Hello and welcome back to the American slang and idioms course how to understand Americans when they
talk in this lecture we're going to be talking about the letter D and words and phrases that start with
the letter D.
So the first word we're looking at is DUDE DUDE DUDE DUDE means a man or a guy.
Let's look at some conversations where we use the word dude.
Joe.
Hey dude.
Are you going to lunch with us.
Hey dude are you going to lunch with us.
STEVE Yeah dude let's go.
He added Let's go get it.
Let's go.
Dude is used most often with young people or between friends and sometimes it's used jokingly because
a lot of adults think that the word dude is kind of a funny word either for kids or for like surfers
like a surfer dude.
So sometimes we'll say like hey dude.
Surf's up bro.
And it's as a joke.
So hey dude you go to lunch with us.
Yeah dude let's go.
And a couple of notes about this conversation so hey here hey just means hi or hello.
It's an informal slang way to say hi.
So hated means Hi dude or Hello Dude Hello ma'am.
And then yeah is just more informal way to say yes.
He says hey dude are you going to lunch with us.
Yes man let's go yeah dude let's go.
OK let's look at another conversation with the word dude.
Joe.
Hey Steve check out that dude on the unicycle.
A unicycle is a bicycle with only one wheel.
So it's very difficult to ride.
Hey Steve check out that dude on the unicycle.
Steve Whoa.
That's crazy.
Wow.
That's crazy.
Or he could say whoa that dude's crazy.
That dude is crazy.
And whoa is an exclamation of surprise.
It's similar to saying Wow.
And crazy is another good slang word we say something is crazy often when we want to say that it's great
or great but also very interesting we say crazy because the real meaning of crazy means someone has
problems with their brain.
They're crazy they act crazy they act not normal but in slang we use it a lot to mean cool or interesting
or Awesome.
OK.
So hey Steve check out that dude on a unicycle.
Whoa.
That's crazy.
OK.
The next sort is done now.
Now demo done now is basically just three words put together.
I don't know.
Donna Donna
So let's look at the conversation where we use the word dumb now.
Joe what are you guys doing this afternoon.
What are you guys doing this afternoon.
Steve Donna Donna I know you could also say I don't know but you pronounce it like I don't know.
So if he says What are you guys doing this afternoon.
I don't know.
That's how I would say it.
Younger people kids mostly would say demo kids in there are people in there who are 20 years old or
30 years old might say Don't know.
I don't know.
OK.
So that's dunno.
It just means I don't know the next word is.
Down to earth down to earth down to earth down to earth means realistic logical or calm.
We usually use.
Down to Earth to describe a person.
A personality.
If a person is realistic we call them down to earth similar slang word is level headed level headed.
Which also means logical or calm level headed.
OK let's look at a conversation with the word down to earth.
Joe Bob is the only one in the office that doesn't freak out when it gets busy.
Bob is the only one in the office that doesn't freak out when it gets busy.
Joe could also say Bob is the only person in the office who doesn't freak out when it gets busy.
Bob is the only person in the office who doesn't freak out when it gets busy.
Steve.
Yeah I love it.
He's really down to earth.
Yeah I love it.
He's really down to earth yeah I love it.
He's really down to earth again this word.
Yeah.
Just saying.
Yes.
It's a word that indicates agreement.
I agree with you.
I love that he doesn't freak out.
I love it.
He's really down to earth.
Kill it's like it's more conversations with down to earth Joe.
All of my friends are so dramatic.
I need a friend who's more down to earth dramatic means they have lots of problems.
They're always complaining they're always getting into fights.
Their life is always a struggle.
And the opposite of someone who is dramatic is someone who is down to earth.
So Joe.
All of my friends are so dramatic.
I need a friend who's more down to earth.
Steve you should hang out with Craig Moore.
He's totally down to earth.
I've never seen him get flustered by anything and flustered means upset upset.
You should hang out with Craig more.
He's totally down to earth.
I've never seen him get flustered by anything.
You should hang out with Craig Moore.
He's totally down to earth.
I've never seen him get flustered by anything.
You should hang out with Craig Moore.
He's totally down to earth.
I've never seen him get flustered by anything.
And one last time I'll do all together Joe.
All of my friends are so dramatic I need a friend who is more down to earth.
Steve you should hang out with Craig Moore.
He's totally down to earth.
I've never seen him get flustered by anything.
And one more conversation with down to earth Joe.
This job requires some oh I did a typo.
I spell that wrong.
This job requires someone that should be someone someone who is very down to earth.
This job requires someone who is very down to earth.
This job requires someone who is very down to earth Steve Claire would be perfect for the job.
She's the most responsible level headed person I know and there's that word level headed.
Which means the same as down to earth.
It means calm or logical Steve.
Claire would be perfect for the job.
She's the most responsible levelheaded person I know.
Claire would be perfect for the job.
She's the most responsible levelheaded person I know.
OK the next word is dibs Dibbs dibs.
And we would often say I've got dibs.
I've got dibs.
I've got dibs on the last piece of cake and I'll show you what it means to claim something as yours.
Dibs means to claim something as yours.
Here are some examples.
Joe I called dibs on the last cookie.
I called dibs on the last cookie.
He's claiming the last cookie as his.
Steve I've got dibs on driving to the store.
I've got dibs on driving to the store.
I've got dibs on driving to the store and where he's saying I've got that means I have got dibs.
That's a little bit hard to understand Joe saying.
I call dibs.
That means he is saying dibs and this one means I have dibs.
It's like saying I have the claim on driving to the store.
I've got dibs on driving to the store.
Let's look at a conversation with Tibs Joe who wants the last piece of pizza.
Who wants the last piece of pizza who wants the last piece of pizza.
Steve DIBBS.
DIBBS.
So Joe says who wants the last piece of pizza.
Steve says dibs and whoever says dibs first claims it.
That's kind of a game that younger kids will play when they're trying to get in their mom's car to go
to the grocery store.
They might yell dibs dibs on the front seat.
They want to sit in the front seat of the car.
The next one is drives someone up the wall.
Drive someone up the wall or drive me up the wall.
Drives me up the wall and it means to bother or annoy bother or annoy.
A similar slang phrase drives someone nuts.
Drives someone nuts drives someone crazy drives someone crazy or make someone crazy make someone crazy.
And we usually use these phrases to talk about ourselves so we'd say you're driving me up the wall or
you're driving me nuts or you drive me crazy or you make me crazy.
And it means you're annoying me.
You are annoying me or you are bothering me.
Please leave me alone.
OK let's look at a conversation with the phrase drive someone up the wall.
Joe Greg just won't stop talking about himself.
It's making me crazy.
And here's one of our phrases making me crazy.
It's annoying me.
Greg won't stop talking about himself.
It's making me crazy.
Steve I know he's driving me up the wall.
I know he's driving me up the wall.
I know he's driving me up the wall and I'll do the whole thing together now Joe.
Greg just won't stop talking about himself.
It's making me crazy Steve.
I know he's driving me up the wall.
And a note about this phrase it's making me crazy.
Earlier in the course I was talking about how sometimes we use the word crazy to mean cool or awesome
or great or interesting.
In this case it's talking about the actual word crazy.
It's making my mind not work normally.
OK.
So let's look at some more here more examples of how to drive someone up the wall.
That squeaking noise is driving me up the wall.
Do you know what drives me crazy when people speed up through yellow lights.
It's so dangerous.
And this is talking about stoplights on the road when you see a yellow light.
You're supposed to slow down.
But some people speed up.
Do you know what drives me crazy when people speed up through yellow lights.
It's so dangerous.
Do you know what drives me crazy when people speed up through your lights.
It's so dangerous.
Our science teacher never tells us what we're supposed to study.
It drives me nuts.
Our science teacher never tells us what we're supposed to study.
It drives me nuts.
Our science teacher never tells us what we're supposed to study.
It drives me nuts.
Or you could say it drives me up the wall or drives me crazy.
Will you please stop bouncing that ball.
It's driving me crazy.
Will you please stop bouncing that ball.
It's driving me crazy.
Will you please stop bouncing that ball.
It's driving me crazy.
And that's it for the words and phrases that start with the letter D.
Thanks for watching.
I'll see you in the next lecture.