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Colin Quinn Turned Down "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson" | CONAN on TBS

Video vocabulary

big

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US / bɪɡ /

UK / bɪɡ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Popular
  • Serious
  • Large

person

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US / 'pɜ:sn /

UK / 'pɜ:rsn /

A1
  • noun
  • Man, woman or child

the

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US / ðə /

UK / ðə /

A1
  • article
  • Used to refer to something already mentioned
  • Used to show there is only one of something
  • determiner
  • Used to describe all of a family

love

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US / lʌv /

UK / lʌv /

A1
  • noun
  • Person's name
  • A very strong feeling of affection
  • The person you care very deeply about
  • Strong, deep emotional and sexual attraction
  • verb
  • To care for and like someone very strongly, deeply
  • To like doing very much; enjoy greatly
  • To feel a strong emotional and romantic attraction

phone

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US / fəʊn /

UK / foʊn /

A2
  • noun
  • Machine used to talk to someone who is far away
  • verb
  • To talk to someone using a telephone

turn

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US / tɜ:n /

UK / tɚn /

A1
  • noun
  • Place where changing of direction happens
  • Your time or chance to perform a duty
  • Your chance to play or do in say a game
  • Unexpected change, as in the weather
  • verb
  • To become (a particular age)
  • To become a different quality, color, etc.
  • To change the direction of something, e.g. a car
  • To move in an opposite direction or position
  • To shape metal with a spinning tool

one

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US / wʌn /

UK / wʌn /

A1
  • pronoun
  • You; we; people in general; someone
  • The thing or person previously referred to
  • adjecitve
  • Used to refer to people generally
  • Being a strong example of (something mentioned)
  • number
  • Number 1

than

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US / ðən /

UK / ðən /

A1
  • conjunction
  • Used to compare two things that are not equal

kind

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US / kaɪnd /

UK / kaɪnd /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • In a caring and helpful manner
  • friendly and considerate
  • noun
  • One type of thing

you

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US / jʊ /

UK / ju /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Person someone is speaking or writing to
  • Person or people in general

ready

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US / 'redɪ /

UK / ˈrɛdi /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being likely or about to do something
  • Being willing to do a task
  • verb
  • To prepare something for use or action

this

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US / ðɪs /

UK / ðɪs /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Used to indicate something already been discussed
  • Used to indicate something happening around now
  • adverb
  • An indication by a physical motion or gesture
  • A specific amount of
  • determiner
  • Person, thing, or idea near you
  • pronoun
  • Person, thing that has already been discussed

never

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US / 'nevə(r) /

UK / ˈnɛvɚ /

A1
  • adverb
  • Not ever; not at any time

for

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US / fə(r) /

UK / fɔr,fə /

A1
  • preposition
  • Used to show the purpose, or need of something

kill

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US / kɪl /

UK / kɪl /

A1
  • noun
  • Animal killed by a person or other animal
  • verb
  • To cause someone to experience a lot of pain
  • To end the life of a person or other living thing
  • To be very funny
  • To prevent something from continuing or operating
  • To do something unimportant to pass time quickly

such

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US / sʌtʃ /

UK / sʌtʃ /

A1
  • determiner
  • Being similar to
  • (Thing) as previously stated or referred to
  • adverb
  • (Used to emphasize the quality of an adjective)

career

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US / kə'rɪə(r) /

UK / kəˈrɪr /

A2
  • noun
  • Particular occupation in professional life
  • verb
  • To move forward very fast and without control

just

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US / dʒʌst /

UK / dʒʌst /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Proper or appropriate; as is deserved
  • Doing or being what is right or fair
  • Legally correct; having enough evidence
  • adverb
  • Almost; nearly
  • Exactly at the time of
  • Exactly (the same as, like)

talk

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US / tɔ:k /

UK / tɔk /

A1
  • noun
  • Style of speaking
  • Discussion between two countries
  • Giving information in front of people; lecture
  • Saying things or ideas to someone with words
  • verb
  • To make a formal speech about something
  • To say things or ideas to someone with words

laugh

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US / lɑ:f /

UK / læf, lɑf /

A1
  • noun
  • Happy noise you make when something is funny
  • verb
  • To make a happy sound when something is funny

ask

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US / ɑ:sk /

UK / æsk /

A1
  • verb
  • To say to someone that you want something

grow

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US / ɡrəʊ /

UK / ɡro /

A1
  • verb
  • To get bigger and more mature; make plants do this
  • To improve; to develop better skills over time
  • To develop and become bigger or taller over time

start

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US / stɑ:t /

UK / stɑrt /

A1
  • noun
  • First time or place that a thing exists; beginning
  • First opportunity to achieve something, e.g. a job
  • Sudden action or movement because you are scared
  • other
  • Beginning of something in place or time
  • verb
  • To do, be or happen for the first time; begin
  • To turn something on

well

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US / wel /

UK / wɛl /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being in a fortunate, good condition or state
  • Healthy and in good condition
  • adverb
  • In an acceptable, proper, or successful manner
  • In a complete, total, or full manner
  • A great and considerable degree
  • In a successful way, in a good or satisfactory way
  • exclamation
  • Used to begin or continue a particular statement
  • Used to show you want to start saying something
  • Used to express that you are waiting for a reply
  • You say this to change the topic of a conversation
  • Used to indicate you are making a final remark
  • noun
  • Long deep hole in the ground to get water
  • verb
  • To cause your eyes to fill with tears

though

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US / ðəu /

UK / ðo /

A1
  • adverb
  • Although, despite the fact that

nah

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US / nɑ: /

UK / nɑ: /

B2
  • noun
  • Way of saying 'No'

can

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US / kæn /

UK / kən,kæn /

A1
  • noun
  • A metal container for storing food
  • other
  • Able to; have the skill to; have the time to
  • verb
  • To have permission to
  • To be possible to do
  • To preserve food by sealing it in a metal container

standup

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US / ˈstændʌp /

UK / ˈstænˌdʌp /

C2
  • adjecitve
  • (Of comedian) standing to deliver jokes

colin

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US / ˌkɒlɪn /

UK / ˈkolɪn /

A1

deal

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US / di:l /

UK / dil /

A1
  • verb
  • To cope with something - usually troubles
  • To give (something bad e.g. news) to
  • To buy and sell illegal drugs
  • To give out (cards, etc.) to; distribute
  • To do business with someone or to sell products

not

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US / nɒt /

UK / nɑt /

A1
  • adverb
  • Word indicating the negative
  • (Used to form the negative of verbs)

but

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US / bət /

UK / bʌt,bət /

A1
  • conjunction
  • Used before you say something different, opposite

life

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US / laɪf /

UK / laɪf /

A1
  • noun
  • All the living things e.g. animals, plants, humans
  • Period of time things live, from birth to death

see

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US / si: /

UK / si /

A1
  • verb
  • To go on a date with someone
  • To predict whether something is, or will be true
  • To understand what someone says
  • To use your eyes to look at something
  • To visit a place often for sightseeing or pleasure
  • To visit or meet with someone
  • To find out by waiting or looking
  • To watch (a game, movie or TV show)

young

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US / jʌŋ /

UK / jʌŋ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • At an early stage of existence; not mature
  • Being recently created or started
  • noun
  • Babies in a group or family of animals

hear

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US / hɪə(r) /

UK / hɪr /

A1
  • verb
  • To be aware of sound; to perceive with the ear
  • To be told or find out information or facts
  • To consider or listen to a court case

notice

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US / 'nəʊtɪs /

UK / ˈnotɪs /

A1
  • noun
  • Time by when you must leave, e.g. if you are fired
  • Paper with an announcement, e.g. pinned to a board
  • verb
  • To become aware by sight, touch, or hearing

could

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US / kəd /

UK / kʊd /

A1
  • other
  • Past form of 'can' to mean have ability
  • Used to ask for something politely, or to offer

know

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US / nəʊ /

UK / noʊ /

A1
  • verb
  • To be familiar with a person or place, thing
  • To feel sure or be convinced about something
  • To discover or be aware of something
  • To be able to distinguish
  • To have knowledge of things

with

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US / wɪð /

UK / wɪð, wɪθ /

A1
  • preposition
  • As an employee of a certain company
  • Against something or someone
  • By using something as a means
  • Due to; because of
  • Including
  • Possessing as a feature
  • Related to
  • (Of the manner/attitude by which you do something)
  • Used to express that people or things are together

have

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US / həv /

UK / hæv /

A1
  • verb
  • To drink, smoke, eat or use something
  • To experience the effects of something
  • To organize an event, or join in an activity
  • To own, possess, or hold something
  • To cause to happen or produce a particular effect

tonight

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US / təˈnaɪt /

UK / təˈnaɪt /

A1
  • adverb
  • Night following this day
  • noun
  • This evening; the night of today

remember

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US / rɪ'membə(r) /

UK / rɪˈmɛmbɚ /

A1
  • verb
  • To give someone a gift, e.g. birthday, wedding
  • To hold a thought in your mind to not forget it
  • To bring a previous image or idea to your mind

something

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US / ˈsʌmθɪŋ /

UK / ˈsʌmθɪŋ /

A1
  • adverb
  • In some degree or measure
  • noun
  • a person or thing of some value or consequence
  • pronoun
  • Thing that is not yet known or named
  • Approximately

anybody

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US / ˈenibɒdi /

UK / ˈenibʌdi /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Any person; anyone

come

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US / kʌm /

UK / kʌm /

A1
  • verb
  • To arrive at a place
  • (Of mail) to be delivered
  • To move toward someone; go with someone
  • To reach a certain point or state

think

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US / θɪŋk /

UK / θɪŋk /

A1
  • verb
  • To have an idea about something without certainty
  • To have an idea, opinion or belief about something

and

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US / ənd /

UK / ənd, ən,ænd /

A1
  • conjunction
  • Used to refer to two or more things
  • Plus; in addition; on top of that
  • Used to introduce an action that follows another

grandeur

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US / ˈgrændʒə(r) /

UK / ˈɡrændʒɚ, -ˌdʒʊr /

C1
  • noun
  • Impressive size, scale or beauty

guy

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US / ɡaɪ /

UK / ɡaɪ /

A1
  • noun
  • Man; boy; any person

lot

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US / lɒt /

UK / lɑt /

A1
  • noun
  • What happens to a person in life from chance; fate
  • A group of people seen together
  • Item for sale at an auction
  • Small area of land used for a purpose e.g. parking

booker

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US / 'bʊkə /

UK / 'bʊkə /

A1
  • other
  • Someone who engages a person or company for performances

comic

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US / ˈkɒmɪk /

UK / ˈkɑ:mɪk /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Funny; that makes you laugh
  • noun
  • Person who stands on a stage and tells jokes
  • Amusing story told in a series of pictures

tell

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US / tel /

UK / tɛl /

A1
  • verb
  • To (strongly) advise a person to do something
  • To be able to guess
  • To say or communicate information to someone
  • To inform, but without speaking; indicate
  • To have a negative effect on someone
  • To order someone to do something; command
  • To recognize something based on certain signs
  • To report something to an authority
  • To explain something or teach someone something

enough

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US / ɪˈnʌf /

UK / ɪˈnʌf /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Sufficient to answer the need
  • adverb
  • To a satisfactory degree
  • pronoun
  • Equal to what is needed; as much as required
  • Adequate number or amount

mean

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US / mi:n /

UK / min /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being good at
  • Nasty; unkind
  • Not liking to spend money; cheap; stingy
  • noun
  • Average of a set of numbers
  • verb
  • To express a particular idea or thought
  • To intend to do something in particular
  • To have a particular meaning or value

offer

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US / 'ɒfə(r) /

UK / ˈɔfɚ, ˈɑfɚ /

A1
  • noun
  • Price you say you are willing to pay for something
  • Act of making a thing available to be accepted
  • verb
  • To suggest a price you are willing to pay
  • To give the opportunity to accept something
  • To say you are willing to do something
  • To give or say something as an act of worship

watch

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US / wɒtʃ /

UK / wɑtʃ /

A1
  • noun
  • Period of time someone is responsible for guarding
  • Device you wear on your wrist that shows the time
  • Official warning statement, e.g. of bad weather
  • verb
  • To keep in check, manage, or control something
  • To look at something for entertainment, e.g. TV
  • To guard a place or people; protect child, etc.
  • To look at carefully to work out what is happening
  • To protect and care for someone or something

even

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US / 'i:vn /

UK / ˈivən /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being equal in influence, power, possibility etc.
  • Being divided equally or fairly
  • (Of teams/contest) with similar chances of success
  • Smooth, level, or regular
  • Can be divided by 2; ending in 2, 4, 6, 8, or 0
  • At a regular, equally steady manner
  • Remaining steady and unchanging
  • adverb
  • (When this is surprising) as well; too
  • (Used to compare two things/stress the difference)
  • verb
  • To make something level; to flatten
  • To make something equal

like

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US / laɪk /

UK / laɪk /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being equal in status or kind to something else
  • Similar; the same
  • adverb
  • For example
  • preposition
  • Used as a filler; used to ad emphasis
  • In a way similar to the way something is done
  • Such as; for example
  • verb
  • To want to
  • To find something pleasing; to prefer something

people

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US / 'pi:pl /

UK / ˈpipəl /

A1
  • noun
  • Persons sharing culture, country, background, etc.
  • Men, Women, Children

what

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US / wɒt /

UK / hwɑt, hwʌt, wɔt, wʌt,hwət, wət /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Thing or things that; the same kind as
  • Used to emphasize something you are about to say
  • adjecitve
  • Used to refer to a particular amount, or number
  • Used to place emphasis on a particular quality
  • adverb
  • To a certain degree
  • determiner
  • Question words used for asking for information
  • exclamation
  • Used to express excitement, shock, or surprise
  • Used to ask people to repeat something they said

that

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US / ðæt /

UK / ðæt, ðət /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • The person or thing being talked about
  • Used to identify something both the speakers know
  • adverb
  • Used to reinforce adjectives and adverbs
  • To such a degree
  • conjunction
  • Used to connect a noun clause
  • Used to introduce an adverbial clause
  • Used to introduce a noun clause
  • determiner
  • Used as a noun to refer to something
  • pronoun
  • Referring an object far away
  • Used to refer to the relative pronoun ‘which’

hard

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US / hɑ:d /

UK / hɑː(r)d /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Difficult to do; difficult to understand
  • (Of facts) not able to be misunderstood; clear
  • (Of alcohol) strong
  • Involving or requiring lots of work, effort, care
  • Being full of pain, trouble, and problems
  • Strong
  • (Of edge) clear; sharp
  • Difficult to bend, break or cut; solid
  • adverb
  • With lots of force, power, or impact

medium

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US / 'mi:dɪəm /

UK / ˈmidiəm /

A2
  • noun
  • Method of expressing ideas or feelings
  • Something available in a middle size or condition
  • Person who claims to communicate with the dead

refuse

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US / rɪ'fju:z /

UK / ˈrefjus /

A2
  • noun
  • Garbage, waste
  • verb
  • To not accept, allow, or give something

right

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US / raɪt /

UK / raɪt /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Correct or true
  • The south side of you looking at the rising sun
  • adverb
  • Exactly in a place or time
  • Being appropriate for a particular event
  • In a straight or direct manner
  • noun
  • Something you are legally or morally allowed to do
  • Ideal of what is just and good
  • Political view based on conservatism
  • verb
  • To fix something previously wrong or unjust
  • To make upright, as a boat that has turned over

down

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US / daʊn /

UK / daʊn /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being sad, sick, or unhappy
  • Not operating, working, or functioning as expected
  • adverb
  • In a sitting or lying position
  • Towards or on the ground, floor, or bottom
  • Written or copied onto a piece of paper or book
  • noun
  • A period of play in American Football
  • The soft, smooth hairs that cover a bird's body
  • preposition
  • Along something's path, course, or direction
  • Going from a higher position to a lower position
  • verb
  • To eat or drink very quickly and without stopping

then

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US / ðen /

UK / ðɛn /

A1
  • adverb
  • A time that is not now
  • Following another thing in time or arrangement
  • Following on reasonably from what was just stated
  • At that time, not now

yeah

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US / jeə /

UK / ˈjɛə, ˈjæə, jɛ- /

A1
  • exclamation
  • Another way of saying 'yes'

will

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US / wɪl /

UK / wɪl /

A1
  • noun
  • Desire or choice of someone
  • Document saying who gets your money when you die
  • Strong desire to do something; determination
  • Desire to do something; strong wish to do
  • other
  • Used with verbs to express the future
  • verb
  • To leave property to someone after your death
  • To use mental effort to make something happen
  • Am (is, are) likely to do
  • To influence someone to do something
  • To make something happen by strongly wanting it

age

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US / eɪdʒ /

UK / edʒ /

A1
  • verb
  • To keep food, wine for a long time to improve it
  • To get older
  • noun
  • Period of time in history
  • Number of years a person or thing has lived

feel

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US / fi:l /

UK / fil /

A1
  • verb
  • To be aware of or experience an emotion, sensation
  • To sense through direct contact; touch

slot

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US / slɒt /

UK / slɑ:t /

B1
  • noun
  • A long narrow opening to put a coin, etc. in
  • verb
  • To put something in a small narrow opening

explain

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US / ɪk'spleɪn /

UK / ɪkˈsplen /

A1
  • verb
  • To make clear or easy to understand by describing

act

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US / ækt /

UK / ækt /

A1
  • noun
  • What someone did; action; behavior
  • A law or rule passed by a government we must obey
  • One of the parts that a stage play is divided into
  • verb
  • To behave in a certain way
  • To perform on a stage or in a movie

believe

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US / bɪ'li:v /

UK / bɪˈliv /

A1
  • verb
  • To think or accept that something is true
  • To have a particular opinion about something

look

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US / lʊk /

UK / lʊk /

A1
  • noun
  • Person's beauty or physical attractiveness
  • Particular style of dress, clothes, or appearance
  • The way someone, something appears to be
  • Act of searching for or examining something
  • verb
  • To appear to be; seem

thank

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US / θæŋk /

UK / θæŋk /

A1
  • verb
  • To tell someone you are grateful to them

they

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US / ðeɪ /

UK / ðe /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Two or more people, animals, or things

america

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US / ə'merɪkə /

UK / əˈmɛrɪkə /

A1
  • noun
  • The United States of America; North America and/or South America

all

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US / ɔ:l /

UK / ɔl /

A1
  • adverb
  • Completely; totally
  • determiner
  • Being every one of something
  • pronoun
  • 100% of something; the complete amount

who

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US / hu: /

UK / hu /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Which person
  • Used to introduce information about people

delusion

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US / dɪˈlu:ʒn /

UK / dɪˈluʒən /

B2
  • noun
  • False belief despite evidence to the contrary

change

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US / tʃeɪndʒ /

UK / tʃendʒ /

A1
  • noun
  • Exchange of one set of clothes for another
  • Money in the form of coins instead of paper
  • Money returned after giving too much
  • Act of making or becoming something else
  • verb
  • To exchange one set of clothes for another
  • To exchange one kind of money for another
  • To replace something with another thing
  • To make or become something else
  • To go from one train, bus, etc. and go to another

show

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US / ʃəʊ /

UK / ʃo /

A1
  • noun
  • False display of love, emotion or action
  • An event for displaying or promoting goods
  • Play, opera or theater production
  • Presentation that is broadcast on TV or radio
  • verb
  • To be easily seen or displayed
  • To display your emotions or feelings
  • To let someone see something; display
  • To explain or teach how something is done
  • To lead someone somewhere; point them to something
  • To prove something to be true, correct
  • To reveal or allow something to be seen

figure

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US / ˈfiɡə /

UK / ˈfɪɡjɚ /

A1
  • noun
  • Your body shape
  • Numbers in a calculation
  • Doll-like thing meant to represent a person
  • Picture or diagram giving information in a text
  • Person who is very important or famous
  • Shape of a person seen indistinctly or in outline
  • Amount that is expressed in numbers
  • verb
  • To appear in a game, play or event
  • To calculate how much something will cost
  • To understand after thinking; work out
  • Subtitles section
  • It's hard to explain to young people today, but in the late 1980s, there was no bigger deal for a standup comic than to be offered a slot on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show.
  • It was, it overnight changed careers.
  • You were doing well enough that the booker for the Tonight Show saw you and said, Johnny's gonna love this guy and offered you a slot on the Tonight Show to which you said.
  • I said, no, thank you.
  • People Were killing for that.
  • What were you thinking?
  • I mean, you know, this, I have a lot of delusions of grandeur, but one of the things I was thinking was like, I'm not changing my act to go on the Tonight Show.
  • Because remember, even though people loved it, there was something, I grew up watching Pryor and Carlin.
  • So even though they went on the Tonight Show, they kind of looked down on us.
  • So I didn't notice that I wasn't Pryor or Carlin.
  • Right.
  • And so I figured, he told me, you just can't, you know, you can't curse on there.
  • Go forget it then.
  • So they said, just, Carlin, you can come on the show.
  • It's gonna change your life overnight.
  • You'll be one of the biggest comics in America at such a young age.
  • All we ask is that you don't curse and you refused.
  • Yeah, I said, nah, that's all right then.
  • You know, I don't need to, you know what I mean?
  • I didn't need, that wasn't gonna be on my medium.
  • It was not gonna be there.
  • That's what I felt.
  • Tell me with this, when the booker for the Tonight Show, who's never heard anybody turn them down, had you on the phone.
  • No, this was in person.
  • What's this?
  • In person.
  • Yeah, it was in person.
  • You were talking to the booker of the Tonight Show in person.
  • At the improv in LA, yeah.
  • And they come up to you and they say, okay, Colin, we think you're ready.
  • And you say, no.
  • What did they say?
  • He started laughing.
  • He couldn't believe it.
  • He couldn't believe it.
  • He just started laughing.
  • He goes, what, what?
  • He was just laughing at me.