ログイン

千葉・東京の英会話教室なら荻窪・⻄船橋・津⽥沼のgetgo

会員ログイン 体験レッスン2回まで無料!

無料ブログレッスン

If you can’t stand the heat…

2019.03.06

Meaning:

The expression ‘If you can’t stand the heat…’ is short for ‘If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen’. It has a very aggressive nuance! It means, ‘If this situation is too stressful for you, then go away to make space for the people who can manage the stress’. This expression came into English from a US President, Harry S Truman. He was famous for speaking directly, and said this to his staff sometimes.

Example:

(A musician (A) talking to a conductor (B), before playing in an orchestra)
A: (crying) I’m so stressed! I can’t play properly tonight. There are too many people watching. I’ll make mistakes.
B: Huh. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. I’ll find someone else to play.

Talking Point(s):

Have you ever wanted to tell someone, ‘If you can’t stand the heat…’? What happened?