Programme 21: hole-in-the-wall

Profesor David Crystal: Hole-in-the-wall is one of those phrases where you get a lot of words hyphenated, if you write it down: hole-in-the-wall, being used as a single word, as a noun. “I’m going to the hole-in-the-wall” you might say or “I’m getting some money out of the hole-in-the-wall”. Well you can see what it means, it means an automatic cash dispenser – one of those installed in the outside wall of a bank or some other money-giving organisation. It’s British colloquial; it’s not used as far as I know in the States, or in Australia, or anywhere, although I wouldn’t be surprised if it spread a little bit – always written with hyphens. Very unusual to see phrases of this kind and sentences being used in this way, as single words. But if you listen out for them, you’ll find them – especially being used as adjectives. hole-in-the-wall - "díra ve zdi"- bankomat hyphenated word - slovo pospojované pomlčkami to write down - zapsat automatic cash dispenser - bankomat (cash point, ATM) installed - zabudovaný, instalovaný to spread - rozšířit to listen out for - zaměřit se na