BBC Tews 23 Fatherhood Sayings PDF
BBC Tews 23 Fatherhood Sayings PDF
BBC Tews 23 Fatherhood Sayings PDF
William: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak. I'm William Kremer.
William: So this Sunday is Father's Day here in the UK and in many countries around
the world.
Yang Li: William, I know you are married but you are not a father yet, right?
Yang Li: Well in that case, I don't think you are well qualified to talk about this topic,
William!
William: Well, I disagree. All that matters is that we can speak English! So today I
thought we could look at a couple of very common phrases relating to
fatherhood. Let's listen to this clip of a woman talking to her friend about
her son. Try and hear a phrase relating to fatherhood.
Example
Yang Li: Like father, like son. So that means that the son is just like the father, is that
right?
Yang Li: So, William, can you say like mother, like daughter?
William: Well, you could say that but it's not really a phrase in English. 'Like father,
like son' is quite a common phrase. And you have to use those exact words,
you can't say 'Like his father, like my son' – it has to be 'like father, like
son'.
Yang Li: Wow, I didn't know – I didn't realise you were here, Mr Kremer! It's very
nice to meet you! Very nice to meet you.
William's Dad: Nice to meet you too. I always like to keep an eye on William, make sure
he's being a good son. And I think I was a good son to my father, so in that
way, I think he is like me.
Li: I think you look quite alike, except that William is much taller than you – he
is a giant!
William's Dad: I have to carry a chair with me wherever I go just to keep up with him!
William: Alright, Dad. So, before we finish today, let's have a look at another phrase
connected with fatherhood. And this phrase means a long time before you
were born. In this clip a woman is talking to her uncle. Try and hear the
phrase.
Example
Yang Li: Wow that was quite a long phrase – 'Before you were even a twinkle in your
father's eye.'
William: Yeah, or you could say, 'You weren't even a twinkle in your father's eye'. A
twinkle is something that shines brightly, like a star. So it's quite a romantic
word. Maybe the phrase means: before your father ever looked at your
mother in a romantic way; so, long before you were born.
Yang Li: Well, we hope that these English phrases might be useful to you this
Sunday. Happy Father's Day!