
Learn how to use language from the court in everyday English
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Lindsay McMahon
This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2385.
Michelle Kaplan
Order in the court. Everyday courtroom English. Welcome to the All Ears English podcast. Downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English?
Lindsay McMahon
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.
Michelle Kaplan
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.
Do you like to watch courtroom dramas today? Find out which words you hear on these TV shows are used in everyday life.
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 allearsenglish.comfluencyscore Answer eight questions and get your results immediately. Go now to allearsenglish.comfluencyScore.
Lindsay McMahon
Hey there, Michelle. How's it going today?
Michelle Kaplan
Be good, Lindsay. Lindsay, have you ever had jury duty?
Lindsay McMahon
I actually have recently, Michelle. I was called in and, you know, you go through stages, you. You get a. You get a mailing and then you have to call the night before and find out if your number was called. My number was called. So that means you go in that day and then you watch the videos. And then if your number gets called again, you're actually on the selection process. So it's like three rounds that you have to be lucky or unlucky, depending on how you think of it. I. But my number did not get called that time.
Michelle Kaplan
Okay.
Lindsay McMahon
What about you, Michelle?
Michelle Kaplan
Yes, I have had it. I've had it in New York. And I remember I actually made it to the Vadir.
Lindsay McMahon
The Vadir that it is. Voidir. Yes.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah. And they give you a microphone and they. Yeah, I did. And they asked me questions and I remember I was really nervous because it was right before kind of a break in my schedule or I had planned to go home.
Lindsay McMahon
Oh, yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
I think I said something to the judge and they were like, sorry, you know. Yeah. But then luckily I didn't get chosen after the voice.
Lindsay McMahon
They didn't like you as a jury then? As a juror. Juror, I guess is the word. Interesting. Interesting.
Michelle Kaplan
What about. Yeah, what about courtroom dramas? Do you like do you watch anything like Law Order?
Lindsay McMahon
Of course. Of course. And there was a great movie called Jury Duty, actually.
Michelle Kaplan
TV show.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah. I highly recommend the movie. I remember thinking it was really fun, funny, or really good or something. Yeah, I've seen the courtroom dramas, you know, the crime shows, the. The true crime series. They're everywhere. I think most of what we learn about juries and trials is actually on tv.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes. Or movies. Like I was thinking. You and I have talked many times about my cousin Vinnie.
Lindsay McMahon
Michelle. I have an update there. I actually watched that over the weekend.
Michelle Kaplan
Oh, did you?
Lindsay McMahon
I watched it over the weekend. Yep.
Michelle Kaplan
Amazing.
Lindsay McMahon
Still.
Michelle Kaplan
Still, right?
Lindsay McMahon
Such a good movie. But you know what? The second time or the third time, whatever time it was, I remember it being funnier the first time I watched it.
Michelle Kaplan
This time.
Lindsay McMahon
I didn't. I. It was funny, but it wasn't like stitches funny. You know, I got stitches in my belly funny. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's good. Like, it was a clever movie also. It's just fun because it's from the 80s, you know? Yeah, yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
Oh, I love that movie. Yeah. Oh, that's so funny that we're talking about this, then. So perfect. Guys, before we get into it, we want to let you know that we are going to have a poll on Spotify that we announced at the episode. At the end of the episode. Towards the end. And yeah, we have a lot of fun with these because we ask you guys a question, and if you're listening on Spotify, you can put your answer in. And some of them, like this one, we will read on a future show. So we will read, actually what the results were. So it's a really fun way to interact with us.
Lindsay McMahon
Exactly. And we'll get to that at the end of the episode. So stick with us here. But today we're gonna have this fun episode about idioms that come from the courtroom. And I think it probably is the fact that courts and trials and juries are so embedded in our psyche due to the media. We actually use a lot of idioms, a lot of law idioms in everyday life. Michelle, what do you think?
Michelle Kaplan
Why.
Lindsay McMahon
Why do you think we use them?
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, I. I agree. I would say that it's on tv. I mean, there are always. What is it that there's a hundred different law and orders and. Yeah, people seem to just gravitate towards. Towards courtroom stuff.
Lindsay McMahon
They do. Yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
And so, yeah, I think it's just seeped its way into our natural vocabulary.
Lindsay McMahon
Yes. People love. Maybe they like justice, they like the truth. It's it seems dramatic and exciting, these jury trials. Right.
Michelle Kaplan
Lawyers.
Lindsay McMahon
Trial lawyers have to really think on their feet and be creative and also very smart. So it's kind of inspiring in a sense. Watch her.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, yeah, definitely. So, again, these expressions that we're going to teach, they're not, they're. They use courtroom kind of lingo, but they're not used. You don't have to be talking about the court. Right.
Lindsay McMahon
We don't have to go. We don't have to be in a jury trial. Hopefully you're not right to use these expressions. Right. We don't want to be in courtrooms.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, exactly.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
So, Lindsay, we did want to announce our Android app reviewers, right?
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah. I just want to say a special shout out to one recent reviewer. Special thank you to Kazra, who reviewed us on February 27, 2025 with a five star review. You know, we love seeing these reviews, guys. They are huge for us because we do this podcast for you. So huge thank you to Kazra and Michelle. What can our listeners do if they want to hear their name on the show?
Michelle Kaplan
Definitely go wherever you're listening to us and leave us a review because we do read them. Lindsay sends them around and I always read them and they make a smile and you can even ask a question in your review.
Lindsay McMahon
So, yes, just to know that we'll directly be reading that review. So go ahead and leave it, guys. We'll try to announce your name on the show. All right, Michelle, let's get into it. So where does jury and courtroom language show up in everyday English? Outside.
Michelle Kaplan
Let's do some. Yes. So one thing sometimes people say is what's the verdict?
Lindsay McMahon
Right.
Michelle Kaplan
Do you ever hear people say that or you say that? Yep.
Lindsay McMahon
Oh, yeah, for sure. So what is the ver. I mean, I'm not asking what's the verdict, but what is a verdict, Michelle?
Michelle Kaplan
A verdict, it's kind of. This is the decision that the. The jury comes to. So the verdict. Guilty, not guilty, right?
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, yeah, exactly. What's the decision? So someone has been thinking about something in everyday language. Someone's been considering something. Maybe they're thinking of taking a new job, for example. Right. Or it's something lighter. Like, where do you want to go for lunch? I gave you some time to think about it. And Michelle, what's a sample sentence then?
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah. So, yeah, what's the verdict on lunch? Are we getting tie? Right.
Lindsay McMahon
So, exactly. Yes.
Michelle Kaplan
Like, what was the outcome of the decision? What did you decide?
Lindsay McMahon
Exactly. So, and the key thing to know here, this is A real nuance, Michelle, but I feel like there needs to be a gap of time in which someone has been thinking about it. Right. Let's say I called you in the morning, and we're both at work. I say, hey, Michelle, you want to get lunch today? Sure. And you say, sure. And then I say, can you. Can you think of where you want to go and when we meet up, we can decide. So I gave you the choice, and I know that you're thinking about it. And then when we come back together, I'm gonna say to you, so, Michelle, what's the verdict on lunch? Verdict on lunch.
Michelle Kaplan
Right.
Lindsay McMahon
Don't you think there needs.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, well, there needs to be that time. And I guess that comes. If you think about it. Makes sense with the courtroom. Right. The verdict is after some deliberation amongst the jury. So it's not. I wouldn't say to you, lindsay, what do you want to do for lunch? And then, I don't know. And they say, what's the verdict?
Lindsay McMahon
And actually, that's fun, because that leads directly into our next one. The jury's still out.
Michelle Kaplan
So the jury's out.
Lindsay McMahon
Right. Deciding where you want to go for lunch. We're just doing these fun little analogies here. So. So with the verdict piece, someone needs to have been thinking about something. Okay.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes.
Lindsay McMahon
So I wouldn't just say, hey, what do you want to do tonight?
Michelle Kaplan
What's the verdict?
Lindsay McMahon
No, that doesn't really work, right?
Michelle Kaplan
No, no, no, no. There needs to be time. So with the jury still being out. The jury hasn't decided yet. There's no decision yet. So you could say. You could say the jury's out, or you could even say the jury's still out. Either one. But what's an example with that?
Lindsay McMahon
Okay. You can say, the jury's still out as to whether or not school will be closed for snow tomorrow. And I don't know what your thoughts are on kind of belaboring an analogy or. But I probably wouldn't continue with that same line, like, if I asked you, what's the verdict on lunch? And you probably wouldn't say, oh, I don't know, the jury's still out. You probably wouldn't say that. Right. That's too much. Right.
Michelle Kaplan
I mean, unless I was trying to be super, oh, you know, I don't know, humorous or whatever. But no, I wouldn't.
Lindsay McMahon
No, no, no. It doesn't mean we have to continue with these same. I guess this kind of analogies, in a sense, not. What's the word? I'm Looking for metaphors or I'm not sure, but it's too much. It just gets a little overwhelming, so. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
Snow days. Lindsay, did you, do you remember being a kid and just like looking at the bottom of the TV to see if your school was closed or the jury was still out? Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
Oh, and I remember there was a number we could call either TV downstairs or a number and I, I, it was, I had memorized, you know, your school administrative unit, district. Right. Then you're waiting for that.
Michelle Kaplan
SAU 29.
Lindsay McMahon
Come on, say it, say it. Right.
Michelle Kaplan
Yep, yep, yep. Exactly. So, um, a lot of jury was still out anyway.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah. So funny.
Michelle Kaplan
All right.
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Lindsay McMahon
Okay, so now, Michelle, we have another great one super relevant in everyday life and culture. What is it?
Michelle Kaplan
This is to plead the fifth.
Lindsay McMahon
Yes.
Michelle Kaplan
Now. Yeah, let's get into the amendments a little bit. Let's see what is this about?
Lindsay McMahon
Okay, this is talking about the fifth amendment in the Constitution. The amendment of not having to self incriminate so you don't have to say anything. You, you know, if lawyers ask you questions or the, the D A, the district attorney is asking you questions, you can plead the fifth. And we see this a lot on crime shows. And also when people first get arrested, they're read their, what do they call them, the Miranda rights. The fifth amendment is probably one of them. I'M guessing probably. I don't know.
Michelle Kaplan
But yeah. And whenever somebody says plead the fifth, you get this feeling of it's guilty. You know what I mean? Maybe it's not true, but I. At least in. At least in fun language, that's how it's used.
Lindsay McMahon
Right.
Michelle Kaplan
If you're. If you're kind of guilty of something. So let's do this little role.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah. Let's take this back to. To a normal situation at home. Right. Hey, did you eat the last cookie?
Michelle Kaplan
I plead the fifth.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah. So we're not here. Right. We're not being arrested. It's more like, oh, yeah, I probably did, but I'm just being playful, and I'm not going to admit that I did.
Michelle Kaplan
Right, right. I'm saying I did.
Lindsay McMahon
Like, that's essentially. Yeah, you're saying you did. Okay, that's an important piece. Case closed, Michelle. Case closed.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah. This means the case has ended. The judge is moving on to the next one. Right? Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
This is fun. This episode is fun. So essentially, outside of the courtroom, which is where we all exist, is it means this is over or this has been resolved. We're no longer talking about this thing. Right. Maybe you've been debating this for a while, and this could be used in more serious, like, arguments between spouses, maybe.
Michelle Kaplan
Right, right.
Lindsay McMahon
Like you want to live in the city and maybe he wants to live in the countryside, and you've been debating for years, and then finally you decide. Okay, case closed. We've decided this, right?
Michelle Kaplan
Yep, exactly. Or it could be used in a much lighter way. Like, this is the best ice cream ever. Case closed.
Lindsay McMahon
Nice. I like that. So you can see the range for that one is pretty wide in terms of scenarios.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes, very much so. Lindsay, which of these do you like the most?
Lindsay McMahon
Oh, my gosh. I really like. I like. The jury's still out. I think that's kind of fun. The jury's still out because it means a decision is still being made about something. Yeah, yeah. And often that's the place we live. Where we hang out in the world is we're. We're ruminating over something or we. We're thinking about something, you know, and taking our time. So the jury's still out.
Michelle Kaplan
Exactly. So let's get into our poll for today, guys. Again, you're going to see this Spotify. So the question is, do you like to watch courtroom shows? Yes or no? So we want to know who's into those kinds of shows.
Lindsay McMahon
Yes. And if you're listening in YouTube, Michelle, let's throw this out there. If you are watching today in YouTube, you can answer this, too. Answer the poll in the comments, but tell us, what is your favorite? So answer yes or no. But then if it's yes, you have a place to make a comment. So tell us, what is your favorite courtroom drama? We're looking for recommendations. All right, Michelle.
Michelle Kaplan
All right. Perfect. All right, let's do a role play. Lindsay.
Lindsay McMahon
All right, so here we are, friends, and we're trying to figure out who forgot to pay their dinner bill on Venmo after a group dinner.
Michelle Kaplan
So again, we're gonna use these expressions, but as Lindsay mentioned earlier, you probably wouldn't use them all like this.
Lindsay McMahon
Yes.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
You wouldn't belabor that too much, right? You wouldn't. It just gets a little tacky. A few.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, it's a little much.
Lindsay McMahon
Unless you're having fun. I don't know.
Michelle Kaplan
Okay, here we go. All right, so. Okay. Okay. So you paid.
Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
Okay, so the jury's still out as to who didn't Venmo you yet.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, I have to look through who ordered the giant cake.
Lindsay McMahon
Oh, I plead the fifth, but I paid for it.
Michelle Kaplan
Okay, good. And what's the verdict on the restaurant for next week?
Lindsay McMahon
Undecided.
Michelle Kaplan
Just because I hope whoever it is pays me back by then. Oh, wait, I just got an alert. Jared just paid. All good now.
Lindsay McMahon
Oh, good. Case closed. Nice. We're going to investigate Jared if he doesn't pay.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes.
Lindsay McMahon
All right, so here we have a bunch of idioms, fun idioms. And first, you said, who, so you paid. Clearly, you're looking to figure out who needs to pay. And then I said, okay, so the jury's still out as to who didn't Venmo yet. Right?
Michelle Kaplan
Right. So we don't know who it was. Right.
Lindsay McMahon
And just to pay attention to the grammar here, the jury's still out as to something. Right. So I want our listeners to pay attention to that. We need the grammar to make this work. Right. The jury is still out as to something.
Michelle Kaplan
All right? And again, this isn't. This is a little bit different because it's not like, oh, the decision being made. Right. The jury being out. But. But it's still. I think it's just used also in terms of something is still a mystery. Yeah, we're figuring something out.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, yeah, you're figuring something out. There's a mystery. You've got to do some research. Maybe. Yes.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes. Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
Then what?
Michelle Kaplan
I said, who ordered the giant cake?
Lindsay McMahon
And it was me. And I'm admitting it here. Right. As we Said, oh, I plead the fifth, but I paid for it. And it's funny because by saying I plead the fifth, you're saying I ordered.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, yeah, right, yeah, exactly. Because I didn't even ask you specifically, but you just.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.
Michelle Kaplan
And I said, and what's the verdict on the restaurant for next week? So it sounds like we do kind of a maybe a weekly dinner or we just know that. Yeah, we're deciding. So I'm saying, what's the decision?
Lindsay McMahon
Okay, excellent. What's the verdict? Good. And then we, we went down to the bottom and you said, oh, Jared just paid. All good now. And then I say, oh, good. Case closed.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes.
Lindsay McMahon
So that just means we figured it out, we're moving on. Is all set. Yeah. Good. Fun episode today, Michelle. Because especially because these actually, you know, we' just making this up here, guys. Like these, we genuinely do use these expressions in everyday life. Okay.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, that's why I, that's where I got the idea because I said, I said one of these in real life. So. And then I was like, oh, I love it. They're fun. Anyway, guys, check out episode 2382. Drive safe or drive safely. When to use flat adverbs in English.
Lindsay McMahon
Interesting. Love it. And what's our takeaway? Where should we leave our listeners? Where should.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, these are just fun. They're used, as you can see, they're very versatile because they can be used in more serious situations or more light hearted, humorous situations like where's the ice cream? Oh, I played the fifth. So you know, just listen for these. Don't use them all at once. Give it, give them a try. And yeah, let us know how it goes. These, you will definitely hear these around.
Lindsay McMahon
Excellent. And guys, don't forget to leave us a review wherever you listen, whether it's Spotify or Apple podcasts or, or YouTub, you could write a comment or in the app. All right, good stuff. Okay, Michelle, well we'll see you very soon back on the show.
Michelle Kaplan
All right, bye, Lindsay.
Bye.
Lindsay McMahon
Thanks for listening to all ears. English.
Michelle Kaplan
Would you like to know your English level?
Lindsay McMahon
Take our two minute quiz, go to allearsenglish.com forward/fluency score.
Michelle Kaplan
And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make.
Lindsay McMahon
Sure you don't miss anything.
Michelle Kaplan
See you next time.
All Ears English Podcast: Episode 2385 – "Order in the Court - Everyday Courtroom English"
Release Date: April 3, 2025
In Episode 2385 of the All Ears English Podcast, hosts Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan delve into the fascinating intersection between courtroom language and everyday American English. This episode, titled "Order in the Court - Everyday Courtroom English," explores how legal idioms permeate daily conversations, making English learning both engaging and practical for intermediate to advanced ESL learners.
The episode kicks off with Lindsay and Michelle sharing their personal encounters with jury duty, setting a relatable tone for listeners.
Michelle Kaplan recounts her experience in New York:
"[...] I actually made it to the Vadir. They gave me a microphone and asked me questions. I was really nervous because it was right before a break in my schedule." [02:24]
Lindsay McMahon discusses her recent jury duty process:
"[...] It’s like three rounds that you have to be lucky or unlucky. But my number did not get called that time." [01:53]
They transition into discussing their love for courtroom dramas, mentioning popular shows like Law & Order and the movie Jury Duty, highlighting how these media portrayals influence public perception and language use.
Lindsay and Michelle explore why courtroom terms have become ingrained in everyday English, attributing it to the pervasive nature of legal dramas in media.
Michelle Kaplan observes:
"People seem to just gravitate towards courtroom stuff. It’s seeped its way into our natural vocabulary." [05:07]
Lindsay McMahon adds:
"People love maybe they like justice, they like the truth. It seems dramatic and exciting." [05:22]
This discussion sets the stage for introducing specific courtroom idioms that listeners can incorporate into their daily conversations.
The primary focus of the episode is on three courtroom idioms: "What’s the verdict?", "The jury’s still out," and "Plead the fifth." The hosts provide definitions, contextual usage, and examples to ensure listeners grasp both the meaning and application of each phrase.
Definition: Asking for a decision or conclusion after consideration.
Usage Example:
"What's the verdict on lunch? Are we getting pizza?" [07:32]
Lindsay McMahon emphasizes the importance of context:
"There needs to be a gap of time in which someone has been thinking about it." [08:11]
Definition: The decision or outcome is still undecided.
Usage Example:
"The jury's still out on whether we should implement remote work permanently." [08:33]
Michelle Kaplan explains:
"It means a decision is still being made about something." [14:08]
Definition: Refusing to answer a question to avoid self-incrimination, often used humorously in casual contexts.
Usage Example:
"Did you eat the last cookie?"
"I plead the fifth." [13:03]
Lindsay McMahon highlights its playful use:
"It's more like, oh, yeah, I probably did, but I'm just being playful." [13:10]
To solidify understanding, Lindsay and Michelle engage in a role-play scenario incorporating the discussed idioms. This interactive segment demonstrates how these phrases can seamlessly fit into everyday situations.
Scenario: Discussing Unpaid Bills Among Friends
"Case closed." [16:20]
This segment not only reinforces the idioms but also showcases their versatility in both humorous and practical contexts.
Towards the end of the episode, Lindsay and Michelle offer key takeaways to help listeners effectively integrate these idioms into their vocabulary:
Versatility: Courtroom idioms can be used in a wide range of scenarios, from serious discussions to light-hearted banter.
Context is Crucial: Ensure there's an appropriate setting and timing when using these phrases to maintain natural conversation flow.
Practice Makes Perfect: Encourage listeners to try out these idioms in real-life situations to build confidence and fluency.
Before concluding, the hosts announce a Spotify poll asking listeners if they enjoy watching courtroom shows, fostering community interaction. They invite listeners to share their favorite courtroom dramas, promising to feature responses in future episodes.
Episode 2385 of the All Ears English Podcast masterfully bridges the gap between legal jargon and everyday English, offering listeners practical tools to enhance their conversational skills. Through engaging discussions, relatable examples, and interactive segments, Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan provide a comprehensive guide to incorporating courtroom idioms into daily language, thereby enriching the ESL learning experience.
Notable Quotes:
"We will show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection." – Lindsay McMahon [00:18]
"The jury's still out because it means a decision is still being made about something." – Michelle Kaplan [14:08]
"Case closed." – Michelle Kaplan [16:20]
For more engaging English learning episodes, subscribe to the All Ears English Podcast and join the community striving for connection over perfection.