Compliments and British Modesty
Accept and give praise without bragging or going over the top.
Oh, this old thing? I've had it for ages, honestly.
Computer voice · not a real clip
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All 14 phrases
Brushing off praise4
- Oh, this old thing? I've had it for agesThe classic way to brush off a compliment on your clothes.
- Thanks! It was only a fiver from PrimarkBrits boast about how cheap something was, not how much it cost.
- Aw, thanks, that's really kindA safe, warm way to accept a compliment without sounding big-headed.
- Oh, stop itA playful brush-off.
Playing it down4
Giving praise6
- Not too shabbyMeans good, sometimes very good.
- Fair play to youRespect, well done.
- You smashed itYou did brilliantly, for example in an exam, a presentation or a race.
- Don't sell yourself shortEncouragement when someone is being too modest.
- Love your top! Where's it from?A friendly compliment between friends or colleagues.
- That's well good! / That's dead goodInformal 'really good'.
Check yourself14 questions
Question 1 of 14
What is the speaker really doing?
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About this pack
- Price
- Free
- Account
- Not needed, saved on this device
- Reviews
- 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days later
- Moments
- 5 of 14 phrases have a clip
- Sources
Picked by Talk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Phrases
- Picked by Talk.
- How Talk picked them
- Part of Talk's themed British life packs. Talk wrote each phrase with what it really means, when to say it, what not to say instead and one quiz question. A phrase gets a moment only if Talk's spoken videos say it with the same meaning. One review picked each moment, and a second tried to reject it. This pack holds 14 phrases.
- Licence
- Talk shares this list under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Meanings and examples
- Written by Talk in plain English.
- Dictionary details
- From Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Princeton WordNet, used under the WordNet licence. WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
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About 4 min Free, no account