2023-12-18 I don’t buy it – The English We Speak

Introduction

Some things are just really hard to believe. Here’s an expression you can use to say ‘I don’t believe you’

Transcript

Phil
Welcome to The English We Speak, with me Phil…

Feifei
And me, Feifei.

Phil
We have an expression that you can use if you just don’t believe someone – it’s ‘I don’t buy it’.

Feifei
‘I don’t buy it’. Tell us a bit more – it’s not connected to shopping, is it?

Phil
No, it’s not connected to shopping. Beth told me she can juggle with five balls – and I just don’t buy it – I’ve never seen her practising. It can’t be true!

Feifei
And you told me you can play me the trumpet, but I’ve never seen or heard you do it – I don’t buy it.

Phil
Did I really say that? I’d forgotten. I said the same thing to my brother and he definitely didn’t buy it – he knows I have no musical talent at all.

Feifei
Clearly. Let’s listen to these examples.

Examples
You’re saying it was an accident? Sorry, I don’t buy it.

She said her broken computer stopped her doing the assignment, but her tutor just didn’t buy it.

He said he was working late, but I don’t buy that story!

Feifei
You’re listening to The English We Speak from BBC Learning English, and we’re learning the expression ‘I don’t buy it’. We use it to say that we don’t believe something.

Phil
It’s quite informal but you’ll hear it a lot in speech.

Feifei
Yes. We can also use it to talk about buying someone’s story or explanation – if you buy a story – you believe it.

Phil
But, as in the examples, it’s much more common to use it in the negative and say that you don’t buy something. Feifei, I did explain why I didn’t get you a birthday present, didn’t I?

Feifei
You did, but I don’t buy that story. I’ll give you until tomorrow to find something! See you then.

Phil
Bye!