You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Hello again, and welcome back to Business English Pod.
This is the second in a three-part series that follows some of the internal discussions that take place in a company going through a merger.
Today's episode focuses on casual office conversation and gossip.
Office gossip is a type of informal conversation in which we tell secrets or rumors about other people or other departments.
Gossip is often called water cooler chit chat, since the water cooler is where colleagues meet by chance and discuss things that are happening in the office.
You might also want to review some of our previous shows on socializing for more language to use in these types of conversations.
For the listening.
Today we rejoin Jack at the guitar manufacturer headquarters after his short but difficult chat with his boss Jim.
Jack is in the cafeteria when a co-worker meets him there by chance.
As you listen, see if you can answer the following questions.
The answers will be posted on our website in a few days.
Second, who did Michelle take off with?
And third, where does Frances tell Jack she has to go?
Hey Jack, what are you doing here in the cafeteria all by yourself?
And why the long face?
Ah, nothing.
Just the usual BS.
Oh.
I saw you go into the Donald's office a little while ago and I heard that they've been talking about doubling production in Costa Rica.
Mm-hmm.
Also, I was talking to Joanna and she tells me that they're saying that you were spending too much money on salaries.
And Sorry Fran, I'm going to have to take a pass.
Jim said it was on a need-to-know basis, and I don't think you need to know.
Well then, I guess you don't need to know where Michelle and I are going out for drinks tonight, do you?
What?
You're talking to Michelle again?
I thought she was in the doghouse since she took off with Tony.
Whatever.
He was just a thing.
Michelle's cool.
So, what's going on?
Cough it up.
Well, let's just say you'd better start learning Chinese.
They're closing down and moving the company to China?
Whoa, whoa.
I didn't say that.
Well, then spill the beans.
What did he tell you?
Well uh, according to Jim, the management here wasn't planning to change anything, but So the rumors are true.
We got bought out?
I knew it!
Hey...
Where are you going?
I gotta go.
I got a logistics meeting.
Yeah, right.
Hey, not a word, eh?
Hey, Joanna.
You're never going to believe what Jack just told me.
Well, the secret's out now, isn't it?
How many people will Francis tell?
We'll have to see in the next episode.
But...
Let's look at the language they used during this informal conversation.
Francis and Jack meet in the cafeteria where a lot of water cooler chit-chat happens.
So, how does she start the conversation?
Hey Jack, what are you doing here in the cafeteria all by yourself?
And why the long face?
Ah, nothing.
Just the usual BS.
Frances uses two very common water cooler phrases to start it off.
Instead of saying, hi, Jack, she says, hey, Jack, which is more familiar.
And then, what's going on?
This is usually understood as a conversation starter and not as a serious question.
The usual answer is not much or nothing much.
And then, how about you?
Here are some other standard conversation starters and responses.
Hey, what's happening?
Same old stuff.
Hey, how you doing?
Oh, all right.
How about you?
Hi, Laura.
How have you been?
Oh, can't complain.
How you been?
However, in this case, Frances notices that Jack is alone and has a long face, which means an unhappy expression on his face.
A sad face is longer than a happy, smiling face.
So, she starts probing to find out if there is an interesting story behind a sad face.
However, Jack gives a not-much type of answer to her question and adds that there is just the normal BS, which is a street slang word for rubbish or garbage.
But Fran keeps trying.
Oh, I saw you go into the Donald's office a little while ago and I heard that they've been talking about doubling production in Costa Rica.
The Donald is a slang reference to Donald Trump, who is famous around the world for being a very difficult boss.
So, difficult bosses are often called the Donald by their employees.
Frances is trying to get Jack to confirm or deny a rumor she has just heard.
A rumor is a piece of unofficial information which is spread informally and which may or may not be true.
In rumors.
We often use reported speech, which is how we tell people things that other people have said.
Here are some other ways to introduce reported speech.
Somebody told me that you were the new department manager.
HR said that the project would be cancelled.
Erica tells me that we're going to have to work weekends.
Notice that when we report what someone has said, the verb tenses often change.
Present simple changes to past simple.
Present perfect changes to past perfect.
Past simple changes to past perfect.
And will changes to would.
Here are examples of these changes.
In each case, you'll hear a person making a statement, and then you'll hear another person reporting this statement.
They are at the restaurant.
He said they were at the restaurant.
They have finished lunch.
He said they had finished lunch.
They found a taxi.
He said they found a taxi.
They'll be here in an hour.
He said they would be here in an hour.
We can start the meeting.
He said we could start the meeting.
We may finish late.
She said we might finish late.
Note the other changes, such as can changes to could and may changes to might.
Now let's return to the listening.
Frances has been probing, but Jack continues to tell her nothing.
I need too much money on salaries.
Sorry, Fran, I'm going to have to take a pass.
Jim said it was on a need-to-know basis, and I don't think you need to know.
To take a pass is to politely tell someone that you're not going to say anything or participate in something.
And he explains that it's on a need-to-know basis.
That is a secret that only certain people need to know.
But she then puts a bit of personal pressure on him, since she knows that he wants to be more than just her colleague.
Well then, I guess you don't need to know where Michelle and I are going out for drinks tonight, do you?
What?
You're talking to Michelle again?
I thought she was in the doghouse since she took off with Tony.
Whatever.
He was just a thing.
Michelle's cool.
So, what's going on?
Cough it up.
To be in the doghouse is to be in big trouble with a friend or a spouse.
A doghouse is a little box outside where the dog sleeps and where husbands often have to sleep when their wives throw them out of the house.
Jack thought that Michelle was in the doghouse because she took off with or ran away with Francis' boyfriend.
However, she answers that the boyfriend was just a thing, meaning a temporary relationship, and that Michelle was a cool or fun person.
She then demands that he cough it up, meaning tell her everything.
Here are some other ways to ask someone to tell you some gossip.
Come on, spill the beans.
Hey, what's the scoop?
So, what's the story?
Now, Jack tries to be clever.
He tries to tell her just a little bit of the truth, just enough that she'll invite him to go have drinks after work.
Well, let's just say you'd better start learning Chinese.
He says, let's just say, which means he's giving just a part of some information.
Here are some other ways to introduce just a little bit of information or a summary.
The bottom line is that I would say that The gist of it is What I can say is But Francis is a little more clever and understands some of what he's hinting at.
To hint at is to give a little piece of information about a secret subject.
They're closing down and moving the company to China?
Whoa, whoa.
I didn't say that.
Now he's told her much more than what he wanted to and wants to deny that he said anything.
But it's too late.
She probes once more, and Jack again makes the same mistake.
Well, then spill the beans.
What did he tell you?
Well, according to Jim, the management here wasn't planning to change anything.
So the rumors are true?
We got bought out?
I knew it!
Frances now has what she thinks is highly interesting gossip to pass on to her social network, and wastes no time in getting away to do just that.
Hey, Joanna, you're never going to believe what Jack just told me.
When she tells Joanna that she will never believe what Jack has said, she means that she has amazing news.
Here are some other ways to introduce highly interesting or important news.
Guess what I just heard?
Did you hear about... This is unbelievable, but... You won't believe this, but...
And now it's time for you to practice the techniques we discussed.
In a moment, you'll hear an informal greeting.
In the pause after each greeting, answer with an appropriate response.
Hey, what's going on?
Hi, how are you doing?
Hey, good to see you.
What's new?
How'd you do?
Here are some example answers.
Hey, what's going on?
Not much.
How about you?
Hi, how are you doing?
Pretty good.
How about yourself?
Hey, good to see you.
What's new?
Not much.
How are you doing?
Of course, there are many possible responses and you might try rewinding to practice responding using different language.
Next, let's practice reported speech.
In a moment, you'll hear a person's name and a statement.
In the pause that follows, you will then report what this person said.
Are you ready?
Let's give it a go.
Jose, the clients are staying at the Hilton Hotel.
Natasha, the shipping department spent too much money.
Could you put the statements into the reported speech format?
Remember, there are many possible ways to phrase your sentences, but here are some examples.
Jose, the clients are staying at the Hilton Hotel.
Answer Jose told me that the clients were staying at the Hilton Hotel.
Natasha, the shipping department spent too much money.
Answer I heard from Natasha that the shipping department spent too much money.
And that about covers it for today's show.
We looked at many different types of language techniques, including office gossip, reported speech and introducing interesting news.
All these should be part of your language toolbox that you'll be able to use at appropriate times during your various business conversations.
So stay tuned for a future episode when we'll hear where the rumor goes after their bit of gossip and if Jack has a future with the company.
In the meantime, keep practicing and take care.
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