Helpful Tips from St Giles Vancouver

Things you hear that may confuse you:

My bad This is an expression to apologize.  This is slang for “I’m sorry, that was my fault”.

I need to hit the bank This means “I must go to the bank to get some money”

Who knew? This means, “I’m surprised”.

Get out of here! or Get out of town This is an expression of surprise.   It means “I don’t believe you!” or “I don’t believe it!”

Shut up! This can also means “I don’t believe you!”

Usually you can guess the meaning from the tone of voice.  If someone is angry and says, “Shut up!”, that would be very impolite.  If they say “Shut up!” slowly with a smile or a surprised look on their face, you can guess that they are using sarcasm.  Always watch for facial expressions and the tone of voice as that often tells much of the message.

It’s also very common for people to say a word that is opposite to what they mean.  This is a form of sarcasm.  For example, “Wow, I’m rich!”  after seeing that I only have a few coins in my pocket.

If you would like to Learn English in Canada, come and visit our English school in Vancouver!  Please e-mail us at english@stgiles-canada.com for more information.