Objective Proficiency p 76. Dress for Work. Listening

Listen to the interview and fill in the gaps.

1. A well-known firm of accountants dropped its requirement for staff to wear suits from its ____________.

2. Sue Turner is a senior __________ with a large department store.

3. According to Colin, the company is saying, "Look, guys, we're not ________, we're not stiff"

4. According to Sue, a professional appearance _________________ about the attitude of an individual and that individual's company.

5. Sue doesn't doubt the professional abilities of today's business __________.

6. Colin believes that this laid-back style is becoming more____________ not just in businesses like his, but in more serious enterprises.

7. Colin says that there is a growing ___________ towards men in suits. __________ in suits can damage the environment that commerce is currently trying to ____________.

8. Colin would far rather look and feel _____________________ and open-minded. Being dressed up ______________ doesn't deliver this.

9. He believes business shouldn't be a battle and there can be a thin line between _____________ and ______________.

10. Sue argues that her company sells suits to some of the most _____________ and ______________ individuals anyone could hope to meet- people who would never let themselves be ______________ by a suit.

11. According to Colin, wearing clothes you feel __________ in allows some people to work better.

12. Sue argues that if wearing a smart suit were ______________ to free thought and fresh ideas, we'd have discovered this a little earlier.

KEY

1. dress code

2. buyer.

3. starchy.

Starchy: / ˈstɑːtʃi/ very formal; not friendly or relaxed. Sp. Acartonado, ceremonioso. E.g. My boss has a starchy manner. Museums are trying to shake off their starchy image.

4. speaks volumes.

Speak volumes (about/for something/somebody): to tell you a lot about something/somebody, without the need for words. E.g. His achievement speaks volumes for his determination.What you wear speaks volumes about you.

5. moguls.

Mogul: / ˈməʊɡl/ a very rich, important and powerful person. Magnate / ˈmæɡneɪt/. E.g. A movie mogul. 

6. prevalent.

Prevalent: that exists or is very common at a particular time or in a particular place. Widespread. Common. E.g. a prevalent view. These prejudices are particularly prevalent among people living in the North. The disease is even more prevalent in Latin America.

7. antipathy.

Antipathy: /ænˈtɪpəθi/ a strong feeling of dislike.  E.g. antipathy for/ to/ towards:  She found it hard to hide her antipathy towards her senior colleagues.

chaps

Chap: used to talk about a man in a friendly way. E.g. He isn't such a bad chap really. Come on, chaps, let's go for a drink!

foster

Foster: to encourage something to develop. Encourage, promote. E.g. The club's aim is to foster better relations within the community. 

8. approachable

to the nines

Dressed (up) to the nines: (informal) wearing very elegant or formal clothes.

9. panache

Panache: /pəˈnæʃ/ the quality of being able to do things in a confident and elegant way that other people find attractive. Flair, style. Sp. estilo, garbo, salero. E.g. She carried off the performance with panache.

posturing

Posturing: /ˈpɒstʃərɪŋ/  behaviour that is not natural or sincere but is intended to attract attention or to have a particular effect. Sp. Poses. E.g. political posturing.

10 charismatic

free-spirited

Free-spirited: Independent. If you describe someone as a free spirit, you admire them because they are independent and live as they want to live rather than in a conventional way. Sp. Libre de convencionalismos, espíritu libre. E.g. The Irishman was a free spirit, a wild rover who would not be tied down. One set of parents are uptight and the other set are free spirits.

constrained.

Constrain: /kənˈstreɪn/ to restrict or limit somebody/something. E.g. Research has been constrained by a lack of funds. Men and women are becoming less constrained by stereotyped roles.

11. at ease

Ease: /iːz/the state of feeling relaxed or comfortable without worries, problems or pain. Sp. A gusto. E.g. In his retirement, he lived a life of ease.

12. detrimental

Detrimental: /ˌdetrɪˈmentl/ harmful. Damaging. Sp. Perjudicial. E.g. the sun's detrimental effect on skin. The policy will be detrimental to the peace process.

Vocabulary

• Buyer: a person whose job is to choose goods that will be sold in a large shop/ store. Sp. Encargado de compras.
• Come off it: (informal) used to disagree with somebody rudely. Sp. ¡anda! ¡no digas tonterías! E.g. Come off it! We don't have a chance.
• Starchy: / ˈstɑːtʃi/ very formal; not friendly or relaxed. Sp. Acartonado, ceremonioso. E.g. My boss has a starchy manner. Museums are trying to shake off their starchy image.
• Stiff: not friendly or relaxed. Sp. Acartonado, estirado. E.g. The speech he made to welcome them was stiff and formal.  
• Speak volumes (about/for something/somebody): to tell you a lot about something/ somebody, without the need for words. E.g. His achievement speaks volumes for his determination.What you wear speaks volumes about you.
• Mogul: / ˈməʊɡl/ a very rich, important and powerful person. Magnate / ˈmæɡneɪt/. E.g. A movie mogul. 
• The tip of the iceberg: only a small part of a much larger problem. E.g. This figure represents only the tip of the iceberg, since as many as 90% of cases go unreported.
• Grain: a very small amount. E.g. There isn't a grain of truth in those rumours. If he had a grain of sensitivity he wouldn't have asked her about her divorce.
• There's no stopping us now (= nothing can prevent us from achieving what we want to achieve).
• Trend: a general direction in which a situation is changing or developing. E.g. economic/social/political trends. There is no stopping the trend.
• Laid-back: calm and relaxed; seeming not to worry about anything. E.g. a laid-back attitude to life. She's very laid-back about her exams.
• Prevalent: that exists or is very common at a particular time or in a particular place. Widespread. Common. E.g. a prevalent view. These prejudices are particularly prevalent among people living in the North. The disease is even more prevalent in Latin America.
• Fool somebody into doing something: to trick somebody into believing something that is not true. E.g. Don't be fooled into thinking they're going to change anything. 
• Antipathy: /ænˈtɪpəθi/ a strong feeling of dislike. E.g. antipathy for/ to/ towards:  She found it hard to hide her antipathy towards her senior colleagues.
• Chap: used to talk about a man in a friendly way. E.g. He isn't such a bad chap really. Come on, chaps, let's go for a drink! 
• Foster: to encourage something to develop. Encourage, promote. E.g. The club's aim is to foster better relations within the community. 
• Come clean (with somebody) (about something): to admit and explain something that you have kept as a secret. E.g. Isn't it time the government came clean about their plans for education? 
• Dressed (up) to the nines: (informal) wearing very elegant or formal clothes.
• Panache: /pəˈnæʃ/ the quality of being able to do things in a confident and elegant way that other people find attractive. Flair, style. Sp. estilo, garbo, salero. E.g. She carried off the performance with panache.
• Carry off: to succeed in doing something that most people would find difficult. Sp. Llevar a cabo. E.g. it was dangerous, but he carried it off. 
• Posturing: /ˈpɒstʃərɪŋ/  behaviour that is not natural or sincere but is intended to attract attention or to have a particular effect. Sp. Poses. E.g. political posturing.
• Free-spirited: Independent. If you describe someone as a free spirit, you admire them because they are independent and live as they want to live rather than in a conventional way. Sp. Libre de convencionalismos, espíritu libre. E.g. The Irishman was a free spirit, a wild rover who would not be tied down. One set of parents are uptight and the other set are free spirits.
• Constrain: /kənˈstreɪn/ to restrict or limit somebody/ something. E.g. Research has been constrained by a lack of funds. Men and women are becoming less constrained by stereotyped roles.
• Ease: /iːz/the state of feeling relaxed or comfortable without worries, problems or pain. Sp. A gusto. E.g. In his retirement, he lived a life of ease.
• Detrimental: /ˌdetrɪˈmentl/ harmful. Damaging. Sp. Perjudicial. E.g. the sun's detrimental effect on skin. The policy will be detrimental to the peace process.