To have all your Christmases come at once

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

Rob And I’m Rob. And I am so excited.

Feifei Oh yeah? Why’s that, Rob?

Rob You know, Feifei - it’s that festive time of year - presents, parties, time with the family, snow… did I mention presents?

Feifei Yes, Rob. It’s Christmas time.

Rob Come on, Feifei - aren’t you excited? Imagine if we had lots of Christmases all at the same time!

Feifei Oh no, think of the cost of buying all those presents.

Rob But hopefully you’d receive lots of presents too! Anyway, do you know that for some people, all their Christmases can come at once?

Feifei I don’t think so!

Rob OK, well, they’re not really Christmases, but if someone has extreme good fortune, it’s like the feeling of having lots of Christmases all at the same time.

Feifei Got it. Having all your Christmases come at once just means ‘having lots of good luck’.

Rob Yes! Let’s hear from some people who’ve had all their Christmases come at once - lucky them!

Examples Yeah! I got a pay rise and I’m off on holiday tomorrow, and I’ve won the lottery! It seems like all my Christmases have come at once!

The day I got married, I heard I’d passed my exams and got a promotion, so it felt like all my Christmases had come at once.

All my Christmases have come at once: my parents bought me a new car, I got a place at university and I’ve got a new girlfriend!

Feifei This is The English We Speak from BBC Learning English and we’re learning about the phrase ‘to have all your Christmases come at once’ - which means ‘to have extreme good fortune’. Did you know, Rob, that I’ve had lots of good luck?

Rob No, what’s happened?

Feifei Well, I’ve been invited to a big swanky Christmas party tonight, I’m going skiing at the weekend and you’ve bought me an amazing Christmas present.

Rob Have I?

Feifei Yes, in that box over there.

Rob Oh, that’s not for you. Sorry. It looks like not all of your Christmases have arrived!

Feifei Oh well, you may as well have your present now.

Rob Hmm, a book of English phrases - how useful!

Feifei It will be. Happy Christmas, Rob!

Rob Same to you, Feifei.