Phrasal verbs are perhaps the least favorite thing for English students to study . . . but phrasal verbs can be fun if you learn them while watching comedy! Today we are looking at a short clip from Bill Engvall’s comedy routine “Here’s Your Sign.” In this clip, he uses several phrasal verbs.

Before we look at the phrasal verbs, let’s look at one very important term related to comedy: stand up. This phrasal verb means to “stand on your feet” or to “stand after sitting.” But STAND UP also is a type of comedy, because the comedians are standing up while they are delivering their performance.

“Here’s Your Sign” by Bill Engvall

Bill Engvall is famous for the line “Here’s your sign.” The “sign” is part of Engvall’s joke that unintelligent people should have to wear a sign that says “I’m stupid” so that we know, before interacting with them, that we might have some difficulties communicating.

Engvall’s comedy follows a typical pattern:

• He tells a short story
• In the story, someone says something very silly
• He ends the story by saying “here’s your sign.”

Watch the clip below, then read the phrasal verbs and their definitions before watching the clip again.

Phrasal Verbs

Did you hear these phrasal verbs? Here are their definitions and the timestamps so you can go back and listen again if you need to.

Phrasal Verb #1: Look forward to

Definition: to be excited for

Use: “I look forward to getting old with her.”

Timestamp: 0:05

Phrasal Verb #2: Fly in

Definition: arrive (by airplane)

Use: “So we had to fly in the night before on this little puddle jumper airplane…”

Timestamp: 1:25

Phrasal Verb #3: Make up (a story)

Definition: To create and tell an untrue story

Use: “You cannot make this up.”

Timestamp: 1:30

Phrasal Verb #4: Carry on 

Definition: to bring with you; usually onto a plane

Use: “So we just carried them on the airplane.”

Timestamp: 2:30

Phrasal Verb #5: Walk off

Definition: to leave a place (in this case he is talking about a plane, so it is similar to “getting off” a mode of transportation)

Use: “We walk off the plane with them . . .”

Timestamp: 2:40

Note: The CISL Blog has looked at the phrasal verb GET OFF before. Click here to learn about it! 

Comedy Shows in SD and SF

Would you like to see a live comedy show? San Diego and San Francisco have many comedy clubs! Here are a few to check out.

Cover photo from Bill Engvall. Comedian photo from Mad House Comedy Club via Facebook.