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Retro English
Welcome to Retro English, the place
that's all about yesterday's phrases and crazes. Today, we'll be looking
at how the future was shaping up for the UK in the 90's - and listening
to some of the music of the decade.
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| The 90's: the
shape of the future |
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'Things Can Only Get Better' by D;ream was used as the pre-election
theme song by Labour. |
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Cool
Britannia
So what was the shape of the future in the 90's? If you lived in Britain,
the future certainly wouldn't have looked 'square' - another term
for boring or dull. You might have heard the phrase 'Cool Britania',
meaning Britain was a fun, happening place to live and work. We asked
Tony Thorne, Head of the Language Centre at King's College, London,
about Britain's optimistic approach to the future.
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Listen
to Tony describing the positive way in which Britain saw its future
in the 90's:
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Check
the transcript - note the words in bold |
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'Refocusing'
your business
What with the new government, the new Millennium buildings and
the new tone of excitement, it seemed that the future could be bright.
Or could it? Well in the 90's, politicians - and not only them - were
affected by the need to... conceal the truth. Even the English language
suffered: twisting words to make things sound different to how they
actually were, was making headlines in the UK. |
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Listen
to Tony talking about some of the misleading language of the 90's:
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Check
the transcript - note the words in bold |
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Spin
doctors
Another issue that caught the attention of the British public
in the 90's, was 'sleaze' - a media term for the kind of moral corruption
or dishonesty that could damage important reputations. Something needed
to be done to try and rebuild trust between organisations and the
general public. The answer came in the form of the 'spin doctor',
a concept that was imported from the US. |
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Listen
to Tony explaining the role of 'spin doctors':
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Check
the transcript - note the words in bold |
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See how much of a 90's language expert you are - check out today's
Retro English exercise!
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