🎯 Refined Daily Expressions and Idioms
1. Raw emotions
Meaning: Intense, unfiltered feelings; very sensitive or painful emotions.
Example:
- “My emotions were really raw after watching that movie.”
- “Everything’s too raw right now, I’ll call her next week.”
2. Ugly crying
Meaning: Crying uncontrollably and without concern for appearance.
Example:
- “I watched Into the Wild and ended up ugly crying for 20 minutes.”
3. Put a little space between
Meaning: Allow time to pass after a difficult event before engaging again.
Example:
- “It’s still too raw, so I want to put a little space between now and when I reach out.”
4. Have a sense of timing
Meaning: Be sensitive or intuitive about when to do or say something.
Example:
- “Are you good at having a sense of timing when someone’s grieving?”
5. Bald / Bawled (cry)
Meaning: Cry loudly and emotionally.
Example:
- “We both bawled after watching that movie.”
6. People are mysteries
Meaning: Human behavior and emotions are unpredictable.
Example:
- “Sometimes you don’t know why you cry — people are mysteries.”
🎭 Role Play Script from the Podcast
Context: Two friends cooking together, catching up, and discussing a sensitive situation.
A: Careful with that chicken. I think it’s still a little raw.
B: Oh, okay, thanks!
A: So, did you talk to Ruth?
B: No, not yet. I think the whole situation is still a little raw, so I’m going to wait a few more days.
A: That makes sense. I saw the raw email you sent me of what happened. Yikes.
B: Yeah… Hold on, I need some chapstick. My lips are so raw this time of year.
A: Oh, mine too!
📝 Paragraph Using All the Expressions
After watching Wicked for Good, I found myself ugly crying in the theater — my emotions were just so raw. It caught me off guard because I didn’t expect to react that way. Later, I wrote a raw email to my friend, trying to process it all, but honestly, I think I need to put a little space between now and when we talk. Everything is too raw, and I don’t want to say the wrong thing — I’m trying to have a sense of timing. Sometimes I wonder why certain moments hit me harder than others… I guess people are mysteries. Oh, and to top it off, the cold weather left my lips completely raw. It’s been a day!
Q&A
Q1: Can “everything” be the subject in “Everything’s too raw right now”? Shouldn’t the subject be a person since it’s about emotions?
A: Yes, “everything” can absolutely be the subject.
In this sentence, “everything” refers to the overall situation or emotional environment, not a person. Native speakers often use abstract nouns like everything, the situation, or the moment when talking about emotional sensitivity. It doesn’t need to be a person.
Q2: In “I think it’s still a little raw,” is “raw” referring to chicken being undercooked or something else?
A: In that context, yes — it refers to undercooked chicken.
Example: “Careful with that chicken. I think it’s still a little raw.”
Here, “raw” means “not fully cooked yet.”
In other contexts, “raw” could describe emotions, wounds, or skin.
Q3: How do you pronounce “grieving”?
A: It’s pronounced: /ˈɡriː.vɪŋ/ — “GREE-ving”
Two syllables. The stress is on the first syllable.
It means to feel deep sorrow, especially due to loss.
Q4: How do you pronounce “bawled”?
A: It’s pronounced: /bɔːld/ — “bawled”
Same pronunciation as “bald” (no hair).
It means to cry loudly and uncontrollably.
Example: “She bawled her eyes out after the movie.”
Q5: Is “Yikes” an expression of joy?
A: No, it’s not.
“Yikes” expresses surprise, shock, fear, awkwardness, or discomfort — not joy.
Examples:
- “Yikes, that looks expensive.”
- “Yikes! I forgot to call her back.”
It’s similar to saying “Uh-oh” or “Oh no,” not “Yay.”
Q6: What does “It caught me off guard” mean?
A: It means “It surprised me unexpectedly” or “It happened when I wasn’t prepared.”
Often used when something emotionally or situationally surprising happens.
Example: “That question caught me off guard.”
It suggests emotional vulnerability or a lack of readiness.
Q7: What does “To top it off” mean?
A: It means “in addition to everything else,” usually to emphasize a final (often negative) detail.
Examples:
- Negative: “It rained, I forgot my umbrella, and to top it off, I lost my phone.”
- Positive: “The dinner was amazing, and to top it off, they gave us free dessert.”
It can express frustration or emphasize something extra.
Q8: In “She’s grieving the loss of her father,” is “the loss of her father” the object of “grieving”? Can we say just “She’s grieving”?
A: Yes, “the loss of her father” is the object of “grieving.”
But “She’s grieving” is also a complete and natural sentence. You can use it without the object if the context is clear or if you want to speak more generally.
Adding the object simply gives clarity about what the grief is about.
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