How to Talk About October in Natural English

You look out of the window in October. The sky is grey, the road is wet, and you want to say something about it, but the right words do not come. In this episode, Paul and Emily have a friendly debate: is October the worst month or the best one? Along the way, they teach twelve useful phrases for cold, rain, tiredness, and cosy evenings, and they give you a short chat to practice yourself.

This page helps you learn with the episode. This episode is for B1 and B2 learners.

Watch the episode: How to Talk About October in Natural English on YouTube

Time: about 34 minutes to listen, and about 25 minutes for the practice.

Before you listen: write one sentence about the weather where you are today, for example It’s a bit chilly this morning. Keep it. You will use better words for it at the end.

How to use this page: listen once for the stories and the debate, then read the key idea and the useful language, then do the practice. If you want to read while you listen, the full transcript is at the bottom.

What You’ll Learn

• A friendly weather line, Miserable out there, isn’t it?, and three natural replies
• A staircase of cold words: crisp, chilly, nippy, freezing
• Rain words in a real story: pouring, take shelter, soaked, numb
• Three October feelings: run down, coming down with something, feeling a bit down
• Staying in and moving away: hibernate, migrate, cosy
• Put up with and put someone up: one small word, a very different meaning
• Go all out, plus prefer … to …, layer up, and can’t stand
• A bus stop role-play, a six-question quiz, and a weather report for you to finish

Key Idea

Miserable out there, isn’t it?

This is the line of the day. Emily says Paul says it every single morning at work. She says it is not really about rain: “It means, hello, we’re in this together.” Paul agrees that a complaint about the sky is really a friendly hello.

The question is easy. The reply is where learners get stuck. So the episode gives you three short replies, and you can use them with a neighbor, a colleague, or someone at the bus stop.

The October debate

The two hosts argue all through the episode. Paul says October is the most disappointing month, and Emily says it is her favourite. You can follow the debate by round.

Round	What happens	Time
Opening	Paul: wet, dark, and cold. Emily: cosy, colourful, and the air feels clean.	00:00
Cold	Paul walks down a staircase of cold words on one Monday morning. Emily adds crisp, the cold you enjoy.	01:33
Rain	Paul: my socks are never dry. He tells his camping weekend and his football match in the rain.	04:13
Smell	Pumpkin everywhere. Paul: a problem. Emily: a gift.	17:05
Shops	Christmas trees on 10 October. For once, they agree.	18:00
Halloween	Paul admits something: he is a big Halloween fan.	23:03
Verdict	Paul: “October is not my least favourite month.” He says it is just the wettest month.	25:38

A Staircase of Cold (01:56)

Emily: “Think of a thermometer as a staircase. Every step down is a new word.” Then Paul walks down the stairs with a real morning. Listen at 02:05.

Order in Emily’s summary	Word	What Emily and Paul say	The sentences you hear
1	crisp	Cold, dry, and clean. It feels fresh in your chest. It is the cold you enjoy.	The sky was clear, the air was crisp, and I could see my breath.
2	chilly	A bit cold, but you can live with it.	It’s a bit chilly this morning. Take a jacket, it’s chilly outside.
3	nippy	Informal, and very British. A cold that bites a little. Paul: like a small dog at your ankles.	It’s nippy today, isn’t it? (a friendly thing to say to a neighbour)
4	freezing	Your hands hurt, and your nose goes red.	I’m freezing. I can’t feel my fingers.

Emily’s order from top to bottom: crisp, if you enjoy it. Chilly, if it’s a bit cold. Nippy, if the wind bites. Freezing, if it hurts. At 04:01 they say the four words with you.

A small confusion: when Paul hears crisp, he thinks of crisps, the snack. Emily says: same sound, different meaning.

Paul’s Monday morning

What happened	Which word
He left the house at ten to seven to catch the bus, and opened the door	chilly
He turned the corner, and the wind started	nippy
The bus was fifteen minutes late, and he stood at the stop	freezing

Miserable Out There (04:13)

Paul’s real problem with October is the rain: “My socks are never dry, my bike chain squeaks, and my hair is a disaster. Everything is miserable.”

Miserable is a strong word. Paul says it means really unpleasant or really unhappy, much stronger than bad or sad. Emily adds that you can use it for weather and for people. The weather was miserable. I was miserable all weekend.

Paul’s camping weekend

What happened	In Paul’s words
The plan	Two years ago, his friends planned a camping trip in late October, by a lake. His friend Sam said the forecast looked fine: two days, a fire, some fishing.
The weekend	It rained on Saturday and on Sunday. The tent leaked in one corner, and his sleeping bag was in that corner.
What they did	They ate cold beans in the car and played cards for six hours. It was fun for one hour. The other five were miserable.
Monday	He walked into the office with a wet sleeping bag in a plastic bag, because his washing machine was broken. Everybody asked about it, and every conversation started the same way: How was the weekend? Miserable, completely miserable.

Why people say it (06:06)

Emily notices something: Paul complained, and his colleagues did not think he was rude. They laughed and joined in. Paul calls this the strange magic of British weather talk: a complaint about the sky is really a friendly hello.

Three replies (06:33)

Reply	How to use it
Awful, isn’t it?	say it back with the same feeling
Tell me about it.	say you agree completely
I know, I got soaked.	agree and add a detail of your own

Emily’s favourite is Tell me about it. She says it does not mean please tell me. It means I agree completely. Paul: it is like saying “yes, I know this pain too.” At 06:56 they try it. Paul says the line, and Emily answers: Tell me about it. I waited ten minutes for the bus. Paul: “Two strangers, one bus stop, and already we’re laughing.”

Prefer … to … (07:20)

Emily says she prefers to be inside with tea on a day like that. Paul says learners make one small mistake with prefer.

Mistake	Better
I prefer cycling than driving.	I prefer cycling to driving.

Paul’s rule: after prefer, the small word is to. Prefer one thing to another thing. More lines from the episode: I prefer long summer evenings to dark October ones. I prefer tea to coffee. I prefer walking to driving. I prefer my bed to a tent.

Layer Up (08:05)

Emily’s way to dress for a month that changes all day: layer up. You wear a T-shirt, a jumper, and a light jacket, and then you add or remove pieces during the day. Her reason: it is chilly at eight, warm at one, and nippy at six, and layers let her follow the weather. Her tip: In October, layer up. It’s chilly in the morning, so layer up. Paul hates carrying a bag full of extra clothes, but he says it works.

Paul’s Worst Rain (08:42)

This story has four words. Listen for them.

What happened	The word
Paul’s nine-year-old nephew Leo had a football match on a Saturday morning. The sky was blue, so Paul cycled there with no coat. Ten minutes into the match, the sky went dark.	pouring (very heavy rain; Emily: picture the sky turning on a shower at full power)
He ran to a little bus shelter by the field. It was full: twelve parents and one grandmother with a giant golf umbrella, all in a box made for four.	take shelter (go somewhere that keeps the rain or danger off you)
After forty minutes, the match ended, and he cycled home in the rain. When he got home, he was wet through every layer.	soaked (stronger than wet: wet all the way to your skin)
His fingers were so cold that his phone did not recognise them. He typed a message to Leo with his nose.	numb (no feeling; your hands feel like wood)

What Paul learned: never trust a blue sky in October, and always take a jacket, even when it looks sunny. Now he keeps a tiny folding jacket in his backpack, next to an emergency chocolate bar. Emily says it might be the sweetest and silliest thing he has told her. Paul adds that Leo still has the message, and it has three spelling mistakes.

Four sentences to say (11:32): It’s pouring. Let’s take shelter. I’m soaked. My fingers are numb.

Tired, Ill, or a Bit Down? (11:57)

The next week, Paul felt strange: he fell asleep on the sofa at eight every evening and lost his keys twice in one week.

Phrase	Meaning in the episode	The picture
run down	very tired, low energy, but not ill yet	a torch when the battery is getting weak: the light is still on, but weak
come down with something	you start to get ill: usually a cold or a sore throat	if you do not rest, the light goes out
feel a bit down	a little sad, not very sad, with no big reason, just low	looking out of the window at four thirty, when the street lights are already on

The order Emily gives: first you are run down, then you come down with something. I’m a bit run down this week. And then, I’m coming down with a cold.

A message to your manager (13:16)

Emily says that when you feel a cold starting, you do not need a long explanation. Last October she had a Saturday shift at a little flower shop and woke up with a sore throat. Her message:

Hi Maria, I’m sorry, I’m coming down with a cold. I don’t want to make anyone ill. Could Tom cover my shift?

Paul’s comment: it is polite, and it gives a solution too. Maria wrote back: no problem, get well soon. Short and kind.

For feeling a bit down, Paul likes the phrase because it is honest but it does not worry people. Emily’s kind reply: Oh, I’m sorry. Do you want to get a coffee?

Hibernate, Migrate, and Cosy (14:26)

Word	What the hosts say
hibernate	Bears sleep through the winter and wake up in spring. Emily: think of it as switching off until spring. When people say it, they mean staying at home a lot, with blankets, films, and an empty calendar. Paul’s reply to a friend who asks him out: Sorry, I’m in hibernation mode until December. Emily: a funny, gentle way to say no.
cosy	warm, soft, and comfortable. Emily’s hibernation: a big blanket, a pot of tea, and a good book. You can say a cosy café, a cosy evening, or a cosy jumper.
migrate	what birds do: move to a warmer place for the winter. Paul: like changing your address to follow the sun. His sister works online, so from October she rents a small flat in the south of Spain.

At 16:29 Emily reminds listeners below the equator that their October is different. Paul says that in places like New Zealand or Chile it is spring now, with flowers and warmer afternoons. Paul and Emily ask you to write a quick weather report of your October in the comments.

Pumpkin, Christmas, and Put Up With (17:05)

Paul’s next argument is the smell of pumpkin: in his office, on his bus, even in his dentist’s waiting room. Emily calls it a gift. Paul’s flatmate bought washing-up liquid that smells of pumpkin, and Paul’s plates now smell of dessert, and his cheese sandwich tastes slightly of pumpkin. Emily still loves the seasonal menus in cafés. Paul says the names are ridiculous: autumn leaf cappuccino, spiced fireside latte. Emily tried a cinnamon fog, which was “mostly milk and good marketing.”

Then Paul finds something he really can’t stand: Christmas in the shops. On 10 October he saw Christmas trees in the supermarket, and a reindeer next to a row of plastic bats. Emily agrees: poor October, nobody lets it be itself. Notice can’t stand: Paul uses it for something he really dislikes.

Put up with, and put someone up (18:39)

Emily says that every year she just puts up with it.

Phrase	Meaning	Example from the episode
put up with something or someone	you accept something annoying, because you can’t change it	I put up with early darkness. I put up with Monday mornings. I put up with your jokes.
put someone up	give them a place to sleep	I can put you up this weekend.

Paul’s confession (19:03): his old school friend Daniel came to the city for a job interview and needed a place to sleep. Paul wrote, no problem, I can put up with you this weekend. He wanted to say you can stay at my flat. Without meaning to, he told his friend: you’re annoying, but fine, come over. Daniel wrote back: wow, thanks a lot, I’ll bring earplugs for you. Emily’s summary: a host puts a guest up. A patient person puts up with a noisy guest.

Go All Out (23:03)

Emily asks Paul what he secretly enjoys about October. Paul is a big Halloween fan, and he goes all out.

• go all out = you do not do something halfway. You do it with maximum energy, and probably spend too much. Emily’s picture: turning on every light in the house at the same time.
• Paul’s costume this year: a giant yellow leaf, taller than him, made from cardboard and yellow paint. It took three weekends. He also decorated his front door with fake spider webs, two pumpkins, and a light that flickers.
• You can use the phrase for more than Halloween. Paul’s mum goes all out for birthdays: balloons on the gate, three kinds of cake, and a banner with your age in giant letters.
• Trick or treat means: give me sweets or I’ll play a trick on you.

Useful Language from the Episode

Phrase	Meaning or use	Where it comes from
Miserable out there, isn’t it?	a friendly weather line	the line of the day
Tell me about it.	I agree completely	Emily’s favourite reply
It’s a bit chilly this morning.	a little cold	Paul’s Monday morning
It’s nippy today, isn’t it?	a friendly thing to say to a neighbour	Emily on nippy
It was crisp.	cold, dry, clean, and you enjoy it	Emily’s walk to the market
I’m freezing.	very cold: your hands hurt	the bus stop
I prefer X to Y.	say what you like more	Paul and Emily’s debate
layer up	wear a few thin layers and change them during the day	Emily’s tip
It’s pouring.	very heavy rain	Paul’s football match
Let’s take shelter.	go somewhere that keeps the rain off	the bus shelter
I’m soaked.	wet all the way to your skin	after the match
My fingers are numb.	no feeling from the cold	the message to Leo
I’m a bit run down.	very tired, not ill yet	Paul on the sofa
I’m coming down with something.	you are starting to get ill	the message to Maria
I’ve been feeling a bit down.	a little sad, no big reason	Paul in November
I’m in hibernation mode.	I am staying home	the invitation to a friend
It’s very cosy.	warm, soft, and comfortable	Emily’s blanket and tea
I can’t stand …	I really dislike …	Christmas in the shops
I put up with it.	I accept it, because I can’t change it	Emily on Christmas in October
I can put you up.	you can sleep at my place	Paul’s mistake with Daniel
go all out	do something with maximum energy	Paul’s Halloween

Mistake and Repair

Mistake	Better	Why
I prefer cycling than driving.	I prefer cycling to driving.	After prefer, use to for the second thing (Paul, 07:20).
No problem, I can put up with you this weekend. (you want to offer a bed)	No problem, I can put you up this weekend.	Put up with means you accept someone annoying (Paul, 19:26).
Tell me about it means please tell me.	Tell me about it means I agree completely.	Emily explains it at 06:46.

Practice with the Episode

1. Listen for details

Use the times below. Try to answer before you read the answers.

1. 01:56, the staircase. What does Emily say a thermometer is like? Which four words are on the stairs?
2. 03:18, crisp. What does Paul think crisp is at first? What does Emily say it means?
3. 04:52, the camping trip. When and where was it? Where was Paul’s sleeping bag?
4. 08:42, the football match. Who is Leo, and how old is he? How many people are in the bus shelter?
5. 12:10, the torch. What picture does Paul use for run down? What comes first, run down or coming down with something?
6. 15:43, migrate. What does Paul’s sister do, and where does she go?
7. 19:03, Daniel. What did Paul write, and what did he want to say?
8. 23:53, the costume. What is Paul going as this year? How long did it take?

Answers

1. A staircase. Every step down is a new word: crisp, chilly, nippy, freezing.
2. The snack, crisps. Emily: cold, dry, and clean air that feels fresh in your chest.
3. In late October, by a lake. In the corner of the tent that leaked.
4. Paul’s nephew, nine years old. Twelve parents and one grandmother with a giant golf umbrella, in a shelter made for four.
5. A torch with a weak battery. First run down, then coming down with something.
6. She works online, so from October she rents a small flat in the south of Spain.
7. No problem, I can put up with you this weekend. He wanted to say I can put you up this weekend.
8. A giant yellow leaf. Three weekends.

2. Say it out loud

Press pause after each line and say it after Paul and Emily. At 04:01 Paul and Emily say the four cold words with you, and at 20:14 they leave a short pause after each line.

• Crisp. Chilly. Nippy. Freezing.
• My neighbour plays drums at night, but I put up with it.
• Could you put me up for one night?
• It’s a bit chilly, so I’m going to layer up.
• I’m a bit run down this week.
• No plans on Sunday. I’m staying in to hibernate.

3. Bus stop chat

Listen at 21:31. Emily plays a stranger at a bus stop. It is half past five, it is dark, and it is pouring. After each line, you have a short pause to answer out loud. Then Paul gives one possible answer. There is no perfect answer, and short is fine.

Emily’s line	One possible answer from the episode
Miserable out there, isn’t it?	Tell me about it. I got soaked on the way here.
I left my umbrella at home. Can I stand here with you?	Of course. Let’s take shelter together. There’s room.
It was so warm this afternoon. And now it’s freezing.	I know. It was chilly this morning, warm at lunch, and now this.
Do you have plans for the weekend?	Not really. Just a cosy evening with a blanket and a crime series.

4. Quick quiz

Listen at 26:22. After each question, Paul and Emily wait three seconds. Say your answer before they do.

1. You are very tired and you sleep badly, but you are not ill. Are you run down or coming down with something?
2. Your friend needs a bed for one night. Do you say I can put you up or I can put up with you?
3. The air is cold, dry, and fresh, and you enjoy it. Is it crisp or freezing?
4. Which is correct: I prefer tea than coffee or I prefer tea to coffee?
5. Your sister moves to a warm place every winter. Does she hibernate or migrate?
6. The rain is very heavy and loud. Is it pouring or soaked?

Answers

1. Run down. Coming down with something is when you start to get ill.
2. I can put you up. Put up with means you accept something annoying.
3. Crisp. Freezing is the cold that hurts your hands.
4. I prefer tea to coffee.
5. Migrate. If she stays at home under a blanket, she hibernates.
6. Pouring. It describes the rain. Soaked describes you, after the rain.

Paul and Emily’s scale: five or six right is great, and three or four is a good start.

5. Finish Paul’s weather report

Listen at 28:49. Emily reads a report for Paul’s week. Before each key phrase, she waits for you. Try to say it first. The phrases come in this order: chilly, freezing, pouring, take shelter, soaked, numb, run down, coming down with something, feeling a bit down, hibernate, migrate, go all out.

6. Today’s challenge

At 32:10 Emily gives you one small job: say one weather sentence to a real person, for example a neighbour, a colleague, or someone at the bus stop. Use the line of the day, Miserable out there, isn’t it?, or It’s a bit chilly today. When they answer, answer back: Tell me about it. If you see nobody today, send a message to a friend instead.

7. Write in the comments

Emily’s question at 33:02: Which October word describes your week? And why? Write one true sentence. Paul’s example: My week was soaked. Every single day. Emily’s: Mine was crisp and cosy.

Keep Practicing

Want a guide you can use without the episode? Read How to Make Small Talk About the Weather in English. It gives you a simple way to open, choose the right weather word, reply, and keep the chat going, with tables, new dialogues, common mistakes, and practice with sample answers.

Vocabulary in this episode: First, Then, After That, In the End: Signpost Words for Telling Things in Order.

Chapters

• 00:00 Is October Really the Worst Month?
• 01:33 From Crisp to Freezing: Words for Cold
• 04:10 Miserable Weather and How to Reply
• 08:41 Paul’s Story: Pouring Rain at the Football Match
• 11:57 Run Down, Coming Down With Something, Feeling Down
• 14:26 Hibernate or Migrate?
• 16:58 Pumpkin, Christmas and Put Up With
• 20:55 Bus Stop Small Talk: Your Turn
• 23:03 Halloween: Go All Out
• 26:22 Quiz: 6 Questions
• 28:49 Review: Paul’s Weather Report
• 32:12 Today’s Challenge

Full Transcript

Emily: Have you ever looked out the window in October and not known how to say what you see?

Paul: I know exactly what I see. Grey sky, wet road, and my bike getting rusty.

Emily: Welcome to the English Practice Daily podcast. I’m Emily.

Paul: And I’m Paul. Today we’re talking about October in natural English.

Emily: This one is for B1 and B2 learners who want real words for real weather.

Paul: By the end, you’ll have twelve useful October phrases. And you’ll use them in a short chat yourself.

Emily: If you want, repeat our lines out loud as we go. Nobody is listening except us.

Paul: Before we start, I have to say something. October is the most disappointing month we have.

Emily: Paul! You can’t open a show about October like that.

Paul: I can. I’ve thought about this for weeks. It’s wet, it’s dark, and it’s cold.

Emily: I completely disagree. October is my favourite month. It’s cosy, it’s colourful, and the air feels clean.

Paul: Cosy. That’s what people say when they’re stuck indoors.

Emily: Okay, so we have a little debate today. By the end, our listeners can decide.

Paul: Fine. And I’ll give you my favourite October sentence right now. Miserable out there, isn’t it?

Emily: Ha. You say that every single morning at work.

Paul: Because it’s always true. And strangers smile when you say it, even in the rain.

Emily: Keep that line in your pocket. Miserable out there, isn’t it? We’ll come back to it.

Paul: But first, I need better words for cold. Because I don’t just feel cold in October.

Emily: Interesting. So cold isn’t just one feeling for you.

Paul: No, there are different kinds of cold. And English has a word for each one.

Emily: Oh, I like this. Think of a thermometer as a staircase. Every step down is a new word.

Paul: A staircase of cold. Okay, let me walk down it with a real morning.

Emily: Go on, then. Tell me about one real morning.

Paul: Last Monday. I left the house at ten to seven to catch the bus.

Paul: When I opened the door, it was chilly. Not terrible. Just a little cold on my face.

Emily: So chilly is the top step. A bit cold, but you can live with it.

Paul: Right. You might say, it’s a bit chilly this morning. Or, take a jacket, it’s chilly outside.

Emily: It’s a bit chilly this morning. Take a jacket, it’s chilly outside.

Paul: Then I turned the corner, and the wind started. Suddenly it was nippy.

Emily: Nippy is lovely. It’s informal, and it’s very British. It’s a cold that bites a little.

Paul: Like a small dog at your ankles.

Emily: Ha, yes. It’s nippy today, isn’t it? That’s a friendly thing to say to a neighbour.

Paul: And then the bus was late. Fifteen minutes late. I stood at the bus stop, and by the end, it was freezing.

Emily: Freezing is the bottom step. Your hands hurt, and your nose goes red.

Paul: My nose was very red. I’m freezing. I can’t feel my fingers. That was me.

Emily: Now, I want to add one step that’s different. Crisp.

Paul: Crisp? Like crisps, the snack?

Emily: Same sound, different meaning. Crisp air is cold, dry and clean. It feels fresh in your chest.

Paul: So crisp is a good cold?

Emily: Exactly that. Crisp is the cold you enjoy. Last Saturday I walked to the market at eight.

Emily: The sky was clear, the air was crisp, and I could see my breath. I loved it.

Paul: I hate that I understand why you loved it.

Emily: So, top to bottom. Crisp, if you enjoy it. Chilly, if it’s a bit cold. Nippy, if the wind bites. Freezing, if it hurts.

Paul: Say them with us. Crisp. Chilly. Nippy. Freezing.

Emily: Crisp. Chilly. Nippy. Freezing.

Paul: Okay, that’s the cold. But my real problem with October is the rain.

Emily: Here we go. Paul’s big argument.

Paul: My socks are never dry, my bike chain squeaks, and my hair is a disaster. Everything is miserable.

Emily: Miserable is a strong word, though.

Paul: It is. It means really unpleasant, or really unhappy. It’s much stronger than bad or sad.

Emily: So you can use it for weather and for people.

Paul: Yes. The weather was miserable. Or, I was miserable all weekend.

Emily: And you have a weekend in mind, don’t you?

Paul: I do. Two years ago, my friends planned a camping trip. Late October, by a lake.

Emily: In October. That already sounds like a bad idea.

Paul: It wasn’t my idea. My friend Sam said the forecast looked fine. Two days, a fire, some fishing.

Emily: And the forecast was wrong.

Paul: Completely. It rained on Saturday. It rained on Sunday. The tent leaked in one corner.

Paul: My sleeping bag was in that corner, of course.

Emily: Oh no. So you were miserable.

Paul: I was miserable. We ate cold beans in the car and played cards for six hours.

Emily: Honestly, that sounds a bit fun.

Paul: It was fun for one hour. The other five were miserable.

Emily: And then Monday morning came.

Paul: I walked into the office with a wet sleeping bag in a plastic bag. My washing machine was broken.

Emily: Oh, Paul. Everybody must have asked about it.

Paul: Everybody. And every conversation started the same way. How was the weekend? Miserable, completely miserable.

Emily: But notice something. You complained, and your colleagues didn’t think you were rude. They laughed and joined in.

Paul: That’s the strange magic of British weather talk. A complaint about the sky is really a friendly hello.

Emily: So your line, miserable out there, isn’t it, is not really about rain. It means, hello, we’re in this together.

Paul: I like that. It’s a complaint with a smile inside it.

Emily: So let’s learn the answer too. Because the question is easy. The reply is where learners get stuck.

Paul: Good point. Here are three replies. Short, friendly, and natural.

Paul: Reply one. Awful, isn’t it? Reply two. Tell me about it. Reply three. I know, I got soaked.

Emily: Tell me about it is my favourite. It doesn’t mean please tell me. It means, I agree completely.

Paul: Right. It’s like saying, yes, I know this pain too.

Emily: Let’s try it. Paul, say your line to me.

Paul: Miserable out there, isn’t it?

Emily: Tell me about it. I waited ten minutes for the bus.

Paul: See? Two strangers, one bus stop, and already we’re laughing.

Emily: And now my argument. On a day like that, I prefer to be inside with tea.

Paul: Ah, prefer. Learners make one small mistake with prefer.

Emily: I hear that mistake all the time from learners.

Paul: They say, I prefer cycling than driving. But after prefer, the small word is to.

Emily: I prefer cycling to driving. Prefer one thing to another thing.

Paul: So I’d say, I prefer long summer evenings to dark October ones.

Emily: You can use it for anything. I prefer tea to coffee. I prefer walking to driving.

Paul: I prefer my bed to a tent. After that camping trip, definitely.

Emily: And I’d say the opposite, which is why this debate continues.

Paul: We’ll see who wins. One more thing about the cold. How do you dress for it?

Emily: I layer up. It means you wear a T-shirt, a jumper and a light jacket. Then you add or remove pieces during the day.

Paul: But why is that better than one warm coat?

Emily: Because October changes all day. Chilly at eight, warm at one, nippy at six. Layers let me follow the weather.

Paul: Fine, that works. I just hate carrying a bag full of extra clothes.

Emily: So the tip is simple. In October, layer up. It’s chilly in the morning, so layer up.

Paul: Okay. Now let me tell you about the worst rain of my life. This one is real.

Emily: Worse than the camping trip?

Paul: Much worse. Last October, my nephew had a football match on a Saturday morning.

Emily: Leo? He’s nine, right?

Paul: He’s nine, and he takes football very seriously. So I promised I’d watch.

Paul: The sky was blue when I left. So I cycled there, no coat, just a jumper.

Emily: No coat in October. Paul, you of all people.

Paul: I know. Ten minutes into the match, the sky went dark. And then it was pouring.

Emily: Pouring means very heavy rain. Picture the sky turning on a shower at full power.

Paul: That’s it. It’s pouring. Or, it’s pouring down. You can’t see far, and the noise is loud.

Emily: So you needed to get out of it fast.

Paul: I needed to take shelter. Take shelter means go somewhere that keeps the rain or danger off you.

Emily: You hear it in news reports too. Storm warnings tell people to take shelter indoors.

Paul: Right. There was a little bus shelter by the field. So I ran.

Emily: I bet the shelter wasn’t empty.

Paul: You’re right, it was full. Twelve parents and one grandmother with a giant golf umbrella. All of us taking shelter in a box made for four.

Emily: Ha. That’s a lovely picture.

Paul: It was not lovely from the inside. I stood at the edge with half of my body in the rain.

Emily: And Leo was still playing?

Paul: The kids didn’t care at all. They loved it. They were sliding in the mud.

Paul: After forty minutes, the match ended. And I had to cycle home.

Emily: In that heavy rain, with no coat at all.

Paul: In the rain. When I got home, I was soaked. Completely wet, through every layer.

Emily: Soaked is stronger than wet. Wet is the outside. Soaked is wet all the way to your skin.

Paul: And my fingers were numb. I tried to send Leo a message, and my phone didn’t recognise my fingers.

Emily: Numb means no feeling. Your hands are so cold they feel like wood.

Paul: In the end, I typed the message with my nose. Well done, champion, from Uncle Paul.

Emily: That might be the sweetest and silliest thing you’ve ever told me.

Paul: Leo still has the message. It has three spelling mistakes.

Emily: So what did you learn from that Saturday?

Paul: Two things. First, never trust a blue sky in October. Second, always take a jacket, even when it looks sunny.

Emily: And keep a tiny folding jacket in your bag.

Paul: I do now. It lives in my backpack all autumn, next to an emergency chocolate bar.

Emily: So in one story, you have four words. Pouring, take shelter, soaked, and numb.

Paul: Let’s say them in sentences. It’s pouring. Let’s take shelter. I’m soaked. My fingers are numb.

Emily: It’s pouring. Let’s take shelter. I’m soaked. My fingers are numb.

Paul: And then Leo called me that evening. He said, Uncle Paul, we won three nil.

Emily: Aw. So it was worth it.

Paul: It was worth it. But the next week, I started to feel strange.

Emily: Oh no, that doesn’t sound good.

Paul: I fell asleep on the sofa at eight every evening. I lost my keys twice in one week. I was really run down.

Emily: Run down is a great phrase for October. It means very tired, low energy, but not ill yet.

Paul: Like a torch when the battery is getting weak.

Emily: Yes. The light is still on, but it’s weak. Then, if you don’t rest, the light goes out.

Paul: And when the light goes out, you come down with something.

Emily: Come down with means you start to get ill. Usually a cold, or a sore throat.

Paul: So first you’re run down. Then you come down with something.

Emily: That’s the order. I’m a bit run down this week. And then, I’m coming down with a cold.

Paul: Then on Friday morning my throat hurt, and I had to cancel everything for the weekend.

Emily: The good news is, coming down with something is very useful at work.

Paul: Oh, the message to your boss.

Emily: Exactly. When you feel a cold starting, you don’t need a long explanation.

Emily: Last October I had a Saturday shift at a little flower shop. I woke up with a sore throat.

Paul: I’d love to hear the exact words you used.

Emily: Something like this. Hi Maria, I’m sorry, I’m coming down with a cold. I don’t want to make anyone ill. Could Tom cover my shift?

Paul: That’s polite. And it gives a solution too.

Emily: And Maria wrote back, no problem, get well soon. Short and kind.

Paul: Can I add one more feeling? Because sometimes I’m not ill and not tired. I’m just a bit down.

Emily: Feel a bit down. That’s different again.

Paul: Yes. It means a little sad. Not very sad, no big reason. Just low.

Emily: Like when you look out of the window at four thirty, and the street lights are already on.

Paul: That’s me every November. And I like this phrase because it’s honest, but it doesn’t worry people.

Emily: And a kind reply is, oh, I’m sorry. Do you want to get a coffee?

Paul: So let’s put the three side by side. Run down is tired. Coming down with something is getting ill. Feeling a bit down is a little sad.

Emily: Tired, ill, sad. Three different October problems. And when I feel all three, I do one thing. I hibernate.

Paul: Hibernate. Like a bear?

Emily: Like a bear. Bears sleep through the winter and wake up in spring. Think of it as switching off until spring.

Paul: But people don’t sleep for three months.

Emily: No. When people say hibernate, they mean staying at home a lot, with blankets, films and an empty calendar.

Paul: So a friend texts, are you coming out on Friday? And I reply, sorry, I’m in hibernation mode until December.

Emily: Ha, yes. It’s a funny, gentle way to decline an invitation.

Paul: So what does your hibernation look like?

Emily: It’s very cosy. Cosy means warm, soft and comfortable. A big blanket, a pot of tea, and a good book.

Paul: And the rain outside.

Emily: And the rain outside. That’s the best part. The rain is miserable, but I’m cosy.

Paul: Okay, I admit it. Cosy is a good word. My flat is cosy when the heating works.

Emily: You can say a cosy café, a cosy evening, or a cosy jumper.

Paul: My sister does the opposite, though. She doesn’t hibernate. She migrates.

Emily: Migrate is what birds do. They move to a warmer place for the winter.

Paul: Like changing your address to follow the sun.

Emily: Ha, I like that. So your sister changes her address?

Paul: Almost. She works online, so from October she rents a small flat in the south of Spain.

Emily: That’s amazing. And does she send you updates?

Paul: Daily. Beach photos, orange juice photos, and one terrible joke about my umbrella. It’s very annoying.

Emily: So I hibernate, your sister migrates, and you stand at bus stops complaining.

Paul: Three different survival strategies. Mine is the worst one.

Emily: But wait, our October is only half the story. If you’re listening from below the equator, your October feels completely different.

Paul: Right, in places like New Zealand or Chile it’s spring now. Flowers, warmer afternoons, maybe the first barbecue.

Emily: So some of you are probably laughing at Paul right now, sitting in the sunshine.

Paul: Then I’d love a weather report from our listeners. Write a quick description of your October below this video.

Emily: Is it chilly, crisp, or warm? Use one of today’s words.

Paul: Okay, next argument. And this one is strong. The smell.

Emily: I have no idea what smell you mean.

Paul: Pumpkin. My office, my bus, even my dentist’s waiting room. It’s like the whole city ate a pumpkin.

Emily: That’s not an argument. That’s a gift.

Paul: Last week my flatmate bought washing-up liquid that smells of pumpkin. Now my plates smell of dessert.

Emily: Clean plates that smell of dessert. I don’t see the problem.

Paul: The problem is my cheese sandwich. It now tastes slightly of pumpkin.

Emily: Okay, that’s a fair complaint. But I still love the seasonal menus in cafés.

Paul: Because the names are ridiculous. Autumn leaf cappuccino. Spiced fireside latte.

Emily: I tried a cinnamon fog on Friday. It was mostly milk and good marketing.

Paul: And now you want a second one.

Emily: Maybe on Monday. It makes a grey morning feel like a small celebration.

Paul: But here’s one thing I really can’t stand. Christmas in the shops.

Emily: Oh no. I agree with you on this.

Paul: Really? Mark the date. On the tenth of October, I saw Christmas trees in the supermarket.

Emily: Near the Halloween section, I imagine.

Paul: Next to a row of plastic bats. A reindeer, nodding at a vampire.

Emily: Poor October. Nobody lets it be itself.

Paul: So my cheese sandwich and I have support from you on this one.

Emily: On the reindeer, yes. And honestly, every year I just put up with it.

Paul: Put up with. That’s a good one for October.

Emily: Put up with means you accept something annoying, because you can’t change it.

Paul: I put up with early darkness. I put up with Monday mornings. I put up with your jokes.

Emily: And I put up with your singing in the kitchen.

Paul: Fair. But I have a confession about this phrase. I once got it badly wrong.

Emily: You? An English mistake? Tell me everything.

Paul: Last year, my old school friend Daniel came to the city for a job interview.

Paul: He needed a place to sleep for the weekend. So I sent him a message.

Emily: What did you write?

Paul: I wrote, no problem, I can put up with you this weekend.

Emily: Oh, Paul, no. I can already see the problem.

Paul: Yes. I wanted to say, you can stay at my flat. I’ll give you a bed.

Emily: But that’s put someone up. Without with.

Paul: Exactly. Put someone up means give them a place to sleep. I can put you up this weekend.

Emily: And put up with someone means, you’re annoying, but I’ll accept you.

Paul: So I told my friend, you’re annoying, but fine, come over.

Emily: I can’t imagine Daniel’s face when he read it.

Paul: He wrote back, wow, thanks a lot, I’ll bring earplugs for you.

Emily: Ha. He understood the joke, then.

Paul: He did. But he still tells that story at every dinner.

Emily: So the little word with changes the whole picture. A host puts a guest up. A patient person puts up with a noisy guest.

Paul: I’ll never forget it now. One small word, one big difference.

Emily: Time for five practice lines. After each one, you’ll hear a short pause. Use it to say the line yourself.

Paul: My neighbour plays drums at night, but I put up with it.

Emily: One… two…

Paul: Could you put me up for one night?

Emily: One… two…

Emily: It’s a bit chilly, so I’m going to layer up.

Paul: One… two…

Emily: I’m a bit run down this week.

Paul: One… two…

Paul: No plans on Sunday. I’m staying in to hibernate.

Emily: One… two…

Paul: Good. Your mouth remembers words that your eyes only read.

Emily: Now let’s make it more real. Paul, you’ve been talking about bus stops all day.

Paul: Because I live at bus stops in October.

Emily: So let’s do a bus stop chat. And this time, the listener talks too.

Paul: Okay. How does it work?

Emily: I’ll play a stranger at a bus stop. It’s raining. I say a line, then there’s a short pause.

Emily: In the pause, you answer out loud. Then Paul gives one possible answer.

Paul: And remember, there’s no perfect answer. Short is fine.

Emily: Ready? Here’s the scene. It’s half past five, it’s dark, and it’s pouring.

Emily: Line one. Miserable out there, isn’t it?

Paul: One… two… three…

Paul: Tell me about it. I got soaked on the way here.

Emily: Line two. I left my umbrella at home. Can I stand here with you?

Paul: One… two… three…

Paul: Of course. Let’s take shelter together. There’s room.

Emily: Line three. It was so warm this afternoon. And now it’s freezing.

Paul: One… two… three…

Paul: I know. It was chilly this morning, warm at lunch, and now this.

Emily: Line four. Do you have plans for the weekend?

Paul: One… two… three…

Paul: Not really. Just a cosy evening with a blanket and a crime series.

Emily: Lovely. Look how much you said with just a few phrases.

Paul: And that’s the point. Small talk about weather is not boring. It’s a door.

Emily: Yes. Weather is the easiest door to open. Everybody has an opinion about the rain.

Paul: Especially me, as you already know.

Emily: Especially you. Now, try it once more in your head. Next time you’re waiting somewhere, use one line.

Paul: Miserable out there, isn’t it? That’s our line for the day, again.

Emily: Okay, Paul. Be honest with our listeners. Is there anything about October that you secretly enjoy?

Paul: Well… I have to admit something. I’m a big Halloween fan.

Emily: Wait. The man who hates October loves Halloween?

Paul: Completely. Costumes, pumpkins with funny faces, and children who are far too excited about sweets.

Emily: And do you actually dress up, or just watch?

Paul: Every year. And I go all out.

Emily: Go all out. That’s another great phrase.

Paul: It means you don’t do something halfway. You do it with maximum energy, and probably spend too much.

Emily: Like turning on every light in the house at the same time.

Paul: Ha, yes. Everything on, full power.

Emily: So what are you going as this year?

Paul: A leaf. A giant yellow leaf.

Emily: A leaf! Paul, you hate autumn.

Paul: I know. But a good costume needs a clear idea, and my idea is that a leaf is the most October thing you can be.

Emily: Tell me more. I need to know how giant.

Paul: It’s taller than me. I made it from cardboard and yellow paint. It took three weekends.

Emily: That’s going all out. Three weekends for one night.

Paul: And I decorated my front door too. Fake spider webs, two pumpkins, and a light that flickers.

Emily: You really go all out for Halloween.

Paul: Lots of kids come to my door. Last year I was a cloud, and a little girl in a pirate hat asked if I had fallen out of the sky.

Emily: Do the kids say trick or treat?

Paul: Every single one. Trick or treat means, give me sweets or I’ll play a trick on you.

Emily: And do you give good sweets?

Paul: The best. Chocolate only. If you go all out, you go all out with the sweets as well.

Emily: That’s the most generous thing I’ve ever heard you say about October.

Paul: You can use the phrase for lots of things, not just Halloween. My mum goes all out for birthdays.

Emily: I want details now.

Paul: Balloons on the gate, three kinds of cake, and a banner with your age in giant letters. Even when you’re forty.

Emily: And what about me? I don’t go all out. I make one apple cake, and I watch a scary film.

Paul: That’s not going all out. That’s going a little bit out.

Emily: Ha. That’s fine. My Halloween is cosy.

Paul: Of course it is. Everything you do is cosy.

Emily: So, Paul, time for your verdict. Do you still hate October?

Paul: Let me think. Crisp mornings, cosy evenings, a giant leaf costume, and toffee apple lattes.

Emily: You said crisp. You used my word.

Paul: I did. Fine, you win part of the argument. October is not my least favourite month.

Emily: Thank you! I knew you’d come around in the end.

Paul: It’s just the wettest month. And my umbrella stays by the door.

Emily: The wettest, not the most disappointing. That’s real progress for you.

Paul: Now a quick quiz. We ask, you answer in the pause, then we explain.

Emily: Six questions. Don’t worry about being perfect. Just choose.

Paul: Question one. You’re very tired, you sleep badly, but you’re not ill. Are you run down, or coming down with something?

Emily: One… two… three…

Emily: Run down. You’re tired, but the cold hasn’t started yet. Coming down with something is when you start to get ill.

Emily: Question two. Your friend needs a bed for one night. Do you say, I can put you up, or I can put up with you?

Paul: One… two… three…

Paul: I can put you up. Please don’t make my mistake. Put up with means you accept something annoying.

Paul: Question three. The air is cold, dry and fresh, and you enjoy it. Is it crisp, or freezing?

Emily: One… two… three…

Emily: Crisp. Crisp is the cold you like. Freezing is the cold that hurts your hands.

Emily: Question four. Which is correct? I prefer tea than coffee, or I prefer tea to coffee?

Paul: One… two… three…

Paul: I prefer tea to coffee. With prefer, we use to.

Paul: Question five. Your sister moves to a warm place every winter. Does she hibernate, or migrate?

Emily: One… two… three…

Emily: She migrates. She follows the sun. If she stays home under a blanket, she hibernates.

Emily: Question six. The rain is very heavy and loud. Is it pouring, or is it soaked?

Paul: One… two… three…

Paul: It’s pouring. Pouring describes the rain. Soaked describes you, after the rain.

Emily: How many did you get? Five or six is great. Three or four is a good start.

Paul: And if you mixed up put someone up and put up with someone, you’re in good company. I did it to my best friend.

Emily: Now let’s go back through the episode in a different way. I’m going to read the forecast.

Paul: The forecast? For the weather?

Emily: For your week, Paul. Paul’s weather report. Listeners, before each phrase, there’s a little pause. Try to say it first.

Paul: Oh no. This will be personal.

Emily: First, Monday. Paul leaves the house at ten to seven. The air is a little cold, but not terrible. It’s…

Paul: One… two…

Emily: Chilly. And by the time the bus comes, fifteen minutes late, it’s…

Paul: One… two…

Emily: Freezing. At the office, Paul shakes his coat and says his favourite line.

Paul: Miserable out there, isn’t it?

Emily: Later in the week, Paul cycles to a football match with no coat. The sky goes dark, and it starts…

Paul: One… two…

Emily: Pouring. Paul runs into a tiny bus shelter with twelve parents and a dog. They all…

Paul: One… two…

Emily: Take shelter. Paul cycles home. Every layer is wet, so he’s…

Paul: One… two…

Emily: Soaked. And his fingers have no feeling. They’re…

Paul: One… two…

Emily: Numb. A few days later, Paul is asleep on the sofa at eight, and his keys are lost again. He’s…

Paul: One… two…

Emily: Run down. And the next morning his throat is sore, and tissues are everywhere. He’s…

Paul: One… two…

Emily: Coming down with something. The evening gets dark early, and he feels a little sad, so he phones an old friend. He’s feeling a bit…

Paul: One… two…

Emily: Down. Then Daniel asks, can I stay at yours this weekend? And this time Paul writes the right message.

Paul: I’ve learned. Sure, I can put you up.

Emily: And on Sunday, Paul stays home with a blanket and tea. He’s going to…

Paul: One… two…

Emily: Hibernate. And far away, his sister is on a Spanish beach, because she likes to…

Paul: One… two…

Emily: Migrate. And on the thirty-first, a giant yellow leaf appears on his street. Paul didn’t do it halfway. He went…

Paul: One… two…

Emily: All out.

Paul: That’s a terrible week. And it’s completely accurate.

Emily: And it covers every phrase from today. Crisp, chilly, freezing, miserable, pouring and take shelter. Then soaked, run down, come down with something, hibernate, put up with, and go all out.

Paul: Twelve phrases. Plus a few extra, like nippy, cosy and layer up.

Emily: So here’s your small job for today. Say one weather sentence to a real person.

Paul: One small thing, but it’s the thing that makes the words yours.

Emily: Remember: you don’t need perfect English for small talk. You need one friendly line and one short reply.

Paul: A neighbour, a colleague, someone at the bus stop. It only takes five seconds.

Paul: Today, try it before you go to bed. And if you don’t see anyone, even a message to a friend counts.

Emily: It can be our line. Miserable out there, isn’t it? Or, it’s a bit chilly today.

Paul: And when they answer, you answer back. Tell me about it. That’s a whole conversation.

Emily: Small talk is small. But it opens doors, especially in a new language.

Paul: And then come and tell us how it went.

Emily: Here’s our question for the comments. Which October word describes your week? And why?

Paul: For example, my week was soaked. Every single day.

Emily: Mine was crisp and cosy. We read the comments, and we’ll reply to as many as we can.

Paul: If this episode helped you, give it a like and subscribe. We make a new conversation every week.

Emily: Next time, we’re talking about small talk at work. What to say in the kitchen, the lift, and the coffee queue.

Paul: Thanks for listening to English Practice Daily. I’m Paul.

Emily: And I’m Emily. Remember our line. Miserable out there, isn’t it?

Paul: Tell me about it. Stay dry, and see you in the next episode.

Emily: And Paul, good luck with the giant leaf. Take care, everyone.