Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.
My husband, he’s a comedy writer, and he’s constantly stunned by what I don’t know, what I missed out on. He’s like, “What were you doing during your teen years?”
—Actress Ellie Kemper, speaking about not being familiar with pop culture (npr.org)
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
not be able to do something; not be aware of something
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
What is the most important holiday in your country? Almost everyone looks forward to celebrating holidays with their family and friends. However, sometimes it is hard to make it. Imagine this: You are studying abroad during the biggest holiday in your country. You can Skype with your family, but you can’t interrupt your studies to go visit them. You will miss out on the celebration back home. How do you feel?
We use the expression miss out or miss out on to talk about not being able to do something or not being aware of something. You could miss out on going to a concert because you can’t afford it. You could also miss out on a certain element of pop culture because you weren’t paying attention. For example, maybe, you didn’t watch the Grammys, so you don’t understand all the gossip at the office the next day! Actress Ellie Kemper didn’t pay very much attention to pop culture when she was a teenager. Her husband is surprised by how much she missed out on.
Do you pay attention to pop culture?
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“I hate to miss out on the party, but I will be on vacation.”
“I really missed out on the music scene in the 90s. I was too young to pay attention to what was popular.”
“I’m really upset that I have to miss out on your wedding! I can’t afford to buy a plane ticket.”