New Doctor Who revealed: BBC News Review

The BBC names the next Doctor Who.

This is News Review from BBC Learning English and I'm Rob.

And joining me to talk about this story is Roy. Hello Roy.

Hello Rob and hello everybody.

If you would like to test yourself on the vocabulary around this story,

all you need to do is head to our website

bbclearningenglish.com to take a quiz.

But now, let's hear more about this story from this BBC News report:

So, Doctor Who is a popular long-running science-fiction drama

made by the BBC.

Now, the BBC has announced the next actor to play Doctor Who,

also known as the Time Lord.

That will be Ncuti Gatwa.

Ncuti Gatwa will be taking over from Jodie Whittaker

and be the fourteenth time-travelling Doctor.

Yeah, it's an interesting story and you've picked three words and phrases

from the news headlines about this story.

What are they please, Roy?

We have 'under wraps', 'irrepressible' and 'bows out'.

That's 'under wraps', 'irrepressible' and 'bows out'.

OK. Let's pick that first phrase from your first headline please.

OK. So, our first headline is from the BBC and it reads:

'Under wraps' — secret.

OK. So, this is a two-word expression.

First word is 'under' — U-N-D-E-R.

Second word is 'wraps' — W-R-A-P-S.

And it basically means that something is a secret.

And breaking that phrase down, 'under' means to be below things:

'under things' is... is when it's... yeah, beneath something.

We sometimes use 'under' as a prefix —

so we might say 'underfunded' or 'under-resourced', for example —

but here we're not using 'under' as a prefix, are we?

No, we're not. Now, if you take that idea of 'under' being...

meaning beneath and then 'wraps' — think about something being 'wrapped up'.

Now, something 'wrapped up' — for example, if you're in bed,

you may be 'wrapped up' in the duvet,

which means you are completely covered in the duvet.

And together, 'under wraps' basically means that something is secret.

And of course we talk about presents being 'wrapped up'.

We 'wrap' things up because what's inside, I guess, is a secret, isn't it?

We don't want people to see it until the day comes for your birthday present.

So, that's what we're talking about here.

Well, yeah. I mean, it's that basic idea of something being 'wrapped'

and then you open it and it's a big surprise,

but in terms of 'under wraps', the expression,

we often use it for really big secrets.

So, for example, plans: big plans that are being kept a secret

or big pieces of information.

So, for example, in the headline we're talking about

who is going to play the new Doctor.

This was a secret for a long time... or for a while —

and it was kept 'under wraps'.

And you had a secret the other day and you told me:

'Don't let the cat out of the bag.' Is that...?

Shh! Yeah, don't tell anybody!

So, for example, when we say the expression,

'Don't let the cat out of the bag,'

we're basically saying reveal a... Don't reveal the secret.

'To let the cat out of the bag' means reveal a secret.

So, if you're keeping a secret 'under wraps'...

...'don't let the cat out of the bag.' It's a great little idiom.

OK. I'll remember that. We'll keep it quiet. Shh!

Let's have a summary:

We've been talking about secrets

and if you want to learn more expressions about keeping secrets,

why not watch our very funny drama The White Elephant?

Where can we see that, Roy?

All you need to do to watch that is click the link in the description below.

Shh! Keep it a secret, OK?

Let's have a look at your next headline please.

OK. So, our next headline comes from the Guardian and it reads:

So, that's 'irrepressible' — energetic, lively, uncontrollable.

OK. So, 'irrepressible' is an adjective

and it is spelt: I-R-R-E-P-R-E-S-S-I-B-L-E.

And it basically means that something is lively, full of energy —

it's used to describe... often used to describe a person

and it sometimes means that they can't be stopped.

OK. Now, I know about the word 'repressible',

meaning to stop something happening,

but here we have a prefix 'ir-', yes?

Yeah, and that 'ir-' means 'not'.

So, 'repress' is a verb: it means to stop something.

'Repressible' is an adjective: it means that it can be stopped.

'Irrepressible' means that it cannot be stopped.

Now, this adjective, when it's used to describe a person,

is often quite positive.

So, we say: 'Oh, the person is so full of energy. They're so full of...

They're so lively and they just can't be stopped.'

Occasionally, it can be used to describe somebody who's being a bit annoying.

Maybe they're doing the same thing over and over again,

and maybe I could say: 'They are irrepressible.'

And we can say that you, Roy, are 'irrepressible',

in a good way of course...!

Could I say you're 'irrepressibly' cheerful?

Is that the same meaning?

Yeah, if you want! If you want, yeah.

So, there you used that as an adverb: 'irrepressibly'.

Now, one thing I want to talk about – this...

Often we use 'irrepressible' as a positive adjective

to describe somebody who can't be stopped.

Sometimes, as a negative, we can use the word 'uncontrollable',

if they are out of control

and you can't stop that person. You can't manage them.

So, if you have an employee and they are 'uncontrollable',

maybe the manager can't control them or stop them.

They are out of control. OK.

Thanks for that. Let's have a summary:

Now, Doctor Who is a fictional doctor,

but we've been talking about real doctors

and what life would be like without them.

How can we watch that programme, Roy?

All you need to do is click the link in the description below.

Yeah, it's just down there. OK.

Let's have a look at your next phrase from your next headline please.

OK. So, our next headline is from The Mirror and it reads:

That's 'bows out' — stops working after doing a job for a long period of time.

OK. So, this is a phrasal verb.

First word: 'bows' — B-O-W-S.

Second word: 'out' — O-U-T.

And it means to stop doing a job or activity,

usually after a long period of time.

So, if we break down this phrase, first of all we have 'bows'.

Now, I know about 'bowing': this is when you bend over to say thank you

or to greet someone for the first time, maybe.

If you go to the theatre, often at the end of the performance

all of the actors come on stage and they give a 'bow'

and it's to say thank you and to tell people that the show is over.

And now, if we continue with the idea of 'bowing' at the end of a theatre piece,

that's a very similar idea to 'bowing out'.

To 'bow out' means to end working...

stop working after a long period of time.

And you can use it as 'bow out', 'bowed out' or 'bowing out'.

So, you might 'bow out' when you retire from a job, for example.

Yeah, absolutely. And there you go: that's that long-period-of-time idea.

So, after a long career maybe — we quite commonly use it in sport as well,

when somebody retires from the sport that they've been playing.

For example, a footballer has been playing for a long time

and they decide to 'bow out' of football.

Quite an informal phrase — would I use it maybe at the end of my working day?

I've done a day in the office; do I 'bow out' and go home?

No. No, this is for a long period of time, maybe after a long career —

several years or a long period of time working — you 'bow out'.

Now, if you want to say at the end of the day that you...

you're finished, you can say: 'I'm done. I am done.'

I'm done for the... Or: 'I'm done for the day'.

Or even, if work is becoming a bit difficult that day,

you could just say, 'I give up,'

which means, like, you surrender: you can't do it any more.

OK. But going back to 'bows out',

I mean, this is usually your decision to leave: you...

you finish your career, for example.

You're not being pushed or sacked: you choose to 'bow out'.

Yeah, you 'bow out' when you want.

OK. Got it. Let's have a summary:

OK. Roy, before we 'bow out',

could you recap the vocabulary we've discussed today please.

Of course I can. We had 'under wraps' — secret.

We had 'irrepressible' — energetic, lively, uncontrollable.

And we had 'bows out' — stops working after doing a job for a long time.

Now, if you want to test your understanding of these words and phrases,

we have a quiz on our website at bbclearningenglish.com

and that's a good place to go to for lots of other Learning English resources.

And why not check us out on social media as well?

Well, we're out of time for today.

Please watch us again on News Review next time. Bye for now.

Bye.