Learn English with the Ellen Show | vocabulary, expressions and conversational English

Hey there, it's Hadar. And this is the accent's way. Today I have a special lesson for you because today you are going to learn English with Ellen DeGeneres. And no, no, I did not invite her to talk on my show, but I have someone even better for you, and that is Ethan from Learn English with TV series. Learn English with TV series is an awesome channel where you learn English when watching different shows such as Seinfeld and Friends and Ellen and Games of Throne. And actually they have a method in which they break down the episode or they break down the scene and teach you different idioms and expressions and cultural references. And today Ethan is going to share with us a lesson that he has created using a funny monologue by Ellen DeGeneres. Also, we did a video for his channel where I break down a funny monologue by Ellen and I break down the intonation, rhythm and stress and I talk about rising intonation and rising, falling intonation. So you should go and check it out as well. And when you're there, don't forget to subscribe. So what are we waiting for? Let's bring Ethan on.

Let me tell you something that happened to me the other day. I was on the Internet. I was searching on how to remove red wine stains from a People's choice award. And so I'm scrolling, I'm minding my own business, and then an ad popped up, and I have no idea why it popped up, but this is the ad specialty casting for look and sound alikes. I was searching on how to remove red wine stains from a people's choice award. I was searching on how to remove red wine stains. I was searching on how to remove red wine stains. I was searching on how to remove red wine stains from a People's choice award.

And People's choice awards is an American award show. And as its name suggests, the winners of each category in movies, TV and music are chosen by people through voting. This is in contrast with the Oscars or the Grammy awards, where the winners are chosen by a select group of people. Ellen often talks about how much she loves red wine, and in this case, she jokes about having spilled some of it on one of the many People's choice awards that she has won. If you spill wine or another liquid on something, it can leave a stain. This is also a verb to stain. Dang it. I just stained my shirt. She says she was searching the web on how to remove that stain. When you talk about removing a stain, you want to make it disappear. This is funny because an award like this one doesn't absorb liquid and probably couldn't get stained. Ellen is just bragging in a humorous way.

So I'm scrolling. I'm minding my own business. And then an ad popped up to.

Scroll is what you do when you move up and down on a website. For example, when you use the wheel of your mouse here. What she means by minding her own business is that she was focused on her own personal matters or activity without bothering or involving anyone else. We often say this to describe a moment before someone interrupted or bothered us in some way.

Ross was mugged as a kid.

You were?

Yeah, it was pretty traumatic. It was outside St. Mark's comics. You know, I was just there minding my own business, you know, seeing what kind of trouble Spider man got into that week.

Wonder Woman.

Often when we say mind your own business to another person, we are asking them in a rude way to respect our privacy. No. No way. Oh my God.

Knock it off.

Mind your own business.

Specialty casting for look and sound alikes.

A casting is a process for selecting an artist, such as an actor, dancer, singer, etc. To perform in a particular role in a movie, TV or play. In this case, specialty means relating to that which someone specializes in. This French bakery's special is their chocolate gateau. If you go there, you have to try it. A look alike is someone that looks like another person. A sound alike therefore, is a person that has a similar voice to another person.

Chandler entered a Vanilla Ice look alike contest and won.

Ross came in fourth and cried.

Oh my God.

So in other words, the casting is for actors who specialize in looking or sounding like a famous person.

I don't know what that had to do with anything I was searching for. And these are celebrity impersonators that you can hire for events. As you can see, there's Hillary Clinton there deep in thought. It looks pretty much like her. That's a lookalike. And then there's a Johnny Depp lookalike there who looks a little more like a home repair guy on hgtv. Doesn't he look like one of those guys on HGTV anyway? And then there's a woman in the middle. I don't know who she's supposed to be. I don't know what that had to do with anything I was searching for. And these are celebrity impersonators that you can hire for events.

If something has to do with something else, there's a connection between those two things. You can see that what Ellen was looking for information on how to remove stains doesn't have anything to do with the ad about impersonators. All right.

We had our first fight this morning. I think it has to do with my working late. I said some things that I didn't mean.

And an impersonator is someone who imitates another person, especially a celebrity who looks.

A little more like a home repair guy on hgtv.

Home repair refers to any activity involving fixing something from your home, like appliances, I.e. your TV, air conditioning, fridge, etc. Or plumbing, painting, etc. HGTV is an American television channel that primarily broadcasts reality programming related to home improvement and real estate. Hey, guys. Just a quick interruption. If you are enjoying learning English with Ellen, then I highly recommend that you check out this playlist of lessons teaching you English with the Ellen show over on our channel. Learn English with TV series. You can find that by clicking up here or down in the description below.

I don't know who that's supposed to be. What do you think? Eva Longoria somebody? Yeah. Really? I don't think it looks like her. But anyway, I'm not in the market for a celebrity impersonator because I can get the actual celebrities here. I've had Hillary here. I've had Johnny Depp here. And again, I don't know who was in the middle, but I'm sure she's been here. What do you think? Eva Longoria. Who do you think? Eva Longoria. What do you think? What do you think? Eva Longoria somebody. Yeah. Really? I don't think it looks like her.

But anyway, here she says anyway. To return to the main point of the conversation, anyway, I just don't think.

You and I are gonna work.

Also, one of the reasons we often say anyway is to change the topic of conversation.

Anyway. Well, I'm glad there's. There's no hard feelings.

No, none at all. I'm not in the market for a celebrity impersonator because I can get the actual celebrities here.

To be in the market for something means that you're interested in buying something.

So what do you find gentlemen in the market for? We got scarves, souvenir postcards.

Other examples are, I'm in the market for a new camera. If you're interested in selling your car, we're in the market. Then she says she gets the actual celebrities on her show. That's to say the real ones. As opposed to impersonators, we use this word to emphasize that something is real. Example, is this a replica or is this an actual dinosaur skeleton? Now, pay attention to the tense in the following Clip.

And again, I don't know who was in the middle, but I'm sure she's been here.

A common mistake learners make is to overuse the past. Simple to say that you have visited a certain place. We don't say I was in Rio. We say I've been to Rio. When it's correct to use the past. Simple is when we specify when that happened. I was in Rio last year. An important structure for you to always remember is I've been to. Let's watch some funny examples from the Big Bang Theory.

Look at this guy. You think he came like this? When I met him, he was a hot, goofy mess. Now he's been to space.

That's all me. My mom's been to Arizona. She rode one of those mules down.

In the Grand Canyon.

Long story short, they had to shoot it.

I was curious to see more. So see, they got me. So I clicked on and went onto their website and I was skeptical at first. But then there's actually some of them that aren't bad. Bradley Cooper looks a little like Bradley Cooper. Little creepier, kind of like, kind of stocky looking. But then there's a Mariah Carey lookalike right there. Yeah, kind of. And then there's a Fidel Castro and perfect for your kids. Dictator themed birthday party. Guess who's here, kids. I was curious to see more. So see, they got me. So I clicked on and went onto their website and I was skeptical at first.

But then, as you know, the verb get has many different meanings. In this specific case, Ellen means that they, the creators of the ad or were able to obtain what they wanted from someone searching the web, which in this case is their attention. This use probably derives from the broader use of this verb to mean to catch or take hold of somebody. He was on the run for a week before the police got him. Skeptical is a state in which you have or express doubt about something. The weather forecast says tomorrow the sun will be out, but I'm a bit skeptical that will happen.

There's actually some of them that aren't bad. There's actually some of them that aren't bad. Actually, some of them that aren't bad. Actually, some of them that aren't bad. Bradley Cooper looks like a little like Bradley Cooper, little creepier, kind of like, kind of stocky looking.

But a creep or creepy person is someone who acts weird in a way that makes you uncomfortable or. Or even scares you.

You guys.

You guys.

We were just in the storage area.

And we saw this really creepy man. He Was like this crazy eyed hairy beast man.

He was like a.

Like a bigfoot or a yeti or something.

Ellen invents a term here, stalky looking. She simply means that the person on the photo looks like someone who could be a stalker. To stalk means to follow, watch, and even harass someone without them knowing about it.

Um, that's it.

No.

Hey, you J.

Crew guy.

Yeah. Why have you been following me? I mean, all week long, everywhere I look, there's you.

By the way, note how she uses the word looking.

Kind of stocky looking.

But this is used rather freely after certain adjectives to indicate that a person looks like the adjective mentioned. Who's that angry looking man?

I'm kind of funny looking.

The same idea applies to adding themed after certain nouns.

Perfect for your kid's dictator themed birthday party.

It means that a party has a specific theme. A theme party or another occasion such as a wedding is based on a specific subject or style. Like an 80s themed party. My dad and Lorraine decided to have a 1920s themed wedding.

Such a romantic time.

And then I came across a me impersonator. I didn't know I had one, but here she is. That's her. So what do you think? Does she look like me? I don't. I mean, I can see the hair is similar and I guess so. And then I wanted to see. Well, because it said, you know, sound alike too. So there was a video that she posted. So I. I watched it and so you have to.

Thank you. Right back at you.

What do you think? Does she look like me? What do you think? What do you think? What do you think? Does she look like me? I don't. I mean, I can see the hair is similar and I. I guess, I guess so.

We say I guess when we make a statement, but we're not so sure of it. A close synonym is, I suppose.

Thank you. Right back at ya. Right back at ya. Right back at ya. Right back at ya.

It's hard to deduce the meaning of this expression with this little context, but this is something that we would say to return something that someone has said to us. Or for example, a compliment. Why you look lovely this evening. That's so kind of you. Right back at you. In this context, the fake Ellen is acting as if she's being received with applause. Her right back at ya is maybe a way of returning that show of affection or acknowledgement to the audience.

I mean, I haven't done kaka for I like. Like I did it the first two years. Does anyone remember that? I used to go ka ga. But that's like a 10 year old impression. She's got to like update it. Then she tried to tell some jokes. Here's one of them.

Wow, what a great looking audience tonight. Yes, you're very, very attractive. Matter of fact, you should turn around.

And look at one another.

You're that attractive. Yeah, I mean, there's more flair in here than a waiter at TGI Fridays, folks. Trust me, I should know. Matter of fact, you should turn around.

And look at one another.

Of fact, you should turn around and.

Look at one another.

You're that attractive.

Yeah. We often say this as as a matter of fact and we say it when we're going to give more details about something.

There's nothing more horrifying than embarrassing yourself in front of your in laws. As a matter of fact, when I started dating Judy, I was unemployed and her father asked me what I did for a living and I told him I was a lawyer.

I mean, there's more flair in here than a waiter at TGI Fridays, folks. Trust me, I should know.

Flair is stylishness and originality. Michelle Obama was a pretty unique first lady. She always dresses with flair. TGI Fridays is the American restaurant chain seen here. TGIF is an acronym that stands for thank God it's Friday and we can say it on Friday to show our enthusiasm that the weekend is upon us. Lastly, folks, is a common way to address a group of people.

I don't want a girl, I just.

Want a little boy.

It's not what it sounds like, folks.

Okay, that's it. Thank you so much for watching and thank you Ethan for this awesome lesson. Again, I highly recommend for you to go check out Ethan Ethan's channel, learn English with TV series and go check out my video there where I break down Ellen's monologue in terms of intonation, rhythm and stress. And be sure to subscribe when you're there. And if you like this content as well, I invite you to come on over to my website, the accentsway.com and get more great stuff and subscribe to my newsletter so you can get this video lesson to your inbox every single week. Have a wonderful, wonderful day and I will see you next week in the next video. Bye.