Feifei Hello and welcome to The English We Speak with me, Feifei…
Roy …and me, Roy.
Feifei We may sound a little different – that’s because we are not able to record in our normal studios during the coronavirus outbreak. Now Roy, stop using your phone! We’re trying to talk! Ahhh I know what game you’re playing! You’re probably too embarrassed to tell people which game it is – and in this programme we have a word to use when you want to be discreet, or not let people know something.
Roy Well, I absolutely love this new app game – it’s the one where you play as a dog that has to catch bananas and throw them through a hoop! Have you played it?
Feifei I know the one! It’s called ‘Banana-catching dog hoop challenge - the game’. I am lowkey addicted to playing it.
Roy What? Why did you say ‘lowkey’?
Feifei Ahh, I used that word because I don’t want everyone to know what I’m doing. Surely you have some self-respect and don’t want people to know that you’re playing a game for 8-year-olds?
Roy No, I don’t care what people think of me. I still watch cartoons, play video games and read comics.
Feifei Well, I’m sure there’s something you want to be discreet about. We’ll find out right after these examples.
Examples I lowkey love watching romantic comedies. I tell my girlfriend I don’t, but secretly I do.
He is lowkey in love with Eric! He talks about him all the time, but he won’t admit it.
I lowkey fell over walking to the shops. I’m so embarrassed.
Feifei This is The English We Speak from BBC Learning English and we’re talking about the word ‘lowkey’, which is used when you don’t want to admit to something.
Roy Most people know ’low-key’ as an adjective which describes things - such as events - that are quiet.
Feifei Like a low-key wedding – one without many guests held in a modest venue.
Roy In the use in this programme, lowkey is used as an adverb to mean ‘secretly’ or ‘moderately’. It’s also spelt as one word. You know the opposite to ‘lowkey’ is ‘high key’? When you’re proud about something and you want everyone to know, you use the term ‘high key’.
Feifei Roy. I’m more subtle and discreet than you.
Roy Well, I high key love playing video games – even that app game. Yes, I know it’s meant for young children, but it’s still really cool.
Feifei I lowkey enjoy them too, - I don’t want to tell anyone.
Roy Well, I lowkey have about twenty other games like ‘Banana-catching dog hoop challenge - the game’ on my phone!
Feifei I knew it! I knew you’d want to be ’lowkey’ about something.
Roy Do you want to play one?
Feifei Of course, I do! Bye, Roy.
Roy Bye.