Slippery Slope 걷잡을 수 없게 되는 상황, Draw the Line 선을 긋다 (0809 회사 복장 규정, 파워 잉글리쉬 스크립트)
Power Warm-up: The Company Dress Code: I Think These Rules Are Fair
Olivia thinks the dress code should allow T-shirts, especially on casual Fridays. John thinks it will result I people wearing inappropriate clothes like tank tops.
Cameron:
Welcome to the show, everybody.
Kristen
Everyone. I’m Kristen Cho.
Cameron:
And I’m Cameron word.
Kristen
How’s it going, Cam?
Cameron:
It’s going well. So, you know I have a lot of plants, right? Yes. And so…
Kristen
Your veranda.
Cameron:
At my…
Kristen
Balcony?
Cameron:
Yeah, in English we would say balcony probably, but in Korean we say terrace, right?
Kristen
Terrace, yes.
Cameron:
But in the, yeah, I’m doing what’s called propagating. Sounds like a hard word. P-R-O-P-A-G-A-T-I-N-G. 삼목 in Korean. So I’m like cutting like leaves off of plants. And putting them into dirt, into the potting soil to make more plants.
Kristen
Wow, look at you.
Cameron:
It’s like so exciting to wake up and be like, hello, leaves. I’m like counting the leaves on the plants.
Kristen
You’re so cute.
Cameron:
It’s a…
Kristen
I feel that though, once you get into that, because plants are living things.
Cameron:
Yes.
Kristen
And so you get attached.
Cameron:
That’s true.
Kristen
Maybe you should play some Mozart. I heard they like classical, they like Mozart.
Cameron:
They like the vibrations and everything. Oh my gosh. It’s true though. Like, because you have to cut plants sometimes if they’re not growing in the right way. And it does feel so bad.
Kristen
Every time you cut it?
Cameron:
Yeah,
Kristen
Oh, Aww, I, aww.
Cameron:
It’s like my little baby. It’s like, well, it’ll be something like, it took you a whole year to grow.
Kristen
Aww.
Cameron:
I’m going to cut your head off. But yeah, it’s fun. I’m having a lot of fun with my plants.
Kristen
I’m so glad.
Cameron:
Oh, we are not talking about plants today. No. We’re talking about a dress code.
Power Expressions
Kristen
We’re talking about the company dress code and every Friday we have a business dialogue. Yes. I think these rules are fair.
Cameron:
Hmm.
Kristen
So the dress code rule. Is a code a rule?
Kristen
What do you think?
Cameron:
Yes, usually, especially for a dress code, if you did not follow it, you would probably have to…
Kristen
Yeah.
Cameron:
You’d probably be reprimanded, scolded, punished. Something bad would probably happen. Yeah.
Kristen
It’s almost a nice way of saying rules.
Cameron:
Yeah, it’s stricter than a guideline. A guideline could be broken, a code or rule usually cannot.
Kristen
Alright, here are the expressions that we’ll cover. Draw the line.
Cameron:
This is the limit. You will not go past this.
Kristen
I see. In person.
Cameron:
This means you are in the same place. You’re together physically.
Kristen
What is a slippery slope?
Cameron:
So this is great imagery, we’ll talk about it later, but it’s when one small action slowly goes to another action, then another action, then another, and it gets bigger and bigger, and usually worse and worse.
Kristen
Okay. All right. Let’s go ahead and listen to our dialogue.
Power Dialog
Olivia: The new dress code includes casual Fridays, but the way it’s written doesn’t make it sound so casual.
John: I think they have to draw the line somewhere. I mean, T-shirts and jeans are never appropriate at a company like ours.
Olivia: I disagree. If you aren’t meeting with customers in person, then it shouldn’t matter.
John: It becomes a slippery slope once you allow t-shirts.
Olivia: True, because people could feel that tank tops are also okay.
John: That’s why it needs to be clearly defined. I think these rules are fair.
Kristen
Okay, let’s look at the dialogue. Olivia says the new dress code includes casual Fridays, but the way it’s written doesn’t make it sound so casual.
Cameron:
Oh, you said Olivia. I like that.
Kristen
Oh, Olivia.
Cameron:
I usually say uh.
Kristen
Olivia. Olivia.
Cameron:
I think some people do say Olivia. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Kristen
Okay, so the new dress code. Casual Fridays. This is common in America. Like maybe Monday through Thursday, you have to wear skirts, you know, like formal. Suit pants. But you have casual Fridays, which means you can wear anything you want.
Cameron:
Usually, so, as I understand it, usually with casual Fridays, you’re allowed to wear blue jeans. You’re allowed to wear blue jeans and, like maybe like a polo shirt.
Kristen
Sure.
Cameron:
Like, you know, you wouldn’t come in like flip-flops.
Kristen
And a t-shirt.
Cameron:
Sandals and a t-shirt. And like a swimming suit, yeah.
Kristen
Sure, I understand. Okay, but the way it’s written doesn’t make it sound so casual. Okay, so Olivia is saying, okay, it seems casual. Yeah, they said casual Friday, but it doesn’t seem casual. She’s saying it still seems formal. So what does John say?
Cameron:
I think they have to draw the line somewhere. T-shirts and jeans are never appropriate at a company like ours!
Kristen
Okay, so it really depends on the company. But this company seems to be very professional.
Cameron:
Yeah.
Kristen
And very sort of high corporate like they wear suits.
Cameron:
Right.
Kristen
So that’s why John says they have to draw the line somewhere.
Cameron:
Right, so to draw the line means to kind of make the standard or to define the limit.
Kristen
Yes.
Cameron:
So this is the line, if you’re on one side you’re okay, if you’re on the other side you’re not okay. And the reason you have to do this is, things like clothing, there is formal clothing and there’s casual clothing, but there’s a lot in the middle. Like there’s like semi-formal, business casual, business formal, like it’s just a big range. So you draw the line saying, okay, everything above this line is okay, everything below is not okay.
Kristen
So that’s why he says T-shirts and jeans are never appropriate at a company like ours. IT company, it could be appropriate. It’s okay. But for this kind of company, no. Appropriate is the key word. A-P-P-R-O-P-R-I-A-T-E. Appropriate.
Cameron:
It means good or acceptable in a certain situation. So he’s saying T-shirts and jeans aren’t good for the, like, it doesn’t look good. It doesn’t match the situation or the type of company that they’re trying to show to the rest of the world. Right? Which is, I don’t know. If I hear the word casual, I immediately think T-shirt and jeans.
Kristen
Yeah, and shorts.
Cameron:
Right. Yeah. So I wonder what casual means here, like maybe like golf wear.
Kristen
Well, we’ll have to find out.
Cameron:
Yeah, I guess so.
Kristen
Appropriate is a very important word that native speakers use a lot. You know what? What you said is very inappropriate. It’s not appropriate.
Cameron:
It’s not…
Kristen
Or, you know.
Cameron:
Acceptable in this situation.
Kristen
Yes. So it’s kind of like another way of saying acceptable.
Cameron:
Right.
Kristen
And Olivia says, I disagree. If you aren’t meeting with customers in person, then it shouldn’t matter.
Cameron:
Oh, agreed.
Kristen
Okay, so John’s like, oh, t-shirts and jeans are not appropriate. And Olivia says, no, you know, if we don’t meet customers in person, it’s okay. We can wear a t-shirt and jeans.
Cameron:
Yeah.
Kristen
Okay, if you meet in person
Cameron:
Yeah, in person is whenever you are in the same physical location with another person. So talking in person is you are at the same café, you could touch them if you wanted to. That would be meeting in person. Versus something like talking on the phone or talking online where you probably cannot touch the person.
Kristen
If you can touch the person, it’s in person.
Cameron:
Mm-hmm.
Kristen
Okay, John says it becomes a slippery slope once you allow t-shirts. Okay, so he still believes that t-shirts should not be allowed. Because if it is allowed, it becomes a slippery slope. So what is he saying?
Cameron:
So let’s break this expression up. Slope is 경사 so it’s like the slant or the incline. Slippery is like 미끌미끌, 미끄러운. So you know in winter, so I used to live in 해방촌 and 효창공원. In that area, they’re kind of like older hilly areas. There are a lot of hills. And in the winter, if it rains or snows, and then the road freezes, it’s all ice, right?
Kristen
It’s like the Olympic, Winter Olympics.
Cameron:
Right. So if you take one step and you fall, you are going all the way to the bottom.
Kristen
Yes.
Cameron:
So in the same way, this expression is used when we say, if we allow one small action, everything will go to the bottom. So, we can’t let one small thing happen because it won’t stop.
Kristen
It will, like, will just slide right down that slippery slope.
Cameron:
Right. So, if we let people wear t-shirts, next thing you know, people will come in their pajamas. People come in their bathing suits. People will come in like a sauna towel.
Kristen
All right. Very good. Thanks for that explanation. Okay. Olivia says true because people could feel that tank tops are also okay. So, Olivia now has to agree. But true just means 사실. But what she’s really saying is 진실.
Cameron:
Yeah, you’re right.
Kristen
Yeah, you’re right. True. I agree.
Cameron:
I get it. Yeah. Okay. Okay.
Kristen
And so John says that’s why it needs to be clearly defined. I think these rules are fair. So slippery slope, I like that. Think of like winter and that 해방촌hill, full of ice.
Cameron:
One small step and you go all the way down.
Kristen
Way down okay let’s listen to that one more time
Power Dialog
Olivia: The new dress code includes casual Fridays, but the way it’s written doesn’t make it sound so casual.
John: I think they have to draw the line somewhere. I mean, T-shirts and jeans are never appropriate at a company like ours.
Olivia: I disagree. If you aren’t meeting with customers in person, then it shouldn’t matter.
John: It becomes a slippery slope once you allow t-shirts.
Olivia: True, because people could feel that tank tops are also okay.
John: That’s why it needs to be clearly defined. I think these rules are fair.
Power Note
1. Draw the line: 선을 긋다.
Kristen
It’s time for Power Note. We’re on pages 52 and 53. Draw the line. Means, okay, I will allow this, but this is where I draw the line. This is the maximum. This is the limit. You cannot go any further.
1)
A: Would you date a guy who smokes?
B: Yes, but I draw the line at pipes. I can’t do it at all.
Kristen
You can’t do smoking, pipes, nothing.
Cameron:
No tobacco.
Kristen
I agree. I agree.
2) I can tolerate bland food, but I draw the line at bland desserts.
Cameron:
I agree. I actually like bland food.
Kristen
I know you do, and bland, B-L-A-N-D, quickly.
Cameron:
There’s no flavor to the food. It’s not spicy, it’s not sweet, it’s not bitter. There’s just like nothing.
Kristen
Yeah. 좀 싱겁다.
Cameron:
So think of like, like, 공기밥, like 흰쌀밥, just white rice, nothing on it. But like, a dessert that is bland?
Kristen
You can’t have a bland.
Cameron:
I get angry. Why am I getting fat with no flavor? Like… Sugar. A dessert is going to have sugar in it, but if there’s no flavor in it…
Kristen
I know.
Cameron:
All those calories for no reason.
Kristen
Why would you have a dessert? Why would it be called a dessert if it’s bland?
Cameron:
I don’t know. I feel certain countries, they do not like sweet things. And so as an American, sometimes the desserts taste very bland. And it’s just, it makes me angry.
Kristen
It makes you angry. Okay. So everyone know that Cameron does not like bland desserts. I think many people don’t.
Cameron:
Yeah. Yes.
Kristen
Okay, so draw the line like, I will not tolerate this. This is my limit.
Cameron:
Yeah. Some people do this with like if we go back to dating ages. So there’s like an age range that they will date within. And they’re like, I draw the line at five years above or below me. That sort of thing.
Kristen
That’s it. Right. Or even height, I mean women are very you know it’s important for a guy you know the height is important. So it’s like okay I mean I like tall guys but I’m willing to date someone you know who’s not as tall but I draw the line at 175.
Cameron:
What’s average? The average in Korea. I draw the line at average. Oh, Gosh.
2. In person: 몸소, 직접
Kristen
All right. In person, together, face to face, at the same place. Yeah. Okay.
1)
A: Have you ever met any famous people in person? Surely.
B: Sure, lots. when I was a waiter at a fancy restaurant, all the stars went there.
Kristen
You know, I’m from Los Angeles. I was raised in Los Angeles. Stars are everywhere.
Cameron:
Yeah.
Kristen
They really are. I’ve seen a few in my lifetime.
Cameron:
Do they smell good or bad?
Kristen
But you see them from a far away. But, like, I remember all my friends were like, oh, guess who I saw? And then another friend, guess who I saw today? Yeah. So it was very common, very common to see them in person.
Cameron:
Yeah, it’s weird. The entertainment industry in Korea is in Seoul. But I don’t see as many famous people.
Kristen
We’re in those vans.
Cameron:
Yeah, they’re all in the vans. They are.
Kristen
Vans. They go from like one place to another at the van.
Cameron:
No one takes the subway.
Kristen
No, no, no.
2) After months of chatting online, it’s great to finally meet you in person.
Right. A lot of online dating, a lot of online correspondence.
Cameron:
You know, like, people who play video games. Yes! They, like, meet friends online.
Kristen
Yes, that’s right. And I hear that some people have become really good friends.
Cameron:
Yeah, and they’ve never met in person. And they’ve never met. And then they’ll like invite them to their wedding. Yeah. And the first time they meet their friend is at the friend’s wedding.
Kristen
So strange.
Cameron:
Yeah, uh-huh.
Kristen
So in person, before everything was in person. These days, sometimes not.
3. Slippery slope: 걷잡을 수 없이 악화되는 상황
Slippery slope. You had a great explanation. Basically, like if you do one thing, it will lead to a series of bad things.
1)
A: I let my students call me by my first name.
B: It’s a slippery slope to do that. Soon they’ll be calling you by nicknames.
Yeah. I hate this. Like, as a student, I do not like calling a teacher by their first name.
Kristen
Never called a teacher by their first name.
Cameron:
Never. In college I had a few professors that wanted me to, like, Rick. Hey Rick, what’s the,
Kristen
No.
Cameron:
I can’t. It has to be Professor. Professor. At least Professor Rick. Preferably like Professor Hastings or whatever, like whatever the last name is.
Kristen
It’s so true. Because like mentally, it just doesn’t sound right.
Cameron:
I don’t want to be my professor’s friend.
Kristen
No, no, no
2) Giving your children too much freedom can be a slippery slope.
Cameron:
That’s true. Oh, yeah.
Kristen
You give him an inch. They want a mile.
Cameron:
They want a mile.
Cameron:
There’s an expression. Yeah. If you give them a little bit of freedom, they want a whole lot. A whole lot. Same with dogs. Simba. Oh? Sometimes they have to be very strict because it’s a slippery slope.
4. True: 맞아, 동의해.
Kristen
Okay, power pattern, true, which is basically, it’s like agreeing.
Cameron:
Yeah, you’re right.
Kristen
사실이야. No, that’s not really what you’re saying.
Cameron:
맞아. True.
Kristen
But he is really good at his job too. He’s annoying, but he, you know, true, but he’s good at his job.
Cameron:
True. And we also get two weeks off in summer.
It means like, oh, maybe I didn’t think of that or maybe I didn’t say that. Right. But yeah, you’re right. You’re right.
5. Appropriate: 적절한
Kristen
Okay, appropriate is our power vocab. Do check out the definition on page 54. Yes. And let’s thank our sponsor.
Something that is appropriate is suitable for a certain person, condition, situation, or place. For example, what is appropriate for an adult may not be appropriate for a child.
Take Someone Seriously, Do Away With, Get Used To (0802 파워 잉글리쉬 스크립트) (enko.co.kr)