Learning English

Which is which?
We learnt in this episode that when someone has drunk a lot of alcohol, they can say: I'm pickled - and when they've got problems, they can say: I'm in a pickle. It's important not to confuse the two!

To do

Decide which of these phrases have a similar meaning to he's pickled (drunk) and which ones have a similar meaning to he's in a pickle (a difficult situation.) Which expressions can describe Will after a few beers and which can describe the man stuck in the jar?!

Then try the quiz to find out if you are correct. We hope you don't get in a pickle trying to work it out!

Do the activity

To do

Now try the quiz to find out if you are correct. Don't forget to read the feedback to learn more about the meaning of the words.

Well done if you chose the correct meaning for all the phrases - you could end up in a sticky situation if you confuse them!

Over to you

We asked you to tell us about a time when you were in a pickle. Here are some of your stories:

Jean Marie

How can a simple social act turns into a sticky situation. I was the deputy mayor of a tiny village (200 souls) situated in a nice and calm countryside which had on his territory,  on the hill nearby, a huge congress center. 

One day the mayor told me that a regional event about environmental issues would take place there and that we are required to attend and ask me if I could and I did.

I must confess that I am not really interested in such topic, my only contributions on these issues are to shut down the tap water when I wash my teeth and sort out the rubbish as we are told. That's all, I am totally ignorant on the subject but it could have been an useful experience.

When I arrived at the congress the space was overcrowded of people, VIP, journalists...A magnificent rostrum had been reserved with a dozen of seats for the Council President, the Prefect  and the most important and influential people. At the right of the president was a seat for the village mayor. I realised it was me. By chance, I had taken off my wellies and dressed in a just acceptable suit.

I climb up the stairs, sat down and then became aware that I was in a bind. The president made a short speech, some others on the stage too. I knew I was between a rock and a hard place and tried to make myself as small and transparent as possible. I got away with the first step. 

Then, came the questions from the public. Among them, a journalist, a wicked one, I suppose, (was I paranoiac?) who might have realised that I was not a public orator and thousand miles from any environmental ideas, asked me:

"Could the honorable Mayor of this superb village tell us some words?"

I got up, slowly, very slowly, time to think about something. In my move, I saw, on the wall before me, an enormous poster of our village with its very old classed castle surrounded by electrical wires and poles. I turned to the Council President and asked him:

"Talking about environment and optical pollution, we would be glad to get rid of these awful stuff around our old middle-aged castle, could you, please, do anything about it?"

It was short, very short. I was in a pickle, did I lose the face? I do not know, I sat down and heard in the public someone who agreed with my point, and silently thanked him.

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Alegría

Hello, I can say I'm in a pickle many times. Sometimes I was merry.  Once, in summer, two years ago, I was sober and swimming in a lake and I wanted to return to the boat,  My arms and hands were too wet, so I couldn´t climb. I tried hard but I simply couldn´t, because my boyfriend was in the boat laughing a lot of me. So I laughed too, then he took the scull, and said he was in doubt whether to kill me or not that very moment, but finally he helped me. Well, if you want to call it help, yes, he helped me when I felt myself in a sticky situation.

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Vincenzo, Italy

Several years ago, when I was a student, I got in a pickle... Late in the night, I was wide awake. I was studying for a hard exam, to be taken the morning after. Suddenly, I fell asleep. After some hours, I woke up and realized I was absolutely late! I got ready very fast. As soon as I reached the university, I apologized for my delay. I was allowed to take the examination, and everything went well! I must say that my teacher was understanding, and helped me to get out of that sticky situation...

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Seiko

Everybody is easy to be pickled under the cherry blossoms because there are many parties while we can see the blossoms.

Many years ago, I was one of them.

I was hammered, so that my friends called an ambulance.

My mom  came to see me and yelled at me in the hospital.

I was in a pickle.

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Izu, Japan 

When i was Melbourne by myself, I lost at night.

I had lots of luggage, have small amount of money, didn’t have mobile phone and also my english was very poor. I was completely in a pickle.

I finally found a way to the hotel.

The men who were merry after a football game talked to me and i asked them the direction.They might have made fun of me at first but they realized I was in a tight spot and they kindly helped me.

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J Terry

When I was in university, I was in a big pickle once ( Can I use big to describe pickle here?) (BBC Learning English says: yes, you can!. Back to my university time, it had curfew. The dorm's gate was closed at 10 and shuted eletricity at same time,  and no one was allowed to get in and out after that. But the boys liked me couldn't stand going bed so early, so my roommate and me were out for games, foods or something all the time. Our dorm was surrouded by Iron Bar Fence which had spear shape bar on the top. we had slightly bent two bars so we could sneak in and out. one day, as usual, we went for midnight-meal again. My roommate and me went through same spot out. It had been fine until we came back. I was first to cross the fence. I felt a subtle difference about fence, but I didn't pay eough attention. So I pushed my head through fence, however, my chest couldn't get through. I tried to pull my head back and it couldn't work as the same way I push through. And the iron bars seemed to be enhenced so that we failed to bend them. I had struggled for 10 mins and started to panic. All of sudden, there were flash lights appeared on the coner of building. The school patrol caught me.  When Patrol stood in front me, my friend had already disppeared. They had my head pulled out by using shampoo. I didn't feel wrong for what I had done, but it was really embarassing to be caught on such a stupid situation. Anyway, I got off with a first warning. It didn't stop us going out. We just didn't go through the fence. We went over it. 

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Ia, Georgia

 I  am   very  fond  of   pickles   and   almost   every   kind  of   food  which  includes  vinegar. But   Moderation   is   very   important  ,you  know. I   mean   do  not  overdo  it  ! So  being  in  a  pickle ?- that  is  out  of  the  question .

       I  felt  like  being  in  a  pickle  yesterday  when  I  received  one  message  from my  pen friend . After  that, something  unusual  happened  to  my  page : it  changed completely – instead  of  mother  language  there  was  another  one  (mother language  changed  into another  language) and  after  a  while ,there  were  three  languages  at  the  same  time , and  my  name  was  written  in  three  different  ways .So  was  not  myself !  What   a   nightmare !

      At  last, I  know  I  am not  the only one. According  to  my  friend,  she  knew  from  her  past  experience  what  it was  like  being   between  a  rock  and  a  hard  place . Her advice  was  to  calm down and  not  to  see  red  or  feel   blue . Just   this  way  everything  would  be  solved  by  itself .I  accepted  her  advice  and  managed  to  get  over  it. If  only  I  had  never  been  in  such  a  pickle . So  to  pickle , or  not  to  pickle : that  is  the  question.

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Shahbaaz

Once i forgot my phone in an auto when i was on my way to home then i reached ,pay the charge and sat on my lounge at home...i wanted to order my food online so i put my hand in my pocket and it seemed empty...my mind gone blank now...i thought "What would mummy say me..if she comes to know this thing.....i was really worried...it was really an expensive phone....then to my wonder...my mom came home with a weird look....she asked whether i came home in auto or my cab...I replied then suddenly a knock on my door..i opened then i saw THE DRIVER of auto...he came to return my phone which i forgot...he used my phones contacts to dial mom and explained this whole thing....i was really fortunate enough and i still admire that man to get me "out of the pickel"

End of session

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