Episode 94 - Father Christmas's Fake Beard - Analysis and Vocabulary

Yesterday we read Terry Pratchett's Christmas story 'Father Christmas's Fake Beard.'  Today we will review some of the phrases and grammar from the story. In this story we had quite a lot of euphemisms for things, that is phrases that mean something else. In addition, a surprising amount of the vocabulary is very relevant to work life and especially HR related things! Today we'll find out what 'helping the police with their enquiries' really means. Why Father Christmas using a little too much of his own discretion is a problem, and why 'blowing someone away' is bad...but weirdly 'I'm blown away' is good! It means 'I'm impressed.'  I hope you had fun listening yesterday. Remember, you can always watch again on YouTube with subtitles.  Next week we have one more reading before Christmas. This time we're going for something much more challenging, and much more traditional, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (don't worry, I'm not reading the whole thing!) Vocabulary 'Mr Keg Trumpet, who normally plays Father Christmas in our seasonal Grotto, is currently helping the police with their enquiries into why 150 video recorders were found in his allotment shed.' Allotment - an area of ground owned by the local council and leased in small areas to local residents so they can grow their own food. 'Helping the police with their enquiries' - euphemism for 'is in trouble' and 'has probably been arrested' 'That leaves us very short-handed in the Father Christmas area.' Short-handed - when we don't have enough people to help us, usually when people can't come to work or we can't get enough employees. 'I have engaged him to start on Monday.' - 'engaged' in this case means 'employed'. Discretionary - it's your choice, it's up to you Commercial Considerations - euphemism for 'we need to think about and focus on making money' My Little Maddened Polecat Dressing Table - this is likely a play on the idea of 'My Little Pony' and all the different My Little Pony toys you can get. To give in her notice - to resign Ushering - to show someone the way Loony - casual British insult, meaning 'crazy' Blow someone away - euphemism for 'kill someone' usually with a gun. Commonly used in Hollywood movies such as Die Hard. There is another meaning (of course there is) 'I'm blown away' means I'm very impressed.🙄 He's definitely up to no good. - Commonly used when we don't trust someone and we've already decided they must be trouble. Someone is pinching tools - pinching means stealing UK- Lift USA - Elevator 'He was last picked up by Air Traffic Control' - phrasal verb - picked up usually means literally to take someone our car or to lift something, but in this case it means 'seen' or 'noticed' by Air Traffic Control on their equipment. 'I, of course, agree with you that the whole matter had better be forgotten since it clearly could not have happened. Anyway, Mr Chan, now thinks he is a teapot.' - Nobody want's to believe the truth, so they are agreeing to pretend none of it happened. Seeing the whole 'escape of Father Christmas and his reindeer' has already made Mr Chan lose his mind. Additional Vocabulary That gives us a tip - gives us a clue or idea 'HR Okay' way - A way that you won't get into trouble for saying something Personnel Manager - HR Manager Double yellow lines - a traffic signal painted at the side of the road in the UK to tell us that nobody should park here. In America they put double yellow lines in the middle of the road when you shouldn't overtake someone. Helpful. Baffling - very confusing Picked up by the police - arrested or at least taken to the Police Station for questioning. Too far gone - phrase meaning someone is already too crazy to save