Please watch the video below. Remember: Don’t write anything. Just watch and listen. By the end of the lesson you will understand everything!

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Greg: This is a cheese store, according to the title. We have ‘Cambridge Cheese Store.’ For our listeners and viewers of this course: Keep in mind, I have not seen these pictures, so it’s all just my impressions as we go.

Mark: Sure.

Greg: So, let’s see. And they’re all labeled. Are the…Are these all different cheeses, worthy of a different label?

Mark: This store was intense. Yeah, they were all worthy of their own label. And it’s not just a cheese store. The picture was mislabeled. The…It’s a fine-foods store. One of their specialties is cheeses. Another section of the store is chocolates. Another is super-expensive fresh produce. And the last one, of course, goes without saying, is wines and beers. You know—spirits, I guess. So…But this cheese section just blew me away. It’s my, you know brother, love him to death, but he is a food snob. He spent a year at culinary school in Paris and he is the type — we have actually tested him. He can…well…he can — he can tell, you know, different wines, you know, blindfolded. Just give him two glasses of wine, he can say, “This is an Australian Shiraz, and this is absolutely a French Pinot Noir…probably-probably from this—these few companies.” I mean, he can nail it. He studied this stuff. So, he…he knows his stuff and he knows his cheeses. So, the funny thing…What I love about this picture is the memory. It’s not funny, it’s…it’s an amazing experience. He bought –oh my God, I forget…forget the name of the cheese — it’s…it’s a kind of brie, basically. It’s wrapped in cabbage. So, it’s basically…Imagine: It looks like a small pie. It’s about the size of your hands, and it’s spherical. Although not the shape of a ball. You know, a half-sphere.

Greg: Right.

Mark: Wrapped in cabbage. And the, you know, brie is so creamy it’s almost liquidy. And what…It was like thirty-five bucks for this, you know, little piece of cheese which we were sharing amongst his whole family. We each maybe got three pieces of cheese on this bread. It’s—it was so incredibly good. I mean, you know, your knees are shaking after trying something that good.

Greg: Was it really that good? So it was–

Mark: It was absolutely worth it, yeah.

Greg: –worthy of the price though?

Mark: Dasha still talks about it. I still talk about it. That was the—

Greg: Wow!

Mark:–best, most incredibly, just, tasty—you know, pretty strong, but just incredible. And you know, he’ll go off and he’s like—he’ll go off on it. He’ll say, like, “This was, you know, from the Italian side of the Alps. It was, you know, goats fed on Spring grass.” You know? I mean, seriously. He—I’m serious, he knows it. And he’ll…he will argue that this makes it a better cheese. And he’s like, “Try it for yourself. Compare the French side of the Alps, you know, on Fall grass. It’s a totally different cheese,” you know? And he’s serious about it. So, he’s one of those. (= He is one of those people who has incredible knowledge about fine foods). But, you know, that was damn good cheese.

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intense = amazing

Remember, in these four groups of sentences below, a native speaker will usually use the 2nd version. So, "intense" is the advanced word we want to learn.

David Copperfield’s newest magic show is amazing!
David Copperfield’s newest magic show is intense!

That movie was amazing.
That movie was intense.

This song is amazing.
This song is intense.

That cheese shop was amazing. They had so many varieties.
That cheese shop was intense. They had so many varieties.

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it goes without saying (that) = obviously, it’s understood

Remember, the 2nd version (using "it goes without saying") is how a native speaker will probably say these sentences.

Obviously you can always stay at my house if you need to.
It goes without saying that you can always stay at my house if you need to.

Obviously, you can call anytime.
It goes without saying, you can call anytime.

Obviously, you can keep it.
It goes without saying, you can keep it.

And obviously the store sells a variety of wines and beers.
And it goes without saying that the store sells a variety of wines and beers.

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to be blown away = to be really surprised

My wife bought me a new iPad for my birthday. I was really surprised.
My wife bought me a new iPad for my birthday. I was blown away.

That video really surprised me!
That video really blew me away!

I was really surprised by everyone’s kindness.
I was blown away by everyone’s kindness.

The cheese section really surprised me. They had so many rare cheeses.
The cheese section really blew me away. They had so many rare cheeses.

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to nail (a question, or test) = to do perfectly

I did that physics exam perfectly! Now I’ll get an ‘A’ for the semester.
I nailed that physics exam! Now I’ll get an ‘A’ for the semester.

You really did that homework perfectly!
You really nailed that homework!

We did that project perfectly!
We nailed that project!

If you test my brother on wines, he can do perfectly.
If you test my brother on wines, he can nail it.

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to know one’s stuff = to be very knowledgeable

As a detective, Sherlock Holmes is very knowledgeable.
As a detective, Sherlock Holmes really knows his stuff.

That mechanic is very knowledgeable.
That mechanic really knows his stuff.

My doctor is very knowledgeable.
My doctor really knows his stuff.

When it comes to wine and cheese, my brother is very knowledgeable.
When it comes to wine and cheese, my brother knows his stuff.

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to go off (on a topic) = to start a long explanation

When he heard I was driving fast, my Dad started a long explanation on the importance of safe driving.
When he heard I was driving fast, my Dad went off on the importance of safe driving.

My friend likes to start long explanations about politics.
My friend likes to go off about politics.

My grandfather always starts long explanations  about taxes.
My grandfather always goes off about taxes.

When I asked my brother about the cheese, he started a long explanation on it, telling us where it was made, its age, and so on.
When I asked my brother about the cheese, he went off on it, telling us where it was made, its age, and so on.

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Easy: David Copperfield’s newest magic show is amazing!

Advanced: David Copperfield’s newest magic show is _____!

Easy: Obviously you can always stay at my house if you need to.
Advanced: ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  you can always stay at my house if you need to.

Easy: My wife bought me a new iPad for my birthday. I was really surprised.
Advanced: My wife bought me a new iPad for my birthday. I was ___ ___ .

Easy: I did that physics exam perfectly! Now I’ll get an ‘A’ for the semester.
Advanced: I _____ that physics exam! Now I’ll get an ‘A’ for the semester.

Easy: That mechanic is very knowledgeable.
Advanced: That mechanic  ___  ___  ___  ___ .

Easy: When he heard I was driving fast, my Dad started a long explanation on the importance of safe driving.

Advanced: When he heard I was driving fast, my Dad ___  ___ on the importance of safe driving.