English used in EastEnders (BBC)

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

From the TV show EastEnders on 18 Aug 08, i found several questions regarding the sentences and phrases appears in conversations.

What is the meaning of:

  1. I’ll do you good
  2. stuck-up cow
  3. Time to get back out there
  4. Sounds about right (is it the same as “It’s true”?)
  5. The kids were beside themselves when we lost Chips.

Thanks in advance~

2

Hi,

This is the first share

Your question are very well to improve my English, I am waiting the answer.

Thanks for question.

3

Hello Runs,

These are my interpretations:

  1. I’ll do you good

— “I will be beneficial for you.”

  1. stuck-up cow

— “Cow” is a term of abuse for a female. To be “stuck-up” is to act and speak in a way that suggests one has a high opinion of one’s own merits.

  1. Time to get back out there

— It is time to return to a particular public place (e.g. to leave the back room of a pub and enter the public bar).

  1. Sounds about right

— “I am broadly in agreement with what you have just said.”

  1. The kids were beside themselves when we lost Chips.

— “The children were extremely upset when we lost Chips” (perhaps Chips is a pet, now deceased).

All the best,

MrP

4

MrP, really thanks for explaining these sentences to me~ I understand what you say in general, but wanna make sure of the use of some of the words/ phrases:

  1. Stuck-up = arrogant?

  2. beside himself = that person is extremely upset? so I am beside myself = I am extremely upset?
    can i say “I am beside himself/ herself” to mean I am upset about him/her?

5

Hi,

‘Stuck up’ could also be used to mean arrogant but the important aspect is that it suggests that you consider yourself to be very important and you look down on other people. There is another expression that conveys the same idea: give yourself airs and graces or walk around with your nose in the air.

‘Beside yourself’ suggests that you are out of control emotionally and can refer both to pain as well as joy. You can be beside yourself with grief about what has happened and you can be beside yourself with joy about what has happened.

Alan

6

As a footnote: when you say that someone is “stuck-up”, it often implies that there is no justification for his air of superiority. We may be willing to admit that an “arrogant” person is justified in his high estimate of himself; but not a “stuck-up” person.

No; the subject of the verb must coincide with the object of “beside”. Thus “I am beside myself…”, “he is beside himself…”, “she is beside herself…”, etc.

All the best,

MrP

7

Thanks Alan and MrP, i got the ideas now :slight_smile: