Feifei Hello and welcome to The English We Speak. I’m Feifei…
**Rob
**And hello, I’m Rob.
FeifeiRob, what’s the smell? Are you cooking something?
**Rob
**Yes. It’s my favourite – roast beef. Yummy!
FeifeiRoast beef?! This isn’t really the time to be cooking.
Rob Well, you said let’s do ‘roast’ today – so I thought I’d make a start. Just got to do the roast potatoes now…
FeifeiRob, stop I meant let’s do the word ‘roast’.
**Rob
**Oh right. Well, this is a good example of roasting.
Feifei No, Rob. It’s not the meaning I had in mind. ‘Roasting’ is not just about cooking food in an oven. We can ‘roast’ people by criticising them harshly. So, Rob, you were very foolish to start cooking something while we’re presenting a programme!
Rob Oh, am I being ‘roasted’ now?
Feifei You sure are, but you’re not alone. Here are some examples…
ExamplesWe had to roast the teacher after she was seen shopping when she was supposed to be off work with flu!
After my PowerPoint presentation froze during an important meeting, my boss gave me a roasting.
She was roasted by her friends after she posted pictures of herself on social media showing off her ‘amazing’ suntan.
FeifeiThis is The English We Speak from BBC Learning English and we’re talking about the word ‘roast’, which means ‘to criticise severely’. I’m sure you’re used to being roasted, Rob?
**Rob
**Well, if you mean I am hot and smell delicious, then I am very roasted!
FeifeiExcuse me?
**Rob
**Feifei, another meaning of ‘roast’ is to tease someone in a light-hearted way or give a funny comeback when someone tries to humiliate you.
Feifei Oh, ha ha! But hold on, Rob, I can smell something else…
**Rob
**Oh no – I left the oven on and now the food is burning. Help!
FeifeiRob, you are really stupid - and you can’t cook either.
**Rob
**That’s me roasted! Bye.
FeifeiBye.