Transcript of AE 1170 - Expression: Behind the Eight Ball

G'day, you mob, and welcome to Aussie English. I am your host, Pete. And my objective here is to teach you guys the English spoken Down Under. So whether you want to sound like a fair dinkum Aussie, or you just want to understand what the flippin' hell we're on about when we're having a yarn, you've come to the right place. So sit back, grab a cuppa and enjoy Aussie English. Let's go!

G'day, guys. How's it going? Welcome to this episode of Aussie English. The number one place for anyone and everyone or wanting to learn Australian English. Guys, I hope you are having an amazing weekend. I hope you are living it up. I hope you are enjoying yourselves, having fun with your friends, with your family on your own, if you will. I just hope you're having a great weekend.

Now, what have I been up to today? It has been. It's been a pretty busy day, to be honest. I have, I guess I think I've told you guys about the fact that we bought a house last month and are in the process of settlement. So this is where the bank finalises the details for your loan, you know, giving you the money. And then you use the money to finally transfer across everything to the person who was selling the house, and then you can move into the house. So we're sort of waiting for that period to end, waiting for the bank to give us the money, then for us to give it to the vendor, the person selling the the house, and then for us to move in.

But in the meantime, we have alerted our landlords and the real estate agents that are managing our property that we're renting at the moment to the fact that we're moving out and we have to get the house ready for inspection so that people can come through and, you know, apply to live in this house once we move out. So at the moment that entails quite a bit of work. You know, my wife's at work from Monday to Thursdays. And so this week we've got someone coming on Friday apparently to check out the house. And I'm just having to clean a lot of the house. So do the kitchen, clean the floors.

I've been trying to get rid of all the mould in the bathrooms and in different places around the house. Wherever there's mould, obviously, you know, it's never a good look. And then I've been out in the garden doing some whipper snipper-ing. I wonder if we say that. I guess it's sort of like, what's the other term? What would they call it in the US? I think they'd call it like slashing, where you use a, kind of like a long stick with a rotating blade or wire at the end to slash through weeds or grass. So we call them a whipper snipper in Australia.

I've been using a whipper snipper to get rid of all of the grass around the edges of the garden and out the front of the house. And then I've been mowing the lawn as well. So that was what I was doing this morning, working up a sweat, getting covered in grass clippings and bits of weeds and everything. I don't know how people ever avoid that when doing the mowing. It seems like I just get it everywhere. It's on my glasses, it's in my hair, the hair on my face, the beard. It's under my shirt, you know, it just ends up everywhere. And I get hay fever. I don't know. The older I get, the more I seem to be susceptible to these sorts of allergies.

Like once I was in my twenties, I started developing hay fever, which I'd never had previous to that. I suddenly became allergic to cats once I'd moved out of my parents house and they had cats at home. So I guess whilst I was young I was exposed to them all the time and never got allergic. But as soon as I was away, living somewhere else, I did.

So, yeah. Anyway, that's what I've been up to today. Yeah, I guess let's just get into today's episode guys. So don't forget, guys, if you want the transcripts for the podcast episode so that you can read and listen at the same time, you can learn the vocabulary, the expressions, the collocations, all the advanced stuff that's going on when I am speaking here in English, then be sure to sign up to the premium podcast membership at https://www.aussieenglish.com.au/podcast

So, you can sign up at any time! And also be aware that on the 1st of October the Academy is going to open where you'll be able to join up and get access to all of my learning materials in there so that you can learn Australian English, about our history, our culture. You can meet other students, you can go to the five or more speaking classes every single week to work on your fluency and speaking skills. But you also get access to the Premium Podcast if you're a member of The Academy; that is included as part of the package. So if you're a member of The Academy, then you already have access to the transcripts. And if you're not, the doors will open so that you can sign up on the 1st of October. So keep your eyes out for that.

All right. So as usual, let's get into a Q and A, Question and Answer. So this one comes from Fantin, who asks, "What do you say in English when someone sneezes?" What do you say in English when someone sneezes? Now, this is always funny because, you know, you grow up learning to say a certain phrase. I think probably in every culture, I mean. I don't know every single culture, but every single language I've ever learnt, there's always something they say if someone sneezes.

So in English it's "bless you". "Bless you." So you'll hear, too, how we say 'bless' and 'you', and the /j/ yod, the /ju/ sound at the front of the word 'you' blends with the S-sound at the end of the word 'bless', and you end up with 'bles-sh-yu'. So it sounds like an sh /ʃ/ sound. 'ble-shyu'. 'ble-shyu'. 'ble-shyu'. Instead of 'bles yu', 'bles yu'.

So that is a phenomenon called assimilation. And you can learn more about that if you want via my Australian pronunciation course. Go check that out https://www.aussieenglish.com.au/apc But yeah, we say "Bless you, bless you" in English when someone sneezes.

And there are a few explanations for why we may say this. The first one is that in ancient times people believe that sneezing was the way for the body to get rid of its demons, or for the devil's influences to kind of exit the body, right. When you were sneezing, your body was trying to get rid of these things.

However, the second explanation is that during the plague, it's believed that Pope Gregory I, Gregory The Great, suggested saying "God bless you", which can be shortened to "bless you", after a person sneezed, which was a symptom of the plague. And this was in the hopes that this prayer, saying "God bless you" would protect the person from dying from the plague.

So there you go, guys. It's a pretty interesting story, but I know that in Portuguese, I think they would say "saúde", which is just 'health'. I think in German they'd say 'gesundheit'. And I'm not even sure what that means, but it's something you hear all the time. And I think in French it's a to swear. I think, I think I can't really remember, but I think it's like 'to your wishes'. So there are all different kinds of ways of saying the equivalent of 'bless you' in different languages. And I would love to know, what is it in your language? Is it something completely different, or is it something very similar?

All right, guys. So with that aside, slap the bird and let's get into today's joke. Okay. So the joke today is: what do you call a sleeping bull? What do you call a sleeping bull? Are you ready? A bulldozer. Do you get it? A bulldozer.

Okay, so there's a few different things I have to explain here. To 'doze' is a verb that means to sleep lightly, right. You know, you'll often hear people 'dozing away'. I don't know, in the car, or at cinemas, in public, at home. 'My dad always seems to doze away at parties and in front of the TV.' 'He always dozes off.' A 'dozer'. If someone is a 'dozer', that is someone who sleeps lightly, right? So you've turned a verb into a noun: 'to doze' = a 'dozer'. A 'bull-dozer', with a hyphen between it- between those two words would be a 'bull', right? A male cow who sleeps lightly. He's a bull-dozer. Right.

So what do you call a sleeping bull? A bull-dozer. But a 'bulldozer', as one word, is a powerful track-laying tractor, with caterpillar tracks, and a broad curved upright blade at the front that is used for clearing ground. So you'll often see this where there are roadworks going on, there's construction happening, a bulldozer has this blade at the front of the machine that it uses to push earth and other things out of the way. So what do you call a sleeping bull? A bull-dozer. There you go.

Okay, so let's get into the expression today, guys. The expression is to be "behind the eight ball". "Behind the eight ball." As usual. Let's go through the different words in this expression. First, we'll go through what it means, how you can use it, and then we'll do a little pronunciation, exercise, a little listening comprehension exercise, and then we will finish up.

Okay, so 'behind'. If you're 'behind' something, you are at, or to the far side of something, right? Typically so as to be hidden by that thing. So if you're 'behind a tree', you know, maybe you're playing hide and seek as a kid. You are at the far side of the tree so that someone else can't see you. You're 'behind' the tree. Maybe you open the fridge and you're looking for a piece of cake, but you can't see it because it's behind the milk, right? So the milk is obscuring your view of the cake. It's hidden to the far side of the milk. It is 'behind' the milk,

'The'. I'm sure you know what the word that is. It's a definite article, the specific thing, right? So this is 'the' house that I live in. It's the specific house. It's not just 'a' house, it's 'the' house. This is 'the' beach or 'the' beach where I like going surfing, so I don't like going surfing it just any beach. It's this specific beach. This is 'the' beach that I like going surfing at.

An 'eight ball'. Now an 'eight ball' is a hard ball numbered with eight and painted black and white in the game of pool. I wonder if you know what the game of pool is. It's always a weird one to think. Why is this thing named after where you would go swimming recreationally, in a pool? So 'pool' is a game that you play that is, I guess it's a type of billiards game. So it's usually played on a table that has sort of green felt on it. It's got six holes, one on each of the corners and then the halfway points of the long sides of the table. And the objective is to hit different balls into the pockets, right. And the last ball that you should hit is numbered eight.

So what does the expression 'to be behind the eight ball' mean? If you're 'behind the eight ball', you are in trouble. You're in an awkward position. You are out of luck, right? You are in a bad situation. You are 'behind the eight ball'.

And I looked this up online. I was like, why on earth do we say this? Because I'm sure you guys know what it's like with expressions in your native language. We learn to say these things and we learn the meaning that they convey, but the literal idea is quite often not even thought about, right. So 'behind the eight ball', 'behind the eight ball', someone, in English, who probably has never played pool in their life, might still use this expression.

So I looked it up and on Grammarist.com under the article "Origin of the Phrase 'Behind the Eight Ball", here's the following explanation. "The idiom 'behind the eight ball' was first printed in American newspapers in the 1920s", so it's 100 years old or so. "It was derived from the game of pool or pocket billiards. One version of the pool is the game of eight ball, in which the numbered balls must be pocketed in numerical order except for the eight ball. In this game, the players use two sets of patterned and coloured balls. It also includes the billiard cue ball and the black ball." So the cue ball is the white one, the one that you have to hit into other balls.

"The game starts with a legal break, where the player must pocket an object ball or let at least four numbered balls to the rail. If the cue ball accidentally hits the eighth ball or the black ball, that is a foul shot. You cannot create a direct shot at this ball since the black ball is becoming an obstruction. If the eight ball is pocketed, the game is lost. So one strategy in eight ball is to clear the ball in trouble early with the white ball, including all coloured balls in a cluster. Doing so will keep you from an awkward position so that you can make a straight shot."

So the basic idea here, guys, is that if you're playing pool, the eight ball is the black one. You're not allowed to sink that into a pocket unless you've gotten all your balls in the pockets already and you're not allowed to hit it first. So it can be hit by other balls, but you can't hit it first or it's a foul. And so if you get the white ball, the cue ball stuck behind the eight ball and you can't hit any other ball without accidentally hitting the eight ball, you are 'behind the eight ball', right? You are in a troubled position. You're in a bad position. You're in you're out of luck. You are in an awkward situation. You're behind the eight ball.

So let's go through some examples of how I would use this expression.

So in AFL footy, right, Australian Rules Football. My father and I go for the team, Essendon, the Bombers, that's who we support, that's who we barrack for. This year they've had a bit of a rough trot, right? They've had a hard time climbing the ladder. So the rankings of the different teams, winning the games and climbing the ladder to number one, and at the moment they're currently ranked number 15 out of 18 teams, only sitting above the GWS Giants and West Coast and North Melbourne. The finals are coming up soon. They'll be at the end of September and Essendon is definitely in a bad situation. They have had bad luck all season, they haven't performed very well, they haven't won many games, so they're 'behind the eight ball' this season. They almost certainly won't get into the finals. They are 'behind the eight ball'.

Example number two. So the weekend is calm and you're trying to smash out a lot of chores and clean up your house. Perhaps like I am today, you want to vacuum the carpet, you want to mop the floors, do some washing of your clothes, water the plants, head outside, mow the lawns, do some gardening, feed your pets, feed your kids, everything like that, right? You get the vacuuming done. But when you're about to go and mop the floors, you accidentally break the mop. Maybe you trip over and snap the handle in half or something.

So as a result, you have to go to the shops, try to find a new mop to buy, and then come home and smash out the mopping, get it done, and then try and finish all your other tasks. But ultimately, whilst you're looking for the mop, it takes like an hour or two of your day. So as a result, when you get home, you've been set back in your chores for the day. You've been delayed, you're behind, you have had some bad luck. You're in a difficult situation. You are 'behind the eight ball', right? You're at a disadvantage. You are in a bad situation. You're 'behind the eight ball'.

Example number three. When I was a uni student living up in Melbourne, I was renting one of three rooms in a share house with some friends. And I was working as a waiter at a restaurant which paid me, you know, peanuts, barely anything. And this was because it was casual work. So they would give you, you know, five shifts one week and then one shift the next week. So I didn't always have enough hours each week to be able to make enough money to cover my bills.

Things like rent and utilities and food and transport and everything like that. So if one week I didn't get as many shifts as I needed and I didn't make much money, I wouldn't be able to afford to pay for these things. I'd have to use my credit card or borrow some money from a friend or a family member. And this would put me 'behind the eight ball', right? It would be a setback. It would be a bad situation that I was suddenly in. I have had some bad luck now, so I am at a disadvantage. I'm 'behind the eight ball'.

So hopefully now guys, you understand what the expression 'behind the eight ball' means. It means for you to be in trouble, in an awkward position, to be set back, to be out of luck, to be in a bad situation.

So as usual, let's go through a little pronunciation exercise, guys. This is where you can find a quiet place away from other people. If you want, speak out loud. Repeat these words as I say them, these words and these phrases and work on your pronunciation so you're ready to go.

Let's do it. To. To be. To be behind. To be behind the. To be behind the eight. To be behind the eight ball. To be behind the eight ball. To be behind the eight ball. To be behind the eight ball. To be behind the eight ball. I'm behind the eight ball. You're behind the eight ball. He's behind the eight ball. She's behind the eight ball. We're behind the eight ball. They're behind the eight ball. It's behind the eight ball.

Great job, guys. Now to explain a little bit about the pronunciation and intonation and everything going on here.

So let's talk about the schwa, right, that schwa /ə/ vowel sound. This pops up in two places, I think in this sentence. So 'to' becomes /tə/ once it's in a phrase with other words after it; /tə/ be behind the eight ball. /tə/, '/tə/ be'.

And then we also have it in the word 'behind'. So instead of saying 'bee-hind', you'll hear 'bəhind'. So the emphasis on, which syllable, right? In this word, which syllable is the emphasis on? It's on the second one. So the first one is not emphasised, and it gets the schwa vowel sound 'bəhind' 'behind', 'to be bəhind the eight ball'.

And as a result, the rhythm that you're going to hear is da da da da da da da. 'To be behind the eight ball'. 'The eight ball', 'to be behind the eight ball'.

Now, the last little thing I want to mention here is what vowel sound do you hear in the word 'the' 'the' or 'the'? Right. So the word 'the' can have three different vowel sounds. It can have the schwa, it can have the /ɑ/ sound and it can have the /e/ sound. The schwa is often used if it's in a phrase, and the next word starts with a consonant. Same with 'the', if you're saying 'the' clearly you can use the /ɑ/ sound if the following word starts with a consonant. If the following word starts with a vowel sound, like in this case eight we use the e vowel sound, 'thee-yeyt', 'thee-yeyt', to link them. So you can learn more about this in the pronunciation course, as I've mentioned.

But you can also learn about this on my YouTube channel and on the podcast in the linking episode. Okay, so I talk about vowel linking and you'll have the /j/ sound, the /w/ sound or the /r/ sound. Those are the semi vowels in English and we use those to link vowels together.

Now for the last section here, guys, this is where I'm going to play a clip for you. And today's clip comes from the 2011 film Red Dog. I think we've had this on the podcast before. It's a great film. It's based on the legendary true story of the Red Dog, who united a disparate local community while roaming the Australian outback in search of his long lost master. So it's a bit of a, what would you say? It's a bit of a heart wrenching kind of film. It's really, really good. It's kind of, there's a lot of love in it, and it's also a little teary, but it's worth checking out.

Remember, guys, the rules of the game are as follows. I'm going to play a clip from this movie twice. Your job is to listen and try and write down the words that you hear in this phrase. Okay, so find a piece of paper somewhere and a pen. You can go back and listen multiple times if you need. And you can also check the answers in the transcript for today's episode.

If you are a Premium Podcast member, or if you're in The Academy, or you can check it via the free PDF Download so you can download the free PDF for this episode to see the exercises in this episode, but also see the answer to this question here, I guess, to this exercise.

Okay, so I'm going to play it first. This is the first time through. Are you ready to go? Let's do it.

Oh, whoops. Seems to be my break time. Call me if you need me.

Okay. How did you go? Did you get all of it? Now it's time for the second playthrough.

Oh, whoops. Seems to be my break time. Call me if you need me.

All right. So that shouldn't have been too difficult. It was quite a short one, but I hope you got it right.

I hope it went well, guys. And yeah, thank you so much for joining me. It is always a massive privilege chatting to you guys and hanging out with you on a regular basis. I hope you're still enjoying these episodes. I hope it's helping you level up your English, and I hope to see a whole bunch of you joining The Academy in October and levelling up your English inside there. So thank you for joining me, guys. I am Pete. This is Aussie English and I will see you next time. Catch 'ya!