AEE 2605: It Sounded Like Prince Himself! How to Note Prestige in English

Summary

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All Ears English Podcast – Episode 2605

"It Sounded Like Prince Himself! How to Note Prestige in English"

Hosts: Lindsay McMahon & Michelle Kaplan
Date: April 23, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Lindsay and Michelle dive into a fun, real-life English phrase: how to note prestige using "himself," "herself," or "themselves" after a person’s name or title. The discussion stems from a playful story about Michelle’s husband teasing her singing by saying, “For a second, I thought I was listening to Prince himself.” The hosts break down what this construction adds to English conversations, explore related phrases, and give practical tips on sounding more natural and expressive when discussing celebrities or prestigious moments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Origin of Today’s Topic

• Michelle’s Story: Michelle shares a funny moment when her husband Dan teased her post-Peloton ride singing with, “For a second, I thought I was listening to Prince himself.” She immediately recognized the phrase as an interesting English construction worth exploring.
  [03:08] Michelle: “After the ride I had his song stuck in my head…Dan started to tease me…he said, ‘Yeah. For a second, I thought I was listening to Prince himself.’”

• Inspiration for ESL Learners: The hosts note that many unique, naturally emphatic constructions like this aren’t in textbooks but are essential for sounding native.
  [04:52] Lindsay: “I feel like this is not in the textbooks, Michelle.”

What Does "Himself/Herself" Add?

• Emphasis & Prestige: The phrase adds emphasis and a sense of prestige, making the statement stronger and more notable, as well as sometimes playful or sarcastic depending on the context.
  [06:00] Lindsay: “It makes it a little bit stronger. And it’s a little bit teasing, too…it might be a little sarcastic.”

• Sarcasm or Sincerity: Depending on tone, it can be a sincere compliment or a playful tease.
  [06:22] Michelle: “He was being sarcastic...we were saying Prince was actually in the room singing.”

• Explaining the Construction:

  • Structure: Noun + himself/herself/themselves
  • Used to elevate the noteworthiness of the person or the action.
  • Examples outside of celebrity references are possible (e.g., CEO, doctor, etc.).

• Not Just for Stars: While it’s common with celebrities, it can also highlight when someone unexpectedly important does something personally.
  [09:07] Lindsay: “It’s giving a hint into what your expectations were…and what the reality was.”

Examples and Role-play

• Examples Provided:

  • “Oh my gosh, I met Jennifer Aniston herself last weekend.”
    [08:09] Michelle: “I met Jennifer Aniston herself...I’m being more emphatic, a little bit more dramatic.”
  • “The head of the company called me back herself. I was shocked.”
  • “The doctor himself called me to answer my question. I was so impressed.”

• Alternative Ways to Express Similar Meaning:

  • Using "the real" or "the actual" for emphasis
  • Placement and vocal delivery (intonation is key):
    [11:33] Michelle: “You could also say the actual. Right. The actual CEO called me to offer me the job.”

• Role Play Segment:
  The hosts act out a conversation after attending a Broadway show, naturally incorporating the phrase:

  • “Oh my gosh, I think I just saw the star of the show herself walk by.” [13:18] Michelle
  • “Last time I saw a show, I got an autograph from the actual composer...” [13:26] Michelle
  • “The real composer…the real one!” [13:31-13:36] Lindsay

• Discussion of Celebrity Encounters:
  The hosts share personal brush-with-fame stories to illustrate usage in real life.

Notable Quotes & Insights

• On What “Himself/Herself” Conveys:
  [12:27] Lindsay: “I also think that himself or herself…has a bit more of a performative connotation…It lends prestige to whoever you’re dealing with. Prince himself in the room.”
• On Delivering Emphasis:
  [12:02] Lindsay: “It matters how you deliver it, right Michelle. It definitely matters.”
• On Prestige:
  [13:00] Michelle: "The prestige. I mean, if you look at our examples, the head of the company, the doctor...There’s some sort of prestige to it."

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Important Timestamps

• [03:08] - Michelle recounts Dan’s “Prince himself” joke
• [04:52] - Why “himself/herself” is not in textbooks
• [06:00] - Lindsay explains added emphasis and sarcasm
• [08:09] - Example: "Jennifer Aniston herself"
• [09:13] - "The doctor himself called me…"
• [11:24] - Alternatives: “the real,” “the actual”
• [13:13] - Broadway show role play
• [16:24] - Reiteration on how “herself/himself” functions and intonation

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Memorable Moments

• Michelle’s Realization: The spark for this episode came from a real, unscripted moment in Michelle’s daily life—a testament to how often these structures are used in authentic English.
• Role Play Discussion: The natural back-and-forth and their stories about celebrity encounters make the language come alive for listeners, showing that these phrases are part of real, emotional experiences.

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Practical Takeaways

• Use “himself/herself/themselves” after a name or title to express surprise, honor, or prestige.
  • Often signals that the person is so notable, it's remarkable they’re performing the action personally.
• Tone Matters: Delivery can change meaning—emphasize for sincerity, lighten for sarcasm.
• Great for Talking About Celebrities, Important Figures, or Unusual Moments: Can be used for anyone ‘prestigious’—not just superstars.

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Final Words from the Hosts

• [17:07] Lindsay: “It’s about prestige. When someone is prestigious and they’re right in front of you…that’s a big deal. And you have to note that moment.”
• [17:18] Michelle: “These are just really good ways to show your personality, to show how you are reacting…or interpreting this person…It could just be someone who is like important in some way. You’re surprised about something.”

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Summary Prepared For ESL Teachers & Learners:
This episode gives you a powerful, native-level way to add color and authenticity when describing noteworthy encounters. Experiment with these constructions in your English conversations to express surprise, respect, and highlight the “big deal” factor of an experience!

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For Further Learning:
Check out episode 2579: “Don’t Undermine Your English” for more confidence-building tips.

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Transcript

[A]

This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2605. It sounded like Prince himself. How to Note Prestige in English 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, Lindsey 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 All Ears English app for iOS and Android. Start your seven day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward/app.

[B]

Maybe you feel surprised that a famous or prestigious person takes an action that you didn't expect. Find out what you can say in English to note this moment. Many English learners focus on grammar. They want their sentences to be correct. But fluency isn't just about correctness. It's about sounding natural, choosing the right phrase, responding quickly without translating every thought in your head. That's why someone can know a lot of grammar rules and still feel uncomfortable in conversations. Real fluency comes from understanding patterns, tone and natural expressions. Our free 2 minute fluency quiz helps you discover your level and what skills will move you forward. Go to all allearsenglish.com fluency score that's allearsenglish.com F L U E N C Y S C O R E.

[A]

Hey Michelle, what's shaking? What's going on today?

[B]

Not too much, Lindsay, but I have a question for you about musical taste.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Are you a fan of the musician Prince?

[A]

Oh man, you know what, his songs are so iconic. So I like that. But I'm not a huge Prince person.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. I'm not a huge Prince person. I. I don't think I would like buy an album but when, when the song comes on the radio, like I know it, it's kind of fun. But. Yeah, but it sounds like you are. Is that right?

[B]

I mean I'm not a huge Prince fan, but I do appreciate his music and so actually the other day I did a Peloton ride and it was all Prince songs.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Yeah. So I some. I like to. When I do a peloton, if I can, I like to do like specific artists music.

[A]

I didn't know they had that.

[B]

Oh yeah. That's like the, one of the best things about it is I like. Yeah. That you can choose like and like they have Backstreet Boys rides or that you know, they'll the. And they like really theme the Ride to that artist and wear certain things. So it's fun. So. But after the ride, I had had his song stuck in my head and was actually singing to them. Of course, Dan started to tease me, and of course I said, don't you like my singing? And he said, yeah. For a second, I thought I was listening to Prince himself.

[A]

He was praising your singing.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, right. Not so much so. But I stopped him and I said, wait a second. That's a good idea for an episode. So that's. It's fun. It must be funny being married to me because, you know.

[A]

Yeah, right.

[B]

Like, I'm sure you have that too, where you're just. Where you're just talking and then you're like, wait a second.

[A]

Oh, 100. Even on vacations or on the weekend, I'm always sending myself emails. That's an amazing idea.

[B]

You do it in your email, too.

[A]

Oh, I email myself all the time. Ideas. We'll be like, up in the mountains and we'll say something and. Oh, that's it. That would make a great episode.

[B]

That's exactly what I do. I'll just send myself an email so I don't forget. Yeah. So this is. This is gonna. I'm excited for this episode because it's. It's to me, was so unique. And I said. And I actually said to Dan, I said, why do you think? Why did you add himself? Right. Why did you say that? So he was actually able to kind of express it pretty well. And so I just said, we have to do an episode on this. So, Lindsay, do you hear this type of construction, adding himself or herself in this way?

[A]

Oh, for sure, for sure. And I'm excited to dive into exactly what it means, what it does, you know, what you and Dan decided it means. And. And we can extrapolate that out for our audience because I feel like this is not in the textbooks, Michelle.

[B]

No, no, no, no. This is definitely just like real life in the moment English. I mean, because. So the question is, why didn't he just say, I thought I was listening to Prince.

[A]

Prince. Good question. And we're going to find that out in just a minute. But we have a request for our listeners first. Guys, go ahead and hit the follow button wherever you're listening. If you're listening on Apple Podcasts or spot listening on YouTube, which you might be, because we do put five of these episodes a week on YouTube, then hit subscribe so that you make sure that we drop into your listening and learning queue every. Almost every day.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Almost every day. Michelle.

[B]

Almost every day. Yes, exactly. So hit follow. So, yeah, so we were discussing what the difference is. I mean, Lindsay, do you have any inkling off the bat? Yeah.

[A]

So I feel like it's certainly making it more emphatic. Right. I felt like I was listening to Prince himself. Self.

[B]

Right, right.

[A]

And it makes it a little bit stronger. And it's a little bit teasing, too. It's. It might be a little sarcastic. I mean, depending on the quality of the singing.

[B]

Right.

[A]

It could be. It could be you're an actual singer. So I'm sure it wasn't exactly like that.

[B]

But if, like, I'm a terrible around.

[A]

So, like, if someone's really a bad singer, it could be completely sarcastic.

[B]

Right, Right, exactly. No, he was being sarcastic. So. But yeah, it was more. Yeah, like, exactly. It was more emphatic and more like we were saying Prince was actually in the room singing. Not. Well, I mean, unfortunately, he's not alive anymore, but, you know, not just we heard his song out or on the radio.

[A]

Right.

[B]

It's stronger by adding himself that it's actually Prince the live experience. Right, exactly. So because without the himself, it just kind of neutral, a little more bland. But Dan was joking around, used himself to add to what he was saying.

[A]

Makes sense.

[B]

It.

[A]

It shows your personality. It shows a bit of playfulness, which makes sense. I think Dan's kind of a funny guy, right?

[B]

He's a very funny guy.

[A]

Makes total sense, you know?

[B]

Yeah. So, yeah, and then I looked into a little more, and I found, you know, that we were basically correct. So the. The construction here would be noun plus himself or herself or themselves. So there, you know, there are other patterns, but we wanted to focus on this one today. I mean. So, Lindsay, this sounds. This sounds pretty common to you, right?

[A]

Yeah, I think it's pretty common, for sure. And again, I'm excited because our listeners will never find this in. In any textbook or any traditional, you know, B2 English class. This is not something they're going to teach you. So this is really cool. Michelle, let's look at some more examples here to see exactly how this is used, shall we?

[B]

Exactly. All right, so the first one is, oh, my gosh, I met Jennifer Aniston herself last weekend. She is even more beautiful in person. So it doesn't always have to be, oh, you're teasing someone. Right. This is. This is saying, I could have just said, oh, my gosh, I met Jennifer Aniston last weekend. Right, right.

[A]

And you're actually saying you met the actual Jennifer Aniston. Yes, okay, right.

[B]

I mean, I wish that were true. I love her so. So herself. I'm, you know, here. I'm saying I'm being more emphatic a little bit. Yeah. A little bit more dramatic. Jennifer Aniston herself self. The actual Jennifer Aniston, she was actually in the room. Right.

[A]

Is it like. It wasn't her agent, it wasn't her representatives, it was her. Right.

[B]

Yes, exactly.

[A]

Okay, okay.

[B]

Or the.

[A]

The head of the company called me back herself. I was shocked. Okay, so this is different. So this is saying, well, it's not different. It's similar. It's saying, wow, I was surprised that she didn't have someone working for her. Calling me back. She called me back.

[B]

Right, right, exactly. Because otherwise, if you just said the head of the called me back, this is like adding an extra layer, a little bit more of your. What's going on in your mind, and that. That was surprising to you in some way.

[A]

That's right. It's giving a hint into what your expectations were and what you actually. What the reality was.

[B]

Right. Or here's another one. The doctor himself called me to answer my question. I was so impressed.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Now, same idea, right? Like the we're. I mean, I don't know how it is in other countries, but it's. It's not always. You know, a lot of times you make a call and then maybe you'll hear from a nurse or someone else and that. Right. So it's always like.

[A]

Oh, right, right, right. Totally. When, like, the person at the top does the action, it might be surprising. Right. Because you're a customer and normally there's layers of other employees that could take care of that.

[B]

Right? Exactly. Exactly.

[A]

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[B]

Right.

[A]

Like. Like Dan could have said, I thought I was listening to the real Prince.

[B]

Right. Yeah, exactly. Or you could also say the actual. Right. The actual CEO called me to offer me the job.

[A]

And you would have to really place some emphasis on actual there. The actual CEO called.

[B]

Right.

[A]

To offer me the job.

[B]

Exactly right. And that's a really good point. I mean, if you're being. I mean, all of these are to showcase personality. Show that it. You. There was an added layer to how you felt about something. Yes. And so we want to show that with our voice. Right. We don't want to just say the doctor himself called me. Right. The Doctor himself.

[A]

Right. It matters how you deliver it. Right, Michelle. It definitely matters. Love it.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Any of these more natural than. Than any others for you, Michelle, that you.

[B]

I mean, I like the. The himself. Right. Yeah, it's definitely very natural sounding. And it's just interesting because I'm sure I use this all the time, but it didn't stand out to me until that one situation.

[A]

Yeah. And I also think that himself or herself or themselves has a bit more of a performative in connotation to it for me. Like performances on stage or actor. I don't know. It's something. It. It lends prestige to whoever your deal is. Prince himself in the room.

[B]

A very good point. I mean. Yeah. Because if you. It is also. Yeah. The prestige. I mean, if you look at our examples, the head of the company, the doctor, you know, so I. Yeah, that's a. That's a really good point. There's some sort of prestige to it.

[A]

Prestige, Interesting. We haven't talked about prestige on the show before. I love that word.

[B]

It's a good word.

[A]

All right, Michelle, let's go into a role play. So here you and me, we are at a Broadway show together. I wonder what show we're seeing.

[B]

I wonder. All right, so. So we went to the show.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. I think I just saw the star of the show herself walk by.

[A]

Are you serious? Wow. Yes.

[B]

Last time I saw a show, I got an autograph from the actual composer of the musical.

[A]

That's incredible. The real composer the real one.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Wow. This is. Of course, it's going to open the question. I mean, we've both lived in New York for multiple years. I mean, did. Yeah, I know. You have a Conan story. No, no.

[B]

Yes. No, I did. I met Conan, but that was actually in D.C. okay. I met Seth Meyers. I'm.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Who else? I mean, other. Other people that. For some reason. I'm blanking on right now.

[A]

What about you? Well, it's fun. So my biggest story is, you know, Julianne Moore, her kids taught, took tennis lessons where I. Where I taught. So I taught her. Her kid.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

On the court. And she came to pick up her kid and I was.

[B]

Did she seem friendly? Yeah.

[A]

I mean, she's talking to the other moms just like a mom, you know, in there. Just no different than any other tennis mom, you know, which is really cool. So these are the cool things that happen when we live in New York, you know?

[B]

Yeah, Yep. Exactly. Exactly. But yeah, I mean, one of the cool things is with, With Broadway is there's the stage door after. And I used to do that a lot, actually, before I moved to New York even. I. I met Hugh Jackman at the stage door.

[A]

What is the stage door with.

[B]

So, yeah, yeah. Ye. This is when, after the show, there's a special door where the stars will just walk out of. To leave. And so people sometimes. Well, yeah, it depends on how big the stars are. But they will just wait and, you know, just wait in line and just like wait around to see them come out.

[A]

That's so funny.

[B]

And a lot of times they'll come out and sign autographs. Sometimes you're waiting for a long time and then they'll say, oh, they're not coming. Or they already left.

[A]

They already left, right?

[B]

Yeah. And like, where were they? They, you know, they snuck out. But I. The last time I went to the stage door, I took my son to see Aladdin. This is before we moved. And okay, there was, you know, it was. He just wanted to. It wasn't any names I knew, but he wanted to meet the genie, so that's pretty cool.

[A]

It's pretty cool. Good to know. Stage door. I didn't even know that was a thing that people.

[B]

Oh, really? So you can meet the actual stars of the show.

[A]

Very cool. I love it. So, yeah, that's kind of.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I think this would be really useful when talking about celebrities, for sure. But that's not the only thing. Right. As we mentioned, CEOs or people that just don't see that seem Maybe above a certain task and they're doing something themselves. Right, yeah, very interesting.

[B]

So, all right, let's go through what we said. So, yeah, I said, oh, my gosh, I think I just saw the star of the show herself walk by. Now, I'm not saying that she walked by, by herself. Right. I'm, I'm emphasiz that, you know, the actual, the real. Oh, my gosh. Right. That's prestige.

[A]

It's the star of the show herself. And the intonation is important. So, yeah, this is, this might be a brand new skill for some of our listeners. So I'm excited to see them try this out. And then you said, the last time I saw a show, I got an autograph from the actual composer of the musical. And you're just saying that's a big deal to you, right, because the actual composer signed your paper, right?

[B]

Yes, exactly. And you said the real composer and I said the real one.

[A]

Nice. I feel like this is, yeah. Pretty clear. I mean, it's about prestige. When someone is prestigious and they're, they're right in front of you, they're interacting with you, they're doing something that's a big deal. And you have to note that moment.

[B]

Right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Very interesting. So, yeah, guys, check out episode 2579. That was. Don't undermine your English. Listen today.

[A]

All right, any final thoughts on connection here?

[B]

Michelle, These are just really good ways to show your personality, to show how you are reacting or, or not judging, but interpreting this person. That's. That you're experiencing, right? Is it that they're, you know, it doesn't have to be that it's a Broadway star. It can still be some. It could just be someone who is like important in some way. You're surprised about something. So just there's, there's a lot to do with this and we've given you some ideas today. And now you know that I'm not good at singing Prince songs.

[A]

All right, good stuff. Thanks, Michelle, for bringing in your real life story. And we'll see you back on the show soon.

[B]

All right, Bye, Lindsay.

[A]

Bye. Thanks for listening to all ears. English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our 2 minute quiz, go to allearsenglish.com and if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time. The right window treatments change everything. Your sleep, your privacy, the way every room looks and feels. @blinds.com We've spent 30 years making it surprisingly simple to get exactly what your home needs. We've covered over 25 million windows and have 50,000 five star reviews to prove we deliver. Whether you DIY it or want a pro to handle everything from measure to install, we have you covered. Real design professionals free samples zero pressure right now. Get up to 45% off site wide. Plus get a free professional [e-mail] rules and restrictions apply. Security program on spreadsheets, new regulations piling up and audit dread. It's time for Vanta. Vanta automates security and compliance, brings evidence into one place, and cuts audit prep by 82%. Less manual work, clearer visibility, faster deals, zero chaos. Call it compliance or call it compliance. Get it join the 15,000 companies using Vanta to prove trust. Go to vanta.com calm.