Podcast: The cold shoulder

By Ana | Podcast Inglês Online

Sep 06
Inglês - Podcast The cold shoulder

Hoje vamos falar sobre duas expressões com a palavra COLD.

Transcrição

Hi, everyone! How’s it going? This is Ana Luiza, with a new episode of the inglesonline podcast. To download or just listen to other episodes and download transcripts, go to inglesonline.com.br and click Podcast Inglesonline.

He got cold feetToday we have a couple of expressions with the word “cold”. Yes, cold, the opposite of hot. The first expression has to do with “cold feet”. Cold feet. Just as a reminder, feet is the plural of foot. One foot, two feet. Look at the picture: there’s a guy in a tuxedo, and his feet are cold. He’s got cold feet. Why? Well, apparently he’s about to commit to something really important, and he got scared all of a sudden. Maybe… he’s about to get married!

If you’re used to watching American movies, especially movies where there’s gonna be a wedding, you have probably heard the expression cold feet. For example, the engaged girl, who’s about to get married, is talking to her best friend, and she’s saying that she’s not so sure she’s ready to get married. Then her best friend says “Are you getting cold feet?”

So, yeah, this expression “He’s got cold feet” or “She’s getting cold feet” has to do with anxiety or fear, regarding something that you’re about to do, or something that you were supposed to do. However, now, you’re not so sure you can go through with it. You’re not so sure you want to do it. You’re having doubts, you’re feeling insecure, you’re a little anxious about it… you’ve got cold feet. Of course, some people are engaged to be married and then, they get cold feet and eventually they break off the wedding. Some people get cold feet on the day of the wedding. Now, that’s usually not a good sign.

We can get cold feet about other things, though. Example: some friends are planning a trip to the North Pole and they invite you to join them. You’re really excited, but your friends are telling you about all the different kinds of equipment you guys will have to take to be able to do stuff in the North Pole… and you’re starting to have second thoughts. You’re feeling a little anxious about this trip and now you’re not so sure you wanna go anymore. You are definitely getting cold feet about going to the North Pole, no pun intended.

OK, changing topics: here’s another great expression with the word cold. Let me give you an example. Let’s say you’re a guy and just started dating a girl, and after a month she decides to take you to meet her family. You get there and you meet her brother, her sister, her mother and her father. They’re all really friendly and nice to you, except her brother. He’s not being friendly at all. You try to initiate a conversation with him a few times, but he’ll answer yes or no and then he’ll start talking to someone else. You ask him about his job but he pretends he can’t hear you… he’s ignoring you completely. This guy is giving you the cold shoulder.

You have no idea why this guy is doing that. Everyone in the family is treating you well. They can hear you when you talk to them. This guy, on the other hand, is behaving like you’re not even there. He is totally giving you the cold shoulder. So you finally accept that he must be really immature and you give up trying to get to know him. Has something like that ever happened to you? I think everyone has been through a situation where they were trying to get to know someone, and the other person gave them the cold shoulder.

So what are your stories? When was the last time you got cold feet, and why did you have cold feet? When was the last time someone gave you the cold shoulder, or you gave someone the cold shoulder? Let us know and talk to you next time!

 

Key expressions

  • get or have cold feet
  • give someone the could shoulder

Glossary

go through with something

have second thoughts

no pun intended = o trocadilho não foi intencional (você está tendo “cold feet” ao pensar em ir para o Pólo Norte)

Ana
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Paulo 01/09/2012

oi ana! o podcasts são ótimos! faço como vc indicou: baixo pelo iTunes, e vou escutando para ir trabalhar, fazer compras… e além de treinar o listening seus textos são divertidos!!! parabéns pelo excelente trabalho!!!

Gabriel 26/12/2011

Hi everyone,
The last time that I got cold feet was when I did presentation of course conclusion work. I really got cold feet if I would be aproved.

Adevaldo 03/11/2011

hello Ana I am here to thank you for your briliant job, I love you !!!! you are to much in all you do here thank you very much. I always I can, I am here in your website seeing your podcasts, I learn so much with them, and your speech is .. I do not have words to mean!!! haaa I could see you enjoy VOASPECIALENGLISH !!!! I am always there and like here it is very good too.One more. One more time i want to thank youuuuuuuu bye

    Ana 03/11/2011

    Hi Adevaldo! Thank you so much for writing. So happy to hear the podcasts have been useful!! You’re welcome :)

      Adevaldo 04/11/2011

      thank you dear !!!

Ana Luiza 27/09/2011

@Plácido – é isso mesmo: pé frio é aquele q traz azar, etc… E ter “cold feet” realmente é outra coisa.

@Tereza – a maior parte da minha formação é inglês americano!

@marcelo maof – recomendo muito que vc se informe sobre o Curso Básico daqui. É só olhar ali na barra lateral “saiba mais sobre o curso básico”. É um curso barato, com material muito bom, e se vc usar bem verá progresso.. leia os depoimentos de outros alunos pra ver!

    Rain 15/12/2016

    Justin Lo0hT0n9/04/022ge advantage that I think the Kindle has over the Sony Reader is the enormous (hundreds of thousands of books) library through Amazon.com, including many NYT best sellers and latest books. Sony Reader doesn’t have the same size library. But that’s the only real advantage if you’re outside the US. You can d/l the books (and magazines, newspapers, etc) from Amazon and upload via USB connection. That’s what I did all the time.

Plácido 23/09/2011

Hi! Ana, how´s it going?
I think that in Brazil the expression ” pé frio” is different the expression “cold feet”. It´s yes or no?

Tereza brito 13/09/2011

Hi Ana,

Is it british english? or american
I guess it is british ..

Lucas Bocainas SP 10/09/2011

Modfoquer

Cassio 08/09/2011

Hi anna ..
your podcasts are really good !
I am not that kind of guy who gives someone the cold shoulder before i really bother to get to know them..

and i am very shy though .. i am always getting the cold feet about something..

Juliana Matos 08/09/2011

Last week I decided to ask my boss a new work time and he didn’t give me… so that was the last time I got cold feet. I was nervous before to talk to him. Actually I don’t used give someone cold shoulder, I think it is a rude manner to behave.

marcelo maof 08/09/2011

gostaria muito em aprender a falar ingles, pois eu não tenho condiçao de pagar cursos. eu trabalho como vigia e varias pessoas chegam até a mim falando ingles pedindo por uma ajuda e eu não tenho como falar pois todos são turistas que chegam pedindo informação.
por favor me ajudem a falar ingles.
grato pela atenção.

Renata Ribeiro 07/09/2011

Hi Ana! Thanks for the podcast, I’ve learned so much! Well, to me I always get cold feet speaking in front of people, it scares me to death! I don’t feel comfortable at all.
I have a “friend” that she is stranger and all of a sudden she gives me cold shoulders. In the begining I used to get mad, but now I understand that she has problems and let her take her time!!

Diogo Higino 07/09/2011

Hey everyone, I was remember about the last time I got cold feet, and not do much time, this happened with me when my wife decided to trip into your family. Alone, without know to cook and working so much, this really got cold my feet.

Thanks for this podcast!

Ana Luiza 07/09/2011

Hi everyone!
Thanks for the comments, and enjoy all the podcasts!

maludecks 07/09/2011

I reaaally loved this expressions! thanks smile

Tiago Américo 07/09/2011

hello! I like your podcasts so much they are very very nice and useful to learn English, thank you, may God bless you so that you can continue to post more and more podcasts!

and well, as for me I don’t remember the last time I got cold feet or gave someone a cold shoulder… 

probably I went through some situation like this but I can’t remember right now… but anyway it was great this podcast!

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