France: Macron wins second term: BBC News Review

In France, Macron has been re-elected as French president.

Hello, this is News Review from BBC Learning English.

I'm Rob and joining me today 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.

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

So, Emmanuel Macron has been voted president of France for a second time.

He won 58% percent of the vote against Marine Le Pen, a far-right candidate.

He promised to unite France

and said that he understood many people had voted for him

to stop Marine Le Pen getting into power.

Yes, and you've picked three words and expressions

from the news headlines about this story. What are they please?

We have 'sighs of relief', 'big blow' and 'hinges on'.

That's 'sighs of relief', 'big blow' and 'hinges on'.

OK. Let's have a look at your first headline please.

OK. So, our first headline comes from Sky News and it reads:

'Sighs of relief' — relax after a serious problem.

So, this is a three-word expression.

The first word is 'sighs' — S-I-G-H-S.

Second word: 'of' — O-F.

Third word: 'relief' — R-E-L-I-E-F.

And it basically means to relax after a serious problem or event.

Now, I'm familiar with that word 'sighs'.

I think we all do it when we sit down and we relax:

we 'sigh'. We make this noise, a 'sigh', don't we?

Yeah, it's like: 'Ahhh.' So... very good.

So, basically what it is — it's an exhalation of air

and it demonstrates a sense of 'relief'.

Now, we also 'sigh' in other ways as well.

It's not just about relaxing.

We can also 'sigh' sometimes when we're bored — or frustration.

It's quite an... it's quite an emotional...

it's quite an emotive noise that we make.

Now, the word 'relief' basically means to end a period of pain.

So, for example, if you've got a headache, you may take a...

some kind of medication to give you pain 'relief'.

But in this headline we mustn't take this literally.

We're not hearing lots of people going, 'Ahhh,' are we?

No. No, we're not. It's basically used as an expression

to say that after a serious problem or a situation,

a negative situation, we can now relax.

And what other situations might we give a 'sigh of relief'?

Well, I can give you a really good personal example.

Now, many of our viewers know that my wife and I —

we were separated by the pandemic, during the pandemic.

My wife is from Brazil and my son is also from there.

And for about...

for well over two years, nearly three years,

we were apart due to the Covid pandemic.

Finally, my wife received her visa and we have been reunited

and after that terrible time,

when my wife and child arrived at the airport

I both literally and figuratively gave out a huge 'sigh of relief'

because I was suddenly like... 'Ahhh. It's over.'

OK. Let's hear that noise one more time.

Ahhh.

Fabulous. OK. Let's have a summary:

In our 6 Minute English programme,

we've been talking about mental health in the workplace.

It's a big issue. How can people watch that video again please, Roy?

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

OK. Let's move on to your next headline please.

OK. So, our next headline is an opinion piece

and it comes from CNN and it reads:

That's 'big blow' — large unexpected negative event.

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

First word: 'big' — B-I-G. Second word: 'blow' — B-L-O-W.

And it basically means an event that has a large

and, sort of, devastating effect.

Now, 'blow' often refers to the act of 'blowing' with air... like that.

Is that what this expression has something to do with?

A lot of air-related expressions today apparently: 'sighing' and 'blowing'.

But now, let's talk about this idea of 'blow'.

So, when somebody 'blows' air at you, it hits you

and it makes an impact.

Another way in which we use 'blow' that will reinforce this idea

is in something like fighting: in fighting you have punching.

Now, recently there was a boxing match

in which Tyson Fury won against Dillian Whyte

and his final punch was a... or his final hit was an uppercut

and it was the final 'blow'.

So, we use that idea of 'blow' for impacts,

especially related to punch and punches and air.

Right, but here in this expression 'big blow',

we're not referring to air or to punches, are we?

There's no boxing involved.

No, no, we're not.

So, what we're talking about here,

and let's focus in on that idea of an impact,

you're talking about an unexpected event

that has a devastating effect and it's a massive impact.

OK. And I'm just thinking back to last year's Euros,

when our country's team, England, lost at the last minute.

That was a 'big blow' — for us at least, wasn't it?

That was a 'massive blow' but well done once again to Italy.

OK. Let's have a summary of that expression:

We just mentioned last year's Euros,

the big football tournament where England unfortunately didn't win,

but Italy did and we talked about that on News Review, didn't we, Roy?

Yes and all you have to do to watch that episode

is click the link in the description below.

Great. Let's move on to your next headline please.

OK. So, our next headline comes from the Telegraph.

Now, it's important to note that this headline was released previously,

a couple of days before the election, and it reads:

'Hinges on' — depends on something happening.

OK. Another two-word expression.

First word: 'hinges' — H-I-N-G-E-S.

Second word: 'on' — O-N.

And it basically means that something depends

on something else occurring or happening.

And if we take this literally, a 'hinge' is that piece of metal

that holds the door to the wall and lets it open and close.

Absolutely. Now, without those 'hinges', that door cannot open and close.

So, it is a vital thing for the door to function.

And this is important in understanding what 'hinges' means.

So, without those 'hinges', the door doesn't work.

And what we're saying — if something 'hinges on' another thing happening,

it won't work unless that other thing happens.

So, in my life I've got two children.

They depend on me — I think they do anyway.

Can I say that my children 'hinge on' me?

No. No, you can't. OK.

So, the way in which we're using 'depend on' there —

for example, 'children depend on their parents' —

is like 'rely on'. So, for example,

they depend on you for things like supplying food

and quite often money.

The way we use 'hinges on' is when we're talking about

one situation or event is dependent

on another situation or event happening.

OK. So, can we use this expression in everyday life?

Yeah. So, let me give you a good example.

You invite me to a party — I'm still waiting for that invitation...!

You invite me to a party but I say:

  'My coming to your party hinges on, or depends on, whether I get paid.'

So, for example, without money I can't come to your party.

Right. OK. We could also say the success of this programme News Review

'hinges on' you turning up and presenting it.

Thank you very much for that,

but I think it 'hinges on' not just myself but the whole team:

you and everybody else that works at BBC Learning English.

Without... without the team...

Our wonderful content relies on our —

'hinges on' the success of our fantastic team.

Yeah and it 'hinges on' having a summary, so here it is:

OK, Roy, it's time now for you to recap on

the words and expressions we've discussed today.

Sure thing. We had 'sighs of relief' — relax after a serious problem.

We had 'big blow' — large unexpected negative event.

And we had 'hinges on' — depends on something happening.

Now, if you want to test your understanding of these expressions,

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 don't forget to check us out on social media as well.

Well, that's all for News Review for today.

Thank you for watching and we'll see you next time. Bye bye.

Bye!