You couldn't make it up

Learning English Conversations

BBC

Language Learning, Education

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 8 February 2022

⏱️ 2 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Learn an expression for unbelievable events.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is a download from BBC Learning English. To find out more, visit our website.
0:06.0	Hello, I'm Jaying. This is the English we speak.
0:09.0	And hello I'm Neil. Hey Jaying, I've just been to that cafe downstairs and guess what?
0:15.0	You bought me a coffee?
0:16.0	No, I didn't buy any coffee because now you have to make your own coffee and you have to bring
0:21.2	your own cup. What kind of cafe is that?
0:24.0	You couldn't make it up. But I didn't make it up.
0:27.0	I know, I believe you.
0:29.0	We say you couldn't make it up to express how unbelievable or ridiculous a situation is.
0:36.0	It's a situation you could not have imagined.
0:38.9	So why are they doing this?
0:41.3	Something to do with health and safety. Who could come up with an idea like that?
0:45.0	Like I said, you couldn't make it up.
0:48.0	Here are some more examples of this phrase. The breakdown van that's coming to fix my car has broken down.
1:00.4	You couldn't make it up.
1:09.0	The session about punctuality will start late because the speaker has been delayed. You couldn't make it up.
1:12.0	You couldn't make it up. The Cake Shop has started a healthy eating campaign.
1:21.7	This is the English we speak from BBC Learning English.
1:25.0	We're talking about the phrase you couldn't make it up,
1:28.0	which can be used to express how unbelievable or ridiculous a situation is.
1:33.4	So Neil, where are you going to get your coffee from now?
1:37.0	Probably from the other cafe across the street.
	...

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