Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
get one's footing

get one's footing

Date: Oct 12 2017

Themes: Celebrity, Hobbies, Music

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

“My first instinct is to have a silly, weird, strange show that you never really get your footing in. It seems honest and then it’s not. It seems silly and weird and then all of the sudden it gets serious.”

—Writer and Performer Bo Burnham, speaking about making his shows (Splitsider)

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

get comfortable; become at ease

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

When we try new things, we can feel clumsy. It may feel like we’re not standing on solid ground. We may feel dizzy with excitement, confusion, anxiety, or all of the above. When this happens, we have to feel things out. We might stumble and fall. But as time goes by and we gain more understanding, we will get our footing. Getting our footing means that we will become more comfortable. Our feet can actually walk instead of tripping and falling.

Writer and Performer Bo Burnham makes really crazy, chaotic, disordered, and funny shows. He really doesn’t want his audience to get their footing when they watch him. He wants to surprise and confuse them constantly with lights, weird acts, and funny songs. The lights will go completely dark and then become very bright. He’ll be talking for a couple seconds and then run to his piano to sing a satirical or ironic song. Even though he does things very differently, he is still very funny. Even if we do feel a little dizzy after watching him.

What is something you need to get your footing in? Do you ever feel confused and excited at the same time?

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

“It’s hard to get your footing in something very new and difficult. But after some time passes, you’ll feel at ease.”

“I’m trying to get my footing in school.”

“Once I get my footing in French, maybe I’ll visit Paris.”

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

Want to guess next week's slang?

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Comments

Log in to Comment

Sergijko

Sergijko

Ukraine

In every awkward occasion we try to get our footing, whether it’s an interview or public speech.

06:29 PM Oct 12 2017 |

DanielBorges

Portugal

To get my footing in, I need an intimate atmosphere more than a show of Bo Burnham. I think it’s not my kind of show. Maybe i would feel clumsy and apart of the public. It’s true that i already feel confused and excited at the same time. It could occurs when i find something spetacular, even so i’m not able to understand it. For example in a Magic Show.

03:00 PM Oct 12 2017 |

Likes (5):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast