Democratic crisis in Senegal,
as elections are delayed.
This is News Review from BBC
Learning English, where we help you understand news headlines in English.
I'm Neil. And I'm Georgie.
Make sure you watch to the end to learn the vocabulary
you need to talk about this story.
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so you can learn more English from news headlines. Now, the story.
Senegal - one of the most stable democracies in West Africa.
Now, that's under threat.
With only three weeks to go a law has been passed which delays elections
and keeps President Macky Sall in power for ten more months. Protesters clashed
with riot police outside Parliament on Monday.
You've been looking at the headlines, Georgie.
What's the vocabulary
people need to understand this story in English?
We have 'looms', 'hangs by a thread' and 'baffled'.
This is News Review from BBC Learning English.
Let's have a look at our first headline.
This one's from the Financial Times.
Constitutional crisis looms in Senegal after President Macky Sall delays vote.
This headline is about
how the delay to Senegal's elections may cause a constitutional crisis.
Now, a constitutional crisis is
when there's a big disagreement about how government is run,
but we are looking at the word 'looms'. Georgie,
what can you tell us about 'looms'?
Sure. Well, if something
looms, it means that
it's coming soon. It's used for something negative.
So, something negative is about to happen.
Yes, and in this case, the constitutional crisis is the thing that's seen as bad.
It's the thing that looms, because the delay could threaten democracy.
That's right. But we can use this word
whenever a worrying situation seems likely to happen.
We could say that as the world heats up, more environmental disasters
loom. Yes, or a healthcare crisis looms
when a new disease
with no cure spreads.
Now, are there any other uses or meanings of 'looms'?
Actually, yes. It is used in a more physical way as well.
So if something or someone bigger than you looms over you,
they appear over you in a threatening way.
Imagine we're in a horror movie,
we're in a dark forest,
I turn around a tree and suddenly a horrifying monster looms over me.
That is pretty scary!
Let's look at that again.
Let's have our next headline.
This one's from the Economist.
Senegal's democracy hangs by a thread.
So we know that a constitutional crisis is looming, and from the context
then we are clear that 'hangs by a thread'- the expression are looking at -
cannot be a good thing.
Can you break it down for us?
Yes, let's start with 'thread'. So, a thread is a long, thin piece of fibre, like cotton,
that is used to make materials and this is my ring
and it's hanging by a thread. It's supported by the thread at the top,
but not at the bottom.
It's hanging. Yeah.
So if something hangs by a thread.
It's not very safe or secure or strong.
No, so according to the headline Senegal's democracy is hanging by
a thread. It is not as strong as it was. So, Georgie.
When else can we use 'hangs by a thread'?
Well, the idiom means that a situation is delicate.
It is in danger of failing, collapsing, or coming to an end.
So if a company is having financial difficulties.
The employees may feel that their jobs are hanging by a thread.
They don't feel safe or strong.
Let's look at that again.
Let's have our next headline.
This one's from ACI Africa.
"Baffled by what's going on": Archbishop
in Senegal on postponing general elections.
So, this headline is about an archbishop's reaction
to this postponement
in the elections in Senegal. An archbishop
is a very senior person in the church and a postponement is a delay,
but we are looking at this word
'baffled', which is a lovely sounding word.
But what does it mean? 'Baffled' means extremely confused.
The archbishop doesn't understand
the President's decision to delay the election
with just three weeks to go. Now,
Georgie, I'm extremely confused.
In fact, I'm baffled because we already have this word
'confused' in English.
Why do we need another one, 'baffled'?
Well Neil, when you reach a certain level of English,
it's good to have a variety of words
so you don't get stuck
using the same ones
all the time, and 'baffled' is a good one. We use it a lot
and it feels so nice to say
doesn't it - 'baffled'. Other words
you can use to mean confused
are 'perplexed' and 'bewildered'
although these are a little less common.
So 'baffle' can that be used in other ways.
Yes, it's also used as a verb.
So just like you can confuse someone you can baffle someone.
Neil, you baffle me when you turn up to work in the middle of winter
without a coat on. Well, there's nothing baffling about
that. I don't think you need a coat
unless it's below zero.
Let's look at that again.
We've had 'looms' -
something worrying is coming soon. 'Hangs by a thread' -
something is in danger of failing. And 'baffled' -
extremely confused. Now if you're interested in stories about politics, click here.
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And goodbye. Bye.