Fashion and Shopping (5)
And the associated rise of consumer capitalism
is an example of a truism - something that is obviously true and generally accepted by all.
That's all for now. Join us again next time for more topical
discussion and vocabulary. Bye for now!
Bye bye!
Hello. Welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Rob.
And hello, I'm Neil.
Now, Neil, how do you feel about surf and turf?
Surf and turf? Love it. What's not to love? Some lobster,
a juicy steak – fries on the side. Mmm, delicious.
Ah, you know what you've done there?
No, do tell.
You've got completely the wrong end of the stick.
I said steak, not stick – a juicy steak.
No! Wrong end of the stick. You misunderstood me.
I'm not talking about the surf and turf meal, but the online shopping habit of surfing and turfing.
Oh, my bad – but to be fair, this is quite a new use of this expression, isn't it?
Yes, it is. Now, you probably know that 'surfing' is a verb we use for looking at things on the
internet. Surf and turf refers to when we go to an online store, select lots of things for
our virtual shopping basket but when we get to the checkout, which is the place where we pay
for our shopping, we don't actually complete the purchase. We turf out the basket. We abandon it.
To turf something out is a phrasal verb for 'throwing something out'. Although it's normally
used about people – for example, someone who is behaving badly might be turfed out of a club.
Indeed. Well, I'm sure I'll get turfed out of the presenter's union
if I don't get to today's quiz question. According to recent research,
which items are the most likely to be surfed and turfed? Is it:
a) Books
b) Watches
c) Women's knitwear
What do you think, Neil?
Right, I think... I'm also certain it's a) books.
Well, we'll find out if you're right later in the programme. Now, this research also revealed that
approximately 40% of people have abandoned an online shopping basket in the last year.
And it was calculated that this meant there
was approximately 18 billion pounds worth of lost sales.
I have to say, I'm a bit sceptical about that figure. I don't trust it. We don't always intend
to buy everything we put in our baskets. It's a bit like window shopping. We just browse and
find it convenient to put things in our basket to think about later. Have you ever done that?
Sure. It's a bit like browsing in a shop, isn't it – except you can save
items you are interested in to look at later. You might also make a basket in one online store,
then go to another to see if you can get the same or similar items cheaper there. So I agree:
I don't think that the figure of 18 billion represents a total. Some of that was never
intended to be spent – and some would have gone to other stores.
But there are other reasons we don't complete our purchases. For some it's finding out at
the end that there will be a high delivery cost or that paying is very complicated.
Yes, I agree with that. That's so annoying.
You spend time collecting all the things in the basket, then find you have to create an account,
or you can't use your favourite payment method, or have to pay more to use a credit card and you
have to fill out so many details. Sometimes you get so frustrated that you just give up.
Exactly, and this is a subject that retail expert Clare Bailey discussed
in the BBC programme You and Yours. She talks about retailers,
which are the businesses that sell things. What does she say 70% of retailers hadn't done?
We found that something over 70% of the retailers hadn't invested in the payment process
in the last two years, so the technology is really out of date – whereas they have
potentially invested in getting us to that page and then they fell foul.
70% of retailers hadn't invested in the payment process.
They hadn't changed the way people pay online for at least two years.
Because online technology develops so quickly, that means that their systems are
out of date. Something that is out of date is too old, it's no longer suitable.
She says that companies invest in the shopping experience of their sites but have ignored the
checkout process. This is where they fall foul. This is where they make a mistake and get into
trouble – where they can lose customers. Right, before we fall foul of the listener,
let's have the answer to the quiz. I asked you which items were the most commonly abandoned
at the virtual checkout. Was it books, watches or women's knitwear? So Neil, what did you say?
I'm pretty certain it's books.
The answer was actually women's knitwear. Not books, as you thought.
Ah well, I can't be right all the time.
Some of the time would be nice. Anyway, let's have a look at today's vocabulary.
First surf and turf is an expression for online shopping
without the actual shopping. You put items in your basket but never actually buy them.
It's also a delicious meal of seafood and red meat.
Not if you're a vegetarian, Neil.
Ah, good point, good point.
The verb to turf out means 'to remove someone from a place or organisation,
possibly because they've broken the rules or behaved badly'.
For example, if we don't finish the programme on time we might be turfed out of this studio.
The place where you pay for your shopping, either in a real shop or online is the checkout.
That can be a verb as well as a noun: you check out at the checkout.
The businesses that sell you things are retailers.
And with hope they don't sell you things that are out of date
because that would mean they are past their best; too old to be suitable.
And finally there was to fall foul of something or someone, which is 'to make a mistake and get
into trouble with someone'. And as we don't want to fall foul of the next team who need
to use this studio, it's just time for us to say goodbye and to remind you to join us again
for 6 Minute English next time - and if you can't wait, you can always catch us on Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and our website bbclearningenglish.com where you can find lots
of useful audio and video programmes to help you improve your English. That's all for now. Bye bye!
Goodbye!
Welcome to 6 Minute English, the programme where we explore an interesting topic and bring
you some useful items of vocabulary. I'm Rob. And I'm Neil. And today we are discussing manbags.
Yes, manbags - they are the height of fashion at
the moment – a stylish accessory that modern men are carrying. An accessory
is an additional item added to something to make it more useful or attractive.
I'm not so sure Rob. I mean, I wouldn't be seen dead carrying a manbag!
Really! So what do you carry your lose change, your credit cards, tickets and mobile phone in?
I just stuff everything in my pockets Rob – it's better than being a laughing stock,
carrying a handbag around!
By laughing stock you mean everyone thinking of you as silly – but you
wouldn't be because it's a manbag Neil – not a woman's handbag.
Maybe I can convince you to change your mind by the end of the programme. But now let's not
forget to ask you today's question… Is it about manbags by any chance?
It is so it might be tricky for you to answer! According to market research company Mintel,
how many men bought a manbag in the UK last year? Was it…
a) 5% b) 15%
c) 25%
Well obviously not many, so I'm going to say 5%. And I'm not one of them!
OK, you've made that very clear! We'll find out the answer at the end of the programme
anyway. Now let's talk more about manbags. For hundreds of years women have carried
their possessions around in handbags, so why can't a man do the same with a manbag?
Maybe it's the name. Why can't it just be a bag? Why does a bag have to have a gender?
It's a trend Neil – a stylish fashion item designed to look good on men. Many big names have
flocked to adopt the trend. Pharrell Williams, David Beckham and Kanye West, are just some
of those who've been spotted rocking a manbag. Rocking is an informal way of saying 'wearing'.
But what's wrong with a sturdy briefcase – sturdy
means strong and not easily damaged. Are you saying manbags are just fashionable?
No, they're practical too. We've always needed bags to carry stuff around
but what we carry these days has changed – you know laptops,
mobiles, even our lunch – so why not have a trendy looking bag to carry these things around in?
I think part of the problem is carrying one is not seem as very a British by some
people. We're not always as stylish as some of our European neighbours, are we?
Well, speak for yourself! But Nick Carvell, GQ Contributing Fashion Editor has a reason for this.
Here he is speaking on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme…
In Britain we are still very tied up with that idea of masculinity that is
almost so fragile that it can be dented by carrying a bag.
We think a lot about that in this country in a way that I don't think a lot of European men do.
So Nick feels some British men are still tied up with the idea of
masculinity – these are the characteristics traditionally thought to be typical of men.
And for us British men, these characteristics are fragile – they can be easily broken.
Yes, we can also call it manliness – things like not crying during a sad film. It's a slightly
old-fashion idea but it could still be dented – or affected – if a man was caught carrying a manbag.
Whereas some European men don't give it a lot of thought, according to Nick Carvell.
But with people like Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Gucci and Dolce and Gabbana designing these bags,
they're bound to have a hefty price tag – that's an informal way of saying a high price.
Well fashion comes at a price Neil – you need to shake off your inhibitions – that's
a feeling of embarrassment that stops you from doing something.
And if you really want to be on trend you could also splash out on a 'murse'
that's a man's purse, or a 'mote' – a man's tote bag? Have I convinced you?
No, not really Rob. I have a feeling that a manbag by any other name is, well,
a bag – and I have one - my trusty backpack.
Well for some people, manbags are the thing – but, as I asked earlier, according to market
research company Mintel, how many men actually bought a manbag in the UK last year? Was it…
a) 5%
b) 15% c) 25%
And I said a) 5%. Come on, I must have been right!
You were wrong Neil. The answer was actually 15%.
And nearly a quarter of 16-34 year olds have bought one.
Well as I say Rob, a good practical backpack is for me. But now shall we unpack some of the
vocabulary we've discussed today. Starting with 'accessory' which is an additional item added to
something to make it more useful or attractive. "A tie is a smart accessory to wear with a suit."
Maybe, but you wouldn't catch me wearing a suit in my media job – it's all
t-shirts and jeans for us! If I came to work in a suit I would be
a 'laughing stock' – I mean, I would be seen as someone who people think of as silly.
