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Como digo em ingls: Se eu estivesse no lugar dele

Hoje temos algumas expresses bem comuns, que usam a palavra SHOE. Para ver e ouvir podcasts
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Transcrio
Hey, everybody! What's up? This is Ana Luiza, with a new episode of the inglesonline podcast. To
download or just listen to other episodes and download transcripts, go to inglesonline.com.br and
click Podcast Inglesonline.
So today I'm gonna talk about a few common expressions, and two of them include the word shoes.
Picture this: your friend is talking about his neighbor, a 29 year-old woman who has a full time job
as a salesperson and moonlights as a bartender. She moonlights as a bartender. What does that
mean? That means that, besides her main job, besides her full time job as a salesperson, she has a
side job, an additional job as a bartender. It's a part time job... When someone moonlights in
addition to their main job, it's usually a part time job 'cause well, you can't have two full time jobs at
the same time. And I guess having a second, part time job is called "moonlighting" 'cause it's
usually something you do at night, again, in addition to your full time job.
So this woman works as a salesperson and then she moonlights as a bartender. So your friend is
telling you about how tired Lisa looks... let's say her name is Lisa. I mean, of course she's tired. The
woman sells during the day, and then she bartends at night. And bartending hours aren't easy! Bars
usually stay open until very late, so Lisa only has a few hours to rest until she has to get ready for
her sales job in the morning. So your friend is telling you all that and you're shaking your head...
You tell him "Why would a young woman like Lisa do that? I can't believe it. It must be so
exhausting to work two jobs! I would never do that".
And then your friends says "Well, if you were in Lisa's shoes, you might. If you were in her shoes,
you too might work two jobs. She doesn't have any family other than her two-year-old daughter so
she's alone in the world. She has to provide for herself and for her daughter. So, if you were in her
shoes, maybe you too would work day and night." So, what do you think? If *you* were in Lisa's
shoes, would you have a full time job and an additional part time job too? What would you do, if
you were in Lisa's shoes?
Of course, when we say that - to be in someone's shoes, we mean... If you put yourself in someone's
shoes, you can imagine what it is like to be in their position. You can see or experience something
from their point of view. So go ahead and think of someone you know who has to make a difficult
decision right now. Maybe it's a friend who is considering quitting college in order to work. Maybe
it's a relative who wants to move abroad. Maybe it's someone from your office who has been
offered a position at a much smaller company. If you were in this person's shoes, what would you
do? What would you do, if you were in her or his shoes?
OK. Let's change the subject a little bit. Let's say you've been working for the same company for
eight years, OK? Eight years, it's a long time. So you know all the employees at this company, you
know what everybody does, this company is like a second home for you. One day your boss tells
you that Mary Smith, sales supervisor, is quitting. In all the twelve years Mary has been working for
this company, she has earned the respect of the entire industry for her professionalism and work
ethic. However, she has received a great offer from another company, and she's accepted it. That
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Como digo em ingls: Se eu estivesse no lugar dele

means that there's a job opening for a sales supervisor in your company right now, and your boss
says that she thinks you would be just perfect for the job. You have been with the company for eight
years, you are a great employee, very competent, and your boss thinks you would be perfect to fill
Mary Smith's shoes.
Again: your boss thinks you would be perfect to fill Mary Smith's shoes. What does that mean?
That means that your boss thinks you would be perfect to to take Mary's place and do her work
well. Yeah, your boss thinks you would be able to fill Mary's shoes. You are a little nervous about
this. You don't think it'll be very easy to fill Mary's shoes. She's extremely well-regarded and
respected; her work is top-notch. You think it's not gonna be easy to fill Mary's shoes, but your boss
thinks you can do it. You can fill her shoes. You're capable, you're competent and dedicated. You
can fill Mary's shoes.
So if you have ever been promoted or hired to a position previously occupied by a well-regarded
employee, please let us know what filling his or her shoes was like! Let us know about the last time
you put yourself in someone else's shoes to understand what they were going through. Talk to you
next time!

Key expressions

she moonlights as
(put yourself) in someone's shoes
be in someone's shoes
fill someone's shoes

Glossary
bartending hours = horas/horrio em que um bartender trabalha
you might = talvez voc fizesse
moved abroad = mudou-se para o exterior
top-notch = de altssima qualidade

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Este material pode ser reproduzido desde que no seja modificado.