Id | ESLPod_1208_CN |
---|---|
Episode Id | ESLPod 1208 |
Episode Title | Living on Low Wages |
Title | Disparaging Terms Related to American Companies |
Text | Some of America's major employers are often referred to "disparagingly" (in a highly critical and offensive way), especially when referring to their "hiring practices" (how a company attracts and manages employees). For example, a "McJob" is a disparaging term for any minimum-wage job that requires few skills and almost no "independent thought" (deciding one's own actions and making one's own decisions). The term comes from the fast-food restaurant McDonald's, where many employees perform "repetitive" (the same thing over and over again) "tasks" (small jobs or actions) and receive little "compensation" (money and other benefits received for one's work). Some people refer to very large "cookie-cutter" (with each item appearing identical to others) homes as "McMansions." The homes are luxurious and comfortable, but they are not unique or interesting - a "commentary" (statement of one's opinion) on the food that McDonald's restaurants serve. The new verb "Walmarting" refers to what happens when a large company moves into an area and "pushes out" (forces to leave; excludes) small businesses, causing them to "go out of business" (no longer be profitable and have to end the business). The verb reflects the "phenomenon" (something that is observed to happen) that often "follows" (happens next) when a Walmart store opens in smaller communities. The word "Disneyfication" or "Disneyization" describes "efforts" (attempts) to make an area more tightly controlled, safe, and "uniform" (with everything the same). It is "derived" (created and taken) from the way in which Disney amusement parks create a tightly controlled experience for visitors, so that each person has a very similar, positive experience. But the new word is used to show disapproval of this type of environment. |
Topics | Business | Money |
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