Feifei Hi everyone, I’m Feifei, and this is The English We Speak and with me is… is… Rob.
Are you ok Rob?
Rob No… I haven’t finished writing the script for this programme – I still don’t know how it’s going to end.
Feifei So what! Rob, it’s not important.
Rob What?! A script is not important – how am I going to make this programme word-perfect, without any mistakes? What will the audience think of me?
Feifei At the moment, they probably think you are a little crazy – you’re over-reacting Rob – you’re making a mountain out of a molehill.
Rob Making a mountain out of a molehill! I won’t be making any mountains, I haven’t got time.
Feifei No Rob – it’s just a saying! The phrase ’to make a mountain out of molehill’ means you’re making a big issue out of a small issue. You are over-reacting! So calm down Rob – it’s not a big issue not having a script, is it?
Rob [silence]
Feifei Rob?
Rob I don’t know what to say – it’s not on the script!
Feifei Oh dear – we’d better hear some other examples of this phrase…
Examples I only asked him to do the shopping and now he’s going on about how he has no time to go to the pub – he’s making a mountain out of a molehill.
It’s only a 2000-word essay - stop making a mountain out of a molehill!
Feifei So – making a mountain out of a molehill means making a small problem seem like a big one. And Rob, not finishing a script for this programme is a small problem.
Rob If you say so Feifei.
Feifei Just do what we always do – make it up!
Rob OK, I’ll try – hold on, what’s that?
[DIGGING/SQUEAKING FX]
Look! A real mole has buried into the studio – so now we have a real molehill to make a mountain out of.
Feifei You would never have written that in a script Rob!
Rob. True. Bye!
Feifei Bye!