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ENGLISH LESSON: World’s Worst Villains

Level: CEFR B1 · from the song
🔊 "Big bad talk, intimidation … no mastermind, orange suits"
Intimidation
“Big bad talk, intimidation.”

📘 meaning

Speaking/acting to make someone afraid; control by fear.

📌 examples

  • The manager used intimidation to make the workers feel scared.
  • Shouting is not leadership — it’s intimidation.
Strategize
“You gave them time to strategize.”

📘 meaning

To make a careful plan; think best way.

📌 examples

  • The team met to strategize before the big game.
  • We need to strategize if we want to solve this problem.
Tragic
“Didn’t know it’d end so tragic.”

📘 meaning

Very sad; ending in a bad / serious way.

📌 examples

  • The accident had a tragic ending.
  • It’s tragic when someone wastes their talent.
No real game
“All that talk, no real game.”

📘 meaning

(informal) No real skill; talking big but not talented.

📌 examples

  • He says he’s a great singer, but he’s got no game.
  • She talks confidently, but there’s no real game behind it.
Mastermind
“No mastermind, no grand design.”

📘 meaning

A very intelligent planner; person who creates a smart plan.

📌 examples

  • The police caught the mastermind behind the robbery.
  • She was the mastermind of the school project.
Open and shut
“Plain sight rule, open and shut.”

📘 meaning

Very clear; easy to decide because facts are obvious.

📌 examples

  • The video showed everything. It was an open-and-shut case.
  • When he admitted it, the situation became open and shut.
Disguise
“No disguise.”

📘 meaning

Clothing/makeup to hide who you are; change appearance.

📌 examples

  • The thief wore a disguise to hide his face.
  • She disguised her voice on the phone.
Finesse
“No finesse.”

📘 meaning

Skill and style; doing something smooth and clever.

📌 examples

  • He solved the problem with finesse.
  • The dancer moved with elegance and finesse.
Genius
“Criminal genius? Hard to guess.”

📘 meaning

Extremely intelligent person; great natural ability.

📌 examples

  • Einstein was a genius.
  • She’s a math genius.
Sharp
“Thought you were sharp…”

📘 meaning

(informal) Intelligent; quick-thinking.

📌 examples

  • She’s sharp — she understands everything fast.
  • You have to be sharp in business.
Prime
“Thought you were prime…”

📘 meaning

The best; at the top level.

📌 examples

  • He is in his prime at 25.
  • That athlete is prime talent.
Orange suits
“Big bad energy, orange suits.”

📘 meaning

Prison uniforms (often orange in U.S.); symbol of being in jail.

📌 examples

  • The criminals wore orange suits in prison.
  • He went from a business suit to an orange suit.
Crystal clear
“You made it easy, crystal clear.”

📘 meaning

Completely clear; easy to understand.

📌 examples

  • The teacher’s explanation was crystal clear.
  • His mistake was crystal clear to everyone.
Make a scene
“You made a scene.”

📘 meaning

Behave loudly/dramatically in public; attract negative attention.

📌 examples

  • She made a scene in the restaurant.
  • Please don’t make a scene at the party.
Self-defeat
“Every move was self-defeat.”

📘 meaning

Doing something that causes your own failure; making yourself lose.

📌 examples

  • Not studying before the test is self-defeat.
  • His anger was his own self-defeat.
Hype
“All that hype, zero skill.”

📘 meaning

Big excitement/promotion; talk that makes something seem important.

📌 examples

  • The movie had a lot of hype but wasn’t very good.
  • Don’t believe the hype — check the facts.

⚖️ Intersting facts

In 2009, a Florida thief robbed a bank but left behind his pizza order receipt—with his name and address on it.

Spitting on sidewalks is illegal in Singapore, with fines up to SGD 1,000.

In 1911 after the famous Mona Lisa painting had been stolen, a record number of people stood in long lines just to see the "empty space."

In PA, USA, since the 1820s it has been illegal to throw snowballs at people or property.

⚖️ Wordplay Puns

🎶 "Big bad talk, intimidation … no mastermind, orange suits … every move was self-defeat"
🔔 CEFR B1 · learn real English through music