Potty

Helen Hello and welcome to The English We Speak. I’m Helen and joining me today is Neil.

Neil
Hello everyone.

Helen Neil, tell me about your first ever job.

Neil I worked in a supermarket stacking shelves when I was sixteen.

Helen How was it?

Neil It was quite boring: just moving things from one place to another. But I was very happy when I got my first week’s pay.

Helen And how long did you stay in your first job?

Neil Not very long: about three months during the summer holiday. If I’d stayed there any longer, I would have gone potty.

Helen What? Potty? Did you have to get permission to use the toilet?

Neil Oh no, nothing like that. Nobody needed permission to go to the toilet.

Helen Well, you said you would have gone potty. My baby son has to be reminded about his potty every day.

Neil No, they are two very different things. If someone is potty or is going potty, that means they are crazy or going crazy. Here are a few examples:

Examples My boss wants me to work on New Year’s day for no extra money. He must be potty.

She’s potty to sell off her car so cheaply.

Neil There is another meaning to ‘potty’. If someone is really keen on something we can use the phrase ‘to be potty about something’. For example, I really like Japanese comic books, so I’m potty about them.

Helen I see. I’m potty about miniature owls: I’ve got nearly one hundred of them at home.

Neil Well, I am glad we cleared up the meaning of that. It wouldn’t do us any good if people heard us arguing over potties.

Helen Oh no. They’d think we’ve gone potty.

Both Bye.