Catch Word #273 – The expressions “To cave” and “To fold”
Culips Everyday English Podcast
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (media.blubrry.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
In this episode of Catch Word, hosts Andrew and Kassy explore the idioms “to cave” and “to fold.” In short, “to cave” means to give in to pressure and “to fold” means to give up when you feel defeated. They sound pretty alike, right? Using several example scenarios and dialogues, Andrew and Kassy explain the differences between these two similar verbs, so you don’t mix them up!
Fun facts
The verb “to fold” originates from the popular card game poker. There are actually a lot of other expressions that originate in this classic game!
For instance, “poker face” – this refers to a facial expression that doesn’t reveal any emotion or reaction. Similarly, “calling one’s bluff” means deciding that the cards someone has aren’t as good as they’re pretending. In everyday use, when you “call someone’s bluff,” it means you suspect they are not being honest or exaggerating something, and you confront them to prove if what they’re saying is true or not. Essentially, it’s like saying, “I don’t believe you. Prove it!”
Expressions included in the study guide
- To cave
- To fold
- To guilt trip [someone]
- To call [someone] out
- To cut one’s losses
- To throw in the towel
Copyright: Culips.com
For more information about this episode, visit culips.com.
Music Credit: Something Elated by Broke for Free
Photo: Kohji Asakawa (Pixabay.com)