In this mini episode, you will learn the phrase “the ins and outs.”
Episode 355 of the Everybody ESL podcast is a mini episode that teaches you the phrase “the ins and outs.” Send your questions about English and your comments and suggestions to EverybodyESL@gmail.com! (And let me know if you’d like to record the introduction to a future episode.)
Intro
“Hi! This is Meirong, from Shanghai, China. You are listening to Everybody ESL.”
Welcome to episode 355 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 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 interesting and useful phrase. And the phrase is “the ins and outs.” The ins and outs.
That’s the, t-h-e. Ins, i-n-s. And. Outs, o-u-t-s. The ins and outs.
The first thing I want to say about this is this is kind of a strange expression. “The ins and outs.” I’m not even sure what an in or an out means in this expression, “the ins and outs.”
Well, let me tell you what this expression means, and then I will talk about it a little bit more. “The ins and outs” means the details or special knowledge that you need in order to do some activity. “The ins and outs” describes special knowledge or special details that you need if you want to do something or if you want to understand something well.
Here is an example of the kind of situation where people might use this phrase:
“My friend is a professional chef. He loves working in restaurants. And now, he is learning the ins and outs of French cooking.” He is learning the ins and outs of French cooking.
That means he is learning all of the special details and the special knowledge that you need in order to do French cooking. In order to make French food the right way. Maybe he needs to learn about some special ingredients. Or maybe he needs to learn about some special methods of cooking. He is learning the ins and outs of French cooking. He’s learning all of the special things that he needs to know.
Now, notice that we always use “the ins and outs” with another expression. We always use it with “of” something: of some activity. In this case, the ins and outs of French cooking. But you could also talk about the ins and outs of ice skating, or the ins and outs of starting your own business, or the ins and outs of computer programming. We can use this expression with “of” and then all kinds of activities or hobbies or sports.
And that is the ins and outs. A very useful and interesting and strange expression that I think you should know.
Outro
This is the end of episode 355 of Everybody ESL. Remember: if you have questions about English, or if you have comments for me, or if you would like to record an introduction that I can play at the beginning of future episodes—the same way Meirong 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!