Podcast Summary: All Ears English – Episode 2521

Title: That’s Terrible! How Passionate People Articulate Negative Things
Hosts: Lindsay McMahon & Michelle Kaplan
Date: November 27, 2025
Length: ~20 minutes (excluding ads/outros)

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Lindsay and Michelle tackle vocabulary for expressing negative experiences and emotions in English. Centered around the listener question: “Which word do you use more—horrible or terrible?” the hosts explore the nuanced (and often negligible) differences between these terms, share their own preferences, describe related idioms and expressions, and discuss how these words let speakers show personality and passion. The episode is rich with practical examples, role-play, and insights into natural conversational English.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Talking About Bad Experiences

• [02:54] Food as an Example
  • The hosts open by discussing whether they've had “terrible food.” Michelle comments,

    “Terrible is a very strong word...I’ve had some mediocre food.”

    • She shares that what one person considers “terrible,” another might love—illustrating subjectivity in word choice and experience.
  • Lindsay reminisces about a “weird sandwich” in London—not terrible, but strange.
• Insight: How language choice reflects true feelings and context—sometimes “terrible” is too strong.

2. Listener Question: Horrible vs. Terrible

• [04:34] Direct Listener Q&A
  • Riyadh from Syria asks: “Which word do you prefer to use in your life: horrible or terrible?”
  • Both words mean “very bad.” The hosts agree the difference is slight, almost “negligible."

    Michelle: “Honestly, they’re so small, I don’t even necessarily want to get into it...” [05:47]
    Lindsay: “That’s negligible. Negligible difference. Right.” [06:06]

• Host Preferences:
  • Lindsay leans toward “horrible.”
  • Michelle leans toward “terrible.” She gives real-life context:

    “On the way to drop off my daughter at school, there was terrible traffic.” [06:39]

3. Usage and Interchangeability

• [07:12] When to Use Each Word
  • Both terms are mostly interchangeable. Examples:
    • “The traffic is horrible at this time of day.”
    • “The traffic is terrible at this time of day.”
  • Phrases like “The workload isn’t too terrible” sound more natural than “too horrible.”

    Lindsay: “I feel like I hear the chunk ‘too terrible’ more often.” [08:11]

• Insight: While both words are correct, collocations and common chunks matter.

4. Idiom Focus: ‘Terrible’ Expressions

• [08:28] ‘Terrible Twos’
  • A well-known American phrase referring to challenging behavior when children reach age two.

    Michelle: “They start to be more opinionated. But two is tough because they don’t have that much language.” [08:56]

• [09:48] ‘Feel Terrible’
  • Physical/emotional distress or guilt.

    Lindsay: “I feel terrible about this, but I can't come to your wedding.” [10:05]

• [10:19] ‘Terribly’ as Intensifier
  • Example: “I’m terribly sorry, but I will not be accepting the position.”

    Lindsay: “I feel like I hear this among British English speakers too, pretty often.” [10:33]

• [10:48] ‘That’s Terrible!’
  • Common exclamation of empathy or dismay.
• [10:56] ‘A Terrible Blow’
  • A major setback or disappointment.

    Lindsay: “It was a terrible blow for him when he didn’t get into his dream school.” [11:05]

5. Idiom Focus: ‘Horrible’ and Related Words

• [13:18] ‘A Horrible Experience’
  • Direct recounting of a negative event.
  • “We had a horrible experience at that hotel.”
• [13:56] ‘That’s Horrible!’
  • Sympathetic response to bad news.
• [14:07] ‘Horribly’ as Intensifier
  • “That’s horribly rude of you.” (Sounds a bit more formal/elevated.)

    Michelle: “This one sounds a little elevated to me…almost…like British English…” [14:15]

• [14:31] ‘Horrifying’
  • Describes something shocking, frightening, or intensely unpleasant.

    Lindsay: “This is something that’s scary but also not scary in the typical way.” [14:34]

  • Examples:
    • “The price tag on that furniture is horrifying.”
    • “Showing up to a wedding in casual clothing…that was absolutely horrifying.” [15:32]

    Michelle: “Horrifying is a really good one…I think it’s stronger than horrible and terrible, don’t you think?” [15:46]

• Note: Some expressions are set phrases (e.g. only “terrible twos,” not “horrible twos”).

6. Personality in Word Choice & Cultural Commentary

• [16:00] Expressing Identity and Emphasis

  • Certain words reflect personality; animated speakers might use “horrifying” more often.

    Lindsay: “It depends on your personality…if you're someone that emphasizes things…narrates life in a sense.” [16:00] Michelle: “That’s me! I like to have fun with words and just be…I’m very emphatic in the way I speak.” [16:23]

• [16:39] More Synonyms: ‘Appalling’

  • Slightly more disgusted/turned-off, less common than “horrifying” for Michelle.

    Michelle: “Appalling, that’s more disgusting, right?” [16:50] Lindsay: “It’s got a slightly different quality to it.” [17:06]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Subjectivity of ‘Terrible’:

  “My friend thinks it’s the best Indian food he’s ever had…sometimes it’s really just a matter of opinion, I guess.”
  — Michelle Kaplan [03:25]

• On Intensity:

  “Terrible is a very strong word.”
  — Michelle Kaplan [03:07]

• On Subtle Differences:

  “That’s negligible. Negligible difference. Right.”
  — Lindsay McMahon [06:06]

• On British English and ‘Terribly’:

  “I feel like I hear this among British English speakers too, pretty often.”
  — Lindsay McMahon [10:33]

• On Collocations:

  “For some reason, I feel like I hear the chunk ‘too terrible’ more often.”
  — Lindsay McMahon [08:11]

• On Role-play and Vocabulary Expansion:

  “Try to do that—when someone makes a statement, if you agree and they’ve used an adjective, try to use another adjective that means the same thing. Really good practice.”
  — Lindsay McMahon [18:57]

Role-play Example: Putting It All Together

[17:31]

• Michelle: “I feel terrible for her.”
• Lindsay: “Same. She thought this was the one. It’s really horrible.”
• Michelle: “Yeah. And what he said to her in the end was horrifying.”
• Lindsay: “I know. Totally appalling.”

Explanation:

• “Feel terrible” – empathy
• “Really horrible” – very bad situation
• “Horrifying” – extremely shocking/upsetting
• “Appalling” – utterly disgusting/objectionable

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|------------| | Food discussion, ‘terrible’ subjectivity | 02:54-04:01| | Listener Q: “Horrible” vs “Terrible” | 04:34-06:15| | Difference is negligible | 05:47-06:15| | Preference and interchangeability | 06:24-07:53| | Collocations: “too terrible” | 07:53-08:11| | Idioms/Set Phrases: “Terrible Twos”, etc. | 08:28-11:21| | Switching to “Horrible” expressions | 13:10-15:43| | “Horrifying” and personality in word choice | 14:31-16:35| | Synonyms: “Appalling” vs. “Horrifying” | 16:39-17:06| | Role-play: Mixing adjectives | 17:31-18:38| | Takeaway, connection, and encouragement | 19:28-20:09|

Takeaways & Practice Tips

• “Terrible” and “Horrible” are close synonyms for “very bad.” Choose based on rhythm, what feels right, or common chunks.
• Set phrases matter: e.g., “terrible twos,” not “horrible twos.”
• Express yourself with intensity: Words like “horrifying” or “appalling” add flavor and can reflect personality.
• Try this skill: In conversation, agree with someone by repeating the sentiment but with a different adjective—build your flexibility and fluency.
• More resources: Listen to episode 2496 for speaking up in meetings, and 2519 for “hit” idioms.

Episode Mood and Tone

• Friendly, encouraging, and conversational
• Focus on “connection, not perfection”
• Exudes playfulness (“That’s your word, Michelle!” [16:35]) and cultural curiosity

For further practice, consider listening for these expressions in natural conversation and challenging yourself to swap out synonyms as the hosts suggest!