Épisodes

  • 882 - Fall Vocabulary in American English

    882 - Fall Vocabulary in American English
    Sep 18 2025
    Fall is right around the corner. Soon there will be a nip in the air as you look at the harvest moon, while sipping your pumpkin spice latte. When the season changes, so does the way we talk. So today, before Indian Summer comes, let’s dive into some seasonal vocabulary and phrases that’ll help you talk about fall just like a native speaker.

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    11 min
  • 881 - Speaking Naturally - How Native Speakers Break Grammar Rules

    881 - Speaking Naturally - How Native Speakers Break Grammar Rules
    Sep 17 2025
    Let me say right now, this ain’t gonna be your average English lesson. And even considering that I’ve been teaching English for over 30 years, I ain’t got no problem sharing this information with you. What I’m trying to say is, would you mind if I break some grammar rules today?

    In this lesson, I want to show you how native speakers break grammar rules — and why that’s actually a part of sounding more natural when you speak.

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    11 min
  • 880 - Seven Ways To Use Even In English

    880 - Seven Ways To Use Even In English
    Sep 15 2025
    I came up with this podcast yesterday. I even wrote some of it in the car. And even though I touched on this topic in a podcast like 10 years ago, this lesson is ever better.

    Have you ever heard someone say something like, “It’s even colder today than yesterday,” or “He even brought his cat to the party,” and thought… what’s going on with that little word even? It’s just four letters, but even does a lot of work in English. Native speakers use it all the time — in comparisons, for contrast, for emphasis — and in a few fixed phrases, too. So today, let’s break it down.

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    12 min
  • 879 - Sunday Speak - Polite Ways to Say No

    879 - Sunday Speak - Polite Ways to Say No
    Sep 14 2025
    Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Sunday Speak. Every Sunday, I’ll be here with a quick one-point tip to help you speak English more naturally. Now, sometimes in English we need to say “no,” but just saying no can sound too direct or even a little rude. So let’s look at some casual, yet polite, natural ways to say no.

    If someone invites you to do something and you don’t want to, you can say:
    • “I’ll pass.” Like, Want to come out for karaoke tonight? → Thanks, I’ll pass.
    • “Not really my thing.” Like, do you want to go bouldering? → Nah, That’s not really my thing.
    • And one that I like to use all the time is “It’s not my cup of tea.” Like, Everyone’s watching that new horror movie, but scary films are not my cup of tea.

    So, I’ll pass, It’s not really my thing, and It’s not my cult of tea. When you need to refuse or decline something, these all sound softer, more polite, and very natural. So how about you? What’s something that’s Not your cup of tea? Leave a comment below

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    2 min
  • 878 - Saturday Short – Everyday vs. Every Day

    878 - Saturday Short – Everyday vs. Every Day
    Sep 13 2025
    Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English better.

    Today’s point is one that even native speakers sometimes get mixed up: 👉 everyday which is one word vs. every day which is two words. Here’s the deal:

    Everyday (which is one word) is an adjective. It means “common” or “ordinary.” Like, Having a cup of green tea is part of my everyday routine. Or These sneakers are my everyday shoes. Your everyday something is common or usual for you.

    On the other hand, every day (which is two words) means “each day.” For example: I drink coffee every day. Or Meg goes for a jog every day before work. So, when something happens each day, it is an every day (that’s two words) activity.

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    2 min
  • 877 - Friday Phrasal Verb - Toy With

    877 - Friday Phrasal Verb - Toy With
    Sep 12 2025
    Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome to the very first Happy English, Friday Phrasal Verb.
    Starting today, I’ll be here every Friday with a quick, one-point English lesson to help you learn one new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak.

    Today’s phrasal verb is toy with. When you toy with something, it means you’re considering it, but not very seriously. It’s like you’re playing with the idea — maybe yes, maybe no, but you’re not 100% committed. And we usually use the phrase “Toy with the idea of” followed by a gerund.
    • Like, my friend Alex has been toying with the idea of moving to Chicago, but he hasn’t started packing boxes yet.
    • And last week, Jessica said she was toying with the idea of starting her own bakery, but right now it’s just an idea.
    • And me? I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a new guitar, although I should probably sell one of the old ones first.

    So how about you? Are you toying with any ideas these days? Leave a comment below, at myhappyenglishy.com, or come tell me on Instagram @happyenglishny.

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    2 min
  • 876 - Using Say, Tell, Was Like, and Go

    876 - Using Say, Tell, Was Like, and Go
    Sep 11 2025
    I saw one of my old students the other day. I was like, how’s it going, and he goes, I finally found a new job. And I go, that’s awesome. And he was like, I finally got a job using English. And I was like, that’s really fabulous!

    Have you ever gotten stuck trying to figure out when to use say and when to use tell? These words seem really similar, but they’re used in different ways. So today, let’s break it down, nice and easy, with some everyday examples. And then, I’m gonna show you two other, more natural ways to talk about what someone said, that are not found in most textbooks.

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    11 min
  • 875 - Expressions with Time in Everyday English

    875 - Expressions with Time in Everyday English
    Sep 10 2025
    Hey! I see you’re right on time for this lesson. Take your time, get comfortable. I’m not gonna kill too much time here because as you know, time flies!

    So today, I’m going to cover six of the most common time expressions: kill time, run out of time, take your time, right on time, about time, and time flies. Then, I’ll also tell you about some proverbs with “time” and the funny little paradox that goes along with them. You’re gonna want to listen all the way through to learn about that.

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    10 min