Jumping the Shark
We get a lot of everyday expressions from TV and the television industry. One term that you may hear is to jump the shark. We use this term to talk about something that was once (at one time) good or well-respected taking a swan-dive (going down very quickly) in quality.
The phrase comes from an old TV show called “Happy Days.” The show was on the air (shown) for many years and it was well-liked. However, in one of the last seasons, one of the main characters has to water-ski (wear metal sticks on his feet to ride on the water while a boat is pulling him) and jump over some sharks, some very big and dangerous fish. Most people watching thought it was ridiculous (silly) and a sure sign (indication) of a good TV show taking a swan-dive. That’s why this phenomenon (type of thing) is called “jumping the shark.”
We can use this phrase in other situations, too. For example, an old and respected company that is failing and is trying desperately to get new customers might jump the shark by using a tasteless (using poor judgment; offensive) advertising campaign.
I hope we never jump the shark at ESL Podcast…or have we already?
~ Lucy
October 22nd, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Not at all. All the things you (the whole team) do are great! Nowadays I can see that my English is so much better than before Eslpodcast. I know that there are a lot of things to learn yet, but I’m sure that with your help I’ll learn. So you’ll never need to jump the shark!!!
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:19 pm
ESLPOD team never jumped the shark.. You always did a excellent job. Very useful podcasts and very clean web site without bored advertisements, banners pop-up and so forth!
Thank you!
October 22nd, 2008 at 6:43 pm
you don’t need to worry, Lucy. You’ve been doing great jobs we all enjoy and appreciate. Thanks for your great work.
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I agree with all guys’s opinion, i have learned a lot from your website, and improve a lot and sometimes the phase i used often surpurised my friends. really thanks for your hard work. wish you all best
October 23rd, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Lucy, Lucy….are you cheating us?. It sounds like a joke and sure you know it. To me your work is just the best I have ever seen, and i can
see it day by day, because my Engish is going on as never before it goes.
So, sure you’ll never have the necessity of jumping the Sark (I love this new expressive term to explain a tasteless company behaviour) because you know perfectly well how much your listeners love your esl pod cast.
Nowadays many TV.channels are jumping the shark with so many nasty programs degrading good taste of people, this is the reason I use to listen to Jeff and Lucy (always), reading, listening to the radio, enjoing with music, or doing my favourite task…. looking and witting in this Blog.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Hi Lucy,
If I would tell you, that ‘you are the best’, surely you wouldn’t believe me. But if I would tell you, that ‘you are the best for me’, or in my opinion, or to improve my English, you can be sure that is the absolute truth.
We haven’t met each other, and probably we’ll never see our faces, so I don’t need tell you this, if this wouldn’t be true, at least for me.
I’m sure that ESL Podcast today keep going up, it thanks to you and Jeff and entire your team, so I don’t think that ESL Podcast wants to do ‘jumping the sark’. It Can’t be another way.
So, go ahead please.
P.S. Jeff, you are the best also. Don’t be jealous.
Greetings.
October 26th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Best site ever !!! thank you guys for all of podcasts that i´ve downloaded !!!
October 27th, 2008 at 12:05 am
I like this place, I love it!
October 28th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Of course not.
However, I am thinking about a very new popular American politician. I guess she jumped the shark some weeks ago in a meeting. After November 4th, I hope she is going to come back to Alaska. She took a swam-dive.
Marina