Vocabulary practice · Episode 64

Review the useful expressions from the episode

Study the episode’s central expressions with English definitions, nuance and examples, plus reviewed support-language versions where available.

B1–B2Everyday EnglishAbout 17 min + dynamic ads5 PDF versions available
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  1. Choose one expression. Read its definition, nuance and examples.
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Vocabulary from the episode

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Expression 1

to fall for someone

to begin to feel romantic love for someone — usually suddenly or unexpectedly

Nuance: Fall for someone is gentler and more vulnerable than 'fall in love' — it suggests the involuntary nature of attraction. You do not choose to fall; you find yourself already falling. Rich in nuance for emotional English.

He fell for her the moment she corrected his English without making him feel embarrassed.

She fell for the language first — then she fell for the culture, then for the people who spoke it.

Expression 2

to be swept off your feet

to be overwhelmed by romantic feelings — to be so strongly and unexpectedly attracted to someone that you lose your usual composure or control

Nuance: Swept off your feet is a vivid physical metaphor — the feeling is so strong it removes your footing. It implies speed, intensity, and often surprise. Very common in English romantic language and song lyrics.

She was completely swept off her feet by his ability to make her feel heard in a second language.

He had never expected to be swept off his feet at a language exchange event, but there he was.

Expression 3

to get butterflies

to feel a nervous, fluttery sensation in your stomach — caused by excitement or romantic anticipation

Nuance: Get butterflies is the physical experience of romantic excitement. The metaphor captures the light, fluttery feeling of early attraction — when you are about to see someone you like, or just after you have met them. It is used almost exclusively for pleasant, excited nervousness rather than fearful anxiety.

I always get butterflies when I know I am about to see her — it has not faded even after years.

He got butterflies before every date and was not sure if that was love or nerves.

Expression 4

to have a crush on someone

to feel strong romantic attraction to someone — typically used when the feeling is not yet mutual or openly expressed

Nuance: Have a crush is the early-stage romantic verb. A crush is intense but often one-sided, short-lived, or unexpressed. Adults use it too, but it carries a slightly youthful, innocent flavour. The phrase implies you have not told the person and that the feeling might not be reciprocated. It is the stage before falling in love.

She has had a crush on her colleague for months but has not said anything yet.

He admitted he used to have a crush on her back in school but had never told her.

Expression 5

to go on a date

to meet someone romantically — a planned social meeting with a potential partner

Nuance: Go on a date is the standard phrase for a romantic meeting. In English-speaking contexts, the concept of dating is more formalised and explicit than in some other cultures: you ask someone on a date, you are 'dating' someone, and these are understood shared activities. Knowing this cultural vocabulary is useful for speaking about relationships in English.

They went on their first date at a small café and talked for four hours without noticing the time.

She was nervous about going on a date with someone she had met online but it turned out really well.

Expression 6

to pop the question

to propose marriage — to ask someone to marry you

Nuance: Pop the question is the idiomatic way to say 'propose'. The informality of 'pop' contrasts with the seriousness of the act, making the phrase feel warm and approachable rather than formal. It is always understood to mean a marriage proposal — not any other type of question.

He finally popped the question after three years together and she said yes immediately.

They were on holiday in Venice when he popped the question — she cried and said yes.

Expression 7

to settle down

to establish a stable, committed life — typically involving a long-term relationship, home, and routine

Nuance: Settle down is the life-stage phrase. It implies choosing stability over adventure: moving in with a partner, getting married, stopping dating around. For many speakers it carries a mild sense of giving something up (freedom, spontaneity) while gaining something (security, depth). The phrase is often used in questions: 'Are you thinking of settling down?'

After years of travelling, she felt ready to settle down and build something permanent.

His friends were all settling down and he sometimes wondered if he should be doing the same.

Expression 8

to break up with someone

to end a romantic relationship — to tell someone that the relationship is over

Nuance: Break up with is the standard phrase for ending a relationship. In English, break up is almost always used for romantic relationships (not friendships or business relationships). The preposition 'with' specifies who you ended things with. It is always the active party who breaks up with the other — the passive party 'gets broken up with'.

She broke up with him after realising they wanted completely different things.

Breaking up with someone after a long relationship is one of the hardest conversations to have in any language.

Expression 9

to be in a long-distance relationship

to be romantically committed to someone who lives far away — maintaining a relationship across geographical distance

Nuance: Long-distance relationship (LDR) is the full phrase; it is often shortened to 'long-distance'. Being in a long-distance relationship is increasingly common and culturally well-understood in English. The phrase implies the shared work of maintaining connection over distance: scheduled calls, visits, and trust.

They managed to stay together for two years in a long-distance relationship before finally moving to the same city.

Being in a long-distance relationship taught her to communicate more intentionally than she ever had before.

Expression 10

to make someone feel special

to treat someone in a way that shows they matter to you — through small attentions, gestures, and care

Nuance: Make someone feel special is the love language phrase. In relationships, people often speak about feeling seen and valued. This phrase captures the actions — not grand gestures but consistent small ones — that communicate 'you matter to me'. In English it is used to describe both romantic and non-romantic care.

The small things you do to make someone feel special are often more powerful than expensive gestures.

What she valued most was that he made her feel special on an ordinary Tuesday, not just on birthdays.

Expression 11

to make time for someone

To deliberately create space in your schedule for a person.

Nuance: It suggests priority and effort rather than simply having spare time.

Love grows when you make time for someone.

She always makes time for her closest friends.

Expression 12

to feel alive

To experience energy, excitement and strong engagement with life.

Nuance: Usually emotional and figurative rather than a literal statement about survival.

Music and connection can make you feel alive.

He feels most alive when he is travelling.

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