What does “you and your ___” mean in English?

Dad mistakes cotton candy smell for gel pens

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A2 English listening practice · British English · Picked for people who know a little

💡 Did you know?
you and your ___
English affectionate teasing pattern
a fond, joking way to call out something someone always does

You and your ___ is a warm, joking way to point out something a person always does. You put the habit in the blank: “you and your phone,” “you and your excuses.” It sounds a little annoyed, but really it is affectionate — the tone you use with someone you love, even when they are a little silly. In this clip, a dad smells something sweet and says, “you kids and your gel pens,” teasing his daughter about her scented pens.

The pattern always skips a verb — it’s just “you and your ___,” never “you have your ___.” You’ll hear it about people, pets, and things: “you and your terrible jokes,” “the dog and his squeaky toy.” It works best said warmly, with a smile, not with real anger.

How common are the words?

How common are the words in this A2 English listening practice video?

72.3%
of words are in the top 2,000 most common English words
Most of the words in this video are common English words.

How common in written English

70.2%
Top 1,000
72.3%
Top 2,000
95.7%
Top 5,000

How common in spoken English

87.8%
Top 1,000
97.6%
Top 2,000
100%
Top 5,000
👄 Words for talking
This video uses words people often say in English.

Harder words in this video

These words are harder than A2. Here is what they mean.

gel
2×
Not in top 5,000
thick liquid substance
thumbs
2×
Top 5,000
(slang) a positive reaction or approval
candy
1×
Top 5,000People say this a lot
sweet food made with sugar
cotton
1×
Top 5,000People say this a lot
soft plant fiber used for fabric

Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-US 2012 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.

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