| William: | Hello and welcome to The English We Speak. I'm William Kremer. |
| Yang Li: | And I'm Yang Li. |
| William: | So this Sunday is Father's Day here in the UK and in many countries around the world. |
| Yang Li: | William, I know you are married but you are not a father yet, right? |
| William: | Yes, that's right. |
| Yang Li: | Well in that case, I don't think you are well qualified to talk about this topic, William! |
| William: | Well, I disagree. All that matters is that we can speak English! So today I thought we could look at a couple of very common phrases relating to fatherhood. Let's listen to this clip of a woman talking to her friend about her son. Try and hear a phrase relating to fatherhood. |
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| Woman: | And how's Jonathan? |
| Woman 2: | Good question—I'd like to know the answer! He's ever so quiet and I never know what he's thinking ... |
| Woman: | Oh yeah. |
| Woman 2: | Mind you, his dad's exactly the same. Like father, like son. |
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| Yang Li: | Like father, like son. So that means that the son is just like the father, is that right? |
| William: | Exactly, yes. |
| Yang Li: | So, William, can you say 'like mother, like daughter'? |
| William: | Well, you could say that but it's not really a phrase in English. 'Like father, like son' is quite a common phrase. And you have to use those exact words, you can't say 'Like his father, like my son'—it has to be 'like father, like son'. |
| Yang Li: | So are you like your father, William? |
| William: | That's a good question. What do you think, Dad? |
| William's Dad: | Oh, that's a difficult question— |
| Yang Li: | Wow, I didn't know—I didn't realise you were here, Mr Kremer! It's very nice to meet you! Very nice to meet you. |
| William's Dad: | Nice to meet you too. I always like to keep an eye on William, make sure he's being a good son. And I think I was a good son to my father, so in that way, I think he is like me. |
| Li: | I think you look quite alike, except that William is much taller than you—he is a giant! |
| William's Dad: | I have to carry a chair with me wherever I go just to keep up with him! |
| William: | Alright, Dad. So, before we finish today, let's have a look at another phrase connected with fatherhood. And this phrase means a long time before you were born. In this clip a woman is talking to her uncle. Try and hear the phrase. |
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| Woman: | I didn't know you used to have a motorbike! |
| Man: | Oh yes. I had one for a couple of years ... it must have been in the sixties; before you were even a twinkle in your father's eye! |
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| Yang Li: | Wow that was quite a long phrase—'Before you were even a twinkle in your father's eye.' |
| William: | Yeah, or you could say, 'You weren't even a twinkle in your father's eye'. A twinkle is something that shines brightly, like a star. So it's quite a romantic word. Maybe the phrase means: before your father ever looked at your mother in a romantic way; so, long before you were born. |
| Yang Li: | Well, we hope that these English phrases might be useful to you this Sunday. Happy Father's Day! |
| William: | Happy Father's Day! |
| William's Dad: | Oh thanks guys! |
