Hello and welcome to the English We Speak, where we explain expressions used by fluent English speakers so that you can use them too.

I'm Faye Faye and I'm joined by Georgie. How are you, Georgie? I'm very well. Thank you, Faye Faye. How are you?

Very well, thank you. So what's the phrase we're learning in this programme?

We are learning come full circle.

Now, imagine you walk in a circle around a tree, for example.

If you come full circle, you end in the same position that you started.

And that's a very literal way of explaining come full circle,

but it's mostly used metaphorically, isn't it?

Yes, it means you return to a starting point, but not in a negative way.

For example, imagine someone has a low-level position in a company, and they decide to get

a different job to gain experience. Then they come back to the original company with a senior position.

They've come full circle.

Yes.

Now that person has returned to where they began, but with a new sense of growth and new perspective.

It's quite a poetic way to describe how things in life don't always just end.

They can loop back in a meaningful way.

Or it can be about something simple like fashion

trends. For example, double denim trends from the 90s are back in fashion. We've come full

circle. Let's listen to more examples. So I used to go to a theatre when I was younger and I absolutely loved it.

And last week I sang on that stage.

So yeah, I really felt like I've come full circle.

Growing up is funny, isn't it?

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