"The Last of Us" — 14 English phrases and words for non-native speakers

6 min readFeb 28, 2023

There’s a huge percentage of people on Medium who are not English native speakers. Me neither. I’m following the journey of learning it for many years already and one of my favorite ways became to improve it by watching movies and TV shows. (Join Medium to have full access to all articles…)

Source: https://www.hbo.com/the-last-of-us

Today I wanna give you cool and useful phrases from the recent TV Show “The Last of Us”.

So let’s get started…

1. Have some nods, shaking of heads

“Nods” and “shaking of heads” are gestures that indicate agreement or disagreement. They can also be used to show approval or disapproval.

You can use this phrase to confirm or deny something.

For example, if someone asks you if you agree with a statement, you can nod your head to show agreement or shake your head to show disagreement.

2. It's lame

The Last of Us — 1s1e [16:20] — "The Last of Us" — 1s1e [16:20]

“Lame” is a slang word that means something is not cool or boring. It can also be used to describe something that is not impressive or poorly executed.

You can use this phrase to express your disappointment or dissatisfaction with something.

If your friend suggests a boring movie, you can say

“That sounds lame, let’s do something else instead.”

3. It’s so riveting

“Riveting” means that something is very interesting or exciting, and can be used to describe a book, movie, or TV show.

You can use it in your daily life to express your enthusiasm or excitement about something.

If you've watched a great movie, you can say

“It was so riveting, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen!”

4. Bail me out

“Bail me out” means to help someone out of a difficult situation. It can also be used to ask for help or assistance.

You can use this phrase to ask for someone’s help when you’re in trouble.

5. Working doubles

“Working doubles” means working two shifts in a row without a break. Or it is used to describe working overtime or having a busy schedule.

If your boss asks you to work overtime, you can say

“I’m already working doubles this week, can we reschedule for next week?”

6. Jumpy

“Jumpy” means to be nervous or easily startled. It can also be used to describe someone who is anxious or on edge.

For example, if you’re feeling anxious before a big presentation, you can say

“I’m feeling really jumpy today, I hope I can get through this presentation without any problems.”

7. Ripping you off

“Ripping you off” means charging you too much money for something. It can also be used to describe a situation where someone is taking advantage of you.

You can use this phrase to express your frustration or anger with a situation.

For example, if you’re at a restaurant and they charge you $20 for a bottle of water, you can say

“They’re really ripping you off, we’re never coming back here again.”

8. Born after the outbreak

“Born after the outbreak” means to be born after a major event that changed the world.

In this case, it refers to the outbreak of a disease that caused widespread panic and destruction.

You can use this phrase in your daily life to describe someone who has never experienced something that you have.

9. They just start swinging

This means to start fighting without warning or provocation. It can also be used to describe a situation where people are acting without thinking.

If you’re talking to a friend about a fight that broke out at a party, you can say

“It was crazy, they just started swinging at each other for no reason.”

10. Shake it off

“Shake it off” means to recover from a difficult or unpleasant experience. It is used to encourage someone to forget about something and move on.

You can it to offer encouragement or support.

If your friend is upset about a breakup, you can say

“Don’t worry about it, just shake it off and move on. You’ll find someone better.”

11. He’s gonna get wind of it

“To get wind of something” means that someone is going to find out about secret or hidden information or to describe a situation where someone is getting too close to the truth.

For example, if you’re keeping a surprise party a secret and someone keeps asking questions, you can say

“If he keeps asking questions, he’s gonna get wind of our plan.”

12. Scumbags

“Scumbags” is a slang term that means someone who is dishonest or immoral. It is used to describe someone who is generally unpleasant or untrustworthy.

You can use this phrase in your daily life to describe someone you don’t like.

For example, if you’re talking to a friend about a coworker who stole your lunch, you can say

“He’s such a scumbag, I can’t stand him.”

13. We don’t smuggle people

“To smuggle” means that someone does not engage in the illegal transportation of people across borders.

14. Bigwig’s daughter

“Bigwig’s daughter” means the daughter of an important or powerful person. It can also be used to describe someone who is privileged or entitled.

You can describe someone as a Bigwig’s daughter who has special treatment or advantages.

For example, if you’re talking to a friend about a coworker who gets away with everything, you can say

“She’s the bigwig’s daughter, she gets whatever she wants.”

I hope you enjoyed it and I would like to hear if it was useful for you and if there's any interest to share more vocabulary lists from different movies and TV Shows here on Medium.

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