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In The Doghouse – Mini-Story Lesson

Hi, I’m Joe Weiss and I’m one of the teachers and directors of Learn Real English and I’d like to welcome you to this mini-story lesson. Okay, well I hope that you’re ready for a great lesson today because in today’s lesson I have an excellent story for you. And in the story I’m going to use five popular English idioms and I want to start today’s lesson by teaching you these five idioms. So let’s start.

Okay, first is to “be fed up,” to be fed up with something. So to be fed up with something means to be annoyed about something that you do for a long period of time. Okay, so if there was something that you did every day and it annoyed you or it made you angry, you would say that you were fed up with it, okay?

So let me give you an example of this. John’s boss was fed up with John because John came to work late every day. Okay, so what I’m saying is John’s boss was annoyed with John or he was angry at John because he came to work late every day.

Okay, next is to “be in the doghouse,” to be in the doghouse. So if you are in the doghouse it means that someone is angry at you because of something that you did or maybe even something that you didn’t do, okay? So let me give you an example of that. Tara and John were married and Tara was angry at John because he never cleaned the house so John was in the doghouse. Okay, so what I’m saying is Tara was angry at John. John was in the doghouse. And he was in the doghouse because of something he didn’t do. He didn’t clean the house. Okay.

Alright, next is to “be like a fish out of water.” So if you are like a fish out of water it means that you are uncomfortable with something that you’re not familiar with, okay? And probably the best way to teach you this one is to give you an example. So this is actually a true example. When Kristin and I first met, Kristin, she didn’t cook a lot, okay? And she wasn’t used to cooking. So now though Kristin does cook more. But back when we first met I would say that when Kristin was in the kitchen cooking she felt like a fish out of water. So what I’m saying is back when Kristin and I first met, when Kristin was in the kitchen cooking she felt uncomfortable because it was something that she was unfamiliar with. It was something that she didn’t do very much.

Okay, so next is an idiom that we use a lot. Kristin and I use it a lot, I would say. And it’s to “get takeout,” okay? And usually say to get takeout for dinner or to get takeout for lunch, okay? For some meal you get takeout. And what it means is to order food at a restaurant and then to take the food and eat it somewhere else, okay? So let me give you an example with that one. I didn’t have any food at my house so I ordered takeout for dinner, or I got takeout for dinner. You could say either one. And what this means is I didn’t have any food in my house so I ordered food from a restaurant and then I brought it home and I ate it, okay? I got takeout or I ordered takeout for dinner.

Okay, so I have one more for you and this one is “to go out” for a meal, so to go out for dinner, let’s say, or go out for lunch. So if you go out for dinner, what you do is you go to a restaurant and you eat dinner there, okay? So let me give you an example with that one. Kristin and I went out for dinner last night, or we went out to dinner last night, because we did not want to cook. Okay, so what I’m saying is Kristin and I went to a restaurant and we ate at the restaurant. We ate dinner at the restaurant because we didn’t want to cook.

Okay, so now I’m going to tell you a story but I’m also going to ask you a lot of questions as I tell you this story. So when I ask you a question, I want you to answer that question quickly. Just say the first answer that you think of. And don’t worry if you make a mistake. You know you’re going to listen to this lesson many times. So you may make a mistake this time when you listen to this lesson but you probably will not make the same mistake the next time you listen to it. And when you answer these questions I want you to speak loudly and confidently. Okay, well I think we’re ready for our story then. So let’s begin.

There was a monkey and his name was Jerry. And there was also a second monkey and her name was Elaine. And Jerry and Elaine were married. Yes, Jerry and Elaine were married and they loved each other very much. But, unfortunately, they had a problem. Yes, Jerry and Elaine had a problem. Elaine was fed up. She was fed up with cooking dinner every day. And she was upset with Jerry because Jerry never cooked dinner. So Jerry was in the doghouse. Jerry was in the doghouse because he never cooked dinner.

Okay, time for some questions. How many monkeys were there? Were there four monkeys?

No, no, there weren’t four monkeys.

How many monkeys were there?

Two, there were two monkeys, right?

And tell me this. What were the names of these monkeys?

Jerry and Elaine, the names were Jerry and Elaine.

Were Jerry and Elaine married to each other or were they single?

They were married, yeah, Jerry and Elaine were married or you could say they were married to each other.

And who was Jerry’s wife?

Elaine was, Elaine was Jerry’s wife.

And was Jerry Elaine’s boyfriend or husband?

Her husband, they were married so Jerry was Elaine’s husband.

So was Elaine fed up?

Yes, yes, she was, she was fed up.

Who was fed up?

Elaine was, Elaine was fed up.

And what was Elaine fed up with?

Cooking dinner every day, Elaine was fed up with cooking dinner every day.

So was Elaine annoyed or angry about cooking dinner every day?

Yes, yes, she was, she was fed up with cooking dinner every day so that means she was annoyed or she was angry about cooking dinner every day. She was fed up with cooking dinner every day.

So tell me this. Did Jerry ever cook dinner?

No, no, Jerry never cooked dinner.

And what did Jerry never do?

Cooked dinner, yeah, Jerry never cooked dinner.

So was Jerry in the doghouse?

Yes, yes, he was, he was in the doghouse.

Who was in the doghouse?

Jerry was, Jerry was in the doghouse.

So tell me this. Was Elaine mad at Jerry or was she angry at Jerry because Jerry never cooked dinner?

Yes, yes, she was, she was mad or angry at Jerry because Jerry never cooked dinner. Jerry was in the doghouse.

Well, Elaine told Jerry that she was fed up about cooking dinner every night on a Monday. And that day, that Monday, Elaine refused to cook dinner. So Jerry had to cook dinner. And Jerry decided to make fried chicken for dinner. But there was a problem. You see, when Jerry was cooking in the kitchen, he was like a fish out of water. So when Jerry cooked the chicken, he burned it. Yes, that’s right. Jerry burned the chicken. And after Jerry burned the chicken, Elaine left. Elaine went to her mother’s house to have dinner. So Jerry was still in the doghouse.

Okay, time for some more questions. Who refused to cook dinner?

Elaine did, Elaine refused to cook dinner.

And what did Elaine refuse to do?

Cook dinner, Elaine refused to cook dinner.

So tell me this then. Who had to cook dinner that night?

Jerry did, Jerry had to cook dinner.

And what did Jerry have to do?

Cook dinner, Jerry had to cook dinner.

Did Jerry have to cook lunch?

No, no, Jerry didn’t have to cook lunch. Jerry had to cook dinner.

So tell me this. What did Jerry decide to make for dinner?

Fried chicken, yes, Jerry decided to make fried chicken for dinner.

And did Jerry decide to make hamburgers for dinner?

No, no, Jerry didn’t decide to make hamburgers for dinner. He decided to make fried chicken for dinner.

Okay, so tell me this. Who was like a fish out of water when he was in the kitchen cooking?

Jerry was, Jerry was like a fish out of water when he was in the kitchen cooking.

And when was Jerry like a fish out of water?

When he was in the kitchen cooking, Jerry was like a fish out of water when he was in the kitchen cooking.

So was Jerry uncomfortable when he was in the kitchen cooking because he was unfamiliar with doing it, he wasn’t used to being in the kitchen cooking?

Yes, yes, Jerry was uncomfortable when he was in the kitchen cooking because it was something that was unfamiliar to him. He felt like a fish out of water. He was uncomfortable with it because it wasn’t something he was used to doing.

Okay, so tell me this. Who burned the chicken? Did Elaine burn the chicken?

No, no, Elaine didn’t burn the chicken.

Who burned the chicken?

Jerry did, right? Jerry burned the chicken.

And tell me this. What did Jerry burn?

The chicken, yeah, Jerry burned the chicken.

And where did Elaine go after Jerry burned the chicken?

To her mother’s house, Elaine went to her mother’s house after Jerry burned the chicken.

Okay, so tell me this. When did Elaine go to her mother’s house?

After Jerry burned the chicken, she went to her mother’s house after Jerry burned the chicken.

Okay, but why did Elaine go to her mother’s house? What did she do there?

She ate dinner, Elaine went to her mother’s house to eat dinner.

So was Jerry still in the doghouse?

Yes, yes, he was, Jerry was still in the doghouse.

Was Elaine still mad at Jerry?

Yes, yes, she was, Jerry was still in the doghouse so that means that Elaine was still mad at Jerry.

Well, the next day was Tuesday and Elaine refused to cook dinner again. So Jerry decided to get takeout for dinner. And Jerry loved spicy food so Jerry ordered spicy Thai food for dinner. And when the food was ready he got the food and he brought it home. But unfortunately Elaine hated spicy food. Yes, she did. Elaine hated spicy food. So when Jerry came home with the spicy food, Elaine left. Yes, Elaine left. She went to her sister’s house to eat dinner. So Jerry was still in the doghouse.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did Elaine refuse to cook dinner on Tuesday?

Yes, yes, she did, she refused to cook dinner on Tuesday.

And what did Elaine refuse to do? Did she refuse to clean the house or cook dinner?

Cook dinner, Elaine refused to cook dinner.

So did Jerry get takeout for dinner?

Yes, yes, he did, he got takeout for dinner.

So did Jerry order food from a restaurant and then bring it home to eat for dinner?

Yes, yes, he did, Jerry got takeout for dinner so that means he ordered food at a restaurant and then he brought it home to eat for dinner, okay? When you get takeout for dinner it means that you order food and then you take it somewhere to eat for dinner.

And what kind of food did Jerry love?

Spicy food, Jerry loved spicy food.

So did Jerry order spicy Mexican food or did he order spicy Thai food?

Spicy Thai food, Jerry ordered spicy Thai food.

And did Elaine love spicy food?

No, no, Elaine did not like spicy food. Elaine hated spicy food.

Tell me this. Who hated spicy food?

Elaine did, Elaine hated spicy food.

So where did Elaine go after Jerry came home with the spicy food?

Her sister’s house, yes, Elaine went to her sister’s house.

And why did Elaine go to her sister’s house? Did she go to her sister’s house to clean or to eat?

To eat, yeah, she went to her sister’s house to eat dinner. Elaine went to her sister’s house to eat dinner.

So was Elaine in the doghouse?

No, no, Elaine wasn’t in the doghouse.

Who was in the doghouse?

Jerry was, Jerry was in the doghouse. He was still in the doghouse.

So was Elaine still mad at Jerry?

Yes, yes, she was, she was still mad at Jerry. Jerry was still in the doghouse.

Well, the next day was Wednesday and once again Elaine refused to cook dinner. So Jerry told Elaine that he wanted them to go out for dinner. Yes, Jerry wanted them to go out for dinner at a nice expensive restaurant. Well, when Elaine heard this, she was excited. You see, Elaine wanted to go out for dinner at a nice expensive restaurant so she dressed very nicely that night. She wore a very nice dress and she even put on makeup. And when Elaine was finished getting ready, Jerry and Elaine went to the restaurant. But there was a problem. You see, Jerry did not take Elaine to a nice expensive restaurant, no. Jerry took Elaine to McDonald’s. Yes, Jerry took Elaine to McDonald’s. And when they arrived at McDonald’s, Elaine was upset. She was very upset. So she left. Yeah, Elaine went to her brother’s house to eat dinner. So Jerry was still in the doghouse. Poor Jerry.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did Elaine refuse to cook dinner on Wednesday or on Saturday?

On Wednesday, yeah, she refused to cook dinner on Wednesday.

So did Jerry tell Elaine that he wanted them to eat dinner, excuse me, did Jerry tell Elaine that he wanted them to go out for dinner at a nice expensive restaurant?

Yes, yes, he did, he told Elaine that he wanted them to go out for dinner at a nice expensive restaurant.

And what kind of restaurant did Jerry tell Elaine that he wanted them to go out at?

A nice expensive one, right? He said he wanted them to go out for dinner at a nice expensive restaurant.

So did Jerry tell Elaine that he wanted them to go to a restaurant and eat dinner?

Yes, yes, he did, he told Elaine that he wanted them to go out for dinner and when you go out for dinner that means that you go to a restaurant and you eat dinner there. So yes, he told her that he wanted them to go out for dinner. He wanted them to go to a restaurant and eat dinner there.

So tell me this. What did Elaine wear that night?

Oh, she wore a nice dress. Yes, Elaine wore a nice dress and she even put on makeup.

So did Jerry take Elaine to a nice expensive restaurant?

No, no, he didn’t, he didn’t take Elaine to a nice expensive restaurant.

What restaurant did Jerry take Elaine to?

McDonald’s, Jerry took Elaine to McDonald’s.

Who took Elaine to McDonald’s?

Jerry did, Jerry took Elaine to McDonald’s.

So did Elaine eat dinner at McDonald’s that night?

No, no, she did not eat dinner at McDonald’s that night.

So tell me this. Where did Elaine eat dinner that night?

At her brother’s house, Elaine left and she went to her brother’s house to eat dinner.

So who was in the doghouse? Was Elaine’s brother in the doghouse or was Jerry in the doghouse?

Jerry was, Jerry was still in the doghouse.

So was Elaine still angry at Jerry?

Yes, yes, she was, Jerry was still in the doghouse so that means that Elaine was still angry at Jerry.

Well, the next day was Thursday and Jerry did not want to be in the doghouse anymore but he didn’t know what to do. So he called his father. Jerry called his father that day and he asked him what to do. Well, Jerry’s father told Jerry to hire a cook to cook dinner each night. So that’s what Jerry did. Jerry hired a cook and his name was Andre. And Andre was an excellent cook.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did Jerry call his father on Thursday?

Yes, yes, he did, he called his father on Thursday.

Who called his father on Thursday?

Jerry did, Jerry called his father on Thursday.

And who did Jerry call?

His father, right? He called his father.

Okay, but tell me this. When did Jerry call his father?

On Thursday, Jerry called his father on Thursday.

So did Jerry’s father tell Jerry to hire a lawyer or a cook?

A cook, he told Jerry to hire a cook, he did not tell Jerry to hire a lawyer.

So did Jerry hire a cook?

Yes, yes, he did, Jerry hired a cook.

Who hired a cook? Did Jerry’s father hire a cook?

No, no, Jerry’s father didn’t hire a cook.

Who hired a cook?

Jerry did, Jerry hired a cook.

And tell me this. What was the cook’s name?

Andre, his name was Andre, and he was an excellent cook.

Well, I have some more information for you about Elaine. Elaine’s favorite kind of food was Italian food. So that night Andre cooked a delicious Italian dinner. And he put candles on the dinner table and he lit the candles and he turned the lights down low. So Jerry and Elaine had a very romantic dinner. And after dinner, Elaine was very happy and she wasn’t mad at Jerry anymore.

And Jerry was happy, too, because he wasn’t in the doghouse any longer.

Okay, well that’s the end of our story. And I hope that you enjoyed this story because now it’s your turn to tell the story. I want you to tell the story to someone who you know. And when you tell this story I want you to use all five of the idioms that I taught you at the beginning of this lesson. And I want to be sure that you know this material very deeply, especially all these idioms.

So I want you to listen to this lesson every day for at least seven days. Now, you may even want to listen to it longer. The more you listen to it, the better. Longer is better, okay? So listen to it please for at least seven days and maybe even consider listening to it longer because you will learn the material deeper.

The longer you listen to it the deeper that you will learn the material.

Okay, that’s all for this mini-story lesson then. I’ll see you next time.