Hunky-dory

Helen: Hi, I'm Helen, and welcome to The English We Speak. Sorry, I'll be with you in a minute, Chris—I'm just on the phone to Rob ... 

Chris: Sure.

Helen: Rob, do you need me to come and record with you in the studio this afternoon?

Rob: No, don't worry—I've got Neil coming over to record with me. Everything's hunky-dory.

Helen: Everything's wha-?

Rob: Gotta go. Speak to you later—bye!

Helen: OK, b- ... Oh, he hung up.

Chris: Having a busy day, Helen?

Helen: Yes, it's been so busy—I've got to move all these boxes. How is your day going?

Chris: No problems really. I've finished my script and I've already recorded another programme with Rosie ... I'm hunky-dory.

Helen: Hunky-dory? That's what Rob just said to me. Neither of you is very hunky though ... 

Chris: What?!

Helen: Well, hunky means muscular doesn't it?

Chris: Well yes, hunky is a slang word for describing someone who is muscular ... 

Helen: So, you're not telling the truth when you say, 'I'm hunky ... Dory'. My name's not 'Dory' though—why do you call me that?

Chris: I wasn't lying and saying 'I'm hunky' ... and I wasn't calling you 'Dory' either. The phrase hunky-dory doesn't have anything to do with being muscular—it's an informal way of saying something's fine or satisfactory.

Helen: Ohhhh ... It's a bit of a strange phrase though.

Chris: Yes, it is. No-one really knows where it comes from, other than it's believed to be an American phrase.
Helen: I see. So how can you use it?

Chris: Well, here are some examples:

• I was really worried I'd lost her, but everything's hunky-dory now—she was waiting for me by the car.

• Our washing machine broke last night. An engineer is coming to take a look at it today, so it should be hunky-dory soon.

Chris: So you can use hunky-dory as an informal way to say that a situation is fine.

Helen: Now I understand! ... Well, sadly nothing is hunky-dory for me ... I've got all these boxes to move.

Chris: Is that why you invited me here?

Helen: Maybe ... ?

Chris: Hmm ... right then, let's get on with it. Right, where do you want them?

Helen: Just over there, thanks.

Chris: OK ... 

Helen: Haha! My work will soon be done! ... Join us again for another edition of The English We Speak and visit our website, bbclearningenglish.com. Bye!