Objective Proficiency p 8. Not Budge an Inch. Extra Listening

William Shakespeare and actor Thomas Swann have a disagreement. Can Bess the barmaid make Thomas see sense, or will he refuse to budge an inch? We explore the phrase not budge an inch and introduce some useful responses for when you are asked to do something you don’t want to do.
 Listen  to the programme 


The Taming of the Shrew is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays. It's often referred to as the battle of the sexes. Many people have criticised the way this play portrays women. But the story of the wild Katharina who is tamed by her husband has inspired many films and television shows, including the American movie '10 Things I Hate About You'.


Vocabulary

An inch is a unit of measurement equal to 2.54 centimeters.

• We had over 3 inches of snow at the weekend

Budge means move slightly.

• He budged over to let her sit down

It's especially common in negative sentences:

• We couldn't get the door to budge

The phrase not budge an inch has a similar meaning to these phrases: stand your ground and dig your heels in.

• She stood her ground even though nobody agreed with her
• The owners dug their heels in and refused to sell their land

Form
The phrase not budge an inch can be used with different modal verbs:

• I won't budge 
• They mustn't budge an inch
• You shouldn't budge an inch
• She wouldn't budge an inch

We can also use budge an inch with the verb refuse.

• They refused to budge an inch

The verb budge can be replaced with give.

• She won't give an inch

shrew

1. a small animal like a mouse with a long nose
2. (old-fashioned) a bad-tempered unpleasant woman

the battle of the sexes:



the fight for power between men and women. E.g. So has equality brought an end to the battle of the sexes?


tame:



change something wild so that it is easier to control



stubborn:



describes a person who refuses to change their ideas or behaviour 





strong-minded



not easily influenced by others. E.g. My mother was a very strong-minded woman who always got her own way.


headstrong 



a headstrong person is determined to do things their own way and refuses to listen to advice. E.g. She is too wild and headstrong to be guided by me.



determined



if you are determined to do something, you have made a firm decision to do it and you will not let anyone prevent you. E.g. I'm determined to succeed.

be set on something/on doing something

to want to do or have something very much; to be determined to do something. Resolved to do something or strongly wishing for something. E.g. She is set on getting a role in the play. She’s set on a career in medicine. He’s set on getting a new car

set your heart on something, have your heart set on something

to be determined to do something. To want something very much. E.g. They’ve set their heart on a house in the country.

set your sights on something/on doing something

to decide that you want something and to try very hard to get it. To have as a goal. E.g. she's set her sights on getting into Harvard. I had set my sights on a career in journalism. She set her sights on medical school.
 


stand your ground



refuse to change your opinion or behaviour, even when other people disagree with you. E.g. Don't let him persuade you—stand your ground.




dig your heels in


dig, dug, dug
refuse to change your ideas or behaviour. E.g. They dug in their heels and would not lower the price.

back down

back down from something

back down on something

to take back a demand, an opinion, etc. that other people are strongly opposed to; to admit defeat or admit that you are wrong. E.g. She refused to back down on a point of principle.She refused to back down on a point of principle. Eventually, Roberto backed down and apologized. Local residents have forced the local council to back down from/on its plans to build a nightclub on their street




No way!



Definitely not! E.g. ‘Do you want to help?’ ‘No way!’ No way am I going to drive them there.




not even if you paid me!



I would never do that, even if you gave me a lot of money. E.g. Not even if you paid me!! Too much noise!! Worst week EVER!!




it's out of the question



it's impossible; I won't let it happen. E.g. Another trip abroad this year is out of the question.




never in a million years 



absolutely never. E.g. I'd never have thought of that in a million years. Never in a million years did I believe we could win the lottery.




oh go on then



I agree to do or allow something that I didn't want to do before. E.g. Oh, go on, then, tell her.




I suppose so



I agree to something that I am not certain or happy about. E.g.

• "Can I go to the party, Dad?"
  "I suppose so. But you'd better be home by 10 o'clock, OK?"
• "We have to invite Rupert, don't we?"
  "I suppose so, but I hope he doesn't come. He's such a horrible little man."

(come) hell or high water

 

 

 

despite any difficulties. E.g. I was determined to go, come hell or high water.


willy-nilly



whether you want to or not. E.g. She was forced willy-nilly to accept the company's proposals.



How do you feel when you are asked to do something you don't want to do? Do you refuse to budge 
an inch or do you back down and agree?



Transcript

Narrator
It's evening at the Duck and Whistle. William Shakespeare and his actor friend Thomas Swann are rehearsing the opening scene of Shakespeare's comedy The Taming of the Shrew.
Thomas
I'll answer him by law. I won't budge an inch…
Will
Just a minute Thomas: Christopher Sly is drunk, but we do need to understand the words!
Thomas
You're criticising my acting, Will. Again.
Will
Thomas, Thomas. You're a great actor. A wonderful actor. But Thomas, can the audience please actually hear the words I wrote for your character to say…?
Thomas
The audience can see what's happening! I'm in the pub, I'm drunk, there's broken glass everywhere and -
Bess
Thomas Swann! If you've broken one of my glasses, I'll have your guts for garters…
Will / Thomas
No, no, no!
Thomas
Bess, it's in the play.
Will
The innkeeper - in the play, Bess - is going to call the police unless Christopher Sly pays for the glasses he broke. But Sly says he doesn't care about the police, he's entitled to be in the pub, and he's not moving.
 
Bess
Oh… well just you be careful. I won't have people breaking glasses in my pub.
Will
Of course, Bess. Now, Thomas. Please. Speak more clearly.
Thomas
No. I'm an artist, and I have to do it my way.
Will
Bess, please read the innkeepers lines. I'll be Christopher Sly. Thomas, just listen.
Bess
Alright Mr Will, the innkeeper's lines: I know my remedy. I must go fetch the third-borough.
Will as Christopher Sly
Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, I'll answer him by law.
I'll not budge an inch, boy. Let him come, and kindly.
Will
Now please Thomas, do it like that.
Thomas
I will not do it like that.
Bess
He's just like Christopher Sly isn't he Mr Will? He won't budge an inch either.
Narrator
We'll leave them there for now. Christopher Sly is just one of several stubborn characters in The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare's early comedy about the battle of the sexes. The phrase not budge an inch is used these days to describe not only objects that won't move but also people who won't change their minds. Take Simon Walker, the director general of the British Institute of Directors, who said that the British chancellor George Osborne…
Clip 1
…must not budge an inch on the crucial job of deficit reduction.
Clip 2
That stupid dog refused to move. I kept pulling on the lead, but he wouldn't budge an inch.
Thomas
Will, it's my way or –
Will
Now look here Thomas -
Bess
Now stop arguing you two or I'll knock your heads together. Thomas, do what Mr Will says. It's his play.
Thomas
Grrrr. To budge, or not to budge: that is the question.

Vocabulary

have somebody’s guts for garters (British English, informal) to be very angry with somebody and punish them severely for something they have done. E.g. She’ll have your guts for garters if she ever finds out.

garter: a band, usually made of elastic, that is worn around the leg to keep up a sock or stocking. Sp. liga.

fetch: to go to where somebody/something is and bring them/it back. E.g. to fetch help/a doctor. The inhabitants have to walk a mile to fetch water. She's gone to fetch the kids from school.

third-borough: /ˈbʌrə/ an under constable (police officer)

bang/knock your/their heads together (informal) to force people to stop arguing and behave in a sensible way. E.g. stop arguing you two or I'll knock your heads together.