BBC Learning English

The English We Speak

7th February 2012

To get your hands dirty





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



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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 onâ€Åš



Neil:

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





The English We Speak

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2011



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bbclearningenglish.com