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Learning English Conversations

Scrub up well

Learning English Conversations

BBC

Language Learning, Education

4.61.2K Ratings

🗓️ 28 December 2021

⏱️ 2 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Learn a phrase about making a special effort to dress smartly.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This is a download from BBC Learning English. To find out more, visit our website.

0:07.0

This is the English we speak with me dying.

0:09.0

And me, Neil. We've got that posh office party to go to tonight. It's a black tie event.

0:15.0

Oh yes, a black tie event means we have to dress smartly.

0:19.0

So it suits for the men and dresses for us women.

0:23.0

Ah, but I wonder which of us will look the smartest.

0:26.4

Hmm. I'm sure Roy looks very smart in a suit.

0:29.8

Maybe. But what about me? Don't you think I would scrub up well?

0:34.0

You mean to look very smart after making a lot of effort?

0:37.8

I'm not sure, but it's a good expression.

0:40.8

When you scrub up well, it means you have made a lot of effort to look very smart or well

0:46.2

presented.

0:47.2

Neil do you owe any smart clothes?

0:49.8

Of course I do and so do the people in these examples.

0:55.0

He wears jeans most of the time, but he scrubbed up well for the party. Sharon scrubs up well.

1:05.0

Sharon scrubs up well. Did you see what she was wearing last night?

1:10.0

That's an impressive suit.

1:12.0

You can scrub up well when you want to.

1:15.0

This is the English we speak from BBC Learning English.

1:22.0

We're talking about the expression

1:23.7

Scrab Up Well. It's an informal way of saying to look very smart after making a

1:29.2

lot of effort. Hey Neil, you've changed haven't you?

...

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