In this mini episode, you will learn the (sometimes angry) expression “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Episode 278 of the Everybody ESL podcast is a mini episode that teaches you the sometimes angry expression “What’s that supposed to mean?” Send your questions about English and your suggestions for future episodes to EverybodyESL@gmail.com! (And let me know if you’d like to record the introduction to a future episode.)
Intro
“Hello, everyone. This is Daniela, from Colombia. And you are listening (to) this amazing podcast, Everybody ESL.”
Welcome to episode 278 of Everybody ESL, the podcast for everybody who wants to improve their English, practice their English, or just learn more English. My name is Ben, and I have a mini episode for you today, where I am going to teach you about one English topic. You can subscribe to the Everybody ESL podcast at Apple podcasts, on the Stitcher app, and wherever you find your podcasts. If you like Everybody ESL, leave it a good review so other people can find out about it too. And if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for me, please send an email to everybodyESL@gmail.com. Okay! Let’s get on with this mini episode.
The episode
In this episode, I am going to teach you an expression that goes along with certain situations. The expression is “What’s that supposed to mean?” What’s that supposed to mean? That’s what’s: w-h-a-t-apostrophe-s, that: t-h-a-t, supposed: s-u-p-p-o-s-e-d, to: t-o, mean: m-e-a-n. What’s that supposed to mean?
What is the meaning of this question, and when will you hear it, or when do people use it?
“What’s that supposed to mean?” means “What do you mean by that? Why are you saying that? What are you trying to tell me?”
This question is usually used when somebody is very angry. But it also can be used when somebody is very frustrated or maybe very confused. But I think you will usually hear this when somebody is angry, when somebody does not like what someone else has said. Maybe they feel that somebody is being unfair. Or maybe they feel like somebody is being insulting.
If you think that somebody is saying something rude to you or insulting you in some way, or saying something that you think is very inappropriate, you might want to say, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
And this is what it usually sounds like when someone says this expression: What’s that supposed to mean? What’s that supposed to mean?!
Can you hear it in my voice? Do I sound a little bit angry or annoyed or frustrated or insulted? Those are the situations where people usually use that expression.
If you use this expression, you might sound a little bit rude or angry or annoyed. Sometimes you might want to sound a little bit rude or angry or annoyed. Now, if you are feeling one of those ways, you know how you can say to somebody, “What do you mean by that?” Or “Why are you saying that to me?” You can just say, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Outro
This is the end of episode 278 of Everybody ESL. Remember: if you have questions about English, or if you have comments or suggestions for the podcast, or if you would like to record an introduction that I can play at the beginning of future episodes—the same way Daniela recorded the introduction you heard at the beginning of this episode—send an email to everybodyESL@gmail.com. I’ll be back soon with a new episode, and until then, keep going, keep practicing, and keep learning. I’ll see you soon. Goodbye!