AEE 2355: Don’t Get Tripped Up By English Vocabulary

Summary

All Ears English Podcast - Episode 2355: Don’t Get Tripped Up By English Vocabulary

Release Date: February 11, 2025

Hosts Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan delve into the intricate world of English phrasal verbs in Episode 2355 of the All Ears English Podcast. Titled "Don’t Get Tripped Up By English Vocabulary," this episode offers learners practical insights into using “trip” and its various phrasal forms effectively, enhancing both their spoken and written English skills.

1. Episode Overview

The episode centers around demystifying the phrasal verbs associated with the word “trip.” Lindsay and Michelle explore the different contexts in which these verbs are used, providing listeners with clear examples and practical applications to avoid common pitfalls in English vocabulary.

2. Personal Anecdotes and Introduction to Tripping

Lindsay shares a personal story about tripping onto a shuttle bus while skiing, highlighting the embarrassment and confusion that can arise from such mishaps. This real-life example sets the stage for discussing both the literal and metaphorical uses of “trip” in English.

“One of the most embarrassing moments. I almost started crying. It was really, really bad.”
— Lindsay (03:08)

Michelle relates by sharing her experience of tripping off a ski lift, emphasizing the additional pressure felt when one is skilled yet still makes mistakes.

“If you're a good skier and it happens, it's even worse. It's like, okay, no, I could do better than this.”
— Michelle (03:34)

3. Listener Interaction: Understanding “Tripped” Phrasal Verbs

The hosts address a thoughtful question from a YouTube subscriber, Basil Muhammad, regarding the nuanced differences between “tripped up,” “tripped over,” and “tripped on.”

Lindsay introduces the topic:

“I could say, I'm terribly sorry, I don't mean to trip you up, or I tripped over my own feet and fell down the stairs.”
— Lindsay (04:44)

4. Detailed Breakdown of Phrasal Verbs

a. Trip Up

“Trip up” is primarily used in a metaphorical sense to indicate making a mistake or being confused.

“On IELTS Energy, we do say this a lot when we're talking about how students get tripped up on the exam.”
— Michelle (06:31)

Examples:

• “I got tripped up when the direction said head north and I went south.” (07:04)
• “Daylight savings time often trips me up.” (07:13)

b. Trip Over

“Trip over” refers to the physical action of stumbling due to catching one's foot on an obstacle.

“I tripped over a rock on the hike and twisted my ankle.”
— Michelle (08:17)

c. Trip On

Similar to “trip over,” “trip on” is used to describe stumbling due to encountering an obstacle.

“I tripped on the uneven sidewalk and almost fell.”
— Michelle (10:18)

Both “trip over” and “trip on” are interchangeable when describing physical tripping, and the hosts emphasize that specifying the object causing the trip is essential.

5. Practical Applications and Role-Play

To solidify understanding, Lindsay and Michelle engage in a role-play scenario where they demonstrate the use of “trip over” and “trip on” in conversation between classmates.

Role-Play Highlights:

• Michelle: “I tripped over a rock when I was hiking and fell and broke it.” (13:43)
• Lindsay: “A few of the questions tripped me up, but then I figured them out.” (14:03)

This exercise showcases both the physical and metaphorical uses of “trip,” reinforcing the lesson’s key points.

6. Additional Insights and Tips

The hosts provide valuable tips on handling mistakes in English conversations:

• Acknowledge the mistake: “Sorry, I'm tripping over my words here. What I meant to say was X.” (16:22)
• Maintain confidence and connection: Emphasizing that making mistakes doesn't hinder human connection and can be an opportunity to showcase vocabulary.

7. Notable Quotes

• “Connection is the most important thing.”
  — Lindsay (16:22)

• “If you're going to say trip over, then you have to state what it was that you tripped over.”
  — Michelle (07:48)

8. Additional Resources and Recommendations

Lindsay and Michelle recommend listeners to explore the Business English Podcast, specifically Episode 3:54 on phrasal verbs like “take on,” to further expand their vocabulary in professional settings.

“Search for business English. You'll see the yellow come up and go ahead and hit the follow button on that show, too.”
— Lindsay (15:35)

9. Conclusion and Key Takeaways

The episode concludes with a reaffirmation that mistakes are a natural part of learning English. The hosts encourage listeners to embrace errors as opportunities for growth and connection rather than setbacks.

“Mistakes are inevitable. They don't have to get in the way of human connection.”
— Lindsay (16:22)

10. Final Thoughts

Episode 2355 serves as an invaluable resource for intermediate to advanced English learners seeking to master phrasal verbs related to "trip." Through personal anecdotes, listener interactions, and practical examples, Lindsay and Michelle provide clear guidance on using these expressions confidently and accurately, reinforcing the podcast’s mission of fostering connection over perfection.

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Transcript

[A]

This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2355. Don't get tripped up by English vocabulary. 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. To get real time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the Allears English app for iOS and Android. Start your seven day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward/app.

[B]

It is 100% normal to make mistakes in English. Today you'll get three new and natural ways to use phrasal verbs to get back in the game when you make a mistake.

[A]

Do you struggle with phrasal verbs? They can be confusing. So coming up this week on All Ears English, we'll show you three new phrasal verbs to talk about making a mistake. And then on Saturday, we'll answer the question, should we say I don't care in English? To make sure that you don't miss any of these episodes, go ahead and hit the follow button right now on the All Ears English podcast. And thank you for listening to our show. Hello, Aubry. How's it going today? Happy Thursday. We're recording today on a Thursday.

[B]

Happy Thursday to you. I have a question for you, Lindsay.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

When is the last time you tripped?

[A]

Oh, my gosh. Unfortunately, I had it. Yeah, I had a recent event. My brother and my niece came to ski with us on Sunday and we had gotten all our stuff out of the car. I was already feeling a little rushed. And I also had this feeling that I kind of had to prove myself as a skier from in front of my brother this particular time. And we, we were stepping into the b. Just, just still in the parking lot. Okay, we're not even on the slopes yet. We're still in the park. And I'm stepping onto the shuttle bus that is going to take us to the mountain. I step in hard with my ski boot. It's slippery, but, you know, I can handle it because I've done it many times, right? I step in and somehow I catch my boot on the little yellow rubber thing that's sort of the ridge. And I have never seen a more flailing fall in my life. I do a lot of this trying to save myself back and forth. And I'm gonna fall and I'm not gonna fall all of a Sudden, I'm on my butt, and I'm, like, intertwined with some guy's boot, and it. Embarrassing. One of the most embarrassing moments. I almost started crying. It was really, really bad. Meanwhile, my brother and my niece are like, what's going on with you?

[B]

Right. Just staring in shock. Oh.

[A]

He's like, are you gonna stop the lift, too? And I'm like, I'm actually a really good skier. And so.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

It was. Oh, it was so bad.

[B]

Oh, wow. In the parking lot.

[A]

Yes. And I tripped right on that little ridge.

[B]

Yeah. Just be careful if you're stepping in with. Yeah, I have tripped off of a ski lift. I just, like, I'm trying to get off and just fall.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, get out of the way so they don't have to stop the ski lift.

[A]

Oh, it's so bad. Yeah. And when that happens, if you're a good skier and it happens, it's even worse. It's like, okay, no, I could do better than this, you know, Right?

[B]

I'm better than this. I know, right? Well, I asked you about this. I love that you have a very recent story, because we got a great question about tripped and all of the different ways we use it. Tripped up. We use trip a lot in English, so I'm very excited to dive into this today. But make sure to hit follow, guys, if you're not following. We have five episodes every week, and you're likely missing some of them if you don't follow the show.

[A]

Yeah. I love that we're starting with this episode too, Aubrey, with the physical concept of tripping. And then we're going to extend today into what else that can mean in a more metaphorical way. So good.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

So good.

[B]

Yeah. So this is from a YouTube subscriber, Basil Muhammad. 8431. So thank you for leaving this comment on YouTube. Do you want to read it for us, Lindsay? Yes.

[A]

Here we go. So Basil says hi. Jessica, Aubry, Michelle, and Lindsay, the Ollers English folks. You guys are doing a great job cheering us on through a journey of learning that's full of excitement, fun, and a great sense of humor. The thing that stimulates us to carry on our long learning practice. Thank you a lot.

[B]

Well, thank you. I love that so much.

[A]

It's lovely. So good to have you as a listener. I've recently come across an IELTS Energy episode when I heard Aubry say tripped up. It's a very interesting phrase. And after a little research, I see that there's not only tripped up, but also Tripped over and sometimes tripped off. I'm no expert, but they pretty much sound the same even from the overall context. For instance, I could say, I'm terribly sorry, I don't mean to trip you up, or I tripped over my own feet and fell down the stairs. The exact problem that I'm facing is in the usage. How can I throw in this phrase succinctly when I'm speaking to someone else? Would you please give us some information on the differences? Thank you in advance. Wishing you all the best and cheers. Nice.

[B]

Such a great specific question. I love that Basil heard this on the I Energy podcast. If you're not subscribed or following, go and follow I Energy as well, because a lot of great vocabulary comes up, even if you're not studying for I 100%.

[A]

I love this. And this is a very native and natural way of up leveling your vocabulary. So we're going to show our listeners how to do it today. So let's dive right in. Aubrey, where are we starting today?

[B]

Yeah, so we are going to share the three main ways. Ways that we use trip with phrasal verbs. Trip up, trip over, and trip on. And then we're going to do a great role play where you can see how we use all of these. So the first one, you've heard this a lot. Lindsay shared that physical tripping. But there are other phrasal verbs that have a very different meaning.

[A]

Yes, for sure. So starting today with tripped up. Right. So this is not the physical version. And we're going to come back to trip. To tripping physically in the next one. But tripping up is really to make a mistake, right, Aubrey?

[B]

Exactly. On IELTS Energy, we do say this a lot when we're talking about how students get tripped up on the exam. Right. It can mean to make a mistake or cause to make a mistake. We often say exam writers intentionally try to trip you up. It's almost like they're trying to fool you, trying to make you miss answers.

[A]

Yeah, the tricks and the traps of the exam. Right, Aubrey? And if our listeners are interested in learning about those tricks and traps, go over and subscribe, hit follow on the I Energy podcast. All right.

[B]

Yeah. So a couple examples here. You might say I got tripped up when the direction said head north and I went south. Right. So it just means I made a mistake.

[A]

Exactly. Or daylight savings time often trips me up. And a lot of people complain about this. Right. When we put the clocks forward and back and the first morning they're tired.

[B]

Yes. You guys have definitely Heard me mention this. Daylight savings time definitely trips me up because Arizona doesn't change, so I have to keep track of where the rest of the world is. Is very confusing.

[A]

Yeah, you're in a weird zone there where it ends up being quite complicated. Yeah, exactly. All right, so trip up just to kind of make a mistake. Not physically making a fall or anything like that, but just making a mistake, getting confused, falling into a trap of something.

[B]

Exactly. Right. And it is important that if you're talking about physically tripping, you wouldn't say, you know, I tripped up on the ski hill or when getting into the bus. Right. That only means making a mistake. So keep track of the prepositions we add to these phrasal verbs. It does change the meaning.

[A]

Exactly. And this next one. Now we're going back. Something similar to the example I shared about the bus. Right. Trip over something or trip on something. We'll start with trip over. Aubry. What's this one?

[B]

Yeah. So trip over. It's physically like catching your foot on something and then either falling or almost falling. So we wouldn't just say, oh, I tripped if it's. You know, if you're not talking about what you tripped on, but you might say, I tripped over a log on the hike and twisted my ankle. So we use tripped over when we're stating what it was that made us trip.

[A]

And we can also do this when it comes to speaking. And I love this use of it. Right. That's quite a tongue twister. I keep tripping over my words. Right. And this can happen for sure when we just. It's like word salad or something that comes out word vomit.

[B]

Oh, yeah. You guys hear us do this on the podcast, right? The more you talk, the more you're likely to trip over your words. Every now and then, I'm like, checking transcripts for keywords for the app, and I'll hear us trip over our words in a funny way sometimes. It's always pretty entertaining. I'm sure you guys as well, and.

[A]

We love showing our listeners that. Right. We really don't go back and edit these episodes of Allers English or Business English, because we want you to see that that's normal and that doesn't impede connection. Right. You can always connect. Even if you're tripping over your words, you're making mistakes. This is how native speakers connect. All right.

[B]

Yes, exactly. But it's interesting to. To look at that sentence. If we're going to say trip over, we'll still say what? Even if it's not physical. I tripped over my words. Right, right. So be sure to. When you use this one trip over, you're going to state what it is that made you trip, either physically or metaphorically.

[A]

But I think it's also important to say you can just say, oh, I tripped and fell. Right. You don't have to say. Obviously, if you're going to use a preposition like over on, then you need to say the thing way. But you can. I can just say, on Sunday, it was so embarrassing. I tripped and fell on the bus and everyone stared at me and I started crying.

[B]

Right. You can just use the verb trip by itself. I tripped. But if you're going to say trip over, then you have to state what it was that you tripped over.

[A]

Exactly, exactly. And then we have one more physical tripping. Right?

[B]

Yes. And Basil had asked about trip off. We don't actually use this, but we do use trip on. So they might have heard trip on. We might say, I tripped on the uneven sidewalk and almost fell. So this interchangeable with trip over. You're still going to state what you tripped on.

[A]

I love it. Or sometimes I trip on my words if I speak too quickly. So when we're talking about the same concept that we mentioned for trip over my words or trip on my words. Both work here.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. And I hear both. I use both. These really have the same meaning. You don't have to think twice about should I say trip on or trip over. Either works.

[A]

And I actually think this is a fantastic resource for our listeners if they are feeling like they're making mistakes and they're feeling awkward and they want to say something. And that would actually boost your confidence by just going ahead and saying, sorry, I'm tripping over my words here. What I meant to say was X. Because you're inserting that high level expression that could boost your confidence and get you back in the game. That could probably work on Ielts too. Aubry.

[B]

Yes. I love that idea, actually. And it does. It gives you a way to sort of diffuse any awkwardness. And the native speakers do this as well. Because we trip over our words as well.

[A]

Yeah, I love that idea of using a resource. Not just being quiet or feeling embarrassed or, I don't know, breaking eye contact. Instead, you go to a vocabulary resource, right?

[B]

Yeah, absolutely.

[A]

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[B]

Yes, you guys might be aware of this. If not, we're going to share. Often this verb or these phrasal verbs will be used for drug usage. So people might say they are tripping on a drug or trip out is used to talk about someone who is experiencing the effects of a drug. So when you hear the verb trip or tripping, you'll just to be aware that that might be what someone is talking about.

[A]

All right, let's move into the role play. Aubry. So here we are, classmates, and you are wearing a cast on your leg. So it looks like you broke your leg. All right. Yes.

[B]

You want to start us out?

[A]

Oh, what happened to your leg?

[B]

I tripped over a rock when I was hiking and fell and broke it.

[A]

Oh no. Sorry to hear it.

[B]

It's so weird. I feel like I've tripped on rocks a lot but never got injured. Just bad luck, I guess.

[A]

How long do you have to have the cast?

[B]

Eight weeks. Hey, by the way, were you able to complete the homework?

[A]

Oh yeah. A few of the questions tripped me up. But then I figured them out.

[B]

I had a hard time. I may need to meet with the professor during her office hours.

[A]

Yeah, so a lot of different versions of tripping up here. Tripping over, tripping on. I love it. Exactly.

[B]

And you'll see I used trip over and trip on here, both with rocks because these are very interchangeable. We could switch these out. I could have said I tripped on a rock when I was hiking at the beginning. And then I feel like I've tripped over rocks right don't stress about which to use. These have the exact same meaning.

[A]

They really do. Trip on a rock, trip over a rock. It's really the same thing. So don't worry too much about that.

[B]

For both of them. Be sure to state what you tripped on or tripped over. I couldn't just say I've tripped on a lot. Right. If so, you got to leave the preposition off and just say, I trip. I trip a lot. But this time.

[A]

Right. And you, like I said earlier, you could totally say, oh, I tripped when I was hiking and I fell and I broke my leg. But if you're going to specify the it, you do need a preposition in there.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Then I said, yeah, a few of the questions tripped me up, but I figured them out. You asked about the homework.

[B]

Yeah. This is the very different meaning of causing you to make a mistake. Right. Some of these questions really tripped me up. That has nothing to do with physical tripping or tripping over our words. It means they were difficult, they were confusing, or they caused me to make some errors.

[A]

Yeah. I love how practical this episode is and how our listeners are going to be able to go out there and just implement this right away. This is so good. Aubrey, is there another episode maybe on the business English podcast that our listeners should check out?

[B]

Yes. We talk about phrasal verbs a lot. And there was an episode I want to make sure you guys caught on Business English. It was 3:54. Take on your workday with this English phrasal verb. All the ways we use take on at work. So whether you work in English or not, we cover a lot of great vocab over there. And you want to make sure to follow the business English podcast as well.

[A]

Well, yeah, exactly. So just go ahead and open your search bar. Wherever you're listening today, search for business English. You'll see the yellow come up and go ahead and hit the follow button on that show, too. All right, now, I think a great way to leave our listeners is what we said earlier is mistakes are inevitable. They don't have to get in the way of human connection. We believe connection is the most important thing. And what can we do now, Aubry, if we do make that mistake, we have an option. We have a resource.

[B]

I love that idea of not hiding from it or pretending it didn't happen. State it right, name it. Be like, I tripped over, I'm tripping over my words. What I meant to say was, and it diffuses awkwardness and is is using impressive vocabulary.

[A]

And that builds confidence. I mean, you could, like I said, get yourself right back in the game by saying, wow, I just used. Yeah, I made a mistake, but I didn't break the eye contact. I didn't shy away or lose my energy or slump my shoulders. I kept my shoulders back. I maintained eye contact, and I used a cool idiom express.

[B]

Right. Whoever you're talking to is going to first of all not mind that you're tripping over your words and then be impressed by the vocabulary you're using.

[A]

The recovery. I love it. It's so good. All right, Aubrey. Good stuff today, guys. Don't forget to hit the follow button and thanks for hanging out on the show.

[B]

Awesome. See you next time.

[A]

Take care. Bye.

[B]

Bye.

[A]

Thanks for listening. To all ears. 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.