Get your fix
This week’s phrase is “get your fix.” I don’t use a lot of slang on the show, and when I do, I usually don’t talk too much about it, but this is a good exception. Get your fix is definitely slang, but it’s a pretty common term in everyday life, so I think you should know about it. Get your fix simply means to get something that you’re used to getting, or that you’re addicted to.
At the beginning of the program, you heard that some Americans are buying marijuana that was grown close to home. They don’t have to turn to illegal markets to get their fix, meaning to get what they’re looking for. At the beginning, this term was most commonly used relating to drugs. A person got their fix if they got the drugs they were craving, but the term has spread to include more innocent cravings.
For example, one common way to use “get your fix” is when talking about coffee or chocolate. I’m a big coffee drinker and I always need to get my fix, wherever I am. Usually, I get coffee at work or I make it at home on the weekends. But if I’m traveling or doing errands in the morning, I always make sure to get my fix; if I don’t get my coffee fix in the morning, I usually get a headache in the afternoon. (I know—it’s bad!)
Some people also have a sweet tooth, meaning they like sweets. And a lot of people get cravings for desserts or chocolate. They might say they need to get their sugar fix or get their chocolate fix if they have a craving for something sweet.
Some people—certainly not me, but some people—might say they need to get their fix of reality television. What do I need my fix of? In addition to coffee and chocolate, I need my fix of exercise and my fix of baseball. I just did a quick search on Google for “get your fix” and the vast majority of results had to do with either (a) coffee or (b) some type of unhealthy food or drink.
Now that you’ve gotten your fix of English today, it’s time to say goodbye. Don’t forget we have new episodes every Monday and Thursday. They’re nice and short – about 15 minutes – the perfect amount of time to practice a few times a week.
You can connect with the show on Facebook and Twitter at PlainEnglishPod. If you want to send me an email, you can reach me at jeff [at] plainenglish.com. I’d love to hear from you and learn about who’s in the audience. Thanks again – and we’ll be back with a new episode on Thursday
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