it. I quit my job and started that business I've always been talking about.

Great Scott. That's amazing news. Yeah, that's much better. That is the right. Yeah, you're almost like impersonating Doc Brown in the funny way that he said it, right?

Yes, 100%. I love that. I love that. So guys, watch this movie if you haven't for sure. And then what else did we use here? So then you said, you know, if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.

And again, this someone might know they're quoting Back to the Future if they've seen the film a lot, or you might just hear someone say this and they don't realize that that line was made for that movie. It's so true. Yeah, exactly. It would be fun to be a screenwriter, wouldn't it?

To write these lines. That'd be so fun. It really would. But I'm impressed by screenwriters. They're so clever. There's so much clever writing. Not just anyone could do that.

It's difficult. For sure. And then you said, I'm starving. Let's go grab dinner. And I said, absolutely. Let's make like a tree and get out of here. So again, specific for this movie.

Exactly. And just really tickles me, that line. All of these lines, really. I really hope that you guys will watch this film, quote this film, because it's so fun.

You're going to hear them. Like you said, Lindsay, the biggest thing here is recognizing the reference. Other native speakers who have seen this film, you're going to hear them make these references. And usually when someone quotes a movie like this, it's fun for them if someone...

realizes it and you know if you could say like i see what you did there or like oh back to the future just something where you're recognizing that what movie they're quoting yes and we've done other episodes on that uh how to nod to that right how to show that you get it right yes maybe we need a new episode updated episode on that maybe next time coming up in the next couple of weeks uh guys go check out 2692 get super excited about this mega fantastic episode

Yes, that's so great. Just scroll up. That was the last episode. If you want to know how to use super, mega, ultra, naturally in conversation, don't miss that one.

Yeah. And just for a takeaway, I mean, this is the shortest shortcut. The quickest shortcut to connection is quoting movies. And so you show people that maybe you've both seen the movie, you both enjoyed the movie.

It creates instant connection. Aubrey, don't you think? Yes, I love it. People, Americans love to connect over films and people all over do, right? So this is going to be a really fun way to connect with someone if you recognize their movie quote, or if you can quote a movie that they've seen.

Yes, I love it. Huge. All right, good stuff. We'll see you very soon, Aubrey. Thanks for talking about Back to the Future. Maybe we'll talk about another movie soon.

This is really fun, this kind of episode, I think. Let's do it. Awesome. Thanks, Lindsay. See you next time. All right, bye. See you next time.