In today’s English lesson, you learn new vocabulary and idioms with Rachel and Ross from the TV series Friends.
About the Scene: Rachel is home alone and decides to dance naked in her apartment. However, she forgot to close the curtains so Ross can see her from his apartment, which lies opposite to hers. He comes over because he thinks Rachel wants to persuade him to have sex with her.
For best learning results, please follow the five steps in the prescribed order:
- Watch with Subtitles
- Read the Transcript
- Learn the Vocabulary and Phrases
- Test yourself by watching the whole scene again
- Test yourself with some quiz questions
Step 1: Watch with Subtitles
Step 2: Read the Transcript
Rachel: Oh, look what happened! Huh, check me out! I’m in my kitchen…naked! I’m picking up an orange. I’m naked! Lighting the candles, naked, and carefully.
Ross: Oh my God! That’s Rachel naked! I can’t look at that! I am looking at this. Okay, vivid colors, expressive brushstrokes. Unless she wants me to be looking at that. She knows I’m home. She knows I can see her. What kind of game is she playing? I think maybe someone’s lonely tonight. Oh-ho, Dr. Geller! Stop it! You’re being silly! Or, am I?
Ross: May I come in?
Rachel: Uh, yeah, if you want to.
Ross: Do you want me to?
Rachel: Yeah, sure?
Ross: So do I. Okay, Rach, before anything happens, I just want to lay down a couple of ground rules. This is just about tonight. I don’t want to go through with this if it’s going to raise the question of “Us.” Okay? I just want this to be about what it is!
Rachel: And um, what-what is that, Ross?
Ross: The physical act of love.
Rachel: What?! Are you crazy?
Ross: Oh, so-so you weren’t trying to entice me just now with your-your nakedness?
Rachel: Oh God, you saw me?! Oh!
Ross: You weren’t trying to entice me with your nakedness.
Rachel: Noo!! No!
Step 3: Learn the Vocabulary
to check someone out = to look at someone because you think they are attractive and you may be romantically or sexually interested in them
Example: I admit, I was checking you out.
vivid colors = very bright in color
Example: She was wearing a vivid pink shirt.
brushstrokes = the way in which paint is put on to a surface with a brush
Example: The artist painted this picture using vigorous brushstrokes.
to play a game / to play games = to act in a manipulative manner in dealing with others
Example: Don‘t play games with me – I want to know if you love me or not!
ya = informal for “you”
Example: He greeted me with “How ya doin’?”
Darn it! = said when you are very annoyed about something
Example: Darn it! There goes my bus!
Rach = short for Rachel
to lay down rules / to lay down the law = to tell people what has to happen, without caring about their opinions
Example: Some parents talk things through with their kids instead of simply laying down the law.
ground rules = the basic rules for doing something
Example: In all relationships a few ground rules have to be established.
to go through with something = to do something you had promised to do, even though you are no longer sure you want to do it
Example: He was always threatening to quit his job, but I never thought he‘d actually go through with it.
to raise a question = to start talking about a subject that you want other people to consider
Example: All of which raises the big question – are we heading for another winter of cold, ice and snow?
to entice someone = to persuade someone to do something by offering them something pleasant
Example: The adverts entice the customer into buying things they don’t really want.
Step 4: Watch without Subtitles
Step 5: Take the Test
Scene taken from Season 5, Episode 23 of Friends: The One in Vegas, Part 1 | Definitions and example sentences in the video are partly taken from the Cambridge and Collins Dictionary.
