Full of the joys of spring

Feifei
Hello and welcome to The English We Speak - I’m Feifei…

Rob
And hello, I’m Rob.

Feifei
Hey Rob, have you seen Finn today?

Rob
Yes, I saw him just a few moments ago… same old Finn.

Feifei
But when I saw him he was very cheerful… smiling and he was singing too!

Rob
Nothing wrong with singing at work.

Feifei
I know… but he just seems…

Rob
Full of the joys of spring?

Feifei
Full of the joys of spring? Erm, I don’t think so - it’s winter Rob - cold and wet.

Rob No Feifei! The season might be winter but Finn’s behaviour, or his mood, is cheerful and lively - like springtime - you know, bright, sunny, flowers growing, new animals being born, birds flying around…

Feifei
Mmm… that does sound like spring. It’s a nice phrase. It means someone is happy?

Rob
Happy - that’s right. Shall we hear some more examples?

Examples
Emily’s full of the joys of spring today - her boyfriend has just asked her to marry him!

Raj seems full of the joys of spring today - he must have some good news about his exam results.

I’m full of the joys of spring today - I’ve just won £1,000 in the lottery - now, what shall I spend it on?

Feifei
So if someone is full of the joys of spring they are in a good mood. So Rob, why is Finn in such a good mood?

Rob
He’s happy because he’s going on holiday tomorrow - swapping our cold winter for two weeks in the sun, on the beach in Thailand!

Feifei
Lucky Finn! But hold on Rob… there’s a strike at the airport tomorrow. All flights are cancelled. Does he know that?

Rob
I don’t think so. Shall we tell him?

Feifei
I don’t know. That will make him ‘empty of the joys of spring’…

Rob …and full of the misery of winter!

Feifei
Is that another idiom?

Rob
No, I just made that one up. Come on, I’ll go and tell him.

Feifei
Bye.

Rob
Bye.