English @ the Movies: Five-Second Rule

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Welcome to English @ the Movies where you learn American English heard at the movies.

Red Notice tells the story -- in a funny way -- of a plot involving two of the world’s most-wanted criminals. International law officers have placed a red notice on them, meaning they must be caught.
John Hartley is a law enforcement agent on the case. He teams up with world-famous criminal, Nolan Booth, to arrest the world’s biggest art thief, Sarah Black.

Listen for the words “five-second rule.”

How’s it going with you partner in crime? (Drops valuable art piece.) Five-second rule.

What do you think “five-second rule” means?

A) Everything is under control
Or
B) Something is safe if it is picked up within five seconds of falling

Listen again.

The answer is B. People usually say “five second rule” in relation to food. It suggests that food that has been dropped is safe from germs if it is picked up within five seconds. It is not a serious rule and usually said as a joke.

And that’s English at the Movies. See? Easy-peasy. I’m Dorothy Gundy.