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Spoken English phrase: “That’s the thing..”

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Jim smiled at his German friend, and said: “There’s so much to do and see in this town. Why don’t we go to the opera tonight and then have a sherry near the river?”

Stephanie looked at him, and replied:

“Well, that’s the thing. The doctor said I need to rest – and no alcohol either, I’m afraid.”

That’s the thing is a phrase that we use to introduce an opinion which shows disagreement or some kind of counter-argument from what the other speak just said. You’re identifying some kind of issue or problem or reason why something can’t happen or be true.

Here’s another example:

Bill talks to his friend Honza about learning English:

Bill: “Hey why don’t you go to that party tonight. It’ll be fun and you’ll meet lots of people. It’s an international crowd, so you’ll definitely speak some English there.”

Honza: “Well, that’s the thing. I don’t really like big events. I prefer to meet people in small groups..Sorry. Perhaps I should try that new cafe instead..”

You might see these variations of this phrase:

Well, that’s the thing…
See, that’s the thing…
But that’s the thing…
Hmm, that’s the thing…

One more example

Bill: “I’m surprised you didn’t ask Martina out. She’s really hot. Smart too.”

Honza: “Well, that’s the thing. I got her number, but then she said she sees me as a friend. I think it’s a write-off.”

 

Word bank

Here are a few other phrases from the dialogue above:

There’s so much to do and see in this town – ‘do and see’ go together to mean ‘things to do’ and ‘places to see’
a write-off – this originally comes from accounting. It means that you can forget about it, as the moment is lost.That's the thing meaning

You might also like

We really hit it off – conversational phrases
“It’s just that..” – plus a video to watch

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Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Spoken English Phrase – “Mind you, he is an Aussie..” — Get into English says:
    April 5, 2014 at 22:30

    […] That’s The Thing […]

    Reply
  2. “It’s just that…” – a phrase to use before you talk about your problem — Get into English says:
    April 6, 2014 at 11:16

    […] That’s The Thing […]

    Reply
  3. “I’d Move To Melbourne If I Could…Just Like That” – Spoken English Phrase — Get into English says:
    April 25, 2014 at 21:50

    […] You” “That’s The Thing” “Hold That […]

    Reply
  4. Short Phrases You Can Use In Conversation With Your Friends — Get into English says:
    May 3, 2014 at 22:42

    […] example, perhaps you just lost your job, and your friend asks how things are going at work: That’s the thing – I’m now looking for a new […]

    Reply
  5. “It’ll Be Good To Catch Up With You” – Meeting Up With A Friend — Get into English says:
    September 23, 2014 at 12:46

    […] Spoken English Phrase – “That’s The Thing..” […]

    Reply

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