[ti:'No Smoke Without Fire']
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:08.40]And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
[00:18.28]On this program we explore words and sayings
[00:22.24]in American English a little deeper.
[00:26.12]Today we talk about fire.
[00:29.24]Any kind of fire – from a campfire to a lit match – gives off smoke.
[00:37.80]This fact about fire relates to today's idiom:
[00:42.40]There is no smoke without fire.
[00:47.24]Before we continue, let's talk about two words
[00:51.32]often used to explain this idiom: rumor and gossip.
[00:58.64]Rumors and gossip are stories or pieces of information
[01:04.44]that are passed from person to person
[01:07.72]but have not been proven to be true.
[01:11.84]They are often about something bad.
[01:15.44]One meaning of "there's no smoke without fire"
[01:19.88]is that rumors and gossip often have some truth behind them.
[01:27.04]If the word on the street
[01:29.20]is that something is really bad, it just might be.
[01:34.96]Or if you hear unpleasant things about someone or something
[01:39.92]from many different people, there may be some truth to it. Maybe.
[01:46.28]Here's an example:
[01:49.56]I think we should start looking for another job.
[01:52.64]I've heard that this bank is going under.
[01:55.48]It could just be gossip.
[01:57.56]But usually there's no smoke without fire.
[02:01.36]In other words, there must be at least some truth to all the talk.
[02:07.12]The logic is this:
[02:09.60]If many people are saying that something bad is happening,
[02:13.88]it could be partly true.
[02:18.04]We say this idiom several ways.
[02:21.24]You can say, "there's no smoke without fire."
[02:24.80]Or you can say, "where there's smoke there's fire."
[02:28.96]You can even simply say, "where there's smoke..."
[02:32.96]without finishing the rest of the sentence.
[02:36.60]People will definitely understand your meaning.
[02:41.56]Here is another example.
[02:44.68]Hey, I hear you're going out with that new guy at work.
[02:48.12]We went for a long walk together.
[02:50.64]That's about it.
[02:51.88]Well, be careful.
[02:53.88]Rumor has it that he is bad news.
[02:56.64]What kind of bad news?
[02:59.12]Well, he's been married before.
[03:01.60]So. There's no crime against having a marriage that didn't work out.
[03:06.36]Right. But he's been married four times.
[03:11.08]My cousin knows a former wife of his.
[03:13.72]She says the guy owes money all over town.
[03:16.92]This is all just gossip.
[03:19.56]Look, I'm just saying be careful.
[03:22.76]Where there's smoke ... yeah, you know.
[03:26.80]And that brings us to the end of this week's Words and Their Stories.
[03:32.96]Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo!
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