**Jiaying
**Welcome to The English We Speak with me, Jiaying…
Neil…and hello, it’s Neil here. Oh, yikes – what have you done to your hair?!
**Jiaying
**Don’t you like my new hairstyle?
Neil Well… err…
Jiaying You said ‘yikes!’ – that normally means you’re shocked or worried about something – is it my hair?
NeilWell, ‘yikes!’ is also something we say when we are surprised, and I was just surprised by your new hairstyle – but in a good way!
Jiaying Hmm, if you say so. When someone says ‘yikes!’ it is an informal way to express surprise, shock or concern about something. So, Neil, what has ‘surprised’ you about my hair then?
Neil Errr… Well, shall we hear some more examples first?
ExamplesYikes! It’s only three weeks until my exams and I haven’t done any revision yet.
Yikes! We’re stuck in a traffic jam and our flight leaves in an hour – do you think we’ll make it?
I’ve got a football match tomorrow, and I haven’t done any training. Yikes!
Jiaying This is The English We Speak from BBC Learning English and we’re finding out about the word ‘yikes!’ it’s an exclamation to express surprise, shock or concern about something. And yikes – Neil actually likes my new hairstyle!
Neil Why are you so surprised?
Jiaying I didn’t think you’d like red hair.
NeilIt matches your… eyes. Only kidding, but changing your hair colour must have cost a lot of money.
**Jiaying
**Hmm… eighty pounds.
NeilBig yikes! How much!
**Jiaying
**Big yikes! That’s a more intense version of ‘yikes!’ – but, Neil, it looks good, so it’s worth it, isn’t it?
NeilIf you say so. Wasn’t there a cheaper colour?
**Jiaying
**No, Neil, there wasn’t! Bye.
Neil
See ya.