News
Is it OK to ask awkward questions at the dinner table? Beth and Neil discuss chatting at meal times and teach you some useful vocabulary.
In 2016, a couple from won the world record for the fastest time to set a dinner table. But, how long did it take them?
a) 25 secondsb) 1 minute 5 secondsc) 2 minutes 5 seconds
Listen to the programme to hear the answer.
open upspeak more easily than usual, particularly about worries and problems
the … one e.g. the funny one, the wise onea label for a person describing a particular prominent characteristic they have
a pinch of saltdon't believe everything you're told
children should be seen and not heardan old-fashioned phrase meaning children should be quiet and behave well
a mixed bagsomething that has good and bad aspects
culture shockan uncertain feeling when in a new and different environment
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.
NeilHello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.
BethAnd I’m Beth.
NeilIn this programme, we’ll be discussing the dinner table – but we’re not interested in food. We’re talking about… talking!
BethA lot can happen around the dinner table – gossip, arguments. You might meet the love of your life on a blind dinner date or find out you're a great storyteller. Neil, when you were younger, did you eat with your family around a dinner table?
NeilWe did! Eating at the table was an important ritual. It was something we did every day and, quite often, it was the only time we could get together and chat. I think there's something very comforting about eating good food and being with the people you're closest to and now I do the same with my own family. The kids are more likely to open up, talk more easily, about their day or something troubling them while we're eating.
BethWell, the dinner table is a space that families across the world get together at to not only eat, but chat, and is often the only point in the day or week that the whole family gathers together. In this programme, we’ll be discussing how people behave at the table, and, of course, we’ll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.
NeilBut first I have a question for you, Beth. In 2016, a couple from won the world record for the fastest time to set a dinner table. But, how long did it take them? Was it:
BethSurely not 25 seconds! I'll guess 1 minute 5 seconds.
NeilOK, Beth, I'll reveal the answer later in the programme. Now, while eating with a group, you might feel that you need to act in a certain way because of the people around you. Philippa Perry, a psychotherapist and author, thinks we should try to be ourselves as much as possible, as she told BBC World Service programme, The Food Chain:
Philippa PerryIn any group we find a role and, if we're only in one group, if we're only ever with our family, we might think, 'oh, I'm the funny one', 'he's the wise one'. We might think that's who we are. And then we go to another group and then we find, 'oh, I'm the wise one'. And I think if you feel like you're assigned a role in your family, I just think take that with a little bit of a pinch of salt.
BethWhen you spend time with the same group of people, you might start to think of yourself as 'the funny one' or 'the wise one'. When we say 'the … one', we describe a person by using a particular and prominent characteristic they have. If you're very tall, you might be 'the tall one'.
NeilHowever, Philippa says we should take these labels with a pinch of salt – an idiom meaning you shouldn't believe or do everything you are told or that's expected of you.
BethNow, over time, interactions at the dinner table have changed. In the past, children were sometimes seated on a different table to adults or told they should be seen and not heard, an old-fashioned phrase emphasising that children should be quiet and always on their best behaviour. Ambreia Meadows-Fernandez, a writer and founder of Free Black Motherhood, spoke about older generations’ reactions to children asking awkward questions at the dinner table to BBC World Service programme, The Food Chain:
Ambreia Meadows-FernandezSo, it's a mixed bag. It's overwhelmingly positive, but I also know that it is kind of a bit of culture shock for them to hear my children ask what they ask because our children haven't really been raised with that line of demarcation between the adult table and the kid table.
BethAmbreia says that the older generation's reactions to her children's questions at the table can be a mixed bag. A mixed bag is a situation that can have positive and negative aspects. She also says that it's a culture shock for them – a sense of feeling uncertain because you're in a different environment to usual.
NeilOK, Beth. I think it’s time I revealed the answer to my question. I asked you what the world record is for the fastest time to set a dinner table.
BethAnd I said it was 1 minute 5 seconds.
NeilAnd that was… the right answer! That's not very long, is it? OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned from this programme, starting with open up – a phrasal verb meaning speak more easily than usual, particularly about worries or problems.
BethIf someone is 'the funny one' or 'the wise one', they are labelled by that particular characteristic.
NeilTo take something with a pinch of salt means you shouldn't believe everything you're told.
BethChildren should be seen and not heard is an old-fashioned phrase that means children should be quiet and behave well.
NeilA mixed bag means something has both positive and negative aspects.
BethAnd finally, a culture shock is an uncertain feeling because you're in a new environment. Once again our six minutes are up. us again soon for more useful vocabulary, here at 6 Minute English! Goodbye for now!
NeilBye!
Have you ever been embarrassed to go to the doctor?
Have you ever phoned up a company and had your call held in a queue? Could AI make this less painful?
Is making new ‘mum friends’ the positive experience it’s often described as?
Are DNA ancestry tests a reliable way to trace your ancestry?
What do babies need to learn to do to be able to talk?
How can we stay healthy in old age?
Are the stereotypes about older and younger sisters true?
What is acne and how can it affect someone's confidence?
Why is it so important to get a good night's sleep?
How is divorce talked about in different countries?
Technology is always changing! Or is it...?
Did Taylor Swift move the Earth?
What makes us like the flavours we like?
Would you find it different to adapt to a new food culture?
How do farmers in the driest place on Earth manage to grow crops? With this solution!
Should we stop under 14s having phones?
Why do we need to reduce our salt intake?
Would you like to be a chocolate maker, like Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka?
Warning! This episode might make you very hungry...
What are young people's thoughts on climate change?
Do you your childhood birthday cakes?
What's really happening in our brain when we fall in love?
Could AI reduce the need for animal testing?
Why is it better to read from a book than a screen?
What happens when you put the kids in charge of the school?
Learn to speak to yourself in the way that toddlers do!
How can literacy change people's lives?
How can buildings made from wood help our mental health?
Could our name have painful baggage?
Could E-rickshaws give us cleaner air?
Is it OK to be older parents?
How was bubble tea invented?
Is it always negative to keep a secret?
Could bitter foods be better for your health?
What do you talk about while having dinner?
Is it OK to eat unhealthy food during pregnancy?
Do you love to dance?
Are nudges good or bad?
Could sitting be damaging to our health?
Could it be best to be the underdog?
Learn about the people who are making it easier for disabled musicians and music fans to perform and see live music
What makes a library a library?
Period poverty affects over 500 million people worldwide. How can a volunteer project help?
Plastics can be difficult to recycle. Could a recently discovered enzyme help?
Food is fuel for our brains. So, what should we be eating?
Having a baby is exhausting! What do mothers need to eat after giving birth?
Hear how a project in the Netherlands is helping in the fight against loneliness
Is AI going to take away your job?
Why is the language used on menus important?
Is it ever OK to be greedy?
Are we addicted to sugar?
Are you a dog or a cat person?
For a better experience please enable Javascript in your browser
