Rob: Hello. This is 6 Minute English,
and I'm Rob.
Sam: I'm Sam. Hello!
Rob: Now, Sam, we’re going to be talking
about tattoos. Are you a fan?
Sam: Of tattoos? Well, I don’t have one,
but they can be quite impressive
works of art.
Rob: Well, I’m not that keen on tattoos
– I mean, who wants things
drawn on their body?!
Sam: It sounds like you need
some convincing, Rob!
Maybe our discussion today
will change your mind.
Rob: Maybe. But as you’re a fan of them,
here’s a question for you
to answer. According
to the Guinness World Records, the record
for the most tattooed person in the world
goes to Lucky Diamond Rich from
New Zealand. Do you know how much
of his body is covered
by tattoos? Is it… a) 80%, b) 90%,
or c)100%?
What do you think, Sam?
Sam: Well, it’s got to be 100% if he is
the most tattooed man, surely?
Rob: Not necessarily, but, we’ll see if
you’re right at the end of the programme.
Now let’s talk more about tattoos. I know
many people have them. Sometimes it’s a
picture of an animal, like a small gecko,
sometimes it’s words like ‘I love you’
or the name of a loved one. And then
there are the huge designs spread
across someone’s back, chest or
arm - like footballer David Beckham has.
Sam: Well, he’s no stranger to a tattoo
parlour. A parlour is the name of the shop
where a tattoo artist draws
a tattoo on you with ink and a needle.
Rob: Needles! Ouch!
Sam: OK, you need some convincing, so
let's hear from Lucie Parfitt, YouTuber
and tattoo fan. Here she is
speaking on the BBC’s Smart
Consumer podcast…
Lucie Parfitt: I’m quite a creative person
and ever since I first discovered tattoos,
I thought it was a really
cool way of expressing yourself.
I’m quite a visual person as well,
so for me it really, like, just looked really
cool and it made me think more
about my own, like, personality and
how I could express
that in creative ways.
Rob: Right, so, Lucie describes herself as
a creative person. When you’re creative
you imaginative and like
to experiment with new ideas.
Sam: Yes, Rob. And tattoos are a good
way to be creative – trying out different
designs and colours - it’s
a good way to express yourself.
Here, to express yourself means
'to show how you feel in a particular way'.
Rob:OK, so some people express
themselves through singing
or wearing particular clothing,
but here she’s expressing herself through
the images on her skin. But what happens
if you want change
what you want to express?
Sam: Well, then it’s time for a new tattoo!
Rob: OK, well I know that the
tattoo industry is big business
now – which means it's
'popular and making lots of money'.
I’ve heard that one in five people
now have a tattoo.
Sam: Not you yet, Rob! But it has certainly
become a trend in recent years and it’s
something tattoo artist Lee Clements
has noticed. Also speaking on the
BBC’s Smart Consumer podcast,
he explains why he thinks that is….
Lee Clements: The thing for me
that has obviously changed massively
over the last, possibly, ten years is you
see a lot of celebrities
getting tattooed.
With that comes the fact that you’re going
to get people who want
to copy them or it becomes almost
like a fashion thing, so we do
see certain tattoos, sort of, becoming
a trend and… yeah, so I guess it kind
of dilutes that value a little bit, yeah.
Rob: Ah so it’s celebrities – famous,
well-known people from TV, film
and fashion – that have possibly
driven the trend. People want to copy
them – or it’s what he says is ‘a fashion
thing’, so you have a tattoo
because it’s fashionable, which means it’s
'popular at a particular time'.
Sam: And one of the down sides – the
negative things – about just having
one to be fashionable
is it dilutes the individuality of having
one. Dilute means to 'make something
less strong or less valuable'.
Rob: Well, I’m not going to
get one anytime soon - except
maybe a big six on my arm to remind me
that we only have 6 minutes for
this programme so I’d better reveal the
answer to the question I asked you earlier.
According to Guinness World Records,
the record for the most tattooed person
in the world goes to
Lucky Diamond Rich from New Zealand.
Did you know how much of his body is
covered by tattoos?
Sam: And I said 100%.
Rob: Well done, Sam. That is correct.
He has held the certified record
since 2006 of being
100% tattooed. This includes
tattoos inside his eyelids,
mouth and ears.
Sam: Wow! I wonder who gets
to see those!
Rob: OK well, now it’s time to recap the
vocabulary we’ve discussed
today starting with a parlour.
Sam: That’s the name for a shop or room
where certain businesses carry out
their trade – such as a tattoo parlour,
a massage parlour
or an ice cream parlour.
Rob: A creative person is someone
who uses imagination and
experiments with new ideas.
Sam: And when you express yourself,
it means you 'show outwardly
how you feel and what you’re thinking'.
Rob: If something is big business it is
an activity that is currently popular
and making lots of money.
Sam: And something that is fashionable
is popular. And when something becomes
popular it can dilute its value
or uniqueness – so
it becomes less strong or less valuable.
Rob: OK, thank you, Sam. That’s all for
now but there’s plenty more on our
website at bbclearningenglish.com.
If you can’t remember the address,
why not tattoo it on your arm?!
You can also find us on social
media and on our app. Goodbye for now!
Sam: Bye!