When a fight ‘breaks out,’ it means there was a peaceful situation before, but now there is fighting.
Transcript
Break out
Today’s expression is a phrasal verb. It is to “break out.” We did a lesson about this phrasal verb earlier; that was Lesson 79. But we talked about a different meaning of the phrase then. In that sense, to “break out” is to gain popularity or fame . Today, though, we’re going to talk about a different meaning for “break out.”
In today’s lesson, you heard that a battle has broken out between the Millennials and Generation Z , and that battle is about skinny jeans. Gen Z says they’re not cool anymore and they just make you look old while the Millennials are defending their preferred style of jeans. A battle broke out and that means, a battle began. There was peace before, but now there’s fighting.
That’s how you should think about it. Think of a peaceful situation…and then think of some type of fighting or conflict. When the fighting starts, we say the fighting breaks out. And we use “break out” with words that are roughly equivalent to fighting. Here are some words you can use with “break out”: fight, conflict, protests, arguments, war, battle, riot, skirmish (that’s like a small-scale battle), and hostilities. Those are all words you can use with “break out,” and they’re all roughly equivalent to the word “fight.”
Here are some examples:
A person might say, “Luckily, my ancestors fled the country before war broke out in Europe.” That means, the person’s ancestors left the country before war started and before the peace was interrupted by war.
“Hostilities” means acts of fighting in a war-like situation. So, we can say that hostilities broke out between the Israelis and Palestinians in mid-May of this year.
Another example: Lots of people gathered in the center of the city to protest police violence. It started as a peaceful protest, but riots broke out after midnight. In the beginning, the protests were peaceful. But then, a riot started interrupting the peace. A riot is like group violence.
In the Miami airport about a month ago, four people were trying to fly standby on a flight to Chicago. But, there were only three seats available and so a fight broke out in the boarding area. Everyone was waiting to get onto the plane, lining up peacefully, and then suddenly, people started fighting over who would get the three remaining seats.
In each of these cases, the fighting was physical: a war, a fight, a riot. We can also use the phrase to describe arguments. These arguments can be spoken words or arguments online. In today’s lesson, you heard that a battle has broken out on TikTok about skinny jeans. Nobody has committed physical violence as part of this battle (at least not yet!). The battle is just digital, a war of words, videos, and memes.
Here’s an example: “A heated argument broke out in our family over who to invite to the wedding.” That’s probably happened to at least a few of you in the audience; it’s a classic source of family conflict, right? Who should be invited to the wedding? Everyone’s excited to plan the wedding, it’s all peaceful, right up until the time someone has to be left off the invitation list. That’s when the arguments break out. And it’s often not the couple that disagrees, right? It’s the parents and other relatives who argue about that stuff.
Quote of the Week
Time for a quote of the week. Today’s is by Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple. He said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” This was part of a famous college graduation speech he gave in 2005. And his bigger message was that we shouldn’t be trapped by trying to conform to other people’s opinions. Here it is once more: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life,” says Steve Jobs.
See you next time!
And that’s all for Plain English today, July 5, 2021. Remember that this is lesson 378 and the full lesson resources are available at PlainEnglish.com/378. That’s where you’ll also find our how-to video for this lesson. Earlier, you heard me use the word “throughout,” and in today’s video, I’ll explain when to use “throughout” and how to use it. Then, as always, you’ll have your chance to write your own examples. That’s in the how-to video at PlainEnglish.com/378. And that’s also where you’ll find the full transcript, listening exercises, quizzes, and more.
Coming up on Thursday: There’s another Law & Order. It’s one of the most-recognized television franchises on TV here in the United States, and the show’s creator, Dick Wolf, has a new Law & Order concept called Law & Order: Organized Crime. There’s a twist on this one, too, so it’s not exactly like the others. I’ll review that for you on Thursday’s lesson. See you then.
¿Hablas español?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into Spanish. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .
How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
你说中国话？
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Parlez-vous français?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Você fala português?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
日本語は話せますか？
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Parli italiano?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Sen Türkçe konuşmayı biliyor musun?
The transcripts of Plain English lessons are available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation. Turkish translations are available starting at Lesson 278.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Mówisz po polsku?
The transcript of Plain English lessons are available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation. Polish translations are available starting at Lesson 278.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Audio
The fast version of this expression is available for subscribers of Plain English Plus+.