Left, right, and centre

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2017-08-22

Summary

If you do something left, right, and centre does that mean you do it everywhere? Rob's being doing just that but what's he been doing it with? Neil has an explanation in this episode of The English We Speak.

Transcript

Feifei
Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, I'm Feifei…

Neil
And hello I'm Neil.

Feifei
Hey Neil, I couldn't help overhearing just now but Rob say he'd bought a new sports car?

Neil
Yes, a red one with one of those tops that folds back.

Feifei
It must have cost him a fortune!

Neil
Oh you know Rob – he spends money left, right and centre.

Feifei
You mean he spends it in all directions?

Neil
That's right.

Feifei
So he spends money in Oxford Street – to the left. Bond Street – to the right. And sometimes at Oxford Circus – in the centre?

Neil
I didn't mean physically on the left, right, and centre. It's a phrase that just means everywhere or all the time.

Feifei
Ah got it. I suppose left, right, and centre is everywhere – in all directions.

Neil
That's correct– and there are examples left, right, and centre – such as these…

Examples
I'm not surprised the cafe closed. It's been losing customers left and right over the past couple of years.

You can't miss that new film; they've been promoting it left, right, and centre.

Feifei
That's left, right, and centre – a phrase to mean everywhere or all the time. So how does Rob afford a new sports car?

Neil
Well our boss has been handing out bonuses left, right, and centre – he must have got a big one!

Feifei
The bonuses aren't that big. It's the bank – they're happy to give out loans left, right, and centre!

Neil
I think you may be right – anyway the good thing is he'll take us for a drive in his new car. And here he comes now…

Rob
Hi there. Jump in!

Neil/ Feifei
Bye for now.