YOYO-ISG 110213 Desperate Housewives Episode 4

[Kooper]

Dear ISG members,

After two weeks' rest, do you feel energetic and passionate about learning English again? Now it's time for us to go on!

This week let's watch the fourth episode of the Desperate Housewives Season One. When you watch, please turn off or cover either the English or Chinese subtitles. You are encouraged not to refer to the attached script until watching the episode for several times. By the way, if you find any words interesting or confusing, please post it under the thread before the meeting. We will discuss them during the meeting.

[Kooper]

Questions for Discussion:

1. When will we say “You are a piece of work.” to a person? Why Mrs Huber responded with "Let's not be unpleasant" after hearing it? Is it always a negative statement?

2. After Carlos knock the cable guy to the ground and entered the cable guy’s house, he saw a poster of the musical “gypsy” on the wall and other things and realized that the cable guy was a gay. Why did the poster of the musical “gypsy” imply that he was a gay?

3. Why did Mrs Huber left Susan a message saying "I hope you're not screening. That is so tacky"? What does "screen" mean here?

4. When will we say "so there" to a person? Imagine situations in which you would use the term.

5. "I hope it works out with you and Mike, you've been so desperate to land him," said Mrs. Huber. --> What does "land" mean here?

6. When do we use "Oh Lord!", "Heck!", and "Boy!" to start a sentence?

7. Why Susan said "I'm trying a new strategy. I'm playing hard to get." when her daughter Julie asked her why she didn't just ask him out? What is this new strategy about?

8. "I hesitate in brining this up, seeing as you got so ugly about it the last time." & "At first it was harmless. She would leave herself notes, reminders like "pick up the milk" or "Zach has a dentist appointment". But over time the notes became ugly." --> What do "ugly"s mean in the two sentences?

9.
(They stop talking when they hear Edie's car pull up behind them. Susan looks worried when she sees Edie and realises that Julie hasn't come back yet.)
Susan: Edie! I thought you'd be at work.
Edie: I'm not feeling well. I got sunburnt the other day washing my car.
Susan: Well, don't just run off. Come and hang out with us.
Edie: Boy, you are one sick ticket.
What does "one sick ticket" mean here?

[Kooper]

Dear ISG members,

I have added a few more questions. Please try to get answers before the meeting. As usual, the meeting is starting at eight o'clock. See you then.

[Just JJ]

Some expressions I think worth learning:

In a strip bar (my favorite part of this episode)
Bree: As you fantasize about this women, do you stop and think how this girl came to be on the runway?

Susan goes head to head with Mrs Huber
Mrs Huber: Let’s not say things we’ll live to regret.

[Kooper]

Here are some stuff I found on the Internet about expressions used in the episode.

to ring it up: http://som.twbbs.org/klee/notebook/note102.htm

That being said: http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThatBeingSaidOrThatSaid/dbcbl/post.htm, http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThatBeingSaidHowever/zmcrg/post.htm

to play hard to get: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-it-mean-to-play-hard-to-get.htm

to pull your hair out: http://www.google.com.tw/imgres?imgurl=http://www.castlelane.co.uk/images/home.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.castlelane.co.uk/home.htm&h=358&w=408&sz=19&tbnid=hZbxJ3PooUWnHM:&tbnh=110&tbnw=125&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpull%2Byour%2Bhair%2Bout&zoom=1&q=pull+your+hair+out&hl=zh-TW&usg=__JiwvYUTL-oFlbdcLJUv8IWHRkNI=&sa=X&ei=Y6VWTa-LEITEvgPPn5DrBA&ved=0CEIQ9QEwBQ

Some one is a piece of work: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=piece%20of%20work

[Just JJ]

Questions for Discussion:


2. After Carlos knock the cable guy to the ground and entered the cable guy’s house, he saw a poster of the musical “gypsy” on the wall and other things and realized that the cable guy was a gay. Why did the poster of the musical “gypsy” imply that he was a gay?

Dear Kooper, I don't think it is so much about "gypsy" that implies he is gay. It is "a broadway theater" called Gypsy put on a "gay show".
it's about the image on the poster.

[janet12tw]

1. kick into gear: http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-t ... -gear.html

Ex: Mrs Huber's brain kicks into gear and she gets a look on her face as if she's got a plan.

2. power lunch: http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_18617 ... lunch.html

[Michael-liu]

Some one is a piece of work: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=piece%20of%20work[/quote]

About "a piece of work", there are so many meanings in this urban dictionary, 讓人有點無所適從, so I asked my American internet friend, and below is what he replied:

Michael :hi, joe, when you say "you are a piece of work", what does it usually mean?
Joe :means someone is strange, behaves unreasonably, demands too much.. same as saying "you are really strange"

[Kat C]

Hi Sherry and Janet,

Sorry that I didn't know which of you asked me about "I'll give it a shot". You can also say, "I'll take a shot at it". And "I'll make a stab at it" is another way we talked about yesterday. All of above are polite ways to say, "I want to offer an answer / idea" or "let me try."

Kat

[Kooper]

Hi Kat,

I did some more search on the Internet about So There. It seems that this term may convey the sense of childishness. Now I become hesitate to use it

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=456163
http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/5728-no-i-wont-help-you-so-there.html
http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/english-idioms-sayings/25759-so-there.html

I am thinking that maybe the screenwriter used it on purpose. Gabrielle did seem a bit immature and less educated to me, especially when she is compared with Bree and Lynette.

Kooper

[Kat C]

Hi Kooper,

"So there" can be used in different ways, including as a childish taunt.

This definition is good (as to how I hear people use it most often):

"so there
INFORMAL HUMOROUS
used for emphasis, or to show that something is being done in opposition to someone else's wishes
Mine's bigger than yours, so there!
No, I won't help you, so there!
(Definition of "so there" from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)"

Anyone can use it. But using it as "take it or leave it" you are making your position (and often displeasure) known.

There's no need to avoid using the expression altogether, because it could be funny or fun too!

Kat