Listen to an episode from the TV series “Home Sweet Home”. In this scene, a real estate agent gives a client a tour of a house. Fill in the missing information.
| The euphemism | What the client thinks… | |
| 1. The living room is cozy. | The living room and …………………… | |
| 2. The neighborhood is vibrant. | The neighborhood is ………………… | |
| 3. The kitchen is compact and well organize. | The kitchen is ………………… | |
| 4. The cabinets have a vintage look. | The cabinets are ………………. | |
| 5. The backyard is low maintenance. | The backyard has no ……………… | |
| 6. The apartment is “not going to work for me.” | “I …………………. the apartment.” |
Transcripts
Real Estate Agent: So let me tell you a little about this place. It’s really great. It’s got two bedrooms, and it’s right in your price range. Let’s go on in …
Client: OK!
Real Estate Agent: This is the living room. It has some really great features. Look at the nice wood floors and the big windows.
Client: It seems awfully… small … Where’s my sofa go?
Real Estate Agent: Yes, it’s cozy, but I think you can work with it. I definitely put the sofa over here along this wall, and that would open up the space.
Client: There’s a lot of noise coming from the street.
Real Estate Agent: Yes, it’s a vibrant neighborhood, lots of shops and restaurants, and very convenient to transportation… the subway’s right down the block.
Client: OK.
Real Estate Agent: Can we move on to the kitchen?
Client: Sure.
Real Estate Agent: Now, this kitchen has all new appliances: new stove, new dishwasher, new fridge.
Client: I love the appliances. They’re great. But it’s kinda small, too. Not much room to move around.
Real Estate Agent: Well, it’s a compact kitchen. It’s very well-organized.
Client: Those cabinets are sorta old fashioned.
Real Estate Agent: Isn’t that a great vintage look? That’s really coming back in style.
Client: I guess…
Real Estate Agent: And out here is the backyard
Client: Nice … but not much of a garden. No grass or anything.
Real Estate Agent: Well, it’s very low maintenance. You don’t have to worry about mowing the grass. Add some nice planters, some flowers, it’ll look great! … Ready to go upstairs and see the bedrooms?
Client: Actually, I don’t need to see any more. It’s got some nice features, but it’s just not gonna work for me.
Real Estate Agent: OK, no problem! I’ve got lots of other places to show you.
