Language Q&A: What does 'to humor someone' mean?

Improve your English by learning new phrases and expressions. In this episode, we'll learn how to the use phrase: to humour someone

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Transcript

Hello and welcome to the Vita English Podcast! I'm your host, Faith. 

Today's topic was requested by one of my students, who wanted to know more about the phrase "to humor someone."

"To humor someone" means to go along with someone's wishes or desires, even if they seem silly or you don't really agree. It's a way of showing respect and acknowledging someone's perspective.

Let's look at some examples to help you understand how this phrase is used in everyday conversation:

Example 1: A friend who talks about a topic you don't like

Imagine your friend likes to talk about a topic that you don't like. To humor your friend, you might pretend you're interested and ask questions. You do this to show your friend you care about their interests, even if you don't really like the topic.

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Example 2: A family member who tells the same stories over and over

We all have family members who like to tell the same stories again and again, even if we've heard them many times. To humor them, you might listen carefully and act like you're hearing the story for the first time. You do this to show your family member that you care about them and their stories.

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Example 3: A colleague who suggests a strange idea

Sometimes a colleague at work might suggest an idea that doesn't seem like it would work. To humor them, you might listen and say something nice about the idea, even if you don't really think it's going to work. You do this to show your colleague that you respect them and their ideas.

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Now, let's practice using the phrase 'to humor someone.' Here's a question for you:

Have you ever had to humor someone by watching a movie that you didn't really like?

Think about a time when you had to go along with someone's wishes or desires, even if you didn't really agree. Then, respond to the question using the phrase 'to humor someone.'

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'Yes, there was one time my friend wanted to watch a romantic comedy with me. I'm not really a fan of that genre, I don’t really like romantic comedies, but I knew she liked it, sp I humored her by watching it with her.'"

Have you ever had to humor someone by watching a movie that you didn't really like?

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So that's what "to humor someone" means. It's when you go along with someone's wishes or desires, even if they seem silly or you don't really agree. I hope this episode will help you along on your English language journey.

Thankx for listening to the Vita English Podcast! If you have any questions or want to request a topic for a future episode, please visit my website at www.vitaenglish.ca that's  www.v-i-t-a-e-n-g-l-i-s-h.ca or email me at info@vitaenglish.ca. 

Thanks for listening and see you next time!