AEE 2482: Agreeable Ways to Agree in English

Summary

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All Ears English Podcast – Episode 2482 Summary

Title: Agreeable Ways to Agree in English
Date: September 22, 2025
Hosts: Lindsay McMahon & Michelle Kaplan

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into agreeable and natural ways to express agreement and endorsement in American English. Lindsay and Michelle focus on phrases beyond the basic "I agree," highlighting expressions like "You weren't kidding," "You're not kidding," "You called it," and "True story." They discuss the nuances, intonation, and cultural connection that come with these phrases, and provide plenty of role play examples to illustrate their practical use.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Learn New Ways to Agree?

• Expressing agreement naturally helps build connection and makes conversations more engaging.
• Phrases like "You weren't kidding" or "You called it" show that you listened to someone's recommendation or warning and are affirming their experience.
• Connection, not perfection: The goal is to communicate and connect, not just to say things “correctly.”

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2. The Phrase "You Weren't Kidding"

• Meaning: Used to endorse or affirm someone’s opinion or recommendation after experiencing it yourself.
• Common Use Cases: When someone was right about a situation (a long line, a tough workout, great food, etc.).
• Intonation Matters: To sound authentic, speak with feeling—don’t say it flatly.
  • Michelle (03:21): “There’s got to be some feeling behind your words. For sure.”

Example Dialogues:

• [02:33]
  Lindsay: "I just tried to get a donut at the new dessert spot, and you weren't kidding. The lines are long. I had to leave."
• [04:06]
  Michelle: "You weren't kidding. This is the best pasta I've ever had."

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3. Why These Expressions Build Connection

• Lindsay (04:43): “It’s really a nice connection moment to affirm that someone has expressed an opinion, then you experience that thing and you listen to what they had to say, and now you agree.”
• Revisiting and affirming someone’s advice or insight shows you value their input.

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4. Variations: Present Tense & Other Agreeable Phrases

A. "You're Not Kidding"

• Used in real-time agreement (present tense).
• [08:45]
  Michelle: "You're not kidding. I just saw a whole bag of garbage sitting on someone's lawn."

B. "True Story"

• Trendy, casual way to agree—validates someone’s statement in a fun way.
• [09:30]
  Lindsay: "True story. I can never get in." (About sold-out class tickets.)

C. "You Weren’t/You’re Not Joking"

• Interchangeable with "kidding"; means the same.
• [10:03]
  Michelle: "You weren’t joking. That movie was incredible."

D. "You Called It"

• Acknowledges when someone predicted something accurately.
• [10:32]
  Lindsay: “You called it. They were all out of chocolate cake.”

Note on “I Told You So”

• Considered less polite or a bit annoying; usually better kept to yourself.
  • Michelle (11:07): “It’s tempting to say it, but it’s better to try not to say it.”

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5. Role Play Demonstration of Agreeable Phrases

(Segment: 11:35 – 13:42)

• Lindsay and Michelle role play a conversation after Michelle returns from vacation, demonstrating all the expressions.

• Multiple phrases are naturally used in response to recommendations and observations:

  • “You weren’t kidding. The resort there is the best.”
  • “You called it. I loved the shopping area.”
  • “True story. I was stuffed after every meal.”
  • “You’re not kidding. I have to make reservations for next year...”
  • “You’re not joking. I booked two months ago.”

• Lindsay (13:02): “That one [‘true story’] is the least common, but it’s kind of the more creative one, I would say.”

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6. Takeaway & Closing Thoughts

• Affirming someone’s tip strengthens your relationship and creates memorable, meaningful interactions.
• Lindsay (13:57): “It’s a really cool connection moment... to be able to go back to them and let them know that they were right. I think that really wires connection for us as human beings.”

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Michelle (02:43): “The expression you might hear a lot is: you aren’t kidding.”
• Lindsay (04:43): “It’s really a nice connection moment to affirm that someone has expressed an opinion, then you experience that thing and... now you agree.”
• Michelle (11:07): "It's tempting to say [‘I told you so’], but it's better to try not to say it."
• Lindsay (13:57): “It’s a really cool connection moment... it truly is.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:13 – Introduction of "kidding" and "you weren't kidding"
• 04:43 – How these expressions build connection in conversation
• 08:13 – Differences between "you weren't kidding" (past) and "you're not kidding" (present)
• 09:20 – Introduction of alternative phrases: "true story," "you weren’t joking," "you called it"
• 11:35 – 13:42 – Extended role play using all the expressions
• 13:57 – Final takeaway about why these phrases matter for connection

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Summary Table: Expressions to Use

| Expression | When to Use | Example | |-----------------------|------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------| | You weren't kidding | After an experience, affirming a warning or tip| "You weren't kidding—the lines were long!"| | You're not kidding | Real-time, present agreement | "You're not kidding—it's hard work!" | | True story | Trendy agreement, often after a shared complaint| "True story—I can never get in." | | You called it | When someone’s prediction comes true | "You called it—they were out of cake." | | You weren't joking | Alternative to "kidding," same usage | "You weren't joking—the movie was incredible!"|

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Final Word

Practice using these authentic, connection-building phrases in your English conversations to sound more like a native speaker and to deepen your interactions. Remember, focusing on connection, not perfection makes your English both enjoyable and effective!

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Transcript

[A]

This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2482 Agreeable Ways to agree in English.

[B]

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. When someone makes a recommendation for a movie, a restaurant or a yoga studio, what can you say? When you've tried it and you've had a great experience in English, Find out today and learn how this moment builds connection.

[C]

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[B]

Hello, Michelle. How's it going today?

[A]

Hey, Lindsay, how are you? Good.

[B]

Fantastic. Michelle, do you like to joke around a lot?

[A]

Yes, yes. I think I have a pretty good sense of humor. I like to make jokes, be a little sarcastic. I have a good time. What about you?

[B]

Yeah, for sure, for sure. I like to as well. So, Michelle, today we're talking about a fun expression, expression with the word hitting. Are you excited for this?

[A]

Yes, I am. Because this has. I've heard this one come up in my daily life a lot. Yes. And definitely one worth highlighting. Yes. I love it.

[B]

So, Michelle, what does this expression kidding actually mean?

[A]

So to kid is like joking. Yes. Right.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So the word kidding means joking.

[B]

Yeah, I love it.

[A]

So the expression that you might hear a lot is you aren't kidding or you're not kidding or you aren't kidding. Right. So this is very common. Would you. Would you say you hear this a lot or you say this, Lindsay?

[B]

I would say, yeah. I. Yeah, I do. I think it's a good way of expressing that someone is telling the truth, that you're kind of endorsing what they've said or what they're saying.

[A]

Okay. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, some. Exactly. So maybe you. Maybe you doubted them or maybe you're just emphatically agreeing with their experience or their opinion or whatever it may be. I mean, Lindsay, what about intonation here? Do we just say, you weren't kidding?

[B]

No, we can never say that. No, we. We have to say it kind of as someone has made a statement where we might say, you weren't kidding.

[A]

Right.

[B]

There's got to be some feeling behind your words. For sure.

[A]

Feeling. Exactly. So let. Let's show our listeners how it's used. Do you want to read the first one? Yes.

[B]

Here's the first example. I just tried to get a donut at the new dessert spot, and you weren't kidding. The lines are long. I had to leave.

[A]

Okay. Yeah. So, you know, sometimes someone tries to warn you, oh, you should get there early, because there's a lot of people who show up and you think, how busy could it be? And now you're kind of saying you were. It's kind of like saying you were right.

[B]

For sure. For sure.

[A]

Right.

[B]

You're affirming what they've said. You totally agree. What's another example, Michelle?

[A]

You weren't kidding. This is the best pasta I've ever had. So, yeah. Someone said, you have to come here. You have to try the pasta. I'm telling you, it's the best pasta ever. And you're saying you weren't kidding. Yes.

[B]

I love that. Or someone has told you that the hot yoga class is going to be hard, and you go to the hot yoga class, and then you say, you weren't kidding. The hot yoga class was hard.

[A]

Yeah. Hey, good, Lindsay. But so how does this kind of build connection, would you say? Or what. What. What would this express?

[B]

Well, I think it's really a nice connection moment to affirm that someone has expressed an opinion, Then you experience that thing and you listen to what they had to say, and now you agree.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So it kind of endorses what they've said. I do think that brings us together in connection.

[A]

Yeah. It kind of comes full circle as this person said something and now you're bringing it back to that saying. You know, in some ways, like I said, it could be, oh, you. You were right. Right. Oh, the. The lines were along. I had to leave. But sometimes it's just, wow, I really agree with you. When? From when you told me. Whatever you told me. Yes. So it's interesting, but it does bring it around back to what that person said. So it's very useful and good for connection.

[B]

100. And before we take a quick break, I do want to call out a couple of people that went ahead and left us a review. So thank you. To someone in China on July 28th. Halle Hollow from Switzerland on July 18th. Thank you to Pijon. Five star review. Beautiful from Taiwan on July 15th and someone in China on July 15th as well. So thank you so much for these amazing reviews. We have Chrissy D. Who left us a five star review. She's from the US on July 8th. And there's also Renato Nunes. Another five star review. Michelle from Brazil on July 6th 7th. Amazing.

[A]

Perfect. Yeah. Awesome. Love it. Thank you guys so much. Yeah.

[B]

And guys, be sure to leave your review if you want to have your name read out loud on the show. All right, great. Yes, you just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. So how can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. Just use Indeed. When it comes to hiring, Indeed is all you need. Stop struggling to get your job post seen on other job sites. Indeed 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. I love that Indeed makes hiring fast. Top candidates are in high demand and if you want to build a great team, you need to move quickly. Indeed helps you do that. So just how fast is Indeed? Well, in the minute that I've been Talking to you, 23 hires were made on Indeed according to Indeed Data Worldwide. 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 at indeed.com aee just go to indeed.comaee right now and support our show by saying that you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com a e e that's I n--e-e d.com a terms and conditions do apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need. Okay, Michelle, so let's get into it a bit more. What else do we need to know about this phrase? You're not kidding, right?

[A]

So yeah, exactly. We've been talking more about you weren't kidding. But if you're using it more in the present tense, you're not kidding. You're not kidding, right? That's something more in the moment. You already probably experienced it, so you can agree in real time. So let's do a role play to show what that one might look like.

[B]

Okay, here we go. This is really a good role play. We need role plays to teach this, right?

[A]

I agree. Here we Go.

[B]

Our neighborhood has way too much litter on the street.

[A]

You're not kidding. I just saw a whole bag of garbage sitting on someone's lawn.

[B]

Oh, man. You're not kidding, right? So it's just an emphatic way of saying I agree, but if you just say I agree, that's kind of boring, right?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. So, yeah, this is your agreeing in real time. You've had that experience. You agree. So rather than you weren't kidding, so also really useful. So let's talk about a couple other things we can say. So one is true story. Right? True story. This one's kind of maybe, maybe.

[B]

Maybe a little trendy or something kind of fun.

[A]

Right?

[B]

So, for example, tickets for that class.

[A]

Sell out every time.

[B]

True story. I can never get in.

[A]

Okay, so this one is more just the I agree rather than the you weren't kidding. It's not really saying you were. Right. Right. Yeah, it's more just true story. Yeah, that's true.

[B]

It's just a green. It's kind of just.

[A]

Yeah, I. I agree with green. Right. Yeah.

[B]

And then sometimes. Go ahead.

[A]

Sorry. Go ahead.

[B]

Oh, yeah, the past tense. So you weren't joking, right?

[A]

Right.

[B]

This is where someone has shared something with you about a movie, for example. Right.

[A]

You weren't joking. That movie was incredible. So, same thing. Like, you weren't kidding, but you could also say joking, so. And then another one is you called it. So, yeah, this is more about that situation where someone said something would happen. So focusing. Focusing on that. You called it. So you called it. They were all out of chocolate cake. So it's like saying, you said this was going to happen. Yes.

[B]

I love that you called it.

[A]

Right.

[B]

You predicted this thing was going to happen or you called it. We got a parking ticket. Right. So maybe the person had warned you, don't park there.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you said, oh, no, no, it'll be fine. I'm sure that's happened before.

[A]

Right. And that's the. You know, a lot of times if you hear somebody say, I told you so. Right.

[B]

That so, yeah.

[A]

Yeah. That's kind of like that idea. Yep. I called it right.

[B]

Yeah. Though that's not the best thing to say.

[A]

No, no, no. Oh, that makes people mad.

[B]

Yeah. We want to say that. It's tempting to say it, but it's better to try not to say it.

[A]

Right. To try. Keep it in your head and know that that person probably knows. But sometimes it's so hard. You just want to be like, yeah, I said that.

[B]

I know, I know. All right, let's do this in a role play. Mich just went on vacation, and you had lots of tips for me because I always vacation in that same place. Okay. I do.

[A]

Sorry.

[B]

You vacation.

[A]

You do. Right. Sorry, I got confused. Okay. Okay, Here we go.

[B]

So how was it?

[A]

Amazing. You weren't kidding. The resort there is the best.

[B]

I know, right? And such an amazing value.

[A]

Yes. And you called it. I loved the shopping area.

[B]

I knew you would.

[A]

Yes. And the food is incredible.

[B]

True story. I was stuffed after every meal.

[A]

You're not kidding. I have to make reservations for next year because apparently they fill up fast.

[B]

You're not joking. I booked two months ago.

[A]

Okay. So there's a lot. There's a lot of that. You're not.

[B]

There's a lot in here. Yeah, for sure.

[A]

It's a little much.

[B]

It's a little much. Yeah. But it's a good connection. It's a good connection. Conversation. We're just excited.

[A]

Right. Sharing my head.

[B]

Yeah. So here I said to. How was it?

[A]

And you said, you weren't kidding. The resort there is the best. Yeah.

[B]

So that's good. That's really affirming the connection that I've made a good recommendation. I've had a great time. It is a connection moment. It truly is.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And then I said, in such an amazing value. And you said, yes.

[A]

And you called it. I loved the shopping area. So it's like you. You predicted this. You knew.

[B]

Really giving the person a lot of credit here, right?

[A]

Yes. Yeah.

[B]

And then you said, the food is incredible. And you said. I said, true story. And that's kind of fun. That one is the least common, but it's kind of the more creative one, I would say. Interesting.

[A]

Yeah, I like it. It makes it add some variation to the. You're not kidding. You're not joking.

[B]

Totally.

[A]

Instead of like saying, you. You. You. You called it. You weren't k. It just. True story.

[B]

True story. Yes, exactly.

[A]

And then you said I was stuffed after every meal. And I said, you're not kidding. Right. So I'm saying you're. Instead of. You're. You weren't kidding. Right. I'm saying. Yeah, I have experienced this. So, yeah, I can kind of talk from my own experience.

[B]

Exactly. And then. And then this is the part that maybe you wouldn't hear in a real conversation because we're kind of saying the same thing. I'm coming back with a. You're not joking. I booked two months ago.

[A]

Right.

[B]

But we're just doing this for the sake of examples.

[A]

Okay. Yes, exactly. So, guys, check out another really good episode. Check out episode 2475, which was. Are you indecisive? How to say it in English, Lindsay, Take away for today.

[B]

Take away. It's a really cool connection moment when someone has informed you about something like you shouldn't park there or this is a great yoga studio or go see this movie or try this restaurant. And then you go and you do it and you agree with them. Like they were right to be able to go back to them and let them know that they were all right. I think that really wires connection for us as human beings. I think that brings us closer to the person. It's a. If it's a cool moment if you think about it, right? If you've made that recommendation and they enjoyed it. So learn these phrases, guys. Go ahead and use them and let us know how it goes.

[A]

All right, Lindsay, this was fun. Have a great day. And guys, we'll see you in the next one.

[B]

All right, take care.

[A]

Bye bye.

[B]

Thanks for listening. To all ears. English. 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.

[C]

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