Tip 219 ”behind the eight ball” 無料ビジネス英語学習

無料ビジネス英語学習 Words & Phrases 第219弾は、”behind the eight ball” です。

同僚タロウのピンチを聞きつけたヒカ。

“Taro, I heard you lost a big contract.That’s terrible.”
「タロウ聞いたぞ。大きい契約、取り損ねたんだって?最悪だな。」

と声を掛けました。

「ああ、大問題だよ。何とかしなくちゃ。」

と言いたい場合、あなたがタロウなら英語で何と言いますか?

“It’s a big problem. I need to do something.”

これでも全く問題ありませんが、
こんな時、もう少しハイレベルな言い方をしてみませんか?

そこで

“I’m behind the eight ball.I need to do something.”

と言ってみましょう。
知っているとちょっとカッコいい表現です!

※behind the eight ball: 窮地に陥っている・困った状況にいる

語源はビリヤードから来ています。
ビリヤードでは、8番のボールをポケットに落としてはいけないというルールがあります。
つまり、そのボールの後ろ(behind)に自分がいるということは非常に不利な状況である、
という意味になります。

発音もビデオでチェック!
ぜひこの表現を使ってみてください。

Hello everyone! Welcome to this Bizmates
words and phrases video series and

today's idiom is
behind the eight ball.

Do you play billiards or pool? You know

where you go.. and then you hit all
those balls? You know the game 8-ball?

The objective of the game is to sink
that ball with the eight -- the black ball

with the eight -- into the pocket, whoever
sinks that at the end is the winner?

Well it comes from that game. This
idiom comes from that game.

OK, well what does it mean? We will find
out, OK, but first let's do our review test.

So I'm expressing my opinion, I say:
I think the yen is going to get stronger.

You don't say "I'm wrong."
You don't say "You're wrong, Hika."

You say...
OK, you've got five seconds. Go!

There you go.

I beg to differ. I disagree.
Alright? I hope you got that.

OK let's go on to today's idiom
behind the eight ball.

OK, so here's what I sometimes hear:

So, you know, I'm talking to Taro, my colleague,

and I say to Taro, I say:
Taro, I heard you lost a big contract.

That's terrible. And Taro says:

Yeah, it's a it's a big problem.
I need to do something.

OK, this is perfect --
It's a big problem. I need to do something.

but just to bring up your English level
because "problem" is such a simple word

Okay, could use this idiom.
So if I say:

Taro, I heard you lost a big contract.
That's terrible.

And he says:

I'm behind the eight ball.
I need to do something.

Very nice. Very natural.

I'm behind the eight ball.

So you know, I explained the
8-ball game where you try to

sink that black eight ball at the end
and you win the game?

Well, imagine a big huge ball --

the eight ball, and you're
standing behind that ball

and everyone wants to hit that ball into the pocket.

It's not a good place to be, right?

You don't want to be behind that eight ball
because everyone's trying to hit it.

So that's what it means. It means

You're in trouble.
You're in a difficult situation.

Okay? Behind the eight ball.
OK, let's look at pronunciation, it's

I'm behind the eight ball.
You don't need to say eighT ball, but

I'm behind the eigh(t) ball.
I need to do something.

You try...

Good, okay with my sentence:

I heard you lost a big contract.

Don't worry, I can support you.

OK, perfect. Alright,
so for homework next time I will say...

next time, tell me a time
you were behind the eight ball.

OK, so a time when you were in a
difficult situation.

You know, it was a big problem for you.
Maybe you forgot your wife's birthday.


OK, you forgot about your wife's
birthday and she's really angry,


or you came home the next morning because you were out drinking with your friends


or you had an appointment with a very
important client but you were late.


You know, whatever.


OK, tell me about that time in the next lesson.


Okay and we'll see you next time.
Thank you.

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