Hi, I'm Neil and this is Helen.
Hello.
What's wrong Helen? You're looking rather sheepish.
Sheepish? Like a sheep? I know my jumper is quite woolly.
No, I don't mean you look like a sheep. I mean you look sheepish, which is quite different.
Of course, looking like a sheep and looking sheepish are two totally different things, obviously.
Yes. If I say you look like a sheep, it means, well, you look like a sheep.
But if I say you look sheepish, it means you look embarrassed or ashamed about something.
To look sheepish means you look embarrassed or ashamed, like you've done something wrong or silly?
Yes.
Ah, yes.
Listen to some examples.
Tom walked into the room looking sheepish.
Emily grinned sheepishly as she closed the door behind her.
James gave her a sheepish look.
So, come on Helen, why are you looking sheepish today?
Ah, well.
Yes?
Well, you know that book you lent me?
You mean my favourite book of all time, the original edition of The Private lives of the Greatest Cats in History?
Yes.
OK Helen, now you're looking very sheepish indeed, so you'd better hurry up and tell me what happened to it.
I dropped it.
You dropped it? Well I hope it's not damaged, otherwise I'll have to...
In the river.
In the river. You dropped it in the river.
It was carried away, I couldn't get it out.
Oh no.
I'm so sorry. That's why I am looking sheepish.
You should be looking even more sheepish than that. In fact, I expect you to look sheepish for several days.
It was the best book in the world! "Sheepish" doesn't do it justice...