Vocabulary and Expressions

To get the silent treatment
“Speaking of which…”
A picture is worth a thousand words
Talking until you’re blue in the face
Chatty/talkative
To chat something up/talk something up
To talk down to someone
To beat around the bush
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me

/ A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

Do you find it easier to learn when you read/see something, or when you listen to something?
Have you ever had an oral (spoken) examination? Was it harder or easier than a written exam?
What are some famous “word pictures” or expressions from your first culture or language? Can you explain the meaning of these expressions in English?

Public Speaking

When you were growing up, did you have to give a speech in public? How did this task make you feel?
Do you enjoy speaking in public or before a large group? Why or why not?
If you are scared of public speaking, what, in particular, scares you most?
Do you “get butterflies in your stomach” when you are nervous about speaking to another person or to a group of people?

/ Talking Down/Beating Around The Bush

Has anyone ever talked down to you? If so, what did they talk down to you about?
Have you ever talked down to someone? Why did you decide to do this?
When you are talking about a difficult, or even a “taboo” topic with someone else, how do you beat around the bush? Give examples – for instance, when you talk about death, you might say, “s/he passed away”.

Talkative People

Do you have any friends who like to talk for hours without giving you a chance to talk? How do you feel about talking with these friends?
In what ways can one manage a conversation or end it when someone is very talkative, but one just doesn’t have the time to talk right then?
The opposite example is “the silent treatment”. Has anyone ever given you the silent treatment? Was it worse than other punishments, or easier to take?

Explanations

To get the silent treatment – when someone is angry with you, and wants you to know that s/he is angry, s/he might decide to use the “silent treatment” – to not respond to anything you say, or to ignore you. “Marsha and Sally were angry at each other. Sally was so angry that she refused to speak to Marsha -–she gave her the silent treatment.”
“Speaking of which…” – when someone is talking, and the subject s/he is talking about reminds you of something you want to say, you can say, “Speaking of which…” For example: “Cam, Pam, and Sam were talking at the local coffee shop. They liked to get together and talk at the same time every week. Cam was talking about how he was having difficulty studying for his exams. “Speaking of which,” said Pam, “I’ve got a driving exam next week, so I won’t be able to meet you here at the coffee shop.”
A picture is worth a thousand words – although words can be used to describe something well, it is often easier for people to understand something if they see a picture. Pictures are meaningful and easy to remember. “When John sent Sue a picture of himself, Sue thought, “A picture is worth a thousand words!” Although John had described himself in his letters, Sue couldn’t really imagine what he looked like until she had seen his picture.”
Talking until you’re blue in the face – to talk a lot, but the person you are talking to either does not understand or doesn’t want to do what you are asking them to do. “Sarah’s mother could talk until she was blue in the face about what a mess Sarah’s room was, but Sarah refused to clean it up until her mother withheld her allowance.”

Or: “I can talk about being kind and sharing until I am blue in the face, but my child won’t understand until I show him or her.”

Chatty/talkative – verbose is someone who talks a lot, generally meaning someone who uses a lot of fancy words; chatty or talkative is more informal and means someone who loves to talk. “Su Ying loved to talk with her friends, so her parents said she was talkative, or chatty.”
To chat something up/talk something up – if you have a special event you are planning, or if you want someone to buy something, you “chat it up” or “talk it up”. “If you want people to come to your party, but you also want to save money on invitations, you need to chat up the party with your friends.” “This latest book by John Grisham is great! Everyone should read it! I think I’ll talk it up with my friends.”
To talk down to someone – to talk to someone as if they were a child or inferior to you, when they are not. “Even though Martha was older than her teacher, she often felt like her teacher talked down to her and didn’t treat her like an adult.”
To beat around the bush – to hint at something or to be indirect when you talk about something. “If you need to brush your teeth, but I don’t want to hurt your feelings, I might beat around the bush and say, ‘Were you in a hurry this morning?’, meaning, ‘I think you were in such a hurry you forgot to brush your teeth!’”

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me – this English expression means that physical violence can hurt you badly, but because words are only spoken, they can’t hurt you. (This is, in fact, not true – words can really hurt!) “Jane laughed at Janet’s glasses, and called her four-eyes. Janet said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Angry, Angry!

Amy:Lucy, are you still angry with me? You’ve been giving me the silent treatment for weeks now.

Lucy:Yes, I’m still angry. I can’t believe how long it’s taken you to pay back the money you owe me. I’ll never lend you money again.

Amy:Well, at least you’re talking to me now.

Lucy:I guess I’m still hoping that you’ll give me my money back.

Amy:Aw, Amy, you know I can’t afford to right now! I will soon…I promise!

Lucy:You could promise until you were blue in the face, Amy, and I wouldn’t believe you. Didn’t I see you in a restaurant yesterday?

Amy:Um…yes.

Lucy:And isn’t that a new sweater you’re wearing?

Amy: Um…yes.

Lucy:Am I making my point clear?

Amy:No, you’re beating around the bush. I don’t understand what you mean.

Lucy:Well, obviously, if you have enough money to go to restaurants and buy new clothes, you have enough money to pay me back!

Amy:You don’t have to talk down to me, okay? I can manage my own finances.

Lucy:I wasn’t talking down to you. I was just stating an obvious fact.

Amy:I have a good business plan in mind. Perhaps that will bring some money in, and then I can pay you.

Lucy:Well – chat it up all you want – I just want my money!

Amy:You sure are stuck on the money issue. I thought we were friends!

Lucy:Friends don’t take friends’ money!

Amy:Are you calling me names?

Lucy:I might be shortly!

Amy:Sticks and stones might break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

Lucy:I can’t believe this. I’m getting nowhere with you. I’d better go.

Amy:Speaking of which , it’s time for me to meet Sally!

Lucy:Where? In the restaurant?

Amy:No, in the coffee shop…to chat!

Lucy:I give up!