The Bob and Rob Show Study Guide

Lesson 51
date: Sept. 15, 2006
file name: bobrob09-15-06
file length: 20:31

Show notes
Political parties in the USA and UK , another death joke, and the phrasal verb "to get off
(with)".

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Phrasal Verbs
"to get off (with)"
1) to send (a package) e.g: I eventually got my brother's present off last week.
2) to remove something e.g: can you get that moth off my back please?
3) to leave (a bus etc) e.g: you should get off the train at the next stop.
4) to leave, in the imperative form e.g: Get off that bench, it's still wet.
5) idiomatic meaning, referring to how one can justify saying/doing something e.g: where
does Bob get off saying some of the things he does on the show!
6) slang meaning (usually for teenagers), referring to kissing and cuddling; orgasmic
stimulation. e.g: Jon got off with Jane at the disco last Friday night.

See more examples: http://www.answers.com/topic/get-off

Ancient Japanese English Study Secret

Getting information on the phone, part 2

I was wondering if you could tell me...what time the meeting starts on Friday?
I was wondering if you could help me...locate a hospital in the area
(adding "I was wondering" softens the sentence)

switchboard
I'd like to talk to somebody about...

Notes:
1/ The 'wondering' is not a finished event; 'was', a past tense FORM is used to make a more deferential
request, a more polite request. It has nothing at all to do with time.
2/ I was wondering if… is common in polite requests; the progressive 'wondering' softens the request.
3/ With 'could', the use of the past tense form in English signals greater distance from the requested act.

1
Joke
Informing a soldier about the death of his mother-in-law.

Even in your native language, informing someone about the death of a loved one can be
difficult. A person must always be extremely tactful and sensitive. This joke is about doing
the opposite.

Notes:
1/ Here is one tactful way to inform someone that a loved one or friend has died:
“I’m afraid I have some very bad news.” “NAME OF PERSON died/ was killed….” “I’m very sorry” “If there’s
anything I can do, please let me know.”

Both Sides of the Pond

(US) marker (UK) felt-tip pen
(US) green bean (UK) french bean
(US) Xerox (UK) photocopy
(US) zip code (UK) post code
(US) package (UK) parcel

Song
Get off My Foot, by Pop Machine
http://www.podshow.com
warning: this song contains explicit language and themes. We wouldn't have played this song if we had
listened to the lyrics carefully beforehand. It seems to be about a truck driver who picks up a minor and has
sex / fellatio with her. We’ll try to avoid songs like this in the future.

Show transcript
Bob
Hi, it's the Bob & Rob Show. This is Bob.

Rob
And this is Rob.

Bob
Okay. Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. It's a
bird, it's a plane1. No, it's the Bob and Rob Show.

Rob
It's the Bob and Rob Show.

Bob
It's Bob and Rob. Super Bob and Super Rob.

Rob
Here we are again.

Bob
Hey what's up? It's raining again today. Like I'm almost starting to miss the heat and
humidity. I don't really miss it, but it's been raining every day.
2
Rob
But you know something that's very odd? About a month ago--July, England had a heat
wave2 actually. It's amazing in Britain because if it goes above 35' the roads start to melt.

Bob
You’re kidding me?

Rob
No, the tarmac melts the tires....

Bob
Stick to the asphalt?

Rob
Yep, they have major problems. In Winter, if there's any kind of snow blizzard, everything
closes down.

Bob
A snow blizzard in the Winter?

Rob
Yep.

Bob
Oh, so, extremes of heat...

Rob
Or extremes of cold. Everything basically shuts down.

Bob
Wait, let me get this straight3. The asphalt actually melts? Now that's really hot, even for
Japan.

Rob
It is hot, but I think it must be something to do with the workmanship. They just don't expect
it--because sometimes it reaches 38 and 40 here and the roads....

Bob
They don't melt--that's funny.

Rob
British workmanship.

Bob
That's funny. Well you know, it seems like we're having record temperatures all over the
world. I know the U.S., the last decade, has been the hottest one on record. So, it doesn't
really have any historical precedent, I don't think. Unless, you go back fifty, a hundred
thousand years. These temperature changes--global warming.

Rob
And your old friend4, Mr. Bush, pulled out of the Kyoto protocol5.

3
Bob
Well, you know, there's a lot of bad things I could say about our old friend, Mr. Bush. But
anyway, speaking of the U.K., I'm just curious - I saw a news report last night with Tony
Blair--now how many parties are there in the U.K. government? It's a parliamentary6
system, which means there's a lot right?

Rob
Actually no. Well, yea, there are a number, but the majority of them are very minor--"minor
league7," as you would say. And there's basically two main parties.

Bob
And what are they called?

Rob
The Conservatives--the Conservative party, which is Margaret Thatcher's old party. They're
the right wing. And on the left, the new left, is the late Labor8 party. And that is...

Bob
Now what's “Tories9”? I hear “Tories” a lot.

Rob
That's the nickname of the Conservatives.

Bob
Where does Tories come from? Is it someone's name?

Rob
Conservatory10?

Bob
Oh, conservatory.

Rob
I presume conservative--conservatory.

Bob
So, Tony Blair is what party?

Rob
He's Labor.

Bob
He's Labor party.

Rob
Yea. I should say...

Bob
It's not Left....like radical left is it?

Rob
It used to be. I think once he got in power they called it, "New Labor," and they tried to
combine free market11 ideals with social justice policies.
4
Bob
So basically, these two parties are really the only ones that ever run the government? The
other parties are so small that they don't have a large influence.

Rob
There is a third one and that's called the--I think it's called the "Liberal Democratic Party” at
the moment. Yea, the Liberal Democratic Party. And they're the third largest; they never
really hold power. They have held power in 1916. I believe it was Loyd George.

Rob
But otherwise, apart from that they might occasionally get in the coalition12.

Bob
That's interesting.

Bob
I've kind of always idealized the parliamentary system--thinking they're better than the U.S.
system, because the U.S. system is a kind of winner-take-all. “Winner-take-all” means
whoever wins gets everything. It's not completely true, because we do have two parties, the
Democrats and the Republicans. Republicans tend to be more conservative, but I've always
thought with the parliamentary system you get more voices13. But, it seems like that's not
always the case. Like in Britain, or even in Japan, it seems like it's basically one party, the
Liberal Democratic Party14, which pretty much dominates everything.

Rob
Well there's that, and there's another system called "Proportional Representation", which
you have mostly, I believe, in Europe--Continental Europe, especially in Italy.

Bob
Italy, I've almost heard--that it’s a weakness, because you have so many parties that have
influence or power, that you get nothing done.

Rob
There's always a coalition in power, and the Prime Ministers tend to change a lot. Except
recently, with Berlusconi.

Bob
Do you like him?

Rob
Ah no!

Bob
He seems like he's kind of corrupt.

Rob
I do not like him at all. I'm left wing15, so I - anything on the right is not....

Bob
I don't know if I'm left wing, but I'm certainly not right wing. I think I'm kind of a centrist,
somewhere in the middle.

5
Rob
In America, they also have Independents?

Bob
Yea we do, but I mean again, they have no influence. Unfortunately with our two party
system, I think we could use a third party in American politics. But with most political
systems, I think our main parties are really dominated by corporations and money. Which is
kind of, I guess, in the end16, what makes politics happen. But, I think it would be nice to
have a third party. And there is support, but the problem is there isn't the money. They do
have some influence sometimes, for example Ross Perot.

Rob
He was a multimillionaire wasn't he?

Bob
Billionaire. He took some votes from George H. Bush, the current George Bush's father,
and that helped Clinton win. And then, in a way, Ralph Nader - the Green Party candidate.
He took just enough votes from Al Gore so that George Bush won Florida, and changed
U.S. history for the worst. Anyway, sorry if we have any conservative listeners - but so
what. And actually, I don't think Bush is a true conservative. Like a true conservative, in the
mold of 17 Teddy Roosevelt, or even Ronald Regan. I think Bush is very radical, but we're
really getting into18 politics here, so, maybe we'll move on to phrasal verbs. Let's get off
this topic.

Rob
Right, good.

Bob
Segue

Rob
Nice way, nice way....

Bob
Segue is kind of a fancy word for "good lead in" or "good connection."

Rob
I think that's French originally, is it not? Maybe, I'm not sure.

Bob
I know “French fries” comes from French.

(Laughter)

Bob
“Croissants” I do speak a little French.

Rob
Croissants?

Bob
Croissants?

6
Rob
We pronounce it "croissants."

Bob
Espresso--that's Italian.

Rob
Yea, excellent.

Bob
"Get off." Okay, so that's today's phrasal verb. "Get off."

Rob
So, "get off" has a number of meanings. It means "to send something." For example...

Bob
You've got to "get off" a package.

Rob
I finally got my sister's birthday card "off" last week...cause it was her birthday.

Bob
Okay, also to "remove something."

Rob
You can remove a stain from....."I want to get that stain off my shirt."

Bob
That's good, "I want to get that stain off my shirt." Okay, what's another one?

Rob
To literally leave somewhere, like a bus or plane.

Bob
"Get off" the bus. Yea, get off, yea good. Exit the bus, "get off" the bus. Or...

Rob
It could also be used in the imperative form19 which means to....

Bob
Command, a command. So "get off." "Get off now," you might say that to your son if he's
standing on the kitchen table. "Hey, get off now!"

Rob
That's right.

Bob
Also, there's an idiomatic use. For example: if someone says something that's kind of
offensive; or is inappropriate; or you just disagree with, you might say, "Where do you get
off saying that?” So, how do you justify something. So, where does he "get off" saying that?
Where does he justify--where does he find justification to say that.

Rob
7
Yea that's a good one.

Bob
Like yesterday, Rob, you said that I wasn't very fashionable. Where do you "get off" saying
that?

(laughter)

Rob
Well, I think it stands for reason20.

(laughter)

Bob
Yea, you’re right.

Rob
No, you’re pretty fashionable Bob.

Bob
Should we use the naughty slang term for “get off”?

Rob
Yea, sure.

Bob
I don't know - I mean this is an English show, but they might hear it sometime in a movie.

Rob
There is another word--another meaning rather--and get off, in Britain--“get off”, in the slang
forms means to....to "make out21 with someone." Not necessarily all the way22, but
certainly to kiss and cuddle.

Bob
To pleasure yourself.

Rob
Yea, we can always say - a lot of teenagers use it as well in Britain. For example, "My
nephew, who's fourteen years old, he got off with his first girlfriend last night."

Bob
Or, even if he doesn't have a girlfriend he gets off by himself23. Anyway, sorry, I'm not
trying to be dirty or crude, but you might hear this -we're teaching English, so. Okay, let's
get off the subject.

Rob
Sure.

Bob
Ancient Japanese English Study Secret.

Rob
Ancient Japanese English Study Secret.
8
Bob
This is again getting information. This time, if you need to get information on the phone,
these are some more polite ways to say that. And often if you want to ask someone, or you
want to request something and make it more polite we use "wondering." For example,
rather than say, "Could you help me?", if you want to make it even more polite in English
you would add "I was wondering if you could help me?" or...

Rob
"I was wondering if you could tell me?"

Bob
So, it just makes it more polite..."I was wondering..." For example, "I was wondering you if
you could tell me what time the meeting starts on Friday?" These are really useful for on the
phone...okay. And of course, you can use them when your talking to someone directly. But
especially on the phone. What's another?

Rob
Example...let's see, "I was wondering if you could help me locate a hospital in the area?"

Bob
Yea good. And sometimes also if there is a switchboard24. A “switchboard” means there's
an operator." So, you have to ask the operator to connect you with someone, or to put
someone on the phone. Let's say, you’re trying to call a company manager and you call the
switchboard, you might say "I'd like to talk to somebody about..” .for example, "I'd like to talk
to somebody about the public transport system." Okay, anyway, that's been Ancient
Japanese English Secret.

Bob
Okay today we're going to a Bubba joke. This is about someone being untactful. “Untactful”
means "bad manners." And a person's mother had died and I guess this person’s in the
Army. His supervisor thinks of a more tactful way to tell him his mother died. So that's what
the jokes about. It's kind of funny. Let's listen to it.

Howdy25, friend. This is Bubba Bohacks, with your daily wisecrack from bubbabohaks.com.
Visit me there in the fun barn, and if you’re a motorcycle driver like Bubba here, you might
want to check out the motorcycle link on my main page. There's a button there for a
motorcycle company that's got great deal26 on some neat stuff. The Captain called his
Serg27’ in, "Serge’ I just got a telegram that Private Jones’s mother died yesterday. You
better go tell him and send him in here to see me." So the Sergeant calls for his morning
formation and lines up the soldiers. "Listen up men”, says the Sergeant. "Johnson, report to
the mess hall for K.P.; Smith report to Personnel for some paper work you need to fill out.
The rest of you men report to the motor pool28 for maintenance. And, oh, by the way,
Jones, your mother died. Report to the Commander." Later that day, the Captain called the
Sergeant into his office: "Hey Serge, that's pretty cold29, the way you informed Jones that
his mother died. Couldn't you be a little more tactful the next time this happens?" Serge
says, "yes, Sir." A few months later the Captain calls the Sergeant in again and says,
"Serge’, I just got a telegram that Private McGrath's mother died. You better go tell him, and
send him in to see me. This time, please be more tactful." So the Sergeant calls for his
morning formation30. "Okay men listen up. Everybody whose mother's still living take two
steps forward. Not so fast, McGrath!"

9
Bob
Okay, so anyway.

Rob
He's good, old Bubba. You can rely on him.

Bob
If you don't get the joke, email us in September, we'll explain it to you. Both Sides of the
Pond.

Rob
Both Sides of the Pond. Okay, I thought maybe we could do a bit of a mix of vocabulary
here.

Bob
A hodgepodge.31

Rob
Yes, a hodegpodge.

Bob
A cornucopia32. Hodgepodge means "just a mix." How do you spell “hodgepodge”?

Rob
H-O-D-G-E-P-O-D-G-E

Bob
Hodgepodge...Okay.

Rob
In Britain we have something called a "felt tip pen."

Bob
We have them in the U.S. too. We also call them "markers", though. A "marker pen." M-A-
R-K-E-R. You don't call them markers?

Rob
No, we call them "felt tip" pens.

Bob
How about green beans?

Rob
Green beans. We actually say "green beans" too, but we also call them "French beans."

Bob
That's not very common. I've seen them before. I think you can buy cans of French beans,
but, green beans ate definitely more common.

Rob
Are they the same thing as “runner” beans?

Bob
10
Never heard of runner beans.

Rob
They might be the same things. I'm not sure.

Bob
I've never heard of them.

Rob
The next one, perhaps, is quite common in both countries. “Photocopy”. You say,
"photocopy?"

Bob
Very, very, very common. We used to say "Xerox" a bit, because one of the pioneers in
photocopy machines was a company named Xerox. So people started naturally using it as
a verb. Like, "I'm going to go and Xerox something." But, I think photocopy has become
more popular. How about zip code? Zip code is part of an address in the U.S.; what would
you say for "zip code"? Z-I-P

Rob
We say, "post code."

Bob
Post code. Kind of like Japan, they say "postal code." But actually they say ? ?

Rob
But we don't use zip code in Britain.

Bob
I guess they say, "zip code." If you know just that number it will get really close, so, it zips it
there.

Rob
I see.

Bob
At least in the proximity32 of that person.

Rob
Parcel?

Bob
Parcel. I think we say "parcel" or "package." Both. I'm going to send a parcel--a package.
Package, is probably more common but they both sound good to me.

Rob
Okay.

Bob
Okay, well great. Just like to thank everyone for their donations.

Rob

11
Yes, if you enjoy the show and are a regular listener--just like to say, please consider
making any donation. They're always welcome, and also, thank you very much to
everybody who has so far given us a donation. Very kind, we really appreciate it.

Bob
Yes, very encouraging. And today our song is going to be called, "Get Off Of My Foot,"
which is the phrasal verb today. And it's by Pop Machine. If you want to learn more about
this artist we got this song from podshow.com. Go there if you'd like to learn more. So
anyway, that's it for today. We'll be seeing you all later.

Rob
Take care and good luck.

Bob
All right. Bye, bye, everyone. Adios33.

Rob
Bye bye.

All right!
Take it, take it, take it!

She was a sweet bitch34 jogging by the side of the road

I was a hard driving trucker with a head to ?
Hey pretty mama35, are you going my way?
With the looks she gave me, there was nothing to say36
? We went too far ? That’s how it feels

Get off of my foot, You steppin’ on my foot , You steppin’ on my foot

Get off of my foot,, Get off of my foot, You get off of my foot
Get off of my foot,, Get off of my foot
You gotta get off of my foot right now

She was a two-way woman with a one-way man

She was a half-breed daughter of a travelin’ man,
I had the pedal to the medal37, we were moving too fast
She said I was the first38, but she hoped it would last

We grabbed the stick, She was quick

We were in love, in overdrive

Chorus

Rockin39’ down the highway, movin’ down the byway,

Rockin’ down the byway, she was going my way
There’s a light at the end of the tunnel of love
But there were tremors on the road and there were jumpers above
I got 16 years in a federal pen40
If I could do it all over I would do it again

? , The teenage queen, I’ll do my time41, she’ll be mine

Chorus
12
Transcript glossary

…it's a plane1 = from the Superman TV show.

heat wave2 = consecutive days of hot temperatures
get this straight3 = understand
old friend4 = used sarcastically
Kyoto protocol5 = Global warming treaty signed in Kyoto, Japan
parliamentary6 = having a parliament
minor league7 = of little influence or power
Labor8 = a political party formed in Great Britain in 1900; characterized by the promotion of
labor's interests and the socialization of key industries
Tories9 = The term Tory derives from the Tory Party, the ancestor of the modern UK
Conservative Party
Conservatory10 = serving or adapted to conserve; preservative.
free market11 = capitalistic
coalition12 = a combination or alliance, esp. a temporary one between persons, factions,
states, etc.
13
more voices = more opinions and ideas
Liberal Democratic Party14 = popular political party in Japan
left wing15 = In politics - left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left
in the end16 = ultimately
in the mold of 17 = similar to
getting into18 = talking about; touching on
imperative form19 = we use the imperative form of the verb to make requests, give
directions or instructions, and give orders or commands
20
stands for reason = it’s logical; makes sense
make out21 = kissing and necking
all the way22 = sexual intercourse
gets off by himself23 = masturbates
switchboard24 = operator mounted switches and instruments
Howdy25 = hello (U.S.; Southern dialect)
great deal26 = bargain; good price
Serg27 = short for “Sergeant”
motor pool28 = a standby fleet of motor vehicles available for temporary use
cold29 = insensitive
morning formation30 = morning assembling of the soldiers of a unit.
hodgepodge.31 = a variety
cornucopia32 = an abundant supply of something
proximity32 = nearness
Adios33 = Spanish for “Goodbye”
bitch34 = (offensive and vulgar) a lewd woman; can also mean a malicious, selfish woman
mama35 = slang: a sexually attractive woman
nothing to say36 = it was obvious what she wanted
pedal to the medal37 = ‘pedal’ refers to a vehicle’s gas pedal; “metal” refers to the vehicle’s
floorboard. Thus “pedal to the medal” means to drive fast.
the first38 = first time to have sexual intercourse
Rockin39 = rocking; to move back and forth, especially rhythmically.
federal pen40 = federal penitentiary; jail
do my time41 = complete my sentence in prison

13
Extension and Review Study
*note: we encourage you to respond to the questions and readings by posting on the new discussion board
(Login using your Bob and Rob Show membership username and password)
http://englishcaster.com/discussionboard/

1/ Bob and Rob talked about a heat wave in the UK. Has your country been experience
hotter than normal temperatures? If so, do you think Global Warming is the cause?

2/ What kind of political system do you have in your country? What are the advantages and
disadvantages of it?

3/ Have you ever had to give someone news about the death of a friend or loved one?
What were the circumstances?

14