BBC Learning English Weekender Hair Partings

BBC Learning English

Weekender Hair partings

Yvonne: Today, men want the right hairstyle just as much as women do. And the way men part their hair can make that look complete – but should men part their hair on the left or on the right?

Hello, I'm Yvonne Archer and you're listening to Weekender from bbclearningenglish.com! Interestingly enough, the character Clark Kent has his hair parted on the right. But as the superhero, Superman, his hair is parted on the left, which is supposed to be less feminine. So what does Lee Stafford, hairdresser to the rich and famous, say to that? His hair is parted on the left! As we hear from Lee, try to find out how long he's been a hairdresser and what other job he does…

INSERT Actually, I've never thought about it before, you know, whether it should go on the left or the right. I think it's only our grandparents that know about that old, you know, thingy-bobby because I've been doing hairdressing for 20 years and I've never thought about it. I've won Men's British Hairdresser of the Year, I teach men's hairdressing and I've never thought about putting it on a particular side and no-one's asked what side it should go on.

Yvonne: Lee Stafford says he's 'been doing hairdressing' – he's been a hairdresser for 20 years – and he also teaches people how to be a men's hairdresser. But Lee thinks it's only our grandparents, very old people, who know which side a man should part his hair on. Now did you notice that lovely informal term that Lee used which Londoners sometimes use when they've forgotten or don't know the correct term or noun for something? It's a favourite of mine – so try to catch it as we hear from Lee again…

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INSERT I think it's only our grandparents that know about that old, you know, thingy-bobby…

Yvonne: Lee used 'thingy-bobby' to replace a word that could be 'tradition' or 'custom' or 'rule' – we have to guess from the context of what he's saying. But by using the term 'thingy-bobby', Lee makes it seem that he's not talking about anything particularly important. The old custom that men should only part their hair on the left is no longer followed and isn't important.

INSERT I think it's only our grandparents that know about that old, you know, thingy-bobby…

Yvonne: Now if I say: "Pass that thingy-bobby, please" – I've momentarily forgotten the name of the thing that I'd like you to pass to me. Let's say it's a hairbrush - but it's not important for me to remember that it's called a hairbrush because it's clear that you probably know what I'm referring to anyway. You know what that 'thingy-bobby' is.

But if I say, "Thingy-bobby's got a new hairstyle!" – it's quite rude. You know that I've forgotten the person's name but you also know that the person isn't important to me. It's not worth the effort it takes to try to remember his or her name - or even the effort it takes to describe the person so that you can remind me of their name. So do be careful when using that term 'thingy-bobby'!

Recently, I heard a news report that the leader of Britain's Conservative political party, David Cameron, decided to change the parting in his hair. As we've heard, men who part their hair on the left are sometimes thought to be more manly – or less feminine - but Mr Cameron now parts his hair on the right.

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Jennifer Aston, an Image Consultant, helps people find the best look for their lifestyle and job. And she gives three simple reasons why someone like David Cameron might change the parting in his hair. He's trying to hide a place on his head where the hair isn't as thick as it used to be – where it's 'thinning'… he's trying to look his best – as attractive as possible… and someone's asking him to try something different – to 'experiment' with his hair.

INSERT It doesn't have any meaning beyond, maybe trying to disguise a thinning - little thinning on one side. But I don't think it's significant beyond him trying to look his best, have a little play with things, but somebody's asking him to experiment with it.

Yvonne: As you probably know, Will Kremer is a member of the bbclearningenglish.com team – and you'll have noticed from his picture on our Meet the Team page, that he's got a lot of very thick hair. It's always parted on the right – but Will has no choice in that because of the way his hair grows at the front:

INSERT Well my hair has a kiss-curl on the front - sometimes I think it's called a cowlick which means it goes down at the front and then it goes up.

Yvonne: And when Will was younger, his 'kiss-curl' or 'cowlick' would cause problems for the cheaper barbers he went to because they only knew how to create one or two haircuts.

INSERT: They didn't really understand my hair, you know, because they would try and make my hair do things that it didn't want to do – like they would brush it backwards or try and make it part on the left. And it just looked ridiculous – I looked like a hedgehog!

Yvonne: Luckily, times have changed and it seems that it no longer matters which side men part their hair on. So, Will never has to look like a hedgehog any more – after all, who wants to look like a small, prickly animal that's covered in bristles?!