In this mini episode, you will learn the useful phrase “just like that.”
Episode 445 of the Everybody ESL podcast is a mini episode that teaches you the useful phrase “just like that.” 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 Liyah, from Korea. And you’re listening to Everybody ESL.”
Welcome to episode 445 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 a useful expression. The expression is “just like that.” Just like that. That’s spelled j-u-s-t, l-i-k-e, t-h-a-t. Just like that.
We use the expression “just like that” to mean “very quickly” or “very easily.” If we are describing something that happens very quickly—something that takes a very short time—or something that happens easily, with little effort, we might say that it happens “just like that.”
What does this mean? Why do we say, “Just like that”? Just like what? What does “that” refer to in this expression, “just like that?” I can explain this.
Often, when people use the expression “just like that,” they accompany this with a snapping sound. Do you know what I mean by a “snapping” sound like this?
[snap] [snap] [snap] [snap]
Do you know what I’m doing to make that noise?
[snap] [snap] [snap]
I am snapping my fingers.
I’m sure you know this gesture, but you might not know this name for it. And it’s a little hard to describe. What I’m doing is putting my thumb against my middle finger. And I’m pushing them against each other until my middle finger... [snap] ... hits the base of my thumb. That is... [snap] ... snapping my finger.
What does this gesture—snapping your finger—have to do with this expression, “just like that”? Well, when we think of a ... [snap] ... finger snap, we think of something that happens very quickly and something that happens very easily. A finger snap ... [snap] ... does not take very long, and it doesn’t require any real effort. So, if something happens ... [snap] ... like a finger snap, that means it is very easy or very fast.
Even though this expression refers to a snap of the fingers ... [snap] [snap] [snap] ... you will sometimes hear people use it without that finger snap. But sometimes people will use it while they are ... [snap] ... snapping their fingers.
You might hear someone say something like this: “I walked into that new restaurant, and ... [snap]... just like that, five people came up to take my order.” I walked into the new restaurant, and ... [snap] ... just like that, five people came up to take my order. In other words, I walked into the new restaurant, and right away, five people came to take my order. It happened just like that. [snap] As fast as a snap of the fingers.
And that is “just like that,” a common and useful expression that I think you should know.
Outro
This is the end of episode 445 of Everybody ESL. Remember: If you have any 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 Liyah 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!