Learn the phrasal verbs

Vanessa is hesitant to talk about the stupid thing she did, and Louis tells her to fess up. The phrasal verb fess up is an informal way to say “confess” – admit that you did something bad or wrong.

Earlier, Vanessa had told Louis that her boss talks down to her. To talk down to (someone) means to talk to them as if they were inferior, stupid, or incompetent. Louis had encouraged Vanessa to speak up – that means to say your opinion about something you believe is wrong, without fear or hesitation.

There’s another related phrasal verb, speak out on/against (an issue), which is often used for speaking publicly about controversial issues. Speak up is used more for personal conversations or discussions in a small group, and speak out is used more for public statements.

Vanessa usually tries to tune her boss out – that means to ignore him and pretend she doesn’t hear him. But yesterday she got sick and tired of being treated badly, so she finally called him out – to call (someone) out means to challenge or confront the person, especially about something they are doing wrong.

She pointed out that she already has two years’ experience in the company. To point out means to call attention to a particular fact. She doesn’t need her boss to spell everything out for her – to spell (information) out means to describe or explain it very carefully in a detailed and meticulous way.

Unfortunately, her boss didn’t listen – he cut her off. In the context of a conversation, to cut (someone) off means to interrupt the person in the middle of a sentence. He then rattled off his accomplishments – to rattle off information means to say a list of things very quickly.

Then he started harping on the importance of respect for the company hierarchy. To harp on a topic means to emphasize it or say it repeatedly in an annoying way.

Louis asks, “Did you keep quiet or tell him off?” To tell (someone) off means to say exactly what you think about that person (when you have a negative opinion of them).

But Vanessa didn’t have a chance to respond because another colleague butted in. To butt in means to suddenly enter and interrupt a conversation (often when you are not particularly welcome in that conversation). A rude way of telling someone to stay out of the conversation or situation is to say, “Butt out!”

Vanessa had hoped this colleague would stand up for her. Stand up for or stick up for means to defend or support someone or something in the face of opposition. However, the colleague took the boss’ side – she backed him up – to back someone up means to support that person.

Vanessa was disappointed because she had opened up to this colleague about her frustrations with the boss. To open up to (someone) means to tell them your feelings, especially things that you had previously hidden.

Later, Vanessa was ranting about her boss to her best friend. To rant about something means to complain loudly and angrily. Suddenly, her friend blurted out, “Look behind you!” The phrasal verb blurt out means to say something quickly and spontaneously, often without thinking.

The boss was furious, but he was trying not to let on because he was with his family. Not let on means not allowing other people to know about something. It is almost always used in the negative, when someone is trying to hide their emotions or keep some fact secret.

But Vanessa knows the boss will probably bring up her attitude at her next performance review. To bring up (a topic) means to introduce it into a conversation or discussion.

You now know 20 new phrasal verbs for talking about communication. Go ahead and do the quiz and the writing exercises to practice using them.