This lesson suits intermediate learners.
We use the phrase 'Age is just a number' to express that we are young at heart, regardless of the number of birthdays we've celebrated.
Learning notes
Different phrases to use when talking about getting older:
- My knees give a better weather forecast than the news lately.
- We’re not spring chickens anymore.
- I’m not old, I’m just well-seasoned.
- These grey hairs are my wisdom highlights.
- I've earned every one of these wrinkles.
Colloquial expressions:
We use the phrase 'Age is just a number' to express that we are young at heart, regardless of the number of birthdays we've celebrated.
To act your age means to behave in ways expected for someone your age, while not acting your age means behaving in a manner not typically associated with your age.
Vocabulary:
Ageing is a process of growing older.
A spring chicken is a metaphor for a young person.
Elderly means someone who is old, usually someone who has retired or is around the age to retire. But be careful with this word because some people might find it rude or not nice. Terms like older or senior are often seen as more respectful.
Well-seasoned describes wood that has been aged and so is more useful for building or for burning. We can also say that food cooked with spices is well seasoned, but we can also be a fun way to describe someone who has had a lot of life experience.
Highlights in hair are selection of lighter colour added to create contrast and brightness.
Wrinkles are fine lines that appear around our eyes, mouth, or on our forehead typically as a result of ageing.
Botox is a beauty procedure for the face in which needles are used to put in a treatment that smooths out wrinkles.
Face yoga is a series of exercises for the face.
Transcript:
(Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript)
SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways throughout Australia.
Hi guys, it's Josipa, and recently, I've been talking a lot about ageing.
Actually, lately, it feels like I've been chatting about nothing else. I guess it's one of those universal adventures that, ready or not, waits for us all.
And as much as I'd like to believe that age is just a number, my own body and fine lines around my eyes tell a different story.
By the way, we use the phrase 'Age is just a number' when we want to say that we remain young at heart, youthful in spirit, however many candles there are on our birthday cake.
Do you know what I realised while I was chatting with my friends about our fears for getting older? That having a set of English phrases to express how we feel in a fun way makes me feel much more comfortable talking about it.
So, I want to share what I've learned with you. For that to happen, first, we need to hear what Allan and Claire have to say.
Let's imagine that after their long hike in the park, they have just sat down on a bench to rest.
Claire
My left knee is hurting again; it's probably going to rain tomorrow. I'm telling you, my knees give a better weather forecast than the news lately.
Allan
That’s because we’re not spring chickens anymore, Claire.
Claire
Are you saying we’re elderly? I’m not old, I’m just well-seasoned.
Allan
Yeah, and those grey hairs are your natural highlights?
Claire
Exactly. Although, I like to call them my wisdom highlights.
Allan
And what do you call your wrinkles?
Claire
I've earned every one of these wrinkles. I don’t mind them; do you have a problem with yours?
Allan
Actually, I’m thinking of getting Botox. What? Don’t judge me. Everyone’s doing it.
Claire and Allan used some some funny phrases about getting older. Let's break down what they meant with these sayings.
First, we heard Claire,
My knees give a better weather forecast than the news lately.Claire
We know a weather forecast tells us if it's going to rain or be sunny. But guess what? Sometimes, our bodies can predict the weather too, just like Claire said.
When your knee hurts or your elbow aches, as it happens in my mum’s case, it might mean that rain is coming because the weather can affect how you feel . So, maybe, as we get older, we might just be better at guessing the weather than our phones!
That’s a good thing, right? Allan then said,
We’re not spring chickens anymore.Allan
Spring chickens? I looked up this phrase. It began in the 1700s with farmers selling young chickens in spring. If they were not sold, the chickens aged over winter and older chickens earned farmers less money. In 1906, the term 'spring chicken' was first used to mean a young person.
I can certainly say that at age 44, I'm no spring chicken because I'm not as young as I used to be.
Are you a spring chicken, or...?
Are you saying we’re elderly?Claire
Although elderly means someone old, it is often used to refer to older people who are no longer strong, but, as we know, older people can be quite healthy. So be careful with this word because some people might find it rude. Instead, you could simply say ‘older’ or ‘senior’ since these words are often seen as more respectful.
Claire also said,
I’m not old; I’m just well-seasoned.Claire
I love this phrase: 'I'm not old, I'm just well-seasoned.'
It focusses on the experience that comes with maturity rather than the age itself. We say that wood is well-seasoned if it has been aged properly so that it is strong enough to use for building or to burn properly, so when Clare says she is well-seasoned she is saying that she has gained a lot of experience and wisdom over the years.
We can also use the phrase to described food that has plenty of spices - it has been well-seasoned.
Do you remember how Claire described her grey hair? She said,
These grey hairs are my wisdom-highlights.Allan
I admire Claire’s attitude towards ageing. She is so positive about it. Now, the word "highlights" can mean a couple of things, depending on the context.
In general terms, "highlights" refer to the most interesting or exciting parts of something, like the best moments from a sports game, a movie, or an event.
But if we are talking about hair, "highlights" are lighter colours added to someone's hair to create contrast and brightness.
So, when someone says they have "wisdom highlights," they are playing with the word highlights. They are not talking about colour they have had added to their hair at the hairdressers but are joking that the streaks of white in their hair that they have from getting older shows the wisdom and experience they've gained over time.
Claire also said,
I've earned every one of these wrinkles.Claire
Wrinkles are fine lines that appear around our eyes, mouth, or on our forehead typically as we get older.
If you say to someone, ‘I've earned every one of these wrinkles’, it means that you believe your wrinkles are a sign of all the experiences you've had in life, and so they are valuable. I’m definitely going to use this phrase from now on.
But you know what? The world is beautiful because we're all different and don't need to think the same way. Some people like using cosmetic treatments or procedures to slow down the signs of age. And it seems Allan is one of them, because he said,
I’m thinking of getting Botox.Allan
Botox is a beauty treatment in which needles are used to put a special medicine into the face. This helps to relax the face muscles, which makes wrinkles look smaller and so the skin looks smoother.
Personally, I prefer to do face yoga. This is a series of exercises for the face. I don’t know if it actually works, but it’s cheaper than having Botox!
I guess whatever we do, it's not so important how old we are, what is important is how we feel about our age and our looks. For example, I'm someone who doesn't always act my age, which means that I often do things or behave in ways that might seem younger than my actual years.
This to me shows that age really is just a number, and what truly matters is how young we feel at heart, regardless of the number of birthdays we've celebrated.
A big thank you to our educational consultant, Professor Lynda Yates, and our guest Jonathan Brown.
Paul Nicholson and Lily O'Sullivan voiced the characters of Allan and Claire.
