Introduction

From goods in shops to political conversations - it seems that unicorns are back on trend. Rob and Neil discuss the reason for it an teach you related vocabulary.

This week's question

What?do?we?call?the?study?of?legendary?creatures?like?the?Loch?Ness?Monster,?Big?Foot?and?unicorns??Is?it:

a) Cryptozoology,?????????????????

b) Protozoology,?

c)?Paleozoology?

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Transcript

Note:?This?is?not?a?word?for?word?transcript

Neil

Hello, and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil.?

Rob

And hello, I'm Rob.?

Neil

Now,?then,?Rob,?what?do?you?know?about?unicorns??

Rob

Ah,?well,?the?unicorn?is?a?fantasy?creature?from?history.?In?our?tradition?it?looks?like?a?white?horse?with?a?single?spiral?horn?coming?out?of?its?head.?Why?do?you?ask??

Neil

Well,?funnily?enough,?unicorns?are?the?topic?of?this?programme.?Before?we?learn?more?though,?a?question.?What?do?we?call?the?study?of?legendary?creatures?like?the?Loch?Ness?Monster,?Big?Foot?and?unicorns??Is?it:

a) Cryptozoology,

b) Protozoology, or

c)?Paleozoology?

Have?you?got?any?idea?about?that,?Rob??

RobAh, well, I know this because it was the topic of a 6 Minute English programme a while back, in 2008, to be exact. So I think I'll keep the answer to myself.?

Neil

OK,?well?for?everyone?else,?we'll?have?the?answer?later?in?the?programme.?Over?the?last?few?years?unicorns?have?been?popping?up?all?over?the?place?-?on?T-shirts,?in?movies,?as?toys?and?even?in?political?conversations.?Why?is?this??Natalie?Lawrence?is?a?natural?historian.?She?appeared?on?the?BBC's?Woman's?Hour?programme?to?discuss?the?topic.?Listen?out?for?the?answer?to?this?question:?Why?does?she?say?people?used?to?drink?out?of?unicorn?horns??

Natalie Lawrence

Those original stories were developed in a time when magic actually existed in the world. The world was still very?enchanted?… the idea that the unicorn is a very strong animal and also that could achieve magical?feats, so unicorn horn used to be seen as?a panacea?for all sorts of ills and a guard against poison. So people used to drink out of unicorn horn cups to prevent themselves getting poisoned, and I think that idea of it being magical and having magical powers has still come through today.?

NeilWhy?did?they?drink?from?unicorn?horn?cups??

Rob

Well, they were supposed to have magical powers so people drank from them so they wouldn't get poisoned.?

Neil

Yes, she said they could perform magical?feats. A?feat?is?something?that?is?difficult?to?do?or?achieve?-?like?recording?this?programme?without?making?a?mistake,?that's?a?real?feat!?

Rob

Well, we usually do it. It must just be unicorn magic.?

Neil

No,?just?the?magic?of?editing,?Rob!?Now,?she?also?said?that?unicorn?horn?was?seen?as?a?panacea.?What?does?that?mean??

Rob

A?panacea?is?another?word?for?a?cure?-?something?that?can?protect?you?from?illness?or?help?you?recover?if?you?are?sick.?But?is?all?this?true,?about?the?unicorn?horn??

Neil

Well, seeing as how unicorns don't and never have existed, it's unlikely to be true. She says these stories come from a time when the world was?enchanted. This means it was a time when people believed in magic and the possibility of mysterious creatures from mysterious parts of the world. It seems as if these days people are looking for a bit of magic, a bit of?enchantment?in?their?lives.?The?unicorn?has?also?come?to?be?a?term?commonly?used?in?politics?to?refer?to?unrealistic?ideas?and?plans.?Why?is?this??Here's?Natalie?Lawrence?again.?

Natalie Lawrence

Because it's such a?potent?cultural symbol at the moment it's being?deployed?in one of the most?pressing?issues of our time, as well, so… and the idea of the UK trying to be its own special unicorn potentially…?

Neil

So?Rob,?what?is?she?talking?about?here??

Rob

Well, we are in a very complicated time politically in the UK at the moment. She says they are?pressing?times. A term which means something important but difficult has to be done in a very short time. A?pressing?matter is an important one that has to be dealt with urgently.?

Neil

Now, at the time of recording our parliament can't agree on the current?pressing?matter of Brexit and each side says the other has unicorns. There's nothing special or magical about these unicorns - it's a negative comment - a unicorn is a fantasy idea - a plan that has no chance of working,?

Rob

She says unicorns are a?potent?symbol - which means they are a very strong and recognisable symbol.?

Neil

And this symbol is being used, or as she said being?deployed. This is the same word that would be used when you send a military force somewhere. You?deploy?the army in a military conflict, and in the current political conflict they are?deploying?the?word?'unicorn'!?Here’s?Natalie?Lawrence?again.?

Natalie Lawrence

Because it's such a?potent?cultural symbol at the moment it's being?deployed?in one of the most?pressing?issues of our time, as well, so… and the idea of the UK trying to be its own special unicorn potentially…?

NeilRight, our?pressing?matter?now?is?the?vocabulary?review.?Before?that?though,?the?answer?to?this?week's?question:?What?do?we?call?the?study?of?legendary?creatures?like?the?Loch?Ness?Monster,?Big?Foot?and?unicorns.?Is?it:

a) Cryptozoology,??????????

b) Protozoology, or

c)?Paleozoology?

Rob,?you?knew?the?answer?to?this,?didn't?you??

Rob

I did, yes. If you look back at our archive to September 2008 you will find an episode all about a) Cryptozoology.

Neil

Well?done,?if?you?got?that?right?-?particularly?if?you?remember?that?programme!?Now,?vocabulary?from?this?programme.?There?was?enchanted?to talk about a time when magic was believed to be real.?

Rob

A?feat?is something that is very difficult to achieve and a?panacea?is a cure.?

Neil

Something that's?potent?is strong and powerful and if you?deploy?something, you use it, you put it into operation.?

Rob

And something?pressing?is urgent, it needs to be done soon.?

Neil

Right, that's it from us for now. Hope you can join us again soon. If you can't wait, you can find bbclearningenglish on social media, online and on our very own app. Bye for now.??

Rob

Bye?bye!?

Vocabulary

enchanted

with a magical atmosphere?

a feat

a difficult task, something that is hard to achieve?

a panacea

a cure?

potent

strong and powerful?

to deploy

to use something for a particular purpose

e.g. the army were?deployed?to help protect the refugees?

pressing

a?pressing?matter or issue is an important one that needs to be sorted urgently

e.g. finding a solution to climate change is a?pressing?matter