Transcript for:
British English Listening Exercise Overview

hello everyone and welcome to another British English listening exercise my name is Dylan and I will be your teacher for the day so for today's lesson I will be reading you a short story written by the brilliant British author ruelle Dahl this video will be aimed at helping you improve your British English listening and pronunciation skills whilst teaching you various pieces of grammar and vocabulary I will also put the story on the screen whilst I am reading it which will help you improve your own reading abilities as well so it is a five in one video sensational so today's story is called The Hitchhiker a hitchhiker is basically someone who stands on the side of the road with their thumb out with the intention of trying to get a lift from a stranger who is driving a passing car it is uncommon but it does still happen to this day so this story was originally published in July 1977 making it 46 years old so as to be expected the language used in this story definitely reflects the time in which it was published and this is especially true for one of the characters the actual hitchhiker so the story features a man who is driving his brand new BMW car up to London he then encounters a hitchhiker and decides to pick this man up The Hitchhiker is a cockney man and in turn uses a lot of Cockney slang in general it is a very fun and enjoyable story and I can't wait to read it to you so first I will read the story all the way through without interruption I will then provide a quick summary and discuss what I thought some of the themes of the story were as well we will then re-read the story together but this time I will provide an in-depth analysis whilst teaching you various pieces of grammar and vocabulary as well during the first reading there will be some slang that you may not understand due to the fact that this story was written in the 70s which was a weird time especially for the UK I can imagine um so make sure to stick to the analysis section where all will be explained all right guys let's do this The Hitchhiker by ruelle Dahl I had a new car it was an exciting toy a big BMW 3.3 Li which means 3.3 liter long wheelbase fuel injection it had a top speed of 129 miles per hour and terrific acceleration the body was pale blue seats inside were darker blue and they were made of leather genuine soft leather of the finest quality the windows were electrically operated and so was the sunroof the radio aerial popped up when I switched on the radio and disappeared when I switched it off the powerful engine growled and grunted impatiently at slow speeds but at 60 miles an hour the growling stopped and the motor began to purr with pleasure I was driving up to London by myself it was a lovely June day they were haymaking in the fields and there were buttercups along both sides of the road I was whispering along at 70 miles per hour leaning back comfortably in my seat with no more than a couple of fingers resting lightly on the Wheel to keep her steady ahead of me I saw a man thumbing a left I touched the brake and brought the car to a stop beside him I always stopped for hitchhikers I knew just how it used to feel to be standing on the side of a country road watching the cars go by I hated the drivers for pretending they didn't see me especially the ones in Big Empty cars with three empty seats the large expensive cars seldom stopped it was always the smaller ones that offered you a lift all the rusty ones or the ones that were already crammed full of children and the driver would say um I think we can squeeze in one more The Hitchhiker poked his head through the open window and said go into London governor yes I said jump in he got in and I drove on he was a small ratty-faced man with gray teeth his eyes were dark and quick and clever like rat size and his ears were slightly pointed at the top he had a cloth cap on his head and he was wearing a grayish colored jacket with enormous pockets the gray jacket together with the quick eyes and the pointed ears made him look more than anything like some sort of huge human rat what part of London are you headed for I asked him I'm going right through London out the other side he said I'm going to Epsom for the races it's Derby day today so it is I said I wish I were going with you I love betting on horses I never bet on horses he said I don't even watch him run that's a stupid silly business then why do you go I asked he didn't seem to like that question his ratty little face went absolutely blank and he sat there staring Straight Ahead at the road saying nothing I expect you help to work the betting machines or something like that I said that's even sillier he answered there's no fun watching them lousy machines and selling tickets to mugs any fool could do that was a long silence I decided not to question him anymore I remembered how irritated I used to get in my hitchhiking days when drivers kept asking me questions where are you going why are you going there what's your job are you married do you have a girlfriend what's her name how old are you and so forth and so forth I used to hate it I'm sorry I said it's none of my business what you do the trouble is I'm a writer and most writers are terribly nosy you write books he asked yes Ryan books is okay he said it's what I call a skilled trade I'm on a skill trade too the folks I despise is them that spend all their lives doing crummy old routine jobs with no skill in them at all you see what I mean yes the secret of life you said is to become very very good as something that's very very hard to do like you I said exactly you and me both what makes you think I'm good at my job I asked there's an awful lot of bad writers around you wouldn't be driving about in a car like this if you weren't no good at it he answered it must have cost a tidy packet this little job it wasn't cheap what can she do flat out he asked 129 miles an hour I told him I'll bet she won't do it I bet she will all car makers is Liars he said you can buy any car you like and it will never do what the makers say it will in the ads this one will open her up then and prove it he said go on Governor open her up and let's see what she'll do there is a traffic circle at Chalfont Saint Peter and immediately Beyond there's a long straight section of divided highway we came out of the circle onto the highway and I pressed my foot hard down on the accelerator the big car leaped forward as though she'd been stung in 10 seconds or so we were doing 90. lovely he cried beautiful keep going I had the accelerator Jam down against the floor and I held it there 100 he shouted 105 110 115 go on don't slack off I was in the outside Lane and we flashed past several cars as though they were standing still a green mini a big cream-colored Citron a white Land Rover a huge truck with a container on the back an orange colored Volkswagen minibus 120 my passenger shouted jumping up and down go on go on get her up to one two nine at that moment I heard the scream of a police siren it was so loud it seemed to be right inside the car and then a cop on a motorcycle loomed up alongside Us in the inside Lane and went past us and raised a hand for us to stop oh my sainted aren't I said that's torn it the cop must have been doing about 130 when he passed us and he took plenty of time slowing down finally he pulled to the side of the road and I pulled in behind him I didn't know police motorcycles could go as fast as that I said rather lamely that one can my passenger said it's the same make as yours it's a BMW r9es fastest bike on the road that's what they're using nowadays the cop got off his motorcycle and leaned the machine sideways onto its prop stand then he took off his gloves and placed them carefully on the seat he was in no hurry now he had us where he wanted us and he knew it this is real trouble I said I don't like it one little bit don't talk to him more than necessary you understand my companion said just sit tight and keep mum like an executioner approaching his victim the cop came strolling slowly towards us he was a big meaty man with a belly and his blue breaches were skin tight around enormous thighs his goggles were pulled up onto the helmet showing a smoldering red face with wide cheeks we sat there like guilty school boys waiting for him to arrive watch out for this man my passenger whispered he looks mean as the devil the cop came round to my open window and placed one meaty hand on the Sill what's the hurry he said no hurry officer I answered perhaps there's a woman in the back having a baby manual rushing her to hospital is that it no officer or perhaps your house is on fire and you're dashing home to rescue the family from upstairs his voice was dangerously soft and mocking my house isn't on Fire officer in that case he said you've caught yourself into a nasty mess haven't you do you know what the speed limit is in this country 70. I said and do you mind telling me exactly what speed you were doing just now I Shrugged and didn't say anything when he spoke next he raised his voice so loud that I jumped 120 miles per hour He barked that's 50 miles an hour over the limit he turned his head and spat out a big Gob of spit it landed on the wing of my car and started sliding down over my beautiful blue paint then he turned back again and stared hard at my passenger and who are you he asked sharply he's a hitchhiker I said I'm giving him a lift I didn't ask you I asked him have I done something wrong my passenger asked his voice was soft and oily as hair cream that's more than likely the cop answered anyway you're a witness I'll deal with you in a minute driving license he snapped holding out his hand I gave him my driving license he unbuttoned the left-hand breast pocket off his tunic and brought out the dreaded book of tickets carefully he copied the name and address from my license then he gave it back to me he strolled around to the front of the car and read the number from the license plate and wrote that down as well he filled in the date the time and the details of my offense then he tore out the top copy of the ticket but before handing it to me he checked that all information had come through clearly on his own carbon copy finally he replaced the book in his breast pocket and fastened the bottom now you he said to my passenger and he walked around to the other side of the car from the other breast pocket he produced a small black notebook name he snapped Michael fish my passenger said address 14 Windsor Lane Luton show me something to prove this is your real name and address the policeman said my passenger fished in his pockets and came out with a driver's license of his own the policeman checked the name and address and handed it back to him what's your job he asked sharply I'm an odd carrier a what an odd carrier spell it h o d c a that'll do and what's a hod carrier may I ask a nod carrier officer is a person who carries the cement up the ladder to the bricklayer and the odd is what he carries it in it's got a long handle and on the top you've got bits of wood set at an angle all right all right who's your employer don't have one I'm unemployed the cop wrote this down in his black notebook then he returned the book to his pocket and he did up the button when I get back to the station I'm going to do a little checking up on you he said to my passenger me what have I done wrong the rat face man asked I don't like your face that's all the cop said and we just might have a picture of it somewhere in our files he strolled around the car and returned to my window I suppose you know you're in serious trouble he said to me yes officer you won't be driving this fancy car of yours again for a very long time not after we're finished with you you wouldn't be driving any car again come to that for several years and a good thing too I hope they lock you up for a spell into the bargain you mean prison I asked alarmed absolutely he said smacking his lips in the clink Behind Bars along with all the other criminals who break the law and a hefty fine into the bargain nobody will be more pleased about that than me I'll see you in court both of you you'll be getting a summons to appear he turned and walked over to his motorcycle he flipped the prop stand back into position with his foot and swung his leg over the saddle then he kicked the starter and roared off up the road out of sight phew I gasp that's done it we was caught my passenger said we was caught good and proper I was caught you mean that's right he said well what are you gonna do now governor I'm going straight up to London to talk to my solicitor I said and started my car and drove on you mustn't believe what he said about going to prison my passenger said they don't put someone in the clink just for speeding are you sure of that I asked I'm positive he answered they can take your license away and they can give you a whopping big fine but that'll be the end of it I felt tremendously relieved by the way I said why did you lie to him ooh me he said what makes you think I lied you told him you were an unemployed hod carrier but you told me you were in a highly skilled trade so I am he said but it don't do to tell everything to a copper so what do you do I asked him ah you said slightly that'd be telling wouldn't it is it something you're ashamed of ashamed he cried me ashamed of my job I'm about as proud of it as anyone could be in the entire world then why won't you tell me you write as really is nosy Parkers aren't you he said and you ain't gonna be happy I don't think until you found out exactly what the answer is I don't really care one way or the other I told him lying he gave me a crafty look out of the side of his eyes I think you do care he said I can see it in your face that you think I'm in some kind of very peculiar trade and you'll just aching to know what it is I didn't like the way he read my thoughts I kept quiet and stared at the road ahead you'd be right too he went on I am in a very peculiar trade I'm in the queery's peculiar trade of them all I waited for him to go on that's why I asked to be extra careful who I'm talking to you see how am I to know for instance you're not another copper in plain clothes do I look like a copper no he said you don't anyway any fool could tell that he took from his pocket a tin of tobacco and a packet of cigarette papers and started to roll a cigarette I was watching him out of the corner of my eye and the speed with which he performed this rather difficult operation was incredible the cigarette was rolled and ready in about five seconds he ran his tongue along the edge of the paper stuck it down and popped a cigarette between his lips then as if from nowhere a lighter appeared in his hand the lighter flamed the cigarette was lit the lighter disappeared it was altogether a remarkable performance I've never seen anyone roll a cigarette as fast as that I said ah he said taking a deep sucker smoke so you noticed of course I noticed it was quite fantastic he sat back and smiled it pleased him very much that I had noticed how quickly he could roll a cigarette you want to know what makes me able to do it he asked go on then it's because I've got fantastic fingers these things are mine he said holding up both hands high in front of him are quicker and cleverer than the fingers of the best piano player in the world are you a piano player don't be Daft he said do I look like a piano player I glanced at his fingers they were so beautifully shaped so slim and long and elegant they didn't seem to belong to the rest of him at all they look like the fingers of a brain surgeon or a watchmaker my job he went on is a hundred times more difficult than playing the piano any twerp can learn to do that there's titsy little kids learning to play the piano at almost any else you go into these days that's right ain't it more or less I said of course it's right but there's not one person in 10 million can learn to do what I do not one in 10 million how about that amazing I said your damn right it's amazing he said I think I know what you do I said you do Conjuring tricks you're a conjurer me he snorted a conjurer can you picture me going around crummy kids parties making rabbits come out of top hats then you're a card player you get people into card games and deal yourself out marvelous hands me a rotten card shaper he cried that's a miserable racket if ever there was one all right I give up I was taking the car along slowly now and no more than 40 miles an hour to make sure I wasn't stopped again we'd come onto the main London Oxford Road and we're running down the hill towards denim suddenly my passenger was holding up a black leather belt in his hand ever seen this before he asked the belt had a Brass Buckle of unusual design hey I said that's mine isn't it it is mine where did you get it he grinned and waved the belt gently from side to side where do you think I got it he said off the top of your trousers of course I reached down and fell for my belt it was gone you mean you took her off me while we've been driving along I asked flabbergasted he nodded watching me all the time with those little black ratty eyes that's impossible I said you'd have had to undo the Buckle and Slide the whole thing out through the loops all the way around I'd have seen you doing it and even if I hadn't seen you I'd have felt it ah but you didn't did you he said triumphant he dropped the belt on his lap and now all at once there was a brown shoelace dangling from his fingers and what about this then he exclaimed waving the shoelace what about it I said anyone round here missing a shoelace he asked grinning I glanced down at my shoes the lace of one of them was missing good grief I said how did you do that I never saw you bending down you never saw nothing he said proudly you never even saw me move in an inch and you know why yes I said because you've got fantastic fingers exactly right he cried you catch on pretty quick don't you sat back and sucked away at his homemade cigarette blowing the smoke out in a thin stream against the windshield he knew he had impressed me greatly with those two tricks and this made him very happy I don't want to be late he said what time is it there's a clock in front of you I told him I don't trust car clocks he said what does your watch say I hitched up my sleeve to look at the watch on my wrist it wasn't there I looked at the man and he looked back at me grinning you've taken that too I said he held out his hand and there was my watch lying in his palm nice bit of stuff this he said superior quality 18 karat gold easy to sell too it's not for any trouble getting rid of quality Goods I'd like it back if you don't mind I said rather huffily he placed the watch carefully on the leather tray in front of him I wouldn't Nick anything from you Governor he said you're my pal you'll give me a lift I'm glad to hear it I said all I'm doing is answering your question he went on you asked me what I'd do for a living and I'm showing you what else have you got of mine he smiled again and now he started to take from the pocket of his jacket one thing after another that belonged to me my driving license a key ring with four keys on it some pound notes a few coins a letter from my Publishers my diary a stubby old pencil a cigarette lighter and last of all a beautiful old sapphire ring with pearls around it belonging to my wife I was taking the ring up to a jeweler in London because one of the pearls was missing now there's another lovely piece of goods he said turning the ring over in his fingers a 17th century if I'm not mistaken from the reign of King George III you're right I said impressed you're absolutely right he put the ring on the leather tray with the other items so you're a pickpocket I said I don't like that word he answered it's a coarse and vulgar word pickpockets is coarse and vulgar people who only do easy little amateur jobs they lift money from blind old ladies what do you call yourself then me I'm a fingersmith I'm a professional fingersmith he spoke the word solemnly and proudly as though he was telling me he was the president of the Royal College of Surgeons or the Archbishop of Canterbury I've never heard that word before I said did you invent it of course I didn't invent it he replied it's the name given to those who's reading to the very top of their profession you've heard of a Goldsmith or a silversmith for instance they're experts with gold and silver I'm an expert with my fingers so I'm a fingersmith it must be an interesting job it's a marvelous job he answered it's lovely and that's why you go to the races race meetings as easy me he said you just stand around after the race watching for the lucky ones to queue up and draw their money and when you see someone collecting a big bundle of notes you simply follow so after him and helps yourself but don't get me wrong governor I never take nothing from a loser nor from poor people neither I only go after them that can afford it the winners and the rich that's very thoughtful of you I said how often do you get caught caught he cried disgusted me get a call it's only pickpockets get caught fingersmiths never listen I could take the false teeth out your mouth if I wanted to and you wouldn't even catch me I don't have false teeth I said I know you don't he answered otherwise I'd have had him out long ago I believed him those long slim fingers of his seem to be able to do anything we drove on for a while without talking that policeman's gonna check up on you pretty thoroughly I said doesn't that worry you a bit nobody's checking up on me he said of course they are he's got your name and address written down most carefully in his black book the man gave me another of his Sly ratty Little Smiles he said so yes but I'll bet he ain't got it all written down in his memory as well I've never known a copper yet with a decent memory some of them can't even remember their own names what's memory got to do with it I asked it's written down in his book isn't it yes Governor it is but the trouble is he's lost the book he's lost both books the one with my name on it and the one with yours in the long delicate fingers of his right hand the man was holding up in Triumph the two books he had taken from the policeman's pockets easiest job I've ever done he announced proudly I nearly swerved the car into a milk truck I was so excited that cop has got nothing on either of us now he said you're a genius I cried he's got no names no addresses no car number no nothing he said you're brilliant I think you'd better pull off this main road as soon as possible he said then we better build a little bonfire and burn these books you're a fantastic fellow I exclaimed thank you Governor he said it's always nice to be appreciated so before we get into the analysis section I wanted to provide a quick summary of the story whilst trying to identify what I believe the two main themes were the Royal was trying to explore if you would prefer to skip straight to the analysis by all means just go to this time here right I am going to be reading off the script a little bit because it's quite a long summary so apologies in advance for that so basically the story is narrated from the perspective of a man who seems to be doing quite well in life he's wealthy married well spoken and he's driving a brand new BMW which would have been very expensive to purchase so he's on his way to London where he picks up a hitchhiker on the way who is depicted as being on the other side of society however due to a mutual respect between the two they end up forming a friendship and as seen later on a team as well so after getting caught speeding as was encouraged by The Hitchhiker the man is pulled over by the police and threatened with jail time and a huge fine to pay as well the owner of the car appears to be much more worried than The Hitchhiker does is it because he has more to lose or is it because the hitchhiker knows something that the other man doesn't eventually we come to learn that The Hitchhiker is a very skilled thief or as he puts it a fingersmith so after stealing various possessions off the driver the narrator is incredibly impressed and Praises The Hitchhiker which in turn creates a huge level of pride and happiness further strengthening the respect and friendship between the two men anyway the man continues to worry about the trouble that they previously found themselves in but the hitchhiker comments that the police have bad memories and therefore there's no need to worry the man then replies by saying that the police officer has all the information he needs written down in a little black book so therefore his memory is irrelevant finally The Hitchhiker with a big smile on his face once again proves his value by showing the driver that he managed to steal both of the police officers books with great ease this leads to then pulling up on the side of the road and burning both the books that contained all of the information the police officer would need to get the men into trouble so what do I think the main themes of the story are firstly the mutual respect and appreciation between the two men despite the difference in class and social status now I think the reason behind this is because as as Roa mentioned in the first page of the story the driver who is now wealthy and high status he used to be a hitchhiker as well that's mentioned throughout the story so he certainly knows what it's like to be on the other side of society and he can see through the perspective of The Hitchhiker so therefore he's a lot more he shows a lot more empathy and it's easier for him to look past the social differences and just form a genuine friendship another element is that The Hitchhiker has no problem whatsoever in pressing the driver so a respect between the two men is bound to be formed secondly we have this hitchhiker who will have been seen as very low status in life and therefore will have likely been treated with very little respect by pretty much everyone he meets this is reinforced by the interaction with the police officer where the man just assumes that The Hitchhiker has committed a crime before he's even opened his mouth when The Hitchhiker asks why the police officer says well I just don't like the look on your face however this hitchhiker has an incredible talent but due to the fact that it is illegal he can't really tell anyone about it so therefore he never really gets the recognition that he feels that he deserves however when the driver who is perceived as high status and Wealthy when he finally is able to show The Hitchhiker appreciation for his incredible talents he feels an enormous sense of pride and happiness if you've ever seen breaking bad this is quite random but if you've ever seen breaking bad it's kind of like the main character Walter White who is this Mastermind criminal but due to the fact that what he is doing is rather illegal he can't tell anyone about it so he never really gets his recognition he feels that he deserves so yeah I don't know if Royale ever saw breaking bad but I think in that sense the two characters do have something in common anyway before we get to the analysis section I'm just going to say that all of the vocabulary we cover will be included in a free pdf I'm not even going to ask for your email address how nice is that and also if you are looking for an additional exercise there are three questions that I would like you to consider so number one is The Hitchhiker a good or bad man number two how does Dal keep the feeling of suspense through the story number three would you give a lift of a hitchhiker and why what are the advantages and disadvantages if you wish to answer these questions just put your answers in the comments I will read each one and reply with my thoughts and feedback alright guys let's get into the second reading The Hitchhiker by ruelle Dahl take two I had a new car it was an exciting toy a big BMW 3.3 Li which means 3.3 liter long wheelbase fuel injection it had a top speed of 129 miles per hour and terrific acceleration the body was pale blue the seats inside were darker blue and they were made of leather genuine soft leather of the finest quality the windows were electrically operated and so was the sunroof the radio aerial popped up when I switched on the radio and disappeared when I switched it off the powerful engine growled and grunted impatiently at slow speeds but at 60 miles an hour the growling stopped and the motor began to purr with pleasure so to purr with pleasure is likening the car to a happy content cat which would of course be purring with pleasure so when the car reaches a certain speed it's happy so that is quite important for later on in the story I was driving up to London by myself it was a lovely June day they were haymaking in the fields and there was buttercups along both sides of the road a buttercup is a yellow flower I'll put it on the screen now I was whispering along at 70 miles per hour leaning back comfortably in my seat with no more than a couple of fingers resting lightly on the Wheel to keep her steady so no more than a couple of fingers is basically foreshadowing how powerful a couple of fingers can be for example it can drive this big expensive car and it can also be enough to steal various possessions out of someone's pocket ahead of me I saw a man thumbing a left I touched the brake and brought the car to a stop beside him I always stop for hitchhikers I knew just how it used to feel to be standing on the side of a country road watching the cars go by I hated the drivers for pretending they didn't see me especially the ones in big cars with three empty seats the large expensive cars seldom stopped so seldom just means like never so the big expensive cars never stopped it was always the smaller ones that offered you a lift or the rusty ones or the ones that were already crammed full of children and the driver would say um I think we can squeeze in one more The Hitchhiker poked his head through the open window and said going to London Governor yes I said jump him so Governor is a word you will hear a lot in this story and it's basically an old piece of Cockney slang which would have been used commonly in the lower class and it kind of means like sir or boss so it'd likely be used to someone that you would deem of higher Social Status to you which of course is quite an important theme of the story he got in and I drove on he was a small ratty-faced man with gray teeth his eyes were dark and quick and clever like rat's eyes and his ears were slightly pointed at the top he had a cloth cap on his head and he was wearing a grayish colored jacket with enormous pockets and we of course know why his pockets are so enormous the gray jacket together with the quick eyes and the pointed ears made him look more than anything like some sort of huge human rat so of course huge human rat isn't really the most Charming description of someone but it is relevant the type of if you were calling someone a rat it would imply that that person is dishonest or sneaky or just not to be trusted which you could argue would be three characteristics of a thief as this hitchhiker is um and what's really interesting is the way the man says it he calls him a human rat but it's more of an observation it sounds like this man genuinely does look like a rat so the driver isn't really saying it with any Prejudice or judgment he actually calls him clever as well he says his eyes were dark and quick and clever so it's kind of an indication of what is to come with this man recognizing that he hitchhiker has lower status but not treating him any differently because of that what part of London are you headed for I asked him I'm going right through London and out the other side he said I'm going to Epsom for the races it's Darby day today so Epsom is a place just south of London and Derby Day is an event which still happens annually to this day it happens every year and basically people get dressed up nicely in suits or in dresses and they go to this place and watch horses race and of course they bet on them as well I think I actually went when I was living in London a few years ago it was all right it was quite fun so it is I said I wish I were going with you I love betting on horses I never bet on horses he said are they even watch him run that's a stupid silly business then why do you go I ask he didn't seem to like that question his ratty little face went absolutely blank and he sat there staring straight at the road ahead saying nothing I expect you helped to work the betting machines or something like that that's even sillier he answered there's no fun working them lousy machines and selling tickets to mugs any fool could do that so lousy means like unpleasant run down not very high quality and mugs if you're a mug it means you're a bit of an idiot a bit stupid both words are commonly used in British English today especially mugs there was a long silence I decided not to question him anymore I remembered how irritated I used to get in my hitchhiking days when drivers kept asking me questions where are you going why are you going there what's your job are you married do you have a girlfriend what's her name how old are you and so forth and so forth I used to hate it so this once again gives us a bit of an insight as to why this driver picked The Hitchhiker up in the first place and why he's able to form a friendship with this man despite the differences in social class because he knows how it feels pretty much I'm sorry I said it's none of my business what you do the trouble is I'm a writer and most writers are terribly nosy you write books he asked yes writing books is okay he said it's what I call a skill trade I'm in a skill trade too the folks I despise is them that spend all their lives doing crummy old routine jobs or no skill and matter you see what I mean crummy just means low quality not very good or enjoyable yes the secret of life he said is to become very very good as something that's very very hard to do so you'll notice that this hitchhiker being a cockney he misses out quite a few letters of words it's just the slang that they used to use for example he will very rarely say h so by very very odd to do what it means is very very hard to do you will notice that throughout the story like you I said exactly you and me both what makes you think I'm any good at my job I asked there's an awful lot of bad writers around you wouldn't be driving a boat in a car like this if you weren't no good at it he answered it must have cost a tidy packet this little job so tidy packet and little job are both pieces of old Cockney slang not really used that commonly anymore tidy packet just means a decent amount of money and little job in this instance is referring to the car and another thing you'll notice as well is the The Hitchhiker's sentences aren't always grammatically correct which is an indication that perhaps he isn't that well educated which would be a common theme of someone who is lower status in those times however he's definitely not unintelligent it wasn't cheap what can she do flat out he asked flat out means as fast or as hard as it can go so in this instance it means how fast can it go what's the fastest it can go but you can also say you could say I'm flat out broke if you're broke it means you don't have any money but if you're flat out broke it means you absolutely have no money 129 miles an hour I told him I'll bet you won't do it I'll bet she will all car makers as Liars he said you can buy any car you like and it will never do what the makers say it will in the ads ads means adverts this one will open her up then and prove it he said go on Governor open her up let's see what she'll do so you'll notice they're referring to the both men are referring to the car as a woman as a her as a she this isn't done in like a sexual or offensive type of way they're likening it to a beautiful car to a beautiful woman even um so open her up means to unleash its full potential so open her up make her go as fast as it can and this is also an indication of what The Hitchhiker is like and most importantly his disregard for the law the fact that he's just met this driver and he's straight away encouraging him to break the law and to go as fast as he can and finally it shows that this man is genuinely intelligent he may not be that well educated but he's certainly intelligent because he's by him doubting that the car is able to go 129 miles per hour he knows that the driver will feel obliged to prove it to him and therefore he'll get his way of making the driver speed along even though he may not have wanted to in the first place there is a traffic circle at Chalfont Saint Peter and immediately Beyond there's a long straight section of divided highway we came out of the circle onto the highway and I pressed my foot hard down on the accelerator the big car leaped forward as though she'd been stung in 10 seconds or so we were doing 90. lovely he cried beautiful keep going I had the accelerator jammed down against the floor and I held it there 100 he shouted 105 110 115 go on don't slack off to slack off in general means to stop putting effort into something so for example in some fantasy made-up world if I didn't upload to my YouTube for like three weeks you could say that I was slacking off in this instance it means don't slack off the accelerator pedal don't slow down I was in the outside Lane and we flashed past several cars as though they were standing still a green mini a big cream-colored Citron a white Land Rover a huge truck with a container on the back an orange colored Volkswagen minibus 120 my passenger shouted jumping up and down go on go on get her up to one two nine at that moment I heard the scream of a police siren it was so loud it seemed to be right inside the car and then a cop on a motorcycle loomed up alongside Us in the inside Lane and went past us and raised a hand for us to stop oh my sainted aunt I said that's torn it so oh my saintedart is just an expression of surprise and if he said that's torn it it means that that's ruined thing and guess what guys no one says this anymore you don't really need to know it but in case you were curious that's what they mean the cop must have been doing about 130 when he passed us and he took plenty of time slowing down finally he pulled to the side of the road and I pulled in behind him I didn't know police motorcycles could go as fast as that I said rather lamely if you say something lamely it means you say it without much confidence in quite a defeated manner that one can my passenger said it's the same make as yours it's the BMW r9es fastest bike on the road that's what they're using nowadays so The Hitchhiker's knowledge of this BMW vehicle kind of supports the argument we made earlier that he knew that the driver's car would have been capable of doing 129 miles per hour he was just saying that so that the man would feel obliged to prove it to him the cop got off his motorcycle and leaned the machine sideways onto its prop stand then he took off his gloves and placed them carefully on the seat he was in no hurry now he had us where he wanted us and he knew it this is real trouble I said I don't like it one little bit don't talk to him more than necessary you understand my companion said just sit tight and keep mum so you'll notice that the narrator has gone from describing the passenger as my passenger said to my companion said they both mean similar things but my companion is a bit more affectionate so it shows that they are starting to become friends secondly sit tight and keep mum mum is a alternative to a word they used in The 14th Century which was a mom which just means keep quiet don't reveal anything so to keep mum means exactly that don't say anything be quiet um it's not that commonly used these days but you may have heard the expression mum's the word which means exactly the same thing like an executioner approaching his victim the cop came strolling slowly towards us he was a big meaty man with a belly and his blue breaches were skin tight around enormous thighs his goggles were pulled up onto the helmet showing a smoldering red face with wide cheeks we sat there like guilty school boys waiting for him to arrive watch out for this man my passenger whispered he looks mean as the devil come on if you're as mean as the devil it means you're unpleasant but I'm sure you knew that this cop came round to my open window and placed one meaty hand on the Sill what's the hurry he said no hurry officer perhaps there's a woman in the back having a baby and you're rushing her to hospital is that it no officer or perhaps your house is on fire and you're dashing home to rescue the family from upstairs his voice was dangerously soft and mocking my house isn't on Fire officer in that case he said you've got yourself into a nasty mess haven't you do you know what the speed limit is in this country 70 I said and do you mind telling me exactly what speed you were doing just now I Shrugged I didn't say anything when he spoke next he raised his voice so loud that he jumped 120 miles per hour He barked that's 50 miles an hour over the limit he turned his head and spat out a big go of spit he landed on the wing of my car and started sliding down over my beautiful blue paint and then he turned back and stared hard at my passenger and who are you here sharply he's a hitchhiker I said I'm giving him a lift so you'll notice very subtly that the driver is now subconsciously without even thinking about it standing up for this man The Hitchhiker was once again shows that this relationship has started to form I didn't ask you he said I asked him have I done something wrong my passenger asked his voice was soft and oily as hair cream that's more than likely the cop answered anyway you're a witness I'll deal with you in a minute driver's license he snapped holding out his hand I gave him my driver's license he unbuttoned the left hand pocket of his tunic and brought out the dreaded book of tickets carefully he copied the name and address from my license then he gave it back to me he strolled around to the front of the car and read the number from the license plate and wrote that down as well he filled in the date the time and the details of my offense then he tore out the top copy of the ticket but before handing it to me he checked that all information had come through clearly on his own carbon copy finally he replaced the book in his breast pocket and fastened the bottom so you'll notice there's a very there's a whole paragraph a very detailed paragraph just about how careful the police officer is being with this information as he knows without this information he can't get any of these men in trouble so it'd be just a shame if he lost it or if it got stolen now you he said to my passenger and he walked around to the other side of the car from the other breast pocket he produced a small black notebook name he snapped Michael fish my passenger said so the name Michael fish whether it's real or not you don't really know with this guy but the surname fish is of course referring to his profession where he fishes stuff out of people's pockets I'll give you an example very shortly address 14 Windsor Lane Luton show me something to prove this is your real name and address the policeman said my passenger fished in his pockets and came out with a driving license of his own the policeman checked the name and address and handed it back to him what's your job you are sharply I'm an odd carrier a what an odd carrier spell it h-o-d-c-a that'll do and what's a hard carrier may I ask an odd carrier officer is a person who carries a cement up the ladder to the brick maker and the odd is what he carries it in it's got a long handle and on top of that you've got a bits of wood set at an angle all right all right who's your employer don't have one I'm unemployed so you'll notice with this paragraph there's a lot of missing letters so ooh meant to be who e meant to be he and odd meant to be hot so a hot carrier as Michael has explained a hod is basically a device used to carry bricks around a construction site I'll put a photo of it on the screen now and back then it would have been seen as quite a easy job for someone to get so the way that this police officer the way he perceives Michael as being quite low status it would have been very believable that this would have been a job that Michael would have had all right all right who's your employer don't have one I'm unemployed the cop wrote this down in the black notebook then he returned the book to his pocket and did up the button once again showing how hard it would have been for someone to steal this information and how careful he's being with it when I get back to the station I'm going to do a little checking up on you he said to my passenger me what have I done wrong the rat-faced man asked I don't like your face that's all the cop said and we just might have a picture of it somewhere in our files he strolled around the car and returned to my window I suppose you know you're in serious trouble he said to me yes officer you won't be driving this fancy car of yours again for a very long time not after we're finished with you you won't be driving any car again come to that for several years and a good thing too I hope they lock you out for a spell into the bargain you mean prison I asked alarmed absolutely he said smacking his lips in the clink behind the bars along with all the other criminals who break the law and a hefty fine into the bargain nobody will be more pleased about that than me I'll see you in court both of you you'll be getting a summons to appear so the clink is just a word for prism because obviously when the prism uh bars shut it will leave a clink and the handcuffs as well will be clinking as you're walking not really that commonly used these days and a hefty fine if something is Hefty it means that it's big and a fine is an amount of money that you're forced to pay so a hefty fine will be a large amount of money that this man will have to pay he turned and walked over to his motorcycle he flipped the prop stand back into position with his foot and swung his leg over the saddle then he kicked the starter and roared off up the road out of sight phew I gasped that's done it we was caught my passenger said we was caught good and proper good and proper in this instance just means they were absolutely caught they were completely caught I was caught you mean that's right he said what are you gonna do now governor I'm going straight up to London to talk to my solicitor I said I started my car and drove on a solicitor is someone whose job it is to give you legal advice kind of like a lawyer and even to this day if you have a solicitor it would imply that you are in a position of higher status and higher wealth as well that's just in the UK it might be slightly more common in the US for example you mustn't believe what he said about going to prison my passenger said they don't put someone in the clink just for speeding are you sure of that I asked I'm positive he answered they can take your license away and they can give you a whopping big fighting but that would be the end of it whopping big fine is the same as a hefty fine just means a very large amount of money I felt tremendously relieved he felt incredibly relieved by the way I said why did you lie to him ooh me what makes you think I lied you told him you were an unemployed hod carrier but you told me you were in a highly skilled trade so I am he said but it don't do to tell everything to a copper a copper is slang for a police officer so what do you do I asked him ah he said slightly I'll be telling wouldn't it is it something you're ashamed of ashamed he cries me ashamed of my job I'm about as proud of it as anyone could be in the entire world then why won't you tell me you writers really is nosy Parkers aren't you he said a nosy Parker is an old word for someone who is overly inquisitive someone who is trying to find out a lot of information about you you write as really is nosy Parkers aren't you he said and you ain't gonna be happy I don't think until you found out exactly what the answer is I don't really care one way or the other I told him lying he gave me a crafty look out of the side of his eyes I think you do care he said I can see it in your face that you think I'm in some kind of very peculiar trade and you'll just aching to know what it is peculiar means like odd or strange unusual and if you're aching to know something firstly if you're aching it means that a part of your body is hurting so for example say if you went for a really big run the next day your legs will probably be aching so in this instance aching to know something means that the fact that you don't know it you want to know it so badly that it's hurting you you can also be aching to do something all of this is still commonly used um in modern times as well I didn't like the way he read my thoughts I kept quiet and stared at the road ahead you'd be right too you went on I am in a very peculiar trade I'm in the queriest peculiar trade of them all queerest um back then also once again used to mean like unusual I waited for him to go on that's why I asked to be extra careful who I'm talking to our mice to know for instance you're not another copper in plain clothes a copper in plain clothes would mean like an undercover police officer so an officer without their uniform on with the intention of tricking someone into thinking that they're not a police officer do I look like a copper no he said he don't and you ain't any fool could tell that he took from his pocket a tin of tobacco and a packet of cigarette papers and started to roll a cigarette I was watching him out of the corner of my eye and the speed with which he performed this rather difficult operation was incredible the cigarette was rolled and ready in about five seconds he ran his tongue along the edge of the paper and stuck it down and popped the cigarette between his lips then as if from nowhere lighter appeared in his hand the lighter flamed the cigarette was lit the light disappeared it was altogether a remarkable performance so the way the narrator is talking about it the light it just appeared and then disappeared it's almost as if it's like magic and this whole paragraph dedicated to how good he is of rolling a cigarette it's just the first indication of how good this man is with his fingers I've never seen anyone roll a cigarette as fast as that I said ah he said taking a deep suck of smoke so you noticed of course I noticed it was quite fantastic he sat back and smiled it pleased him very much that I had noticed how quickly he could roll a cigarette so this is the first bit of Praise that the man has received from the driver and you can see that it makes him extremely happy and extremely proud which ties in of course with one of the main themes of the story you want to know what makes me able to do it he asked go on then it's because I've got fantastic fingers these fingers of mine he said holding up both hands high in front of him are quicker and cleverer than the things of the best piano player in the world are you a piano player don't be Daft he said do I look like a piano player darf just means silly or stupid um this word is still used in modern times as well I glanced at his fingers they were so beautifully shaped so slim and long and elegant they didn't seem to belong to the rest of him at all they look like the fingers of a brain surgeon or a watchmaker my job he went on is a hundred times more difficult than playing the piano any twerp can learn to do that there's titsy little kids learning to play the piano at almost any else you go into these days that's right ain't it twerp just means like silly or annoying person I think it is still used but in my opinion it's a lot more commonly used in American English and titsy is old British slang meaning very small more or less I said this means like yeah pretty much of course it's right but there's not one person in 10 million can learn to do what I do not one in 10 million how about that amazing I said your darn right is amazing he said I think I know what you do I said you do Conjuring tricks you're a kundra a kundra is a form of magician someone who can sort of make things appear out thinner like conjure it up me he snorted a conjurer can you picture me going around crummy kids pies making rabbits come out of top hats this refers to an old magic trick that a magician might do at a kid's birthday party where they would pull a rabbit out of a top hat then you're a card player you get people into card games and you deal yourself out marvelous hands me a rotten card shaper he cried that's where miserable racket if ever there was one marvelous just means very good a card shaper is someone who makes money by cheating whilst playing cards and a racket is a form of it's a dishonest activity used to make money kind of like a scam all right I give up I was taking the car along slowly now at no more than 40 miles an hour to make sure I wasn't stopped again we'd come onto the main London Oxford Road and we're running down the hill towards denim suddenly my passenger was holding up a black leather belt in his hand ever seen this before he asked the belt had a Brass Buckle of unusual design hey I said that's mine isn't it it is mine where did you get it he grinned and waved the belt gently from side to side where do you think I got it he said off the top of your trousers of course I reached down and fell from my belt it was gone you mean you took off me while we've been driving along I asked flabbergasted flabbergasted great word it just means you are incredibly surprised by something thankfully it is still used in modern times as well he nodded watching me all the time with those little black ratty eyes that's impossible I said you'd have had to undo the Buckle and Slide the whole thing out through the loops all the way around I'd have seen you do it and even if I hadn't seen you I'd have felt it ah but you didn't did you he said triumphant he dropped the belt on his lap and now all at once there was a brown shoelace dangling from his fingers and what about this then he exclaimed waving the shoelace if you say something triumphantly it means you say something victoriously what about it I said anyone round here missing a shoelace he asked grinning I glanced down at my shoes the lace of one of them was missing good grief I said how did you do that I never saw you bending down you never saw nothing he said proudly you never even saw me move in an inch and you know why yes I said because you've got fantastic fingers exactly right he cried you catch on pretty quick don't you if you catch on to something pretty quick it means you understand what's going on in the situation pretty quickly he sat back and sucked away at his homemade cigarette blowing the smoke out in a thin stream against the windshield he knew he had impressed me greatly with those two tricks and that made him very happy so this ties in with the general theme of the story that we have this hitchhiker who is seen as very low status but he does have this incredible talent but of course due to the fact it's so illegal he can't really tell anyone about it so when he does finally get recognition from someone especially who he would deem as being higher status and Wealthy he of course makes him extremely proud and extremely happy as well I don't want to be late he said what time is it there's a clock in front of you I told him I don't trust car clocks he said what does your watch say I hitched up my sleeve to look at the watch on my wrist it wasn't there I looked at the man he looked back at me grinning you've taken that too I said he held out his hand and there was my watch lying in his palm nice bit of stuff this he said superior quality 18 karat gold easy to sell too it's never any trouble getting rid of quality Goods I'd like it back if you don't mind I said rather huffily if you say something huffly it means you say it in an irritated manner he placed the watch carefully on the leather tray in front of him I wouldn't Nick anything from you Governor he said you're my pal you're giving me a lift so if you nick something it's British slang to say that you stole something and Powell just means friend both are still commonly used I'm glad to hear it I said this little exchange of course um once again showing the respect between the two men all I'm doing is answering your question he went on you asked me what I do for a living and I'm showing you what else have you got of mine he smiled again and now he started to take from the pocket of his jacket one thing after another that belonged to me my driver's license a key ring with four keys on it some pound notes a few coins a letter from my Publishers my diary a stubby old pencil a cigarette lighter and last of all a beautiful old sapphire ring with pearls around it belonging to my wife I was taking the ring up to a jeweler in London because one of the pearls was missing now there's another lovely piece of goods he said turning the ring over in his fingers that's 18th century if I'm not mistaken from the reign of King George III you're right I said impress you're absolutely right so the man just sewing off his incredible knowledge not only shows us as the reader he's a pro but it's also continuing to impress the driver once again increasing the respect between the two men he put the ring on the leather tray with the other items so you're a pickpocket I said a pickpocket is someone who picks your pockets it's a thief I don't like that word he answered it's a coarse and vulgar word pickpockets is coarse and vulgar people who only do easy little amateur jobs they lift money from blind old ladies so coarse and vulgar both mean pretty much the same thing just means like unpleasant something that lacks taste or class an amateur is the opposite of professional so you can get a sense of how proud this man is of his profession by the fact that he takes such offense by being compared to a mere pickpocket for example what do you call yourself them me I'm a fingersmith I'm a professional fingersmith he spoke the words solemnly and proudly as though he was telling me he was the president of the Royal College of Surgeons or the Archbishop of Canterbury if you say sowing solemnly it means you say it with great distinction and certainty so this man is positive that he is in fact a fingersmith that he is at the top of his profession I've never heard that word before I said did you invent it of course I didn't invent it he replied it's a name given to those who's risen to the very top of their profession you've heard of a Goldsmith or a silversmith for instance they're experts were gold and silver I'm an expert of my fingers so I'm a fingersmith it must be an interesting job it's a marvelous job he answered it's lovely and that's where you go to the races race meetings is easy me he said you just stand around after the race watch for the lucky ones to come up and draw their money and when you see someone collecting a big bundle of notes you simply follows after him and helps yourself but don't get me wrong Governor I never take nothing from a loser nor from the poor people neither I only go after those that can afford it the winners and the rich that's very thoughtful of you I said some subtle British humor right there very sarcastic reply how often do you get caught he cried disgusted me get caught it's only pickpockets get caught fingersmiths never listen I could take the false teeth out your mouth if I wanted to and you wouldn't even catch me I don't have false teeth I said I know you don't he answered otherwise I'd have had him out long ago I believed him those long slim fingers of his seem to be able to do anything we drove on for a while without talking that policeman's going to check up on you pretty thoroughly I said doesn't that worry you a bit to check up on someone thoroughly would mean they're taking a very in-depth look into this person basically trying to get as much information on this person as possible no one's checking up on me he said of course they are he's got your name and address written down moves carefully in his black book the man gave me another of his Sly ratty Smiles ah he said so he has but I'll bet he ain't got it all written down in his memory as well I've never known a copy yet with a decent memory some of them can't even remember their own names what's memory got to do with it I asked it's written down in his book isn't it yes Governor it is but the trouble is he's lost the book he's lost both books the one with my name on it and the one with yours in the long delicate fingers of his right hand the man was holding up in Triumph the two books he had taken from the policeman's pocket easiest job I've ever done he announced proudly so by him holding it up in Triumph he's holding it up in Victory I nearly swerve the car into a milk truck I was so excited that Copper's got nothing on either of us now he said you're a genius I cried he's got no names no addresses no car number no nothing he said you're brilliant I think you better pull off this main road as soon as possible he said then we better build a little bonfire and burn these books so a bonfire is a fire which is intentionally lit outside with the purpose of either burning stuff or as a celebration like at an event or a party or something like that you're a fantastic fellow I exclaimed thank you Governor he said it's always nice to be appreciated and these two lines very nicely sum up two main themes of this entire short story the first one being the respect between the two men despite the differences in class and Status so we have the io status mom as he is perceived saying you're a fantastic fellow giving him a compliment in a very Posh type of way and we have the lower status man The Hitchhiker saying thank you Governor always nice to be appreciated once again saying something showing his gratitude in a low status way and throughout the book as well there's been little hints how these two men have formed a friendship and a team and how they have a great deal of respect for one another despite their differences in social status and the other main theme of the story of course being that we have this hitchhiker who will have been seen as low status and throughout his life wouldn't really have been treated with much respect so he's got this incredible talent and he can't tell anyone about it so when he does finally get appreciation it makes him extremely happy as shown by the last line thank you Governor he said it's always nice to be appreciated okay everyone thank you so much for watching I hope you enjoyed today's story and I hope you found this video helpful as well ruale Dal was an incredibly talented author and he wrote many of these short stories so if you'd like me to do another one of these videos please just like the video and comment down below as well I will put those three questions that I mentioned earlier back on the screen now so if you'd like to have a go at answering them just pause the video put your answers in the comments and I will reply with some feedback anyway as promised here is a PDF showing all of the vocabulary that we learned in the third section which can of course be downloaded for free in the description below all right guys thank you so much again for watching if you did find it helpful please consider liking the video and most importantly subscribing to the channel as well it honestly makes such a big difference and if you would like to if you'd like to go that next step why not turn on the notification Bell and you know what that does every time I post a video you get a message right to your phone isn't that just amazing that's the dream right there right cool alright guys well subscribe thank you again for watching thank you again to ruelle for being such an incredible author and until next time cheers