AEE 2448: Weird and Wonky Weather in English

Summary

All Ears English Podcast
Episode 2448: Weird and Wonky Weather in English
Release Date: July 23, 2025

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Introduction: Connecting Through Weather

In Episode 2448 of the All Ears English Podcast, hosts Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan delve into the ubiquitous topic of weather, exploring how it serves as a fundamental conversation starter in American English. They emphasize the role of weather in facilitating connections, especially in casual or initial interactions. Lindsay opens the discussion by sharing a personal anecdote:

Lindsay McMahon [02:30]: "I love that example, security guard, because you want to bridge that gap. And this show is all about connection."

Michelle concurs, highlighting the simplicity and universality of weather as a talking point:

Michelle Kaplan [03:16]: "The weather in general has been kind of wonky and weird. Wonky. That's a good word for today."

Expanding Weather Vocabulary: Beyond the Basics

The episode shifts focus to enriching listeners’ weather-related vocabulary beyond the usual terms like "sunny" or "cloudy." The hosts introduce several nuanced phrases and expressions that are commonly used in everyday English conversations about weather.

1. Unseasonably [07:21]

Lindsay introduces the term "unseasonably," explaining its meaning and usage:

Lindsay McMahon [07:54]: "It means it's out of the ordinary for that season. Like yesterday I would say for us it was unseasonably cold after it rained and almost hailed."

Michelle adds a layer of formality to the term:

Michelle Kaplan [08:47]: "This term unseasonably is a little more formal."

They discuss how "unseasonably" can be seamlessly incorporated into casual conversations, making it a versatile addition to one’s English repertoire.

2. What Happened To [10:42]

Another insightful phrase introduced is "what happened to," used to express surprise or disappointment when expected weather patterns deviate. Lindsay provides examples:

Lindsay McMahon [10:42]: "What happened to the rain?" or "What happened to the sun?"

She clarifies the nuanced difference between these expressions:

Lindsay McMahon [11:39]: "What happened to the sun means it was here and we were enjoying it. It went away. And versus what happened to the snow means it never happened."

3. X for Y [14:21]

The hosts explain the construction "X for Y," where X is a weather condition unusual for a particular time (Y). For instance:

Lindsay McMahon [14:37]: "This is hot for February."

They emphasize the flexibility of this phrase, allowing speakers to comment on any weather inconsiderate of the season.

Expressing Feelings About the Weather [14:55]

Michelle highlights that people often discuss how weather affects their emotions. Phrases like:

Lindsay McMahon [15:22]: "This weather makes me so sleepy, I just want to curl up and take a nap."

and

Michelle Kaplan [15:38]: "This weather makes me so happy."

are common ways to personalize weather conversations, adding depth and relatability.

Practical Application: Role Play [16:10]

To illustrate the practical use of the discussed phrases, Lindsay and Michelle engage in a role-play scenario where acquaintances meet in a coffee line:

Michelle Kaplan [16:25]: "Good, good. What is this weather?"

Lindsay McMahon [16:33]: "I don't know. Isn't it June?"

Michelle Kaplan [16:37]: "Yeah, this is freezing for June."

Michelle Kaplan [16:41]: "This weather makes me feel so gloomy."

This role-play demonstrates how to seamlessly incorporate new vocabulary into natural conversations, enhancing both fluency and confidence.

Listener Engagement: Poll and Results [05:19]

The hosts engage listeners with a poll related to weather preferences:

Lindsay McMahon [05:19]: "Would you rather be too hot or too cold? I want to know."

Results from a previous poll are discussed, reflecting listeners' experiences and preferences, fostering a sense of community and interaction.

Conclusion: The Gateway to Deeper Conversations [19:59]

Lindsay summarizes the episode by reiterating the importance of weather as a conversation starter:

Lindsay McMahon [19:59]: "This is a good go-to conversation topic. You don't have you're not sure what to say. You can go to the weather now."

She underscores that while weather is often a superficial topic, it serves as an effective gateway to more meaningful interactions and discussions.

Key Takeaways

• Weather as a Connection Tool: Weather is a universally relatable topic that facilitates initial conversations and connections.

• Expanding Vocabulary: Incorporating phrases like "unseasonably," "what happened to," and "X for Y" enriches conversational English and allows for more nuanced discussions about weather.

• Expressing Emotions: Discussing how weather affects one's feelings personalizes conversations, making them more engaging.

• Practical Application: Role-playing scenarios can effectively demonstrate the use of new vocabulary in everyday interactions.

• Community Engagement: Polls and listener interactions enhance the learning experience by fostering a sense of community.

Notable Quotes

• Lindsay McMahon [02:30]: "I love that example, security guard, because you want to bridge that gap. And this show is all about connection."

• Michelle Kaplan [08:47]: "This term unseasonably is a little more formal."

• Lindsay McMahon [15:22]: "This weather makes me so sleepy, I just want to curl up and take a nap."

• Lindsay McMahon [19:59]: "This is a good go-to conversation topic. You don't have you're not sure what to say. You can go to the weather now."

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Through engaging discussions, practical examples, and interactive segments, Episode 2448 equips intermediate to advanced English learners with the tools to discuss weather confidently and naturally, enhancing both their vocabulary and conversational skills.

Transcript

[Lindsay McMahon]

This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2448 weird and wonky Weather English.

[Michelle Kaplan]

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 hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, usa. And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglish.com subscribe when the weather changes or is not what you expect. Don't miss this opportunity to make a comment and open a connection. Today, take your weather English to a new level and go beyond the typical phrases in English.

[Unknown]

Are you feeling stuck at your English level? Are you sure what your real English level is? If you take our free quiz, we'll tell you what level you're stuck at and how to reach your next English Milestone. Go to allersenglish.comfluencyscore now that's fluency score. One word allearsenglish.com fluency score.

[Lindsay McMahon]

Hello, Michelle. How's it going today?

Good, Lindsay, how are you?

Oh, I'm good. I'm good. Michelle, do you talk about the weather a lot with friends, family or acquaintances or even just random people when you interact with them?

I do. And it's funny because we've kind of, you and I have talked about the weather and we've done episodes on it and it always ends up being okay. Yeah, we know everybody talks about the weather all the time, right? Yeah, but it, but it's true. And I mean, it, it's just a part of life. It's a way to connect. It's very easy. I mean, even when I pick my daughter up from school, there's a security guard at the front, right. Oh, lucky it's hot today. Or feeling, you know, sometimes like it if you don't have something to say, especially you're not sure you want to communicate with somebody past a hello.

Yes, it's true. I love that example, security guard, because you want to bridge that gap. And this show is all about connection. But I mean, you're not going to go to deep, interesting topics immediately with the security guard. You have to go to something that you both share in that current moment. Right?

Right. It's true. So it's just. It, it is. It's kind of like Old Faithful, right? You always can lean back on the weather. I mean, Lindsay, I mean, for example, have you had any very cold days in Denver, even though it's summer now.

Yeah, for sure. I mean, yesterday we almost had hail. It was crazy. And then it got really cold. It got chilly. And so we've had weird days. And I thought to myself, what is going on with this weather?

Yes, it's true. I mean, I know at the end of May, we had a cold snap, right, where it's all of a sudden cold. And it was just in the 50s for a while, and it's. The weather in general has been kind of wonky and weird. Wonky. That's a good word for today.

Maybe that'll be somehow the title of.

Today's episod episode 1 Weather like that alliteration. But, yeah, so I feel that. I don't know, the weather has been weird. We've had a lot of rain. And now I'm looking. And next week it's going to be all in the 90s. And I'm worried because my son is starting camp and there's no. There's like one indoor place.

Oh, my goodness. Yeah, that. That. So would they cancel camp? That would not be good, right?

I don't. Yeah, I don't think they would cancel. I think they figure it out. They have a giant cafeteria, and I think they have others. I don't know. I mean, they have pools, so I think there'd be a lot of swimming.

Okay.

And. Yeah, we'll. We'll see. But when you see then in the 90s, like. Ah. So, yeah, look how much we've connected already. Lindsay, just talking about the weather, right? There's so much. I'm even talking about my son and next week and plans, and it's just. It's great.

And. And. And even the way we were just talking about it, Michelle was a little different from you with the security guard. You with the security guard. You're looking to build a quick, easy connection, Right. Because human beings want to connect. But for you and me talking about potentially your son at camp next week, you know, that could affect, you know, our scheduling. Right. And that's also. But we want to be able to talk about those nuances. The weather has been so unpredictable. I just don't know what to expect these days. Right.

Oh, man. Yeah. So definitely. Do you, Lindsay, would you rather be too cold or too hot?

Oh, my gosh. Good question. Probably too hot. Probably. I think being too cold really scares me in a way. I think of Mount Everest or something.

Actually. Maybe that'll be a good guys at the end of the episode. Maybe that's gonna be our poll for today because I am curious what you guys think about the weather.

I love that question, guys.

Yeah. Yeah.

Speaking of polls, Michelle, do we have poll results for today that we want to share?

Sure we do. So in episode 2417 that was called are your feet cold? Speaking of cold and hot, how to talk about nerves in English. And what was the poll, Lindsay?

Okay, the poll was, if you are married, did you get cold feet before your wedding? Very interesting here. Sample of our audience. What was the, what were the results, Michelle?

Okay, so the results were 30 of you said yes and 70 said no. Lindsay, does that surprise you? How do you feel? Did you get cold feet?

I did not. I knew I was in the right place at the right time, doing the. That was my person. Right. But that feels, that feels about right. 70, 30. I, I predicted something like that. Or maybe 8020 or something.

Yeah, yeah, I, I think that. Yeah, I would hope that it is more that you don't get cold feet.

For sure.

I mean, if you, if you get cold feet, I don't think that it's necessarily a huge problem. I don't, you know, it just could be your personal jumping into things, and it's, it's, it is a lot. So.

Oh, my gosh, it's a huge deal getting married, Michelle. Right. It's the rest of your entire life. So even if you got cold feet doesn't mean you're making the wrong decision. It just could mean you second guess your decisions a lot in life.

[Unknown]

Right?

[Lindsay McMahon]

Yeah. All right, so, guys, but stay tuned to the end of the episode because we'll give you another poll for Spotify that you can answer, and then we'll read the results on air in another episode.

All right, so, Michelle, again, let's review what we're getting into today.

Okay, so, yeah, this is a huge connection topic, especially, I think, when the weather is either unusual for a certain time of year or just extreme in some way, or maybe there's a stretch of rain or there's a stretch of heat, there's a heat wave. Right. All of these kinds of things. So we're going to give you some keywords and phrases to talk about this. Guys, this is not textbook English.

No, no. And this is also not your typical weather episode. We're going to cover angles on the we weather that most podcasts or lessons in English wouldn't cover. Right. Most lessons would cover it's sunny, it's cloudy.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Those are the basics.

[Lindsay McMahon]

We're going to show you what. Actually, because the weather is unpredictable, we're going to talk about the topics people actually discuss when it comes to the weather. Okay.

Yes. All right, so the first one is. I love this word, unseasonably blank. Yes. So unseasonably, what does that mean, Lindsay?

Yeah, it means it's out of the ordinary for that season. Like yesterday I would say for us it was unseasonably cold after it rained and almost hailed. Right?

Yeah. Or you could say, wow, it's unseasonably warm today. Some. That always happens, you know, where. What is it, fake summer? Is that what they call it on the East Coast?

Like a mor.

In May, you got this really? Maybe early May, you get. Everything starts to get warmer and you think, oh my gosh, summer's here.

And then the sandals, right? Bring out your. Your sandals and jorts and all that good stuff.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Lindsay McMahon]

And then you have some kind of a snowstorm or something. Yeah, yeah.

So you could say to somebody, wow, it's unseasonably cold today, unseasonably warm, right?

Yes. And I would say that this term unseasonably is a little more formal. Would you agree with that, Michelle? Yes.

Yeah, I would say that's a little bit formal. This is less formal, though. This is just has a lot of personality. Just saying, what is this weather?

Oh, I could totally hear you saying that too. This just feels very used phrase, Michelle. What is this weather? Right. And. And this is, you know, maybe good when you're passing someone in the hallway.

Right.

Or you're outside somewhere when, for example, when you pick your kid up from school, you might, like we said to the security guard and, and depending on his or her personality, they may express that differently, but they're gonna connect with you. Right?

Right. And it could. What the beauty of something like this or all of these really is it can either be a quick passing through or it can start an actual discussion. So like, I could be going to pick her up and I'm walking in and I'm, you know, I'm usually late, so I'm going quickly and. No, no, not that. No, no, no. Maybe one minute. Oh. And so I might start to go in and I say, I, I could just say, hey, oh my gosh, what is this? We to me, I know, it's crazy, right? And then I'm in and then I see him on the way out. Or let's say I have some time. I'm. I'm waiting with the parents at the door, I have a five minutes and say, like, what is this weather? And then it can actually start something more. So it's Interesting how it can be a quick whatever, just a hello kind of. Or what. But slightly deeper than a hello. Exactly. Or can start a whole conversation. Right.

And that's why it's a great opener for connection, because you can take it in the direction that makes sense for the time you have for the person, the connection you have with the person, and just whatever's going on in your daily life. Right. So, Michelle, let's give our listeners another option, another great option here.

All right, so this is what happened to the ex. Right. A lot of times you might hear, let's say it's. Let's say you had some sunny weather and then all of a sudden it's been raining every day. You might say, what happened to the.

Yeah, and there's usually not. Other things people say. Like, generally people don't say what happened to the rain. Although some people love that. Love the rain, and they, they don't want it to go away. That's not me. But you could say what happened to the rain? If you're a big rain fan. But more likely what happened to the, you know, what happened to the sun? What happened to the warmth? Maybe.

Yeah, what happened to the warmth? Something like that.

Yeah.

Or, or like, let's say it's a. The weather man or a woman said that it was going to be a snowstorm. Right. And you could say somebody and. And it was, you know, it was. What is a. A dud. Nothing actually happened. And that hap. That does happen. You could say, oh, what happened to the snow?

Right, right, exactly that. And that literally means it never showed up. Right? It never showed up. The meaning is slightly different. Right. What happened to the sun means it was here and we were enjoying it. It went away. And versus what happened to the snow means it never happened, it never appeared. But both are appropriate, I think.

Right, right, right, right. Exactly. And then, Lindsay, what about this one?

So if again, unseasonable weather is happening and you might say, isn't it may.

Right.

Let's say I'm having snow here in Denver. Actually, it's kind of common to have snowstorms in May, and they're so frustrating. No one wants that. Right? No one does. Yeah.

Right. Right. You know, if it's snowing, isn't it may. Or if it's. Or let's say it's 80 degrees. Of course, we're guys, we're speaking in Fahrenheit.

Right.

If, if, if we say if it's 80 degrees and it's February, you could say, isn't it Winter, Right. So just something where it's out. It's uncharacteristic for the time.

Yes. I love it. These are so good.

[Michelle Kaplan]

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[Lindsay McMahon]

All right, Michelle, we're back for a few more. So again, speaking of something kind of weather that just doesn't belong, another phrase. This is X for Y. For example, this is hot for February, Right.

This is cold for. For summer. Right? Something like that. Yes. So that's one thing you could say.

Yeah. And Michelle, let's give our listeners a quick little bonus. What is. What do people tend to do when it comes to weather? What do they like to do? What do they like to talk about?

Yeah, well, they like to talk about how the weather makes them feel.

Yeah.

Right. So especially I think when I wrote this, it was kind of a, like kind of a dreary day really. So sometimes. Yeah, sometimes you have this feeling you just get tired. Right. So you could say, this weather makes me so X. So, yes, for example, this weather makes me so sleepy, I just want to curl up and take a nap. And that's such a common thing people say, right?

Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Or this weather makes me so happy. Right. Very common. Maybe you're going out on a Saturday and you're going to the park and it happens to be a gorgeous day. That may. I mean, I don't know very many people that. That doesn't make happy. Right, Michelle? Yeah.

Oh, my gosh. It's the best. So, Lindsay, what is your favorite kind of weather?

Oh, yeah, it's that beautiful, crisp, you know, summer morning. I love the morning weather where there's the Christmas in the air. Especially here in Colorado. It's really crisp, but clear blue skies, like they call it Colorado blue, where you look at the sky and there's not a single cloud in the sky. It's not like clouds are moving in. There's just not going to be any clouds today. And that's how it is today in Colorado. I love that about where I live. Yeah.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Good.

[Unknown]

Well, that's good.

[Lindsay McMahon]

So I think we should do a role play. What do you think?

I think we should, Michelle. Let's do it.

So here I'm gonna use all. There's a lot, but we'll get to a lot of what we taught.

Yeah. We're acquaintances here and we're running into each other in line for coffee. Of course. Makes sense, right?

Yeah, of course. Okay, Here we go. Hey, Lindsay, how are you?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Good, good. What is this weather?

[Lindsay McMahon]

I don't know. Isn't it June?

Yeah. This is freezing for June.

Agreed. This weather makes me feel so gloomy.

Luckily, it's supposed to warm up next week.

Yeah, that's good.

Yeah, it's very typical conversation, right?

Yeah. That's another thing is then people like to kind of talk about the forecast. I mean, that's how I found out. I was with some friends yesterday and that's how I. I hadn't checked the forecast and my friend said because she's going to be working at the camp and she said. And she said, oh, no. Have you seen the forecast for next week? So, yeah, also just talking about the forecast. We can do that. Another episode on that as well. That's.

Oh, my God. We could do a whole series. Michelle, on weather. I love it. Does the weather change a lot in. In. In New York, New Jersey area where you live? Yeah.

Yeah, it really does. I think it's just all over the. Well, I think up until this point, it kind of gets. It can be anything. I mean, it. It can be really anything. And now that we're here in the summer, it's all done for, like it's just gonna be hot and then it'll probably rain for a week and then it'll be hot. Right. So it's. But yeah, this. I'm nervous about how warm it's about to be because I'm looking and there's no end inside.

Oh, my and it gets so humid on the east coast, right? Yeah, it's so humid. The air's so heavy. All right, Michelle, let's go through this role play. So here. First you said, hey, Lindsay, how are you? And I said, good, good. What is this weather? So I opened up the. The main topic of our connection around the weather, around my surprise about the weather. Okay.

And I said, I don't know, isn't it June? Right. So I'm saying that for June, this is really not appropriate.

Yeah.

Not expected.

And then I agree with you.

Right.

I am connecting in the same way. Following this line of conversation, I say, yeah, this is freezing for June. Okay.

And then I go on to my feelings and I say, this weather makes me feel so gloomy.

Again, feelings are so incredibly intermixed with weather, which I find that really fascinating, don't you think?

Oh, it's so. It's so true. It's. It's hard to be sad on a beautiful day.

It really is. It really is. And. And when you visit a place that has a lot of gray, like I spent a few days in Michigan and it was so gray, Michelle, we thought. I thought it was gray on the East Coast. It's not Michigan. The Midwest for me is the grayest part of the country. And I just couldn't believe it. I struggled a lot.

It really. It has. And also, do you ever visit a place and you're just kind of underwhelmed by it, but then you realize it's probably because of the weather? And then if you go to that same place on a beautiful day, you might find it so charming.

It's incredible how it changed our impression, changes our impression of so many things, of life in general places. This has been an incredibly important episode, Michelle, and we are going to have a great Spotify poll. So. Yeah, yeah.

So the poll is. We were talking about this in the beginning. Would you rather be too hot or too cold? I want to know.

I'm curious about this because our listener listeners live all over the world in different places, and I wonder if they will answer the opposite of what they experience in their home countries. Right. Or if they will line up with what they do experience in their home countries. Very interesting. What's the takeaway, Michelle, for today?

To me, this is such an important skill to have to be able to talk about this because it's just. It's a. It's a good go to. Right. We've talked about this word before. It's a good go to conversation topic. You don't have you're not sure what to say. You can go to the weather now. I mean, even, even if the weather is just kind of what you would expect, you can still say, oh, it's beautiful out. Right? You can still do that. I think there. I don't think there's a bad time to make a quick remark about the weather. I just.

Absolutely not. I 100 agree with you. And it's not boring. It's more like a gateway topic. And today we didn't go into the deeper topics. But that could be another episode. Another day is how do you transition from the weather into a deeper, more interesting topic? But you do have to get things going, right? You have to get things going. And this is one way that we do it when the weather is variable, when it's changing a lot. All right.

Yes, exactly.

All right. Good stuff, Michelle.

Yeah. Well, this has been fun. I'm so glad we talked about this today. And I'm wishing everyone a nice weather 100.

All right. I'll talk to you soon. Have a good day.

All right, you too.

Bye Bye.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Thanks for listening to all ears.

[Lindsay McMahon]

English.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Would you like to know your English level? Take our two 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.

[Unknown]

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[Lindsay McMahon]

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