mean streak: meaning and explanation
If someone has a mean streak or a nasty streak, it means that there is an unpleasant or unfriendly aspect to their personality.
In general they could be quite friendly, but at times they have a tendency to be unkind or horrible. e.g. He was a lovely child, but unfortunately he has developed a bit of a mean streak since becoming a teenager.
We can adapt this phrase for other aspects of someone’s personality – usually negative ones (e.g. a competitive streak, a stubborn streak). e.g. I try and avoid playing board games. I’ve got a real competitive streak and I can become quite unpleasant.
Have a go at these micro-dictation exercises to hear this expression being used in context – how much can you understand?
Listening exercises
Micro-listening #1
Accent: Northern England
About the sentence
…he’s also got a bit of a mean streak…
Notice the pronunciation of ‘got’ – the ‘t’ sound is ‘dropped’ and pronounced as a ‘glottal stop’ which can make the word hard to identify. If you’re interested in what people think about the glottal stop and why it is often (unfairly) criticised, have a look at this article.
Micro-listening #2
Accent: Ireland
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