Study Guide. Chatterbox #209 Luxury products. Episode description

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1 Chatterbox #209 Luxury products Episode description Have you ever wished you were rich and could buy anything you ever wanted? In this episode of Chatterbox, Andrew and Morag discuss different types of luxury goods and why people buy them. Fun fact The Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse is made of 18 karat gold and encrusted with 4,500 diamonds. It sold for $3.8 million in 2010, making it the most expensive handbag in the world. Now that s a luxury good! Expressions included in the study guide Life changer Top of the line Flashy Old money/new money What strikes me as [something] Conspicuous consumption 1

2 Transcript Note: The words and expressions that appear in bold text within the transcript are discussed in more detail in the Detailed Explanations section that follows the transcript. You re listening to the Culips English podcast. To download the study guide for this episode, which includes the transcript, detailed vocabulary explanations, real-world examples, and a quiz, visit our website, Culips.com, C-U-L-I-P-S.com. Hey, everybody. My name is Andrew. And my name is Morag. And you re listening to Culips. Hey, Morag. Hey, Andrew. How you doing? I m doing pretty well. How about yourself? I m all right. I m all right, yeah. Morag, today we re going to talk about luxury goods. And I have kind of a funny story about how I came to think that we should record an episode about luxury goods. Do you wanna hear it? Absolutely. Good. Well, after 2 years of struggling with a really terrible, slow, old Android phone, I finally got a new phone. And I bought an iphone. An iphone X. Oh. And I m really happy with this phone. I ve only had it for about a week now, but in a way that really disappoints me. I m so happy because of this phone, I m really happy to have it, and I feel like I shouldn t be so attached to my phone. But it s just such a life changer, it s just made my life better having a really nice phone that works. 2

3 And when one of my friends saw that I had a new iphone X, he mentioned to me, you know, Andrew, you re not a rich guy. You ll never have a private jet or a mansion like a billionaire will. But the iphone X is, like, one of the only luxury goods that even the richest guy in the world, he can t get a better phone than that. It s just the top of the line. So I was thinking about this for a second and I thought, hey, it s true, you know, I think when it comes to phones, the iphone is the best one you can get. It s the top of the line luxury good and it s available to a lot of people, not just billionaires. And I couldn t think of any other products like this, and this is what got my mind thinking about luxury goods. So today this is what we ll talk about. We re going to do a Chatterbox episode and, to all the listeners out there that don t know, Chatterbox is the series where we have a totally natural, unscripted conversation. We just let the conversation flow in whichever way it goes. And we hope that, by listening in, you can improve your listening fluency and improve your English. Now, the study guide for this episode is on our website, Culips.com, so if you wanna study along with the study guide, head on over to the website to give it a download. OK, Morag, let s chat about luxury goods, luxury goods. When you hear this term, luxury goods, what s the first thing that comes to your mind? The first thing that I think about is really, really ridiculously expensive makeup. Very interesting. Really, really ridiculously expensive makeup? Is makeup really that expensive? So, if you go to a Sephora do you know Sephora, Andrew? It s a makeup shop, I m assuming? Yeah, it s international. It has perfume and skin care and tons of makeup. They re huge. OK. You can get, say, like, a foundation for anywhere from $30 which is still quite a lot to, say, $250. Wow. $250 for foundation? Is this a huge tub of foundation? It s actually usually smaller than the regular stuff. You could go to a drugstore, a pharmacy, and get a foundation for $10. 3

4 Wow, so it s a huge price gap. Massive. There are so many crazy expensive things marketed to women. So, you can easily, well, not, I mean I would never have the money so I could never do this, but you can absolutely put on, like, $1,500 to $2,000 of products on your face in a day. Wow! What? Yeah. I never even considered this before. So, if I see a movie star on TV or a singer, you re telling me that they probably have over $1,000 worth of makeup on their face, if they re using the high-end products, which I assume they would be wearing? Interestingly enough, you re more likely to see it on, say, like, Instagramers and that kind of thing than celebrities, because take, putting on makeup for cameras is actually a bit different. And they usually can use, like, really intense, kind of more like stage makeup stuff. But, yeah, I mean, like, in their regular lives or people, like famous people on the internet generally, yeah, they probably have a lot, a lot of money in products on their body and on their face. Now, what strikes me as funny is, you know, from a male perspective, when I think of luxury goods, I think of, like, high-end sports cars. And I think, for a guy, having a luxury product is all about showing off, right? Showing off, like, I drive a Porsche, look how rich I am, look how cool I am, right? Nothing against guys that drive Porsches or wear Rolexes. I would like these things, too, but I think it s about conspicuous consumption, which is showing other people that you have money, or that you are wealthy. But, going back to makeup now, what I m curious about is, can you even tell if somebody is wearing this high-end makeup? Is it noticeable? I don t think I would be able to tell, but could you tell? Um, no, and there s actually, there s quite a lot of, there s an industry built up around people showing what s called dupes, duplicates. OK. 4

5 Things that are, you know, a high-end product and then a lower-end or drugstore product, it looks exactly the same. A lot of it, though, you are talking about conspicuous consumption. It is actually conspicuous consumption. Not because you can tell when looking at someone what sort of makeup they have on their face, but, say, in the washroom when they re going to go touch up, when they pull out that lipstick, does it say Yves Saint Laurent on it? You know, it s that kind of thing. OK. A lot of these luxury makeup goods have crazy beautiful packaging or they re much higher quality, they re metal or they re all this kind of stuff, you know? So you still see it. It s still about showing off. It s just not as loud as a car. Probably literally and figuratively. But it s the same thing. I mean, like, a lot of there s a lot of luxury goods that work for any gender, are, like, you know, a t-shirt for a $150 or something, you know? Or thinking about, like, Lacoste or that kind of stuff. It s, like, you get a Polo for, like, $200 or something. Right, yes. You know, it s like that branding thing. So it doesn t look all that different from far away but, um, yeah, I don t know. Are you at all interested in buying, like, a luxury good? Is there a luxury good that you would save up for? Other than the phone. Yeah, I don t think so. You know, like, I like vintage watches. I like looking at them when I see them, I think they re really cool. I would be super stoked to one day be able to afford, like, a vintage Rolex or something. But I don t think I would save up for this, that would only be something that I would buy if I were rich. Or a sports car, like I mentioned, a Porsche or something. I m not opposed to these items; I think they re cool. But I don t ever see me owning one and, you know, if I saved up all my money to buy a vintage Rolex, it would just be ridiculous because the rest of my outfit is just very plain and normal-person clothes, you know? And then to have this superexpensive watch, it would be kind of silly. But sometimes I do see people around town, you know with, like, a really expensive handbag or something, but the rest of their outfit doesn t look special. So I think, oh, maybe this person just really, really, really wanted the handbag and saved up for a long time to buy it but is actually not rich. 5

6 That s funny cause I ve known a couple people that had a lot of money and neither of them actually had any of this stuff. Yeah. Yeah, my friend from high school who had, you know, way too much money, or his family did, and he even wore secondhand clothes. Yup. You know? It s funny, it s definitely it s not necessarily about how much money you actually have, but about how much money you want to look like you have. Exactly, and there s two expressions that might be relevant here: old money and new money. And so old money we use to refer to families that have been wealthy for generations and generations. You could think of, like, aristocrats or successful business families that have just been able to carry their wealth forward from one generations to the next. And I think we consider people that are old money to be less flashy, like, sometimes like your friend, you don t actually, you can t actually tell that these people are rich just because they are I mean it s different for everybody, but this is just my general sense, is that they re not as flashy, whereas with new money, new money you could think of somebody who maybe won the lottery or suddenly became rich, maybe an athlete that suddenly went from being poor to having a multimillion-dollar contract, and then they just go all out. They re, like, I got money now! Let s spend it! Right? And they buy everything and, yeah, so I think there s a distinction depending on how you got your wealth, how long you ve been wealthy. This might determine how you spend your money and what kind of products you buy with that money. Absolutely and, as a note, old money usually looks down on new money. It s true. Yeah, so the idea s, like, with this distinction, it s that usually old money is, like, the thing you want to be. It s classier, it s just the more correct way to be rich, which is so ridiculous. Yeah, it s more refined. More refined. Yes, exactly, as opposed to new money, which is, like, flashy and show-off, kind of show-offy and that kind of thing. 6

7 Show-offy. The word that came to my mind was braggadocios, which is a word that I very, very rarely use, braggadocios, but. But that is a word, it s a great word. It s fun to say, too, braggadocios, boasting, right? You re boasting if you re new money, perhaps. Unrestrained in an unbecoming way, sort of thing, yeah. Morag, just before we finish here, I want to ask you one quick question. And that is, if money wasn t an issue for you, what kind of luxury product would you like to buy, if any? I would want, this is going a bit crazy, I would wanna car. I have always wanted a 1971 Jaguar E-Type. Oh, classy. Yeah, yeah. I ve always wanted that car. I remember about 10 to 12 years ago, they cost about $200,000. So who knows, I m never getting that car. Maybe one day, maybe one day. Yeah, when I win the lottery, a big lottery. A big lottery. Well, everybody that about brings us to the end of today s show. And we re very curious, what do you think about luxury goods? Do you own any luxury goods, or if you could buy a luxury good, a luxury product, what would you buy? Would it be a car or a watch or some makeup, a handbag? What would you like to buy? Send us an , our address is contact@culips.com, or visit us on Facebook or Twitter and send us a message that way. OK, that s it for today. We ll talk to you next time. Bye, everybody. Announcer: Goodbye. The best way to study with Culips is by becoming a Culips member. When you become a Culips member, you will get full transcripts, detailed vocabulary explanations, and quizzes for each episode. Visit Culips.com, that s C-U-L-I-P-S.com, to sign up and become a member. 7

8 Detailed Explanations Life changer Noun A life changer is something that alters or affects a person s life in a big way. This thing or experience is specific to each person. In this episode, Andrew says buying a new iphone is a life changer, because it s so convenient and works well. This phrase can also be used as an adjective by modifying it to life changing. For example, losing his job was a life-changing experience for Robert; after that, he decided to take a risk and pursue his dream of becoming a writer. Here are a couple more examples with life changer: Mary: Susan: Mary: Wow! It s been a long time since I ve seen you. You look amazing! Yeah, last year I was diagnosed with diabetes. It was a real life changer. I started a strict diet and exercise plan and lost 40 kilos! Good for you! You look like a brand-new woman. Tim: Mark: Hey, man, I m having trouble sleeping at night. Do you have any advice? I had the same problem. I started doing meditation for 15 minutes before bed, and it has been such a life changer. Now I sleep like a baby! 8

9 Top of the line Adjective Top of the line is something that is better than anything else in its category. It is the best of the best. Top of the line almost always refers to a type of product. Here are a couple more examples with top of the line: Frank: Craig: Frank: Hey, Craig, I want to go camping this weekend. Where should I buy my tent? You should definitely go to REI. They have top-of-the-line camping gear for anything you need. Cool. I ll check it out tomorrow. Thanks! Steve: Sales Clerk: Hello, where can I find the discount brands in your store? Sorry, sir. We only sell top-of-the-line products at this store. If you would prefer to buy a lower-priced option, I suggest trying the store across the street. 9

10 Flashy Adjective If something is flashy, it looks too showy, bright, big, and expensive. Usually people buy flashy things to get more attention from their peers. Here are a couple more examples with flashy: Mary: Jessie: Mary: Jessie: Do you see that woman over there? You mean the one wearing that horrible flashy outfit? Yeah, that one. She wears that bright neon pink jumpsuit almost every day. She thinks it makes her look younger. It s an Interesting style choice. Tom: Sarah: Tom: Wow, Sarah! Look at you with those flashy earrings. Yeah, I know they re a little excessive, but my husband bought them for me for our anniversary. You know what they say, Diamonds are a girl s best friend. 10

11 Old money/new money Noun Old money is a term used to describe families who have been wealthy for many generations. In contrast, new money is a term used to describe families whose wealth has been earned recently. In other words, old money passes their wealth from parent to child for many generations, while new money s wealth is more recently earned, for example through a successful business or by winning the lottery. Here are a couple more examples with old money/new money: Edward: Robert: Edward: Who s that man over there in the grey jacket? That s Charles Vanderbilt. He comes from old money. His great-greatgrandfather founded a successful trade business over a century ago. I wonder what that s like to grow up with money your whole life. Megan: Kate: Did you hear about Lisa? Her husband s tech company sold for $300 million last month, and since then she s bought a mansion and a yacht, and went on a shopping spree in Milan. That s what new money does. They love to spend money quickly on flashy things that they couldn t buy before they got rich. 11

12 What strikes me as [something] Idiom What strikes me as [something] is a phrase used to express an opinion or feeling, often used with the words funny, odd, or strange. What strikes me as [something] is similar to the phrase I think it s [something]. For example, What strikes me as funny is that I didn t study at all for this math test, but I got an A+ can be substituted with the sentence, I think it s funny that I didn t study at all for this math test, but I got an A+. Here are a couple more examples with what strikes me as [something]: Jeff: Paul: You know what, Paul? What strikes me as funny is that you are a millionaire now, but you still drive that old beat-up car to work every day. What can I say? I m a simple man. This was my first car; it has sentimental value. I m not gonna throw it away just because I have more money than I used to. Sally: Meg: Sally: What strikes me as odd is that Jane is so beautiful, but she s never had a boyfriend. Maybe it s because she is also really smart and incredibly tough. I m sure guys are just intimidated by her. I guess so Still, we should try to set her up with someone we know. 12

13 Conspicuous consumption Noun Conspicuous means to stand out or attract attention, and one definition of consumption means to purchase and use items. Therefore, conspicuous consumption means to buy many luxurious and expensive items to attract attention and show people you have lots of money. Here are a couple more examples with conspicuous consumption: Brian: Jane: Ever since Jack won the lottery, he thinks he s so cool. He bought all kinds of flashy cars and an expensive wardrobe to show off his money. It s a prime example of conspicuous consumption. He s simply trying to raise his social status by looking the part. Beth: Mike: Conspicuous consumption is such a waste. The rich should be more focused on how they can use their money to help the planet, rather than competing with each other to see who can buy the biggest and the best of everything. I completely agree! It s so damn greedy. I mean, why can t they donate some of their money to me? I could really use a bigger TV. 13

14 Quiz 1. Which is NOT a good word to add to the phrase, what strikes me as [something]? a) funny b) angry c) odd d) strange 2. Which of the following is an example of old money? a) winning the lottery b) starting your own business and becoming rich c) inheriting your wealth from your parents or grandparents d) spending a lot of money when you are old 3. What has a similar meaning to top of the line? a) front of the line b) front in line c) brand-new d) best of the best 4. True or false? A life changer or a life-changing experience is specific to each person. a) true b) false 5. What is NOT an example of conspicuous consumption? a) spending lots of money to show off b) buying many luxurious things to raise one s social status c) buying many expensive products in secret d) buying a Ferrari, because you want the most expensive car in your neighbourhood 14

15 Writing or Discussion Questions 1. As Andrew asks in this episode, if money were not an issue, what kind of luxury good would you buy? Why? 2. How do you think the spending habits are different between new money families and old money families? 3. If you could be fantastically wealthy but lonely or poor but loved by many people, which option would you choose? Why? 4. Do you think buying luxury goods is the most effective way to increase social status? Why or why not? 5. What is the most expensive thing you ever bought? Now that you have it, was it worth spending so much money on it? Why or why not? 15

16 Quiz Answers 1.b 2.c 3.d 4.a 5.c Episode credits Hosts: Music: Episode preparation/research: Audio editor: Transcriptionist: Study guide writer: English editor: Business manager: Project manager: Image: Andrew Bates and Morag St. Clair Something Elated by Broke For Free Andrew Bates Andrew Bates Heather Bates Kassy White Stephanie MacLean Tsuyoshi Kaneshima Jessica Cox Jonathan Francisca (Unsplash.com) 16

Episode 6: Can You Give Away Too Much Free Content? Subscribe to the podcast here.

Episode 6: Can You Give Away Too Much Free Content? Subscribe to the podcast here. Hey everybody! Welcome to episode number 6 of my podcast. Today I m going to be talking about using the free strategy