Have you ever used a shoehorn to squeeze your foot somewhere it doesn’t quite fit? Learn a related expression here
Feifei
Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, where we explain phrases used by fluent English speakers so that you can use them, too! I’m Feifei, and I’m joined by Georgie.
Georgie
Hi Feifei! How are you?
Feifei
Very well, thank you. How are you, Georgie?
Georgie
I’m pretty good thank you, too. Feifei, I’ve actually been reading a book lately and I was really enjoying it, but towards the end, the author just shoehorned in a random side plot that didn’t really make sense with the rest of the story – it was quite disappointing.
Feifei
Oh no, what a shame! Now, you just used the phrase ‘shoehorn something in’, and that’s what we’re learning in this programme. It’s a verb with a couple of meanings, but I think it’ll help our listeners if we explain what the noun ‘shoehorn’ means first.
Georgie
OK, I can do that. A shoehorn is a piece of curved material like plastic or metal that we put in the back of a shoe to help our foot slide into the shoe more easily.
Feifei
Right. So you could say that it helps to squeeze your foot into a small or tight space. So the verb ‘shoehorn something in’ means you force something to be included somewhere it doesn’t quite fit.
Georgie
Yes, so Feifei, if you remember my example at the beginning about the author shoehorning a random plot into the story… That’s about forcing ideas and concepts somewhere they don’t belong. Let’s hear more examples.
Examples
I used to love using this app, but now they’ve shoehorned in loads of features and it’s just too complicated.
My friend recently started her own business, and now she just shoehorns it into every conversation we have. It’s so annoying!
I really want to mention my website in the speech but I’m not sure I’ve got enough time… I’ll just have to shoehorn it in at the end.
Feife
So, metaphorically speaking, it can be about including ideas in places they don’t belong. But, it can also be about physical space – fitting larger things in a smaller space. A bit like shoehorning your foot into a shoe.
Georgie
That’s right. So, for example, last night I was really surprised that the restaurant was able to shoehorn so many customers in such a small space. OK, let’s recap.
Feifei
We learned ‘shoehorn something in’ which means to force something to be included somewhere it doesn’t quite fit or belong.
Georgie
Remember to check out our website: bbclearningenglish.com for more resources to help you improve your English. Thanks for joining us. Bye!
Feifei
Bye!
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