#1 become
In this scene from the TV series Big Bang Theory, Sheldon causes some problems by apologizing to Raj.
Transcript:
Raj: Sheldon, tell them what you did.
Sheldon: What did I do?
Leonard: You left with his date. Friends don’t do that to each other.
Sheldon: Oh. Alright, noted. Sorry.
Raj: Sorry? That’s all you can say is sorry?
Leonard: Take it, Raj. It’s more than I’ve ever gotten.
Sheldon: And may I point out she wouldn’t have asked me to go with her if you hadn’t been drunk and boring.
Dr Koothrappali: Drunk?
Sheldon: And boring, her words.
Dr Koothrappali: I knew it, he moves to America and becomes an alcoholic.
Vocabulary:
take it = In this case, it means something like accepting the excuse.
to be drunk = Someone who is drunk has drunk so much alcohol that they cannot speak clearly or behave sensibly.
(definitions taken from the Collins Dictionary)
#2 blame
Sheldon’s mom sent him the old Nintendo 64 to play with his friends, but Leonard had other plans that night.
Transcript:
Sheldon: Great news. My mom sent me my old Nintendo 64.
Leonard: Terrific.
Sheldon: You know what this means, don’t you? Break out the Red Bull, it’s time to rock Mario old school.
Leonard: I kind of have other plans tonight.
Sheldon: But it’s Friday. Friday’s always vintage game night. Look, mom included the memory card, we can pick up where I left off in 1999 when I had pernicious anemia.
Leonard: Well, the thing is, someone’s coming over.
Sheldon: Well then, no problem, I have three controllers, the more the merrier.
Leonard: Sheldon, it’s a date, I have a date coming over.
Sheldon: Oh, well you can’t blame me for not jumping to that conclusion.
Leonard: Why, what’s so unusual about me having a date?
Sheldon: Well, statistically speaking…
Leonard: Alright, alright.
Vocabulary:
to break out something = In this case it means to take out or prepare for use.
Red Bull = Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks. Sheldon suggests they will need a lot of energy because he plans to play video games for hours.
to rock something = You can say you rock it, when you are particular good at it.
old school = old-fashioned; Sheldon often favors traditional ideas and conservative practices. So for him, the word “old school” has a positive connotation.
vintage = produced in the past, and typical of the period in which it was made
pernicious anemia = a relatively rare autoimmune disorder caused by a lack of vitamin B12
the more the merrier = the more the better
jumping to a conclusion = to guess the facts about a situation without having enough information
(Some definitions are taken from the Cambridge and Collins Dictionary.)
#3 control
Penny got a shelf from Ikea, and the boys are helping her with it. As always, they are overdoing it completely.
Transcript:
Howard: These instructions are a pictographic representation of the least imaginative way to assemble these components. This right here is why Sweden has no space program.
Penny: Well, uh, it looked pretty good in the store.
Leonard: It is an inefficient design, for example Penny has a flat screen TV, which means all the space behind it is wasted.
Sheldon: We could put her stereo back there.
Leonard: And control it how?
Sheldon: Run an infra-red repeater, photocell here, emitter here, easy-peasy.
Howard (after Raj whispers in his ear): Good point, how you gonna cool it?
Penny: Hey guys, I got this.
Sheldon: Hang on Penny. How about fans, here and here?
Leonard: Also inefficient, and might be loud.
Howard: How about liquid coolant? Maybe a little aquarium pump here, run some quarter inch PVC…
Penny: Guys, this is actually really simple.
Howard: Hold on, honey, men at work.
Vocabulary:
pictograph = a diagram or graph using pictured objects to convey ideas, information, etc.
representation = the way that something is shown or described
imaginative = new, original, and clever
to assemble = to fit the different parts of something together
repeater = an electrical device that amplifies incoming electrical signals, thus compensating for transmission losses
photocell = an electrical device that produces a current or a voltage when light shines on it
emitter = something that emits (= sends out) light, a noise, or a substance
easy-peasy = very easy
gonna = going to
hang on = wait for a short time
fan = A fan moves the air and makes yourself feel cooler.
liquid coolant = a liquid used to keep a machine or engine cool while it is operating
honey = a name you call someone you love or like very much
(definitions taken from the Cambridge and Collins Dictionary)
#4 fasten
Sheldon uses a driving simulator but is not very good at it. Fortunately, he uses the simulator rather than an actual car.
Transcript:
Leonard: Okay, now, what you want to do first is turn on the ignition and shift into drive.
Sheldon: I haven’t fastened my seat belt yet.
Leonard: Okay, fasten your seat belt.
Sheldon: Click. Now, are there air bags?
Leonard: You don’t need air bags.
Sheldon: What if a simulated van rear-ends me?
Penny: I’ll hit you in the face with a pillow.
Leonard: Okay, now shift into drive, pull out slowly into traffic.
(General panic)
Penny: Oh.
Leonard: Oh.
Howard: Oh.
Leonard: Watch out.
Howard: Oh God!
Leonard: Watch, watch out, watch out for pedestrians!
Penny: Oh God, wait, slow, hit the brakes, hit the brakes!
(Sounds of car crashing. Penny hits Sheldon in the face with a pillow.)
Sheldon: Thank you.
Vocabulary:
ignition = the electrical system in an engine that causes the fuel to burn or explode in order to start the engine
to shift = to move the gears of a vehicle
to fasten = to become firmly fixed together or closed
to rear-end = to hit the back of one car with another in an accident
to pull out = If a vehicle pulls out, it starts moving onto a road or onto a different part of the road
watch out = used to warn someone of danger
pedestrian = a person who is walking, especially in an area where vehicles go
to hit the brakes = to step on the brakes hard and fast
(definitions taken from the Cambridge and Collins Dictionary)
#5 flatter
Leslie is tired of waking up on strange futons and wants to slow things down in the future. Leonard seems to be the perfect fit for that.
Transcript:
Leonard: Are you suggesting another bout of stress release?
Leslie: No, I’m all done with casual sex. From now on I’m fully committed to the traditional relationship paradigm.
Leonard: Really, what changed?
Leslie: It’s hard to say, I guess there’s just a time in every woman’s life when she gets tired of waking up on a strange futon with a bunch of people she doesn’t know.
Leonard: Yeah, I can see how that would… a bunch of people?
Leslie: Anyway, I just figure it’s time to slow things down and who better to slow things down with than you?
Leonard: Oh, I’m flattered. So, how do you suggest we proceed?
Leslie: Your place, we’ll order Chinese, you’ll rent a movie, artsy but accessible, then light petting, no coitus.
Leonard: Sounds fun.
Leslie: I’ll leave the details up to you, I think it’s better if you assume the male role.
Leonard: Thank you, that’s very thoughtful.
Vocabulary:
bout = a short involvement in an activity
paradigm = a clear and typical example of something
futon = a type of mattress
bunch = a group of people
to be flattered = to feel very pleased and proud because someone has said good things about you
to proceed = to continue as planned
artsy but accessible = Leslie is saying that she wants to watch a movie that is not dull but also not too demanding.
petting = when two people kiss and touch each other in a sexual way, but without having sexual intercourse
to assume = to accept something to be true without question or proof
(definitions taken from the Cambridge and Collins Dictionary)
#6 grab
Leonard and Sheldon try to retrieve Penny’s TV from her ex-boyfriend, but they have trouble accessing the building.
Transcript:
Sheldon: Leonard, the TV is in the building, we’ve been denied access to the building, ergo we are done.
Leonard: Excuse me, if I were to give up at the first little hitch I never would have been able to identify the fingerprints of string theory in the aftermath of the big bang.
Sheldon: My apologies. What’s your plan?
(Leonard starts rattling the doors violently.)
Sheldon: It’s just a privilege to watch your mind at work.
Leonard: Come on, we have a combined IQ of 360, we should be able to figure out how to get into a stupid building.
(Two girl scouts arrive carrying bags of cookies. One runs her hand down the intercom, pushing all the buttons. The door is buzzed open.)
Sheldon: What do you think their combined IQ is?
Leonard: Just grab the door.
Scene: Outside Penny’s ex-boyfriend’s apartment.
Leonard: This is it. (Knocks.) I’ll do the talking.
Sheldon: Good thinking, I’ll just be the muscle.
Vocabulary:
to deny = to not allow someone to have or do something
ergo = therefore
hitch = a temporary difficulty that causes a short delay
string theory = a theory in physics
aftermath = a period that follows an unpleasant event or accident; it also refers to the effects that it causes
the Big Bang = the large explosion that many scientists believe created the universe
privilege = an advantage that only one person or group of people has
(definitions taken from the Cambridge and Collins Dictionary)
PS: In case you came here via Google (or any other search engine): This post is part of my online course on typical mistakes people with German as their native language make in English. You can get to the course here: Englisch lernen: Hoffentlich machst du diese Fehler nicht!