English in a Minute: Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

Welcome to English in a Minute! From home!
Desperate can mean things are very bad or very difficult.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

J: What in the world are you doing?
A: Jonathan, I’m playing Connect Four and it’s close.
J: Isn’t that for two players?
A: Yes. But I’m alone. So, I have to play against myself.
J: Wow. Well, I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.
A: Hey! I won! And I lost.

In difficult times, we do things we probably wouldn’t have to do in normal times. The phrase “desperate times call for desperate measures” is a way of expressing this. Just to be clear – playing Connect Four by yourself is a little desperate.
And that’s English is a Minute!
Originally published at - https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a...