Feifei Hello and welcome to The English We Speak with me, Feifei…
Neil There you, go Feifei - one skinny cappuccino for you…
Feifei Thanks, Neil. It’s good to get away from the office, and I like this cafe… it’s very stylish, for you!
Neil I will take that as a compliment. Now, shall we get down to business?
Feifei ‘Get down to business’? Do we have to talk about business? I thought we’d forget about work, relax, talk about… your holiday plans. Where are you going this year?
Neil Sorry, Feifei, we need to talk shop for a minute.
FeifeiShopping! I’d love to talk about shopping.
NeilNo. Talk shop.
Feifei Which shop?
Neil Our shop – I mean our work. To talk shop means to talk about work, even when you’re not at work!
Feifei Oh right! And do we talk shop to just anyone?
Neil No, Feifei, just to the people you work with – I don’t think anyone else would be interested. Let’s hear from some more people who are ‘talking shop’…
ExamplesWe went to the pub to celebrate Rob’s birthday but inevitably we started talking shop!
I bumped into my boss on the train home tonight and he talked shop all the way to my stop.
We’ve been at work all day, let’s all have some fun and not talk shop… please!
FeifeiThis is The English We Speak from BBC Learning English, and we’re talking about the phrase ‘talk shop’. It means to talk to people you work with about work, even when you’re not at work. So come on then, Neil. Let’s talk about work, if we have to.
Neil Thanks. I brought you to the cafe so we could talk about all the scripts I’ve got to write.
Feifei You want me to write some scripts – that’s why you bought me a coffee?
Neil Of course not. I just need some ideas for some authentic English phrases to write about. That’s why I needed to …
Feifei …talk shop.
Neil Exactly.
Feifei No! ‘Talk shop’ – that’s an English phrase you can write about.
Neil Brilliant, Feifei! Wow, these scripts just write themselves. Fancy another coffee?
FeifeiOnly if we stop talking shop!
NeilBye.