English, baby!

Spoken English Course Day 5

Date: Feb 28 2011

Author: andylu2

Lesson

Hi,

This is day 5 of my daily online course for teaching spoken English. I've got a really useful phrase today that I'm sure you will be able to impress your native speaking friends with. Please help me share these lessons by commenting and clicking "like".

Today's lesson needs a fair bit of explanation.

It's called a "Band-aid solution"

This is kind of like a high level slang phrase. First of all, a band-aid is a brand that is popular in the US. It is like a sticky piece of tape that you put on your finger if you cut it while cutting tomatoes or something. You can use "band-aids" for minor cuts and scrapes to protect them.

The band-aid isn't really a cure. It won't fix the problem, it just helps it a little in the short term.

Band-aid solutions are "short term" ways to solve a problem. They are usually not a good idea in the long run.

Taking pain killers for a small headaches is an example of a band-aid solution. You will make your head feel better that day, but you aren't really fixing the problems causing the headaches.

Basically, any short term or "quick fix" solution that doesn't help fix the cause of the problem is called a "band-aid solution". These term is always used in a negative way.

Check out spoken English course lesson 1 and let me know what you think of that and all the other lessons. I'll see you again tomorrow.

Leave a comment if you have any questions and I'll get back to you.

If you really want to improve your speaking, go to this:

Online Course for Improving English Speaking

Comments

lynn629

China

Hi andy!

Actually i missed this lesson. Anyway, it's really useful. Band-aid solution: to treat the symptoms in a shortcut way, but not totally and basically…

Hope i understand it in a right way.

andylu2

Canada

Thanks Best1,

I'm glad you are enjoying the lessons and I hope to read more of your comments if you get a chance.

Best1

Israel

thank a lot

your lessons are helpfull

andylu2

Canada

Hi Anrusch.

Ya, PERFECT example of how to use that phrase. The funny thing is I actually get migraines and am looking for something that isn't a "band-aid solution".

andylu2

Canada

Hi Melina

There is not really much difference in meaning. Just pay attention to when native speakers use which one and you will learn when to use which. Often, both are ok.

Melina M

Argentina

thanks again for these lessons,

I have a question: could you please explain me what's the difference between using "have" and "have got"?

andylu2

Canada

Hi Kevin and malinda,

Thanks for your questions. I think that they are both reasonable examples of band-aid solutions. You will get more and more of a "feeling" of how to use this phrase when you hear it more. Now you understand the main idea of it, and the next time you hear the phrase in the news or whatever, you will know what it means and be able to form clearer and clearer examples for the future.

kevin12345679

China

It is a band-aid solution to put your leg into cold water while you fractured your leg with carelessness in a sport !

Andy, is it a example to use this phrase?

malinda04

Indonesia

Hi, Andy. I try to use the word in this sentence. Can I have a feedback from you? Thanks

what our government did to the low-income people by giving some amount of money within certain period of time is merely a band-aid solution to overcome poverty.