Add up
Today’s expression is “add up.” We use this when a lot of small things become big, when they are put together.
When you buy certain things in a store—wine, for example, or liquor—there are many things that go into the price. You have, obviously, the price that the manufacturer charges. If the product were made in another country, you probably have to pay import duties. That’s an extra tax just for importing it from another country. You might have to pay a national tax on alcohol and, depending on where you are, you might even have to pay a local tax on alcohol. That’s a lot. All those taxes and fees can add up to 30 percent of the cost of the product.
Add up to: we use this when we’re talking about the total of a lot of smaller things that, when put together, are pretty big. The taxes and fees on a bottle of imported liquor can add up to about 30 percent of the cost of the bottle. One tax might be seven percent, another twelve and a half percent, another just one percent or less—but when put together, they add up to thirty percent.
A lot of you are good cooks; I know a lot of you are into fitness as well. Depending on your personal strategy, you might be counting your calories. You might put a limit on how many calories to consume—or you might be trying to eat enough calories to get stronger. It’s easy to count the big stuff: two eggs at breakfast, a piece of fish at lunch, a cup of pasta at dinner, whatever. But the small stuff can add up to a lot, too. If you count calories, do you count the sugar you add to your coffee? What about the olive oil you add to the pan when you cook your veggies? Sauces and spreads? All those can add up to 200, 300 calories if you’re not careful. Sure, every individual one isn’t that big. Half a tablespoon of olive oil is about 50 calories, the sugar in your coffee 15, maybe 25. But if you’re not careful, all these little bits of food can add up to a few hundred extra calories.
The same thing might happen with our personal budgets. Streaming services are a classic example. In the US, most of them are between ten and twenty dollars per month. That seems to be the sweet spot ; some are lower, some are higher, but most are between $10 and $20. Any one of these can fit comfortably into most people’s budgets. But if you subscribe to a lot of them, they can add up to $75 or even $100 per month. A family Spotify account, Disney Plus, Netflix, HBO Max, and a sports app or two can easily add up to $75 or $100 per month. As individual pieces, not a single one is very expensive. But they can add up to a lot if you’re not careful.
When you get a new job, what’s the one thing you want to know when they make you the offer? Come on, you can admit it: you want to know the salary or the hourly rate. Don’t lie! But employers can offer some non-monetary benefits that make the offer attractive, too, and those smaller things can also add up. The new job might let you work from home permanently, or it might give you flexible hours, or it might let you further your education by taking online classes, or give you the chance to travel, or there could be generous parental leave, or reimbursement for cell phone service—you get the idea. Not every job is going to offer all these things. And, listen, the salary or hourly rate is probably the most important thing. But it’s not the only thing: the smaller benefits can add up, too. That means that these smaller things, when put together, can equal something big.
Add up can be used for things that are not monetary, too. If you make a big or complex decision, you might have to consider many small factors that add up to something big. Let me give you an example. Let’s say you want to decide if you want to live close to the center of the city or farther away. You really want to live in the center of the city because you like being near the action. But there are some disadvantages. It can be hard to find parking. You won’t be able to have as much space. There might be noise that could bother your kids. It might not be as safe. All those disadvantages can add up. Each one of them is probably manageable, but when put together, they might make you want to live farther away from the center of town. Those small disadvantages can add up.
JR’s song of the week
JR’s song of the week is “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington, Jr. and Bill Withers. It came out in 1981 and the lyrics reflect the optimism of what is probably a new relationship. The line to remember is, “Just the two of us. We can make it if we try, just the two of us, you and I.” Good song, JR. “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington, Jr. and Bill Withers.
See you next time!
And that’s all for today. Congratulations on reaching the end of another Plain English lesson.
Remember, if you think you might be ready to speed things up, we have a fast version of the program as well. That’s available to Plain English Plus+ members and you can get it right on your phone in the most popular podcast apps, but you have to be a member to get it. This slow version is good for learning, but the fast version is where you’ll really hear how the words fit together, how they sound at full native speed. In this version, I tend to say each word individually so you can understand each one. But that’s of course not how we speak in real life: in real life, we mash our words together. And that’s what I do in the fast version, so Plus+ members can listen to both versions and compare, or just start with the fast version and use the transcript. It’s a great way to take your listening to the next level. That’s Plain English Plus+ which you can join by visiting us at PlainEnglish.com/Plus.
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