Thread: America's Next Top Model

Can anyone tell me what the words "I'm too cool for school to act like this" mean in the following passage, that sounds at 34:55 – 35:15 in

Топ-модель по-американски 19 сезон / America’s Next Top Model College (2012) - Онлайн смотреть в хорошем качестве

She can't help the fact that she looks sexy in the picture 'cause she is a pretty girl. The only thing...every time I work with you, it still seems like you don't want it. And it's almost like, "I'm too cool for school to act like this or go all out." Like, say you come in for a casting. Well, I need you to act the fool for me right now. What are you gonna do? You can't just stand there and be like, "Uh... uh..."

Is it "I'm too cool to be taught to act like this" or just "I'm too cool to act like this"? What is "for school"? Maybe "cool for school" is an idiom?

Originally Posted by Lena

Is it "I'm too cool to be taught to act like this" or just "I'm too cool to act like this"?

Yes -- or, to be more exact, it's "I mistakenly think that I'm too cool for this," because "too cool for school" is usually (though not always) sarcastic. Way back in 1940, the Fox and the Cat told Pinocchio that books and education are for losers, and that he should follow the glamorous life of an actor, instead:



...of course, we know that Pinocchio ends up being turned into a donkey and gets swallowed by a whale, etc.

And when I was a kid in the 1980s, there were various made-for-TV movies about teenagers who think that School Isn't Cool, so they run away to Hollywood in order to become Famous Movie Stars, but within a matter of months they're having sex with truck drivers to buy heroin, and they get pregnant and have an illegitimate baby with HIV and accidentally feed the poor child a box of rat-poison in the mistaken belief that it's baby cereal -- being totally unable to read the words "DANGER RAT POISON DO NOT EAT" because they were too cool for school!!!!

I agree with Throbert on the "too cool for school" analogies. I think the statement is generaly saying, "I'm too cool for school, (and therefore) too cool to act like this." Although I would say, Lena, that its probably more of a young urban phrase, because quite frankly I've never heard it said around my part of the world...lol. If you're into the gang slang and hip hop, urban type language, it may be used more often. Definitely from a youthful vocabulary, though.

Thank you very much for your explanations, Throbert and Kevin.
You know, Kevin, the word “urban” has always confused me in the meaning of “characteristic of the city or city life” in the context of languages. So does the name of the Urban Dictionary.
Urban Dictionary: gal
I quite agree that such a slang can be characteristic of young people. But the fact it is associated with cities puzzles me a lot. I think here in Ukraine all young people, both in cities and villages, use the same language including foul language. Indeed, that depends on the cultural level of every particular individual. Do you really mean that young people living in cities use a language different from that of young countrypeople? Or does that mean that there are no young people living in the country in the US?

Originally Posted by Lena

Do you really mean that young people living in cities use a language different from that of young countrypeople? Or does that mean that there are no young people living in the country in the US?

Well, in my opinion I think there's a distinct difference in culture between young people of the cities and those of the country. They dress differently, talk differently. One might even say they have different values. There may be similarities, but still there are the differences. It surprises me that you may not have the same thing in Ukraine.

Originally Posted by kgcole

Well, in my opinion I think there's a distinct difference in culture between young people of the cities and those of the country. They dress differently, talk differently. One might even say they have different values. There may be similarities, but still there are the differences. It surprises me that you may not have the same thing in Ukraine.

Possibly, the main reason of that lies in the fact that there is hardly any work here in villages and small towns. People have to migrate to cities in search of work. Living in cities means a better life for them. That may be the reason they consider many urban features more prestigious and classy, and that includes language. Besides they watch television and there’s lot of slang and foul language in movies and soaps. Of course they use the “urban” language only in their company. I don’t think they use much slang and foul language with their moms for that only reason that their parents may not understand them and won’t admire them for being “cool”. It’s just my supposition, I don’t know for sure. But in my business I often meet young people who have just arrived from the country and I always like to find out a lot of details about them and their language as well.

Shouldn’t Tyra have said "has" instead of "have" at 0:10 – 0:22 ?

And guess what, Brittany. Right now we are going to find
out which of the eliminated girls have the highest social
media score average. And you will be included in that.

Топ-модель по-американски 19 сезон / America’s Next Top Model College (2012) - Онлайн смотреть в хорошем качестве

I cannot even imagine someone saying in Russian "Сейчас мы узнаем, кто из девушек получили высшую оценку".

кто (из девушек) получил. Кто - masculine

Originally Posted by Medved

кто (из девушек) получил. Кто - masculine

Exactly. That's what I'm saying: no one would say получили in this sentence in Russian meaning that only one of them can get the highest score.

But is Tyra correct? I would say she is not, but when I watch a show that is sold worldwide I'm beginning to feel that I was wrong.

Originally Posted by Lena

Shouldn’t Tyra have said "has" instead of "have" at 0:10 – 0:22 ?

And guess what, Brittany. Right now we are going to find
out which of the eliminated girls have the highest social
media score average. And you will be included in that.

Yes, the correct word to use there would have been "has" ....

Originally Posted by kgcole

Yes, the correct word to use there would have been "has" ....

Is it a common mistake? I mean do Americans make this mistake sometimes or was Tyra's usage of "have" just a slip in speaking?

Originally Posted by Lena

Is it a common mistake? I mean do Americans make this mistake sometimes or was Tyra's usage of "have" just a slip in speaking?

I didn't listen to the video, Lena, but it was probably just a slip in the language. It happens, especially when someone is nervous, like in front of a camera...lol

I have come across some more cases of the wrong subject-predicate agreement in the continuity, and not on the part of the models only: I understand that they have various backgrounds. I wish I remembered them.

Originally Posted by Lena

Possibly, the main reason of that lies in the fact that there is hardly any work here in villages and small towns. People have to migrate to cities in search of work..

I imagine that's a common phenomenon...jobs being more available in cities. But I think rural communities can also be an opportunity to provide certain services that one usually has to go into the city to find.

Originally Posted by kgcole

I imagine that's a common phenomenon...jobs being more available in cities. But I think rural communities can also be an opportunity to provide certain services that one usually has to go into the city to find.

Maybe communities do something, but very little. They have no money to even make roads for people. They only make patches on roads once a couple of years. Rural communities officials are only busy doing bribery for giving land plots while they must give them to people for free.

People can start their own businesses in the country and they do. But any business needs to be profitable in order to survive. If the demand for a certain service is weak the business will have to shut up. You couldn’t live on embroidering living in a small village, could you? Look at this. It’s the list of all local authorities bodies (рада) in Kiev region. Click a number in the “Кількість сільських населених пунктів” column. Now in the first column you can see the names of villages that relate to a particular рада. Each village name is introduced by the letter “с”. Then click any village name and in line 7 you will see the number of its residents in thousands. Most of the villages total two or three hundred people, the smallest totals 16 people I guess. What business can survive there?
http://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/z7502/A...8&rf7571=14962

Originally Posted by Lena

Maybe communities do something, but very little. They have no money to even make roads for people. They only make patches on roads once a couple of years. Rural communities officials are only busy doing bribery for giving land plots while they must give them to people for free.

People can start their own businesses in the country and they do. But any business needs to be profitable in order to survive. If the demand for a certain service is weak the business will have to shut up. You couldn’t live on embroidering living in a small village, could you? Look at this. It’s the list of all local authorities bodies (рада) in Kiev region. Click a number in the “Кількість сільських населених пунктів” column. Now in the first column you can see the names of villages that relate to a particular рада. Each village name is introduced by the letter “с”. Then click any village name and in line 7 you will see the number of its residents in thousands. Most of the villages total two or three hundred people, the smallest totals 16 people I guess. What business can survive there?
http://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/z7502/A...8&rf7571=14962

That's too bad there's widespread bribery. Doesn't say much for the fairness of a system. I see your point about the small villages, and you're right about business...it can't survive without profit. I live in an area where salaries are depressed and most people are looking to buy as much as they can for as little as possible. But then that's always the case, isn't it?

Originally Posted by kgcole

Most people are looking to buy as much as they can for as little as possible. But then that's always the case, isn't it?

I'm sure it is. Always and everywhere. And the same at every level of the society in a way.

Btw, I have a question to you. Did you watch the video at

Test to work in Russia

The first sentence is “… started work around 6AM”. What would you say when speaking about yourself, let’s say, to your sister? Would it be I started work at 6AM or at 6 o’clock in the morning or at 6 in the morning? I mean if you had to indicate it was in the morning. 6AM seems too official to me as for speaking to one’s people.

It amuses me greatly to watch 0:48 – 0:50, when the officer speaks in a insincerely kind tone: “Заявление. Спасибо.” I bet he never speaks like that at work. He would never use this tone and he would never say спасибо in this situation. He just knows he is being filmed. How sad.

Originally Posted by Lena

I'm sure it is. Always and everywhere. And the same at every level of the society in a way.

Btw, I have a question to you. Did you watch the video at

Test to work in Russia

The first sentence is “… started work around 6AM”. What would you say when speaking about yourself, let’s say, to your sister? Would it be I started work at 6AM or at 6 o’clock in the morning or at 6 in the morning? I mean if you had to indicate it was in the morning. 6AM seems too official to me as for speaking to one’s people.

It amuses me greatly to watch 0:48 – 0:50, when the officer speaks in a insincerely kind tone: “Заявление. Спасибо.” I bet he never speaks like that at work. He would never use this tone and he would never say спасибо in this situation. He just knows he is being filmed. How sad.

hmm, I imagine the situation dictates how time would be said. On a newscast like that, it would be expected they would say, "...started work at 6AM". But you're right, if I were talking to my sister I'd probably say, "I started work at 6," or "I started work at 6 in the morning." It depends on whether it's definitely known what time of the day you're talking about. I might also say, "I started this morning at 6."

I suppose we all act differently when we know we're being filmed. It's a natural tendency.

Originally Posted by kgcole

I suppose we all act differently when we know we're being filmed. It's a natural tendency.

I agree, differently, but not absolutely differently. First, he would never thank anyone from this crowd, people who have been waiting at least an hour in the line, people who so greatly depend on his favorable decision. Never. And second, you just cannot estimate his fake tone. Only listen how he sings the word заявление. He is obviously overdoing it for this only reason that he never in his life thanked anyone for handing an application form over him.

I know all those officials, I remember very well how my daughter was spoken to when she was applying for her foreign passport after spending about six hours in the line. I also remember well how I was spoken to in the American embassy. I came there after my daughter had spent more than four hours there and I couldn’t get in touch with her because visitors are forbidden to have cellphones about them. I only asked a guard if it is possible to be interviewed for such a long time. He replied that everything is possible and immediately told me to leave the building in a rude manner before I opened my mouth in order to ask another question. When I lingered for five more seconds just standing and doubting if she was still inside, he asked loudly if I had heard his order well. And so on and so on. I can hardly remember facing anything different from sheer indifference and hostility with government bodies.

I’m afraid you just cannot imagine this living in absolutely different world. But this is the way things are both in Ukraine and Russia. I just feel the officer’s hypocricy with my skin.

Originally Posted by Lena

I agree, differently, but not absolutely differently. First, he would never thank anyone from this crowd, people who have been waiting at least an hour in the line, people who so greatly depend on his favorable decision. Never. And second, you just cannot estimate his fake tone. Only listen how he sings the word заявление. He is obviously overdoing it for this only reason that he never in his life thanked anyone for handing an application form over him.

I know all those officials, I remember very well how my daughter was spoken to when she was applying for her foreign passport after spending about six hours in the line. I also remember well how I was spoken to in the American embassy. I came there after my daughter had spent more than four hours there and I couldn’t get in touch with her because visitors are forbidden to have cellphones about them. I only asked a guard if it is possible to be interviewed for such a long time. He replied that everything is possible and immediately told me to leave the building in a rude manner before I opened my mouth in order to ask another question. When I lingered for five more seconds just standing and doubting if she was still inside, he asked loudly if I had heard his order well. And so on and so on. I can hardly remember facing anything different from sheer indifference and hostility with government bodies.

I’m afraid you just cannot imagine this living in absolutely different world. But this is the way things are both in Ukraine and Russia. I just feel the officer’s hypocricy with my skin.

Well, it's no excuse, but government workers of most any country tend to be short-tempered because of the volume of people they deal with, and the repititiousness of their work. I myself became irritable with the retail business scene because of the incessant and obtrusive demands of the public. I've since mellowed quite a bit, but I know how great numbers of people crowding in on your work can make one feel...lol. I can only imagine how it would be in an office dedicated to visa/passport processing. It doesn't surprise me, your story concerning your daughter.