BBC Learning English
The English We Speak
7

th

February 2012

To get your hands dirty

The English We Speak

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2011

Page 1 of 2

bbclearningenglish.com

Neil:

Hello, I'm Neil. What a miserable day it is today! Hey, I think that's Li!
What on earth's she doing?! She's on her hands and knees in the mud. Li!

Yang Li:

Oh! Hello!

Neil:

Are you okay?

Yang Li:

Yes, I am fine, thanks.

Neil:

Is there any particular reason you are in the mud?

Yang Li:

Oh yes, I am making myself dirty.

Neil:

Ri-ight.

Yang Li:

For the neighbourhood festival – it's tonight you know!

Neil:

I know. But I think I'm going to be having a shower and making myself clean,
rather than dirty. Maybe this is some kind of low-cost spa treatment...?

Yang Li:

No, this is not a beauty treatment, the festival coordinator told us to do this.

Neil:

Did he?

Yang Li:

Yes, last week he asked each of us to contribute and said if it's going to be a
success, you must all get your hands dirty.

Neil:

Ohhhhhh!

Yang Li:

What?

Neil:

I don't think he meant you should actually come with dirty hands. It's an
expression!

Yang Li:

An expression?

Neil:

Yes. 'To get your hands dirty' means to get really involved in the work –
including the parts that are not enjoyable - rather than standing back and
watching others do it.

The English We Speak

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2011

Page 2 of 2

bbclearningenglish.com

Yang Li:

Oh.

Neil:

For example.

Examples

Woman: Unlike other bosses, Mr Stevens really likes to get his hands dirty. It's as if he's one
of us.

Man: Mary pretends to work hard, but I've never actually seen her get her hands dirty.

Yang Li:

So what I was actually being asked to do was to get fully involved in festival
preparations – I wasn't being asked to arrive with dirty hands.

Neil:

Yes.

Yang Li:

You know what? I don't care, I was really beginning to enjoy myself in the
mud, and I'm sure my skin feels softer. Come on Neil, try, this is fun. Let's get
our hands dirty – for real! Come on, come on…

Neil:

I'd rather not... no, please... argh!