**Beth
**Welcome to The English We Speak. I’m Beth.
Jiaying And I’m Jiaying.
Beth We have a word which is all about having a claim on something, making sure you say what you want before anyone else takes it – the word is ‘dibs’. And it’s often used in the expression ‘call dibs’.
Jiaying ‘Call dibs’. Can you give us some context, Beth?
Beth Well, you know that pizza we were eating earlier, the really delicious one, there’s one slice left and I want it!
Jiaying You better call dibs then! Make sure everyone knows it’s yours before they try and take it!
Beth I will, as soon as we’re done here! By the way, for dinner tonight, are you driving everyone to the restaurant?
Jiaying I am. I’m taking you, Neil and Feifei. Neil always likes to sit in the front so you should probably call dibs on the front seat if you want to sit with me!
**Beth
**I will! In fact I’ll do it now. Dibs sitting in the front! Now, no one can fight me for the best seat. Let’s hear some more examples.
Examples Wow, that slice of chocolate cake is huge. I call dibs on it!
We all need to be in teams for this game. Dibs being on a team with Stephanie.
There are six of us but only three chairs. Dibs a seat.
Jiaying You’re listening to The English We Speak from BBC Learning English, and we are learning the expression ‘call dibs’, which is an informal way of claiming something before anyone else.
Beth It’s usually used for small silly things where it doesn’t really matter if you don’t get what you want.
Jiaying And there are two main ways of using it when you want to call dibs. You can say ‘I call dibs on something’ or you can say ‘dibs’ and then the thing you’re claiming, like ‘dibs that chair’. By the way, you do look very comfy in that chair Beth.
Beth Well, this is the comfiest chair in the studio, so I called dibs.
Jiaying I might call dibs on that seat next time then. That reminds me, that pizza slice is still there…and I’m feeling a bit hungry.
Beth No! I’m going to go and get it before you call dibs. See you next time!
Jiaying Bye for now!
Beth Bye.