Listening transcript · Episode 18

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B1–B2IdiomsAbout 12 min + dynamic ads5 PDF versions available

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⚫ Welcome to Your English Toolbox, your Slow English Podcast where we train your ears step by step.

⚫ I am Martin.

⚫ Thank you for joining me today.

⚪ And I am Julia.

⚪ We are really happy that you are here with us for a new episode.

⚫ Before we begin, I want to ask you one simple favour.

⚫ If you learn something new today, please leave a comment after listening.

⚫ Your comments show the platforms that our community is alive, real, and growing.

⚫ This support helps us reach more people and keeps this project alive every week.

⚪ Let me ask you something.

⚪ Do you understand everything native speakers say when they talk fast?

⚪ Or are there moments when you hear English but it suddenly feels like another language?

⚪ Maybe you understand every individual word, but not the meaning.

⚪ Maybe you hear young people speaking and think, “What are they talking about?”

⚫ If that happens to you, this episode will help you a lot.

⚫ Because today we talk about modern slang and new expressions that change quickly.

⚫ These expressions are everywhere on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, series, and everyday conversations.

⚫ But most teachers do not teach them.

⚫ And traditional textbooks ignore them.

⚪ The result is simple.

⚪ You understand the grammar.

⚪ You understand vocabulary.

⚪ But when someone says, “No cap, he has zero rizz,” you feel lost. ⚪ And that is completely normal.

⚫ So today we slow down.

⚫ We break everything into clear examples.

⚫ We show you how native speakers use these expressions naturally.

⚫ And we help you build confidence so you can understand modern English without fear.

⚪ Let us start with a scene you might recognize.

⚪ Imagine you walk into a café in New York.

⚪ You order your coffee and sit down at a small table near the window.

⚪ Behind you, two young people are talking quickly.

⚪ Their conversation sounds like this.

⚫ “Bro, he has zero rizz.

⚫ No cap.

⚫ She was high-key into him, and he still fumbled.”

⚪ You listen, and you understand the individual words.

⚪ But the meaning is a mystery.

⚪ You think, “Did they just change the language completely?”

⚫ The answer is no. ⚫ They are speaking English.

⚫ But they are using modern slang.

⚪ And today you will understand all of it.

⚫ Our first expression is rizz.

⚫ Rizz means charisma when you talk to someone you like.

⚫ It means charm.

⚫ It means having a confident energy that attracts people.

⚪ If someone “has rizz,” they know how to flirt or speak smoothly.

⚪ They have emotional intelligence in social situations.

⚫ And if someone has zero rizz, the opposite is true.

⚫ They feel shy.

⚫ They say strange things.

⚫ They do not know how to approach someone they like.

⚪ There is also unspoken rizz.

⚪ This means that a person is attractive without speaking.

⚪ They have a style or presence that communicates confidence naturally.

⚫ Mini-scene.

⚫ Imagine you like someone at a party.

⚫ You walk toward them and say, “Hey, how’s it going?” ⚫ You smile, you speak calmly, and you make them feel comfortable.

⚫ Your friend looks at you and says, “Wow, you have rizz today.”

⚪ Our second expression is no cap.

⚪ No cap means “no lie.” ⚪ It means “I am being honest.” ⚪ It is a way to say that something is true.

⚫ For example.

⚫ “Your pronunciation is getting better, no cap.” ⚫ That means “I am telling the truth.”

⚪ The opposite is cap.

⚪ Cap means “lie” or “that is not true.” ⚪ If someone says something unbelievable, you can respond, “That’s cap.”

⚫ This expression is extremely common between young people.

⚫ It makes conversations faster.

⚫ It adds emotion and personality to the message.

⚪ Mini-scene.

⚪ A friend tells you, “I studied for 10 hours yesterday.” ⚪ You know he never studies.

⚪ You look at him and say, “Bro, that’s cap.”

⚫ Deadass means “seriously.” ⚫ It means “I am not joking.” ⚫ It can express strong truth, strong emotion, or strong surprise.

⚪ Example one.

⚪ “I am deadass hungry.” ⚪ This means “I am really hungry.”

⚫ Example two.

⚫ “You walked five kilometers in the rain, deadass?” ⚫ This means “Seriously?”

⚪ Deadass has intensity.

⚪ It can sound dramatic, but in a fun way.

⚫ Mini-scene.

⚫ Imagine you tell your friend, “I woke up at 4 a.m. to study English.” ⚫ Your friend looks at you and says, “Deadass?” ⚫ He cannot believe it.

⚪ Bet is fast, simple, and extremely useful.

⚪ Bet means “okay,” “sure,” “I agree,” or “let’s do it.”

⚫ It is a positive reaction.

⚫ It feels confident.

⚫ It is common in quick conversations and group chats.

⚪ Example.

⚪ “I will send you the notes later.” ⚪ “Bet.”

⚫ Another example.

⚫ “Do you want to meet at seven?” ⚫ “Bet.”

⚪ Mini-scene.

⚪ Your friend says, “Let’s watch that new show tonight.” ⚪ You answer, “Bet.” ⚪ Simple.

⚪ Clear.

⚪ Friendly.

⚫ Low-key means secretly, quietly, or a little bit.

⚫ It is used when you do not want to express something strongly.

⚪ Example.

⚪ “I low-key want to travel alone this year.” ⚪ It means you are not announcing it loudly, but the idea is inside you.

⚫ High-key is the opposite.

⚫ High-key means openly, clearly, strongly.

⚪ Example.

⚪ “I high-key love this podcast.” ⚪ That means you really love it and you do not hide it.

⚫ Mini-scene.

⚫ You try a new dessert, and it tastes amazing.

⚫ You whisper, “I low-key want another one.” ⚫ But five minutes later you say loudly, “Actually, I high-key love this.”

⚪ Now let us combine everything in a short story.

⚪ Listen carefully and try to notice the slang expressions.

⚫ Yesterday I met a friend at the gym.

⚫ He wanted to talk to a girl he liked, but he had zero rizz.

⚫ He looked nervous.

⚪ I told him, “Just breathe.

⚪ You got this.” ⚪ But he said, “Deadass, I am terrified.”

⚫ The girl walked by and smiled at him.

⚫ High-key she was interested.

⚫ It was obvious.

⚪ My friend tried to speak.

⚪ He opened his mouth.

⚪ No words came out.

⚪ Zero rizz.

⚫ He dropped his water bottle.

⚫ He said, “I low-key want to disappear right now.”

⚪ I laughed and said, “You will be fine.

⚪ Just try again later.”

⚫ After a few minutes he walked toward her again.

⚫ He said, “Hey, I like your training routine.

⚫ No cap.”

⚪ She laughed.

⚪ They started talking.

⚪ She said she wanted to get coffee after her workout.

⚫ My friend looked at me with wide eyes.

⚫ He whispered, “Bet.” ⚫ And then he smiled like the happiest person in the world.

⚪ That tiny conversation used rizz, zero rizz, deadass, no cap, low-key, high-key, and bet.

⚪ Now you have seen them in action.

⚪ And now they live in your memory much more clearly.

⚫ Let us practice quickly.

⚫ I say a sentence.

⚫ You think of the meaning.

⚪ “He has rizz.” ⚪ It means he has charm and confidence.

⚫ “No cap.” ⚫ It means no lie.

⚪ “Deadass?” ⚪ It means seriously?

⚫ “Bet.” ⚫ It means okay or agreed.

⚪ “I low-key like this.” ⚪ It means secretly or quietly.

⚫ “I high-key hate waiting in lines.” ⚫ It means very strongly.

⚪ Today you learned seven modern expressions.

⚪ Rizz.

⚪ Zero rizz.

⚪ No cap.

⚪ Cap.

⚪ Deadass.

⚪ Bet.

⚪ Low-key.

⚪ High-key.

⚫ These expressions appear everywhere in modern English.

⚫ Now you can understand them naturally.

⚪ In the next episode we go deeper with informal phrasal verbs that change meaning depending on the context.

⚪ This will help you understand native speakers even better.

⚫ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment before you go.

⚫ Your comments show the platforms that our community is real, active, and growing.

⚫ This support is essential to keep creating new episodes every week.

⚫ Tell us which slang expression was new for you or which one surprised you the most.

⚪ Thank you for listening.

⚪ See you in Episode Two.

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