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Jackie: Often, when we interview people for podcastsinenglish we interview people who are good at doing things or good at making things. But for this week's podcast, I'm talking to Helen, hi Helen...
Helen: Hello
Jackie: ...who says she's a little bit fed up because she's not good at doing things. Helen can you... can you give an example?
Helen: Well, I would say that I am all fingers and thumbs.
Jackie: Fingers and thumbs, that's a great expression, can you explain what that means.
Helen: It means that when I'm doing something um... close like knitting or drawing I'm very clumsy and I get all my fingers and thumb... thumbs mixed up together and I drop things or make a mess so if I'm doing some painting, for example, I'll end up with more paint on me than there will be on the wall or the um... piece of paper.
Jackie: [laughs] Okay, you mentioned knitting um... so that must be impossible to do, then?
Helen: Well, I'm trying to learn how to knit, I really want to learn how to knit, but knitting is quite difficult because there's lots going on when you're knitting so my friend, Jackie, is trying to teach me how to knit but I'm not very good at it because I keep getting the wool and all the knitting needles mixed up.
Jackie: Are you making progress?
Helen: I am, because my teacher's very patient.
Jackie: [laughs] Um... now I know also that your husband, Peter, has complained about your gardening skills, what... what's the problem there?
Helen: Ah well, this is being all fingers and thumbs again because um... when I'm gardening I tend to pull up as many flowers as I do weeds and end up in trouble.
Jackie: [laughs] He's not happy.
Helen: He's not happy but never mind, at least I'm trying.
Jackie: Absolutely. Um... Peter, though, is he... is he good at doing things, making things?
Helen: Well he is cos he's an artist, naturally, and he's very good at working on things up close so recently he's just discovered he's really good at woodworking and since he discovered he was good at woodworking, six months ago, he's made a bed, a table um... a bench and he's just about to start building himself a garden shed.
Jackie: Are you... you're telling me that six months ago he didn't know how to use woodworking tools?
Helen: Exactly
Jackie: How did that happen?
Helen: I've no idea, he just started making... oh, he started with a gate to keep my dog in the garden and he had some help making a gate and there's a phrase called “he's a natural”...
Jackie: Right, and they talk about that all the time for him... with him.
Helen: He's a natural.
Jackie: But, Helen, not you.
Helen: Unfortunately, not and I'm a bit fed up.
Jackie: [laughs] Helen, thank you very much.
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