1960's English

Hello English learners! Welcome back to EnglishPod! My name isMarco.

And I’m Erica.

And today we are going back in time again and this time we’re gonna be in the nineteen sixties (1960’s).

That’s right! We’re going to learn some, uh, phrases and some slang that were really popular back in nineteen sixty four…

Exactly! And most of these phrases and words we still use today, so, it’s very interesting and very good to know.

That’s right! I’m looking forward to, uh, this trip back in time, so, why don’t we get started with the dialogue?

Alright, so, great dialogue - very popular in the sixties - the music, the mood…

Uhu.

And the words, right?

That’s right!

So, why don’t we get down to business and look at the vocabulary that we saw in this dialogue in “language takeaway”? Voice: Language takeaway.

Well, the dialogue opened and we heard this guy say “hey man, I really like your pad”.

I really like your pad.

Pad.

Okay, so, pad – a very informal way of saying…

Your apartment.

Your apartment, right?

Uhu.

And now, it’s… you can still use it today.

Yeah, that’s right, we often hear the expression bachelor pad.

Okay, a bachelor pad.

So, that’s an apartment where a single man lives.

Okay, so, a bachelor pad.

Uhu.

Usually, it’s very nicely decorated and really… a nice apartment, right?

Or maybe it has empty pizza boxes all over the floor, Marco.

Also a bachelor pad.

Yeah.

But, so, that’s what pad means – an apartment.

Yeah.

They were talking about the apartment and he said “the lava lamps are far out”.

Far out.

Okay, it’s far out.

So, that’s really cool or amazing.

Right, and now, lava lamps, those are those, ah, strange calm-looking lamps, right?

Kind of a light with like some liquid moving inside it.

Moving inside.

Yeah.

Very popular in the sixties.

Yeah.

So…

We’ll post some pictures of that.

Yeah, and the lamps are far out, so, now you can use that with other things, right? Like you are really far out.

Yeah, or this music is really far out.

Okay.

It kind of gives you the feeling like it sort of spacey.

Hehe. Spacey.

Yeah.

Alright, so, the pad is really far out, the lava lamps are great and he was saying “Thanks for letting me crash here tonight”.

To crash.

So, to crash at, uh, someone’s place.

Right, so, we’re not talking about like a car crash here.

No, no, no.

But, so, when you crash somewhere, what do you do?

Well, you are staying there, then… you’re gonna stay there.

So, you’re guest…

As a guest.

Yeah, so, like sleep, right?

Aha.

Yep, and for free.

For free, yes.

Yes.

So, if, for example, you’re going to New York and you’re gonna visit a friend, you might crash at your friend’s house.

That’s right, so, interesting word, um, and it is quite commonly used now. So, why don’t we hear some examples of how we can use it? Voice: Example one.

Hey man, can I crash at your place tonight? Voice: Example two.

I lost my keys, so, I’m crashing at my girlfriend’s house. Voice: Example three.

No, you’ve been sleeping on my coach for a month, you're not gonna crash here tonight!

Alright, perfect, so, to crash, right? It’s still commonly used today.

Yeah.

Now, for the forth word – groovy.

Groovy.

That would be groovy.

So, again, this means like great or cool or really nice.

Yeah, this is… I think this is one of the main words of the nineteen sixties.

Yeah.

Something was groovy.

Yes, I agree, so, it kind of gives you the sense that it’s sort of really cool, but in a relaxed way.

Yeah, it’s groovy.

Uhu.

This music is really groovy.

That’s right!

And finally, his friend, he said “hey, I gotta split for a while”.

To split.

Okay, so, if I say “I have to split”.

You have to leave.

I have to leave.

Yeah.

Very colloquial.

Uhu.

And it means I have to leave for a little bit.

Yep.

Split for a while.

That’s right! You may not have heard this one before, so, why don’t we hear some examples to help you understand how it’s used? Voice: Example one.

Hurry up! We’ve gotta split before the police get here. Voice: Example two.

This party is boring; let’s split! Voice: Example three.

I have to wake up early tomorrow, so, we’re going to split.

Okay, very good, so, split. Now also, I think you can use it for relationships, right? Me and him…

Oh, yeah!

Me and her…

Yeah.

Me and her split up. [NOTE: This is what was said, but it isn't correct English; one could say "we split up" or "she and I split up"]

That’s right, so, you ended your relationship.

Yeah, split. Okay, so, we s… we saw five, ah, really common phrases from the nineteen sixties. Let’s listen to the dialogue again, a little bit slower, and then we’ll come back and look at some phrases from the sixties. DIALOGUE, SECOND TIME (slow)

Alright, well, I wanna get started at looking at these, uh, nineteen sixties slang phrases, so, let’s go now with “putting it together”. Voice: Putting it together.

Alright, on putting it together today let’s start with the first part – he talked about “you dig what I’m saying?”

I dig it, man”.

You dig what I’m saying?

To dig it.

Alright, so, we know the verb dig, which means to make a hole, right?

Yeah.

But now, he’s talking about understand.

Yeah, basically, um, you dig what I’m saying - do you understand what I’m saying?

And when he says “I dig it”, he says “I understand”.

Yep.

Okay, now, there’s also another meaning to this, right? Apart fromunderstand.

Yeah, it can also mean “I like it”.

Okay, so, I really dig this type of music.

Or I really dig this restaurant.

Okay, so, it’s kind of “I like it”.

Uhu.

Alright, now, moving on… he said “we could throw a bash here”.

Alright, throw a bash.

To throw a bash.

So, first of all, what is a bash?

A bash is a party.

A really great party.

An amazing party.

Now, I wanna look at this verb to throw something, so, we kn…

Okay.

We… we know that you throw a ball, right?

Right.

But how can you throw a party?

Well, it’s basically saying you organize or you host a party.

Okay, and how can you use this phrase?

Okay, so, I can say, uh, “last week I threw a birthday party in my house”.

Okay, or “let’s throw a bash to celebrate your engagement”.

Okay, or “next week I’m gonna throw a dinner party at my house”.

Okay, so, to throw a party and it’s usually used for… for parties, right?

Right, you wouldn’t throw a…

Throw a meeting.

Alright.

No.

Exactly.

Not.

Hehe. Okay. So now, we heard them use the ph… word man a lot, right?

Yeah.

Hey, man.

Yeah, that’s right! Now, this is so common even in modern English that I think we need some examples. Voice: Example one.

Hey, man! Watch where you’re going! Voice: Example two.

Yeah, man! That’s a great idea! Voice: Example three.

Man! That was awesome!

So, man is one of those words that you just use at the end of your sentences.

Or at the beginning or…

Or at the beginning.

Anywhere.

And, so, you say “hey, man” or “yeah, man”.

Yeah, but what about, um, do you have to be a man to use it? Or do you have to be talking to a man to use it?

No, not really. Men and women use the word man.

Yeah.

And you can call a girl like “hey, man, how are you?

Yeah, but that sort of means that she’s a really, really good friend like the same level of friend as your guy friends.

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Okay.

Very good! And now, for the last phrase on putting it together – he said “you go take care of business”.

To take care of business.

Okay, so, I have to take care of business.

So, we’re not really talking about business and work here, are we?

No, no, no, no. So, basically, what we’re saying is “go handle your affairs”.

So, do the things you have to do.

Okay, so, or solve your problem.

Uhu.

So, if I say “I have to go to city hall today and take care of some business”.

So, you’re maybe gonna do something like…

Pay my taxes…

Yeah, yeah.

Or something like that.

Yeah. Okay, so, to take care of business.

Uhu. Okay, so, we heard some great phrases, we saw these words, let’s listen to the dialogue for the last time and then we’ll come back and talk about this great decade.

Alright, so, nineteen sixties, very famous among rock music, the peace…

Yeah.

And conflicts and all this stuff.

Yeah, that’s right, and I guess in, um… in English or Anglo pop culture we look back at this decade, um, very fondly.

Yeah, and also we’re really related to the hippie movement, right?

Yeah, yeah.

People with long hair and baggy clothes and…

Yeah.

You know, living in their cars, going from concert to concert.

Yeah, and I… I mean, speaking of music, I think if we think nineteen sixties, at least in… in Anglo world…

Uhu.

In Anglo world, we think of the best music like I think this is the golden age of music in… in, um, English speaking countries.

Yes, it was a very good era and, well, what do you guys think? Do you think the sixties was the best decade or maybe you are more fond of the seventies?

Yeah.

The disco era.

Or even the nineties, so, there’s some pretty good music in nineteen ninety four.

Exactly, so, come to our website and let us know what you think and also if you have any questions or comments…

Marco and I are always around to answer your questions, so, thanks for downloading and until next time…

Good bye!

Bye! ***