Play My Cards Right 일을 잘 처리하다 On the Spot 즉석에서 Come out Ahead 결국 이득을 보다 (0917 파워 잉글리쉬 스크립트)
Power Warm-up: I Got Bumped from My Flight!: Part 3
Maxwell explains to Kayla that she is entitled to an instant refund if she is involuntarily bumped from her flight. When he explains how much she can get, she is pretty excited about it.
Cameron:
Welcome to the show, everybody.
Kristen:
Hi everyone, welcome, I’m Kristen Cho.
Cameron:
And I’m Cameron word.
Kristen:
I just would like to remind you to get ready for the textbook that is soon coming out for next month already.
Cameron:
Right, we’re in the middle of the month now.
Kristen:
Past.
Cameron:
Right, a little bit past the middle of the month, but it’ll soon be the end.
Kristen:
So I want to let everybody know that you can follow me on Instagram @thekristencho. And send me a DM and I will get you a free book.
Cameron:
Yeah, there’s a limit though, a number.
Kristen:
So do it right away. And not many people know this, but I actually write the address and go to the post office. And do it all by myself.
Cameron:
You don’t have an assistant.
Kristen:
I do not.
Cameron:
You’re doing yourself. So if you want to see how Kristen writes, you want to see her penmanship…
Kristen:
If you want to see my 초등학교 한글 (elementary school Korean), then you can apply.
Cameron:
Oh, well, it’s better than mine for sure.
Power Expressions
Kristen:
Alright. So just want to remind you that we do have a PE textbook. Okay. It is Travel Tuesday and you got bumped from your flight. That’s what this whole month is about, getting bumped from your flight. And so basically, you know, Kayla, Maxwell says, you know, you should get like an instant refund. When you get bumped, what is the company, what is the airline going to do for you?
Cameron:
Right. It depends on the country and it depends on the airline. So, I think by law, for example, certain places in Europe and I believe Korea as well, you get a lot more benefits than maybe in America with American airlines. You kind of have to fight for your rights.
Kristen:
Fight for your rights. Okay, here are the expressions that we’re going to cover. Play one’s cards right. So it’s like, obviously, it seems like you’re playing cards here.
Cameron:
Right. I mean, you could be playing cards, but it means to use what you have well to get a good result. So using good judgment, being able to look at a situation and do the right thing.
Kristen:
Okay. How about if you do something on the spot?
Cameron:
At that exact location.
Kristen:
And if you come out ahead,
Cameron:
You have a little bit of an advantage. You’re doing a little bit better than you were before.
Kristen:
Okay, very good. Let’s go ahead and listen to our power dialogue.
Power Dialog
Maxwell: According to the government website explaining the recent changes to the consumer protection law, the airline has to give you a refund.
Kayla: How long will that take?
Maxwell: If you play your cards right, they’ll give you cash immediately.
Kayla: On the spot? That’s amazing. How much will they give me?
Maxwell: If the delay is longer than four hours, they must give you up to four times the price of a one-way ticket or $1,350, whichever is smaller.
Kayla: Are you serious? I’m definitely going to come out ahead.
Kristen:
We’re on page 86. You can follow along with our power dialog. Maxwell says, according to the government website explaining the recent changes to the consumer protection law, the airline has to give you a refund. So, it seems Maxwell knows a little bit about this consumer protection law. What is consumer?
Cameron:
So consumer, in Korean, you might say something like 소비자. But, you know, it’s really just used as a way to say normal people when you’re talking about a business type of topic. So anyone that buys anything is a consumer.
Kristen:
That’s right. So anyone who pays for your services or buy something you are consuming. Yes That thing whatever it is.
Cameron:
Right.
Kristen:
So according to the consumer protection law, because we do have laws that protect the consumer. Okay. The airline has to give you a refund. 환불을 줘야돼요. Okay. But let’s see what happens. And Kayla says, how long will that take?
Cameron:
Maxwell answers with, if you play your cards right, they’ll give you cash immediately.
Kristen:
Wow, cash immediately? But first, you have to play your cards right. What does this mean?
Cameron:
So if anybody has played a card game, or maybe not traditional cards like the Western idea of cards, but even something like certain games with 화투 or like 마장, you can have the same cards, but the order that you play them in can give you a different result. Like some people, for example, like 마장 that know how to play it well, they know when to play the card and when not to. Or like in the correct order to get like all the points. And other people like me, I wouldn’t do it. So even if it was the same hand, if you know what to do, you can get a much better result. In the same way, Maxwell is saying you have this condition. You are allowed to get a refund. However, you have to do the correct things to get a better result. And this better result is getting the cash immediately instead of having to wait longer.
Kristen:
Right. So think of maybe you can imagine like you’re in a card game. You’re playing a card game and you got to play the game right. That’s basically what he’s doing.
Cameron:
You’ve got to use the right strategy.
Kristen:
Yes, that’s right. And then you can get the cash immediately. And Kayla says,
Cameron:
On the spot? That’s amazing! How much will they give me?
Kristen:
So, wow, when Maxwell says, they’ll give you cash immediately, Kayla’s like, on the spot? Okay, on the spot.
Cameron:
On the spot is a way of saying exactly right there, so it’s in person. Wherever you’re having the conversation, bam! you don’t have to go on to the computer, you don’t have to go to another location right there. So I’m assuming on the spot in this case would be something like you are about to get on the plane, they tell you I’m sorry you can’t get on the plane.
Kristen:
What?!
Cameron:
So they give you the money right there at the gate. In this case, that’s where on the spot would be.
Kristen:
Okay, very good. So say, for example, you go to a shop and they make your sweater on the spot. I don’t know, some piece of clothing right there. And then?
Cameron:
Yeah, you can watch them make it.
Kristen:
That’s it. On the spot. We’ll give you more examples in just a bit. Maxwell says if the delay is longer than four hours, they must give you up to four times the price of a one-way ticket or $1,350, whichever is smaller. I think this is very good to know. Good to know. So if there is a four hour delay, they give you four times the price. They’ve got to give you much more. So for every hour. And whichever is smaller. So whichever is, is our power pattern. How does this pattern work for this sentence here?
Cameron:
So this is a very common expression used in laws when you’re talking about like fines, money that you have to pay, or in this case, the things that a business must give a customer if they do something bad. So, the way that this works is first, they give two possible options. The first is four times the price of your ticket or $1,350. However, that could be different, right? So they say whichever is to say this is the one that will be given to you depending on the condition. So, in the condition here is they want the smaller one. So, whichever is smaller, they will give to you.
Kristen:
Okay.
Cameron:
So you give the first two possibilities and then you give the final condition that will decide which you’re going to receive.
Kristen:
So you could say whichever is larger, whichever is whatever. That’s your final condition.
Cameron:
Right. So, you could say something like, if you break an item in the store, it will cost the price of the item or $100, whichever is larger.
Kristen:
Larger.
Cameron:
Right? And that would mean if the item was $50, $100 is larger, so you’re going to have to pay the $100. Right?
Kristen:
Got it. And Kayla says, are you serious? I’m definitely going to come out ahead. So, if she says she’s going to come out ahead, what does she mean?
Cameron:
So this has a couple of different meanings depending on context, but the general meaning is that you are better off now than you were before. And in this case, since we’re talking about receiving money, she’s saying, oh, I spent a certain amount of money, but because the airline has to pay me, I might actually make some money. I might be in the green, have a positive amount of money left over because they had to pay me more. So that is what come out ahead means. I’m in a better position now than I was.
Kristen:
Yeah. It makes you feel like you’re kind of the winner. You’re kind of like, you have the advantage, the serious advantage over someone else.
Cameron:
Exactly.
Kristen:
Okay, let’s go ahead and read that dialogue one more time.
Power Dialog
Maxwell: According to the government website explaining the recent changes to the consumer protection law, the airline has to give you a refund.
Kayla: How long will that take?
Maxwell: If you play your cards right, they’ll give you cash immediately.
Kayla: On the spot? That’s amazing. How much will they give me?
Maxwell: If the delay is longer than four hours, they must give you up to four times the price of a one-way ticket or $1,350, whichever is smaller.
Kayla: Are you serious? I’m definitely going to come out ahead.
Power Note
1. play my cards right: 일을 잘 처리하다.
Kristen:
It’s time for Power Note. We’re on pages 88 and 89. If you play your cards right, it means to kind of take the appropriate steps to win.
Cameron:
Yes. Right. You’re in a certain situation. You have certain conditions. And if you do them correctly, if you use the right strategy, you will have a beneficial outcome.
Kristen:
Okay, very good.
1)
A: What did the manager say about my performance this year?
B: He told me that if you keep playing your cards right, you’ll get promoted soon.
Kristen:
So obviously this has nothing to do with cards. It’s just if you do the right thing, what you’re supposed to do, then you’ll get promotion. You’ll get a promotion.
2) If you play your cards right, I might take you backstage to meet the band.
Yeah. So what you do, we don’t know. I mean, it is we can just assume, OK, if you buy me dinner and if you do this and if you do that, then I might take you back to stage to meet the band.
Cameron:
Right. Honestly, I think for this one, it could be between friends, but this phrase, if you play your cards right, can sometimes be used in like a flirting little situation. So for example, let’s say a guy asks a girl out on a date, but she doesn’t want to just say yes. She’s like, oh, if you play your cards right, maybe I’ll go on a date with you.
Kristen:
Oh!
Cameron:
Like, oh, be nice to me. And like, oh, impress me. As just kind of like a playful way. You know how flirting is. You know.
Kristen:
That’s right. Right. So playing one’s cards right just means that if you do the right thing at the right time, then something can happen.
Cameron:
Right. And I just want to mention earlier, I talked about 마장. Yeah. In Korean, that would be 마작, right? 마작, right. But in English, we usually use the Chinese pronunciation, 마장. And so it can either be, it has an O in it, so you can either say 마종. Or if you are more less Asian influenced and more just like a, I don’t know, American type accent, that O might become an ah sound and you’d say 마장.
Kristen:
And I know because I used to play this computer, 마장, and I would spend hours, hours until my eyes got blurry matching those tiles.
Cameron:
I don’t know the rules, but I like to… I had someone who had a set of the tiles. I just like to mix them with my hands. It’s just fun to mix them.
2. On the spot: 즉석에서
Kristen:
Okay, on the spot means at once in that location.
1)
A: I heard Talia broke up with Tim.
B: Yeah, when she found out he cheated on her, she broke up with him on the spot.
Kristen:
Okay. In this context, it feels like it’s more like immediately.
Cameron:
Right, so maybe she saw them. And then she walks over, throws her drink in his face and leaves. That’s breaking up on the spot. It’s not like, oh, let’s go home and discuss this. It’s like you hear that information and immediately right there you are taking action.
Kristen:
That’s right. So oftentimes, if you’re given a situation and you don’t think twice, you just immediately take action or give an answer. I said yes on the spot, means that there was no delay. Absolutely. Okay.
2) The police officer made us pay our fine on the spot.
Cameron:
Oh gosh, you didn’t even get to pay it later. You had to pay it right then. I know. I don’t know how common that is, but maybe.
Kristen:
Yeah, it could happen. Maybe in certain countries. Oh, your fine is like $20, so please pay up right now.
Cameron:
Right?
Kristen:
Let’s give one more example with on the spot.
Cameron:
Let’s say you have a boat. In America, some people own boats. And they keep it in their driveway. Maybe someone is driving by and sees it. And then they go up to your door. Knock, knock, knock, knock. No, no, no. Oh, I saw that boat. It’s really nice. Are you interested in selling it? Mm-hmm, maybe 415,000 dollars? Okay let my write your cheque. And they immediately buy it. They’ll be buying the boat on the spot.
Cameron:
Like, it’s not like you looked at it, you contacted your bank, you did something later. You just immediately bought it when you saw it.
Kristen:
Yeah, right. So it is that feeling of like, it just happened. Like right there, right then.
Cameron:
Or, more commonly, let’s say you’re looking at houses and you walk into a house and you’re like, oh my gosh!
Kristen:
I love this house.
Cameron:
This is my dream house. And you immediately say, okay, I’ll buy this. Or, okay, I’ll sign the contract. On the spot. You’re signing it on the spot. There you go. Mm-hmm.
3. Come out ahead: 결국 이득을 보다.
Kristen:
Okay. Come out ahead means that you, in the end, you have an advantage. There’s something good happening.
Cameron:
You’re better off now than you were before.
1)
A: Did you make any money on the sale of your house?
B: Despite spending so much on renovations, we managed to come out ahead.
Kristen:
Okay, so here’s the situation. You are trying to sell your house. You spent money, 수리 renovations, on renovations. So you thought, oh, could we get, can we make some profit? And then he says, we managed to come out ahead. So yes, they were able to make a profit.
Cameron:
Right. So the money you put into the house, it actually raised the value of the house even more.
Kristen:
Okay.
2) Even though my rent is higher now, I came out ahead since I don’t have to pay for parking.
Cameron:
Parking is expensive. I don’t drive in Korea. I didn’t realize how expensive parking spots can be in Seoul.
Kristen:
In Gangnam, it’s notorious.
Cameron:
Oh my gosh. And like people rent a parking spot.
Kristen:
Oh, sure.
Cameron:
I never heard of that.
Kristen:
I know, they pay like monthly or weekly. It’s a lot.
Cameron:
Oh my gosh.
4. Whichever is..: 어느쪽이든.. 인 걸로.
Kristen:
Gosh. Okay. Our power pattern today is whichever is. So you’re given two options. And then you’re saying, okay, you give a condition, whichever is conditioned.
Cameron:
Yeah, the deciding factor. Whichever is cheaper, whichever is softer.
1) I’ll take either the chicken or fish, whichever is lower in fat.
2) You can sit in the aisle seat or next to the window, whichever is your preference.
Kristen:
Whatever you want.
Cameron:
So between those two options, this is what you use to choose it.
5. Consumer: 소비자
A consumer is someone who uses or “consumes” products or services. A person who buys groceries, pays for a taxi ride, and goes to a gym is a consumer.
Kristen:
Okay, very good. Our Power Vocabulary is consumer. So do check out the definition on page 90. And what else should we do besides that?
Fix Someone Up With 을 마련해주다 Don’t Cut It 충분치 않다. Kick Off 쫓아내다 (0910 파워 잉글리시 스크립트) (enko.co.kr)