Annoying office habits

Has this fictional manager got an annoying office habit?

Are there things about your work colleagues that really annoy you? In this week's 6 Minute English, Rob and Jennifer reveal some of the worst office habits.

A survey of 2,000 managers discovered what irritated their workers about each other. Some habits were trivial or small, others showed bad manners, while some were just disgusting.

In the programme we talk about who should take responsibility for creating a better working environment, and discuss some of the language associated with bad habits.

This week's question:

What is the annoying habit of onychophagia commonly known as?

a) Picking your nose

b) Biting your nails

c) Talking very loudly

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Listen

here

Rob: Hello, I’m Rob and this is 6 Minute English. I’m joined this week by Jennifer.

Hello Jennifer.

Jennifer: Hello Rob.

Rob: Now Jennifer, we’re here in our brand new building, New Broadcasting House.

It’s quite impressive isn’t it?

Jennifer: Oh yes, it’s fantastic, really modern and very spacious too.

Rob: Yes, but come on, there must be something about the place that you find annoying?

Jennifer: Yes. Like every office, I think, there are lots of unwashed coffee cups left on desks and rubbish lying around. I really hate that.

Rob: Ah you see, not everything is perfect. Someone else’s office habits can be a real irritation – or sometimes we say it’s something that gets under our skin. Well, you are not alone – a new survey has revealed the most annoying habits, and I’ll be sharing them with you soon and explaining some related words and phrases. But first, I have a question for you.

Jennifer: That is annoying – I always have to answer one of your questions!

Rob: You love it really! Now, do you know what the annoying habit of onychophagia is commonly known as? That’s onychophagia.

a) Picking your nose

b) Biting your nails

c) Talking very loudly

Jennifer: Those are all very bad habits but I’m going to go for a) picking your nose.

Rob: Well, I’ll let you know the answer at the end of the programme. Now let’s get back to those annoying habits that some people have in the workplace – or the office. The Institute of Management recently questioned 2,000 managers to find out their pet hates of office workers. Pet hates are the small annoying habits that really irritate someone.

Jennifer: So, this survey asked the managers what annoyed them about their staff?

Rob: No, it was about what managers believed annoyed their workers about each other. Here is what one office worker thinks:

Office worker 1:

Tapping of feet, noise, tapping of desk, just anything likes that. I like quiet so I sometimes work with headphones in.

Jennifer: [Tapping on desk] Hmm, tapping on your desk like this can be so annoying. In fact, any kind of tapping, because it is so distracting – in other words it breaks my concentration.

Rob: Well, that man decided to wear headphones to block out the sound. But for the person doing the tapping, how can they kick the habit – or stop doing it? Having a bad habit could be the sign of concentration or nerves or even boredom. So we should have some sympathy!

Jennifer: I do, but one thing I don’t have sympathy for is this habit being described by another office worker. See if you can hear what it is?

Office worker 2:

Total jargon, yeah, yeah, it’s the whole language, invented to, sort of, put you off your game in a way. It’s completely exclusive and I don’t even think half the management know what they are talking about!

Rob: Yes, talking in jargon – these are words and phrases used by managers that don’t really have any meaning outside the workplace. It’s sometimes called ‘management speak’. And it’s this issue that is near the top of the list of the most annoying office habits. Jen, does your boss use any jargon?

Jennifer: I couldn’t possibly say, he might be listening – but there are phrases that get used generally. Have you heard of ‘thinking outside the box’ to mean to think imaginatively with new ideas instead of traditional ones?

Rob: Yes and what about ‘going forward’ to mean in the future; and ‘to touch base’ meaning to discuss progress. I think workers get irritated by this jargon because it’s not how someone would normally speak.

Jennifer: OK Rob, what’s top of the list for annoying habits?

Rob: Well, the biggest bugbear – another way of saying irritation – is arriving late for meetings. That is annoying when you have made an effort to be punctual – on time.

Jennifer: I think some people are late because they’re having a water-cooler moment –you know, standing by the water-cooler discussing something trivial about what was on TV last night. That’s so annoying. You’d never catch me doing that!

Rob: Of course not, Jen. But if every office worker has a bugbear about their colleagues, who can sort out this tense office atmosphere and make everyone more tolerant – or willing to accept their habits?

Jennifer: Charles Elvin is the Chief Executive of The Institute of Leadership and Management. Let’s find out who he thinks is responsible for this:

Charles Elvin, Chief Executive of the Institute of Leadership and Management:

Managers are part of the workforce too and their obligation is to try and address some of these issues. And to make sure they have those challenges that they’ve got, the things that annoy people, are addressed, that they’re resolved, that people can air their grievances properly. So it’s very important for managers to understand what people don't like, but also managers don’t like a lot of this stuff as well.

Rob: Charles Elvin thinks that managers have a responsibility – or an obligation – to address the problems. And he says people should be able to air their grievances, that means people can speak out about what annoys them.

Jennifer: Well, I can tell what annoys me most about you…

Rob: …sorry Jen, we're out of time. Let me just tell you the answer to today’s question. Earlier I asked if you knew what the annoying habit of onychophagia is commonly known as?

a) Picking your nose

b) Biting your nails

c) Talking very loudly

Jennifer: I said a) picking your nose

Rob: That is disgusting, but you are wrong. Onychophagia is the medical term for biting your nails. OK, well, finally before we go, Jennifer could you remind us of some of the words we have heard today.

Jennifer: Yes. We heard:

gets under our skin - to annoy, to irritate

pet hates - small things that you particularly find annoying

distracting - causing you to stop concentrating

kick the habit - to stop doing something that is bad for you

jargon

bugbear - something that annoys or irritates you

punctual – on time

a water-cooler moment - a time when work colleagues get together by the water-cooler and discuss trivial matters such as something they saw on television

tolerant

to air your grievances – protest, complain

Rob: Thanks Jennifer. Well, that’s all we have time for today. Please join us again soon for 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com

Both: Bye.

Related BBC links

• Annoying office habits revealed in new survey

  BBC News

Spring cleaning

There's an expression in English, 'a woman's work is never done' and when it comes to cleaning our houses, women still do the majority of it despite many having full-time jobs as well. However, over the last few decades women's approach to housework has changed considerably.

Join Kate and Jackie as they discuss the changing role of women in the home and hear from women both past and present, who have some very different ideas.

This week's question:

How many hours per week do you think the average woman spends doing housework?

Listen to the programme

here

a) 3 hours
b) 15 hours
c) 20 hours

Listen out for the answer at the end of the programme!

Vocabuarly from the programme

SHOW ALL | HIDE ALL

spring cleaning

deep cleaning your house from top to bottom - usually happens only once a year

obsessive

when someone is very interested or worried about something

clutter

things and junk which are lying around your house, like old newspapers, shoes, books etc.

a clean freak

someone who spends all their time cleaning and tidying 

clear out

the act of throwing or giving away lots of clutter in your house

lift your spirits

when something makes you feel happier

Kate: Hello, I’m Kate Colin and this is 6 minute English and today I'm joined as usual by Jackie Dalton. Well now we're well into the month of May and spring is well under way so today we’re talking about the modern attitude to 'spring cleaning and housework' – can you explain what spring cleaning is Jackie?

Jackie: Yes, spring cleaning is when you clean all your house from top to bottom (including the bits you don't clean very often!)

Kate: Well, today people have very varied attitudes to housework. Some people spend a lot of time cleaning, others employ cleaners to do it for them and some people do no housework at all, preferring to spend their free time doing something else completely.

Jackie: Yes, I recently heard of something called 'skimming' and this means that you spray a bit of furniture polish into a room to make it smell like you've been cleaning but in fact you haven't done any at all.

Kate: Oh – I might try that! Here's my question for this week - how many hours per week do you think the average woman spends doing housework?

a) 3 hours

b) 15 hours

c) 20 hours

Jackie: Well, they all sound like far too much to me so I am going to go for the lowest one. 3 hours,

Kate: We'll check your answer later but first let's listen to an extract which was recorded 20 years ago. It's with a lady called Edna McLaren talking about her mother and her attitude to housework when she was growing up. How do you think housework has changed over the years?

Clip 1

Monday was washday, Tuesday probably one bedroom, Wednesday probably another,

Thursday, she'd perhaps do the front room. And of course there was all the outside to do, all the fronts and the backs and the toilets and then Friday, the carpets used to have to be taken up and then the floor had to be washed and then polished.

Jackie: Well, it seems women in the past had a very busy time cleaning their houses. It seems to have been a full time job! Of course now we have vacuum cleaners and washing machines to make our life easier. I certainly wouldn't have time to do all that and have a job as well.

Kate: Well yes, and many people do find it difficult to fit in housework round their fulltime jobs and commitments, and some prefer to do the very minimum. In the next extract you'll hear from a lady called Vivien Emery, who admits she doesn't spend much time tidying her house. Is her house messy or tidy?

Clip 2

The state of my house is reasonably tidy, especially the rooms you can see. But I'm not obsessive about anything, I mean the kitchen's clean but it's very untidy - everything's on the worktops. The bathroom is clean but not particularly tidy and the downstairs loo, that's clean but there's all sorts - wellingtons and walking boots in there.

Jackie: Well it sounds to me that her house is fairly untidy but she insists it's clean. And she said she wasn’t obsessive about anything. Now if you're obsessive, you're very interested or worried about something in an extreme way. For example people can get obsessive about cleaning, they always want to make sure that everything is clean and tidy. She admitted that there's lots of clutter in her downstairs loo or toilet. Clutter is a word we'll be hearing later and that means there's lots of junk and stuff which is just lying around the house like piles of newspapers and books and thing like that.

Kate: So , what's your house like Jackie? Do you have lots of clutter lying around or are you a clean freak? A clean freak is when someone spends all their time cleaning and tidying.

Jackie: I am certainly not a clean freak. I thing my house goes through kind of cycles. It ‘ll be very messy, and untidy and full of junk for a few days. And then when I can’t stand it any more, suddenly I start cleaning and tidy everything up.

Kate: Next we're going to hear from somebody who is a professional cleaner. We're going to hear her talking about spring cleaning and having a clear out. A clear out is when you throw or give away lots of things in your house you no longer need. Can you hear some reasons why she says spring cleaning is a good idea?

Clip 3

I think, you know, psychologically more than anything it's good to have a good clear out, you know, get rid of stuff and it just kind of clears the air, it clears your head. Open the windows, let the air in and I just think it kind of lifts your spirits to be able to have less clutter around.

Jackie: She said that spring cleaning clears the air and your head. So it not only makes things cleaner physically but it also helps you mentally and helps you think more clearly. She also said that having less clutter lifts the spirits. If something lifts your spirits, it makes you feel happier.

Kate: I certainly agree with that – maybe I'll have a clear out this weekend.

Lastly, let's have a look at some of the words we have come across today:

Jackie: First we had - to spring clean which means to deep clean your house. This usually only happens once a year - in the spring. Obsessive is when someone is very interested or worried about something. Clutter which means a lot of junk and stuff which is lying around your house, like newspapers, books and shoes .A clean freak is when someone spends all their time cleaning and tidying. Clear out is when you throw or give away lots of things in your house you no longer need. To lift your spirits means that something makes you feel happier.

Kate: And finally let's go back to the question I asked you earlier. I asked how many hours per week do you think the average woman spends doing housework?

Jackie: And I said 3 hours.

Kate: And I'm afraid you were wrong, the average woman spends 15 hours per week doing the housework, which seems like a lot when you compare it to the average man who spends just 7 hours. Something not quite right there I think!

That's all we have time for I'm afraid. Until next week.

Both: Goodbye!

Sleeping for learning

More sleep could mean better exam results.

How much can you learn when you're tired?

New research has proved that not getting enough sleep – or sleep deprivation – can have a negative effect on a student's performance at school.

In this week's 6 Minute English, Rob and Finn discuss why this is a particular problem in wealthier countries and explore some sleep related language.

This week's question:

Randy Gardner holds the world record for the longest period of time without sleep in 1965.

Do you know how long he stayed awake for? Was it:

a) 5 days

b) 8 days

c) 11 days

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Listen

here

End of Section

Vocabulary

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sleep deprivation

not getting enough sleep

getting their heads down

going to sleep

lethargic

lacking in energy

forty winks

a brief and light sleep

to run on empty

to continue working when you have no energy or enthusiasm

hit the sack

go to bed

mood swings

regular changes in how you feel or behave

a siesta

a short sleep after lunch (particularly in hot countries)

to turn in

to go to bed

tetchy

grumpy, unhappy

Transcript:

Rob: Hello, I’m Rob and this is 6 Minute English and I’m joined this week by Finn. Hello

Finn.

Finn: Hello Rob.

Rob: This week, we’re discussing sleep. New research has shown that not getting enough sleep – or sleep deprivation – can have a negative effect on our ability to learn.

We’re going to talk about that today and explore some sleep-related language.

Finn: So Rob, are you saying the more sleep I get, the cleverer I will be?

Rob: Not exactly - but we could put that to the test now by seeing if you know the answer to this week’s question. This is about Randy Gardner, who holds the world record for the longest period of time without sleep. Do you know how long he stayed awake for? Was it:

a) 5 days

b) 8 days

c) 11 days

Finn: Rob, I’m going to go for the ambitious c) 11 days without sleep.

Rob: Well, I’ll let you know the answer at the end of the programme, if you can stay awake that long! Now, let’s talk more about this link between sleep and the ability to learn. Researchers from Boston College in the USA have found the lack of sleep is a significant – so important – factor in lowering the achievement of school pupils. The findings could be relevant to any of us who are trying to learn something.

Finn: That’s true. The most interesting fact is that it is more of a problem in affluent countries – so wealthier countries such as the United States, England, France and

Saudi Arabia.

Rob: Students here are more affected by influences from their home life.

Finn: You’re talking about computers and TVs in their bedrooms and using smartphones?

Rob: Yes, they’re tempted by all this technology instead of just getting their heads down and having a good night’s sleep. The survey found 80% of 13 and 14-yearolds in the US were identified by their teachers as being affected by lack of sleep.

The international average was 57%.

Finn: Let’s hear from William Myers who is the Principal at South River High School in the United States. He says this is a challenge for teachers. What other word does he use to mean ‘lacking in energy’?

William Myers, Principal at South River High School:

If we didn’t make our classes more engaging, we would see a decline in our performance. We would see that school-wide, and in many of our classes, we would see students who were lethargic, sleepy, maybe heads down at the end of the day. So we have to put a lot of work into keeping them alert and keeping them excited about school.

Rob: That’s quite a challenge then! He says classes have to be engaging, so interesting and exciting, to stop students getting sleepy and lacking in energy – the word he used was lethargic.

Finn: Yes, this research looked at the link between the amount students sleep and their test results. Not surprisingly it found children with more sleep achieve higher test results in maths, science and reading. There is a lesson there for all of us – I think

I’ll just shut my eyes, Rob, and have 40 winks.

Rob: You mean a short, light sleep? Can you wait until the end of the programme please?

Scientists believe the lack of sleep causes your brain to run on empty. It struggles to absorb and retain ideas.

Finn: Actually, scientists say that there are more serious problems with students staying up late before they hit the sack - or got to bed – as we can hear from the BBC’s

Jane O’Brien. Can you identify what they are?

Jane O’Brien, BBC reporter:

Here at the Children’s National Medical Centre, doctors are seeing more and more sleep-deprived kids, and it’s not just affecting their school work. It’s linked to obesity, mood swings and behaviour problems. In fact it’s putting their long-term health at risk.

Finn: So, the lack of sleep can also lead to health problems such as obesity – that’s when someone is dangerously overweight – and to mood swings – that’s changes in how someone feels or behaves. So, what is the solution to all of this?

Rob: Well the school day in some countries start later, allowing teenagers a bit of a lie in.

And others have a break in the afternoon – like a siesta. But the real solution is for students to turn in – or go to bed – earlier.

Finn: This research has also highlighted another problem. Because teachers are simplifying their lessons to take account of the tetchy – or grumpy – students, there’s concern that pupils who are getting enough sleep are losing out in these adjusted lessons. So everyone suffers. OK, well before I go for a lie down please could you let me know the answer to today’s question, Rob?

Rob: Of course. Earlier I asked you about Randy Gardner, who holds the world record for the longest period of time without sleep. I asked you if you knew how long he stayed awake for?

Finn: And I said c) 11 days, 11 long days.

Rob: And you were right. He stayed awake for that incredible 11 days back in 1965.

Randy was actually functioning quite well at the end of his research and he could still beat the scientist at pinball. Well, it’s almost time to go but before we do, Finn could you remind us of some of the words we've heard today.

Finn: Yes. We heard:

sleep deprivation - not getting enough sleep

getting their heads down - going to sleep

lethargic

forty winks - a brief and light sleep

to run on empty - to continue working when you have no energy or enthusiasm

hit the sack - go to bed

mood swings - changes in how you feel or behave

a siesta

to turn in - to go to bed

tetchy - grumpy, unhappy

Rob: Well, that’s all we have time for today. Time for a doze Finn!

Both: I think so. Bye.

Living in a tiny space

Could you live in such a tiny space?

Could you live in a house or apartment that was only 30 square metres in size?

There is currently a housing crisis in the UK, where there aren't enough homes for people to live in and the homes that are being built are getting smaller and smaller. People have to become 'creative' with their space in order to have enough room for their family and belongings.

In this week's programme, Jen and Neil discuss the growing number of people who are living in small houses.

This week's question:

Which European country's homes are almost 80% bigger than those in the UK?

a) Ireland

b) The Netherlands

c) Denmark

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Listen

here

End of Section

Vocabulary

SHOW ALL | HIDE ALL

housing crisis

shortage of houses / high prices of houses available to buy

to get a foot on the property ladder

to buy your first house

on the market

available to buy

room to swing a cat

lots of space

to squeeze

here: to push into a small space

minimalist

having no more than what is necessary

de-clutter

get rid of things you don't want or need

Jennifer: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com. My name is Jennifer and with me in the studio is Neil. Welcome, Neil!

Neil: Hi there Jen. In this programme, we take a look at a topic in the news and learn some new vocabulary and phrases from it.

Jennifer: In this programme, we’re talking about the growing number of people living in very tiny places. How big is your house, Neil? I bet you live in a castle!

Neil: I wish! No, I live in a small, two-bedroom flat, which is not big enough because there are four of us in it! How about you, Jen?

Jen: Well, my house is very small indeed, but I do feel grateful to have it, particularly as Britain is experiencing a housing crisis at the moment.

Neil: There’s a shortage of houses in Britain and this has meant that the price of houses has become very expensive.

Jennifer: The prices have become so expensive that people can’t afford to buy their own home. A popular way to describe buying your first home in English is ‘to get a foot on the property ladder’.

Neil: Even if you can afford to buy your own home, you might find that your money doesn’t buy very much. Research out this week has revealed that the UK has some of the smallest properties in Europe.

Jennifer: I’m glad you mentioned that, Neil, as it reminds me: I haven’t asked you the quiz question yet!

One European country has new homes which are, on average, almost 80% bigger than the homes in Britain. Is it:

a) Ireland b) The Netherlands c) Denmark

Neil: I don’t really know and I’m going to guess that it’s b) the Netherlands.

Jennifer: Well, we will find out if you are right at the end of the programme. So, we know that there is a housing crisis in Britain, and we also know that many of the new houses which are on the market, or for sale, are very small. A typical one-bedroom home in Britain is just 46m².

Neil: That is tiny! You could say ‘you wouldn’t have room to swing a cat’: now don’t take that phrase literally; it simply means that a room is very small.

Jennifer: The people building the houses are trying to meet the demand for properties, so they are building houses with two or three bedrooms, but those rooms are much smaller than anywhere else in Europe.

Neil: And that’s an interesting difference between Britain and the rest Europe.

Here in the UK, houses are sold according to the number of bedrooms they have. Elsewhere, people pay more attention to the measurement of the floor space.

Jennifer: You’re right, Neil. The number of bedrooms you have in your house is very important to many people in Britain. Now, according to research from the Royal Institute of British Architects, lack of space is the most common cause of dissatisfaction that people have in relation to their homes and it can be really frustrating.

Neil: Yes, especially if you have a lot of belongings and kids to squeeze into a small space! So what can you do to make a small space more habitable, or easy to live in?

Jennifer: Well, the design of your house can make a difference. If you have a minimalist approach it can make your house feel bigger. Listen to this clip from BBC correspondent Jennifer Pak. She describes a man in Hong Kong who has transformed his small living space to make it multifunctional…

BBC correspondent, Jennifer Pak:

Architect Gary Chang lives alone. He has created a walk-in closet, with the help of sliding walls. This apartment is only 30m², but, using tracks on the ceiling and wheels,

Mr Chang can transform it into a linen closet, a bathroom, and even a full-size kitchen behind the television set. But the renovation cost as much as the flat itself, so for other homes in the territory, it’s a constant battle against clutter.

Jennifer: So Mr Chang has modified, or changed, his tiny apartment using sliding walls. That’s great if you’ve got the skills to do that, but lots of people won’t be able to.

Neil: As we heard in the report, other people have a real battle against clutter.

If you de-clutter your house, you get rid of lots of things that you don’t need, like ornaments, books or CDs.

Jennifer: It’s not so bad nowadays – you can store all of your music and books digitally, which does save a lot of space.

Neil: Many people who live in small places will buy gadgets which save space and make their lives easier. Here’s Jennifer Pak again, describing a multifunctional cooking gadget:

BBC correspondent, Jennifer Pak:

Maple Ma likes to make food. This pot can grill, bake, fry and steam using a halogen lamp to cook. It replaces her oven, microwave and stove. The Hong Kong company that makes this pot, German Pool, says its best sellers are gadgets that perform multiple functions.

Neil: An oven, microwave and stove, all in one! That’s really handy for small spaces.

Jennifer: Now, we’ve heard a lot about small homes in Britain, it’s time to go back to our quiz question from earlier. I asked you which European country’s homes are almost 80% bigger than those in the UK.

a) Ireland b) The Netherlands c) Denmark

Neil: And I said b) the Netherlands…

Jennifer: And you were wrong! It's homes in Denmark which are, on average, 80% bigger than those in the UK. Homes in the Netherlands are 53% bigger and in Ireland they’re 15% bigger.

Neil: So, all in all, living space is pretty small here in the UK.

Jennifer: Yes, if you want more space, you’ll have to move abroad. We’re almost out of time now, so Neil, could you remind us of some of the words and phrases we’ve heard today?

Neil: Yes. They were:

housing crisis

to get a foot on the property ladder

on the market

room to swing a cat

to squeeze

minimalist

de-clutter

Jennifer: Do join us again for another edition of 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Bye for now!

Neil: Goodbye!