Are Halloween costumes too scary? - 6 Minute English

Halloween is celebrated all over the world at this time of year but, with parents complaining that some costumes are too scary, is the festival still just harmless fun? Sam and Neil discuss the topic and teach you related vocabulary along the way. This week’s question Why did people traditionally dress up in costumes on Halloween? a) to scare their neighbours as a joke b) to use up their old clothes c) to hide from ghosts Listen to the programme to find out the answer. Vocabulary trick-or-treating Halloween tradition where children dress up in scary costumes and go knocking on neighbours’ doors shouting ’trick or treat’. If the person who answers the door does not give the children a treat, such a sweets or candy, they play a trick on them over the top (OTT) too extreme, unsuitable and therefore unacceptable the Grim Reaper imaginary character who represents Death and looks like a skeleton, wearing a long black cloak and carrying a curved cutting tool called a scythe. race to the bottom situation in which companies compete with each other to sell products as cheaply as possible; situation in which the standard of something gets worse and worse halfway house arrangement which includes features of two contrasting idea; compromise snowflake generation way of describing the generation of young people who become adults in or after the 2010s, and who are considered by some to be easily upset and offended TRANSCRIPT [Cover: Getty Images] You can download audio and text here: More 6 Minute English episodes: Does climate change make you anxious? Translating recipes Why are prices going up? English for dating online Are you following your dreams? Do emojis make language better? People who can taste words Finding your way in space #learnenglish #halloween #costumes #halloweencostumes