2023-05-15 Shout-out – The English We Speak

Introduction

In this programme you can learn about ‘shout-out’ – an expression that can be used to praise or thank someone publicly. But how and when do we use it? Find out in this episode.

Transcript

Neil
Welcome to The English We Speak, with me, Neil.

Feifei
And me, Feifei.

Neil
We have an expression which means ‘say a person or thing’s name to praise or thank them publicly’ – it’s ‘shout-out’.

Feifei
‘Shout-out’. What’s the context, Neil?

Neil
Well, I’ve had a really tough year, but I want to give a shout-out to my parents for all the support they’ve given me with my new home. It means I’m praising them publicly.

Feifei
That’s a great example of a shout-out. It’s a way of saying ‘thank you’ to someone. Your parents deserve your thanks for being amazing when they helped you decorate your house.

Neil
Last week I called up my local radio station to give a shout-out to the people in my local area who helped me to repair my garden fence.

Feifei
Yes. I know your fence got damaged in the storm. Did you neighbours help you with it?

Neil
Yes, which is why I gave them a shout-out. Let’s hear some more examples.

Examples
My teacher gave me a shout-out in the classroom because I got a high mark in the exam.

I want to give a shout-out to the volunteers who raised over £1,000 for the children’s charity. We will use the money to take the children on a day out in London.

My uncle gave a big shout-out on the radio to the doctor who saved my aunt’s life when she choked on her food in the restaurant.

Feifei
You’re listening to The English We Speak from BBC Learning English, and we are learning ‘shout-out’, which means ‘mention a person’s name to express praise or thank them’.

Neil
Yes, and I said earlier that it’s commonly done publicly – or in front a group of people.

Feifei
It’s often used in award ceremonies. People mention someone’s name to give thanks for helping them win an award.

Neil
Exactly. We often we often say, ‘a big shout-out’, and it’s used with the verb ‘give’ – ‘give a shout-out’.

Feifei
I hope you’ve learned how to use shout-out today. See you next time!

Neil
Bye!