Como digo em inglês: já era

By Ana | Podcast Inglês Online

Aug 10
Como digo em inglês já era

Hey, what’s going on?

No podcast de hoje, você ouve como dizer coisas como Esquece, já era. Tarde demais e É melhor você parar com o café se quiser dormir melhor à noite (uma obs.: “já era” pode ser dito de maneiras diferentes em inglês, dependendo da situação).

Transcrição

Hi, this is Ana Luiza with a new episode of Inglesonline podcast. To see the transcript and download the audio for this and other episodes, go to inglesonline.com.br and click on “Podcasts”. OK, so I was reading a discussion forum about that TV show, Friends. Remember Friends? I’ve always been a fan, and I’ve watched all the episodes, like, multiple times. It was about the lives of six friends in New York City.

And you know how they’ve been making lots of movies based on TV shows? So in that forum people were discussing whether a Friends movie was going to be made. And one person said: “Would anyone care if they made a Friends movie? That ship has sailed”.

What does that mean? This person is saying that, by now, people don’t care about Friends anymore. I mean, the show ended in 2004, six years ago. Maybe if they had made a movie in 2005, it would have been a huge hit. But now? It’s too late, the opportunity has passed… that ship has sailed. That ship of opportunity, the “Friends movie” ship? It has sailed, it’s not here anymore.

Here’s another example for this expression “that ship has sailed”: imagine that your friend Jerry broke up with his girlfriend Monica a year ago. So the two of you – you and your friend Jerry – you guys bump into each other at a cafe. And then Jerry tells you, “You know, I’ve been thinking about Monica lately. I think I’m gonna give her a call, maybe we could get back together”.

And you look at him, and you say, “Dude, that ship has sailed. Monica got married last April”. So, the ship of “reconciliation”? The “getting-back-together” ship? It has sailed. It’s too late. That ship has sailed.

I like the expression “That ship has sailed”. I don’t know why, I think it’s funny. And here’s another one that I like, and it is a very informal way of saying “Quit doing this or that”. The expression is “lay off”, or “lay off something”. Companies often lay off employees, especially in difficult times. That means they let employees go. When a company lays someone off, this person no longer works for the company.

This expression “lay off” is also used in a slightly different way, although it’s similar: you can lay off stuff. Example: your friend tells you he’s been gaining weight and you know he eats junk food every day. You can tell him “You should lay off the junk food. Lay off the junk food, and you’ll be back to your regular weight in no time”.

Another friend might say “I can’t believe how much money I spent last month! That’s it, I’m gonna lay off the credit card. I’m never going to use it again”. I’m gonna lay off the credit card means I’m gonna stop using it… No more credit card for me.

Do you drink a lot of coffee at night and then have trouble sleeping? Lay off the coffee!
Do you lift heavy weights every day and then have back pain? Lay off the heavy weights!
Do you wanna make real progress in English? Lay off the excessive grammar study and keep listening to this and other audio programs that you understand – that is, without a doubt, the best use of your time.

Alright, that’s it for today. Tell us about a situation in your life where you could have said “That ship has sailed”. You wanted to do something, but it was too late, you missed the opportunity… You could have said “That ship has sailed”. Leave a comment, and see you next time.

Key expressions

  • That ship has sailed
  • Lay off something

Glossary

by now = a essa altura

people don’t care about something anymore = as pessoas não ligam mais para alguma coisa

a huge hit = um sucesso enorme

you guys bump into each other = vocês se encontram por acaso

Dude… = “a dude” quer dizer “um cara”. Quando alguém está falando com você e começa com “Dude, …” é como se a pessoa estivesse dizendo “Cara, …”

quit doing this = pare/deixe/”largue” de fazer isso

no longer works = não trabalha mais

slightly different = ligeiramente diferente

in no time = rapidinho

to lift weights = levantar peso

Ana
Matheus 09/11/2019

Hi Ana! What’s going on? I have a question: how do we say the expression “lay off” in the past? It would be like that: “I laid off the meat of my diet, cause now I am a vegetarian. “ ? By the way, thanks for that such an incredible English website! You have been helping a lot since the time I decided to buy your online English course.

    Ana 09/11/2019

    HI Matheus! Thank you for stopping by and for the kind words – my pleasure :-)

    Yes, you could say something like “I laid off meat ____ years ago & I’m a vegetarian etc”

Odival 01/07/2018

Hi Ana!! Achei o máximo seu podcast mas não consegui identificar à expressão em inglês: > Aí já era!! < Mas deve ser em relação à música sertaneja de Jorge e Mateus. Se puder me ajudar, agradeço. Até porque há alguns sites que colocam a transcrição dessa música em inglês mas não tem o título da música em inglês. E tem que ser no contexto da letra dessa música. Obrigado!!!

    Ana 02/07/2018

    Oi Odival!
    Não conheço essa música :-) mas a expressão que usei no episódio é “That ship has sailed”, que quer dizer – no contexto que expliquei no pod – já era, sem chance, não dá mais, etc.

alysson 18/01/2011

Hey Ana
I like this expression “that ship has sailed” too.
Last year i have one opportunity of get one stage at Volvo Group,but they need someone that speak english fluent. In a nutshell, i don’t get the job. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed.
Have a nice day!!!

Josimar Machado. 03/01/2011

How helpful! Always a great post, thanks for the great job!

giovanna de lima dias 11/10/2010

ai bara beissss ajuda muito ta

Danger 01/09/2010

Congratulations!!!!
Parabéns mesmo pelo site!!!
Esta me ajudando muito!!!

Mari 01/09/2010

I liked this site very much!
It’s very good for newbies

Reinaldo Jr 01/09/2010

Excelente. Procurei vários sites até agora e este é um dos melhores. Abs.

José Vieira Pedroso 31/08/2010

Hello Ana, you are a great teacher,impecable pronunciation,I like to listen.Thank you for the podcasts.Continue teaching how to speak to speak a good english,brasilian people need person like you.Good luck,sucess.

Carina Costa 29/08/2010

O site é maravilhoso para quem quer aprender inglês!Very good!!!!

Rivadavia 26/08/2010

I am trying to improve my listening skills (in fact, reading, writing and so on) and your work is very good to achieve my goal. Thank you very much.

marcio 24/08/2010

Thanks Ana, you’re relly great! Here we find a great lesson to improve our english, but there was a little catch! “Stop junk food! What did you meam? Lay off the Junk food!  Are you crazy ? Have you leave your sense girl? What about French fries, chocodilles, pecan sandies, cupcakes? Can you look like a anorexic girl? take care!

Luiz Antonio Souza 21/08/2010

Hey, eager learners: lay off the eagerness, kay? You won’t learn English overnight… Just keep practicing, watching movies, listening to music and all that cliché stuff. And good luck.

By the way: great audio. Just one thing though: Correct me if I’m wrong, but as far as I know, the only way of pronouncing “other” (and words that end with “other”, for that matter, like “mother”, “brother” and “another”) is “uhther”, not “awther”, like you repeatedly pronounced it… Not that it was annoying or anything, but, you know, pronunciation is something to pay close attention to smile Other (uther raspberry) than that, it was perfect and it sure helps ESL students a lot smile

carlos 19/08/2010

I D SAY THAT I LIKE VERY MUCH THIS SITE , I THINK THAT IS POSSIBLE LEARN INGLISH HERE ONLY FOLLOWING WEEK LESSON. THANKS FOR IT ANA.

Ronaldo Junior 18/08/2010

Thank you very much for your help!
As you wrote in the text “Lay off the excessive grammar”, I`m sure reading your text was much more helpful for me.
Bye!

Ana Luiza 18/08/2010

Hi everyone, thanks for commenting.

Anicia – great example with “that ship has sailed” (but I don’t know if that’s true!! Susan Boyle, anyone?)
Lay off – eu estou acostumada com a expressão “lay off” usada com coisas físicas, alguma atividade, etc. So “lay off the doubts” não soa muito comum pra mim.

Hi Alan- rs… many ships have sailed because of your lateness! “lay off the lateness” sounds unusual to me, but it does sound funny.

You could say “I have to get my act together” <—tenho que ficar mais sério/organizado/parar de atrasar, etc

Alan Vitor 17/08/2010

Hi Ana Luiza, thank you for one more podcast.
I almost never arrive at time in any appointment,then all times that a ship has sailed because of my late, I say ” I’m going to lay off the my late and Im going to become a stickler for punctuality.
Feel free to correct my mistakes in the write.
Thank you.

Anicia 17/08/2010

Sometimes i remember that i could start a new carreer singing, but than i think, that i´m not younger anymore, using the expression, for me, that ship has sailed.

In other hand, i can be a writer, and lay off my doubts of be ready to achive the all of fame.

Thank you,

Leonardo 16/08/2010

Hi Ana Luiza, How are you?
Your site is great, a read your site every day, good job and thanks for your help.

ELIZABETH 15/08/2010

I very like, for me is much this coment. thank you so much

carlosferreira 14/08/2010

I want to know what mean lay off something.

luiz Carlos Rafael 14/08/2010

I want to learn speak English now.

MIRIAM KELLER 12/08/2010

VOCÊS SÃO ÓTMOS. PARABÉNS!

Ana Luiza 11/08/2010

Oi Patricia – obrigada. Vc consegue ouvir no player?

Hi Fernanda – clique com o botão direito do mouse e escolha Salvar / right-click the link and choose Save.

I agree: “that ship has sailed” does not apply to acquiring a language, as long as you have lots of comprehensible audio to listen to.

Nice, Fernanda… Good for you! Quando vc perceber progresso (ex. pensamento em inglês aqui e ali, mais facilidade pra lembrar algo em inglês) por favor escreva contando – thanks!

Try this: I’ll never lay off the listening because….

Luiz Carlos 11/08/2010

Ana, you still doing a great job ! Congratulations.  Luiz Carlos – SP

fernanda 11/08/2010

obs.: “studying english grammar”.

Fernanda 11/08/2010

well, starts at (thats preposition is alright?) the end: ive been listening audios every day as you sugests, ana luiza. i dont lay off studying english at all because sometimes i think this is important for writing. well, whatever, learning english (for me)is not a ship that have sailed at all. kisses and im catch up more advanced students.

Fernanda 11/08/2010

i dont know what is hapenning with patricia but i cant download the audio. when i try to save it in my computer the windows mediaplayer opens and then i only have two options: save it on a cd or nothing. i have a passion for listen inglish audios but this kind of problem make me crazy, rs.

Patricia Amorim 11/08/2010

É bom deixar disponível o zip do mp3, pois algumas empresas bloqueiam o download de mp3.
Meu caso!
Se fizerem isso eu com certeza vou ser ouvinte assídua dos podcasts.
[]´s

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