Frasier: After the Spelling Bee

A spelling bee is a competition where children (or occasionally adults) take turns spelling until one of them misses a word and is eliminated.

In this clip from Frasier, Frasier's son Frederick won the spelling bee trophy, but the judges instead gave it to his rival, Warren, because Frasier was mouthing the spelling letters along with Frederick and the judges thought they had cheated.



Freddie: I can outspell you anytime, anyplace/

Warren: Oh, yeah? How about right now?

Warren's dad, John: A...an... Hold on, son. We don't have to prove anything.

Freddie: I can take you in five words.

Warren: Okay, you're on! For the trophy!

Warren's dad: Wai...wait... We already have the trophy. Crane, why don't you talk some sense into your boy there?

Frasier: Freddie

Freddie: Dad. I wanna spell.

Frasier: What's the matter, John. You scared?

John: For the trophy.

Tournament official: We have already selected an official winner. If you would like to brawl, take it someplace else.

John: Let's take it outside!

Frasier: To the street! [Group moves outside] Sudden death. Scripps-Howard rules.

John: Bring it on.

Niles: People! Stop, please! Look at yourselves! This is wrong. What are words, after all, but a way to communicate? To bring us together? But you! You're using them as weapons! Now we still have an opportunity to walk away from here as winners. And wouldn't that be the greatest "spellabration" of all?

Frasier: He's right, son. Let's go home.

John: Yeah. We're all winners. 'Cept for the two cheaters.

Warren: Hey, you know how to spell 'loser'? C-R-A-N-E.

John: You don't have to worry about ever seeing him again, son. Chances are he'll end up at a state school.

Niles: How...DARE you? [to Freddie] Can you take him?

Freddie: Yeah.

Niles: Then spell his ass off!

****

Vocabulary/idioms

outspell: Spell better. The prefix "out" is often used to show that one person can do something better than another. Ex: Outdo, outclass, outrun, etc.

I can take you: I can beat you. I can win.

you're on: I accept the challenge. Usu. used for bets or competitions. One person challenges, the other agrees by saying, "You're on."

If you would like to brawl, take it someplace else: This expression was used a lot in Western movies when cowboys would start to fight in saloons/bars. It's humorous to hear it used for spelling.

talk some sense into: make him see reason, keep him from doing something bad. Ex.: My mom wants to give all her money to that preacher on TV. Can you talk some sense into her?

wanna: Want to. Common in spoken English.

Sudden death: A competition rule where the first person to miss is out. In sports, it means the first person/team to score wins.

Scripps-Howard rules: Scripps-Howard is the newspaper company that sponsors US spelling bees. Their rules are used for official spelling competitions.

Bring it on: A slang way of saying, "Let's see your best." Used mostly be younger people when one challenges another. Similar to "Show me what you've got." (Also the title of a movie about a cheerleading competition.)

Spellabration: A word Niles makes up combining "spell" and "celebration.

'Cept: Except. Used sometimes in spoken conversation.

Chances are he'll end up at a state school: For intellectual snobs like the Cranes, this is an insult. It implies that Freddie will not be smart enough to get into a high-level, private Ivy League school. (In reality in the US, many state-run schools are high-quality.)

Can you take him?: Can you beat him? Can you win?

spell his ass off!: (Vulgar -- not the kind of thing you say in front of your mother-in-law or your boss!) A slang expression that here means, "Beat him at spelling." In real life, "[verb] [someone's] ass off" is a crude way to describe things that require a lot of effort, or which one person thinks he/she can do better than another.
Ex: "My boss worked my ass off today" = "My boss made me work hard."
Or: "You think you can [verb] better than me? I can [verb] your ass off."

Frasier: Niles Learns to be a Good Parent

Let's go with Frasier again today, because Frasier is my favorite TV show. (Apologies about the ad in the beginning.)

In this clip, Niles carries a flour sack with him to learn about the responsibilities of being a parent. This is sometimes done in American schools to teach kids about the work involved with babies. It's an activity some schools use to try to prevent teenage pregnancy.



Frasier: Hello, Niles.

Niles: Hello Frasier.

Martin: What're you doing with that thing?

Niles: I'm forging a parent-child bond that will last forever.

Martin: That's a relief. I was afraid it might be something stupid.

Niles: If it makes you feel any better, I don't wear this in public. I just wanted to get a complete picture of parenthood.

Frasier: And...?

Niles: It's driving me batty. Oh, the feedings every two hours, the constant monitoring where he is... I can see how parents can be obsessed with worry. Last night, I actually had a dream my flour sack was abducted and the kidnappers started sending me muffins in the mail. Well, on the plus side, I've learned a lot. I think if I ever am to go through the real thing, I'll make quite a wonderful parent.

Frasier: Niles, what has happened to your child?

Niles: I was practicing my tai chi exercises this morning and I accidentally kicked him into the reflecting pool. That's when I brought him inside and left him by the hearth to dry.

Frasier: He caught on fire?

Niles: It was not as careless as you make it seem. After all, a real child would have cried before it burst into flames.



VOCABULARY/IDIOMS

What're: What are

bond: A connection between people. "Bonding" is often used lightly/humorously. "Rick and Mike went camping to do some male bonding."

in public: Out of the house, around other people. Opposite of "in private" which means "at home."

driving me batty: Making me feel crazy. "Batty" is slightly old-fashioned. Most people would say, "It's driving me crazy," "It's driving me insane." Maybe "It's driving me nuts."

on the plus side: a good thing, a positive thing. Can also say, "On the positive side." Usage Example: "On the plus side, I made five dollars. On the minus side, the bus fare cost six."

tai chi A Chinese martial art.

reflecting pool A calm, shallow pool. In a home it is usually a sign of wealth. The writers use the combination of tai chi and a home with a reflecting pool to show that Niles is wealthy and a bit pretentious.

Questions? Videos you'd like to see translated? (Best length is 1-5 minutes.) Email me at VideoEnglishTeacher@gmail.com

Frasier

Frasier: I am NOT leaving!

[AFTER HE LEFT]

Martin: What're you still doing with that? I thought you were gonna return it.

Frasier: They wouldn't take it back. All I got was attitude and a cheap glass of wine. Loire Valley my ass.

Martin: What are you gonna do now?

Frasier: Well, they forced my hand. I'm gonna call the police.

Martin: Five-five-five Three-thousand.

Frasier: Thanks, dad. Try to mess with Dr. Frasier Crane, I'll teach them. [Into phone] Hello, yes, uh... Oh, just a second. Dad, who do I ask for?

Martin: Have 'em put you through to the Fine Arts Forgery Department.

Frasier: Right. [Into phone.] Hello, yes, uh, the Fine Arts Forgery Department, please. [To Martin] Dad, they're laughing at me.

****

VOCAB NOTES:

What're: "What are." Very common in spoken English, not in formal writing.

What're you still doing with that: Why do you still have that?

gonna: "Going to." Very common in spoken English.

attitude: idiom, short for "bad attitude," in this case poor service at a store. Usage Example: Mom to teen: "Don't give me attitude!"

my ass: Vulgar. "That's not how it really is." Often used at the end of a phrase when something is the opposite of what it claims to be. Here he's saying that the store was lying about the wine being from the Loire Valley. (Don't use this phrase in front of your mother-in-law.)

forced my hand: idiom that comes from the card game poker. It means he was forced to act.

Five-five-five Three-thousand: In the US, phone numbers are stated with either 7 or 10 digits. If 7, the first three are usually divided from the last four. If ten, the first three are the Area Code, and the number is divided 3-3-4. (Two-oh-six, five-five-five, three-thousand.) In TV shows, most numbers start with 555 because the prefix is not used in real phone systems.

mess with: idiom for bother, annoy, make angry

I'll teach them: idiom, a threat shortened from "I'll teach them not to do that."

just a second: idiom used when asking someone to wait. "Just a minute" is also used frequently. It is used for any short period of time -- not for a literal minute or second. Sometimes you'll hear "sec" for second: "Just a sec," or an even shorter/quicker "Jus' sec."

'em: Them. Common in spoken English.