What English phrases really mean

We've all been there – we're talking to someone and they say one thing, when we know they mean something else! British people love to play with language, using it deliberately to disguise, misdirect or even change their meaning entirely. But why do we do it? And what are some of the common things to look out for? Pippa and Beth discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.

Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260115

Learning English from the News - learn English from news headlines here: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters

Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish

Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus

LIKE PODCASTS?

Try some of our other popular podcasts including:

✔️ Learning English Grammar