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Low Blow

Learn English meaning of ‘low blow’

Date: Jun 20 2017

Themes: Romance, Soap Opera, Travel

Grammar: Imperative Form

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Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Trying to be a good person isn’t always easy. You might focus on someone too much and make your other friends angry, or you might try to be sweet and accidentally lead someone on. This can be a difficult situation. What happens when you are just being nice, but the other person falls in love? Do you tell them that you don’t love them, too? They might think that’s a low blow, but it might be necessary.

A low blow literally means getting hit on your lower body. Think about this. How does it feel to get hit in the stomach? It hurts a lot! As an expression, a low blow happens when someone says or does something that is really mean. They act in an unkind way and hurt another person’s feelings. Even if someone acknowledged that their action was a low blow, you would probably still feel bad.

Sheila calls Dominique while Andy is away. Watch today’s English soap opera to find out if she knows that breaking up with him was a low blow.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Andy_H: Wait! I forgot my phone! Sorry! Just a minute.

Dominique: Hey, Sheila.

Sheila: Hey, Dominique! I tried calling Kelsey, but her phone was off.

Dominique: Yeah, she’s asleep right now.

Sheila: Oh, OK. I just wanted to call and wish her luck today.

Dominique: That’s sweet. I’ll let her know.

Sheila: And Dominique…

Dominique: Yes?

Sheila: I know it was a low blow, breaking up with Andy at the party he threw me.

Dominique: A low blow, yes. He was so excited to see you, Sheila.

Sheila: I know, but that’s why I wanted to let him know. I didn’t want to lead him on any longer.

Dominique: I understand.

Sheila: Anyway, I haven’t talked to him. Is he doing OK?

Dominique: He’s a bit sad… seems like he’s doing OK.

Sheila: That’s good. OK, wish Kelsey luck for me! Bye.

Dominique: OK, will do! Goodbye.

Andy_H: Who was that?

Jordin: No one.

Dominique: Sheila.

Andy_H: Oh.

Dominique: She acknowledged that breaking up with you while you were throwing a party for her was a low blow.

Andy_H: That doesn’t help.

Dominique: I know. Sorry.

Jordin: Let’s get on the road and just focus on the fun of Kelsey’s show today.

Andy_H: Yeah.

Kelsey: Where are we?!

Jordin: We haven’t even left yet, Kelsey. Sleep, Kelsey!

Kelsey: Goodnight.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Discussion

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Andy goes to get his phone. While he’s away, Sheila calls Dominique. She wanted to wish Kelsey luck, but Kelsey is fast asleep. Sheila also tells Dominique that she knows it was mean of her to break up with Andy at the party. Dominique agrees. She feels really bad for Andy. Sheila knows it was a low blow, but she also didn’t want to lead Andy on.

Sheila asks how Andy is doing. Dominique explains that he is sad but OK. Sheila is glad that he is not depressed. She says goodbye just as Andy is getting back into the car. Dominique tells him that Sheila knows she hurt him. This doesn’t make Andy feel any better. They all agree to focus on Kelsey’s show and have fun instead of worrying about Sheila.

When did you experience a low blow? Did you ever hurt someone else’s feelings?

Comments

allenzhaojl

China

My friend Annie Chen is doing low blows all the time. Once, she got two gold medals in the swimming competition and she posted them on QQ and keep saying they were not good enough. This was a low blow for me because I had also participated in the races that day, and I had only gotten one metal!

Sid_indore

India

yeah it was a long ago i had been nice to a girl and she had fallen for me, i didn’t realize untill she proposed me and i just refused straight on her face. i know it was a low blow but it was necessary. because i really hadn’t wanted to lead her on. I didn’t feel the same for her she felt for me.

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

The moment I spot the title “low blow” I remebered a low blow a supposed-to-be friend gave me at fifth grade!! We were kids!

hermitlady

China

Yes. It was a low blow when I was broke up by my boyfriend who I loved deeply when I was young. This experience was deep in my heart. In the same time, There was another bad experience that when all things including all money which was just full a month salary and two phones in my bag were stolen when I just took part in work and in that time ,I was really poor. Almost I had no money to have meals.

Yes. I ever hurt someone else’s feelings. My father’s. who was the only one made me felt sorry in the world and had no chance to say sorry forever. Oh, the time the rebellious boyhood, I hurt his heart. Only that , I thought what I need only to do was studying harder and harder in that time. the past the moment the heartbreak, can’t bear to be thought of .

eduardosouto

Brazil

I’ve experience a low blow when I found out that one of my best friends was trying to make a move on my girlfriend, I hated it, after she told me that I couldn’t see him with the same eyes!

Probably I’ve already hurt someone else’s feelings, but I didn’t mean to do it!