#67- 16 Popular Fall/Autumn Phrasal Verbs, Slang Words and Idioms

Welcome to Episode #67 of The Real Life English with Gabby Podcast

In this episode, you’ll learn 16 popular English slang words, idioms, and phrasal verbs for the Fall/Autumn season. It's the beginning of the beautiful Fall season here in the USA and we are ready for the cooler temperatures, apple pies and foliage. Autumn is not just a season, it's an experience here in the USA and it's a huge part of our culture. By the end of this episode, you'll be one step closer to speaking English naturally and with confidence. 

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• All the new words and definitions
• Easy-to-follow example sentences
• The full transcript
• Practice exercises so you can actually use what you learn

Click >> HERE << For the Study Guide

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Transcript

[00:00:00] On this episode of the Real Life English with Gabby podcast, I'll be teaching you 16 phrasal verbs, slang words, and idioms, all about the fall season. You'll be learning vocabulary like nippy, an Indian summer, cuffing season, crisp, and more. Let's get to it.

Hey there. Welcome to the Real Life English with Gabby podcast. I'm your host, Gabby, your fun and friendly English teacher from the one and only New York City. My goal is to teach you phrasal verbs, idioms, and slang that will help you speak English confidently and understand real American conversations.

Are you ready to improve your English skills? Let's jump right in. Hey, hey, hey. Greetings from New York City. Welcome to episode number 67. In this episode, we're talking about one of my favorite times of year, autumn [00:01:00] or fall. We use both of these terms to describe this season. September 22nd was the fall equinox, which is what we call the first day of the fall season.

This is the last episode in my seasonal series. I have previously done episodes about summer, spring, and winter, but for some reason I never did an episode about the fall until now. In the episode description, I will link the previous seasonal episodes.

I'm so excited about this episode because autumn in the United States is not just a season, it's a whole experience—definitely more than any other season. I'd say that summer is an experience too, but there's really something so special, so lovable, so popular about the fall. The weather changes, the leaves turn beautiful colors, [00:02:00] people spend more time outside, and there are lots of traditions that bring family and friends together. We're gonna get into that in this episode. From big cities like New York to even small towns across the country,

fall really shapes the culture, the activities, and even the way that we talk and the things that we talk about. One of the reasons why fall is so popular is because our favorite holidays happen in the fall, back to back. Honestly, the end of the year in general is just the best. You'll see a lot of posts on social media where people say the -ber months are coming, the -ber months are here—meaning the months that end with B-E-R: September, October, November, December. So, we have the start of fall in September, then in October we have Halloween, then we have Thanksgiving in November, and then [00:03:00] we have Christmas. And even though Christmas is not in the fall, it happens just a few days after the fall ends.

So these three seasons come with a ton of culture, decorations, movies, media, cultural traditions, and activities—very popular months here in the United States. If you've ever visited the US in autumn, you probably know what I mean. There is nothing like the experience of walking through Central Park, New York City, surrounded by golden leaves, or grabbing a warm drink as the air turns colder.

You'll also walk past homes and businesses that are decorated for Halloween. Maybe you'll be a part of a Thanksgiving celebration or parade. You'll walk into a store that's playing Christmas music. Now, again, Christmas happens in the winter—the first few days of winter—[00:04:00] but the season as a whole starts typically November 1st.

So I highly recommend if you ever come to the United States that you come during the last part of the year: September, October, November, December. October is the best. November and December are awesome too. December is incredible—Christmas in New York City is incredible—but tourism has really kind of messed things up because it's just too crowded these days.

So anyway, for Americans, fall feels cozy, it's exciting, and it's magical. And of course, because it's such a big part of life here, we have so many words and expressions that are unique to this season, and that's why in this episode I'm gonna share some fun vocabulary that is gonna help you sound more natural in English. It's also gonna help you feel that fall spirit in the United States. [00:05:00] The first day of fall here is September 21st, but the minute it hits September, we are in fall mode—especially because the first Monday of the year is Labor Day, and that's like the unofficial end of summer. That's the last day to go to the beach and things like that. So after that, after the first week of September, we are in fall mode. We're preparing ourselves for the changing weather, all the cultural stuff, the celebrations. We are ready. We're done with the hot weather. We want the cooler weather to arrive. September is all about apples, pumpkins, and the harvest, which we're gonna talk about. October is all about Halloween. November is all about Thanksgiving. Christmas—because Christmas season starts early, November 1st. And of course, December is all about Christmas and a little bit about the new year.

We have a lot of days off from work and school this time of year, [00:06:00] so it's really just a special time. In some parts of the United States, there are four seasons. Like here in the Northeast, we have four distinct seasons with very different weather. However, in the southern parts of the USA, even though they might officially have four seasons,

they really just have two seasons: warm and hot. So spring, summer, and fall are hot, and then winter is just warm. There's no real winter. Fall still gets cooler weather and all of the traditions, but not quite as cool as the northern states.

Just a reminder, if you're ever gonna visit New York City, I highly recommend October. Every month has pros and cons, but October has no cons—no negatives. It's 100% perfect. Once I read you the story, you'll understand why.

Before we get into the vocabulary and the story, I wanna explain some fun fall traditions that won't be [00:07:00] explained in the story, but they will be mentioned. One of the most fun and unique parts of autumn in the US is all the seasonal activities that families do together, friends do together. First, we have visiting an orchard to go apple picking. This is one of our most classic traditions. So let me explain these. Firstly, an orchard is a piece of land, usually like farmland, where fruit trees are grown—mainly fruit like apples, peaches, and cherries. People often visit these orchards in the summer and fall to pick fruit themselves. Every family goes apple picking, where we buy a basket or a bag, pay for it, and then go and just pick fresh fruit right off the trees. During the summer we pick peaches and cherries. We also pick strawberries and blueberries from farms.

But in the fall, [00:08:00] it's apple-picking season. We pick a ton of apples, then we go home and bake a ton of apple desserts and pastries like our famous apple pie, apple turnovers—there are just so many things to make with apples. A lot of times we cut them up, cook them, and then freeze them. We use them for Thanksgiving. It's just a really fun tradition.

Many orchards are part of farms that also have what we call pumpkin patches. A pumpkin patch is a field where pumpkins grow and where you can pick a pumpkin and then bring it home and use it for decoration. Many families, as you've probably seen in the media, carve pumpkins for Halloween or put pumpkins outside.

We put them on the window, we put them all around our house to decorate, and we also use them for baking. So just like with apples, we have lots of different traditional desserts with [00:09:00] pumpkins: pumpkin pie, pumpkin butter—there are just so many cool things you can make with pumpkins. At these farms where we have orchards and pumpkin patches, there are also lots of fun activities for kids. One of those things is a corn maze. So it's a maze—or for some of you, maybe you know it as a labyrinth—where kids and adults can walk through tall stalks of corn. Corn is one of the most common things grown in the United States. We have tall stalks of corn, and they're formed into a maze. You should Google it—it's really interesting. And these corn mazes are so much fun. It's like a maze we just go in. Some of them are races. In fact, in the month of October, also September, you can find some creepy haunted corn mazes where you get chased through the corn maze by a monster or clown or something else scary. I hate those. Those are not [00:10:00] for me. But you know, there are lots of places where you go and get chased by a zombie in the United States. Lastly, these farms and orchards also have what we call hayrides. It's like a wagon ride, and it's filled with hay from a farm—what horses eat—and they just take you on a ride through the farmland, or they'll take you through the fields. You'll see a lot of Halloween decorations. It's really, really fun. So all of these things happen at apple orchards and farms, and we typically go and do all of these things on the same day, although you can spread them out as well. But they're a big part of culture in autumn, and it gives people a chance to celebrate the harvest, enjoy the weather, and just create really fun memories.

All right. Before we continue, I also just wanna remind you that there is a free study guide with today's episode that has everything you need [00:11:00] to remember: the words that you learn. It has practice activities, the transcript, all of the words, definitions, and example sentences. If you wanna get the free study guide, just click the link in the episode description.

All right, so let me share with you the 16 vocabulary words and expressions that you'll be learning in this episode: cool down, sweater weather, chilly or brisk, nippy or a nip in the air, bundle up, flannel season, an Indian summer, foliage, rustling, rake up, pile up, pumpkin spice everything, cuffing season, harvest, crisp, cozy vibes.

Now let's get to the story. Today is a little bit different. [00:12:00] Instead of a story, I'm gonna be telling you about an experience—the experience specifically about what it's like during autumn in New York. In this story, you are going to hear all of the words in real life contexts, and then after the story we'll talk about the definitions, and I'll give you some example sentences.

As I read, relax. You can even close your eyes and let the story fill your imagination. I want you to picture and feel this experience. Here we go.

It's early October in New York City, the most beautiful month of the year. The weather has recently begun to cool down, but it's not too cold yet. It's the kind of sweater weather everyone loves—just chilly enough to put on a sweater, but still comfortable enough for a [00:13:00] walk in the park.

Some nights it can get nippy after sunset, and you need to bundle up to stay warm. This is why it's flannel season—the time of year when everyone wears flannel everything, from shirts to scarves and shoes. Some days are even warmer than expected, like a surprise Indian summer, when the temperature feels almost like early September again. The main attraction at this time of year, though, is the leaves. The beautiful foliage reaches its peak of the season with beautiful leaves of red, gold, green, and sometimes even purple.

The sidewalks and parks are covered with them. In the summer, everyone in the neighborhood is busy mowing their lawns and picking [00:14:00] flowers, but at this time of year it's normal to hear the rustling sound of your neighbors raking up leaves and piling them up.

If you're really lucky, you'll even see the neighborhood kids jumping into those big leafy piles like we did when we were kids. All around the city, people are enjoying the fall atmosphere. Cafes and markets are serving pumpkin spice everything—lattes, muffins, and even donuts. Couples walk hand in hand, enjoying the start of cuffing season, when the cooler months make people wanna settle into relationships. In upstate New York, which is just an hour north of Manhattan, farmers are celebrating the harvest season, selling apples, pumpkins, and squash at local markets. [00:15:00] Families go to local orchards and pumpkin patches to pick apples and pumpkins, drink cider, and enjoy the crisp autumn air. Back in the city, we love to go to little coffee shops with friends, or we stay home, sit by the window, and sip hot drinks while watching the leaves fall. The whole scene is filled with cozy vibes—the kind of moment that makes fall in New York so special. The end.

Hopefully you were able to really feel that experience.

All right, so now let's talk about what all of this vocabulary means. First we have the phrasal verb cool down. Cool down is when the temperature becomes lower or when something becomes less hot. So we talk about this often with [00:16:00] food, right? And we actually talked about this phrasal verb in one of the previous food episodes, but in this context it's specifically talking about the weather. So now that it's fall, the weather has started to cool down, the temperatures get lower. For example: after the sun went down, the air began to cool down.

Next up we have the phrase sweater weather. Sweater weather is kind of what it sounds like. First of all, if you learned British English, you don't use the word sweater—you use the word jumper. They have the same meaning, but we don't say jumper. Jumper is something else. For us, we say sweater. Sweater weather is the time of year when it's cool enough to just wear a sweater, so you can go outside. You don't really need a big coat, you just need a light sweater, a hoodie, maybe a jacket. We typically use [00:17:00] this for the fall, not any other season. For example: I love sweater weather because it's not too hot and not too cold.

Next up we have chilly or brisk. So these two words we use similarly. This is when it's uncomfortably cool or cold. It's cold, but I don't like it—like it's a little too cold for me. So you go outside and you're like, "Oh, it's chilly," like you wish it were a bit warmer. Now, brisk sometimes, depending on the context, can mean that it's cold but refreshing.

So you go outside and even though it's a little cold, it's fresh. For example: it was a chilly morning, so I grabbed a jacket before leaving. We went for a brisk walk in the park to enjoy the fresh autumn air. So as you [00:18:00] can see, we use these as adjectives. They describe nouns: chilly morning, brisk walk. Here, walk is not a verb—it's to go for a walk, it's a noun.

Next up, we have nippy or a nip in the air. Nippy means slightly cold, but often in a way that surprises you. So we use this in a different context than chilly or brisk. Nippy is like, oh, it's colder than I thought it was. For example: It's getting nippy outside, so don't forget your scarf. Or, There was a nip in the air this morning when I left for work.

Next up, we have the phrasal verb bundle up. Bundle up means to put on warm clothes to protect yourself from the cold. So, you know, bundle up means really, like, dress warm. We say, put on some layers. For example, The kids bundled [00:19:00] up in coats and hats before playing in the snow.

Next up, we have flannel season. Flannel season is the time of year, usually in the fall, when people start wearing warm flannel shirts. Okay, so let's talk about flannel. Flannel is a soft, warm fabric. It's usually made of a thicker cotton, sometimes wool. People wear it in cooler weather, and it has the plaid pattern, like a checked pattern.

I want you to think about a lumberjack—guys in the forest who cut down trees. That's what these shirts are modeled after. They're very popular in autumn, and they're also very popular for pajamas. So if you know any American families, or even in the American media, and I think it's caught on in other countries, a lot of families do matching pajamas. People take pictures in their [00:20:00] matching pajamas, and a lot of times they're plaid, like that red and black plaid style. So this is what flannel is. For example: When the leaves turn red and orange, you know it's flannel season.

Next up, we have the expression an Indian summer. This is a period of warm, sunny weather in autumn after it's already turned cold. So once it hits like October, November, and we get some warm days, we say, Oh, it's an Indian summer, meaning that we're experiencing warm summer temperatures in the fall. For example: We had an Indian summer last October, and everyone was wearing shorts again.

Next up, we have the word foliage. This is a really popular word. You're gonna hear it all the time in the fall. In American culture, foliage [00:21:00] is the leaves of trees and plants. That's the general term, but we use it in a very specific context. It's when the leaves change color every autumn. If you go to Central Park in October, oh my gosh, it is the most beautiful thing. All the trees are just different colors, and we call that foliage. For example: Tourists travel to the Northeast every year to see the beautiful fall foliage.

Next up, we have the sound rustling or to rustle. It's a verb. This is a soft kind of crackling sound. It's the sound that leaves make when they're moving in the wind, or some hard, crunchy materials being moved. We say rustling. You can also rustle papers—like think of someone who's looking through papers. That's also a rustling sound. For example: I heard the rustling of leaves as a [00:22:00] squirrel ran through the park.

Next up, we have the phrasal verb rake up. This is to gather leaves, or to gather pretty much anything—trash, garbage—with a rake. So a rake is a tool that is used for outdoors. Definitely check Google for a picture of a rake. You gather leaves with a rake, and so we use the noun rake, that's the item, and then we use the verb to rake, and in this case, rake up. For example: We spent all afternoon raking up leaves in the yard.

Next up, we have pile up. This is another phrasal verb. Pile up is to form into a pile. We use the academic word accumulate—when something gets bigger and bigger and bigger in a pile. So you can say, Oh, my laundry is piling up. My papers are piling up. [00:23:00] There's a big pile of them. For example: The fallen leaves started to pile up on the sidewalk after the storm.

Next up, we have the expression pumpkin spice everything. Pumpkin spice everything—this is like slang. It's a phrase, and we use it playfully to describe how popular pumpkin spice, or just pumpkin flavor, is in food, drinks, and snacks during fall. So if you go to a lot of our grocery stores now, we say, It looks like a pumpkin threw up. It looks like a pumpkin vomited, because everything is pumpkin or pumpkin spice flavored. You go to Starbucks, you get pumpkin spice latte. You can get pumpkin spice donuts. Literally, they find a way to make everything flavored with pumpkin or pumpkin spice. They even have pumpkin spice Oreos—it's crazy. I like pumpkin, but it's a little too much, even for me. For example: Every [00:24:00] cafe in the city sells pumpkin spice everything in October.

Next up, we have the slang term cuffing season. Cuffing season is that time during fall and winter when people start to want relationships to stay cozy and warm during colder months. This is a funny slang word. It basically means that when the weather is cold, people tend to look for romantic partnerships because they wanna stay home inside, warm, watching movies. They want to go ice skating, holding someone's hand, staying warm in the cold. So it's a funny slang expression that is maybe five to ten years old. For example: She started dating someone new—it must be cuffing season.

Next up, we have the word harvest. This is a noun. It can be a verb, but in this case it's a noun. It's the time of year when crops, meaning fruits [00:25:00] and vegetables, are collected from the fields. If you have apple trees in your yard, if you grow pumpkins, you grow squash, you grow corn—this is the time of year when they're ready to be collected and eaten. We call this the harvest. In American culture, this is when a lot of our products are good to eat. Some things are seasonal in the spring and summer, but a lot of our stuff, a lot of our vegetables and some fruit, are in season now. This is the harvest. For example: Farmers are busy with the apple harvest in October.

Next up, we have the word crisp. This is an adjective, and it means something is cool, fresh, clean. It's very pleasant, very positive, very nice. It describes air, it describes the weather, it describes food. Notice, this is where [00:26:00] crispy comes from. But we typically say, The air is crisp, the weather is crisp. For example: We enjoyed a walk on a crisp autumn morning.

And lastly, we have cozy vibes. This is a slang expression. The word cozy means comfortable, warm, relaxed. Vibes is like the feeling, the energy. So cozy vibes are when there's a very relaxed, comfortable, and warm feeling. Typically this is linked to autumn. It's linked to winter, cold weather. We're cozy and warm inside drinking apple cider, drinking hot chocolate. For example: The candles, blankets, and hot chocolate gave our party a really cozy vibe.

And there you have it—16 new phrasal verbs, slang words, idioms, and regular vocabulary [00:27:00] that is connected to fall, foliage, and autumn. Now it's time for me to give you your homework. For homework, I want you to firstly download the study guide. Remember that the link is in the episode description. Secondly, I want you to pick about five words from today's episode and use those words today, or tomorrow, or sometime this week, and gradually begin to use more. Remember that repetition is the key to becoming a confident English speaker. So don't forget that homework.

Well, that's a wrap for today's episode of The Real Life English with Gabby podcast. Be sure to download today's study guide so that you can learn how to use this vocabulary confidently. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe for more weekly adventures in English learning. [00:28:00] Also, I'd love to hear from you, so please leave me a review.

Thanks so much for tuning in.