Fun and Entertainment

spoil (your) fun

Why do you grown-ups always spoil your fun and tell you to be quiet?

have fun

I haven’t had so much fun for ages. We must do this again soon.

join in the fun

Don’t be such a wet blanket! Come over to our place and join in the fun!

get fun out of

Our children get a lot of fun out of playing with water.

miss out on the fun

Of course, I’m coming to the party. I don’t want to miss out on all the fun!

it’s great fun

It’s great fun watching the dog chase the cat.

it sounds like fun

The trip to the castle sounds like fun.

have fun!

Have fun! But don’t stay out too late.

full of fun

Frank is always so cheerful and full of fun.

(it’s) just a bit of fun

I didn’t mean to hurt her. It was just a bit of harmless fun.

(she’s) great fun to be with

Harry’s great fun to be with. He’s very entertaining.

it’s no fun

It’s no fun having to work on Sundays when everyone else is free.

in-flight entertainment

There wasn’t any in-flight entertainment on the plane so the children were bored.

family entertainment

Amusement parks offer good family entertainment for both young and old.

free entertainment

We provide free entertainment for children staying at the hotel.

popular entertainment

There’s no doubt that television is the most popular form of entertainment.

live entertainment

Local musicians provided live entertainment while we ate and drank.

Notes   

Note the following ways of saying something is not fun:

• Walking all day in the pouring rain and freezing cold is not my idea of fun.
• Being a film star isn’t all fun and games.
• I enjoy golf as a hobby, but if I had to do it as a job, it would take all the fun out of it.

Note the expression ‘just for fun’:

• I write just for fun, not because I expect to make any money out of it.
• I decided to learn Japanese just for fun.

Note these expressions with ‘entertainment’:

• What do you do for entertainment around here?

>I’m afraid there’s not much in the way of entertainment. There’s only a cinema and a pub.

• The zoo is good entertainment value. It keeps the kids amused for hours.

 

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Joke

hear a joke

Have you heard any good jokes lately?

get the joke

What’s so funny? I don’t get the joke.

laugh at a joke

My mother always laughs at my father’s jokes. We just sit there and groan.

tell a joke

We all sat around the table drinking beer and telling jokes late into the night.

a hilarious joke

I think his jokes are hilarious. They are extremely funny.

a corny joke

I’m tired of hearing these old jokes again and again. They’re so corny.

a dirty joke

Please don’t tell any dirty jokes at the party. My mother’s going to be there!

a private joke

I don’t know what those two girls in the corner over there are up to. They seem to be sharing a private joke.

play a joke on (him)

They decided to play a joke on their father by hiding his jacket in his bed.

a joke goes too far

This stupid joke has gone far enough! where are my shoes?

can’t take a joke

Relax! if you can’t take a joke you won’t find it easy working in this office!

the joke fell flat

I tried to tell a joke to lighten the atmosphere but it fell flat.

do something as a joke

The children put flour in my hat as a joke.

your idea of a joke

If putting salt in my tea is your idea of a joke. then I don’t find it very funny.

meant as a joke

Come on. Don’t be so serious. What I said was meant as a joke.

Notes   

Note the expression ‘make a joke at the expense of somebody’:

• It’s unkind to make jokes at the expense of your friends.

A ‘sense of humor’ is the ability to laugh at funny situations:

• Sally is a friendly person with a great sense of humor.
• He is not noted for his sense of humor.
• You need a sense of humor to work here!

 

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Television and program

watch television

In Britain, the average viewer watches television for about three hours a day.

turn the television up or down

The television is quite loud. Could you turn it down, please?

show on television

They edited out most of the sex scenes when the film was shown on television.

switch the television on or off

I can switch the television off if it’s disturbing you.

a television series

His book has been made into a successful television series.

television coverage

Television coverage of the match was lost because of a technical fault.

television presenter

Why are television presenters all so slim, healthy, and good-looking?

a television license

Our television license expires next month. we’ll need to remember to renew it.

interrupt a program

We are interrupting this program to bring you a newsflash.

record a program

I’d like to record a program tonight at 9. Have you got a blank tape?

programs attract viewers

This kind of program never fails to bring attract millions of viewers.

broadcast/show a program

Don’t worry, the program will be shown again at the weekend.

your favorite program

The soap opera, Eastenders, is my favorite program. I never miss an episode.

a live program

Is University Challenge a live program, or is it pre-recorded?

a violent program

We don’t allow our children to watch violent programs.

the following program

The following program contains scenes which you may find disturbing.

Notes   

Note that ‘the television’ refers to the television set, while ‘television’ refers to programs:

• There’s an interesting program on television tonight.
• They have the television on all the time.

We refer to the television informally as the ‘TV’, the ‘telly’, or the ‘box’.

Note these expressions:

• I was glued to the television last night. (could not stop watching something special)

 

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Concert

cancel a concert

Ivan Patrovi’s decision to cancel the concert is bound to disappoint his fans.

attend a concert

A crowd of about 50,000 attended the concert in Central Park.

give a concert

The opera star, Rory Watson, will give a concert in Hyde Park in London.

perform in a concert

Because of work. I wasn’t able to see my son perform in the school concert.

put on a concert

The school is putting on a concert to raise money for cancer charities.

a brilliant concert

The concert was absolutely brilliant. It lived up to all my expectations.

a farewell concert

It’s the band’s farewell concert – definitely their last. Tickets are like gold dust.

an open-air concert

The Festival ends with an open-air concert with a huge fireworks display.

a live concert

I love the excitement of live concerts. I saw David Bowie in London last month.

the concert is well/badly organized

The concert was very badly organized. The whole thing was a real fiasco.

a ticket for the concert

I’ve got a spare ticket for Friday’s concert. Are you doing anything?

a live broadcast of the concert

I watched a live broadcast of the concert on giant video screens outside the stadium.

the proceeds from the concert

The proceeds from the concert will go to help homeless people.

a venue for the concert

After the fire at the theatre, the organizers are now looking for an alternative venue for the concert.

Notes   

Note the following ways of explaining the reason for a concert:

• Tonight’s concert will be held in aid of famine relief.
• A concert will be held to mark the tenth anniversary of the country’s independence.

Note this way of announcing a concert:

• The Berlin Philharmonic are in concert at the Festival hall this evening.

Note these different kinds of concerts:

• a pop concert
• a rock concert
• a classical concert

 

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Fan and Audience

thank your fans

I’d like to thank all my fans for their support throughout the years.

disappoint the fans

The singer’s decision to cancel the concert is bound to disappoint her fans.

fans besiege (hotels)

Hundreds of fans besieged Sting’s hotel, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

fans pack (stadiums)

Thousands of football fans packed the National Stadium for the cup final.

a big fan of (the band)

I’m a big fan of country and Western music. It’s all I ever listen to.

rival fans

Fighting broke out between rival fans at the end of the match.

devoted fans

Madonna was mobbed by devoted fans as she left her hotel.

an audience claps

The audience clapped and cheered at the end of the performance.

attract an audience

He’s a well-known figure in politics, so he should attract a large audience.

thrill an audience

Charlie Chaplin’s films thrilled audiences throughout the world for decades.

play to an audience

The rock group Oasis played to an audience of over 100,000 at the festival.

a delighted audience

She got a standing ovation from a delighted audience.

a live audience

He’s the kind of singer who performs best before a live audience.

the target audience

The target audience for this program are people between 20 and 25.

a captive audience

The magician had a captive audience. We couldn’t get our children to leave.

a family audience

The film contains no sex or violence. It is obviously aimed at a family audience.

an invited audience

A specially invited audience attended the opening night of the play. The selected guests included Prince Charles and his two sons.

Notes   

Note this expression:

• The audience was composed largely of young people.

Note how we describe the feelings of the fans:

• Pavarotti canceled his concert – to the great disappointment of his fans.
• The team won the game easily – to the delight of all their fans.

 

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Film

see a film

Go and see Woody Allen’s latest film. I’ve never laughed so much in all my life.

shoot a film

The film was made for television. It was mostly shot on location in Egypt.

watch a film

We stayed up to watch the late-night film.

show a film

For your in-flight entertainment today, we are showing the film Men in Black. It will start in approximately ten minutes.

ban a film

The film was banned in my country for having too many explicit sex scenes.

appear in / star in a film

It’s ridiculous that Tom Cruise was paid $10 million for appearing/starring in that film.

release a film

The film was released in the US two months ago but only came out in the UK the week before last.

an award-winning film

He has made a number of award-winning films in his short career. He’s already picked up Oscars for best director and best film.

an action-packed film

Indiana Jones and Temple of Doom is an action-packed film full of adventure and exciting events.

a good film

Have you seen any good films recently?

a low-budget film

Spaghetti Westerns were low-budget films made in the 1970s with very little money. They went on to become surprise box office hits.

a part in a film

I’m an actor, but I’ve only had one or two minor parts in films so far.

your enjoyment of a film

I’d read the book and knew the ending, but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the film.

a screening of a film

Film critics attended a special screening of the film in Los Angeles.

a review of a film

Reviews of the film are poor. They say it will flop and lose a lot of money.

Notes   

Note these expressions:

• In India, the film was dubbed. (the language spoken by the actors was changed)
• In China, the film had subtitles. (a written translation was provided on screen)

Note how we describe the content of a film:

• The film is based on the real-life story of a woman who survived the sinking of the Titanic.
• The film Saving Private Ryan depicts the full horror of war.
• This film contains scenes of violence and bad language and has been rated 18.

 

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Music and Song

listen to music

Listening to very loud music leads to hearing loss in young people.

compose/write music

The theme music was specially composed/written for the program.

music appeals to (you)

Annie Lennox is a popular singer whose music appeals to a wide audience.

perform music

He’s a well-known singer-songwriter. He writes and performs his own music.

the music is deafening

The music was deafening. We had to shout to make ourselves heard above it.

background music

While I’m working in my study, I always have some kind of background music on.

live music

The club has live music every night. There’s always a band playing.

folk music

Every country has its own folk music.

classical music

Not everyone can appreciate classical.

the beat of the music

The beat of the music was quite hypnotic and I began to feel quite sleepy.

a piece of music

Mendelssohn’s Wedding March is a popular piece of music played at weddings.

a gift for music

Mandy has a gift for music. Her mother is also extremely talented.

your taste in music

What’s your taste in music? What sort of music are you into?

a love song

He’s very romantic and he sings beautiful love songs.

a protest song

Blowing in the Windy by Bob Dylan is a well-known protest song.

a pop song

There’s nothing but endless pop songs on the radio these days.

burst into song

He was so happy he just burst into song.

a theme song

I love the theme song from Neighbours. I can listen to it again and again.

Note   

‘Lyrics’ are the words of a song:

• He writes the lyrics for most of his own songs.
• I know the lyrics to every Beatles song.