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Learning English Conversations

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Everyday expressions and real English conversations to help make your English conversations easier.

Every week, we teach you a new phrase or word you can use in conversation with The English We Speak.

And we bring you special series to improve your English conversation.

Try Beating Speaking Anxiety to learn how to fight your fears of speaking English.

Find more at bbclearningenglish.com

Follow us at bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus

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Everyday expressions and real English conversations to help make your English conversations easier.

Every week, we teach you a new phrase or word you can use in conversation with The English We Speak.

And we bring you special series to improve your English conversation.

Try Beating Speaking Anxiety to learn how to fight your fears of speaking English.

Find more at bbclearningenglish.com

Follow us at bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus

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Episodes

Page 15 · 50 per page
Published 2013-01-28

To know your onions

3 min
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Rob gets Li to help him with some quiz answers. Does she know her onions? Find out more about this phrase here.

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Rob gets Li to help him with some quiz answers. Does she know her onions? Find out more about this phrase here.

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Published 2013-01-14

Not rocket science

3 min
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Find out what the expression 'not rocket science' means in this programme.

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Find out what the expression 'not rocket science' means in this programme.

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Published 2013-01-07

Go down a storm

2 min
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Kaz says his party 'went down a storm'. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Find out here.

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Kaz says his party 'went down a storm'. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Find out here.

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Published 2012-12-31

Chuffed

2 min
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Kaz is feeling very chuffed today. Find out what this phrase means in this programme.

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Kaz is feeling very chuffed today. Find out what this phrase means in this programme.

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Published 2012-12-24

Hit the ground running

2 min
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Kaz decides to 'hit the ground running' in this week's programme. Find out what this phrase means by listening to this programme.

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Kaz decides to 'hit the ground running' in this week's programme. Find out what this phrase means by listening to this programme.

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Published 2012-12-17

Language of the blogosphere

4 min
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Finn has entered the blogosphere! Find out what this word means in The English We Speak.

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Finn has entered the blogosphere! Find out what this word means in The English We Speak.

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Published 2012-12-10

Irons in the fire

2 min
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Jen tells Helen that she has a few 'irons in the fire' for her fortnight off work. Learn a phrase to describe having lots of options. Find out more with this programme.

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Jen tells Helen that she has a few 'irons in the fire' for her fortnight off work. Learn a phrase to describe having lots of options. Find out more with this programme.

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Published 2012-12-03

Man flu

3 min
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Li is worried when she learns that Neil has caught man flu. But how will she react when she finds out what the illness actually is...?

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Li is worried when she learns that Neil has caught man flu. But how will she react when she finds out what the illness actually is...?

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Published 2012-11-26

Drop dead gorgeous

3 min
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Li is worried when Jen says somebody is 'drop dead gorgeous'. What does this phrase mean?

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Li is worried when Jen says somebody is 'drop dead gorgeous'. What does this phrase mean?

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Published 2012-11-19

Celeb (Celebrity): 19 Nov

3 min
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Vera teaches Rob how and when to use the word 'celeb' in a modern society. Find out more in The English We Speak.

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Vera teaches Rob how and when to use the word 'celeb' in a modern society. Find out more in The English We Speak.

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Published 2012-11-12

Emoticon: 12 Nov

3 min
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Rob and Vera have a misunderstanding about an email. Listen to this programme to find out why emoticons can be useful in written messages.

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Rob and Vera have a misunderstanding about an email. Listen to this programme to find out why emoticons can be useful in written messages.

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Published 2012-11-05

Keep your chin up!: 5 Nov

3 min
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Rob tells Vera to 'keep her chin up'. But what does he mean? Find out with this week's programme.

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Rob tells Vera to 'keep her chin up'. But what does he mean? Find out with this week's programme.

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Published 2012-10-29

Cost an arm and a leg

3 min
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Rob goes shopping but the clothes cost 'an arm and a leg'. What does this mean?

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Rob goes shopping but the clothes cost 'an arm and a leg'. What does this mean?

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Published 2012-10-22

Hunky-dory

3 min
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Rob and Chris mention the phrase 'hunky-dory' to Helen. Are they trying to say that they are muscular men? Find out what this phrase means with The English We Speak.

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Rob and Chris mention the phrase 'hunky-dory' to Helen. Are they trying to say that they are muscular men? Find out what this phrase means with The English We Speak.

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Published 2012-10-15

Things are looking up

3 min
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Helen gets confused when she hears that 'things are looking up'. Find out what this phrase means with The English We Speak.

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Helen gets confused when she hears that 'things are looking up'. Find out what this phrase means with The English We Speak.

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Published 2012-10-08

My mind has gone blank

3 min
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Rosie's mind has gone blank in the studio! Does that mean she's lost her memory? Listen to this programme to find out.

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Rosie's mind has gone blank in the studio! Does that mean she's lost her memory? Listen to this programme to find out.

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Published 2012-10-01

Shut up

3 min
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Li and Rosie look at an expression which can be rude or jokey. Be careful how you use it!

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Li and Rosie look at an expression which can be rude or jokey. Be careful how you use it!

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Published 2012-09-24

Throw the book at somebody

4 min
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Rosie arrives late again and she tells Helen that their boss will throw the book at her. Is he going to hurt her?

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Rosie arrives late again and she tells Helen that their boss will throw the book at her. Is he going to hurt her?

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Published 2012-09-17

A finger in every pie

3 min
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Jen made some delicious pies but what does it mean when we say she has 'a finger in every pie'?

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Jen made some delicious pies but what does it mean when we say she has 'a finger in every pie'?

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Published 2012-09-10

Finding your feet

2 min
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Helen and Rosie are doing a salsa class, but Rosie is still finding her feet. What does it mean?

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Helen and Rosie are doing a salsa class, but Rosie is still finding her feet. What does it mean?

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Published 2012-09-03

The skin of your teeth

3 min
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Jennifer managed to do something by the skin of her teeth. What does it mean?

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Jennifer managed to do something by the skin of her teeth. What does it mean?

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Published 2012-08-27

No-win situation

4 min
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Rob finds himself in a no-win situation although he wins a horse racing bet. What does it mean?

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Rob finds himself in a no-win situation although he wins a horse racing bet. What does it mean?

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Published 2012-08-20

Plain sailing

4 min
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Li joins Rob on a sailing boat. Listen to their excursion and learn some sailing idioms..

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Li joins Rob on a sailing boat. Listen to their excursion and learn some sailing idioms..

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Published 2012-08-13

Down with the kids

3 min
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Why is Rob dressing like a teenager? Find out in The English We Speak!

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Why is Rob dressing like a teenager? Find out in The English We Speak!

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Published 2012-08-06

Quids in

3 min
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Have you ever made a lot of money? Rob's got the right expression for Helen.

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Have you ever made a lot of money? Rob's got the right expression for Helen.

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Published 2012-07-30

Sheepish

2 min
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Helen is a bit puzzled by Neil's statement that she is looking rather sheepish. Find out what he means in The English We Speak.

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Helen is a bit puzzled by Neil's statement that she is looking rather sheepish. Find out what he means in The English We Speak.

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Published 2012-07-23

Keep me posted

2 min
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Neil gets in trouble with the police just to teach you a new expression! Find out more in The English We Speak.

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Neil gets in trouble with the police just to teach you a new expression! Find out more in The English We Speak.

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Published 2012-07-16

To go bananas

3 min
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Li thinks Neil is a bit out of control and says he's gone bananas. Has this got anything to do with fruit?

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Li thinks Neil is a bit out of control and says he's gone bananas. Has this got anything to do with fruit?

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Published 2012-07-09

Not give someone the time of day

2 min
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What does Rosie mean when she tells Li to put her money where her mouth is? Li is confused and thinks it's really disgusting. Listen to more of their conversation about this expression!

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What does Rosie mean when she tells Li to put her money where her mouth is? Li is confused and thinks it's really disgusting. Listen to more of their conversation about this expression!

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What does Rosie mean when she tells Li to put her money where her mouth is? Li is confused and thinks it's really disgusting. Listen to more of their conversation about this expression!

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What does Rosie mean when she tells Li to put her money where her mouth is? Li is confused and thinks it's really disgusting. Listen to more of their conversation about this expression!

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Published 2012-06-18

To bend over backwards

2 min
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What are the different meanings of the phrase 'to bend over backwards'?

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What are the different meanings of the phrase 'to bend over backwards'?

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Published 2012-06-11

It's a joke

2 min
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Does the expression 'it's a joke' mean something funny? Find out more in this week's The English We Speak.

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Does the expression 'it's a joke' mean something funny? Find out more in this week's The English We Speak.

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Published 2012-06-04

What's the damage?

3 min
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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. This week's programme looks at the phrase What's the damage?

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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. This week's programme looks at the phrase What's the damage?

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Published 2012-05-28

Why the long face?

3 min
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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. This week's programme looks at the phrase Why the long face?

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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. This week's programme looks at the phrase Why the long face?

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Published 2012-05-21

To murder something

3 min
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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. This week's programme looks at the phrase 'to murder something'.

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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. This week's programme looks at the phrase 'to murder something'.

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Published 2012-05-14

Catch your eye

2 min
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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. This week's programme looks at the phrase 'to catch someone's eye'.

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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. This week's programme looks at the phrase 'to catch someone's eye'.

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Published 2012-05-07

No strings attached

3 min
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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'No strings attached'

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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'No strings attached'

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Published 2012-04-30

A spanner in the works

3 min
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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'A spanner in the works'

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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'A spanner in the works'

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Published 2012-04-23

Call it a day

2 min
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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'call it a day'

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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'call it a day'

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Published 2012-04-09

Comfort zone

3 min
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Learn a phrase that has less to do with sofas and more to do with feelings in this week's The English We Speak.

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Learn a phrase that has less to do with sofas and more to do with feelings in this week's The English We Speak.

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Published 2012-04-02

Knickers in a twist

4 min
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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'knickers in a twist'.

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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'knickers in a twist'.

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Published 2012-03-26

To let the cat out of the bag

3 min
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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'To let the cat out of the bag'.

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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'To let the cat out of the bag'.

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Published 2012-03-19

To paint the town red

3 min
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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'To paint the town'.

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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'To paint the town'.

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Published 2012-03-12

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!

3 min
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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed'.

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In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed'.

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Published 2012-03-05

Wake up and smell the coffee!

3 min
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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'Wake up and smell the coffee!'.

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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'Wake up and smell the coffee!'.

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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'Have your cake and eat it'.

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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'Have your cake and eat it'.

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Published 2012-02-20

The English We Speak: Happy Bunny

3 min
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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'Happy bunny'.

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In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases. In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'Happy bunny'.

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