Como falo em inglês: Uma coisa não tem a ver com a outra

Hi, everyone.

Hoje, no podcast, eu falo sobre dois idioms super comuns entre os falantes da língua inglesa. Ouça já!

Transcrição

Hi, everyone. You're listening to the new episode of the Inglês Online podcast. Thank you for telling everyone you know about this podcast and, enjoy!

So picture this: someone's trying to convince you of something, or they're trying to make you understand the way they think. So they proceed to make a comparison - this way, it will be easier for you to grasp the message behind what they're saying. For example: your friend John is telling you that, in his opinion, parks in the city should offer free food to visitors. He says "They offer bathrooms, don't they? We can use the toilets for free. So I think they should give us food for free as well."

You reply "John, you're comparing apples and oranges here." You're comparing apples and oranges, or you're mixing apples and oranges. Free toilet services and free food? That's apples and oranges. These are two different things that shouldn't necessarily be handled in the same way. So you tell John "The city is able to provide toilet services, which are relatively simple and affordable enough. But providing food is a much more complex operation - the cost is a lot higher, it involves several specific rules and regulations that have to be adhered to, not to mention that, you know, different people want and like different things! Why would you want to deprive people of all the different choices that they can have when buying food from a shop?" And you finish your argument by repeating  "John, you're comparing apples and oranges."

Or your other friend, Molly, tells you that she's going to do a Math test tomorrow. The subject of the test is... two things: one, addition. Like, two plus two equals four. Two, subtraction. As in, eight minus three equals five. That's it. Molly is a professional accountant, by the way. I think she knows how to add and subtract. You, on the other hand, are a medical student  and tomorrow you have your final... neurosciences exam. Ok, I don't even know if neurosciences is an exam subject in medical school, but let's go with it. So you basically have to study a whole lot in the field of neurosciences, for tomorrow.

Molly knows all that, obviously, but she still says "Wow, we both have to study hard today. I'm sure we'll have to put in the same amount of effort, me with addition and subtraction, and you with neurosciences!" And you know she means it - she is not being sarcastic or anything. So, obviously, your first thought is "Yeah, that's apples and oranges, Molly. Apples and oranges."

Alright! Let's move on to another idiom: your days are numbered, or this or that thing's days are numbered. If you're in the habit of watching American films I'm sure you've heard this one before. That would be something that the hero of the movie would typically say to the villain: Your days are numbered. That means, you won't be able to keep doing what you're doing for too long. I'll catch you, I will stop you, you'll go to jail - your days are numbered.

So basically that's it - if something's days are numbered, that thing will not exist for much longer. I think everyone can think of an example in their life. Sometimes... sometimes there's a shop in your neighbourhood that just can't seem to do well, no matter how much effort the owners put into it. Whenever you walk past, you can't help but notice that it's empty. No customers. That makes you think that this shop's days are numbered, right?

Have you had an example like that in your neighbourhood? Please let me know in the comments, and talk to you next time!

Key expressions

* compare / mix apples and oranges

* days are numbered

Vocabulary