AEE 2343: How to Say That Two People Don't Mix Well in English

Summary

All Ears English Podcast Episode 2343: "How to Say That Two People Don't Mix Well in English"

Release Date: January 21, 2025
Hosts: Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan

---

Introduction

In Episode 2343 of the All Ears English Podcast, hosts Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan delve into the nuanced ways to express when two people don't get along in English. The episode blends practical language tips with personal anecdotes, making it an engaging resource for intermediate to advanced ESL learners aiming to enhance their conversational skills in American English.

---

Exploring the Idiom "Oil and Water"

Definition and Meaning

The central theme of the episode revolves around the idiom "like oil and water," which is commonly used to describe individuals who simply don't mix well or get along. Michelle Kaplan introduces the expression, explaining its connotation:

Michelle Kaplan [03:12]: "This expression means that they can't mix. Either they're just polar opposites, which is another good vocabulary word, or they just don't get along."

Personal Examples

Both hosts share personal experiences to illustrate the idiom:

• Lindsay McMahon [05:04]: "I was just having dinner with my brother on Monday night. We really haven't been that close over the years... but his wife is super close now with her brothers and sisters."

• Michelle Kaplan [05:38]: "My brother and I are like oil and water. We only talk once or twice a year."

These stories highlight how "oil and water" aptly describes strained relationships, whether between siblings or extended family members.

---

Similar Expressions

The hosts expand the discussion by introducing other idioms that convey similar meanings, enriching the listeners' vocabulary.

"Night and Day"

Used to emphasize stark differences or complete contrast between two things or people.

Lindsay McMahon [12:17]: "I feel so much better today after the medicine. It's like night and day."

This expression underscores significant changes or differences, as Lindsay contrasts her feelings before and after taking medicine.

"Fire and Ice"

Derived from Robert Frost's poem, this idiom represents opposing forces or passionate extremes, such as intense love and bitter hatred.

Michelle Kaplan [13:03]: "Fire and ice represents passionate extremes. It conveys there's going to be drama."

While less commonly used than "oil and water" or "night and day," "fire and ice" adds depth to the way relationships can be described.

---

Application in Conversations

Casual Contexts

The idioms "oil and water," "night and day," and "fire and ice" are versatile and can be used in everyday conversations to describe personal relationships or situations.

• Michelle Kaplan [07:14]: "They’re really like oil and water right now, so maybe you try and keep her over there."

This example shows how the idiom can be used to navigate social gatherings and manage interpersonal dynamics.

Professional Contexts

While these expressions are primarily casual, they can be cautiously applied in professional settings to describe workplace relationships.

Lindsay McMahon [14:25]: "I would be careful when you're talking about people in general... anytime you're talking about someone's personality and how it might clash with someone else's personality."

The hosts advise using such idioms judiciously in professional environments to maintain professionalism and avoid potential conflicts.

---

Role Play Demonstration

To illustrate the practical usage of these idioms, Lindsay and Michelle engage in a role play scenario discussing their childhood relationships with siblings.

Michelle Kaplan [14:58]: "Oh, no way. We were like fire and ice. But actually from then until now, it's like night and day. We're super close."

Lindsay McMahon [15:08]: "My siblings are kind of like oil and water. I wish we got along better, but we're just too different."

This role play effectively showcases how to incorporate idioms smoothly into conversation, providing listeners with a clear example of their application.

---

Engagement with Listeners

Throughout the episode, the hosts encourage listener participation and interaction:

• App Promotion: Lindsay and Michelle highlight the All Ears English app, emphasizing features like real-time transcripts and personalized vocabulary lists.

• Poll Participation: They invite listeners to engage in a Spotify poll related to sibling relationships, fostering community involvement.

• Reviews and Feedback: The hosts acknowledge and thank listeners for their positive reviews, urging others to leave feedback to support the podcast.

---

Conclusion and Future Topics

Wrapping up the episode, Lindsay and Michelle reflect on the importance of understanding and using these expressions to navigate complex relationships. They tease upcoming discussions, particularly a deeper dive into the idiom "night and day," promising more insightful content for their audience.

Michelle Kaplan [16:25]: "It's important, and we gave you the reasons why and we gave you two other ways to express this idea of opposites."

Lindsay McMahon [16:53]: "I'm excited to come back to that Night and Day."

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Michelle Kaplan [03:12]: "This expression means that they can't mix. Either they're just polar opposites, which is another good vocabulary word, or they just don't get along."

• Lindsay McMahon [05:04]: "I was just having dinner with my brother on Monday night. We really haven't been that close over the years... but his wife is super close now with her brothers and sisters."

• Michelle Kaplan [12:17]: "How I felt yesterday versus how I felt the day before, before I took the medicine."

• Michelle Kaplan [13:03]: "Fire and ice represents passionate extremes. It conveys there's going to be drama."

• Lindsay McMahon [14:25]: "I would be careful when you're talking about people in general... anytime you're talking about someone's personality and how it might clash with someone else's personality."

• Michelle Kaplan [14:58]: "We were like fire and ice. But actually from then until now, it's like night and day. We're super close."

---

Final Thoughts

Episode 2343 of the All Ears English Podcast offers valuable insights into expressing interpersonal dynamics in English. By exploring idioms like "oil and water," "night and day," and "fire and ice," Lindsay and Michelle provide listeners with practical tools to articulate complex relationships effectively. The combination of definitions, personal anecdotes, and role play makes this episode a comprehensive guide for those looking to enhance their conversational English.

---

For more episodes and resources, visit All Ears English and download the All Ears English app to access transcripts, personalized vocabulary lists, and more engaging learning tools.

Transcript

[Lindsay McMahon]

This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2343. How to say that two people don't mix well in English. Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, usa. To get real time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android. Start your seven day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward/app.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Do you have any friends who simply don't get along? What can you say when two people don't mix well? Listen in today.

[C]

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. You might say all kinds of stuff when things go wrong, but these are the words you really need to remember. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. They've got options to fit your unique insurance needs, meaning you can then talk to your agent to choose the coverage you need, have coverage options to protect the things you value most, file a claim right on the State Farm mobile app, and even reach a real person when you need to talk to someone. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Hey there, Michelle. What's shaking?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Nothing. Lindsay, what is your favorite type of oil to use for cooking?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Oh, my gosh. It's olive oil. I really like olive oil, but sometimes I know you're not supposed to use it to cook with everything. Yeah, but I want to use it most of the time.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah.

[Lindsay McMahon]

What about you?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, I know there's a whole science with the boiling points and everything, and I don't. Do you know about that?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Not really. But I know you're not supposed to make it too hot. Yeah, but I still do that and then it's just.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, well, I. I also cook with avocado oil now, but I've been trying to avoid vegetable oil and. Yeah, different things, so.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, me too. Me too. Sometimes I like avocado oil, but it doesn't have too much taste to it. Does that make sense? Like, for me, in my mind it doesn't, but it's a good other option. Like if you're cooking eggs or something, it can work.

[Michelle Kaplan]

That's what I cook my eggs in every morning. Yes, exactly. Y. So today we are going to talk about an expression and dealing with oil and how you can use it in your conversation. So, Lindsay, oil and water, can they mix not really.

[Lindsay McMahon]

When I think of oil and water, I think of them kind of separating. Separating out in a bottle if you try to mix them. Yeah, yeah, no, that. That probably wouldn't work. So why. Why are you asking me that question, Michelle? Are we getting into science today?

[Michelle Kaplan]

A little science experiment? Maybe we should pull out our test tubes.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah.

[Michelle Kaplan]

So. So something that is commonly said is that people are like oil and water. And this expression means what you would think it means. It means that they can't mix. Either they're just polar opposites, which is another good vocabulary word, or they just get along. Yeah. So to me, I would use it more about people not getting along. What do you think, Lindsay?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah. Do you have anyone like this in your life? Two people that you care about that you try to bring together. Michelle. And they just don't get a lot. It just doesn't work.

[Michelle Kaplan]

I know some people who are like oil and water. What about you?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, I think I do too. I've never really tried to bring them together necessarily or successfully, but there are, I mean, people. The world is full of different, interesting people. Right. And I. I'm not sure that everyone is meant to necessarily fit together perfectly.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right, right, right, right, exactly. So, guys, we also want to remind you before we get into it a little bit more to get the All Ears English app. Right. Lindsay, this is. I love this app.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Oh, it's fantastic. Guys, if you want a way to listen to the podcast, but then to get transcripts right in front of you and be able to tap on keywords, see meanings, save the words, view role play reviews of every week. I mean, there's so much in there. Guys. Michelle, how can you go and get the app right now?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Go to allearsenglish.com app. That's a P P. Yeah.

[Lindsay McMahon]

It would be a great way to start off the year by becoming a premium member. And you can do a seven day free trial so you can try out these features that I'm talking about and see for yourself that you can't get them anywhere else. All right, so allersenglish.com app. Good.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right? All right. So, yeah, sometimes this can make me think of siblings. Right. So either siblings are completely different or they don't get along. A lot of times you hear about people not getting along with their siblings. What do you think?

[Lindsay McMahon]

I was just having brother. Having. Having dinner with my brother on Monday night. He was in town and he was. We were talking about how we really haven't been that close over the years, but his wife is super close now. With her brothers and sisters. So that was kind of interesting. But I think usually brothers and sisters. And sisters, you know, siblings tend to be quite different. I mean, it's weird how that happens, but it's true. So it wouldn't be true necessarily that you'd be super close with your sibling.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right, right. It's not a given. Yeah, it's not a given that you'd be close. I mean, even with dogs. Like, does Kiefer get along with other dogs, or are they like oil and water now?

[Lindsay McMahon]

He's great with other dogs. There's one dog that he doesn't seem to like, and it's very weir. Walk past this apartment, and this dog is on an overhang patio kind of thing, and the dog will go nuts and Kiefer will go nuts, and they'll bark at each other. That's the only dog I've ever seen him have issues with every other dog he loves.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, that's interesting.

[Lindsay McMahon]

You know what else I think of maybe divorced parents. So, yes, my partner's parents are divorced. And one Thanksgiving we had. We had a big old Thanksgiving. My partner's dad hosted, and my partner's mom came with her new husband. With her husband. And, you know, they're just. Yeah. You know, the divorcees are just kind of oil and water. They just. Yeah. I mean, there's a reason there was a divorce, right?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Oh, yeah. No, that can be. That can be awkward, I guess.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, for sure. It's kind of funny. But that's okay. That's okay. What else, Michelle?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Okay, so I think that this could be actually a really good connection expression because it can explain your background, your personality. Right. Yeah. Or what else could it do, Lindsay?

[Lindsay McMahon]

I mean, it could be good for connection, for sure. Like you said, to explain where you come from, who. What kind of person you are and who you don't do and don't get along with. You could be warning someone about someone else's relationship. Like, let's say you're about to go to a party, and maybe the couple that's hosting are having a hard time getting along or something.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right.

[Lindsay McMahon]

And they're like oil and water. Or they're two random friends that are coming that you just know are going to be oil and water. Right.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right. So. But yeah. Or yeah, somebody just went through a breakup, a divorce, and, you know, they're both going to be at the same party. So you might say, oh, they're really like oil and water right now, so maybe you try and keep her over there. The other one will be over here. So.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, these are important things, conversations to have that friends need to support their friends and make sure that things go over smoothly at the party. Yeah.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes, yes. Or it could be good for just telling a story, you know, the. You know, sharing that somebody didn't get along, so you could just say, oh, and I was with. I was with this crowd, and it turned out that these two people were like oil and water. And so we did. Blah, blah. Right.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, those are good examples. What else? Do we have any specific examples?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, let's do a couple. So my brother and I are like oil and water. We only talk once or twice a year, and I've talked about that. I'm very close with my brother, so I want to say that's true, but.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Oh, no. Yeah, for sure. Or I thought I would love having two dogs, but they get along like oil and water. It's not so fun. O. That sounds hard. Sounds difficult to keep them separated. Yeah.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes, exactly. Or she doesn't get along with her roommate. They're like oil and water, so try not to bring it up.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Did you get along with your freshman year roommate in college, Michelle? I know we've touched on, you know, college. Uhhuh. But did you get along with your freshman year roommate?

[Michelle Kaplan]

I did. I did. We got along. I had. I had a little bit of a hard first semester. I was very homesick, I think I've talked about. But then second semester, I felt a lot better, a lot more like myself, so we got along. We don't. We're Facebook friends. We don't really. We don't keep in touch. But I have, like, mostly I have positive associations with her. What about you?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, we got along. We. We weren't really friends. We didn't hang out. But, you know, I had my own friends and she had her own friends, but we definitely got along. There wasn't much drama, thank goodness, because, God, those college dorms are very small.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes, they are. They are.

[Lindsay McMahon]

All right, it's a new year, and if you're in charge of hiring and you're faced with an open position, you need to hire the right person fast. As a business owner myself, I've learned that competing for great talent is no joke. You need the right tools when it comes to hiring. Indeed is all you need. Stop struggling to get your job post seen on other job sites. Indeed, Sponsored Jobs helps you stand out and hire fast. With Sponsored Jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can reach the people you want faster and it makes a huge difference. According to Indeed data, Sponsored Jobs posted directly on indeed have 45% more applications than non sponsors. Sponsored Jobs. I love that Indeed makes hiring fast because you're able to target your search to specific geographic locations. Just how fast is Indeed? In the minute I've been Talking to you, 23 hires were made on Indeed, according to Indeed data worldwide. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more visibility at Indeed.com AEE just go to Indeed.com AEE right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.comA E terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need. All right, Michelle, before we get into some more examples and potentially a role play later on, I do want to call out a couple of our reviewers. You know, Michelle, we've been getting a lot of amazing 5 star reviews for Allers English. What do you think about that?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Thanks, guys. Oh, I love it.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yes, thank you. So, a special shout out to Anonymous on December 5th, Ivana Charlie on December 4th, and Daniel Zaza on December 4th in Apple Podcasts, as well as Silly Goose 1909 on December 2nd. And Silly Goose said, Wish I could give it 10 stars. Oh, amazing.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, Amazing. Silly Goose. I love the name.

[Lindsay McMahon]

It's fantastic. So if you love the show, everyone let us know what you think. Guys, go on over and leave a review, leave a rating, and we will be happy to announce your name on the show. Right, Michelle?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes, absolutely. Love it. So, thank you guys so much.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah.

[Michelle Kaplan]

So, Lindsay, what are. Let's talk about some stuff. Similar sounding expressions that are pretty close in meaning.

[Lindsay McMahon]

All right, so the phrase night and day. So this is used more to say that something is an opposite.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right.

[Lindsay McMahon]

So we could come back to this, Michelle and I think we should just this one phrase another day. But for example, I feel so much better today after the medicine. It's like night and day. So here, what are we saying? What is like night and day?

[Michelle Kaplan]

How I felt yesterday versus how I felt the day before, before I took the medicine.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Totally. Yeah. And we could talk.

[Michelle Kaplan]

It's. This is different.

[Lindsay McMahon]

This is a little different, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Lindsay is living in Denver versus Boston. Like night and day.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, I think it actually kind of is. There's a lot of sunshine here compared to Boston in my experience. And people are a little friendlier, I think. You know, people are a little lighter and More likely to smile at you on the. The street. So it does kind of feel like night and day. It's a very different lifestyle, for sure.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Interesting. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So, all right, here. This is another one that is I. I would say more similar to. To oil and water. So this is fire and ice. Oh, do you hear this one?

[Lindsay McMahon]

I've only seen this as, like a name of a restaurant. I think that's funny.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, yeah. So this is from AI. I'm just gonna. So it's. It. AI said that it refers to two opposing forces, represents passionate extremes. I'm quoting a little bit like intense love and bitter hatred.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yes.

[Michelle Kaplan]

And it's interesting, it says that it comes from Robert Frost's poem of the title, for Fire and Ice. So. Yeah. Interesting to see a little bit of where it comes from.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, for sure. So fire and ice. This one I don't hear quite as much. You know, I hear the night and day thing. I hear, you know, oil and water, but fire and ice, I guess it kind of conveys there's going to be drama.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right.

[Lindsay McMahon]

There's going to be drama, there's going to be sparks, and not in a good way.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right, right, right, right. So the kids are like fire and ice. I don't know how it got this bad.

[Lindsay McMahon]

For sure. Yeah. Michelle, what else here?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, I mean, what do you think? Like, do you think you could use any of these in a professional context? Would you say the more casual? What do you think?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, I mean, I think that definitely this could work in both ways. I would be careful when you're talking about people in general. We've talked about this before in business, your career. Be careful. Anytime you're talking about someone's personality and how it might clash with someone else's personality. That's another bonus there, by the way, Michelle. Clash.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes. I'm just gonna. I'm gonna put that word. So guys remember to get that app.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Because that's going to be one of the bonus words for today.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, for sure. So I think you could use it at work. Just be careful when you're having these conversations. You know who's around. I would say just talk about other things, not so much people's personalities. You know, that's what I would do.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, yeah.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Good. So let's do a role play and see how we could use it.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Okay, Michelle. So here we are, friends. We're talking about our childhood. All right. So did you get along with your siblings when you were young?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Oh, no way. We were like fire and ice. But actually from then until now, it's like night and day. We're super close.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Oh, that's good.

[Michelle Kaplan]

What about you?

[Lindsay McMahon]

My siblings are kind of like oil and water. I wish we got along better, but we're just too different.

[Michelle Kaplan]

That's too bad.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, interesting.

[Michelle Kaplan]

It'd be.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Oh, that would be kind of a cool survey for our listeners for today to see if our listeners are close to their siblings or not.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes.

[Lindsay McMahon]

That will be our Spotify poll today. So make sure you participate in our poll by going over to Spotify and voting in the poll. Good stuff. So I asked you, did you get along with your siblings when you were young? And you said, no way.

[Michelle Kaplan]

No, I said we were like fire and ice. But then I said, but actually from then until now is like night and day. So that's a little bit different. So basically that's saying it's totally different. Yeah, now we're super close. Yeah.

[Lindsay McMahon]

I really like the expression night and day because it just. It just shows real contrast. Something has changed, right?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Absolutely.

[Lindsay McMahon]

And I would encourage our listeners to try that one out today. Yeah. All right, Michelle, so is there another episode that our listeners could check out?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes, guys, check out episode 2332. Was. Do you say I don't know too much? That was a fun one. I remember we did.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah, I love that one. Guys, go on over and while you're at it, and make sure you hit follow on the Allers English podcast. Now, Michelle, what is our final idea today, final thought for the day?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Well, this, I mean, it's kind of an unfortunate topic to talk about somebody who is like oil and water. But it's important. And we gave you the reasons why and we gave you two other ways to express this idea of opposites. They're not necessarily exactly matches. And I want to do a whole follow up and night on Night and Day because I think that's a really, really useful one. But give these a try. And we hope you're not like oil and water with anyone today.

[Lindsay McMahon]

I know for sure and I'm excited to come back to that Night and Day. So hit follow on the podcast and Michelle, I will see you another day. All right.

[Michelle Kaplan]

All right, bye.

[Lindsay McMahon]

All right, take care. Bye. Thanks for listening to Allears English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz, go to allearsenglish.com forward/fluencyscore. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.