It beats me

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

Rob
…and hello, I’m Rob.

Feifei
Hey Rob, do you know what’s going on in the office today? The boss has been shouting, Helen’s crying and Neil doesn’t look very happy either.

Rob
Beats me. Ouch. What did you do that for?

Feifei
You said ‘beat me’.

Rob
No, no - I mean it beats me… ouch!

Feifei
You are strange Rob.

Rob
No Feifei. I said ‘it beats me’ to mean I don’t know or I don’t understand something.

Feifei
I knew that Rob - I just liked hitting you with this stick!

Rob
Ha! Very funny. Shall we hear some examples?

Examples
It beats me how Stephanie ever got that promotion.

A: Can you believe that Dave and Andrea are still married! He’s always bossing her around. B: It beats me why she stays with him.

It beats me how Jen can afford a new sports car when she only works part-time.

Feifei
So that is ‘it beats me’ - a phrase used for saying that you do not know or understand something. So there’s no beating involved!

Rob
Definitely not. So now I can safely say, it beats me what’s going on in the office - I haven’t got a clue.

Feifei
Well the situation seemed very tense and the boss was shouting something about mice.

Rob
Mice… ah yes, well in that case, it could be that I left my lunch on my desk overnight and it’s possible the mice have found it and eaten it? They do get everywhere.

Feifei
Mice! In our office? I hate mice…

Rob
Ouch… why are you beating me again? I think it’s time to go. Bye.

Feifei
Bye.