Transcript of AE 1405 - Expression: Blind Freddy Could See That

You ever hear someone point out something so obvious you almost want to stop them mid-sentence? Like when a mate says, "Reckon it's gonna rain today?" While you're both standing there in a downpour? Well, someone whispers, "I think the boss is in a bad mood" right after the boss has slammed the door and sworn at the printer.

It's not a secret. It's not clever. It's staring everyone right in the face. And in Australia, we've got a classic expression for moments just like that. One that means "this is so obvious". Literally anyone could see it. Today you're going to learn exactly what that expression is. Let's go.

G'day you mob. Welcome to Aussie English. I'm your host, Pete. And my objective here is to teach you guys the English spoken Down Under. So whether you want to sound like a fair dinkum Aussie or you just want to understand what the flippin' hell we're on about when we're having a yarn, you've come to the right place. So sit back, grab a cuppa and enjoy Aussie English. Let's go!

G'day you mob. Welcome back to Aussie English. I am your host, Pete. And the Aussie English Podcast is the number one place for anyone and everyone wanting to learn Australian English. So today's expression is "Blind Freddy could see that". I wonder if you've heard this: "Even Blind Freddy could see that!"

Before we get into it, guys, don't forget that there is a free PDF that you can download. The link will be in the description. Or obviously if you go to the website and type in this episode's number and name, you will be able to find the button to click to get that free PDF.

You will learn the vocab in the lesson. You'll see the pronunciation, exercise and the meaning of the expression, everything like that.

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So what have I been up to today? Oh I mean I've just been playing a bit of Tool. I don't know if you guys know the band Tool. It's one of my favourite bands and I've been learning the songs on guitar called Invincible and Pneuma. Those are two of my favourite songs on their latest album.

So yeah, if you're a fan of Tool, hat's off to you mate. I am a huge fan of Tool. Absolutely love that band.

So I was playing some of those tunes, putting up with the cats in the background. I've got two cats, as you probably know, Peaches and Scrappy, and Peaches always makes a lot of noise about this time in the morning because she wants to be fed. Uh, yeah. So I'm sitting there trying to play Tool, listening to my cat miaow in the background. That's what I've been up to.

And obviously I just got home, I don't know, half an hour ago from dropping the kids off at school. So it's been it's been fun. My, my daughter has just started Prep. She's in Prep the very first year of primary school and is still adjusting to that. But she'll find her feet, she'll adjust sooner or later and become comfortable with it.

And my son has hit his stride and is enjoying life in Grade One, so it's cool to see those guys growing up so fast. It's such a cliche though, right, to think about your kids and say, Oh man, they're growing up so fast. You know, when you're growing up.

When I was growing up as a kid, you hear that all the time and you're sort of like, is it that fast, though? It feels like it takes a long time as a kid to get older. But then once you're. I don't know. In your 30s and your 40s, you're sort of like, man, time flies by. It just doesn't stop.

Anyway, smack the bird, guys. Get that kookaburra laughing. And let's get into today's joke. Okay, so I tried to tie it in with the expression "blind Freddy could see that". So listen, here's the joke. Here's the joke. Are you ready? Buckle in. It's going to be a pisser. It's going to be funny. Prepare to laugh. Okay, so here it is.

"Why did the blind man fall into a well?" Hmm. "Why did the blind man fall into a well?"

"Because he couldn't see that well!"

Do you get it? "He couldn't see that well." So. Ah, the joke works because it's got a double meaning, right, a pun.

"See that well", the phrase there, the pun is on that. It can mean obviously, if you can see that, well, you can see clearly you've got really good vision.

But in this case, he couldn't see that "well" because he was unable to see the physical. "Well", the hole in the ground that has water at the bottom of it, right. He couldn't see that "well", he couldn't see that "well". So there's the joke.

"Why did the blind man fall into the well?" "Because he couldn't see that well." Oh, okay. Moving along!

[That was good, wasn't it? It was good for a bit of a giggle anyway.].

So let's get into the words. In the expression, "blind Freddy could see that". "Blind Freddy could see that".

So, "blind". "Blind" is an adjective meaning unable to see. Used figuratively here to mean lacking sight. Not intelligent, okay. So like "He's blind to the obvious problems." "He's blind to those problems." He's "blind".

"Freddy" here is just a name, right? A generic fictional name representing any person at all, right. Any person. "Ask Freddy down the road." "Freddy" So it's just a way that Australians can sort of be humorous in how they speak, talking about a random person. Okay, so "blind Freddy", a random person who can't see.

"Could". "Could" is a modal verb past of "can", in this case, and expresses ability, possibility, or permission. Often used in a conditional or past ability. Sort of examples. "She could find the work if she tried, but at the moment she's not trying."

"See". "See" is a verb, right, to perceive with the eyes. Also used figuratively to mean to understand. "I can see the mountains from here." Or you could say. "I can see what you mean", right. I can understand what you mean.

And lastly, "that". "That is" a conjunction, determiner or pronoun, depending on the use in the sentence. So as a conjunction it can introduce a clause. "I can see that he's tired." As a determiner, it refers to a specific thing. "That's my dog." And as a pronoun, it refers back to something mentioned. "Yeah, I know that, I know that." Okay. So there's many different uses of it.

Okay. So the expression "blind Freddy could see that". I wonder if you understand it now.

It's a fictional person named Freddy who supposedly can't see. Yet even he recognises what's happening, right. So figuratively, we use it to suggest that a situation is stupidly obvious. It's, it's so obvious that that's the case. It doesn't need explaining. Like, "Come on, dude, everyone can see that's the case. You don't need to be a genius to know that this is the situation." Okay?

The expression isn't really about eyesight. It's about clarity. It means the signs are very clear. The evidence is there, and everyone already understands what's going on. Right? "Blind Freddy could see that, mate." "Blind Freddy could see that."

So the origin of this expression. I tried to dig into this a little bit. The expression "blind Freddy could see that" is uniquely Australian and dates back to the 20th century, right so, in the 1900s.

It comes from older English patterns. Like "even a blind man could see that", or "anyone with half an eye". That's an interesting one.

Over time, Australians shortened and personified the idea into a fictional character, "Freddy", as a humorous stand in for anyone at all.

Okay, "blind Freddy could see that". The phrase became especially common in mid-20th century Australian newspapers, radio and everyday speech, often used to mock obvious truths or political realities.

Unlike many idioms, there is no real historical Freddy. He's entirely symbolic. Okay, "blind Freddy" is just an Aussie invention, meaning this is painfully obvious. "Blind Freddy could see that."

So let's go through some example situations, some scenarios of how you could use this expression in everyday English.

So imagine an office where a project is clearly behind schedule. Deadlines are missed, emails go unanswered. Everyone's stressed. During a meeting, someone finally says, "I think this project might be running late." The room goes silent. A co-worker mutters, "Well, blind Freddy could see that." Because at this point the problem isn't hidden. It's been obvious for weeks, okay. "Blind Freddy could see that, mate."

Example number two. Picture a friend describing their relationship. They argue constantly. They don't spend time together with their, their boyfriend or girlfriend, or husband or wife. They complain about each other non-stop. Then the friend sighs and says, "I'm not sure if things are really working, mate." And another friend just shakes his head and says, "Mate, blind Freddy could see that." "Blind Freddy- anyone could see that. That's super obvious. Blind Freddy could see that." Not cruel, just honest.

Example number three. Imagine a footy team that hasn't won a game all season. Same mistakes every week. Same problems and same results. A commentator might say something like, "Man, they're struggling to find form this week!" And someone watching the TV at home might say, "Yeah, blind Freddy could see that!" "Blind Freddy could see that, mate! These guys have been terrible for the whole season." They've been awful the whole time. They haven't won anything. They've won Buckleys. They've done nothing. They've been awful atrocious. "Blind Freddy could see that." "Blind Freddy could see that."

And a last little example here, guys. A fourth bonus example today. Picture someone standing outside without an umbrella soaked from head to toe, you know, completely drenched in water. They look up at the sky and say, "Man, you reckon it's raining?" And a mate might laugh and say, "Blind Freddy could see that!" The expression isn't rude. It's just perfectly timed humour. Okay. "Blind Freddy could see that."

So hopefully now you understand the expression "blind Freddy could see that." We say that when something is super obvious, no one needs to mention it. It's like, dude, it goes without saying. "You don't need to say it. You don't need to point it out. You don't need to mention it. It's obvious. Blind Freddy could see that."

[Would you like a car-donay, Kylie? No, Kim, it's not hard. No. The correct pronunciation is chardonnay. Mum! It's French, the H is silent! Back me up here, Kylie!]

All right, guys, now let's get into a speaking exercise where you can work on your Australian pronunciation, your Australian accent.

Okay, as I always say, if you're working on a different accent, just use the phrases that I say to prompt you to say the same thing in the accent that you're targeting.

But if, like the majority of you, I assume are learning the Australian accent and wanting to sound more Australian, when you speak English, try and say things exactly as I do after me.

So today we're going to conjugate through the sentence. "I reckon even Blind Freddy could see that." "You reckon", "he reckons", "she reckons." Okay. We're going to go through all of those. So listen and repeat after me. Let's go.

I reckon even blind Freddy could see that.

You reckon even blind Freddy could see that?

He reckons even blind Freddy could see that.

She reckons even blind Freddy could see that.

We reckon even blind Freddy could see that.

They reckon even Blind Freddy could see that.

It reckons even Blind Freddy could see that.

Great job. So I know it was a bit of a long sentence today.

So today I want to talk a little bit about how we reduce modal verbs. So how we give the schwa vowel sound to modal verbs like 'could', 'would', 'should'.

Quite often within sentences when said quickly, these are reduced. So instead of the vowel sound "oo", you'll instead hear /ə/ okay.

So for example, when I say "I reckon even Blind Freddy could see that", I'm pronouncing, "oo", that "oo" vowel sound in the word "could" really clearly.

But if speaking normally, I would say "I reckon even Blind Freddy could see that", /kəd siː ðæt/, /kəd siː ðæt/.

Can you hear how it sort of disappears from being "oo" "oo" "oo", a very clear "oo", to almost a tiny little /ə/, right. So you'll hear instead of "cood", /kəd/, /kəd/, /kəd/. So you hear /kəd siː ðæt/.

Yeah, it's almost even less, right? /kəd siː ðæt/ /kəd/, /kəd/, /kəd/, /kəd siː ðæt/.

"I reckon even Blind Freddy could see that."

/kəd siː ðæt/, /kəd siː ðæt/.

So that's just something to notice. Quite often we will reduce modal verbs like 'could', 'would' and 'should', when these are within longer sentences, right. If I just said "I could" and that was the sentence, or "I would", "I should", I will say it clearly. It would sound weird to say /aɪ kəd/.

But when there's words after it, when there's a primary verb that comes after that modal, like "see", in this case, you can kind of skip over the modal or auxiliary verbs quickly by reducing them, giving them a schwa sound. "/kəd/ see", "/kəd/ think", "/kəd/ know"

/kəd/ /kəd/ /kəd/ /kəd/ /kəd/

And don't forget guys, if you want to work on your Australian pronunciation, check out my Australian pronunciation course at AussieEnglish.com.au/apc100.

The link will be in the description when you sign up to that. If you use that link, you'll save 100 bucks, so you'll save a third of the price of the course.

Inside the course, you will learn how to use the International Phonetic Alphabet to work on pronunciation by yourself, and level up quickly and easily. In the second section, you will go through all the different vowels and consonant sounds in Australian English. I think there's about 60 or more lessons in there to cover every single one of those sounds in depth. You don't have to do every single one, but you can focus on the ones you're having trouble with.

And then in the third section, there's 25 advanced lessons teaching you things like connected speech, reductions, consonant clusters, syllabic N, syllabic L sounds- all the really advanced stuff to have you sounding exactly like an Australian.

So go and check that out at AussieEnglish.com.au/apc100. Link in the description.

Okay, so to finish up today, I found the perfect Aussie fact to mention. And there were two reasons it was perfect. One, the guy was called Fred. And two, he worked on healing the blind. How good is that, right? He was a surgeon who helped people regain eyesight.

So when Australians say "Blind Freddy could see that", it sounds like blindness means missing what's obvious? But here's the irony.

One of Australia's most respected Freddy's spent his entire life doing the exact opposite. His name was Fred Hollows. Fred Hollows was an Australian eye surgeon and humanitarian who dedicated his life to restoring sight, especially for people who had been ignored, overlooked or written off by the rest of the world.

He believed something radical for his time that most blindness wasn't inevitable, it wasn't mysterious, and in many cases it was completely preventable.

Fred worked extensively in remote Indigenous Australian communities, where treatable eye conditions like cataracts and trachoma were leaving people blind. Not because the cures didn't exist, but because no one had bothered to provide them.

To Fred, this wasn't a medical mystery. It was obvious. And that's where the connection to "Blind Freddy" really lands. Fred often said that blindness wasn't just a health issue, it was a social one, a result of poverty, neglect and systems that looked the other way.

In other words, the problem wasn't that people couldn't see. It was that they wouldn't. Fred went on to help establish what became the Fred Hollows Foundation, which continues his work today across dozens of countries, restoring eyesight through simple surgeries, training local doctors and building long term eye care systems.

Thanks to his work, millions of people have had their sight restored, often through procedures that take less than half an hour. So when you think about it, the real message behind "Blind Freddy" lines up beautifully with Fred Hollows life.

The expression is used when something is so obvious it doesn't need explaining. And Fred Hollows spent his life pointing out things that were painfully obvious. The people didn't need to be blind, that the solutions were already there, and that ignoring the problem was the real failure.

In a strange way, Blind Freddy and Fred Hollows are talking about the same thing not eyesight, but honesty and seeing what's right in front of you and refusing to pretend otherwise.

So next time you hear an Aussie say "Blind Freddy could see that", remember this! One of Australia's most famous Freddy's helped the world see what it had been ignoring all along.

So that's it for today's episode guys. I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to download the free PDF. It'll be linked in the description if you want to support the podcast whilst levelling up your English. Check out the premium podcast AussieEnglish.com.au/Podcast.

Again, the link will be in the description. And besides that, I hope you have an absolutely wonderful Sunday and I'll see you next time. Tooroo!

All right, that's it for today. If you found this one helpful, leaving a quick review really does help other learners find the podcast. And if you know someone who's learning Aussie English, feel free to share this episode with them too, mate. Thanks for listening and I'll catch you in the next one.