Hello. This is 6 Minute English, and I’m Rob. |
I’m Sam. Hello! |
Now, Sam, we’re going to be talking about tattoos. |
Are you a fan? |
Of tattoos? |
Well, I don’t have one, but they can be quite impressive works of art. |
Well, I’m not that keen on tattoos – I mean, who wants things drawn on their body?! |
It sounds like you need some convincing, Rob! |
Maybe our discussion today will change your mind. |
Maybe. But as you’re a fan of them, here’s a question for you to answer. |
According to the Guinness World Records, the record for the most tattooed person in the world goes to Lucky Diamond Rich from New Zealand. |
Do you know how much of his body is covered by tattoos? |
Is it… a) 80%? b) 90%? Or c) 100%? |
What do you think, Sam? |
Well, it’s got to be 100% if he is the most tattooed man, surely? |
Not necessarily, but, we’ll see if you’re right at the end of the programme. |
Now let’s talk more about tattoos. |
I know many people have them. |
Sometimes it’s a picture of an animal, like a small gecko, sometimes it’s words like ‘I love you’ or the name of a loved one. |
And then there are the huge designs spread across someone’s back, chest or arm - like footballer David Beckham has. |
Well, he’s no stranger to a tattoo parlour. |
A parlour is the name of the shop where a tattoo artist draws a tattoo on you with ink and a needle. |
Needles! Ouch! |
OK, so you need some convincing, so let’s hear from Lucie Parfitt, YouTuber and tattoo fan. |
Here she is speaking on the BBC’s Smart Consumer podcast… |
I’m quite a creative person and ever since I first discovered tattoos, I thought it was a really cool way of expressing yourself. |
I’m quite a visual person as well, so for me it really, like, just looked really cool and it made me think more about my own, like, personality and how I could express that in creative ways. |
Right, so, Lucie describes herself as a creative person. |
When you’re creative you’re imaginative and you’re like to experiment with new ideas. |
Yes, Rob. And tattoos are a good way to be creative – trying out different designs and colours - it’s a good way to express yourself. |
Here, to express yourself means ’to show how you feel in a particular way’. |
OK, so some people express themselves through singing or wearing particular clothing, |
but here she’s expressing herself through the images on her skin. |
But what happens if you want change what you want to express? |
Well, then it’s time for a new tattoo! |
OK, well I know that the tattoo industry is big business now – which means it’s ’popular and making lots of money’. |
I’ve heard that one in five people now have a tattoo. |
Not you yet, Rob! But it has certainly become a trend in recent years and it’s something tattoo artist Lee Clements has noticed. |
Also speaking on the BBC’s Smart Consumer podcast, he explains why he thinks that is…. |
The thing for me that has obviously changed massively over the last, possibly, ten years is you see a lot of celebrities getting tattooed. |
With that comes the fact that you’re going to get people who want to copy them or it becomes almost like a fashion thing, |
so we do see certain tattoos, sort of , becoming a trend and… yeah, so I guess it kind of dilutes that value a little bit, yeah. |
Ah so it’s celebrities – famous, well-known people from TV, film and fashion – that have possibly driven the trend. |
People want to copy them – or it’s what he says is ‘a fashion thing’, |
so you have a tattoo because it’s fashionable, which means it’s ’popular at a particular time’. |
And one of the down sides – the negative things – about just having one to be fashionable is it dilutes the individuality of having one. |
Dilute means to ’make something less strong or less valuable’. |
Well, I’m not going to get one anytime soon – except maybe a big six on my arm to remind me that we only have 6 minutes for this programme, |
so I’d better reveal the answer to the question I asked you earlier. |
According to Guinness World Records, the record for the most tattooed person in the world goes to Lucky Diamond Rich from New Zealand. |
Did you know how much of his body is covered by tattoos? |
And I said 100%. |
Well done, Sam. That is correct. |
He has held the certified record since 2006 of being 100% tattooed. |
This includes tattoos inside his eyelids, mouth and ears. |
Wow! I wonder who gets to see those! |
OK well, now it’s time to recap the vocabulary we’ve discussed today starting with a parlour. |
That’s the name for a shop or room where certain businesses carry out their trade |
– such as a tattoo parlour, a massage parlour or an ice cream parlour. |
A creative person is someone who uses imagination and experiments with new ideas. |
And when you express yourself, it means you ’show outwardly how you feel and what you’re thinking’. |
If something is big business it is an activity that is currently popular and making lots of money. |
And something that is fashionable is popular. |
And when something becomes popular it can dilute its value or uniqueness – so it becomes less strong or less valuable. |
OK, thank you, Sam. |
That’s all for now but there’s plenty more on our website at bbclearningenglish.com. |
If you can’t remember the address, why not tattoo it on your arm?! |
Goodbye for now! |
Bye! |