Mira: So, as I was saying, the ones who really put this whole party together are Vanessa and Angela.

Valerie: Right, but you mentioned earlier that preparations were “chaotic”. Why, exactly?

Mira: Yes, well, I was busy getting the café ready to open.

Valerie: Right.

Mira: So Vanessa had to help out Angela who is obviously a great event planner.

Valerie: Mm hmm.

Mira: Oh but - maybe “chaotic” is a little strong. They had some communication issues, you could say. I guess that’s pretty normal.

Angela: Okay. Let’s go over the plan one more time, just so we both know what we’re doing.

Vanessa: Okay.

Angela: I’ve ordered some tents in case of bad weather. They’ll be delivered the day before the grand opening.

Vanessa: Mm hmm, okay.

Angela: And the chairs as well. We can store all of that around the side of the building, I think.

Vanessa: Yeah, that sounds good.

Angela: The food will be delivered at 10 o’clock on the day, and - You’re a DJ, right?

Vanessa: Yeah! I am.

Angela: Okay great. Would you want to be in charge of music for the event?

Vanessa: Sure! Yeah! I would love to.

Angela: Maybe check with Mira, though, to see what she thinks before finalizing anything.

Vanessa: Yes, of course.

Angela: And do you have your own… ummm… hmmm…

Vanessa: Do you mean equipment?

Angela: Yes, but - oh… we already have some things in storage. We still need a - hmmm - It’s on the tip of my tongue!

Conor: Hello! And welcome back to the final episode of Talking on the Job, season 2. I’m your host and English language mentor Conor, here to help you navigate the world of business and work, in English. Today’s episode is titled Buying Time which means delaying something temporarily so that you can be better prepared. Angela can’t quite find the words she wants to use. It’s something that happens to everyone! So she used one of my favorite expressions. She said the word was "on the tip of her tongue". Meaning, she knows the word but can’t quite think of it. And she’s asking Vanessa to wait until she’s remembered what she wants to say. Today I’ve got a couple more expressions you can use to buy time when trying to think of a word, or if you’ve forgotten what you wanted to say.

Conor: I’ve picked out two more handy expressions for you in addition to "it’s on the tip of my tongue". If you've forgotten a word that you want to use in a sentence, try using the word "thingamajig" instead, and then, if you can, add some details about the word you’ve forgotten. And, you can say "I lost my train of thought" if you’re talking and suddenly forget what you were talking about. Now, let’s go back to Vanessa and Angela’s conversation. Pay special attention to how they use the expressions "thingamajig" and "I lost my train of thought".

Vanessa: Well, there are a few different pieces of equipment DJs use. For example, monitors and mixing stations, and some different software, depending on the set up.

Angela: Monitors! That’s it. Thanks.

Vanessa: I’ll be making coffee drinks during the party, though, so I can’t do much more than prepare a playlist.

Angela: Okay so in that case it sounds like we won’t need them, right?

Vanessa: Right. I’ll put a playlist together and check with Mira.

Angela: Okay. Thanks!

Vanessa: Um, I also saw some decorations in the back and I was wondering who’s gonna hang the… ummm… what’s it called again? Uhhh… that thingamajig with all the little flags in a row that’s usually used for -

Angela: You mean bunting?

Vanessa: Yes! Bunting. Right.

Angela: Someone on my team will take care of that. We’ll have a few people here on the day to help out.

Vanessa: Okay sounds good.

Angela: So that takes care of the tents and chairs… the music and decorations… I already mentioned the food… I was also thinking we should have some fresh flowers around, both inside and outside. There’s some landscaping out on the garden patio already, but -

Mira: Vanessa? Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to ask you if you’ve seen the tea cups we ordered? The glass ones?

Vanessa: Yes, they’re in the back, on the left. They’re still in a box. I put them on the floor so they wouldn’t break.

Mira: Okay, good. Thanks. Sorry again for interrupting.

Angela: Okay, so, as I was saying… Um. Hmmm. Oh what was it? I lost my train of thought.

Vanessa: Something about flowers?

Angela: Yes!

Conor: Did you catch that? When Vanessa couldn’t think of the word "bunting", she said:

Vanessa: Uhhh… that thingamajig…

Conor: And then she added some details about the word she was trying to remember. This helped Angela figure out what Vanessa wanted to say. Then, after Mira interrupted her, Angela totally forgot what she was talking about, so she said:

Angela: I lost my train of thought.

Conor: Luckily, Vanessa was paying attention and could help Angela get back on track. All of these expressions: "it’s on the tip of my tongue", "thingamajig" and "I lost my train of thought" can be useful anytime you can’t remember a word or have forgotten what you wanted to say. They let the listener know that you need some time to think. And if they can, they might even help you out! Now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for… it’s party time!

Mira: So, eventually, they figured it all out, and put together this wonderful party. And here we are! I’m feeling pretty optimistic.

Valerie: That’s great to hear! And thank you so much, Mira, for taking the time to speak with me today. You’ve given me so much to work with. I think my readers will really learn a lot from your story.

Mira: Oh thank you! It’s been really nice chatting. But I suppose I’d better get back to work. Have you had a chance to try our coffee yet and maybe some baklava?

Valerie: No, I haven't, but a coffee would really hit the spot right now.

Mira: Okay, great, let’s go!

Vanessa: Rahim! Your latté is ready! Rahim! Conor! I have an americano with an extra shot of espresso for Conor!

Conor: Hey, great. Thanks, Vanessa.

Vanessa: You're welcome! Enjoy!

Valerie: Um, hi! Could I have a coffee, please?

Conor: So, dear listener, now you know three different ways to buy time in a conversation. If you want a reminder of what you’ve just heard, check out the transcript for this episode, where you’ll also find the expressions we focused on today. The link is in the episode description. And of course, feel free to send me an email and let me know what you think of the podcast. Write to podcasting@babbel.com, and remember to write Talking on the Job in the subject line.

Conor: Well, I gotta hand it to Mira. She built her business by negotiating with her contractor, arguing with her accountant, bargaining with a coffee vendor, interviewing a new employee - and she’s done it all in English! If you want to learn more English that’s handy for the workplace, we’ve got lots of Business English courses in the Babbel app. Check out the Babbel Magazine, if you like, and some of our many other audio series, too. And who knows? Maybe I’ll be back for season 3. But that’s all for now! I’m gonna sit in the sun on the garden patio here at Café Damascus and enjoy my coffee. Happy learning!

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 Useful expressions:

 If you can’t think of the word you want to use:
- It’s on the tip of my tongue
- Thingamajig + any details you can think of about the word you’re trying to remember

If you forget what you were talking about:
- I lost my train of thought.