Learn English with TV (Friends) – Joey’s Perverted Tailor

Hey there, Global Citizen!

Today I’m going to be teaching one of the funniest, most vocab-rich Learn English with TV scenes ever.

Watch the video lesson below, check the dialogue further down, and be sure to grab your copy of the Free PDF Power Lesson and MP3 Sample that accompany this video.

15 Vocab Words You Will Learn Today

1. Tailor (n)
2. Alter (vb)
3. Chalk (n)
4. Suit (n)
5. Q-Tip (n)
6. Crack the Code (idiom)
7. Cuffs (n)
8. Inseam (n)
9. Paisa (n)
10. Sec (n)
11. Take advantage (vb)
12. Run your hand (vb)
13. Cupping (n)
14. Rear (n)
15. Hernia (n)

DOWNLOAD: Free Power Lesson PDF + MP3 For This Scene

See the complete 48 week Fluent with Friends Course

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TN-j7xM_oY

Intro (Justin)

Aww yeah, Global Citizen, I’m Justin from RealLife English, where our mission is to help you not just learn English, but to LIVE IT. Today we’re going to do exactly that with one of the best, funniest Friends scenes ever.

In this scene, Chandler goes to Joey’s tailor, Frankie, to have his pants altered, but something really crazy and unexpected happens.

Pay close attention and I promise that today, you will HAVE FUN, learn A TON, and by the end of this short lesson, you will watch AND understand this scene without getting lost, without missing the jokes, AND without subtitles.

Our power learning method is a simple 3 Step Process:

• STEP 1: WATCH the scene (with English subtitles)
• STEP 2: I’m going to TEACH you all the key vocabulary, idioms, and even some ninja native pronunciation tips.
• STEP 3: we’re going to step up your game and WATCH the scene again without subtitles, from a completely new perspective.

For maximum benefit, download this 2 Page PDF Power Lesson I created just for this scene by joining RealLife Power Learning Club, for FREE, on the link above, or in the information box below.

Let’s do this!

Step 1 (Watch: Transcript Below)

*bold words are the words/ jokes/ pronunciation covered in this lesson*

CHANDLER: hey, does anybody know a good tailor?

JOEY: Do you need some clothes altered?

CHANDLER: No, I just need somebody to draw on me with chalk.

JOEY: Why don’t you go see Frankie? My family’s been going to him forever. He did my first suit when I was 15. No, wait- 16. No- excuse me- 15. Alright when was 1990?

CHANDLER: Okay you have to stop the Q-tip when there’s resistance.

JOEY: You know, I think I was 16.

CHANDLER: I’ve got pants that need to be altered.

JOEY: Oh, Chandler. When you see Frankie tell him Joey Tribiana says hello. He’ll know what it means.

CHANDLER: Are you sure he’s going to be able to crack that code?

FRANKIE: How long do you want the cuffs?

CHANDLER: Well, at least as long as I have the pants.

FRANKIE: I just got that. Okay, now we’ll do your inseam.

CHANDLER: Yo Paisa, can I talk to you for a sec? Your tailor is a very bad man.

Step 2 (Watch/ Study – Justin’s Lesson)

If you’re like most learners, even if you understood the general idea, you probably missed a lot there.

I mean, in spoken English natives tend to connect their words, we cut them and reduce them, and we use tons of idioms, humor, and we break the rules in strange and surprising ways, which I will show you in a moment.

Okay, now we’ve got some serious learning to do, so let’s focus: close all the windows on your computer, remove distractions, grab a pen and paper- even better, download the free PDF and MP3 for this lesson on the link above.

Now, for STEP 02, I’m going to guide you through the first page of this RealLife English Power Lesson!

Your job: pay attention, study, learn, absorb the material, and step up your game for a totally new experience of this awesome scene.

Aww Yeah!!! 

AUDIO: Hey, Does anybody know a good tailor?

• A tailor is somebody who repairs or alters clothes professionally.

AUDIO: Do you Need some clothes altered?

• To alter clothes is to make changes.
• Also, notice the surprising pronunciation of natives- we take shortcuts (the shorter, quicker way to something) with pronunciation with this word we usually say “close” instead of pronouncing the “th” with clothes.

 AUDIO: No, I just need somebody to draw on me with chalk

• To draw is to make a picture, and chalk is what we use to write on a chalkboard.
• Chandler joke refers to the fact that a tailor uses chalk to measure pants.
• Native Omissions: Native speakers often violate grammar rules in conversational English. We omit certain words to make communication easier and fluid.
  • Notice that Joey omits the “do” in this sentence (“do you need some clothes altered”)
  • Chandler also did this in the first line (“does anybody know a good tailor”) 

AUDIO: Why don’t you go see Frankie? My family’s been going to him for years.

• I’m going to give you a second to listen and then imitate Joey.
• “Why don’t you go see Frankie?” (x2).
• “My family’s been going to him for years” (x2)
• Here we have two excellent examples of connected speech, Joey reducing, cutting, and connecting words.
• Why don’t you becomes “why-own-chew”
• and going to him becomes “goin-uh-him”

While natives don’t write this way, it is common in normal, everyday conversation. If you’re a member of the RealLife Power Learning club, in addition to the PDF, we also offer an MP3 vocabulary and pronunciation review of this scene that will give you more repetition and practice.

AUDIO: He did my first suit when I when I was 15. No, wait 16. No, excuse me, 15. Alright, when was 1990?

• SUIT is a formal piece of clothing for business or nicer occasions.
• The JOKE about Joey’s age is Joey’s simple obsessive confusion about an irrelevant fact.

AUDIO: Okay, you have to stop the Q-Tip when there’s resistance.

• Here’s a Q-Tip, also known as a cotton swab.
• Chandler’s saying that Joey needs to be more careful with Q-tips, that he’s causing brain damage by pushing the Q-tip too deep.

AUDIO: I’ve got pants that need to be altered (Chandler). / Oh, Hey Chandler, when you see Frankie, tell him Joey Tribbiani says hello. He’ll know what it means (Joey)/ You sure he’s going to be able to crack that code? (Chandler)

• The humor here is that Joey acts as if he wants to communicate an encoded message, and Chandler makes fun of him (with his typical ironic humor) with the common expression “crack the code.”
• To crack means to break, and the code is a cryptic barrier to entrance.
• So “crack the code” is to decipher a cryptic of hidden message.

AUDIO: How long do you want the cuffs? Well, at least as long as I have the pants.

• Frankie is asking Chandler the length of the cuffs. Cuffs can be on your ankles, or on your wrists, not to be confused with
• Another more subtle joke in response to Frankie’s question, “How long do you want the cuffs.” Chandler says, “At least as long as I have the pants” the humor is that “How long” can be used for both the physical length of something OR for the length of time. When Frankie says “How long do you want the cuffs,” he’s asking about the length, but Chandler’s humorous response of “At least as long as I have the pants” refers to the duration of time that he will have the pants.

AUDIO: Now I’ll do your inseam

• Frankie is measuring Chandler’s inseam. Here’s an inseam. 

AUDIO: Yo Paisan! Can I talk to you for a sec? Your tailor is a very bad man!

• “Paisan,” which is an Italian American slang expression for friend, or buddy, but this is not commonly used and A sec is an informal way to say “second.”

Transition

I know that was a lot of information. But just relax, you don’t need to learn it all at once. Remember, it’s a process that you can repeat as many times as you need. The most important thing is to make it a fun, natural, and consistent part of your everyday life.

Now, for the THIRD and FINAL STEP, let’s connect the dots and take it to a new level.

We’re going to watch and enjoy the scene we just studied one more time, PLUS the ending, which we have not watched yet, but it is included in this Power Lesson PDF and MP3- on the link below or above.

Now let’s not just LEARN English, let’s LIVE IT!!

Step 03 (Watch Again Without Subtitles) 

We really appreciate you watching and supporting us. If you enjoyed this lesson, I would like to invite you to support what we’re doing by taking one more step to help us spread the word.

1. First of all, if you like this video, please share your thoughts, feedback, or suggestions for other scenes in the comments below. We love to hear from you, and we respond to every single comment.

2. Or second, you can subscribe to our Youtube Channel.

3. Or even, if you haven’t already, join the Power Learning Club with all the awesome presents we offer exclusively to our students.

Or finally, if you really love what we’re doing, feel free to share these lessons with your English speaking (and learning) friends and students!

Thank you so much and have an awesome day!!!