AEE 2422: Don’t Be Loath to Speak English

Summary

All Ears English Podcast: Episode AEE 2422 – "Don’t Be Loath to Speak English"

Release Date: June 9, 2025
Hosts: Lindsey McMahon and Aubrey Carter

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Introduction

In Episode 2422 of the All Ears English Podcast, hosts Lindsey McMahon and Aubrey Carter delve into the nuanced usage of the word "loathe" in American English. This episode is particularly beneficial for intermediate to advanced ESL learners aiming to enhance their vocabulary and grasp the subtleties of expressing strong dislikes.

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Understanding "Loathe": Adjective vs. Verb

[00:41] Lindsey McMahon:
Lindsey initiates the discussion by posing a personal question to Aubrey: "Is there anything you are loathe to do?" This sets the stage for exploring the word "loathe" and its correct usage.

[01:48] Aubrey Carter:
Aubrey shares a relatable anecdote about being "loathe to swim" in an ice-cold pool with her children, highlighting the natural aversion to extreme discomforts.

[03:10] Lindsey McMahon:
Lindsey emphasizes the distinction between the adjective and verb forms of "loathe," noting its common misspelling and usage even among native speakers. "If you spell this correctly, you're doing better than probably 80% of native English speakers." This underscores the word's advanced nature.

[04:37] Aubrey Carter:
Aubrey breaks down the grammatical usage:

• Adjective: Loathe (without an "e") is used in the phrase "loathe to do something," indicating an intense dislike.

  • Example: "I'm loathe to swim in our pool." [04:37]

• Verb: Loathe (with an "e") functions as a verb, expressing active hatred.

  • Example: "I loathe driving in snowy weather." [06:13]

Key Takeaways:

• Spelling Matters: Ensure the presence or absence of the "e" based on its grammatical role.
• Intensity of Emotion: Both forms convey strong negative feelings, making them suitable for expressing profound dislikes rather than mild aversions.

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Expanding Vocabulary: "Abhor" and "Disdain"

[07:56] Aubrey Carter:
Aubrey introduces "abhor", a term denoting an even stronger sentiment than "loathe."

• Example: "I abhor eel." [14:17]

[09:18] Lindsay McMahon:
Lindsey further explores "disdain," explaining its dual role as both a noun and a verb.

• Noun: Represents a feeling that something isn't worthy of respect.
  • Example: "She looked at him with disdain." [09:37]
• Verb: To treat someone or something with contempt or disrespect.
  • Example: "He disdains to answer questions." [09:52]

Notable Quotes:

• "Abhor is a good one and then disdain is good." — Lindsey McMahon [08:11]
• "These words really signify that a passionate dislike. It is strange if you use them." — Aubrey Carter [11:54]

Key Takeaways:

• "Abhor" conveys the highest level of dislike and is suitable for expressing profound aversions.
• "Disdain" implies a lack of respect and is often used in contexts beyond personal dislikes, such as opinions on policies or behaviors.

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Practical Applications and Building Connections

[17:59] Lindsey McMahon:
Lindsey encapsulates the episode by highlighting that connections in language aren't solely built on positive shared experiences. Admitting dislikes can foster trust and deeper relationships.

[18:13] Aubrey Carter:
Aubrey agrees, adding that expressing genuine negative feelings can strengthen bonds:

• "I feel like that would even bond you closer with someone if you are sort of willing to admit these more negative things." [18:28]

Key Takeaways:

• Authenticity: Sharing dislikes can lead to more authentic and trusting relationships.
• Balance: While positive connections are valuable, acknowledging negative aspects creates a fuller, more genuine interaction.

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Role Play: Expressing Dislikes Through Vocabulary

[14:17] Aubrey Carter:
The hosts engage in a role-play segment discussing foods they dislike, effectively demonstrating the practical use of the vocabulary:

• Aubrey: "I'm not usually picky, but I absolutely abhor eel." [14:17]
• Lindsey: "I've always had disdain for masago." [14:32]

Notable Quotes:

• "Abhor is a little strange when used casually about food." — Aubrey Carter [16:58]
• "You need to emphasize 'loathe' just like the emotion behind it is powerful." — Aubrey Carter [15:43]

Key Takeaways:

• Contextual Usage: Words like "abhor" and "disdain" are best reserved for situations requiring strong emotional expression.
• Emphasis: Proper intonation and emphasis are crucial when using these intense vocabulary terms to convey the appropriate level of emotion.

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Conclusion and Key Insights

In this episode, Lindsey McMahon and Aubrey Carter provide a comprehensive exploration of the word "loathe," differentiating its adjective and verb forms, and introducing related terms like "abhor" and "disdain." They emphasize the importance of understanding these nuances to elevate one's English proficiency and enhance expressive capabilities.

Final Thoughts:

• Mastery of such vocabulary not only improves language skills but also enriches interpersonal connections by allowing for more genuine expressions of emotion.
• Being mindful of the intensity and appropriate context for each term ensures effective and accurate communication.

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Additional Resources

For listeners eager to further assess their English proficiency, the hosts recommend taking a 2-minute quiz available at allearsenglish.com/fluencyscore.

Connect with Hosts:

• Website: All Ears English
• Social Media: Follow on your preferred podcast platform to stay updated with new episodes five days a week.

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Join the community of learners embracing connection over perfection and continue your journey to speaking American English like a native!

Transcript

[Aubrey Carter]

This is the Allers English podcast, episode 2422. Don't be loathe to speak English.

[Lindsey McMahon]

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. Reach the top 25% of all native speakers by understanding these three ways to say that you dislike something in English. Do you ever wish that you could just hang out with native speakers and pick up real English? Naturally? That's what it's like here on All Ears English. We're two friends having real conversations. No scripts, no lectures. Just fun, honest talk about life, culture, and how to connect in English. It's like grabbing coffee with us and leaving with better English every time. But if you're not following Allers English, then you're probably missing some episodes. So go ahead and hit the follow button now. Wherever you listen to the show, hit follow now and come check us out five days a week. Hey there, Aubry. What's shaking?

[Aubrey Carter]

Not much. How are you, Lindsay?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Feeling great today. But I have a key question for you today. You ready?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah. Let's hear it.

[Lindsey McMahon]

So, Aubry, in your daily life, or just maybe right now, in this moment, is there anything you are loathe to do?

[Aubrey Carter]

You know, I am loathe to swim with my kids. Right now, our pool is still ice cold. In my opinion, it's way too cold. And they are ready to swim. They're getting in. They're like, mom, come swim with me. And it's way too cold for me. So I try make excuses, and I really. I'm like, I'll just dip my toes in. Yeah, it's crazy. So I am really loathe to get in that cold swimming pool.

[Lindsey McMahon]

It's funny how we lose our nerve as we get older. It becomes harder and harder to get into swimming pools or cold lakes or the ocean. When we're kids, we just run in.

[Aubrey Carter]

Like we didn't mind at all. I know. It's. Maybe our nerve endings are less sensitive when we're younger. I don't know. Or we just don't care.

[Lindsey McMahon]

We just don't care. I don't know. We don't think about it. I don't know. We think a lot as adults, don't we?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, for sure. Well, this is interesting. This word loath came up in a recent episode. Stay to the End and we'll share which one it is in case you missed it. But I realized when proofreading the transcripts that it is spelled differently if it's an adjective or a verb. That's a really good. I noticed like the misspelling and I was like. But usually I thought it did end with an e. So this is interesting. We're going to share this today. This is a common error by native speakers as well. So not something you really need to stress about. But if you can make this improvement, there will be times where people are impressed. If it's an email or a written memo or something, especially at work, and you spell this correctly, you're doing better than probably 80% of native English speakers.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Oh, for sure. And I think even beyond just spelling it correctly, just using it is going to put you probably in the top 25 of native speakers, I think. I. I don't think this is an average word. I think this is an above average word to use, Aubry.

[Aubrey Carter]

Don't you think? Yes. It's an impressive word. We're going to go into both the verb and the adjective and we're also going to share a few more interesting ways to. To share this. Because connection isn't just about things you have in common and things you like. We also connect about things we loathe, things we dread, things we hate. So this is interesting too. You need to also have this vocabulary.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah. And it doesn't mean that you're a negative person. If you're always connecting, there can be very positive connection around something you don't want to do, especially if you share that in common with someone else. That can be a true connection moment as well, right?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes, for sure. We also want to give a shout out. There was a comment on YouTube from Rehoman from India and there wasn't a question, but they just said, I love all your podcasts. Could you please call out my name in your next podcast? So, hello, Rahman, thank you for the YouTube comment and we wanted to give you a shout out.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Wonderful. And guys, don't forget to go ahead and hit that follow button wherever you're listening. Now, if you're over on YouTube, you can hit the subscribe button. Just subscribe right there. However, if you're on Apple podcasts or Spotify, go ahead and hit follow. So you make sure you get allers English five days a week. Okay?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes. Awesome. All right, let's dive in with this interesting vocabulary. So when we use the adjective loathe, it's always in this chunk, loathe. To loathe to do something. And this means to intensely dislike or hate something. So, like at the top of the episode, I'm loathe to swim in our pool. Or you might say, I'm loathe to go through haunted houses. I really don't like them. This is true for me. I don't like jump scares. I don't want to be like, yeah, that's not fun. Do you like haunted houses?

[Lindsey McMahon]

I'm the same way. I, I love opposite word. I love going on ghost tours.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah.

[Lindsey McMahon]

You could be on the sidewalk and you're safe and it's happening in that house. Right. It's not happening to you. It's very different when you're in a haunted house and things are jumping out at you. Right.

[Aubrey Carter]

I think this is for. My brother would do this when I was young. He would jump out from behind a door and grab you and scream. And I. So I really hate that now. I'm like, please don't jump scare.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, no, jump scare. I love that.

[Aubrey Carter]

But what's interesting is lo, this way as an adjective is spelled without an e. It's just L O A T H. Loathe to do something. So that's tricky. What's another example of using it this way?

[Lindsey McMahon]

So someone's habits, right? They're nocturnal. How. How awake are they? What is their. What are their habits? He has always been loathe to get up early. Okay.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes.

[Lindsey McMahon]

He's just a nighttime person, not a morning person.

[Aubrey Carter]

Exactly. Right. And like Lindsay said, this is a little less common, but it is impressive. It's impressive vocabulary. You will hear it, you definitely can use it. But the spelling's a little tricky because there's no e there. What about when there is an E? Lindsay? This is when it's a verb in the sentence.

[Lindsey McMahon]

To be honest, this is a good review for me too. Right. Remembering where the E goes. So put an E at the end in this case. Right? L O A T H E e. And that becomes a verb. Okay, Exactly. For example, I loathe driving in snowy weather. And I think native speakers tend to punch that loathe too.

[Aubrey Carter]

I agree. That almost would be strange because it's like intense hatred or dread. So it would be strange to be like, I loathe driving in snowy weather. Emphasize it. I loathe the driving in snowy weather.

[Lindsey McMahon]

And it's also one of those kind of full mouthed words. You need everything happening. So we really indulge in saying that word.

[Aubrey Carter]

Okay, I agree. Absolutely. Or maybe she loathes doing Homework. Right. This has. It can't be something that you just sort of don't like a little bit. It really has to be a pretty intense feeling.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Love it. Love it. All right, Aubrey, where to now? What else do we need to know?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, so just the main thing is that these are pronounced exactly the same. So when you're speaking, you don't have to worry about this at all. It's like effect and effect that we've talked about recently. Yes. Doesn't matter when you're speaking, but they are spelled differently. So when you're writing, if you see the word loathe, you need to take a second. Okay. Is this being used as an adjective or a verb? And the big pro tip here is if it's loathe to loathe to do something, that's when there's no e because it's an adjective.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Really good to know. So if we're taking the IELTS exam, for example, or if we're just writing a business email, we need to know. Or even a text message to a friend. We need to know the difference here.

[Aubrey Carter]

Okay, Absolutely. But let's share some other interesting options, because if you're talking about being upset about something or angry or something you dread or hate doing, there are so many interesting words to ways to say this. Right?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yes. Yes.

[Aubrey Carter]

I really like the word abhor, and this is actually even stronger than loathe, if you can believe it, because lo is pretty strong. But if you say you abhor something, that's like the most intense dislike that you can get.

[Lindsey McMahon]

O. Okay. So, for example, I abhor small spaces. I'm definitely claustrophobic. Are you claustrophobic, Aubrey?

[Aubrey Carter]

Do you mind being an elevator? What about you?

[Lindsey McMahon]

No, I don't think so. I had an apartment in New York, so. Or Tokyo, too.

[Aubrey Carter]

If ever you lived in New York, you can't be claustrophobic basically living in a closet.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, for sure.

[Aubrey Carter]

But if I had to be in an elevator for hours and hours, then I might start getting claustrophobic. I can imagine the length of time definitely would affect that.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, because your mind would start running. Right.

[Aubrey Carter]

That's the key.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Okay, what's another.

[Aubrey Carter]

Maybe this is about Michelle. Michelle pours olives. She doesn't even like the smell of them.

[Lindsey McMahon]

I know.

[Aubrey Carter]

I think Michelle doesn't love olives. I love them so much.

[Lindsey McMahon]

And I'm sure a lot of our listeners love. It's a Mediterranean food. I love olives. I can't. I can't imagine a life without olives or olive oil. I Mean, I eat so much olive oil.

[Aubrey Carter]

I have a feeling Michelle does eat olive oil. I think it's just the taste of like actual olives. A bowl of green and kalamata olives. But, oh, she is missing out. I love them so much.

[Lindsey McMahon]

So abhor is a good one and then disdain is good.

[Aubrey Carter]

This is the.

[Lindsey McMahon]

A noun, right?

[Aubrey Carter]

Well, this is tricky. It exists as a noun and verb. So let's go over the noun first. So this is the feeling that something isn't worthy of respect or consideration. So maybe like she looked at him with disdain. So this is a noun here. Right. It's the. It's what she's using to look that her expression has disdain in it.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Disdain, like not giving the person a chance. Very close minded, very negative. Right, Absolutely. Or he's always treated her with disdain. Oh, it's a strange word. Yes.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, it is kind of a strange word. And it also exists as a verb. They are spelled. Spelled the same, luckily, unlike loathe.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Good.

[Aubrey Carter]

So this is like. If you treat someone like they're not worthy of respect, you can use this as a verb. So the main way I've seen this is if you disdain to answer questions. This is very rare in English that we use this as a verb. When I saw this in the dictionary, there's a verb and a noun, I had to think. I'm like, I don't hear that very often. So maybe someone say like, I disdained to answer the questions or in present. And this is like, because you dislike the questions. Or maybe if it were like on a. A crime show, be like, okay, but this is definitely a connotation of you are not answering them because you disagree with them. Something like that. Right. You don't respect the com. The questions for whatever reason.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah. I mean, the courtroom idea. I know in a courtroom. Well, at least on courtroom dramas, we hear the word sustained a lot.

[Aubrey Carter]

Right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

A different word, but maybe in a similar family sort of thing. I don't know. Good point.

[Aubrey Carter]

Good point. So this is really interesting too, to think about. Some of these we use more often the past tense. Right. We wouldn't really use abhor in the past tense to be like, I abhorred that film.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Right.

[Aubrey Carter]

And lo. I loathed that restaurant. Not really. Right. Instead, we usually use these in the present because they're such strong feelings. It's more like, this is something I always, will always abhor or loathe because it's a strong. It's hard to like hate something that strongly that just happened once. Like one trip to A restaurant or something. Right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

I see what you're saying. So it's almost. Almost like a state of being, this feeling. Almost like.

[Aubrey Carter]

Exactly. That's how strong it is. Right. If it's something we don't like, we probably would say like, oh, I really hated that. I absolutely detested it. Or I would say, I couldn't stand it.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yes.

[Aubrey Carter]

Really didn't like it.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yes, I love that. That's a really important point. So it's the things that we really hate and we've always hated. We just don't identify with those things we're using, abhor or loathe. Whereas it's a single experience or a movie or a meal later, things like heat. I mean, light is not. Hate is not light.

[Aubrey Carter]

But like, we don't get that passionate about, like an individual experience. Right. So these words, this is what's important to. To pay attention to here, is these words really signify that a passionate dislike. And so it is strange if you use them. We don't even really use them jokingly to talk about how much we dislike something. I guess you could. You'd be like, oh, I lo spinach. And you're just joking. Right. But for the most part, it's for things that you really hate, feel very strongly about.

[Lindsey McMahon]

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[Aubrey Carter]

Okay, I'll start us out. I'm not usually picky, but I absolutely abhor eel.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Really? I love eel rolls at a sushi place. Eel sauce is delicious.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, it's not for me. I'm loathe to even think about eating eel. What about you? Are there any foods that you can't stand?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, I've always had disdain for masago.

[Aubrey Carter]

Oh, that's fish eggs, right?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah. I don't know what it is, but I loathe it.

[Aubrey Carter]

Okay, nice. So what is possible that you, like, really dislike certain foods, and we would use, you know, abhor, loathe, whatever. But if you just mean to say, like, I don't really like that very much, we wouldn't use these bigger, stronger words.

[Lindsey McMahon]

I think a lot of people have issues around texture. Right? The texture of things. Even some people don't like the texture of eggs, but sort of fish eggs. The texture I think people probably struggle with.

[Aubrey Carter]

That's why I like eel. But I know someone who doesn't, and I think it's a texture thing.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, no, eel is great. When I lived in Japan, for my last meal there, my friends. My Japanese friends took me to an eel restaurant, a place like in the mountains, that specialized just in eel.

[Aubrey Carter]

It was amazing. Yeah, that's awesome. And I do love eel sauce. This is me. I think it's so tasty. It's a little bit SW on some rolls. Oh, so delicious.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yes, exactly. Let's go through this. So again, you said, I'm usually not picky, but I absolutely abhor eel. It's kind of a weird word too, because we are kind of pronouncing the H, aren't we, Aubrey?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes, we do have to. Right. You. You hit that H kind of hard. Abhor. And this is another one where you have to, like, hit the word hard. You have to emphasize it just like loathe. It's a little strange. Be like, I really abhor that. No, you need. The intonation needs to be powerful because the emotion, the passion about the dislike is powerful. The word implies that.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, we don't want to have that flat affect. Right. We want to make sure we're putting life into our words here. What else, Aubrey?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, and then I said, it's not for me. I'm loathe to even think about eating eel. So this is where it's an adjective I'm describing Myself. Myself as loathe to think about something.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Very interesting construction too.

[Aubrey Carter]

I'm low without the either. Right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Okay. No either. Good. And then I said, yeah, I've always had disdain for Masago.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah. Since I've always. And this is an interesting thing to say, like disdain, because it does often imply more of like a lack of respect. So this would be sort of joking even to say this about food. Be like, oh, I have such disdain for Masago. Like, I would probably laugh at that. Like, that's really funny because it usually does imply more like, you. You. You are critical of something. You. You disrespect something.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Right. For bigger things than just food. Like, food is just a taste. That's all it is. It's sort of one dimensional. Right.

[Aubrey Carter]

But right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

For example, like political parties or certain ways of thinking would be more common for disdain. Right?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah. That's where you would use it more literally. Right. This is kind of more joking, but yeah, you could say you have disdain for a certain political candidate or people who agree with a certain policy. That would be more. Because it's more of a lack of.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Respect for that, for sure. And then the last thing that was said was, yeah, I don't know what it is, but I loathe it. Right.

[Aubrey Carter]

So just mean, like, I really hate it. Yeah. And this is because it's a verb. This would be spelled with an E, L, O, A T, H, E. All.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Right, good High level episode for our listeners today at the B2C1 level. I love it.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes, absolutely. We want to make sure that you don't miss the episode that Inspired this. And 2402 right here on Allers English. Should you call someone cheap in English where we said sometimes people are loathe to spend money, so used it as an adjective there. So it wouldn't have an E. Yes.

[Lindsey McMahon]

And the connection piece here, guys, for today is it's not always. It doesn't have to be about these positive, amazing things that you're connecting over. You can build just as strong of a connection over things that you loathe and have disdain for. Okay.

[Aubrey Carter]

Absolutely. Yes. Right. I feel like that would even bond you closer with someone if you are sort of willing to admit these more negative things. I don't love everything. Right. The people I'm close to, I want to build a stronger connection with. I'm going to admit the things that I really abhor.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Especially if it's very like most people love this thing. But you actually have disdain for it. Right?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Hot take. Yes, exactly. That could build a really strong sense of trust and connection there. So that's what we're going for. All right, good stuff, Aubry. We'll see you in the next episode of Oller's English. And guys, hit the follow button now.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes. Awesome. We'll see you guys next time.

[Lindsey McMahon]

All right, take care.

[Aubrey Carter]

Bye bye.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Thanks for listening to all ears English with 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.

[C]

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