Listen
'Ace' can describe a type of playing card but it can also mean something else. This leads to confusion when Finn and Feifei play a game of cards.
What's your favourite card game?
The script for this programme
(Feifei and Finn playing cards)
Feifei: I'm laying a five.
Finn: I'm laying an eight.
Feifei: Hmm, I'll lay a jack.
Finn:(Faster pace) Queen!
Feifei: Ace!
Finn: OK OK, you go again!
Feifei: Right, this time I'm laying three sevens.
Finn: Wow, going bigger, are we?
Feifei: Absolutely! Come on then, what have you got?
Finn: I've got three kings! Here you go! I bet you can't beat that?
Feifei: Hahaha! Check this out Finn - three Aces! (Very happy) Yay, I win again... dinner is on you then?
Finn: Yes, yes, I know. I didn't know you were an ace card player!
Feifei: What do you mean 'an ace' card player? I play other cards too! I just played a five, a jack, a queen, two fours, three... (interrupted)
Finn: No, no, no. I didn't mean literally 'an ace' card player. In English, we can use the word 'ace' as an adjective to mean 'very good, excellent, and awesome'.
Feifei: So you are actually saying I'm an 'excellent' card player? Ahh, thank you Finn, very kind of you to say so.
Finn: Here are some examples using the word 'ace'.
- This is an ace idea!
- That is an ace laptop you've got!
- Have you listened to Arctic Monkeys' new album? It's ace!
- I'm ace at cooking!
- Andy Murray is an ace tennis player!
Finn: So we can use 'ace' to describe an idea, a thing or a person. And you can say you're ace at doing something. So Feifei, do you like pontoon?
Feifei: Yes, it's ace!
Finn: Shall we have a game? I'm pretty ace at playing pontoon.
Feifei: But it's time for dinner and you are paying!
Finn: One more game...
Feifei: No, let's go now, I'm hungry! Can we go to the new Thai restaurant that's just opened? I heard they serve ace tom yum soup!
Finn: OK, in that case, let's go now.
Feifei: Ace!
Finn: Don't forget to check out bbclearningenglish.com for more The English We Speak. Bye!
Feifei: See you next time!
