AEE 2352: Struggling With English Idioms? No Pain No Gain!

Summary

All Ears English Podcast: Episode AEE 2352 – “Struggling With English Idioms? No Pain No Gain!”

Release Date: February 5, 2025
Hosts: Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan

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Overview

In Episode AEE 2352 of the All Ears English Podcast, hosts Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan delve into the world of English idioms, responding to a listener’s query about overcoming obstacles using idiomatic expressions. The episode, titled “Struggling With English Idioms? No Pain No Gain!”, offers comprehensive insights into the idiom “No pain, no gain” and explores two additional related expressions. Through engaging discussions, practical examples, and a role-play scenario, the hosts equip intermediate to advanced English learners with the tools to incorporate these idioms seamlessly into their daily conversations.

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Listener’s Question and Introduction

The episode kicks off with Lindsay and Michelle addressing a listener question submitted via YouTube by Shabnam Sorishna759:

“Hi, your favorite podcast. You're my favorite podcast. I have been listening for five years. Today I heard the phrase ‘no pain, no gain’ and didn't know what it meant. Could you talk about it? Great one.”

This heartfelt message not only sets the tone for the episode but also underscores the podcast’s commitment to fostering a supportive learning community.

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Exploring the Idiom: “No Pain, No Gain”

Timestamp: [05:23]

Lindsay introduces the primary idiom of the episode:

Lindsay: “Yeah, so it means like suffering is necessary in order to achieve something. I actually was googling about this because I guess it's a myth that you must have muscle pain in order to have gains.”

Michelle elaborates on its metaphorical usage beyond physical fitness:

Michelle: “We use this sort of metaphorically for life that like, struggle doing something that's difficult is often going to give you worthwhile results.”

Notable Quote:

Michelle [06:17]: “If you're running a business or something, working hard for future returns. Right, that sort of idea.”

They provide relatable examples to illustrate the idiom:

Lindsay [07:06]: “I've applied to hundreds of companies. It's such a grind, but no pain, no gain.”

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Additional Related Idioms

To enrich the conversation, Lindsay and Michelle introduce two more idioms with similar themes:

1. “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger”

   • Michelle [07:56]: “This could also be interpreted as what doesn't kill you makes you smarter or quicker or faster or better at something.”

   • They discuss its applicability in various challenging scenarios, emphasizing growth through adversity.

   Notable Quote:

   Michelle [09:01]: “The idea that raw life experience makes you better. So every experience, whether it's good or bad, is still raw life experience.”

2. “Fortune Favors the Bold”

   • Lindsay [09:46]: “Fortune favors the bold. So those who take risks reap the benefits.”

   • Michelle relates it to business strategies and personal risks, highlighting the rewards of proactive actions.

   Notable Quote:

   Michelle [10:03]: “No risk, no reward is another phrase that my dad used to always tell me... 100%.”

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Practical Applications and Examples

The hosts provide multiple sentences demonstrating how these idioms can be integrated into everyday conversations:

• No Pain, No Gain:

  Lindsay [06:35]: “I'm so sore from running this morning, but no pain, no gain.”

• What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger:

  Lindsay [09:34]: “I got food poisoning yesterday and was so sick. But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.”

• Fortune Favors the Bold:

  Lindsay [10:51]: “Our company is acquiring a competitor. You're being aggressive. Fortune favors the bold.”

These examples not only clarify the meanings but also demonstrate appropriate contexts for usage.

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Interactive Role-Play Segment

Timestamp: [13:16]

To reinforce learning, Lindsay and Michelle engage in a role-play scenario where they simulate a casual encounter between neighbors:

• Scenario: Both neighbors meet on the sidewalk while going for a run.

• Dialogue Highlights:

  Lindsay: “Hey there. Going for a run?”
  Michelle: “Yep. No pain, no gain.”
  Lindsay: “I heard you're training for a marathon.”
  Michelle: “Oh, yes, I am. It's in June.”

Through this interaction, the hosts showcase the natural incorporation of idioms into daily English conversations, highlighting tone, context, and the flow of dialogue.

Notable Quote During Role-Play:

Michelle [15:29]: “But I think a marathon would definitely kill me.”

This line emphasizes the humorous and relatable aspect of using idioms in conversations about personal challenges.

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Cultural Insights and Connection Focus

Throughout the episode, Lindsay and Michelle emphasize the importance of understanding the cultural underpinnings of idioms to foster genuine connections:

Michelle [03:00]: “They will be there waiting for you. That's how we get into the habit and that's how we make sure we focus on connection.”

Lindsay [16:44]: “With the start of the new year, you might be deciding to take more risks to do something exciting and challenging. And it's a great thing to ask others about.”

These insights encourage learners to not only memorize idioms but also grasp their cultural relevance, enhancing their ability to engage meaningfully with native speakers.

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Key Takeaways and Encouragement

As the episode concludes, Lindsay and Michelle summarize the key lessons:

• Embrace Challenges: Success often requires facing and overcoming difficulties.

• Use Idioms to Connect: Incorporating idioms can make conversations more engaging and relatable.

• Proactive Risk-Taking: Being bold and taking calculated risks can lead to significant rewards.

Final Encouragement:

Michelle [17:04]: “It's always good to be doing something that scares us a little bit.”

Lindsay [17:19]: “Push ourselves a little bit.”

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Conclusion

Episode AEE 2352 of the All Ears English Podcast serves as a valuable resource for English learners aiming to master idiomatic expressions related to perseverance and risk-taking. Through clear explanations, practical examples, and interactive segments, Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan provide listeners with the confidence to use these idioms effectively in various contexts. By focusing on connection over perfection, the hosts ensure that learners not only understand the meanings but also feel empowered to apply these expressions in their everyday English conversations.

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Remember to subscribe to the All Ears English Podcast to continue enhancing your English skills with engaging and practical content!

Transcript

[A]

This is an Allers English podcast. Episode 23:52 struggling with English Idioms no pain, no gain.

[B]

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 host, Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz and Lindsey McMahon, the English adventurer, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, usa. And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglish.com subscribe in today's episode, a listener asks us about a common idiom to talk about overcoming obstacles and suffering through something to find success in the end. Learn how to talk about this topic with three idioms today.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[A]

Been with Metro in the past 180 days. Hello Lindsay, how are you today?

[B]

Hey, Aubrey. I'm doing pretty well. How are you?

[A]

I am great. I am wondering, do you ever lift weights?

[B]

I actually, I do. I've been lifting weights a lot more in the last year or two years. Yeah.

[A]

Okay, awesome. No pain, no gain, right? For sure.

[B]

And sometimes it is painful, right?

[A]

Yeah, exactly. With pain comes gain. You could also say, right gain.

[B]

Yeah. Are you a weight lifter, Aubrey?

[A]

I am not. I know I should. I should do this. I know I need to build more muscle, but I'm really bad about it. I don't have weights at my home and I don't have a gym membership, so it makes it a little trickier. You do it at a gym?

[B]

I do it at Orange Theory. So I do Orange Theory. It kind of hit training and half of that or a third of that is weightlifting. I was really bad at it a couple years too. And then I started reading that actually weightlifting is a way that you can burn calorie. So when you have more muscle mass, apparently you burn calories faster. And I thought it was just I need to run and do cardio. But apparently those calories need a place to go so they go to the muscles.

[A]

I read that too. And then you can like burn calories while you're just sitting there while you're sleeping? No, I need to lift weights better. But this came up because we had a listener ask about the idiom no pain, no gain. Yes. So we are going to answer that question, but we want to make sure that you guys hit follow. We have taught a lot of idioms here on the podcast and we want to make sure you're not missing any of these episodes.

[B]

Yes. Listeners, hit that follow button right now to make sure that five episodes a week drop down into your queue. They will be there waiting for you. That's how we get into the habit and that's how we make sure we focus on connection. When we're actually face to face with a native speaker or in a business context, then we will know how to focus on the connection and build the relationships.

[A]

All right, Absolutely. That's what's most important, Right? You are learning English to be able to connect with others in English, and that's what we focus on here. We always want to show you what's the connection point here? Right. How can you connect with others with the vocab and the idioms we're teaching or the strategies?

[B]

You got it. So shall I go ahead and read the question from the listener again?

[A]

Should I just go through that?

[B]

All right, so this is on YouTube. And don't forget, guys, we do have a YouTube channel. Hit subscribe over there if you prefer to see us on these episodes. This is from Shabnam Sorishna759. The listener says hi, your favorite podcast. You're my favorite podcast. I have been listening for five years. That's amazing. Aubrey, that is awesome. Great to hear a long term, longtime listeners in on listening. Today I heard the phrase no pain, no gain and didn't know what it meant. Could you talk about it? Great one.

[A]

Yes. This is a great one. So we are going to talk about this one and a couple of other related phrases. But I saw Another question on YouTube that we're also answering today. This was H2GO190 who just said, what are the most useful idioms for daily use? So all three that we're teaching today are useful for daily use. They're very common. You'll hear them a lot. But we also want to share that a lot of our past episodes you can find really easy if you search the word idiom on our app. App in the search bar. And every time we teach idioms, we always share if they are a little outdated, if they are used commonly, because that is important to know. It's one thing to learn a list of Idioms. But you want to know, like, are these actually used in conversations?

[B]

Totally. And I think a lot of textbooks are notorious for listing old idioms that just aren't used anymore. You don't want to sound like a textbook from the 90s. Right. You don't want to sound like that. And so making sure that you're listening to Allers English, especially today, and going back and finding those other episodes will keep you in the know. All right.

[A]

Good episode. Yeah. Right.

[B]

Keep in the know. It's a good one.

[A]

In the know. For sure. Yeah. Be sure to hit follow. We'll do a follow up on that and other ways that we say that, that you're in the know.

[B]

All right, good. So let's go to the first one that we used at the top of the show, no pain, no gain. What does this one mean, Aubrey?

[A]

Yeah, so it means like suffering is necessary in order to achieve something. I actually was googling about this because I guess it's a myth that you must have muscle pain in order to have gains. Like you can stay in, you know, when you're lifting weights, you can stay in that more chill zone where you're not actually going to be sore the next day and still have gains. Yeah. This is, we use this sort of metaphorically for life that like, struggle doing something that's difficult is often going to give you worthwhile results.

[B]

Oh, for sure, for sure. And I think this goes along with our kind of our work ethic in the U.S. right. So if you're running a business or something, working hard for future returns. Right, that sort of idea.

[A]

Absolutely. If a co worker is like, complaining that things are really difficult, that you might just respond, well, no pain, no gain. It actually sounds like you've got a lot going on. Right. And kind of spin it in a positive way.

[B]

Exactly. So here's some sample sentences. I'm so sore from running this morning, but no pain, no gain.

[A]

Yeah. This is often what we'll do. We're like, find ourselves complaining about something and immediately realize, like, but I know it's going to have good results. So no pain. Right.

[B]

It is funny, we do associate pain with progress or success later, but it doesn't always have to be that way. But often it does.

[A]

Right.

[B]

In life, you have to put in some kind of difficult work or struggle up the hill to get to the summit of the mountain.

[A]

Right, Exactly. Right. There's usually at least some kind of struggle, something that's difficult in order to have good results. For sure.

[B]

For short, what's another sample you might.

[A]

Say, I've applied to hundreds of companies. It's such a grind, but no pain, no gain. This is a really good example. Right. If you're having to apply to a lot of different places, it's a ton of work, a lot of effort, but you know that eventually you'll find the right fit. No pain, no gain.

[B]

Love it. All right, so that's a good one. That was. That one definitely is relevant, wouldn't you say, Aubrey? Fully relevant for a listener who asked, what are the common ones now?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, I hear this one. I use it, and I think this is such a great connection skill. If you are chatting with someone and they're maybe whining or venting, they're sharing something difficult they're going through, this is a great way to spin it and kind of remind them, like, but think about the results at the end of the journey. Yeah.

[B]

It's so true. I love it. All right, what would be our second one? We have another one here. What is that one?

[A]

This has a similar meaning. It's what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And same. Right. With something difficult, if you take it literally, like, obviously, if it doesn't kill you, it's go, you know? But that means there's going to be a positive result.

[B]

Right. And this could also be interpreted as what doesn't kill you makes you smarter or quicker or faster or better at something. Right?

[A]

That's true. You could say any of those.

[B]

Yeah. So, for example, had to replace my car's transmission, and it was so expensive, I had to replace my car's transmission. Oh, transmissions can be very expensive.

[A]

Super crazy.

[B]

And then we said, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I guess. I don't know if that one applies. Yeah.

[A]

I. I think I would use it this way. If I'm, like, frustrated that something cost a lot of money. Yeah. I'm like, okay, I'm frustrated about this. This is super expensive. But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Right. I'm sort of trying to, like, refree in my mind instead of just being upset about how much I've had to pay, like, but did you die? You know, I'm stronger for it.

[B]

Right. I think it's the idea that raw life experience makes you better. So every experience, whether it's good or bad, is still raw life experience, Right?

[A]

Yeah. Or I might say I got food poisoning yesterday and was so sick. But what doesn't kill you makes. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, I guess. Oh, God.

[B]

These Are bad scenarios operate bad scenarios.

[A]

But did you die?

[B]

Did you die? That's what you always have to say. Did you die alive? You're okay.

[A]

Kind of trendy for someone to be like, but did you die if someone trendy now? Yeah, I think so. I hear it a lot. Interesting.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

You're complaining about something negative or something hard instead of like, no pain, no gain. That's another one. Like, but did you die? I love that. I love that.

[B]

Okay, I'm going to start using that. In that case, yes, do.

[A]

All right.

[B]

All right. What about number three, Fortune favors the bold. So those who take risks reap the benefits. Absolutely. There's, you know, no risk, no reward is another phrase that my dad used to always tell me, actually, because he was a small business owner. And, you know, no risk, no reward, 100%.

[A]

And this one, both of those are a little bit different. They're not just about something that's happening to you that you might be frustrated. You know, this isn't going to be about replacing a transmission. This is more like you're taking risks. You're proactively doing something difficult and good results will follow.

[B]

Yeah. And I think, especially taking risks when it doesn't feel. It feels counterintuitive or it feels like you're scared. Doing the scary thing when you're already scared is often the right move. You know what I mean? That's often the right thing to do, and you don't figure it out until much later. But if you have a gut feeling, then you're on the right track for sure.

[A]

Right. You might say, like with buying lottery tickets. Right. I'm buying some lottery tickets this week. Fortune favors the bold. It's like you're taking a risk. That's a big risk.

[B]

Couple dollars. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And then we could say, Fortune favors the bold. So our company is acquiring a competitor. Yeah. You're being aggressive. You're not caving in on yourself as a company and hoping to win. Instead, you're going after your competitors, acquiring them, and being aggressive. So being aggressive when you think you should be defensive. What is that expression that Warren Buffett has? He always says, you know, when others are being fearful, you. Or what is it. What is it that he says? Do you know that he says something like, when others are being fearful, you should be aggressive and vice ver. And then the opposite of that, vice versa.

[A]

So our. List it up. Yes. Look up that phrase. But that it's such a good. It's so true, right. That if you see your competitors kind of hedging their bets. That's the time to be aggressive. Maybe take advantage of the situation. That's often how you're going to get ahead.

[B]

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[A]

You and I are neighbors that run into each other on the sidewalk, Both going for a walk.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Hey there. Going for a run?

[B]

Yep. No pain, no gain.

[A]

I heard you're training for a marathon.

[B]

Oh, yes, I am. It's in June.

[A]

O, better you than me. They say what doesn't kill you make you strong, makes you stronger. But I think a marathon would kill me.

[B]

It'd kill me if I tried to run one day one today. It'd kill me if I tried to run one today. Definitely takes a lot of training.

[A]

Well, I'm impressed you're going for it. Fortune favors the bold.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, for sure. For a marathon, we can't just walk out our door and start running.

[A]

Imagine.

[B]

Unless you're Forrest Gump or something. You know, he did that, I guess.

[A]

Takes a lot of training for. For the average person, for sure.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. All right, let's break this down. So you said, hey there. Going for a run.

[A]

Yeah. You said, no. Yep. No pain, no gain. So this is a fun way to respond, right? It's. It's playful. It's like. Yep. You know, it's a. Because when someone says, like, Going for a run. And when you run into a neighbor like this on a sidewalk, it can be awkward. It's like, what do I say? I want to say hello, but they're clearly going for a run. We're not going to have a long conversation. This is a great way to connect. Just be like, oh, going for a run. Yeah, no pain. No pain.

[B]

Exactly. You don't want to show any signs that you're trying to engage them in too much conversation because they might be busy. They might want to not break their rhythm of the run. So there's a. There's a privacy aspect here. Right. It's a real value in American culture. We don't want to kind of like, insert ourselves too much if someone already has a routine going.

[A]

Yeah, for sure. And this is interesting because this role play would branch depending on how the person responds. If they say, yep, no pain, no gain, and keep running, you'd be like, bye, have fun. That's it. The conversation would end, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But if they, you know, they've stopped and they clearly are like, oh, I kind of want to catch up for a second. Or maybe they're running in place. You could be like, I heard you're training for a marathon. It's still going to be a pretty brief conversation, but you could have a little bit of a back and forth.

[B]

Yeah, for sure. So just kind of keeping in mind what's going on in the context. I love it. And then you said, better you than me. They say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. But I think a marathon would kill me. And what's the intonation there for our listeners, Aubrey?

[A]

But I think a marathon would definitely emphasize wood. Would kill me, right? Yes. Yeah. And this is a fun way to use this, right. To. To kind of say that you don't believe this is true. They say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. But. And then whatever it is that you don't want to participate skydiving, scuba diving, something, and be like, but I. I'm actually worried that I would die.

[B]

Yes. I love it. And then you said, Aubrey, what's the last thing you said?

[A]

I said, well, I'm impressed. You're going for it. Fortune favors the bold. And this is great. If you find out someone's running a marathon or doing something that is a huge challenge or taking on a risk, what a great thing to say. What a good way to connect, to compliment them this way. Fortune favors the bold.

[B]

Exactly. And then the next time you see them, the way to build that connection is check in on that marathon training. Right. How's it going? I see the marathons coming up. Are you ready? Oh, yeah. How are your training sessions been? That is the way to really strengthen those relationships through English.

[A]

Yes. Follow up. Absolutely. We want to share a recent episode, 2319. If you missed it, scroll up. It was. Where's that from? How to ask about an idiom's origin. So not only can you use idioms in your conversations, you can also ask if someone knows where they're from, information about them. That's a fun conversation, too.

[B]

Yeah. And for a takeaway today, Aubrey, I love this topic, you know, this topic that success requires a little bit of suffering. I think it's true, you know, and this could be a great conversation starter for our listeners to go into, you know, their choice of a career path, their visions for the future. Lots of conversation starters here, right?

[A]

Yeah. With the start of the new year, you might be deciding to take more risks to do something exciting and challenging. And it's a great thing to ask others about. Right. What are you doing this year that scares you that, you know, you feel like is going to be challenging? What a fun conversation.

[B]

And we all should have an answer for that. Right. Even if we're not going through major life changes. It's always good to be doing. And I should take my own advice. It's always good to be doing something that scares us a little bit. Right?

[A]

Yeah. Push ourselves a little bit.

[B]

Exactly. Exactly. I love it. All right, Aubry, Good stuff, guys. Hit the follow button on this episode to make sure you get future episodes of Allers English dropping right into your queue. And Aubry, I'll see you next time.

[A]

Awesome. See you next time.

[B]

Bye. Thanks for listening to all ears. English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our 2 minute quiz, go to allearsenglish.com 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.