📙 Part 2: Describe a party that you enjoyed

This episode's vocabulary

Particularly (adverb) - especially, or more than usual.

To hold (verb) - to have something such as a meeting or an election.

To come/get to grips with something (idiom) - to make an effort to understand and deal with a problem or situation.

Bingo (noun) - a game in which prizes can be won by matching numbers on a card with those chosen by chance.

At (your) ease (phrase) - relaxed.

To miss out (phrasal verb) - to not use or to not have an opportunity to experience something good.

Questions and Answers

R: I absolutely love my best friend's Eurovision parties. He throws them every year on the night of the finale or the final. And invites around the same group of people to his place to watch, well, and celebrate. It's always great fun, with lots of singing and jokes, but the one this year was particularly good. Like I said, he holds these events at his apartment, which is ideal for, well, it's ideal for having parties and it's probably ideal for him too. There's always lots of space to move around and great acoustics, so people can join in the songs. At least once they get to grips with the lyrics. And in that sense, this year was no different. If you're not sure what a Eurovision party is, it's exactly what it sounds like, a bunch of people get together to enjoy the big event hosting people from around the world. And they have a great time. It's an established tradition in my community. And I think others around the world where they enjoy how ridiculous the whole thing is. Sometimes people will print bingo cards for common themes and memes that almost always happen, like Nordic countries sending a weird act to the event, or no one voting for the UK or France. Although I don't think that happened this year, I think we'd actually got lots of votes. I had a great time at this particular party, mostly because of the company. This time around I knew people better and had closer relationships with them. So it was easier to feel at ease and crack jokes that I knew people would get. We were also able to join other people around the country on the internet. We all knew them and it was double the fun really. I'm really glad I went to it. If I hadn't I think I'd have just been stuck at home and missed out on a lot of things. And I don't think anybody likes to do that.

M: And what about your friends? Did they enjoy the party?

R: Well, I hope so. They certainly seemed to.

Discussion

M: Hey! Dear listener, so describe a party you enjoyed. So Rory told us about his best friend's Eurovision party. So Eurovision is this contest, a musical contest. And when it's on, Rory's friend invites people over and they watch it together. So pretty much they watch a music competition together. But you, dear listener, you can talk about a Halloween party, about a costume party you had, about a tea party you had with friends, your birthday party, maybe a Christmas party, New Year's Eve party. So Rory started with "I absolutely love my best friend's Eurovision parties". So kind of they happen every year. The task is in the past. So a party you enjoyed. So you went to the party, you had, so you should use the past. But Rory told us about the party every year. So my best friend throws such parties every year. Why throws?

R: I don't know why throws. Like you throw something in the air. Like you're like, whoo. But whatever the reason it is, throw a party.

M: Yeah, throw a party. Have a party. "Organize a party" is more formal. So he throws such parties every year on the night of the final. So this finals in Eurovision and they have such a party. He invites the same group of people to his place. So I invited my friends to my place. Place? Like my house. To celebrate, to watch, to have fun. And it's great fun. Or these parties are great fun. With lots of singing, jokes, food, joy, Rory. There's a lot of Rory in such parties.

R: You think?

M: Yeah, so you kind of run around the house, you know.

R: I am the life of the party.

M: Yeah, you're the life of the party. Yeah, and you can say like when I go to such parties, I'm the life of the party. Also, you can say like, I hold these events. I hold these parties at my apartment, at my house, at my flat. Or my friends hold such events, and throw such parties at their house. What did you say about acoustics?

R: Oh, the acoustics are good. They're great rather. But the acoustics are just how sound, well, travels and is in the house. So I think it's pretty good because it sounds amazing when people are singing in there. There's not too much echo or anything like that.

M: So maybe you went somewhere for this party, and there was a lot of space. So the place was spacious. So it was easy for you to move around and the place had great acoustics. So I joined in the songs, I was singing, we were dancing. So Past Continuous. What were you doing at this party? To get to grips with something

R: We've used that before. That just means to have a better understanding of what the lyrics are in this case.

M: So to get to grips with something, to make an effort to understand or deal with a problem. For example, like I got to grips with this problem. Yeah? Or I got to grips with organizing this party. And then more details about the party, like a bunch of people get together. So a bunch of? Do we mean a lot of people or some people?

R: A group of people. However many that is, it's not clear, I don't even remember how many people there were. But there were a lot, in my opinion.

M: Like a bunch of people get together, or my friends get together. Or we got together to enjoy my birthday. And you can say I was the host. So if you host a party, you invite people over to your place, yeah? You invite them to your place. Or my friend was the host of the party. Or I usually host my birthday parties or karaoke nights. And this could be an established tradition in your community. So you kind of have a community of friends, right? And this is something you do every year, so this is an established tradition. We do it every year.

R: What's something that's an established tradition for you? Making jokes on the podcast.

M: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Making horrible jokes for you, listener, to enjoy.

R: Oh, you admit they're horrible?

M: They're quite dreadful. Yeah. I understand they're quite horrible. Yeah, dear listener, I'm okay. Okay? I see that they are quite... Like this.

R: They're not that bad.

M: No, some of them are really bad.

R: No, it could be worse.

M: Tell us what are bingo cards?

R: Oh, bingo cards are... If you play bingo, then you hear the number and you cross something out. But if it's a bingo card, for any other event, you've got these common things. And every time you hear them, you cross them out. So something that happens every year at Eurovision might be somebody behaving inappropriately, for example, and you cross that off when it happens.

M: Yeah, so you can mention some activities. What you did at this party? I had a great time at this particular party. So I was singing at this party, I was dancing, I ate a lot at this party. And I had a great time. Because of the company. So the company in this case, we mean friends, the people. So I had a great time, because of the people I was with.

R: I always have a great time because of the people I was with, though, that's nothing new.

M: So I had closer relationships with them. So I was close to these people. So we enjoyed this party. And I felt at ease. I felt at ease. I was comfortable. Yeah? I was okay. The party wasn't formal, and I knew everybody. So I was at ease. Like I felt like at home. And I cracked jokes. Or I was cracking jokes. People were laughing. So I made jokes, or I cracked jokes. And Rory told us that at the party he was able. He was able? He could. Join other people, around Scotland, and around the country online. So can you imagine? Rory and his friends are at a party together and online they have some other Scottish people. So it's kind of online plus offline. Wow.

R: Imagine in Scotland.

M: Too many Scottish people at one party. Nice.

R: No, you can never have enough Scottish people.

M: To wrap it up. You can say I'm really glad I went to it. So you went to this party. I'm happy. I'm really glad. Like I'm happy that I went to this party. So I didn't, I didn't stick at home. Yeah?

R: I'd have just been stuck at home. Yes. If you're stuck at home, then you just have to stay there and do nothing.

M: Yeah, like I'm usually stuck at home. So I usually stay at home. But that time I didn't miss out on this party. So miss out on something is a very nice phrasal verb for your, dear listener. So if I miss out on something, what happens?

R: Well, if you miss out, then you don't get the chance to participate or take advantage of something.

M: Yeah. For example, oh, unfortunately, I missed out on beautiful deals you had for your premium episodes. So I, I didn't get these deals. But it's not true about you, dear listener, because you bought our premium. Well done you. But some other people missed out on our special prices. Yeah. And about a party. I didn't miss out on this party. And I'm very glad I went to it. Or I didn't miss out this time and I went there. How did you organize this answer?

R: I think I just gave a little bit of background information and then went into the details. So I said what kind of party it was, who had it. And then highlighted I was going to talk about the one this year in particular. But there was a lot of background information to begin with. Just to give people an idea because not everybody has Eurovision parties, you see? And then after explaining that they were in his apartment, I said, like I said he holds these events at his apartment and explained why. I said it was a Eurovision party and then said, if you're not sure what this is, then it's this thing. And here, I said I just won this year was particularly good. I had a great time, mostly because of the company and why that was important. But that really is the big part of it. It was just giving a small summary at the start, and then adding more details moving forward.

M: Thank you, Rory! So, dear listener, choose the party, which is easy for you to talk about. Okay? I would go to a birthday party and I would just imagine things. Oh, like last month, I threw a birthday party. Thank you very much for listening! And we'll get back to you in our next episode speaking part three about parties.

R: Let's party.

M: Party everybody. Dance, come on and dance. Oh yeah. Party animals. Yeah, a party animal is a person who loves going to different parties. Like Rory. Rory is a party animal.

R: No, I'm not.

M: Scotland freedom. Bye!

R: Bye!

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