William: Hello and welcome to the English We Speak, I'm William Kremer.
Yang Li: And I'm Yang Li.
William: Li, are you wearing make-up?
Yang Li: Yes, do you like it? It's not too much?
William: I think you look sick.
Yang Li: What?
William: Sick!
Yang Li: But I feel fine. I'm perfectly healthy.
William: No, you don't look ill Li, you look sick!
Yang Li: Sorry I just don't get it. I'm not ill!
William: Sorry Li, I should explain. It's our expression for the day. Lots of young people in the UK use the word sick to mean cool or great.
Yang Li: English can be weird can't it? Sick means cool?
William: Yes, it is a bit odd. I know one teacher who was confused by this word when his student used it in a class.
Yang Li: Really? What did they say?
William: Something like this:
Student: Mr Griffiths! Teacher: Yes? Student: Sir, are you wearing new shoes? Teacher: Yes, I am. Why? Student: Because they are sick! Teacher: Sick? Student: Totally sick, sir. Teacher: Well, young man. As you find them so terrible, how about you give me 100 lines saying… saying… Student: No, no, I like them! Sick means cool! Teacher: First I've heard of it.
Yang Li: Lines. Lines are a form of punishment which teachers used to give students – copying out the same sentence again and again. You never had to write lines, did you William?
William: Erm... Maybe I won't go into that here!
Yang Li: So anyway, what do I say if I really am sick?
William: I'm feeling sick. Or I'm feeling ill.
Yang Li: So we can work it out from the context.
William: Exactly, that's it. Anyway, like I was saying I love the make-up Li. But maybe next time don't wear green eye-shadow.