Jiaying This is The English We Speak with me, Jiaying…
Neil …and me, Neil. Now Jiaying, could you remind me how to record our voices on this machine please?
Jiaying Sure – there’s nothing to it. Open the microphone here…
Neil [SILENCE]
Jiaying No, this microphone! Then set the volume there… Open the computer screen here…. Click there and then click there and then, see that ‘record’ button? Just press that – there’s nothing to it!
Neil Jiaying, you keep saying ‘there’s nothing to it’ – do you mean ‘it’s complicated’?
Jiaying No! It’s the opposite. When we say ‘there’s nothing to it’, we mean ‘it’s easy or simple to do’. So, Neil, there’s really nothing complicated about recording this programme. And if you press that button there, we can hear some examples.
Neil This one?
Jiaying No! This one.
Examples Making the pancakes is easy – there’s nothing to it – just add milk, eggs and flour.
There was nothing to it – all he had to do was collect the documents and deliver them to the office. Unfortunately, he got lost.
All you have to do it push this button and the coffee comes out here – there’s really nothing to it
Jiaying This is The English We Speak from BBC Learning English. We’re talking about the phrase ‘there’s nothing to it’ which means ‘it’s easy or simple to do’. So, Neil, have you got it now? Can we carry on now…?
Neil Yep, I think I’ve got it now – it’s easy-peasy!
Jiaying Good. So next time you can work the studio and record the programme?
Neil Absolutely. There’s nothing to it – just open that, click on that, press that…
Jiaying No! Don’t press that…
Neil Oh.
Jiaying That was the ‘delete’ button. We’ll have to start again now.
Neil Sorry! OK, what does ‘there’s nothing to it’ mean?
Jiaying Bye, Neil!
Neil Bye.