Packing My Husband’s Weekly Lunch In One Hour
A2 English listening practice · American English · Curated for beginners
What does “you know the drill” mean in American English?
You know the drill is a common American English phrase. It means “you know the routine” or “you know how this works.” The word drill here is from the army, where soldiers practice the same actions over and over until they know them well. Today people use the phrase any time something is so familiar they don’t need to explain it.
In this meal-prep clip, the cook tells the camera “you already know the drill” before she starts. She is saying “you’ve watched my videos, you know how I cook, let’s go.” Americans say you know the drill in offices, gyms, kitchens, and group chats.
Vocabulary frequency
How common is the vocabulary in this A2 English listening practice listening practice?
General English frequency
Spoken English frequency
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-US 2012 (spoken). Buckets approximate; exact ranks not stored.
- ▸In American food and meal-prep YouTube channels
- ▸In American workout and exercise videos
- ▸In American workplace meetings and team kickoffs
- ▸In American sitcoms about everyday life (Modern Family, The Office)
- ▸In American family group texts about Sunday dinner