AEE 2384: Don't Be Hit or Miss With Your English

Summary

Episode Summary: All Ears English Podcast - AEE 2384: Don't Be Hit or Miss With Your English

In Episode 2384 of the All Ears English Podcast, hosts Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan delve into the versatile English expression "hit or miss." Aimed at intermediate to advanced ESL learners, this episode explores the nuances of the phrase, its practical applications, and related expressions to enhance conversational fluency and comprehension.

---

Introduction to "Hit or Miss"

The episode kicks off with Lindsay and Michelle sharing personal anecdotes about their favorite restaurants, setting the stage for discussing the phrase "hit or miss." Lindsay introduces the topic by asking, "Is there any restaurant you love that's good and reliable? Pretty much almost 100% of the time?" (02:16), to which Michelle responds with a nostalgic memory of a reliable lobster roll shack from her childhood.

Defining "Hit or Miss"

Lindsay clarifies the meaning of "hit or miss" by explaining, "If something is hit or miss, it's basically... it's inconsistent in terms of the results. You know, we don't kind of don't know what we're gonna get. Is it gonna be great? Is it gonna be not so good?" (03:58). This sets the foundation for understanding the expression as describing something with unpredictable quality or outcomes.

Personal Experiences and Usage

Both hosts share their usage of the phrase in everyday conversations. Lindsay mentions, "I would say it was just hit," emphasizing reliability in her favorite Indian restaurant (02:40). Michelle adds, "I don't use it a ton, but I think I... it's an important one for our listeners to know," highlighting the phrase's relevance in describing varied experiences (05:09).

Community Insights: Poll Results

Transitioning to listener engagement, Lindsay and Michelle discuss the results of a poll from a previous episode about task management styles—piecemeal vs. all-at-once approaches. Michelle reveals, "68% of the audience wants to do things all at once," compared to 31% who prefer a piecemeal method (05:38). This segment underscores differing approaches to consistency and reliability in personal habits.

Expanding the Vocabulary: Related Expressions

The hosts further enrich the discussion by introducing related terms such as "dud" and "spotty." Lindsay explains, "A dud is not so good. It's like some... it just turns out to not be great," providing clarity on nuanced vocabulary (09:13). They also explore "spotty," commonly used to describe inconsistent services like internet or phone coverage, with Michelle sharing her frustration: "I can't deal with a carpool that's unreliable. I need to get to work on time." (15:08).

Practical Application: Role-Play Scenario

To solidify understanding, Lindsay and Michelle engage in a role-play where Michelle asks Lindsay for coffee shop recommendations. Lindsay responds naturally using the phrase, "It's kind of hit or miss," and suggests a more reliable alternative (17:07). This interactive segment demonstrates the practical usage of "hit or miss" in everyday conversations, making it easier for listeners to apply the expression in real-life contexts.

Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Concluding the episode, Michelle emphasizes the importance of consistency in personal and professional settings, stating, "Is your quality consistent with what you're delivering on a daily basis?" (19:23). Lindsay echoes this sentiment, encouraging listeners to maintain consistent efforts in their English learning journey by staying connected with the podcast.

---

Notable Quotes

• Lindsay McMahon (03:58): "If something is hit or miss, it's basically... it's inconsistent in terms of the results. You know, we don't kind of don't know what we're gonna get."

• Michelle Kaplan (05:09): "I don't use it a ton, but I think I... it's an important one for our listeners to know."

• Lindsay McMahon (09:13): "A dud is not so good. It's like some... it just turns out to not be great."

• Michelle Kaplan (15:08): "I can't deal with a carpool that's unreliable. I need to get to work on time."

• Michelle Kaplan (19:23): "Is your quality consistent with what you're delivering on a daily basis?"

Conclusion

Episode 2384 of All Ears English Podcast offers a comprehensive exploration of the phrase "hit or miss," enriched with personal stories, practical examples, and interactive segments. Lindsay and Michelle effectively guide listeners through understanding and applying the expression, while also introducing related vocabulary to broaden their linguistic repertoire. The episode serves as a valuable resource for ESL learners seeking to enhance their conversational English and grasp the subtleties of native expressions.

---

For more episodes and resources, visit AllEarsEnglish.com.

Transcript

[Lindsey McMahon]

This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2384. Don't be hit or miss with your English.

[Podcast Announcer]

Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times.

[Michelle Kaplan]

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, Lindsey McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, usa.

[Podcast Announcer]

And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglish.com subscribe sometimes in English. We need a way to convey that the quality of something is inconsistent today. Get native and natural ways to say.

[Michelle Kaplan]

This in the English language.

[Podcast Announcer]

Listen in today.

Do you know your English level? Knowledge is power, as they say. And knowing your English level is the first step to actually reach your goals. Take our free 2 minute specialized quiz to discover where you're at now and get custom tips for how to reach the next level. Go to allersenglish.com fluency score. Answer eight questions and get your results immediately. Go now to allersenglish.com fluENCY score.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Hello, Michelle. How are you?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Good, Lindsay, how are you?

[Michelle Kaplan]

I'm feeling great today. What are we getting into in our episode today?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Okay, so I have a question. Is there any restaurant you love that's good and reliable? Pretty much almost 100% of the time?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Oh, man, there used to be this little lobster roll shack that I used to like to go to in my parents town of situate right on the ocean. That was pretty, pretty much good 100% of the time, but it was an exception. Most places, you know, are more like hit or miss. Right?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Right. Yeah. Yeah. Well, back near where I used to live, there was this Indian place called Karma Cafe. And to me, that was good 100% of the time. I'm going to say it was so reliable and the service, everybody there so friendly. We were the regulars there. So I would not say that place was hit or miss. I would say it was just hit.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Just hit all the time. I love it. What was your favorite? What was your favorite dish there? What do you typically order? What do you go for? Indian food.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Oh, I love the paneer makhani.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Okay, nice.

[Lindsey McMahon]

I would say that's my favorite. I like, I like any. I like all Indian. So good. What about you? What do you have when you have it?

[Michelle Kaplan]

I like curry. Any kind of curry. I love it.

[Lindsey McMahon]

I made curry the other night.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Ooh. How did it turn out, Michelle?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Actually, not bad. It was. I was shocked. I mean, listen it's not, it's not authentic or at, at a good restaurant or anything like that. But for me, I was pretty. I was proud.

[Michelle Kaplan]

That's pretty awesome. Now, Michelle, you mentioned in our little natural conversation there, hit or miss. Right, we mentioned that and you said it's always hit. Are we talking about taking a baseball bat to the restaurant or what?

[Lindsey McMahon]

No, no, exactly. So this is this expression. Actually, we don't ever say something is. Well, actually, that's not true. We would say it's a hit.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Oh, we do say it's a hit.

[Lindsey McMahon]

That's true. But we don't say something is hit. It's a little bit different, but. So I was just really making a joke. But the expression is hit or miss. And this is the opposite of, you know, something is always great. Well, no, it's not the opposite. It's kind of in the middle. Right. The opposite would be. It's always terrible, but.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Something. So if something is hit or miss, it's basically. It's inconsistent in terms of the results. Yeah, you know, we, we don't. We kind of don't know what we're gonna get. Is it. Is it gonna be great? Is it gonna be not so good? So. Yeah. What do you think about this, Lindsay? Would you. Do you use this?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Well, when I think about this, you know how we have these weird memories from childhood, just kind of like scenes that we remember. I remember there was a store in my town and that was the name of the store. It was like a retail shop, like dresses. And I'm thinking, why would you name. And now, now that I didn't realize it then, but now when I think about it, why would you name your shop Hit or Miss?

[Lindsey McMahon]

That's funny. That's really funny.

[Michelle Kaplan]

It was a thing of the 90s, you know, it was the 90s.

[Lindsey McMahon]

The 90s. Yeah, exactly. So. But yeah, I would say that this expression comes up pretty frequently. So this is going to be super useful to our listeners.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Absolutely. And Michelle, do you say this a lot yourself? Is this one of your go to's?

[Lindsey McMahon]

I would, I would say so. I think that it comes up pretty naturally. How about for you?

[Michelle Kaplan]

I would say so. Yeah, I don't, I don't use it a ton, but I think I. I mean, I know it. I've heard it around. It's an important one for our listeners to know. Yeah, for sure.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, I would say so. So, guys, before we get into it a little bit more, we want to give you some results from a poll we did on Spot Spotify. It was episode 2356, which was learn some new English while you're at it. I remember that one, Lindsay. And yeah, yeah. So guys, if you haven't heard this one, this is really good. It's about while you're at it. So the question was for the poll was do you piecemeal tasks?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

So basically, do you do things just in smaller chunks or do you prefer to get everything done at once? So, Lindsay, would you like to read the results for us?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes. This is very interesting because we were talking in the episode about our own styles. Michelle. Right, yeah. And it. Now remind me what your style is before I announce the results.

[Lindsey McMahon]

It's funny because I forget. I, I think I, I want to say piecemeal.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, I think you said piecemeal. We were talking about cleaning. Talking about. So.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, right, right, right.

[Michelle Kaplan]

And I'm actually kind of surprised that most of the audience is on my side, so. Most. So 68 of the audience wants to do things all at once. Like let's say you're going to clean your house, you just get it done in a three hour sprint and not do it again for two weeks or a week. And then 31% want a piecemeal. Kind of you, you had said in that episode you want to just pick things up, you know, every evening a little bit at a time. But to me that makes it feel like you're just cleaning every night, all the time. Yeah, yeah.

[Lindsey McMahon]

But then it gets so overwhelming if you leave everything. Like even, even for me, when I leave the laundry for a few days, I was, I was being so good about the laundry and I was putting everything away on the day of. And. But I, I was doing laundry like every single day and now I've left it. And that pile of days and days of laundry, to me, it's not really worth the smaller amount of work, you.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Know, I don't know. For me, I like to see results. Like if I vacuum, I want the rug to be dirty so I can see it be very clean, you know?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Oh my God.

[Michelle Kaplan]

That's maybe because you, I mean, you have two kids, you know, you have a lot more laundry than I do in my house. So maybe that's what it is.

[Lindsey McMahon]

I don't know. Maybe. I don't know. I don't know. All right, so let's talk about hit or miss. That was so what kinds of things do we use this for? We, I mean, this is for, I would say a lot of opinions. I mean, we were talking about restaurants, so that's a common one. Or you were a retail store.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Who names their store that? I have no idea. But yeah, I think this is good. When you make a recommendation to someone and then you're trying to pull back a little bit and say, oh, it's kind of hit or miss. You could try it. Right, right, right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah. I mean, it could be used for really a lot of things. I mean, it could even be about like a director's movies.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right, so.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Oh, this. I. I like this director, but sometimes I find his. His material is hit or miss.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, that's a good one. Musicians. Right. So if you go to a concert, songs.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, maybe concerts.

[Michelle Kaplan]

There's a singer you like and you went to one concert which was great, and then, you know, the other one wasn't so good. So you say in concert, he's hit or miss.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Right? Yeah, yeah, exactly. So let's do some examples. All right. You want to start with the first one?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Sure. Here we go. I really think we should go with the Marriott for the trip. The other place is always hit or miss. And I just want to know I'm in a good hotel. Yeah, I understand that feeling a little more as I'm getting older, actually.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, I mean, so maybe you've stayed at a lot of Marriotts before and you find them to be reliable. Whatever you think of Marriott. I don't know. I just use this for example, but, you know, and then there's another chain or another smaller hotel that's hit or miss, and you just want to have a good place that you can trust.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right, exactly. A comfortable bed and yeah, sometimes we're in this kind of mood. Right. We want to go for the hit. What we know is going to be a hit. Here's another example. Her books are kind of hit or miss. I've liked a lot of them, but there have been some duds too. Now, dude, dud. That is a good bonus for our listeners today, Michelle.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yes, I'm gonna add it to the list. So, yeah, a dud is not so good. It's like some. Yeah, a dud is a specific. Yeah, not so good.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Just does the thing. Just turns out to not be great. Maybe you had high expectations for it and it just kind of fell flat.

[Lindsey McMahon]

It fell flat. One.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Fell flat. Yeah. So, yeah, there are some authors. Maybe you like some of their books and then do you ever read one? Like, do you have any specific authors that you read a lot of their books?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Not really, no. I go more from book to book. It's more about the, the, The COVID It's. It's usually about the COVID Yeah.

[Podcast Announcer]

Oh, me too.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Oh, I'm ter. I definitely judge books by the COVID.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, I know we shouldn't do that. Right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

But we. Some of them are so beautiful.

[Michelle Kaplan]

They are. They are. Yeah.

[Lindsey McMahon]

It's about.

[Michelle Kaplan]

It's about the title, or maybe just. There's a recommended book list, or maybe it's just on my bookshelf and I needed something to read. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What's. What's the next example, Michelle?

[Lindsey McMahon]

All right, the next one is that restaurant's food is hit or miss. I think we should go somewhere else this time.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, so. Yeah, exactly. I mean, is. Is hit or miss? Here's a good question. Does it usually follow with we should try it or we shouldn't try it?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Well, looking at my examples, I would say that it ends up being more of a negative introduction. Yeah.

[Michelle Kaplan]

So maybe I take back what I said earlier, which is that we would say it when we. We recommend something. I may not do that because.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Right or miss it does have more of a. It's not so much of a. Yeah, it's more of kind of this emphasis on the miss part than the hit.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, kind of. Right. So I'm gonna recommend a restaurant if you're coming to my town, which I know is going to be great. Consistently great. Right, right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

You don't want to recommend something and then say, oh, it's hit or miss.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Any examples in your life, Michelle, of something that has. Miss anything else you could think of?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Hit or miss? O. I'm trying to think.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Well, maybe next time. Maybe next time we'll. We'll come back to it.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I. I did. I. I mean. Okay, how about this? Like, some exercise classes I've tried. Like, this is a little bit different, but maybe the times I've tried yoga. Okay. Because it can be very different depending on your instructor or what kind of yoga. So I could. Oh, these. The classes, like, have been, like. Not necessarily that. I'm talking about one place's yoga class, but sometimes I could say my experience is hit or miss with yoga.

[Michelle Kaplan]

That makes sense. That makes sense. And another example I just thought of is ski terrain. So I ski a lot on the weekends. Certain mountains can be hit or miss in terms of the terrain. You know, certain mountains don't groom as much, so they're more prone to being icy when the conditions aren't good overnight. If it rains or something and then it ices over, you're skiing on a skating rink. Right. So it's pretty hit or miss. Conditions are pretty hit or miss. Maybe try a different mountain. That. That's an example.

[Lindsey McMahon]

That's a good example. That's a good example.

[Michelle Kaplan]

All right.

[Podcast Announcer]

Are you in charge of hiring at your company? There are great candidates out there, but they tend to get hired fast. That's why speed matters. Stop struggling to get your job post seen on other job sites. Indeed's 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 sponsored jobs. One of the things that I love about Indeed is that it makes hiring fast and easy so that I can get the most high quality applications for my job openings. 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@ Indeed.com AEE just go to Indeed.com Aeed right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com a e e that's I n d e dashed.com a e Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you.

[Michelle Kaplan]

All right, Michelle, So we've talked about what this means, and there are other more technical ways to say this and some fun ones here. The word inconsistent. Right. Her work is kind of inconsistent, and I don't know why. Yeah. And what we mean here is in terms of the quality. Inconsistent. The quality.

[Lindsey McMahon]

This is about quality. Right. This one is also a fun one, is spotty. Now, I would say most of the time we use this for the Internet, right?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, that's my reality right now.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Or. Or service like some sort of, you know, your phone, your Internet, whatever it is. Would you use this about anything else?

[Michelle Kaplan]

I think the. Not really. Yeah, I think the coverage, the COVID the F, maybe the phone lines like this. Very similar to the Internet. Right. The coverage is spotty. The Internet is spotty. You can't rely on it. Right, right, right, right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

So, yeah, the Internet here is spotty. Make sure you have a backup.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, exactly. That runs into the next one, which I already use this word. Yeah. Unreliable. So perfect. I can't deal with a carpool that's unreliable. I need to get to work on time. Oh, my gosh. No. Yeah. That's probably why a lot of people drive to work. Right?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yes.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Unreliable. Interesting.

[Lindsey McMahon]

I mean, what do you think about. I mean, are there times you think in your life where you really want to just always know that something is going to be a sure thing or are you sometimes just okay with, oh, this is hit or miss. I. It could like, it could be a hit. So I'm gonna give it a try?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Well, I think it. I think it's important to. I guess when I'm thinking of learning. So I'm learning tango now. Did I tell you that, Michelle? I'm taking tango classes.

[Lindsey McMahon]

How's it going?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Well, I'm proud to say I've graduated to tango two. So I'm in tango two now. Yes. And also I was at the gym this week and the. The instructor said, you know, the key to success is repetition, just repetition. So I think if we think about our own actions, it's important to be consistent to make sure we are rel with what we're doing. Go to the class, repeat the steps, do the reps. That is kind of a huge, like, unsung hero of success is repetition, consistency.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I, I definitely find that too with things I'm learning. I'm actually starting to sing again.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Oh, Michelle, that's awesome.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yes. My. My friend and I are. Have been. Are. Are practicing to start doing our first open mics, so. Yeah. So. But yeah, with like open mics, I could say. Oh, I don't know. You know, there are some in the area, but open mics can be kind of hit or miss. Right. We. Sometimes they're really great. There's like a lot of people. That's a good vibe. Or sometimes it's kind of, I don't know, awkward.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Well, you have to share with. With us, with the audience when you have your first one and how it goes. That is so exciting.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah. So that I'm. I'm really happy about that. All right, let's do a role play.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Let's do it. So here I'm asking you for coffee shop suggestions in your town. Maybe I came to visit you in your town. I have to get a coffee. So let's see. All right. All right. I saw a place on Google called Preppy Coffee. Is it any good?

[Lindsey McMahon]

It's kind of hit or miss. I like their cappuccinos, but the atmosphere isn't always great. Try Love my Coffee down the street. I don't want you wasting your money on somewhere that's unreliable. Plus the Internet is always spotty and I know you need to do work.

[Michelle Kaplan]

O.

[Podcast Announcer]

Thanks.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, I don't want to go to a place that's quality is inconsistent. Yeah. Go to a place that's. Or whose quality.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Whose quality? Yeah, yeah, I know. I, I, I, I know. That was weird. I don't know where the quality is inconsistent. Exactly.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah. I love it. I love it. And this is the typical conversation you might have. Maybe I came to visit you, but I have to work during the day while you're working. I work remote. I'm looking for a coffee shop to park in for a while. Right? Yeah, perfect. All right, so let's go through it. Michelle, what did I say first? What did you say?

[Lindsey McMahon]

So I said, you said, is this coffee place any good? And I said, it's kind of hit or miss. And I just wanted to highlight that because sometimes we, we, Yeah, I could say it's hit or miss, but sometimes we say kind of hit or miss. It's kind of hit or miss. Right.

[Michelle Kaplan]

So incredibly natural. I, we do this a lot when we, I think the reason we do that is because we're trying to soften the blow for the coffee shop.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, exactly. Ye.

[Michelle Kaplan]

And then you said, you said, I don't want to, I don't want you wasting your money on somewhere that's unreliable. Now, Michelle, that gave me a great idea for another episode. I don't want you doing something. I don't want you doing this. Fantastic. A lot of context in which we use that. Guys, hit the follow button to get that episode coming up soon. All right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Okay. Good idea, Lindsay. All right. And then I said, plus, the Internet is always spotty, so something specifically that we use for some sort of connection. And I know you need to do work.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Exactly. So inconsistent again. Right? Inconsistent quality. And then I said, thanks. Yeah, I don't want to go to a place where the quality is inconsistent. Yes. And that just tops off the conversation.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Right, Exactly. All right, well, yeah, this was fun. And, guys, we also want to remind you, don't be hit or miss when you listen to Aller's English. You got to hit follow so that you can be there 100 of the time. We don't want you to be inconsistent with your English learning.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, exactly. And for a takeaway, I mean, think about times in your life where consistent quality matters. Maybe if you have your own business or if you provide a service, even if you work for a company, you know, what would people think about your work? Right. This is a good inquiry into our, into ourselves. Is your quality consistent of what you're delivering on a daily basis? Good to have that inquiry, don't you think?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, like that yes, exactly. All right, guys, well, this was fun. And Lindsay, have a good day, and I'll see you in the next one.

[Michelle Kaplan]

All right. Bye, Michelle. Have a good one. Bye.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Bye.

[Podcast Announcer]

Thanks for listening.

[Michelle Kaplan]

To all ears. English.

[Podcast Announcer]

Would you like to know your English level?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Take our two minute quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com forward/fluency score.

[Podcast Announcer]

And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Sure you don't miss anything.

[Podcast Announcer]

See you next time.