
Sometimes, you have guests over and they never seem to leave - or you want to gather a group of people but they aren't listening - today learn new phrases that are oozing with personality to handle these moments.
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Narrator
This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2589 parties over how to say
Lindsay McMahon
something is coming to an end.
Narrator
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. To get real time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the Allears English app for iOS and Android. Start your seven day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward/app.
Michelle Kaplan
Sometimes you have guests over. They never, never seem to leave or you want to gather a group of people but they aren't listening. Today, learn new phrases that are oozing with personality to handle these moments.
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Lindsay McMahon
Hey there Michelle. What's shaking? How's it going, Lindsay?
Michelle Kaplan
Everything is good over here. How about you?
Lindsay McMahon
I'm good, Michelle, but do you ever have, I mean, do you like to invite friends over to entertain them just to hang out?
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, actually recently I've been, I've been very excited because Dan has invited some friends over and I think it's very nice because in like before we moved most of his friends were just my friend's husbands and actually these ones are too. But he's developed his own.
Lindsay McMahon
Oh good.
Michelle Kaplan
Like unique and friendships with them and they do. It's not only if I'm there, you know. And so he had them over and it's. Yeah, it's very nice. So. But I like to have people over. What about you?
Lindsay McMahon
I do, I do. But do you ever worry they might stay too long or does that ever happen to you? They overstay their welcome.
Michelle Kaplan
Not. See, I'm always happy to have people stay as long as possible. The only thing is getting my kids to sleep. So like okay, for example you know, my friend Ian, who is some of you may have recognized from some of our courses. Yeah, we do, we, we do music together. And so he comes over and my kids love them. He, he and his wife, we're all very close. But, you know, sometimes then it becomes harder to get them to sleep and, you know, so. Yeah, it's not, it's not so much the, like, I like having people there. It's sometimes just hard for, you know, or figuring it out with getting my kids to sleep.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, for sure. I think Ian, by the way, was in our B2 fluency course. So, guys, if you haven't seen the B2 fluency course, if you are at that level, check it out. Go to. Yeah. Ballersenglish.com B2. We interview, interviewed Ian about his traveling lifestyle.
Michelle Kaplan
Right.
Lindsay McMahon
And we brought that into learning some language. Really cool. But, yeah, I mean, sure. Even if you, you don't have kids to get to bed, surely there is
Michelle Kaplan
a, a certain moment when you're tired.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
Which.
Lindsay McMahon
It's time to go to bed. Whether it's 1:00am, whether it's 10:00pm, 1:00am they need to leave at some point.
Narrator
And in American culture, it is a
Lindsay McMahon
faux pas, probably more so than other cultures. I'm going to say that to overstate your welcome. This is a big thing, I think. I mean, if you're really close to someone, then this wouldn't be an issue. You just would blatantly tell them, you got to go home. Look, you got to go.
Michelle Kaplan
Right.
Lindsay McMahon
But we're talking about people that maybe we're not quite as close to, and it's still, like, maybe there's still a bit of self consciousness there. So how do we deliver that message that it's time to go? I mean, Michelle, have you ever broken this unwritten rule yourself? Have you ever committed a faux PA where you overstayed your welcome?
Michelle Kaplan
Oh, I'm sure I have. Sometimes it's hard to tell, you know, you're, you're having a good time and, you know, it. You definitely, I've definitely been in that position where I'm like, looking at Dan and I'm like, oh, well, should. Maybe we should get going soon. Right? You know, and you're, and you're kind of trying to hear what they're, the other people's reactions. Do they actually want you to go? Are they, you know, are they so good?
Lindsay McMahon
And I, I do think it's something that's especially strict in American culture in a way because we have a value towards privacy, you know, and I think that's what ties it into this, of, like, I need my space. I need my privacy in a way, after a certain time, after I feel a certain way. You know what I mean? I don't know. It's a thing.
Michelle Kaplan
Right. And it depends how tired I am, too. And I shower at night so, you know, that somebody leaves, I still have to take a shower. I still have. It's a whole, you know, the whole routine.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes, the whole routine.
Lindsay McMahon
I will say that I.
Michelle Kaplan
Song and dance. Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
I mean, I will admit. I think I've admitted this on the show before, so I'm not afraid to admit it again. I have committed this faux pas before. It happened when we were invited over just after Covid, when everyone was coming out of their homes. We were invited over to some friends. They're not good, good friends, but they're new friends. And, you know, we get along with them. We enjoy. So we're somewhere in between, right? In between acquaintances and, like, best friends. We're definitely not best friends. They invited us over to hang out by their campfire outside in their backyard. And all of a sudden, you know, I guess we've been there a while. We've been having some drinks. All of a sudden we see the husband, Sam, start to, like, stretch and say, start to yawn, you know, I'm. I'm going to bed, you know, and that's where we're like, oh, my gosh, we committed the ultimate faux pas. We've lost our social norms in Covid. Right. We blamed Covet for it.
Michelle Kaplan
Did you say something? Were you. Were you like, I'm sorry.
Lindsay McMahon
I think the worst part is we didn't even acknowledge that we had made that mistake. If we had said, oh, we lost our minds at Covet or something, we should have done that. So this is just showing our listeners an example of how important it is when you are on the side of the guy. His name is Sam. If instead of putting your hands in the air and making a yawning sound, what can you do, you know, to subtly get people to go home?
Michelle Kaplan
Well, and now I'm wondering, Lindsay, did it go back and while you were adjusting to being out of COVID did you go back in the other direction after the experience? Did you start leaving too soon?
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, I really tightened up my. My manners, for sure. Are you going?
Michelle Kaplan
You just got here. Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
Like, hour in, you're like, okay, I better get going, because you might.
Michelle Kaplan
You overcorrected. Maybe. So today we're. Yeah, today we're going to talk about some common expressions that I used to talk about something being over in a way that has more personality than just saying, yeah, okay, we're finished. Right. And. And this. These are going to. This is a fun episode. This is very. This is like. These are a lot of fun expressions. So, guys, remember to hit follow wherever you listen to the All Ears English podcast. Don't miss anything.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, it's a. Sorry. It's a fun episode, but it's also very culturally relevant. Right. It's culturally important. I mean, I don't want to underplay the cultural piece. If you are coming from another culture that maybe is a little bit more loose in terms of this or it's not a problem. Aubry and I did an episode, the title was something about fishing company. This idea where it's more in the context of how long you're staying at someone's house in a guest. Like a guest situation. Like you're staying at their house, you're sleeping at their house. That's a slightly different thing. But it's coming back to the same theme of don't overstay your welcome.
Michelle Kaplan
Right, Right. And also, these aren't just for overstaying your welcome. These can be for when just anything needs to be over. Yeah, yeah. You know, it's. It's. It's time to finish with something. So it can be used. But. But these can be used for many different situations. But. But definitely these are great for. For.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
Instead of yawning and around the room
Lindsay McMahon
and hoping that someone picks up on your yawning. Right. All right, so what would be the first one? Let's. Let's go for it.
Michelle Kaplan
All right, so these are fun. So the first one is either party's over or the party's over.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
So this can be used. I mean, you wouldn't. This is direct. Right. If you're using it in that kind of context, you wouldn't say that to some, you know, just new friends that it's your first to their first time. You might scare them away.
Narrator
Yeah, you really have to be.
Lindsay McMahon
Right. Exactly. It's really delicate around. How well do you know the person that you're saying this to? Right. It doesn't have to be for a best friend, but it's definitely not for a first time visitor because it's showing a little bit of snarkiness kind of. Right? A little bit, right?
Michelle Kaplan
Oh, yeah, it's very snarky. Yeah. It's fun though, like. But it's good, especially for people, you know. Well, so for example, all Right, everyone, party's over. I'm tired.
Lindsay McMahon
Right, exactly. Our party's over. We really have to get going. Right.
Michelle Kaplan
So maybe you're actually on your way out somewhere or. I hate to say this, but I think the party's over. I'm gonna start looking for a new job. So that's a different context. That's like, you know, you're not actually talking about a party, but you're saying, okay, I'm not enjoying my job anymore. Party's over. And I'm looking for a new one.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, and I'm actually glad you added that example, Michelle, because I was thinking something along those lines too. Like, let's say we have an economy in a booming state, right? And then all of a sudden things start to look down, like downturns, you know, there's some bad signals. You know, party's over. Maybe I need to get out of stocks or something.
Michelle Kaplan
Right.
Lindsay McMahon
It's like, it's phases, it's time periods that are doing well, things are going well. Right. So it's not just about that moment when you want everyone to leave your home or you need, like, you need to leave a place with a group. It could also be about life stages and moments of booms or busts, that sort of thing. Yeah, right.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah. So it's useful for so many different things. The next one is similar. It's just. Fun's over. Yeah, the fun is over. Fun's over. Yeah, this, you know, this is. Might be a tad more serious, then party's over.
Lindsay McMahon
But maybe, yeah, very similar.
Michelle Kaplan
So for this one, let's. Let's imagine maybe we're out to lunch with friends and it's time for you to go back to your office. So. Okay, friends, sorry, fun's over. I gotta head back to work.
Lindsay McMahon
Yep, yep. Totally good to say. Native and natural or shoes on, everyone. Fun's over. We have to get to why it's band recital.
Michelle Kaplan
Right.
Lindsay McMahon
And this might be something you also say to your kids too. Like, if you have teenagers and you're trying to like kind of corral them right outside of the house, get them out of the house. Yeah, right.
Michelle Kaplan
But yeah, you could definitely say this also to just, you know, to, to your very close guests. All right, guys, fun's over. I. I have to wake up at 4, right?
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, totally, totally. So basically, Michelle, these are light hearted, right? Would you say that you would use these in more formal situations? What are your thoughts on that?
Michelle Kaplan
I do not think so. I think these are, you know, these are snarky. These are Funny, I would use them when you're with your family, with your friends, but I wouldn't, I, I, or to just make a commentary in a situation like about, you know, your job, your job, or booms and busts, as Lindsay was saying.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah. Just be careful who you're around. Right. So if you attend a, an important high level meeting at your company and your company presents some pretty big bad data on their performance. Right. The company's not doing well, things are down, down, down, down. All these revenue streams are down. That's not really the time to jump in there and say, well, party's over.
Michelle Kaplan
Right. Yeah, no, that's not, it's not showing optimism at all there. And that's, yeah, that's going to bring everyone down, so. Right, right. Yeah. Be careful with that.
Lindsay McMahon
I think using these more in social context, personal life people, you know, acquaintances may be not someone that you just met because again, they're a little snarky, a little, I don't want to say pushy, but they're a little confident, right?
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, they're confident. Very. Yeah, that's true. Yeah.
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Lindsay McMahon
All right, so we do have another one which you love. Michelle, tell us about this.
Michelle Kaplan
I love this because it makes me think of my dad. So it's everybody out of the pool. So, Lindsay, did your dad say this growing up?
Lindsay McMahon
He didn't, but I would imagine he could have said this for sure. This is a total dad thing to say, right?
Michelle Kaplan
Oh, my gosh. Yeah. So I, I actually had to look this up because I wasn't sure if it was just something my dad said.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
But no, it's a real thing. So everybody out of the pool. Is it about a real pool, Lindsay?
Lindsay McMahon
No, it's not about a real pool. Right. It's about people are probably enjoying something and you're saying you gotta leave. Like maybe the adult version of this is you're at a casino or something and people are, you know, having fun, playing cards. Right. Gotta go have dinner. Everybody out of the pool. Come on.
Michelle Kaplan
Right. Everybody out of the pool. Yeah. So you don't have to be in a pool to use it. I suppose you could, but, you know, it could also just be used for calming something down, like. Oh, where, you know, it's a little too loud in here. Everybody out of the pool. We gotta keep it quiet. Right, okay, but. So here's an example. All right. Everybody out of the pool. Checkout is in five minutes.
Lindsay McMahon
Nice. Or everybody out of the pool. We have to get our seats. So maybe that means you're, like, at a wedding or something, and you got to go from the dance floor over to sit down at dinner.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, could be. Could be. Or maybe you're at a conference and it's kind of the, you know, the mingling time, and you're having a really good time chatting with your co workers, and then you look at the time and realize that maybe a speech is about to start.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, interesting.
Michelle Kaplan
Sure.
Lindsay McMahon
Time to calm down, get organized.
Michelle Kaplan
Right.
Lindsay McMahon
Or you could say, okay, guys, everybody out of the pool. We have to get our dinner reservation. We have to get to our dinner reservation, meaning go to the place that you. The restaurant.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, So I. I love that one. And then the last one for today is shows over.
Lindsay McMahon
This one's fun. This room. And this one can be used in, like, a bad situation or a good situation. I've seen this used in the movies. Our listeners probably have, too. It's just saying something's done. It's usually like some kind of public display. Right.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes, right. I. This makes me think of the movies. I was trying to think of a specific movie. Like, I'm imagining maybe Jim Carrey, Adam Sand.
Lindsay McMahon
Oh, my God. I was thinking Adam Sandler. Michelle was sitting on with us today.
Michelle Kaplan
We are just on.
Lindsay McMahon
We are on the same wavelength.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah. Like some sort of public situation. Maybe somebody got like. Like overly upset in. In public, and everybody was looking. You know what I mean? Those situations where it's like. And then you look around and everybody's watching you.
Lindsay McMahon
Yes, yes.
Michelle Kaplan
So you might hear them say something like, all right, everyone, show's over. Nothing to see here.
Lindsay McMahon
Yep, exactly. Or, come on, show's over. Let's pay attention to what we working on.
Narrator
So, yeah, it could be when there's
Lindsay McMahon
some kind of scene and it's not really good, someone that has lost it. Right. And they're just. I'm imagining Adam Sandler on a golf course for some reason. Throwing golf, maybe, Something like that.
Michelle Kaplan
Right, right.
Lindsay McMahon
And, you know, jumping into a lake or something.
Michelle Kaplan
Right.
Lindsay McMahon
But. And everyone's watching. But it also could be, again, in the more straightforward way. You just want People to. To go home. Right. Would you. Would you use that in the same way of, like, everybody out of the pool, Like. Like, it's time to go home, the party's over.
Michelle Kaplan
I think this is slightly different, but I do think, like, okay, let's say there's. Let's say there is some sort of display or like. Or. Or let's say. Okay, I'm imagining your kids. Friends are over.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
And they're like teenagers, and one of them is like, you know, they're. They're like. They're having a little sing along, you know, I mean, I was friends with all the theater kids, and we would come and sing, and I could imagine somebody saying, all right, over. Sure.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah. So that's in the more positive way. It hasn't necessarily been a negative scene.
Michelle Kaplan
Right, right. Interesting one. Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
Do you have a favorite here? Is it. Is it everybody out of the pool? Is it your favorite?
Michelle Kaplan
Of course. Everybody out of the pool. Yeah. What about you? Anything you like?
Lindsay McMahon
I like that one. Well, I want to start using that now, because I didn't. I actually hadn't heard of it before, but I like it. I like parties over. Actually. I think that one's fun. It's kind of light, and I like that it can be applied to life situations, like talking about the economy, talking about a job situation. That's kind of interesting to me. So definitely.
Michelle Kaplan
All right, these are. These are just. They have so much personality. So let's do a role play. We're not going to use all of them, but we'll use some.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
All right, here we. In this role play, we have lunch plans, but you are distracted by a TV show that you're watching.
Lindsay McMahon
All right, here we go.
Michelle Kaplan
All right. Come on, Lindsay, let's go.
Narrator
Sorry, it's almost over.
Michelle Kaplan
Okay, come on, party's over. We're gonna miss our reservation.
Narrator
But there's five more minutes.
Michelle Kaplan
All right, everybody out of the pool. You have two minutes. You will love this place.
Lindsay McMahon
Oh, fine. Let's go. Okay.
Michelle Kaplan
And I imagine everybody out of the pool. You're usually trying to. In some physical way, like. All right. Like. Yeah. You're clapping.
Lindsay McMahon
Using your body in some way to just. Yeah. People, for sure. So here we said, I'm watching tv. You're ready to go to the restaurant. Right. And then you say, okay, come on, party's over. We're gonna miss our reservation. Right. So you're trying to pull me away from what I'm doing.
Michelle Kaplan
And then you said, but there's Five more minutes. And so I realize I need to use another line. So I start clapping and I go, everybody out of the pool.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah. Nice. Nice.
Michelle Kaplan
Love it.
Lindsay McMahon
So again, I feel like today's phrases are just. Yeah, just there's tons of personality here. Right? There's. We're covering the cultural norm of don't overstay your welcome in American culture. Right. And when does it matter? When does it not? Depending on how well you know the people. And then also talking about the end of certain kinds of good moments in life, like a boom or, I don't know, a good job or something. Right. You've had it easy up until now and that's ending really interesting, right?
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah. These are really fun. So, guys, head on over. We did Allers English. It was. Listen to this episode, would you?
Lindsay McMahon
And I think the takeaway here for connection is anytime we're expressing our personality and we're having a little fun, we're connecting.
Narrator
And it can be a harsh thing to say.
Lindsay McMahon
Could you please go home?
Michelle Kaplan
Right.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah. Right, Right. That's what we're trying to avoid here instead. Hey, party's over. I'm going to, you know, party's over. We'll see you guys next time. Right.
Michelle Kaplan
Right.
Lindsay McMahon
That is, these are like indirect ways to say what you want to say but you can't say directly. Right?
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, I got. I have another idea for another thing, but we'll do it for. We'll do it another time.
Lindsay McMahon
Got an episode idea, guys. Hit the follow button because Michelle's got ideas. We love it. Lots of good episodes coming up in the near future. You are following all ears English. All right.
Michelle Kaplan
All right, guys. All right, Lindsay, party's over.
Lindsay McMahon
Party's over. Have a good one.
Michelle Kaplan
Bye bye.
Narrator
Thanks for listening to all ears English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com forward/fluency score. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to learn to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.
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Michelle Kaplan
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Title: Party’s Over! How to Say Something Is Coming to an End
Hosts: Lindsay McMahon & Michelle Kaplan
Date: March 26, 2026
This episode explores lively American English expressions and idioms used to indicate that something—like a gathering, event, or fun period—is coming to an end. Lindsay and Michelle share practical phrases brimming with personality, discuss their cultural contexts, and offer real-life scenarios for ESL learners aiming to sound more like natives. The episode also touches on American cultural norms around “overstaying your welcome” and how to navigate these situations diplomatically and with humor.
Look for episodes featuring discussion of “fishing company” or other American small talk and guest etiquette, as referenced in this episode.
Connection NOT Perfection!