englishpod_B0073pb

M: Hello everyone! Welcome back to EnglishPod! My name is Marco.
E: And I’m Erica.
M: And today we are at a wedding ceremony.
E: Alright, nice.
M: Another nice wedding.
E: Yeah.
M: But, of course, it wouldn’t be EnglishPod, unless we have something unexpected
happening at this wedding. Okay, so we’re gonna be talking about hands. 
E: Oh… but, Marco, what is there to say about a hand?
M: Well, as you may or may not know each finger has a name on your hand.
E: Okay.
M: So, we’re gonna learn how… w… so, we’re gonna learn what those names are in English.
E: Perfect. And also we’re gonna learn about some common phrases, that you might hear in
an English wedding. 
M: Exactly, because, I think… Exactly, because usually it’s old English…
E: Yes.
M: Maybe English that’s not used anymore.
E: Alright, well, I’m excited to find out what this unexpected event is, so let’s listen to our
dialogue for the first time.
DIALOGUE, FIRST TIME
M: Alright, embarrassing moment for the groom, right?
E: Yes.
M: Confusing the fingers in front of all his friends and family, not good. So, I mentioned
before that we’re gonna learn the names of each finger in your hand, so let’s get started,
let’s take a look at these in “language takeaway”.
Voice: Language takeaway.
E: Alright, well, why don’t we start with the smallest finger…
M: Okay.
E: On your hand.
M: The smallest finger on your hand. That’s called the…
E: Pinkie.
M: Pinkie.
E: Pinkie.
M: Sometimes people call it the little finger.
E: Yes.
M: Right?
E: Yep.
M: So, a pinkie. And the next finger.
E: Is the one the groom couldn’t find.
M: Okay, the ring finger.
E: The ring finger.
M: So, this is, of course, like the name says, where the wedding ring is usually placed…
E: Exactly.
M: On this finger.
E: Yeah.
M: Now, the next one is a controversial finger.
E: That must be the middle finger.
M: Okay, easy, middle finger. So, why is it controversial?
E: Well, you know, if you put your middle finger up… And you put all…
M: Hehe. Like you’re doing right now to me?
E: Hehe. Yes. I’m sorry, Marco, I’ll do it this way.
M: Hehe.
E: And all other fingers down…
M: Aha.
E: You are making a very rude gesture.
M: It’s a rude…
E: Rude sign.
M: So, ho… what would you call that?
E: I would call that giving the middle finger.
M: Giving the middle finger or…
E: Yeah.
M: I’ve also heard the phrase - flip someone off.
E: Yes, or also flip the bird.
M: Flip the bird…
E: Yeah.
M: Exactly.
E: Yeah.
M: Or give him the bird.
E: Yes.
M: Hehe.
E: So, all phrases that you can use, when you are showing only your middle finger…
M: Right.
E: To somebody.
M: It’s not very polite.
E: No, don’t do it.
M: Don’t do it.
E: Yeah.
M: Or unless somebody deserves it, I guess. Hehe.
E: Well…
M: Alright.
E: We won’t talk about that, but what we will talk about is the next finger.
M: The index finger.
E: The index finger.
M: Index finger.
E: So, this is the finger you use to point.
M: Right.
E: Yeah.
M: The index finger… Any idea why they call it the index finger?
E: Cause when you’re looking through the index of a book, you always use this finger.
M: Right, I… I think you also use this finger to pass pages on a book, right?
E: Yeah. Okay, don’t believe anything I just told here.
M: Hehe. Well, we’re not sure maybe you guys know the real answer to this.
E: Alright.
M: And our last finger, the most important one…
E: The thumb. 
M: Thumb.
E: T-H-U-M-B.
M: The thumb.
E: Thumb.
M: Okay, so, that’s the short but fat finger… on your hand.
E: That… the very moveable one.
M: The moveable one.
E: Yeah.
M: The one that you use to play… Playstation… and all that stuff.
E: Video games.
M: Yeah.
E: Okay, so the pronunciation here. Do you say the B at the end of this word?
M: No, I wou.. actually only pronounce the M.
E: Yes.
M: The thuM.
E: The thuM.
M: Yeah, I… you wouldn’t say the thumB.
E: No.
M: Uhu. Okay, so, now that we’re clear on all five fingers, let’s listen to our dialogue again
and then we’ll come back and talk about these difficult phrases that the priest used.
DIALOGUE, SECOND TIME (slow)
E: Well, this is really common wedding speak, isn’t it?
M: Yeah, it’s really common. That’s what usually the priest or the person, who is marring
somebody, would say.
E: Why don’t we look it some of these phrases now, because it’s really interesting to talk
about their meaning. So, the first one – may this ring be blessed.
M: May this ring be blessed.
E: May this ring be blessed.
M: So, what does it mean when you bless something or someone?
E: Well, usually, the… the religious leader does this, right?
M: Aha.
E: And he’s giving good wishes to that thing.
M: Could be for an object or to a person, right?
E: Yes.
M: You can be blessed as well.
E: Yeah, and so these good wishes usually come from God.
M: Okay. Great, so, what about our next phrase?
E: Abide in peace.
M: Abide in peace.
E: Abide in peace.
M: Wow, so, this verb - abide.
E: It means to live.
M: To live.
E: Yep.
M: To…
E: To be.
M: To be in peace.
E: Yeah.
M: But it’s very fancy and I don’t know if you use it anymore.
E: No, I think, you would… you would never use this word in conversation or even very
rarely in writing. It’s… it’s quite old.
M: Yes, definitely I would agree. So, abide in peace.
E: Uhu.
M: Okay, what about our next phrase? I like this and it’s the common phrase you’ll hear in
all movies and in all marriages.
E: Yep.
M: With this ring I thee wed.
E: With this ring I thee wed.
M: With this ring I thee wed.
E: Okay, we’ve got two words in here that are also older English words, so… Thee.
M: Thee.
E: T-H…
M: E-E.
E: T-H-E-E.
M: Thee.
E: So, this is an… this is a Middle-English term for “you”.
M: You, right?
E: Yes.
M: So… I would s… can I say “I love thee”?
E: You could, that would be very romantic. 
M: Hehe.
E: That also inappropriate for the office.
M: Hehe. But… it’s very old and… I guess you would… if you’re reading Shakespeare you
would definitely…
E: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
M: Come upon this, right?
E: Yes, yes.
M: And what about wed?
E: This is also an old word for… an old verb for the action of marring someone.
M: So, I can say “we will be wed next year”.
E: Hm…
M: Uhu.
E: But… don’t say that now, because you’ll sound quite silly.
M: Hehe. Yeah.
E: It’s too old-fashioned.
M: Yeah, I guess so. But it’s good to know, if… especially if you guys are reading
something…
E: Yes.
M: A little bit more classical.
E: Or you plan to get married to an English person.
M: Hehe. Alright, and our last phrase – wear it as a symbol of our love and
commitment.
E: Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment.
M: So, now, he’s referring to the rings, right?
E: Yeah.
M: Wear the ring…
E: Yeah.
M: As a symbol.
E: A sign.
M: A representation…
E: Yes.
M: Of love and commitment. So, why would you wear a ring as a… as a symbol of
something?
E: Well, obviously, you know, love, you can’t see it, you can’t touch it…
M: Right.
E: So… so, you need something to show you that it’s there.
M: Uhu.
E: So, you need a sign of that love.
M: Something that you can see.
E: Yeah.
M: So, that’s what the ring represents.
E: Yeah, but how about this word commitment?
M: A commitment is a strong promise. So, you promise to love that person, to take care of
them…
E: Yes.
M: Et cetera.
E: Yeah, okay, great. So now, we’re a little bit more familiar with some of the language you
hear in a wedding ceremony and we also know all of the names of the fingers.
M: Exactly.
E: So, why don’t we listen to the dialogue one more time to hear these all in context?
DIALOGUE, THIRD TIME
M: Alright, so, now, it’s perfectly clear. And, uh… a romantic dialogue in the end.
E: Yeah, very romantic.
M: Hehe. Although, a little bit embarrassing.
E: Yeah.
M: So, what about wedding rings? Now, we have different types of rings, right?
E: Yeah.
M: We have the wedding ring, the one they… that we just heard.
E: Yeah.
M: But we also have an engagement ring.
E: Yes, yeah. In most English-speaking countries the women is very, very lucky…
M: Hehe.
E: Because she gets two rings.
M: Right.
E: So, when the man asks her to marry him…
M: Uhu.
E: He gives her a diamond.
M: A diamond ring.
E: Yeah.
M: That is usually… that’s the engagement ring.
E: Uh, and it’s really, really important, that he does this.
M: Well…
E: And it’s also really important, that he spends a lot of money on the di… on the diamond.
M: Yeah, I know about this. Diamonds are forever, right?
E: An… And the tradition is you must spend at least one month's salary.
M: Wow.
E: Yep.
M: Is that it?
E: Yeah.
M: So, the girl gets an… a diamond engagement ring…
E: Uhu.
M: And then on wedding day she gets the… the wedding ring.
E: Yes.
M: And usually… will she wear both of them?
E: Yeah, she’ll always wear both of them. So tha… engagement ring glose… goes closest to
you and then the wedding ring on top. 
M: And the engagement ring, it represents…
E: The commitment to marry her… 
M: So…
E: No, wait… the commitment from the man to marry her.
M: Okay, so that… it’s a symbol that they will get married.
E: Yeah, it’s a symbol of the promise.
M: Hm. Now, what happens if they break up and, uh, and they don’t get married? Does he
get the ring back?
E: I don’t know, um, okay, here’s the rule. 
M: Hehe.
E: If he was a jerk…
M: Hehe.
E: No.
M: And…
E: But… but if… if it was sort of like a happy break up, then okay.
M: Okay. I guess it’s a big risk, right?
E: Yeah.
M: Hehe. Alright, so, that’s all for today guys, let us know if you guys have any interesting
wedding stories and all that… Sometimes weddings can be embarrassing, people… I don’t
know… objecting, maybe… I’ve seen the groom faint.
E: Or even fall in a pool.
M: Fall in a pool?
E: Yeah.
M: So, if you have any stories, please share them with us, come to englishpod.com and
also if you have any questions or doubts, Erica and I are always there to answer them.
E: Well, thanks for listening to this lesson everyone and until next time… Good bye!
M: Bye!